Thank you Cheri. I will keep your Aunt in my thoughts. I asked my oncologist if our numbers were increasing because women were having mammograms as part of their routine physical and he said that it played a role in finding cancer, but he also said that our lifestyles, while not the main reason, might also contribute to greater incidences of cancer. Previous generations of women had healthier diets and were more active. I'm not talking having a exercise program or playing sports, rather that they did not have the convinences that we have. They walked more, carried more, did not have all the appliances we have to make our lives easier. We add supplements which might not be healthy for us. We drive, when we can walk, etc.
Here's the good news. Most women are beating BC. A diagnosis doesn't automatically mean a shortened life or death sentence. Current thinking, based on research, allows for breast preservation (thru lumpectomies) rather than having a masectomy. My cancer was estrogen positive, progestrone positive and HER positive (that last part means an aggressive form of cancer). It also required that if I wanted to beat this, I would have no other options than taking an aggressive treatment of Chemo, radiation and Herceptin for a year. I was and am ok with that because my outcome looks very good. I have lessen my chances of reoccurrence by taking this aggressive approach. It also means that I must change my lifestyle, a healthier diet and exercising 7 days a week because current thinking is that less weight and exercising lowers estrogen levels. A positive mental attitude also is beneficial. On one hand, it saddens me that 1 out of 7 women will get BC because those are huge numbers in my opinion; however, on the other hand, it means that the numbers are so great that there is more than enough interest and money in developing the research to end BC.
Even though heart attacks are the #1 killer of women today, it is still BC that strikes fear in women so there is more interest in it. I also think that because BC is not age, hereitary, or lifestyle (because women who are phyically active or healthy can get it) discrimate, more women are concern about getting that than getting a heart attack, ergo, more money spent there.
I don't know what stage your Aunt is at or what her original pathology was, but I believe she will do so much better because of medical advancements. I also know that if she knows that people are pulling for her, praying for her and letting her know that she is not alone in this battle, that will help her tremendously. Treat her as if she is still among the living. My biggest battle was convincing people that this was not a death sentence. I even had to chastised my older sister, not to say that I was brave, because to me it had negative connotations. Yes I was brave to have a needle stuck in my arm or through my chest, but then I have always been a sissy when it came to needles. But to be brave because of what I was going through for 7 hours every 21 days?! Nah, it was a means to an end. Life. That's what it is all about.
