discussion items for conference

Hi!!

I think that you should be sure to remind people that this diagnosis is not a death sentence and that they should have faith and never give up hope. A couple of weeks before I found out I had breast cancer, my pastor said something in his sermon that I have written down and it sits on the dash board of my car....."Live every day as if it were your last, but believe that you will live forever." It has helped me to remember to make the most of each day and to trust in the Lord for the forever. Also, cancer is only a word and a "bump" in the road of life---treat it like an inconvenience. Another thing, if appropriate, would be to stress the importance of self examination and really taking time to know your body and listen to it for clues that something may be wrong.

Well, that's my two cents worth. Hope it helps!! Good luck at the conference....I think it was great that you were asked to do this!! Hopefully, it will help others understand the "beast".

Blessings.....Wendy

mjdp2 said:

Is this a conference for the Am. Cancer Society? Tell them their chances of getting breast cancer in their lifetime is one in eight. Stress the importance of early detection through mammography and monthly self exams. Let them know that more women who do not have a family history get the disease than those who do. Also most women find the lump themselves. Tell them to go to this this website for treatment guidelines and the survivors network for support. I spoke at my church's womens retreat and I borrowed a breast model from my local Am. Cancer Soc. office to pass around so that women could feel what the lumps might feel like. The office can also provide you with handouts on how to do a monthly self exam. Congratulation on being selected to speak. Blessings, Margaret

I think Wendy pretty much summed it up perfectly, but I would like to add my two cents worth. Breast cancer can present itself in more ways than just lumps, I had bleeding and white discharge from my nipple, but two drs did not think much of it and it took me pestering them for about two months before they would do a mammo, and sure enough, it was cancer. They say that tumours grow for about two - five years before they are even detected as a lump, I asked my dr for a mammo when I was 25, because of a serious family history of cancers, but he said no, so five years later, I was diagnosed with stage IV breast mets to liver, which really pisses me off because I think it could have been caught earlier if my Dr had just listened to me.
Also, some Drs prefer to do a needle biopsy, but they are not always accurate, there was a young woman in town here, they did a needle biopsy and told her it was not cancer, about a year later she got really sick and passed away, turns out it was cancer and had spread because she was not treated. The Dr , when doing the needle insertion, missed the tumour and only pulled out breast fluid. A surgical biopsy is the only way in my mind, that way they go right in and pull the whole thing out and there is no "accidents" What do you suppose he said to her family? "oops, I missed"??
Drs have got to learn to listen to their patients, we know our own bodies best.
Tiger.

I am a breast cancer survivor. I was only 25 when I was diagnosed. I was also told that the lump I felt 'was nothing'. Please let your audience know that breast cancer can occur at younger ages and also to trust their own instincts if they feel the doctor is not being thorough enough. I had a lumpectomy, radiation and a year of chemo. I am now 44 years old and doing terrific. I am a volunteer with the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program. Please tell the group about Reach to Recovery. We are a group of breast cancer survivors that offer emotional support to newly diagnosed women. We do not offer medical advice...we do offer empathy and friendship as we have also been where they are now. It's a great group and many women benefit from our visits.