FAQ’S

General Questions:

Q:Where I got my chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery done?

A: All of my treatment was done at Scripps Green Hospital. My oncologist is Dr.Joan Kroener, My surgeon is Dr. Pam Kurtzhals, and my Rad Onc doc is Dr. Ray Lin.

Q. How did you find your lump?

I was on my period and my breast were unusually heavy and more sensitive than normal so I did a normal breast check and found a lump.

Q. Did you have family history of breast cancer and/or cancer?

Yes. My cousin (from my Dad’s side) had breast cancer. Also, my grandma & aunt (from my Dad’s side) both had ovarian cancer.

Q. Is there a test you can take to see if your susceptible to the cancer gene?

YES. The test is called the BRCA Genetic Test. It’s a simple blood test that will determine whether you are susceptible. Oh, and if you’re wondering, YES, I tested positive. That’s why I made the dramatic decision to do a bi-lateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation.

Q. Did you join a support group?

No, I didn’t. However, I did speak to other patients who were diagnosed. Each of them had a story that gave me hope and I would call them to ask for questions. I received a lot of support from family and friends. However, if I were to join a support group, it would be the Young Survival Coalition. I did most of my venting by blogging and doing my own breast cancer awareness by working with the American Cancer Society and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. For the past 2 years I’ve been involved in the MSABC walk with my team “Michelle’s Rack Pack”. =)

Chemotherapy Questions:

Q. Why did I do chemo before surgery?

A. Due to my stage and size and of tumor, my team wanted to shrink the tumor first. They call this “neo-adjuvent therapy”.

Q. What type of chemotherapy did you have? Are you always sick?

4 rounds of Adriamycin & Cytoxin and 4 Rounds of Taxotere. ( A round is each time I had to go in for chemo)
No, you are not always sick. It’s like a rollercoaster- you will have your ups and downs. I actually continued to work in between my treatments. I only took time off when I was feeling miserable.

Q. What helped me during chemotherapy?

A. Gatorade, Ginger Ale, Ensure, Popsicles, Biotene (for brushing teeth and dry mouth) Oh, and homemade meals that had ginger in it, and personally I enjoyed Pina-Colada Slushees, and good movies. Of course, take your nausea meds!

Q. Post chemo, did you use anything to make your hair grow faster?

A: Yes, Ovation Cell Therapy! At first, I didn’t believe it but it worked for me! I put it on my bald head!

Q. Where did you get your wigs when you lost your hair during chemo?

Q. Did you ever have anticipatory nausea ( nausea before getting chemo)

A. Yes. All the time but that’s because I think too much. This doesn’t happen to everyone. I’m just extra sensitive . =)

Q. What side effects can you expect from chemo?

A. Hair Loss, Dry mouth, Cold Sores, Muscle Pain, Extreme Fatigue, Soreness, Fever, Nausea, Vomiting (sometimes),Weak, Black finger nails and toes, dry skin, bone pain, slight neuropathy towards the end.

Radiation Therapy Questions:

Q. Did Radiation hurt?

A. Nope. You don’t feel a thing. The only time it actually hurt is toward the 4th week. My skin started peeling and scuffing off making it really uncomfortable. Best thing to use is EUCERIN and ALOE VERA!! Some of my wound care nurses also gave me these awesome dressing called MYOPLEX bandaging. It doesn’t stick like a bandage. Rather, it peels off smooth while protecting your burns.

Q. How long does Radiation take?

It depends. Since I had radiation on my right breast, each session normally takes about 10-15 minutes. Radiation Therapist normally have to routine x-rays to make sure your numbers are accurate.

Q. Do you have to have Radiation if you’ve already had Surgery and/or chemo?

It’s best to discuss this with your doctor. Again, it depends on your case. For me, it seemed like I didn’t have a choice only because I was very high risk. Also, I was BR-CA positive which makes me more susceptible to a re-currence so I made the personal decision to do it. Remember, it’s ultimately your choice. It’s choosing what’s best for YOU.

SURGERY Questions:

Q. What does it feel like after having a mastectomy? Is it painful?

A. Post surgery, you feel really sore like someone ripped something off your chest. I mean after all, they are removing a chunk of tissue. Basically, it’s an amputation of an appendage. You feel like your chest is really tight. Most of the grogginess will come from the anesthesia and pain meds but it’s not really as bad as most of us imagine it would be post surgery. I think it’s more psychological and the pain comes from the anticipation of the surgery and dealing with how you look afterwards. It’s definitely emotionally draining on the mind and body. The drains that come with a mastectomy are probably the most uncomfortable. Recovery can take about 1 month or less. Rehabilitation may take up to a year for full mobility.

ADVICE to Friends, Family, Caretakers who know someone that has been touched by CANCER:

GIVE THEM SPACE TO DEAL- Sometimes you need to let a cancer patient deal with this on his/her own time. Being there for them is different from constantly asking/calling them if they need something every 5 minutes or being forceful and making them do things when they don’t feel like it. This time, sometime you don’t always know best. Trust me, when they need something, they will ask. Over doing it can irritate rather than help them get through it.

SEND THEM A TEXT or an EMAIL- You don’t always have to call someone going through Cancer. Sometimes simple gestures like a text or an e-mail can brighten there day. Small ways of letting them know you are thinking of them and you care can make a huge impact. They might not have the energy to talk on the phone or receive visits but sending a card or a little something is nice.

DON’T SHARE STORIES OF PAST CANCER PATIENTS THAT LOST THEIR BATTLE- I think almost all cancer patients initially associated the “C” word with the “D” word. Well, it’s not a death sentence and even if they are at a terminal stage, patients like to hear there is hope for them. Always talk positive because again, although they might not say it, we don’t like to hear about people who have died. We want to beat the odds no matter how bad the diagnosis. Talking about negative stories doesn’t help nor does it boost any white blood cells. We understand the reality of this diagnosis is VERY scary so please save the death stories for someone else.

04.29.09