Battling Cancer

I have been asked recently whether frequent guest-poster Amanda is my outspoken secret identity. The answer is, “No.” Amanda is very much a real person, and you’ll soon be able to see her writing on a new blog that will be launching soon. In the meantime, read her take on some of the little-known aspects of cancer treatment here:Let’s play an association game. I give you a word, and you record the first thing that comes to mind. If I say “hammer”, you might say “nail”. Another example would be if I said “oxygen”, and if you are an utter science geek like me, you might be thinking respiration (or maybe not). Now, what if I said “chemotherapy”? The last thing to cross your mind would probably be “sex”. But maybe it should be.Chemotherapy, while a necessary evil in the fight against cancer progression, is absolute hell on your body and your mind. You may feel nauseous and sick all the time, you are going lose weight, and you may even lose your hair. In addition to all this, you can also experience a complete loss of sexual desire, vaginal infections, dryness, and impotence. With all you are experiencing relating to the battle with cancer, this additional load is the last thing anyone needs to deal with.I am all for sex, believe me. Sex is great!! However, when a loved one is undergoing chemotherapy, they are probably not feeling very desirable or attractive. They are probably nauseous and have a headache. The important thing is that you don’t have live without sex while fighting your cancer. Now, if you just went through a cycle of chemo, and the mere thought of sex makes you want to throw up, DON’T have sex. The choice is yours. But if you do want to have sex with your partner, but don’t know how to get past the chemo-induced obstacles, talk to your doctor. Burst through the waiting room, screaming “I want sex!!! Give me sex!!”  Well, maybe that is a bad idea, but you get the point. Cancer does not have to be the end of your sex life. You just need to learn to outmaneuver the treatment.Like what you’re reading? Consider subscribing to our feed! 

The majority of my work day is spent doing some form of internet research. That’s why I was happy to find that Yahoo! had a partnership with the American Cancer Society to help raise funds for cancer awareness, prevention and research funding. Each time you use Search to Fight for your search engine needs instead of Google or another default web site, a significant portion of the advertising revenue raised by visiting sponsored links will be donated to the American Cancer Society.From the Search to Fight website: 

Yahoo! will contribute a significant portion of its advertising revenue generated by your clicks on paid advertising sites that are displayed on your search results page. We ask that you use this site honestly. You should use SearchToFight just as you would any other search engine. If you conduct fraudulent searches, then it will reduce the amount of contributions to the American Cancer Society. Fraudulent searching includes, but is not limited to repeated manual clicks, the use of robots or other automated querytools, etc. 

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I’m very happy to have to the opportunity to share with you an interview that I recently had with Mary Pat Boyd, owner and creative genius behind Boyd Silver Works, a unique custom jewelry design service specializing in cancer awareness pieces. Mary Pat is a two-time breast cancer survivor and a tireless advocate for cancer awareness and prevention through her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society. When I first came in contact with Mary Pat, I was intrigued and inspired by her stories of grace and strength under very trying circumstances. We’ve since become fast friends, and I’m so glad that she’s agreed to share her story with Batting Cancer readers.

How does your spina bifida affect your daily routines?I was 3 days old when I had the spina bifada surgery and there was early concern about hydrocephalus.  Aside from the possibility that the early radiations may have caused my cancer, my adult life has not been affected by the spina bifada.

Your business, Boyd Silver Works, is focused solely on creating beautiful cancer awareness jewelry. How did you first start making your works of art? I’d been working with metal for some time before my first cancer diagnosis, but my cancer awareness jewelry line began with the Silver Ribbon Ring that I designed while going through the first cancer battle.  I began making awareness jewelry because I wanted to share hope through jewelry design.   

Have you always been in a creative profession?Always.  I’ve worked in various mediums throughout the years but I really enjoy the metal working a lot.     

Before you were diagnosed with breast cancer the second time, you had difficulty convincing your doctor that something was wrong. What advice would you give to someone who is currently having trouble communicating with their doctor? My first cancer was estrogen negative.  The second cancer (in the same breast) was Paget’s Disease.  The mammogram for the second cancer didn’t reveal the tumor and my doctor didn’t think that I had cancer again.  I know my body though; and a nagging feeling hung over me so I sought a second opinion.  Women need to realize that we’re entitled to more than one medical consultation.  If you doubt what someone is telling you, seek advice from someone else.  And if you don’t have a good rapport with one doctor, then find a different one.  This is your body and you need to be an advocate for yourself.

Describe your volunteer work with the American Cancer Society.I’m proud to be a volunteer through the Reach to Recovery program that the American Cancer Society offers.  We’re certified volunteers who interact with cancer patients and survivors.  The ACS attempts to match volunteers with patients based on cancer similarities, etc.  It’s a wonderful outreach program.    

You’ve had to face a number of personal struggles in your life — what do you consider your greatest sources of strength?I talk to cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones often so I know that my own story is very unremarkable.  Their stories touch my heart and humble me.  I draw a lot of strength from those that I’m in contact with and I’m proud to be a voice in the war against cancer.  I honestly believe that we can make a difference, and that belief gives me strength and propels me forward.

What would you like to share with readers who are currently undergoing cancer treatment? Statistics clearly show that an early diagnosis will prolong one’s life or save a life, so it’s important to do monthly self exams.  And get that mammogram!  A mammo can’t detect all cancers, but it’s a terrific tool against the disease.  Also, a cancer patient often feels alone and isolated, but she doesn’t need to carry her cancer fears bottled within.  There are many volunteers and caring people who will listen to her concerns, so I think it’s important that she reach out to others for help.  Talk with your family, friends, and medical experts.  You’re not alone in this battle.   

Some individuals find that their relationships with friends and family members undergo a great strain after they are diagnosed with cancer.  What advice would you give to caregivers and friends of cancer patients?  More →

After a crazy month, I can finally report that our household is getting back to normal. Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, my husband has been feeling better than he has in months and has just gone back for his first day at work.

Since he’s a medical intern in a specialized cancer training program, he’s spending this month learning how to perform breast cancer surgeries. Of course, I didn’t figure that part out until I asked him why our kitchen table was covered with cartoon renderings of anatomically-correct breasts. He’s missed a couple of weeks on what surgeons apparently call “breast service,” so he’s been spending the last few days trying to study from as many resources as possible (hence, our newly-decorated table). I’m seriously amazed at how the internet has revolutionized teaching — did you know that there are videos of live cancer surgeries available?

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Recently, Dr. Jose DeJesus of Physician Entrepreneur reported that many patients are opting not to heed all of their doctor’s orders when it comes to prescription medications. Some of the reasons cited include the skyrocketing cost of prescriptions, the breakdown in communication between the doctor to patient and poor education from the pharmacist.

From Pharmacy Patient Satisfaction and What it Means to Physicians: More →

Recently, my good friend Amanda was inspired by her sister-in-law’s recent diagnosis with cancer diagnosis to get screened herself. Here, she shares her story:

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Canadian Broadcasting Company Sports legend, Don Wittman, lost his battle with cancer in a hospital in Winnipeg this past Saturday. He was 71.

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Several sites are recruiting cancer patients for a study entitled, “Stress Management Therapy in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Cancer.”

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I seemed to have totally missed this, but I’m Too Young For This, the popular community for young adults aged 15 - 39 with cancer, made it on TIME Magazine’s list of the 50 Best Websites of 2007. Congratulations!

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As we previously reported, health care coverage is linked to cancer survival outcomes. Since the American Cancer Society released this groundbreaking report, Battling Cancer has been following recent developments on the link between cancer, insurance and mortality rates:

Clear Correlation Between Insurance Status and Mortality

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