My friend with breast cancer

[monster]

yup, thanks. Little manic today due to the anti-nausea steroids.

[Trilby]

How's your pal, monnie? I've been thinking of her.

[monster]

she got her last AC today. she's doing OK. hard for her this week though because it's swim and dive championships and her kids are stars. today she and her husband both missed her son take second in dive, and her kids (son and older daughter) managed great with their chauffeur (daughter's slightly older friend), but were clearly missing a parental presence at such an important meet. Tomorrow her daughter dives, and its unlikely she can watch because it's her most sun-sensitive day and she has to go get the day-after shot.

So it sucks, but in respectively minor ways

[monster]

YAY! the lump is halved in size. Plus she was able to watch the first half of daughter's dive meet before we had to go for her "day-after" shot because the sun was not shining

[Queen of the Ryche]

Sweet!!!

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by monster

YAY! the lump is halved in size. Plus she was able to watch the first half of daughter's dive meet before we had to go for her "day-after" shot because the sun was not shining

many much love. To you and hers.

[monster]

Long overdue an update, I guess.

Her penultimate chemo is tomorrow (she's in the middle of the Taxon half of her ACT cycle).

Now she's losing her eyelashes and eyebrows, but generally seems much more accepting of what needs to be done. I think ideally, the doctors would have preferred surgery first, chemo after given the advanced stage of the cancer, but despite saying that "if is ever happened to her she's go for the double mastectomy and be done...", once faced with that sudden reality, she wasn't ready for it. But now she is.

The tumor has shrunk and broken down to the point where they can't measure it any more because it's too jelly-like. the lymph nodes feel normal. The surgery is scheduled.

But I have to share... I truly believe she's been saved by the Flying Spaghetti Monster! It truly is a noodly miracle. (that and bacon -she likes the wtf bacon-type images and i am desperately trying to find a fleecy "press button receieve bacon" skull cap -her hat of choice).

...but anyway, now she's stuck at home feeling crappy, I have slowly been bringing her into the world of teh interwebs. she mentioned that a mutual friend mentioned some fantastic spider creature with arms reaching everywhere re the atheist argument, and I was able to enlighten her.....now she sends me links to new pastafarian products she has found

today:

Have you seen Flying Spaghetti Monster candy? The product description is: Eat the body of the FSM! Hallelujah! Sweet and chewy pasta strands, and His all-seeing eyes. Partake of Him with friends. I got a belly laugh out of that one!

rAmen

So i just translated a classic poem for her, i call this the Desidepasta

Go noodley amid the tomato paste,
and remember what peas there may be in the sauce.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all waiters.
Speak your order quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even the specials of the day;
they too have their pasta.
Avoid rice and pizza dishes;
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with noodles,
you may become quite insane;
for always there will be noodlier
and pasta persons than yourself.
Enjoy your antipasta as well as your pasta.
Keep interested in your own meatballs, however humble;
it is a real parmesan in the changing restaurants of town.
Exercise regularly in your busy affairs;
for the pasta is full of carbohydrates.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many swimmers strive for high carbs;
and everywhere life is full of noodles.
Fill yourself. Especially, do not forgo antipasta.
Neither be cynical about mac’n’cheese for in the
face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the waiters,
gracefully surrendering your plate when you’re done.
Nurture a glass of spirits to shield from undercooked pasta. But do not distress yourself
with imagining fingers in the sauce. Many fears are born of greed
and lawsuits. Beyond a wholewheat penne,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the wheatproduct,
no less than the tomatoes and the meatballs;
you have a right to eat here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the pasta is cooking as it should.
Therefore be at peace with Flying Spaghetti Monster,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your lasagna and antipasta,
in the noisy restaurant of life,
keep peas with your sole.
With all its rice, pizza,
and French toast,
it is still a beautiful world.
Strive to be pasta.

And at the risk of being all mushy, I have to thank you guys for being there with all the weird crap that happens on teh interwebs and irl that i use to amuse and be the comic relief so desperately needed in the fight against this crappy pissy disease.

I will be introducing lolcats with the eventual aim of pointing her towards the ceiling cat bible. for those unfamiliar, here is teh ceiling cat prayer

I'm thinking ceiling cat maybe watching her recuperate.... (thanks to bruce's link to the 3d cut out -our kids noticed ours on the ceiling today btw -I told them ceiling cat is watching them misbehave....)

[limey]

Monster - that's great and deserves to go the innernets rounds immediately and pass into folklore!
(and hugs to you and your friend too, noodly ones!)

[Sundae]

Without wanting to piggyback, Mons.
About a week ago, Mum had a scan.
It had calcium deposits.

It could be benign, pre-cancerous or cancerous.
Mum's friend (evil D who told her I wasn't depressed) had the same results and ended up with a mascetomy. Today, Mum's come back with the world's worst bruises and guilt that she didn't tell me - I overheard and then had it confirmed from Dads.

I honestly believe it's just a false alarm. Even if the worst came to the worst came to the worst it's about calcium deposits, not cancerous tissue. But I am also cogniscant that Mum has now had two painful tests, which she was trying to hide from me (becaue she didn't want to tell all of us) and she is fretting.

Not much I can say to make things sound better.
Mum is scared, I'm trying to help (and I'm crappy at that) and we're in the early days.

All I can say right here and right now is what everyone will say when the spectre of cancer drifts over. It's a slim chance that it will affect her, but it reminds me how very much I love her.

Same to all who are suffering.

[Sundae]

Mum has Ductal Carcinoma In Situ.
As cancerous cells go they are pretty much the best to have.
She will have the cells reoved during day surgery (although she has to go in the day before to have guide wires fitted).

If all goes as plan, she should have a small amount of tissue removed and need no further treatment. This was picked up via mandatory breast screening and they have couaght it the earliest possible stage. The consultant says it is not breast cancer - although women who have had this can go on to develop breast cancer, or to need a masectomy.

She's being very calm and practical (of course) and has already given me instructions re not mentioning it to Breda (her friend with terminal cancer). Perhaps she thinks it will make Breda feel worse? I'm not sure how, but if that's what she wants, that's what I'll do.

She goes in Weds & Thurs next week.
Thank goodness we've got our day out in London in between - something to pierce the gloom. I'm cancelling my trip to see my Godfather on the Thursday - I doubt I'll go to the hospital - that's Dad's place, but I can be here to do anything else that needs doing.

[DanaC]

Thank God they picked it up when they did hon.


(actually that should probably be thank the NHS)
:P

I realise she's probably going to be absolutely fine; but I also know that won't necessarily stop you worrying. If at any point you want to phone for a chat you know my number *hugs*

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

She's being very calm and practical (of course) and has already given me instructions re not mentioning it to Breda (her friend with terminal cancer). Perhaps she thinks it will make Breda feel worse? I'm not sure how, but if that's what she wants, that's what I'll do.

I can understand it. Your mom is almost certainly going to get better in a very short amount of time. Her friend is not. In an ideal world we'd all be totally removed from our own baggage when providing support to friends, but the truth is it's hard to see someone easily overcome something which we are struggling much harder with, no matter what it is.

[monster]

It's amazing the number of people who tell my friend about their minor brush with breast cancer and finish off by saying "of course that's nothing compared to what you're going through". I'm pretty sure they mean well but it i can telll it makes her feel like crap to hear how everyone's got it so much easier. (And the one's that don't tell her that tell her about their friends who dies from it. Gee thanks, folks.)

However, her doctors tell her that she's coping much better with the chemo than most others, and that makes her feel good and more prepared for the surgery.

Her surgery is scheduled for the 6th.

[monster]

.

[monster]

Originally Posted by monster

apparently cancer is like porn to medical professionals -they can't help themselves they all want a feel. She went to her Family Doctor about something else -after she's been through all of the screenings in prep for the chemo- and he's all "well while you're here I'll just listen to your heart and lungs to check everything is still fine" .....well okaaaaaay if you really feel it's necessary ..."oh and now that I'm in your chest area, I might as well have a feel of the lump...