Thank you for covering this topic. The weird sensations I had down my arm and in my surgery area eventually got better. There was a time when a doctor's touch near my incision sent me off the examining table, but it gradually got better.
What I still have trouble with 13 years later is peripheral neuropathy--a gift from Taxol. I hear from many other breast cancer survivors that they also have neuropathy from their Taxol or Taxotere treatments. I firmly believe that Taxol saved my life. As an inflammatory breast cancer patient in 1998, my odds weren't that great. I've found ways to cope with the pain, mainly by ignoring it during the day and taking medication at night. Your article will help people understand some of the challenges for breast cancer survivors.
Phylis,
Thank you for reminding people that the body does have a remarkable ability to heal over time, that pain can get better over time. With this reminder, people can then focus on the fact that the current situation is only temporary. With this thought in mind, survivors can remain focused on the moment without worrying about the future. These reminders help to ease suffering even in the presence of the worst pain.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD
Its shameful that oncologists fail to provide pre-emptive pain care for women undergoing mastectomy. In addition, physicians only 25% of the time follow postoperative guidelines in breast surgery=placing women at risk for dvt.
Modern medicine - despite much bragging about being advanced is barbaric when it comes to dealing with pain. Its time to "occupy" medicine and demand some decency toward people in pain
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Christina, thanks for surfacing this. Most people think, "Great, your cancer treatment is over, you're all better." Well, hopefully you remain free of cancer, but the residual pain from cancer treatment can last forever. Ten years later, I still have severe eye pain, and bothersome rib pain - one from chemo, one from radiation. All you can do is choose to ignore it and go on with your life - but it would sure be nice not to wake up every day to pain, as I'm sure lots of survivors can attest! PJH
PJ
Thank you for sharing your insight. As you can attest, everyday can become a fight for survival when chronic pain moves into a life. Friends and family members should not drift away thinking that the battle is over when the fight for survival is really just beginning for some survivors, when pain becomes the cancer in some lives.
Dr. Christina Lasich, MD