There is a great need for people who have been diagnosed with cancer to tell their stories: to share the real story of the emotional storm that is cancer and the ravages of its treatments.

The Existential Humanistic perspective is an option for those who want a contemplative approach that helps them to deepen into a meaningful exploration of their experience with cancer. A contemplative view opens up an alternative to the mode of tolerating or coping with the issues of cancer into the realm of awareness, exploration, and acceptance. While it is tempting to find solutions and “fix a problem” there is much to be gained from learning how to live with uncertainty and delving more deeply into the emotional residue of cancer

Quality of life goes beyond survival. While there are no statistics that show higher survival rates occur when cancer patients choose to address their emotional needs, it has been shown that their quality of life increases. The University of Toronto Quality of Life Research Institute defines quality of life in health care as “the degree to which a person enjoys the important possibilities of his or her life.”  Their quality of life model is based on the categories of “being”, “belonging”, and “becoming”.

Opening up an exploration of one’s personal definition of quality of life, the discovery of one’s true self, can bring meaning to whatever time each one of us has to spend in a lifetime. Understanding and bringing value to this aspect of  survivorship needs to be included in the care plan for those who have endured and continue to endure treatment for cancer.

Human beings are not their diagnosis. People are not statistics. Creating narrative plans for the emotional needs of each survivor group gives a voice and a structure for self-advocacy and integrated care.

Excerpt from poster presentation at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society Conference February 15, 2014   Tampa, Florida

Myth 1: A Breast Lump Is Probably Cancer

Most breast lumps women feel — 8 out of 10 — aren’t cancer. It’s more common for them to be a cyst (a sac) or a fibroadenoma (an abnormal growth that’s not cancer). Some lumps come and go during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

You can’t tell what it is by how it feels.

“It’s always important to know your own body and detect a change which may need to be evaluated,” says Beth Overmoyer, director of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “If it is cancer, then you may have saved your life.”

Myth 2: If You Have a Lump but Your Mammogram Is Normal, You’re Done

You may need more tests, such as an MRI, ultrasound, or follow-up mammogram, to take another look at the lump.

You may also need to get a biopsy, which is when a doctor takes a small sample of the lump to test it.

Your doctor may also recommend getting checked more often.

Myth 3: Cancerous Breast Lumps Are Always Painless

Not necessarily. Although breast cancers aren’t always painful, having breast paindoesn’t rule out cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer – which has early symptoms such as redness, swelling, tenderness, and warmth in the breast  – can be painful when there is a lump, Overmoyer says.

Myth 4: If You Find a Lump While Breastfeeding, It Can’t Be Cancer

Though breastfeeding does make you less likely to get breast cancer, it can still happen.  If you notice a lump while you’re breastfeeding, don’t ignore it.

You may get an ultrasound to check it out, Overmoyer says.

Myth 5: If You’re Young, a Breast Lump Can’t Be Cancer

Not so. At any age, you should get breast lumps checked out by a doctor.

Even though most women who get breast cancer are past menopause or older than 50, a lump can be cancer, even in a younger woman.

Myth 6: A Small Lump Is Less Likely to Be Cancer Than a Large Lump

Breast lumps come in all sizes, and size doesn’t affect the odds that it’s cancer, says Melissa Scheer, MD, a breast-imaging specialist at Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology in New York.

Whenever you feel a lump that’s new or unusual, even if it’s tiny, see your doctor. Even small lumps can be aggressive cancers.

Myth 7: If You Feel a Lump Soon After a Mammogram, It’s OK to Wait Another Year

Call your doctor if you notice a lump soon after your latest mammogram, even if the results were normal. Mammograms can miss some cancers, especially if you have dense breast tissue or if the lump is in an awkward location (such as near yourarmpit).

“The doctor should only suggest a ‘watch-and-wait’ approach after the appropriate breast imaging has been normal and nothing suspicious can be felt,” Scheer says.

Myth 8: A Lump Is Probably Harmless If There’s No Breast Cancer in Your Family

Many women think they’re not at risk for breast cancer if no one in their family has had it. But that’s not true.

Less than 15% of women with breast cancer have a relative who’s had the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Get all lumps checked by a doctor, whether or not breast cancer runs in your family.

Permalink: https://www.breastcancersurvivorsupport.com/breast-lumps-and-cancer

I wonder what this would feel like?

http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-30/cancer-sniffing-fruit-flies-start-glow-if-they-smell-sickness

Treatment for cancer can be exhausting  However, tiredness and aches and pains can continue long past the end of treatment.  Cancer survivors need help and support as they face ongoing issues of recovery and healing.

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/nutrition-cancer-12/fighting-fatigue?page=1

Sometimes we feel concerned about chronic pain after breast cancer treatment. The fear of recurrance comes up because we’re told to report any pain lasting more than two weeks. What if the pain lasts for months, or even years?  Current research is showing that lingering pain can be a common problem for women who have had breast cancer.

A Survey of Joint and Muscle Aches, Pain, and Stiffness Comparing Women With and Without Breast Cancer

Fenlon D, Addington-Hall JM, O’Callaghan AC, Clough J, Nicholls P, Simmonds P
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013;46:523-535

Study Summary

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of joint and muscle aches, pain, and stiffness in women after completing adjuvant breast cancer treatment, in comparison with women of a similar age without breast cancer. The study participants were 247 women attending breast cancer follow-up clinics. The comparison group of 274 women of similar age was drawn from women attending breast screening and other (benign) breast clinics. The prevalence and severity of pain were compared between the 2 groups.

The mean age of all women in the study was 59 years (range, 30-86 years). The median time since diagnosis of cancer was 28 months (range, 2-184 months). Adjuvant treatments included radiation therapy (79%), chemotherapy (45%), and hormone therapy (81%).

Sixty-two percent of women with breast cancer reported pain “today,” compared with 53% of women without breast cancer (P=.023). Significant predictors of pain in both patient groups were cancer, age, and arthritis. For the women with cancer, significant predictors of pain were age, arthritis, taxane chemotherapy, aromatase inhibitors, and tamoxifen. Quality of life (measured by the Short Form-36) was significantly worse for women with breast cancer than for controls and was significantly worse in the women with breast cancer who reported pain.

The main conclusion was that treatment with tamoxifen, taxane chemotherapy, and aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer is predictive of joint pain, which may have an impact on women’s lives for some years after breast cancer.

Viewpoint

There are currently 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, many of whom have been treated with chemotherapeutic agents, now known to be associated with long-term effects. Nurses will increasingly care for women who have survived breast cancer but who will be seen in primary care clinics or for other chronic illnesses.

A thorough assessment of symptoms that persist in survivorship is vital to quality of life for these survivors. Nurses should document the history of breast cancer, as well as all previous treatments. Symptom assessment should include reports of not only pain but also muscle ache, joint stiffness, or other discomfort that could be underreported or minimized by patients. Assessment should also determine the impact that these symptoms have on quality of life, such as decreased function; psychological responses, including anxiety or depression; and impaired roles and relationships.

The financial impact of a cancer diagnosis may continue long after treatment is over and never ends for those who face ongoing treatment.

I finished treatment for cancer on October 31, 2007.

Since that time I have never gone a month without making some type of medical payment in addition to the cost of my insurance.

This article offers help to those of us who continue to deal with the many costs of cancer.

http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.show/id/2/article_id/2236

Survivorship is a unique journey for each one of us.  How we mark our celebrations and our sorrows is personal.  Some of us prefer a silent moment as a way to honor a transition, others may want to have a party or run a race.  There is no right or wrong way to acknowledge ourselves and the rough ride of cancer.

This link is a lovely story of one women’s story.

http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.show/id/2/article_id/2205

Good wishes to everyone and some tips on how to ease the travel woes of the season.

May you all have a happy and healthy holiday.

http://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-holiday-travel-less-stressful?ecd=wnl_brc_122413&ctr=wnl-brc-122413_ld-stry_2&mb=

December 21st marks the longest night of the year.  Yet at the exact moment that we are farthest from the sun, our source of light, we begin the journey back from darkness into light.  There are moments in life when it is being in the darkness that helps us believe that the light will return.

I wish you all a warm Winter Solstice full of love and light.

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness by Mary Oliver

Every year we have been

witness to it: how the

world descends

into a rich mash, in order that

it may resume.

And therefore

who would cry out

to the petals on the ground

to stay,

knowing, as we must,

how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?

I don’t say

it’s easy, but

what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world

be true?

So let us go on

though the sun be swinging east,

and the ponds be cold and black,

and the sweets of the year be doomed.

Everyone wants you to be jolly and you may not feel that way. While this can be a joyous time of year, it can also be very rough on those who are dealing with cancer.  Sometimes it’s more stressful to pretend to feel up when you just need a helping hand or a hug.  Don’t push or press- take time to relax.  And, ask for help …

http://www.massgeneral.org/cancer/about/newsarticle.aspx?id=2479