I have been putting off my yearly mammogram. I’ve had one almost every year since I turned 40, as dictated by someone somewhere as the thing I was supposed to do. Recently, there has been some controversy as to whether the “need to start having mammograms” age was 40 or 50. Now, there is another controversy – that routine mammograms can cause breast cancers to be overly treated. Overly treated? If you have breast cancer, can treatment really be overly? Maybe not, but maybe so says Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, who recently coauthored an analysis of mammograms published in The … Continue reading →

Feeling a lump in your breast or getting called back for more tests after a mammogram does not necessarily mean cancer. Many lumps are caused by benign conditions. While you shouldn’t panic, it is still important to get any breast changes checked out by your doctor as soon as possible. When women do get cancer, one out of every three cases is breast cancer. So, it makes sense that feeling that lump could induce some anxiety. Here is some information about breast lumps and other breast changes that are not cancerous. Breast Cysts Breast lumps could actually be cysts, fluid … Continue reading →

What happens when you get the call that further tests are needed after your normal annual mammogram? It happened to me. (If you need to catch up on my story, you can read this and this.) So there I was in the waiting room, just having had another series of views of my left breast. I fidgeted with the various magazines on the table and wrapped my too-large gown closer around my body. It was cold. I was told that the images would be read immediately and then someone would come and tell me if an ultrasound were needed. That … Continue reading →

Getting a late morning call to come back in to the radiology department after I had just been there for a routine mammogram was very unsettling. It took until the next day to get some answers from my doctor’s office. My doctor’s nurse called the next day, and I missed the call. I had taken my kids to the library and the park. Life goes on, right? I did feel less inclined to run around through the maze of the playground and more inclined to sit in the sun and read a book. Inevitably, though, there are one or two … Continue reading →

I debated about writing this post, giving away too much information, but then I thought that however things unfold, the post might help another woman. I am further inspired by all of the courage and candidness of my fellow blogger, Tammy, whose own journeys through cancer have helped many, I’m sure. So here goes. Yesterday morning I had a routine mammogram. My doctor prefers screening annually after the age of 40. A couple of hours later, I received a call at home from the radiology department. “Mrs. Romans, the radiologist wants to take another look at your left breast. We … Continue reading →

When you are a breast cancer patient and you tell your doctor that you are experiencing menopausal symptoms they tell you they cannot give you any of the hormone replacement therapies that they give non-cancer patients. The reason they cannot give cancer patients hormone replacement therapy is that there are a lot of cancers that feed on and grow from hormones. Giving any hormones; even artificial ones; is not a good idea. This was great news for me and my poor husband and kids. They get to deal with the moody mom for who knows how long. The doctor did … Continue reading →

I was reading a fellow blogger’s entries about menopause and it got me thinking that I had not talked much about the chemo induced menopause that I went through. OK where to start? When I was getting ready to start chemo therapy I did a lot of research on it and read that it could possibly put me into menopause. I mentioned it to my oncologist and he said well yeah that is a possibility. Well did he not think to tell me about that? Could it be because he is a guy and just did not think about it? … Continue reading →

Ok so I feel bad for my lymphedema specialist, I am texting her asking her what to do for my cartoon looking hand. It has swelled up so much I hate it. She is having me remove the gauntlet which goes on my hand it looks like fingerless gloves. She said I may have to switch to a glove, ok let me say now come on can I not catch a break? I really do not want a glove on one hand all the time. I was not supposed to go see her until Wednesday but because of the swelling … Continue reading →

Ok so today is day one with my “arm girdle” also known as the compression garment and hand gauntlet. I have had it on for about 3 hours now and my fingers look like Eddie Murphy’s in the Nutty Professor. My whole hand is swollen, I have to take my wedding ring off and I am not crazy about it. When it is not there I find myself rubbing where it is supposed to be. I know it is silly I can just wear it on my other hand but I like it where it is. Lymphedema is one of … Continue reading →

OK when you think of lymphedema and you think it is no big deal and it is not painful well you may want to reconsider that line of thinking. It has been about 3 weeks of being wrapped from fingers to shoulder and it is definitely uncomfortable. I am still upset that I have done everything that the doctors told me to do and I am still stuck with lymphedema. The disorder at first is not uncomfortable but your affected limb can start feeling heavy and you can also get tingly fingers (if you have it in your arm), you … Continue reading →