Victorious

There it is again. I muttered to myself, frustrated as I washed my arm. Every morning for five or six days in the fall of 2003, I noticed this rust-colored sticky stuff that appeared in both drips and smears on my left forearm and thigh. I had no idea where it could be coming from.

Finally, on Sunday morning I found the answer. My eyes followed my hand as I wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror. Looking past my fingertips, there it was. To my shock and horror, the rust-colored sticky stuff easily dripped from my left nipple.

In disbelief, I collapsed into my bedroom chair, swirling with a mix of grief and fear. I stared at the blank white wall, feeling vacant, distant, disconnected from what I had just seen in the mirror. All I heard was that loud, penetrating silence that surrounds and encompasses every thought and movement.

I called my doctor and was told that this was not an emergency room issue, but did need immediate attention. It could be cancer or another of many health challenges. Then, I began to wonder, what now? What is next?

After an exam, the breast cancer specialist made an appointment for that same afternoon to have both a mammogram and an ultrasound. They took two sets of two x rays on each breast and a third x ray of a specific area of my right breast. I realized I could have two areas of concern, not just the one.

Next, was the ultrasound. I could see the area of my breast where they had done the extra mammogram. There was a dark mass which had a very different pattern than the rest of my breast. After the biopsy, I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductile carcinoma, a rare, aggressive, deadly cancer that can quickly metastasize to the bones and lungs. Next is death. I had symptoms of both bone and lung cancer.

The ultrasound of my left breast showed a trail of little beads. Masses unevenly lined up from my underarm to my nipple. This could not be good, I thought. These masses were rubbing against several ducts, causing bleeding and discharge. That was the rust-colored sticky stuff. My left breast was diagnosed with a rare hyperplastic disease involving multiple ducts. My oncologist felt that I also had cancer in this breast. She was deeply concerned, and wanted to immediately remove the mass in my right breast and cut off 1/3 or more of my left breast. From now on, on medical history forms, I would check the box for cancer.

Even before these diagnoses, I had already decided that I did not want surgery. In my heart, I really did not believe I would live through a surgery, much less the chemotherapy or radiation. I preferred an alternative approach. I did have my health insurance to pay for most medical expenses, but it did not cover alternative therapies. Also, I had previous long term health challenges. I wanted a fix, not just a partial solution. I chose Mye Cell treatments in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and worked with Dr. Melenie Dunn, NMD in Scottsdale, AZ. Her number is 480.556.6700. I am now cancer-free.

I have the confirmed belief that each of lifes moments hold a purpose and a gift. There are no accidents. Nothing is random. Lifes lessons come hand in hand with their opportunities. I do not always remember to live by these beliefs, but I do always come back to them. I knew that this particular lesson was about trust. It was about my ability to trust. It was about my confidence in myself. My confidence in God. The lesson was about realizing, knowing with every breath and every beat of my heart, that I Am Blessed. We All Are.

Doreene Clement, a cancer victor and author of The 5 Year Journal, is currently writing a new book, Blessed, about her life and her cancer experience.

For more information:
http://www.the5yearjournal.com
480.423.8095

Copyright 2005 OMDC, LLC All Rights Reserved

TheMedGuru
FDA clears Invitrogen breast cancer test
CNNMoney.com - 21 hours ago
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new genetic test from Invitrogen Corp. which identifies breast cancer ...
FDA OK's Invitrogen genetic test for breast cancer Reuters
FDA Approves SPOT-Light Test for Patients With Breast Cancer DG News
FDA OKs Genetic Breast Cancer Test RedOrbit
SunHerald.comall 66 news articles

New York Times
Utahns to help fight breast cancer in Tanzania
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 4 hours ago
It is unknown how many women in Tanzania have breast cancer. That's because some of them may be dying of the disease and don't know it. ...
Screening for Cancer in Elderly Fuels Fight New York Times
Physicians Debate Value of Routine Breast Cancer Screenings for ... Kaiser network.org
Hospital Gets National Recognition WVNS-TV
all 8 news articles

Monogram to roll out breast cancer test, compete with Invitrogen
Bizjournals.com, NC - 12 hours ago
Monogram Biosciences Inc. said Tuesday that it will make its HERmark breast cancer assay available to doctors throughout the United States starting July 15. ...

FDA Approves Genetic Test for Breast Cancer
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 16 hours ago
TUESDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- A genetic test to determine whether a breast cancer patient is likely to respond to treatment with the drug Herceptin ...

Aggressive Type Of Cancer Gets
Wall Street Journal - 6 hours ago
Separately the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved another new test for aggressive breast cancer called the SPOT-Light test by Invitrogen Corp. ...

Canada.com
US cancer death rate drop tied to education levels
Reuters UK, UK - 14 hours ago
They added that in breast cancer, less-educated women may be less likely to get a mammogram that could provide early detection of the disease. ...
College-Educated Fare Better When Cancer Strikes U.S. News & World Report
Better education in US means less risk from four common cancers iTWire
all 56 news articles

Breast Asymmetry After Cancer Treatment Affects Quality Of Life ...
Science Daily (press release) - 12 hours ago
ScienceDaily (July 8, 2008) — Most women with breast cancer assume that surgery to preserve their breast will be less disfiguring than a mastectomy that ...

Red wine may keep breast cancer at bay
Times of India, India - 2 hours ago
Resveratrol, a chemical commonly found in red wine may help prevent breast cancer, a new study has revealed. During the study, Eleanor G Rogan, PhD, ...
Red Wine Chemical blocks Breast Cancer Indian Wine Academy
all 5 news articles

Wall Street Journal Blogs
Blow for GSK’s breast cancer drug
Financial Times, UK - Jul 7, 2008
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) on Monday issued a provisional recommendation that Tyverb for advanced breast cancer did not ...
UK Says Glaxo’s Breast Cancer Drug Isn’t Worth the Money Wall Street Journal Blogs
UK panel says GlaxoSmithKline cancer drug too expensive Bizjournals.com
UK Advisers Deal Setback To Glaxo Drug Wall Street Journal
Trading Markets (press release) - Bloombergall 40 news articles

Researchers look for link between work, breast cancer
Canada.com, Canada - 10 hours ago
Jim Brophy and Margaret Keith, adjunct sociology professors at the University of Windsor, are interviewing breast cancer patients at the Windsor Regional ...
VOLUNTEERS/SUPPORT GROUPS The Patriot-News - PennLive.com
all 4 news articles

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Emotional Responses to Breast Cancer - Understanding the One You Love