With pap smears its different.. the test doesn’t expose you to radiation, and early cervical cancer treatment has been proven to dramatically lower death rates.

The number of women who die from breast cancer this year is roughly the same that died from breast cancer 40 years ago. That doesn’t make me feel good.

Is there any guarantee at all that chemo and radiation will save our lives?

I’ve had a lumpy left breast for about 10 years.. Maybe its cancer, I have no idea. But what if I would have had it biopsied when I first noticed it and it was cancer.. And I underwent treatment, and was still alive today. At 10 years out, I’d be considered “cured” thanks to cancer treatment. And I would be dealing with the toxic side effects of the drugs (maybe my heart would be weaker, maybe my fingertips would be numb, maybe my kidney function would be off) But I’d still be considered a “success.”

Say I had it biopsied, and it wasn’t cancer back then.. Certainly docs would want to keep a close eye on it, and that breast with funny dna that causes funny lumps would have been exposed to radiation from at least 10 mammograms by now. Am I to believe that’s totally benign?

Yes, we women absolutely need to put our oxygen masks on first.. It just so hard sometimes to know the best way to go about doing that.

On Wednesday, my son’s occupational therapist died from ovarian cancer. He’d stopped seeing her several months ago, when she went on medical leave. I don’t even have words for what this amazing woman did for him. The OC at his school wasn’t even able to find evidence of one of the problems on which she had been working with him.

I am heartsick at this stupid loss. I want to cry every time I think of her six year old daughter. Damn, here I go again.

I know several women who fought like hell and still died. They were not weak.

Disease takes the strong and the weak, and those who survive are LUCKY – on any number of levels, including having the right health insurance to pay for their treatment.

well that’s good too. i’m just vaguely……. disappointed. i thought you were such a cute couple!!

anway, great post.

With the new HPV test, if you agree to have one, you can now have a pap test every 3 years–if the HPV test is negative. My gynocologist gave me the option (it does raise the cost, but over 3 years….).

Also, Planned Parenthood is very good at serving women with limited financial means. They have a sliding fee scale. So, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get scheduled. It may be months, but your health is precious.

Also a word to the guys: I suspect environmental conditions are driving male breast cancer up. So, you do not get a pass on the BSE or breast check-up anymore. It’s MORE lethal with men, because the assumption (including by doctors) is that guys aren’t at risk.

Great post and comments. Many thanks!

???

i thought you and jane were lesbians together !?

Thanks egy,

a chuckle -
seasonal affected – mr cbl used to have it bad in winter even in sunny CA. and didn’t put much stock in premise of SAD back then – well one fall I’d “had enough” and secretly replaced lightbulbs at his office desk and at home computer desk with “the good kind” w/ immediate and amazing results – then waited till spring to tell him of my subterfuge – we laugh to this day about it

You are a sneaky gal! Love this story.