Scripture of the Day:
But we are
not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul.
Hebrews 10:39
The following information came from a website in the UK. I found it to be very interesting and helpful. I was also curious about information provided in other countries besides my own. I can attest to feeling much better about my decisions because I made sure I was informed. I was particularly moved by Yvonne's Story. Please use the link to see her video. It is under 3 minutes long. A lot of the places to go for assistance is in the UK. But, it may give you an idea of places to look in your own country. The high-lighted phrases are links to other information. If you cannot get to those links here, then click on the link I provided here. This is the link that all of this information came from. The home page for this link is Cancer Research UK. I have begun to follow this site as new information is made available. Please see the bottom of the page.
Coping with your
diagnosis
It can be very difficult to cope with a diagnosis of breast
cancer, both practically and emotionally. At first, you may feel scared or
numb, or perhaps upset and confused. Or you may feel that things are out of
your control. It is very important to get the right information about your type
of cancer and how it is best treated. People who are well informed about their
illness and treatment are more able to make decisions and cope with what
happens.
How breast cancer can
affect you physically
Breast cancer and its treatment may cause physical changes in your
body. These changes can be very difficult to cope with and may affect the way
you feel about yourself. Most women will have surgery, which can affect the
shape of one or both breasts and cause scarring. Such body changes can affect
your self esteem and the way you relate to other people, especially close
family and friends. The surgery may cause ongoing discomfort or soreness for
some women. We have information about coping after breast cancer surgery.
Some hormone therapy treatments can cause
aching in the joints or bones. If you have this, let your doctor or nurse know
so that they can prescribe painkillers for you.
Another problem you may have to cope with is feeling very tired and
lethargic (fatigued) some of the time. This may especially be a problem for a
while after treatment or if the breast cancer is advanced. There is information
about fatigue and cancer and treating cancer fatigue on this website
Research has shown that moderate exercise can help women with
breast cancer to feel better and have a better quality of life during
treatment. Research has also found that exercise after treatment has healthy
effects on the body and helped to reduce tiredness (fatigue) and depression for
some women. Some research reviews also seem to show that increasing the level
of activity can help to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. If you are
interested in exercising it is important to speak to your cancer specialist or
breast care nurse. We have more information about exercise and breast cancer.
If you are having a sexual relationship, one or all of these
changes may affect your sex life. We have information about how cancer can affect your sex life. There is
also information about pregnancy and breast cancer. We have
information about how cancer drugs may affect fertility and
about preserving fertility during breast cancer treatment.
Coping practically
with breast cancer
As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of
breast cancer brings, you may also have to work out how to manage practically.
There may be money matters to sort out. You may need information about financial support, such as benefits, sick pay and grants.
Who do you tell that you have cancer? And how do you find the
words? You may also have children to think about. We have information about talking to people about your cancer and
how and what to tell children.
Remember that you don't have to sort everything out at once. It
may take some time to deal with each issue. Do ask for help if you need it
though. Your doctor or specialist nurse will know who you can contact to get
some help. They can put you in touch with professionals who are specially
trained in supporting people with cancer. These people are there to help and
want you to feel that you have support. So use them if you feel you need to.
You may need to have access to support staff, such as a breast
care nurse or dietician. Social workers can help you with information about
your entitlement to sick pay and benefits. If you live alone, a social worker
may be able to help by organising convalescence when you first go out of
hospital.
Life after cancer
In this video Yvonne shares her story of life after breast cancer.
In this video she shares her story of life after breast cancer and how she
coped when her treatment finished. She talks about some of the physical effects
of the cancer and its treatment and what helped her through. She and her sister
Sonia also talk about what it was like going to check up appointments something
that is not always easy. Coping after treatment finishes can be challenging and
hearing about how other people cope can help.
View a transcript of the video showing
Yvonne's story. The transcript opens in a new window.
More information about
coping with breast cancer
The coping with cancer section has lots of
helpful information. There are sections about
I have read the book entitled Recovering Emotionally After a Mastectomy by Trish Duke. It can be found on my shop page for only $2.99. It is an easy read. I read it all in a couple of hours. It had some interesting things in it and a couple that I am already doing and didn't know I was doing something proven to be good.
Please look at the prayer list page on the right side of the blog and add those people to your prayer list. I believe in the power of prayer and we can all use them
If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you in your travels.
I maintain a 2nd blog called Gammie's Corner. This blog includes crafts, food, travel and ideas that keep me entertained in my retirement.
Gammie's Corner
I maintain a 2nd blog called Gammie's Corner. This blog includes crafts, food, travel and ideas that keep me entertained in my retirement.
Gammie's Corner
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