The Pleasure of Women with Breast Cancer

By sherreeb Sunday, September 21, 2008

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I have the pleasure of working with women every day who have breast cancer. The pleasure is not in the cancer (of course) but in seeing strong women face what seems impossible, and fight! Fight for their lives! We are women hear us roar!!

So many hear those words every day, "I am sorry, but it is cancer". That seems to be the most overwhelming moment of life. The world immediately begins to spin out of control and it seems forever before it will stop again!

Hang in there! You will make it through this. No one treatment plan or surgery is exactly like another because no one person is exactly like another. Some women have infections, poor healing, trouble with side effects, fatigue, emotional ups and downs, anger and more. Some women seemingly have none of the above! Well, we are all different and we all heal different and we all react different to surgery, medications, chemo and radiation. Don't be frustrated that you aren't the same as someone else you know or heard about. Do the best you can do, keep plugging along, and soon you will finish this race!

Don't be too hard on yourself, just keep on fighting the good fight! Hang in there my friend!!

Life is worth fighting for!

Sherree

The Waiting Game

Comments (7) | Add comment

Maria Gifford, Editor

9/22/08 10:03pm

Sherree,

Great to hear from you again. Thanks for sharing your unique perspective on the "pleasure" of working with women who have breast cancer. Your point that it's the strength and the fight in these women that's pleasant -- certainly not the cancer itself -- is something only a true survivor could see during particularly trying times in your profession, I'm sure. How blessed those women are to have you touch their lives like you do.

Keep writing -- what you share with us is always helpful and inspiring. Hope and sincere support are felt in your words.

Best,

Maria

steakprincess

9/26/08 2:48pm

I just wanted to say that I read something you wrote a couple of weeks before my double mastectomy about the Softee Cami's and I wanted to say thank you. Ordered 2 of them and they were such a great purchase. I used them until my drains came out 3 weeks later and I still use them to sleep and as an undershirt if I need to.

Thank you so very much for the information. Caring people like you make it so much easier to be informed and knowledgeable when things like this happen. I don't care too much for surprises, so the information was a great asset.

Danielle

sherreeb

9/26/08 3:26pm

I am so glad you found the Cami's and could get them! Aren't they a blessing? How are you doing? Are you doing your stretching and mobility exercises??

I hope all is well. Please let me know if you need anything at all!

Sherree

sherreeb

9/26/08 3:26pm

I am so glad you found the Cami's and could get them! Aren't they a blessing? How are you doing? Are you doing your stretching and mobility exercises??

I hope all is well. Please let me know if you need anything at all!

Sherree

steakprincess

9/26/08 3:31pm

I am just over three weeks post op. Surgery was 9-3-08. Got the drains out 9-24-08. Expanders were put in at the time of the surgery with 400ccs. They did a tissue sparing mastectomy, so there was some skin there already to work with. On 9-24-08 he put in abut 75ccs more in the expanders.

I feel amazing!! A little tight in the chest area. Less and less pain every day.

He didn't say anything about stretching and mobility exercises, however.

sherreeb

9/26/08 4:37pm

It sounds like you are doing wonderful!! Stretching and mobility are important to prevent future loss of range of motion and to prevent chronic pain. Facing the wall, put your palms flat on the wall and use your fingers to walk the wall. Repeat that from the side as well. Also, when you can get your hands all the way over your head, sit in a chair and clasp your hands over your head in a "ballerina" pose and lean side to side stretching the side muscles and under the arm. Sitting at a table with your hands flat on the table, slide your hands straight out and then point your elbows to the back to keep your shoulder blades mobile as well. Shoulder rolls and neck rolls too and then of course, big deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. This keeps your lungs fully expanded and gets lots of oxygen circulating in your system!! Gentle deep breathing, relaxation, stretching and mobility!

Sherree

steakprincess

9/26/08 9:15pm

Thank you so much for those exercises. I remember my mother telling me that my grandmother did those 38 years ago after her mastectomy.

You are a really helpful and resourceful lady and I thank God to have found you here on the internet. You never have enough information in a situation like this.

Oh and if I didn't already tell you the cami's were and still are amazing.

Thanks

Danielle

The Pleasure of Women with Breast Cancer

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