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Jill’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

by 15 Comments
Dec
12
2011
Jill's Story (Breast Cancer) LR

2010….what a GREAT year for me! I had a beautiful family, I started my own photography business, then I heard the words "you have breast cancer". Okay, so that last part wasn't GREAT…but it did change my life for the BETTER. In September 2010, I felt a lump that seemed to be on my rib, so it was hard for me to determine what it was. So, I ignored it for a month. When it didn't go away, I went to the doctors. The doctor felt it, and said, "I really don't think it's anything to worry about" giving me that look as if to say "you are only 37, you can't have breast cancer". Luckily, I went with my gut. What followed was a mammogram, ultrasound, and a biopsy all within a few days. That following Friday I was told that I had breast cancer, DCIS. PHEW…I thought. That is the best type to have…if you have to have any. I was told I would only need sugery to remove the disease, radiation for 6 weeks, and I would have to take Tamoxafin for 5 years. Okay, I can handle that, at least I can … [Read more...]

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Daphne’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma)

by 6 Comments
Dec
11
2011
Lime Ribbon Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

September of 2007 I had finally had enough. My back had been hurting for a few years, just getting worse- this Dr said this, that one said something else. My primary ordered an MRI after countless CT’s with no answer. Two days later I got a call that I needed to see an oncologist- I had some enlarged lymph nodes. Ok, that scared me a good bit, went to see the oncologist. They did a biopsy and a PET- yup, its non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - slow growing but EVERYWHERE - like too many nodes involved to even count. But ya know thats not when I started fighting like a girl. After a few chemos, I could not take the pain I felt all over my body. Somehow this cancer and chemo threw my body into meltdown. The tumor pain was horrid, the vincristine from the chemo was causing nerve and muscle damage. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis so, compounded, I felt like I had been given a life sentence to that firey place below. I had a grandbaby born the following August.  When I heard I was going … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lymphoma Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Amy’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Liver Disease)

by 12 Comments
Aug
09
2011
Amy's Story (Liver Disease)

My life was never expected to be perfect because perfection does not exist. What was expected of me was for me to graduate high school making A or Bs, and go to college on a swimming or basketball scholarships. What I did not expect was to spending time during my high school years living in a bubble, accused of being crazy and at times being unable to walk. But these things were part of the journey that life had laid before me. When I was in the 8th grade I went on a church trip. I sang the gospel of Jesus and witnessed to complete strangers on the beach. I came back with a souvenir - blisters on my ankles. That summer, I spent multiple hours in and out of dermatologists’ offices trying to find the source of what exactly these little blisters that traveled up my body and turned into quarter inch deep ulcers the size of quarters were. They covered me head to toe including my scalp and breast. The blisters were quickly followed by fevers spiking up to 105 degrees for days. Blood … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Liver Disease Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cathy’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

by 13 Comments
Aug
05
2011
Cathy's Story (Breast Cancer)

My mother was beautiful. We all know our mothers are beautiful. But Mom was movie star lovely. Tall and slender with masses of dark hair, dewy brown eyes, and cheekbones to die for, she could have stepped right out of an RKO feature film. She must have been surprised, after growing up as an only child, to marry Dad and become the mother of ten children. But nobody could ever tell. Our friends always said we had the prettiest, youngest looking mother around. Every day, she’d sneak away to her piano. I’d sit close beside her on the bench watching her elegant hands glide across the keyboard. Sometimes, I’d sniff the Avon scented candle on top of the piano – the same candle that sits on top of the same piano in my own living room all these years later. I’d savor that little bit of time with my mother. As the oldest, I didn’t have her to myself very often. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was only 45-years-old. Not for one minute did we think she’d die. It … [Read more...]

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Cancer Kid Gifts

by 14 Comments
Aug
01
2011
Doing origami!

Do you know a child with cancer?  Are you wondering what kind of gift to give them?  As one who was on the receiving end for quite some time, I’m hoping to give a little insight on giving get-well gifts.  There are do's and don’ts- some are quite obvious, while others perhaps only someone who’s gone through it can realize.  But all hope to ease that “what do I get them” feeling and create a better giving/receiving experience for both the patient and the people who care about them. DO: Soft Coming home from the hospital after a tough round of chemo, I’d slip on my fuzzy socks, grab my softest stuffed animal, and snuggle beneath my coziest blanket in my most comfortable pj’s.  Comfort….it’s all about comfort.  That’s why anything plush or fluffy goes over big with anyone who’s ill, especially a child.  Whether it’s a big stuffed bear to hug during chemo or a pillow to jam your face in on hard day, the level of comfort that something soft can provide … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Childhood Cancer Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Colleen’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Ankylosing Spondylitis)

by 14 Comments
Jul
28
2011
Colleen's Story (Ankylosing Spondylitis)

I grew up in Vermont. In May 1985 I was 10 yrs old. It was the end of the school year. We had what was called field day. All the kids had to be outside and they had sports, activities, a bbq, and even a walk/run thru the woods. In the early 1980’s the high-schoolers thought it was fun to prank the elementry school with bomb threats. It happend so much it was crazy. Well, on this particular day, they brought our buses to us because we were outside. I sat down to wait for my bus and I noticed my right ankle was hurting me. I tried to get the teachers attention but she was busy trying to get the kids to their buses. Well, when I got home I told my mom. I’m the youngest of 4 kids. There are 9 years difference between me and my sister, 7 years between me and my brother, and 2 years between me and my sister. The oldest had faked a sprained ankle for attention. My mom thought I was faking too. She had my brother who was 16, almost 17, check my ankle and he did. He told her it was hurt. I … [Read more...]

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Tips For Sticking With a Fitness Routine

by 4 Comments
Jul
24
2011
Fitness and Exercise

Have you ever experienced this situation? You eagerly start a new fitness routine with much enthusiasm and the very best of intentions. The first week you work out until you reach the point of complete exhaustion. Finally, you've so sore and exhausted you'll find almost any excuse to not work out. Unfortunately, this situation is far too common in a world where we expect immediate gratification. A new body isn't built in a day. Even if you're on the best fitness routine available, you need to develop patience. It takes time to see changes in your strength, stamina, and energy level, much less changes in your weight and physical appearance. If you recognize this from the beginning, you'll be more likely to continue your exercise routine even when it seems like you're not making progress. You also need to understand the importance of exercise consistency. Select a realistic routine you can stick with for the long haul. If you've never exercised don't design a strenuous fitness … [Read more...]

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Claudia’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Chronic Pain)

by 8 Comments
Jul
09
2011
Chronic Pain Purple Ribbon

Hi! I am Claudia, from Romania. I’m 17, 158 cm, 55kg. I had a happy childhood with minor, but frequent, health problems. My story started 3 years ago. I was operated for appendicitis in March. In April I woke up in a morning with a pain on the left knee.  It was swollen. It hurt more when I went. I said: “Nothing wrong!”, thinking that I hit it without realizing. It was before Easter, so I continued to be normal. No doctors, no meds. During a week, the pain continued, moving to the right knee, than to the right ankle. They were swollen too. I went to the doctor and she said: “I’m sure that this is rheumatism. You’ll have tests to confirm, but anyway you have to do injections of Penicillin!”. I was shocked because I didn’t felt sick. I went there just because my mother said to and then I found that I have this. I took the treatment, but when the test came, the doctor realised that all are normal.  She said: “Oh! I think that there is a mistake from the … [Read more...]

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Bone Health and Breast Cancer

by 2 Comments
Jun
06
2011
bone-health-246x300

One of the last things you may think about when diagnosed with breast cancer is the health of your bones.  You probably already know the importance of  keeping your bones healthy throughout your life, but it becomes especially important after a breast cancer diagnosis. Why?  Certain treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause significant bone loss or fractures.  It's possible for Chemotherapy to cause early menopause, which would result in a loss of estrogen.  It's also possible to experience a dip in estrogen levels just from surgery as well.   Estrogen protects the bone,  so if these levels become low, it can result in bone loss or a fracture. Upon diagnosis, ask your healthcare team if you should have the health of your bones evaluated. One of the exams that may be recommended is called a DEXA scan.  The word DEXA is an abbreviation for Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.  This particular exam will typically measure your bone mineral density (BMD) between your spine and … [Read more...]

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Visitors Welcome! Well…It Depends.

by 3 Comments
Apr
04
2011
Party in Melinda's room! February 12, 2008

During my journey with cancer, visitors who appeared at my bedside delivered an array of reactions- no two were the same.  It taught me a lot about what to tell someone going through cancer and how to treat them.  What I really didn’t want was to be treated differently because of my condition.  Cancer patients strive to be “normal”, and I was no exception.  I wanted my friends and family to be how they had always been towards me- to make me feel like I was still myself.  However, there was a fine line between treating me normally and denying the fact that I had cancer.  I suppose that it depends on whether or not the patient is in denial, but turning a blind eye to what has overtaken a child’s life can leave them frustrated.  No one should let their personal inability to deal with another’s illness prevent them from helping a cancer kid through their journey…although for some, the best help may be no help at all. Communication with a child going through cancer … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Childhood Cancer Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,