Saturday, July 24, 2010

Free HEALTHCARE Clinic, Washington DC, on 8-4-2010




The NAFC C.A.R.E. organization is holding a ONE DAY
Free Healthcare Clinic in Washington DC on Wendsday,
August 4th. This C.A.R.E. clinic will be at the Walter E. Washington
Convention Center.


Patients can call 877-233-5259 for further information.
http://www.freeclinics.us/freeclinic.php

The National Association of Free Clinics is the only
national non-profit whose mission is solely focused on
the needs of free clinics and the populations they serve.


They have helped thousands with low cost or free medical test,

screening, treatment, and references to doctors for future help.

If you think you may have a medical problem or just want to

have your blood sugar and blood pressure checked,

you should check out this free one day clinic.


To your health,
Leigh

Monday, July 19, 2010

Anti-Breast Cancer Pill!

Fish Oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, helps protect healthy people from heart disease and now a new study finds taking fish-oil supplements may also reduce breast cancer risk by over 30% in postmenopausal women.

Omega-3, from dietary sources, trials have been inconclusive and the authors of the study caution that more study is needed before the Omega-3 pills can be used for prevention.

This information is from the July 19th Time Magazine, Health Section, Latest Findings.

Always check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your routine and you may want to discuss adding Omega-3's to your diet.

To your health,
Leigh

Saturday, July 17, 2010

What is Normal after Cancer?

Cancer Patients won't go back to normal after cancer. But they can find a best "New Normal".

In a Parade article from June 20, 2010 it discusses what is the new normal for some cancer survivors. It goes into some of the problems cancer survivors continue to have after treatment and after they may be named cancer free.

Let me tell you about some of mine. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago, had a mastectomy, chemo, and am now on what they call maintenance drugs.

I still have pain where my breast was, I laugh and call it my "Phantom Boob". I can be sitting perfectly still and it feels like someone sticks me with a hot poker. (this is what I imagine a hot poker would feel like). It goes away fairly quickly but the pec muscle stays sore for a while. Sometimes it hurts doing much lifting with my arms.

I had a mediport installed in order to have the chemo easier since I was going to have to have it for the next year and a half. (4 different types that took 2 1/2 years because of complications). Where the surgeon installed the mediport they had to go through the muscle in my arm area. I have had problems with this area ever since. I had to have it taken out because I was constantly in pain where the mediport was attached to the chest muscle above the breast. I still have pains in this spot also even though the mediport was taken out 9 months ago.

I started having a heart racing problem while on chemo. I would walk from my bedroom to my living room and my pulse would start racing around 110 - 120 beats per minute and would not come back down right away. Now I have to take heart medicine and watch for more heart problems.

When I sit too long my legs swell, when I stand too long my legs swell. My lower back aches. I have neropothy in my toes from when the chemo made my toenails turn black and fall off. The feeling never has come all the way back. Sometimes it is weird but the toes seem to burn. I don't know what to make of it.

Before I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was not the most active person, I did not run any marathons, but I worked in the yard, went swimming, and enjoyed outdoor activities. Now, it seems that the heat affects me much more than it ever did. I get dizzy and light headed. I am more sensitive to bugs, poison ivy, and plants that I never had a problem with before.

My maintenance medication, (Femara) which I will be on for 3 more years, makes me moody, gives me the hot flashes and night sweats, (sometimes I feel like I am on FIRE!) and fatigue is constant. My poor husband tries to help but there is nothing he can really do. I just have to wait for it to pass.

I have tried to discuss these items with the doctors but sometimes I feel like they just shrug their shoulders and don't really listen. When I first started chemo my jaw swelled up on both sides and I looked like a chipmunk with nuts in his mouth. This of course happened on a holiday weekend. When I saw the doctor the next week and told her about it all she said was she had never heard of anything like that before. When I lost my toenails and my toes were bleeding, I got the same reply. (I found out later from the web that was a common side effect of the drugs). My jaws still hurt occasionally and my toes will never be the same but I was very glad that my toenails did grow back because sometimes they don't.

Well, There is more to come another day as this is making me depressed. (another of the side effects that cancer survivors quite often have to live with.)

I don't like to complain and I try very hard not to but sometimes I guess it is good therapy just to let it all out.

If you need to vent just give me a reply or response and we will vent together.

You can see the whoe article at www.parade.com/cancer