Tearisci
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,964
Nov 6, 2018 16:34:30 GMT
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Post by Tearisci on Oct 4, 2023 14:08:06 GMT
October is kind of a hard time for me with all of the breast cancer awareness stuff. I'm fine now 5 years out but I was diagnosed right at the end of September and still reeling from shock when all of a sudden, breast cancer stuff is EVERYWHERE!
I remember turning on the Today show and it's all they were talking about. I wasn't dealing with it very well and it was in my face everywhere I turned. FB had ads for shirts etc and I felt like I couldn't get away from it.
If you are a survivor or dealing with breast cancer, how does it affect you?
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Post by stampnscrap1128 on Oct 4, 2023 14:14:13 GMT
My breast cancer battle was 3 years ago and I still have 2 years to be on medication. The awareness stuff doesn't bother me but I am not a fan at all of the Susan B. Komen Foundation.
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peasquared
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,176 
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Post by peasquared on Oct 4, 2023 14:15:26 GMT
I'm so sorry. Tearisci. I can see how that can be triggering for you. I am beyond thankful that you are a survivor! Sending love your way! |
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peasquared
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,176
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Post by peasquared on Oct 4, 2023 14:16:19 GMT
My breast cancer battle was 3 years ago and I still have 2 years to be on medication. The awareness stuff doesn't bother me but I am not a fan at all of the Susan B. Komen Foundation. Sending love your way, too! |
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Post by essiejean on Oct 4, 2023 15:27:23 GMT
I am 1 year cancer free. Was diagnosed October 2022 during my mammogram. Wasn't good about getting these done annually - no family history so I thought I was in the clear. Did self exams and never felt a lump.
The in your face campaigns is what triggered my husband to remind me to get one done. So for that reason I am thankful for all of the PINK marketing ads etc. If it means someone is prompted to get a mammogram then I am happy with it. Not a fan of the Susan G. Komen foundation - I feel that is just a money grab on the surface - but in their defense I haven't researched them at all.
I'm sorry that it is a negative trigger affect for you but am very glad to hear you are a survivor!
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Post by Zee on Oct 4, 2023 17:07:25 GMT
I was also diagnosed at the end of September, 7 years ago. It actually made me feel very supported, like a lot of people cared and were in my corner even though I was very far away from most friends and family.
It almost feels now like it happened to someone else but I still find it to be a comforting thing.
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Tearisci
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,964
Nov 6, 2018 16:34:30 GMT
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Post by Tearisci on Oct 4, 2023 19:13:36 GMT
I was also diagnosed at the end of September, 7 years ago. It actually made me feel very supported, like a lot of people cared and were in my corner even though I was very far away from most friends and family. It almost feels now like it happened to someone else but I still find it to be a comforting thing. I feel that way more about it now but at the time, it just was a constant reminder that I had the C word. I needed time to process and come to terms with it myself and it just felt so overwhelming to see it everywhere. Glad you felt supported during a tough time! |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,077
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Oct 4, 2023 19:40:29 GMT
My diagnosis was in January, and by the October I had finished the chemo, and was having Herceptin injections and just starting Letrozole. I was feeling so awful. I don't feel triggered by BC awareness, but I absolutely get why you would, and yes it's everywhere. I feel very fortunate to be cancer-free of both my cancers. I was just told on Monday that I need to have 7 years of aromatase inhibitors instead of the recommended 5. I only get 5 years to have my reconstruction, and I really wanted to be off the nasty side effects before having more surgery, but that is evidently not to be. {sigh} Hugs to you Tearisci and anyone else going/gone through this rubbish. |
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Post by lucyg on Oct 4, 2023 19:46:29 GMT
I was also diagnosed in late September, over 25 years ago. Had my first surgery on October 1, came home, opened the newspaper, and discovered it was breast cancer awareness month. Turned to the obituary page and found some random mom in her early 40s (like me at the time) had just died of breast cancer. It was not a good day. I never had a recurrence of my aggressive breast cancer and for that I am very grateful. I do get a little annoyed about everything being pink because I think it’s mostly marketing nonsense. Not a fan of SGK and other big-name breast cancer groups. I used to belong to Breast Cancer Action in San Francisco which is opposed to the “big business” of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness month doesn’t traumatize me, but I’m not particularly interested in it, either. I guess if it’s helps remind some people to get a mammogram or do a self-check, it’s a good thing. For anyone who might be interested in checking out Breast Cancer Action: www.bcaction.org |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,077
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Oct 4, 2023 19:56:16 GMT
I'm sorry lucyg. I'm at that horrible stage of having fellow survivors now succumbing to mets. So now I have survivor's guilt on top of the grief of losing new friends. They don't warn you about that. |
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Post by lucyg on Oct 4, 2023 20:32:46 GMT
I'm sorry lucyg . I'm at that horrible stage of having fellow survivors now succumbing to mets. So now I have survivor's guilt on top of the grief of losing new friends. They don't warn you about that. Yes! I was in a BC group on AOL at the time (now on Facebook) and it was so sad watching friends die. The first local gal from the group that I got friendly with in person died from it. Her mother had died from it, too. She had two young adult daughters back then, and I’ve wondered what happened with them ever since. |
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Post by KelleeM on Oct 4, 2023 20:34:37 GMT
I was diagnosed in July and had my port put in and began chemo on October 9, 2013. I was newly married, had just dealt with my husband’s life threatening illness as a result of an accident and surgery and was just dealing. I don’t believe in the organizations that say they’re funding research but I am a huge proponent of whatever it takes for women to have mammograms! I was told my cancer was small and caught early but it had already spread to lymph nodes. I had a noticeable change to my breast and knew before they told me that I had cancer.
Im sorry that there are so many of us here who have been through this but am glad that we’re still here. ❤️
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Post by Zee on Oct 4, 2023 20:40:51 GMT
My diagnosis was in January, and by the October I had finished the chemo, and was having Herceptin injections and just starting Letrozole. I was feeling so awful. I don't feel triggered by BC awareness, but I absolutely get why you would, and yes it's everywhere. I feel very fortunate to be cancer-free of both my cancers. I was just told on Monday that I need to have 7 years of aromatase inhibitors instead of the recommended 5. I only get 5 years to have my reconstruction, and I really wanted to be off the nasty side effects before having more surgery, but that is evidently not to be. {sigh} Hugs to you Tearisci and anyone else going/gone through this rubbish. I'm sorry--I quit taking my tamoxifen after 7 years (my Rx ran out, and I kept forgetting to call the office) and I just came clean to my oncologist yesterday. Fortunately for me, she gave me the ok. I thought she was going to go with the post-menopausal equivalent and I just didn't want to do it. I actually tolerated the tamoxifen pretty well after the initial hell, up until I went into actual menopause. I didn't want to do all that again and kept putting it off. I also went to a dermatologist yesterday for a full body check (first time ever) and had to have two moles biopsied. I hope I'm not collecting cancers. Not surprised at all with my Irish pale skin and former sun worshipping youth, though. One was on my back and one on the back of my leg so I'm glad I went in and didn't wait. |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,077
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Oct 4, 2023 21:12:29 GMT
My diagnosis was in January, and by the October I had finished the chemo, and was having Herceptin injections and just starting Letrozole. I was feeling so awful. I don't feel triggered by BC awareness, but I absolutely get why you would, and yes it's everywhere. I feel very fortunate to be cancer-free of both my cancers. I was just told on Monday that I need to have 7 years of aromatase inhibitors instead of the recommended 5. I only get 5 years to have my reconstruction, and I really wanted to be off the nasty side effects before having more surgery, but that is evidently not to be. {sigh} Hugs to you Tearisci and anyone else going/gone through this rubbish. I'm sorry--I quit taking my tamoxifen after 7 years (my Rx ran out, and I kept forgetting to call the office) and I just came clean to my oncologist yesterday. Fortunately for me, she gave me the ok. I thought she was going to go with the post-menopausal equivalent and I just didn't want to do it. I actually tolerated the tamoxifen pretty well after the initial hell, up until I went into actual menopause. I didn't want to do all that again and kept putting it off. I also went to a dermatologist yesterday for a full body check (first time ever) and had to have two moles biopsied. I hope I'm not collecting cancers. Not surprised at all with my Irish pale skin and former sun worshipping youth, though. One was on my back and one on the back of my leg so I'm glad I went in and didn't wait. Apparently Tamoxifen would have been OK to stop as that's designed for pre-menopausal women and I just had a radical hysterectomy. But Exemestane is for post-menopausal women, and my cancer was big. Good for you getting your skin checked out. Do you know how long the results will take? |
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,077
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Oct 4, 2023 21:13:37 GMT
I'm sorry lucyg . I'm at that horrible stage of having fellow survivors now succumbing to mets. So now I have survivor's guilt on top of the grief of losing new friends. They don't warn you about that. Yes! I was in a BC group on AOL at the time (now on Facebook) and it was so sad watching friends die. The first local gal from the group that I got friendly with in person died from it. Her mother had died from it, too. She had two young adult daughters back then, and I’ve wondered what happened with them ever since. Very sad. I'm sorry. |
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Post by Zee on Oct 4, 2023 21:20:37 GMT
I'm sorry--I quit taking my tamoxifen after 7 years (my Rx ran out, and I kept forgetting to call the office) and I just came clean to my oncologist yesterday. Fortunately for me, she gave me the ok. I thought she was going to go with the post-menopausal equivalent and I just didn't want to do it. I actually tolerated the tamoxifen pretty well after the initial hell, up until I went into actual menopause. I didn't want to do all that again and kept putting it off. I also went to a dermatologist yesterday for a full body check (first time ever) and had to have two moles biopsied. I hope I'm not collecting cancers. Not surprised at all with my Irish pale skin and former sun worshipping youth, though. One was on my back and one on the back of my leg so I'm glad I went in and didn't wait. Apparently Tamoxifen would have been OK to stop as that's designed for pre-menopausal women and I just had a radical hysterectomy. But Exemestane is for post-menopausal women, and my cancer was big. Good for you getting your skin checked out. Do you know how long the results will take? Yes I was afraid she'd make me start the post-menopausal med, bc they originally told me 5 years and then changed it to 10 with the idea that once I became post-menopausal I'd change meds. I have also had a hyst, so only symptoms and/or labs to go on, no periods. I'm relieved she said it was ok to just quit. I guess newer research says 5-10 but my oncotype was low for recurrence so 7 is good enough. I have to wait about 2 weeks, but she did say that they don't look scary--just suspicious, and better to be on the safe side and biopsy them. One has a "gray cast" and one looks "kind of angry" and to be honest that kind of sums up how I feel about work lately 🤣 New leadership, big new changes. Again. For the 3rd time in the 5 years I've been there. |
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Post by scrapcat on Oct 4, 2023 21:46:45 GMT
2 year survivor...it doesn't bother me that its awareness month in the sense that I hope it does help encourage women/all to remember their screenings. However, I do not like the cross promotional nonsense that does nothing to support actual breast cancer research. Some of my breasties I met during treatment will text each other ridiculous ads, I can't remember specifics but i remember one was for some kind of sparkling pink wine, like a rose and there was no donation component.
I pay close attention to what/who they say they support and I've stopped supporting some companies/brands when I find their true support weak or nonexistent. If I'm in a store and they have something like that I will ask them specifics before supporting blindly.
I usually try to post something on socials, tho not on any these days, to make family and friends aware and to also suggest they support breast cancer support charities that are near and dear to my heart, that I know really help people.
There are some good social media campaigns out there about this...off top of my head Rethink Breast Cancer (canadian organization), and Metavivor - which is actually a lobby group trying to change legislature. Recently found Wildfire magazine/Instagram/Community which is a more modern take on the info patients need.
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