Anonymous
Post 05/03/2014 08:56     Subject: Re:Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
nothing special about GW, went for a second opinion and never went back. I used Faitfax Radiology and Inova Alexandria Breast Center for everything else.

Anonymous
Post 05/03/2014 02:19     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to all for the concern and sound advice. I just had a mammo three months ago but they said all was fine - EXCEPT I got one of those CYA letters that said my breasts were dense and so they recommended an MRI also.
A prophylactical mastectomy was recommended to me after my breast surgeon learned about my fam history and the last benign tumor. You folks are perceptive. I am an anxious kind of person. As such, I fear pain and am avoiding the mastectomy. Plus, I worry about all kinds of worst case scenario's. Death, for example. I have very young children who are so attached to me. I'm a SAHM. So I worry about dying during the mastectomy. I know thats paranoid but I always entertain those what if's…

I am a bit of a night owl. I know I should sleep more. But I suffer from insomnia. Regardless, I need to be up when my children wake up, which is relatively early. I tried taking melatonin but heard it could mess with my hormones so I stopped. Without melatonin I don't feel sleep until at least 2 am.

I would like to also talk about how we can prevent breast cancer. Is it true that there's no possible way other than a mastectomy? What about a high antioxidant diet or a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables. I thought studies showed cruciferous vegetables help to elminate excess estrogen from the body and can reduce the risk of cancer.


A couple of things:

1. Have you had the genetic test? With a strong family history thats really where you should start. Sometimes women test negative for the BRCA mutation but because of the strong family history they just assume they have a mutation that hasn't been identified yet.

2. You absolutely should be having MRIs. At GW Hospital they also do 3D ultrasounds for women with dense breasts. They aren't yet approved and therefore covered by insurance so you have to pay out of pocket (its about $100) but studies show it catches 25% more cancers in women with dense breasts. At GE alone they found 11 cancers that didn't show up with other imaging. By the way, GW is the BEST place to get breast imaging in the DC area. if you are high risk especially, I would recommend it.

3. You need to treat your anxiety. You have insomnia, you are constrained in making medical decisions and it may be fueling your exhaustion. Its really past time.

4. You cannot prevent breast cancer with diet, especially if you have a strong family history. Avoiding obesity might help some because estrogen hangs out in fat cells, but that only has an effect around the margins.


PP, YES, I have had the BRCA test and it was negative for both 1 & 2, however I was told I probably do have a genetic mutation that has not been identified yet. My mother has ovarian cancer. My grandmother died young of breast cancer. My maternal cousin died at age 29 of breast cancer.
I am curious though, what's so great about GW as compared to anywhere else? i usually get my tests done at Fairfax Radiology.
It is terribly disconcerting to know diet does nothing to help. I can't tell you how much I do to avoid getting cancer and now to learn it won't help anyway.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2014 02:13     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:Do they always send a letter notifying you of dense breasts?
OP, was this at Washington Radiology?


No, Fairfax Radiology.
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 15:08     Subject: Re:Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:My DH was tired beyond belief during the 6-8 weeks prior to diagnosis. Pain set in eventually and that's when he went to the doctor.


What did he have? Did he survive?
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 15:06     Subject: Re:Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
My DH was tired beyond belief during the 6-8 weeks prior to diagnosis. Pain set in eventually and that's when he went to the doctor.
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 14:36     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:I was feeling great when I found out I had cancer. My brother completed Marine boot camp and was diagnosed 2 weeks after graduation. If you're questioning it, go get a mammogram and take a nap.


Both you AND your brother got cancer? Wow. So sad. What kinds?
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 13:51     Subject: Re:Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
I did not feel off or tired. I felt a big lump in my breast. That said, I'm a big proponent of trusting your gut instinct. If you feel off, get checked out by a doctor.
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 12:23     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
I was feeling great when I found out I had cancer. My brother completed Marine boot camp and was diagnosed 2 weeks after graduation. If you're questioning it, go get a mammogram and take a nap.
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2014 09:34     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

I was diagnosed with BC under 30, avid runner, and vegetarian. Not to say that eating and living well won't help matters, but the idea that you can completely prevent the situation is utter, guilt-inducing, BS.


They are not saying it's a 100% complete reduction/prevention, but a 25 - 33% reduction. That means some with great balance of all 3 will still get cancer. However, if you are going to be obese and not exercise and not eat healthy then you are not doing everything you can to reduce your chance of getting cancer.



This is how people with cancer get blamed. "If you are going to be obese." As if people choose to be obese.

Once when a woman I know found out I had breast cancer she asked me "you used to be obese, right?" Nope and please stop finding ways to blame me for my cancer. Does it matter that I was a physically fit, thin vegetarian? Am I less deserving?

You need to watch your language. As a previous post showed, women with breast cancer find all sorts of ways to blame themselves.


+1

Often I think people use this kind of blaming language to try and distance the problem from them as much as possible. For instance, you were obese and drank beer and got breast cancer, right? I don't drink beer and I'm not obese so I won't get breast cancer. A little la la land mental separation for the speaker, and some guilt for the person to whom their speaking, who has had cancer already.

Everyone thinks it can't be them for X reason. X reason is usually a fallacy.

Sorry to derail thread, OP. Please let us know how you fare and hope everything is well.
Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 15:28     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

I was diagnosed with BC under 30, avid runner, and vegetarian. Not to say that eating and living well won't help matters, but the idea that you can completely prevent the situation is utter, guilt-inducing, BS.


They are not saying it's a 100% complete reduction/prevention, but a 25 - 33% reduction. That means some with great balance of all 3 will still get cancer. However, if you are going to be obese and not exercise and not eat healthy then you are not doing everything you can to reduce your chance of getting cancer.



This is how people with cancer get blamed. "If you are going to be obese." As if people choose to be obese.

Once when a woman I know found out I had breast cancer she asked me "you used to be obese, right?" Nope and please stop finding ways to blame me for my cancer. Does it matter that I was a physically fit, thin vegetarian? Am I less deserving?

You need to watch your language. As a previous post showed, women with breast cancer find all sorts of ways to blame themselves.
Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 14:14     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:

I was diagnosed with BC under 30, avid runner, and vegetarian. Not to say that eating and living well won't help matters, but the idea that you can completely prevent the situation is utter, guilt-inducing, BS.


They are not saying it's a 100% complete reduction/prevention, but a 25 - 33% reduction. That means some with great balance of all 3 will still get cancer. However, if you are going to be obese and not exercise and not eat healthy then you are not doing everything you can to reduce your chance of getting cancer.

Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 13:25     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Op, I think you need to get more sleep.

I am a night owl too so I understand.

Is there anyway you could trade morning shift for other shifts with the kids? Not sure if you have a dh but maybe you could do bedtime in exchange for him getting up with the kids while you sleep in a little?

Also, try not to watch tv or be on iPad, computer, etc at night. That screws with your clock even more.
Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 13:21     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Tiredness could be anything. I wouldn't just schedule a mammogram though and call it a day. I would make an appt. with your gyno to talk about how you're feeling, how your breast feels, etc., and go from there. There are different types of mammography now, and MRIs as already mentioned, as well as ultrasound. Your Dr. can refer you to someone who can better make the call on what type of test/s make the most sense for your situation.

I was diagnosed with BC under 30, avid runner, and vegetarian. Not to say that eating and living well won't help matters, but the idea that you can completely prevent the situation is utter, guilt-inducing, BS.
Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 11:51     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Anonymous wrote:That Washington Post article is about the American Cancer Society guidelines which they harp on even without a lot of evidence to support them. I remember an ad they did years ago with Ferigie (the former royal, not the singer) saying she doesn't have to worry about getting cancer because she eats lots of fruits and vegetables. That was bunk then and its bunk now and I wish the ACS would be honest about the evidence, discussed here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/science/an-apple-a-day-and-other-myths.html?ref=science&_r=1


That article focus on ONE (what you eat) of the three important items. The point is that it is 3 things together that impact cancer: Excess weight, poor diet and inadequate physical activity. So yes, those things can be controlled and DO impact cancer rates. You are fooling yourself if you don't believe that.
Anonymous
Post 04/30/2014 11:45     Subject: Feeling off and then finding out you have cancer
Get a mammo.

But guess what, you are supposed to feel tired if you only sleep five hours. Most people need seven to eight hours a night.