No one knows exactly what causes breast cancer, but the risks are known. Women 50 years or older, women who once had cancer either of the breast or ovaries, and women whose family history includes breast cancer are all at risk for developing it. Research has discovered two genes which are responsible for breast cancer in some families: BRCA1 and BRCA2. Any woman (every 1 in 200) whose body contains this gene becomes especially vulnerable to breast cancer. Another factor that may predispose certain women to breast cancer is their body’s exposure to the hormone estrogen. Other risks may also include taking hormone replacement therapy after menopause, heavy radiation therapy (not breast radiation treatments), obesity, diets high in fat, and habitual alcohol drinking.

To be checked for breast cancer, a woman undergoes breast exams and a mammography (an x-ray exam of the breast). Further tests may be included, such as: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening; MRI guided breast biopsies or surgical biopsies; bone scan; and ultrasound. If cancer is diagnosed, the physician will discuss a treatment plan with the patient, which may include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, or perhaps, a combination of several of these. In severe cases, treatment would include a mastectomy (the surgical removal of one breast or both). Specialists will participate as necessary in the comprehensive treatment of the patient.

Communities, multiple organizations, the media, and celebrities have all committed their resources, time, and talents to boost the public’s awareness concerning early breast cancer detection. All are dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness and, thus far, have raised billions of dollars for research in preventing, treating, and, curing breast cancer. Funds are further used in helping under-insured men or women in getting the medical help they need as well as promoting and providing mammograms. Money has also been used in educating the public regarding breast cancer, breast self-exams, and urging people to practice preventive health care which includes: regular physical exams, breast self-exams, mammograms as advised, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and quitting smoking and/or avoiding second-hand smoke.

In October of 2009, the 25th anniversary of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) was celebrated. The NBCAM has become the highlight of year-long special events, runs, and breast cancer walks to raise donations for the fight against breast cancer. One of these walks is sponsored by the American Cancer Society with its “Making Strides against Breast Cancer.” This event takes place in every state usually during NBCAM. The walk’s length is 3 to 5 miles and thousands of people participate across the nation. Many countries are also involved with their versions of NBCAM including breast cancer walks and other events to raise breast cancer awareness and to raise funds, as well. Furthermore, all participants of breast cancer events will usually wear a pink ribbon, the universal symbol for breast cancer awareness. It can be worn as a lapel pin or as adornment on t-shirts, key-rings and more, all used to bring in additional funds for the fight against breast cancer. This little pink ribbon serves as a gigantic reminder about breast cancer, its millions of victims, and the urgency to finally find a cure.

The purpose of complementary and holistic medicine is to provide a complete balance of mind, body, and emotional healing therapies to affect the whole person. Complementary and holistic medicine has a lot to do with vitamins and nutrition and areas overlooked in tradition breast cancer treatment. There are literally hundreds of complementary and holistic medicine therapies available and not all of them have been clinically studies for their effectiveness. It is important that you discuss the type of complementary and holistic therapy you are consider with your doctor before starting the therapy.

The following are few holistic therapies used in breast cancer treatment in conjunction with standard treatment

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Acupuncture may help relieve the symptoms of fatigue, hot flashes, nausea and vomiting and pain.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy uses scented oils to inhale into the body or to be applied by massage. The benefits of aromatherapy are said to be the relief of high blood pressure, nausea, depression and anxiety. The oils called essential oils are made from flowers and plants, fruits, resin, seeds, stems and roots. The oils are usually diluted with a base vegetable oil. Aromatherapy products are purchased at a health food stores and other bath and body boutiques.

Different oils will produce different results. Use peppermint for headaches and indigestion, Eucalyptus, rosemary, and tea tree to stimulate the immune system, Eucalyptus for respiratory relief, and ylang ylang, geranium, lavender, lemon, clary sage, and chamomile for relaxation. Studies are not conclusive on the efficacy of aromatherapy.

Chiropractic Therapy

Chiropractors manipulate the spine muscles, joints and bones. Chiropractic therapy is a hands on type of body massage. It is also used for connective tissue such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Chiropractic sessions are designed to realign the body and promote internal body healing.

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery is also called visualization. This technique requires the visualization of your goals as a breast cancer survivor through mental images, pictures, sounds, and smells. This technique is wonderful for relieving stress.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis can put a person in a deep state of relaxation, can allay fears, change thinking and bring back past memories. Hypnosis is best known for relieving pain and it can also relieve anxiety, nausea, and vomiting.

Journaling

Journaling is writing down your thoughts and feelings, aspirations, and fears. By getting it all out you are releasing what is bottled up inside and this produces a cathartic, healing effect.

Massage

Massaging the soft tissues of the body with hands, fists, fingertips, or even elbows can relieve a lot of pent up stress in the body as well as relieve anxiety, fatigue, and pain. Massage can also stimulate the immune system.

Meditation

Meditation clears the mind of all thoughts and focuses on a phrase or breathing. Mediation relaxes the mind, keeps the mind alert, and brings the person into physical and emotional balance.

Musical therapy

Listening to music is relaxing, and promotes a sense of well-being. It is said it can reduce anxiety nausea and vomiting.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is a therapy that tenses and relaxes a muscle, manipulating one body part at a time. This complimentary and holistic therapy reduces nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and depression in breast cancer patients.

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese hand technique said to release the body’s life energy and though there are no scientific studies at this time, Reiki is said to produce deep relaxation, warmth in the body, sleep, and a sense of well- being.

Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a finger message borrowed from the idea of acupuncture. Shiatsu releases the body’s qi, which is the internal flow of vital energy. The purpose of Shiatsu is to stimulate the body to heal itself. Breast cancer patients have reported relief from neck, shoulder, back pain, muscle tension, stiffness and headaches.

Tai Chi and Yoga

Tai Chi and Yoga both provide healing benefits through deep breathing techniques, body movements, and meditation. Tai Chi and yoga is said to increase strength, balance, flexibility, relaxation, and wellness in breast cancer patients.

Spirituality

Prayer is a wonderful healer with psychological and emotional benefits to promote a sense of peace and well-being within the breast cancer patient.

Support groups

Support groups are a great place to share experiences, talk about family issues, dealing with breast cancer, investigating new therapies that have been tried out by support group members and bonding with other women who are going through breast cancer just as you are. Support groups help you to realize you are not alone. There are people there going through the same fears and aspirations as you and you will support each other through the good times and the bad.

Many recommend choosing a few of the items from the legume family as this particular group does offer protein in an abundance that you will find you can derive some physical strength. The same is with all food items that contain natural protein like the family of meats. Try designing a new meal plan to add some of the tasty foods from the legume family such as beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts. Adding any of these food items to you daily diet will only help to enhance your ability to remain strong.

Beans of all kinds can be added to many different types of recipes depending upon your liking. Think of all the tasty salads you have made in the past and now adding beans as an extra ingredient will just make that salad come to life . It will also give it a new taste that you will just love. Beans are so versatile that they make a wonderful additive to just about everything in one form or another. Have you made any stew lately? Try adding a few lentils and peas to that stew to spice up the taste. You might even find that it is to your liking.

Peanuts made a wonderful additive. This is one very tasty food that the ideas of creative thinking can be limitless. Is there anything peanuts will not go well with as an additive? Eat them whole, chop them up, or grind those peanuts down to a powder and just think of all the foods that they will mix well. Peanuts can be part of the dinner meal, the breakfast cereal, and sprinkled in that ham or turkey sandwich. Besides, eating and adding legumes to the meal planning is another way to lower your glycemic index because the legume family is so high in fiber.

Then there are the soybeans, the garbanzo beans, and the chickpeas that are also very tasty and offer some medical benefits to your overall health. Boy do they taste good in homemade soups, the kind that grandma used to make. They also serve the body too because they contain estrogen-like substances called phytoestrogens. However with women receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer will want to keep this down to a minimum because they could have an adverse effect.

Are you interested in a high fiber diet? Well, beans peas, and lentils will certainly fill the daily requirements. These beans come in so many varieties of colors, shapes, and sizes. You can also purchase them fresh in your local supermarket in the produce department. Of course you can also purchase these beans in the dried form which you will see wrapped in plastic bags, canned and even frozen, but fresh produce is always a better choice. These beans are also high in phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, calcium, and selenium. These are also rich in antioxidants to prevent any further cell damage to your body. The whole idea is in keeping yourself as healthy as possible while enduring and fighting breast cancer.

Time is now for you to take a little break and give your self a chance to organize your thoughts. Think about where you would like to go and if you would like to spend time with your family. Sometimes women need to have a little time to be alone, but only you can decide what it is you want to do. Can you afford a trip to the Bahamas or the Canary Islands? Are you thinking about taking your children to spend a little quality family time at Disney?

Choices, choices, it certainly is not easy is it? Maybe you just want to spend some quality time with your own brothers and sisters. The choice is yours to make and if you decide taking a trip somewhere to sort out your thoughts, this is okay too. However you will have to pay close attention to what you pack for this trip. Some of the items you may want to pack to bring along are the following items.

Bring along a sunhat, sunscreen, and skin care

]]> http://www.checkthebreast.com/breast-cancer-articles/breast-cancer-and-vacation-travel.html/feed 0 http://www.checkthebreast.com/breast-cancer-articles/emotions-in-dealing-with-breast-cancer.html http://www.checkthebreast.com/breast-cancer-articles/emotions-in-dealing-with-breast-cancer.html#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:37:26 +0000 admin http://breastcancer.diabetesfaq.org/?p=33 Emotional stress going through your mind during your time in treatment for breast cancer is weighing very heavily on you. What you probably remember well are all the up and down days as some treatments worked for you and some treatments did not work for you. You have traveled such a long and difficult road, but the outcome is a positive one and your rewards are there in front of you for the taking. You are relieved after all this time to feel rewarded with a clean bill of health, but the entire ordeal you had to endure will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Emotions do take their toll, yet at the same time you are also feeling very depressed and maybe even a little awkward. Are you nervous to be around your family and friends? Are you feeling self-conscious because of all that you went through? Are you feeling depressed because your body is different now from what it once was? Do you find you are keeping yourself at a distance to avoid the closeness you once shared with your family? Sounds like you are in need of a little TLC to help you rebuild your self-esteem.

Do you even realize you are not alone? There are many support groups out there just waiting for you to join in. When you get together with other women who have been through the same experience you will begin to realize this. You can live a normal quality life now that you have received a clean bill of health. You will soon come to realize this yourself, but it will take some time. There are a few problems that you have had to face and now you are questioning yourself.

Younger women having gone through this ordeal do understand what is at stake for them. Many of these young women had chemotherapy and now face the problem of an early menopause. Women who already have a family will fare much better by accepting this than young women who have remained single. Time, weekly counseling, and joining with other survivors will help to change these inadequacies you are now feeling.

Exposure to chemotherapy has caused many changes such as the loss of hair, the perception of yourself, and how you believe those around you see you now. Sure things have changed for you, but inside you are still the same person and you need to feel proud of surviving such an ordeal. Okay, yes, you lost most if not all of your hair, but it will grow back. You need to focus on the fact that you survived. You survived for yourself and for all your family and friends who surround you.

Have you considered wearing a wig if it makes you feel more comfortable. What about those loose shirts and sweatshirts you have started wearing, are you that self-conscious about your appearance? You are looking at this entire issue as if you did something wrong. The reality is the exact opposite, as you will soon come to realize. Be proud of all you have accomplished and the ordeal you have just survived. There are many other women who were not as fortunate as you have been.

Maybe it is a good idea to seek out counseling to help you through this ordeal the rest of the way. You really need to understand how brave you really are and how many of your family members and friends are routing for you. There are many other women out there who are looking up to you because you are a survivor. In time and through counseling you will soon come to realize how much you have contributed.

Sitting in the restaurant with your family and continue to just pick at the food and share in the smiles and laughter, but you just are unable to eat. All of a sudden the food does not look appealing, nor does it taste appealing. Your family notices your behavior has changed, but they do not want to upset you because this was to be a celebration of life in your honor.

Truth is food you once considered a treat and always looked forward to be no more. You are seeing the same world through a new perspective and you and not sure how to handle this. You received a diagnosis of breast cancer some weeks ago and have just begun going through the ordeal of chemotherapy. Foods that you once liked all taste different now with a bitter metallic and tasteless taste. What you did not realize is that the strong medications that are utilized to aggressively fight off breast cancer is wreaking havoc inside your body.

Time will take its toll and the chemotherapy will run its course, but when it is over, your taste buds will return to the way they were. All of this you are going through is only temporary so just be a little patient. In this respect it is almost like being pregnant and foods, or your perception of the foods change for a time. Foods you once found distasteful all of a sudden you begin to enjoy. Then there are all those special cravings that come up every once in a while. With so much activity going on within your body it is no wonder that you would view foods differently.

Maybe this is a good time to take advantage and begin choosing better, healthier foods to eat that are more appealing to your taste buds. Your family will come to understand and they might even join you and eat the new foods that you are interested in to keep the solidarity within the family unit solid. A show of support for you and all that you are going through. Instead of the fast food restaurant where you stop by a window to place an order, it is time to begin fixing wholesome foods at home. Preparing the supper meal can be a shared experience with the entire family.

Eat wiser and healthier is better for you and is better for your entire family unit. Reintroduce foods like eggs, fish, beans, nuts, and seeds into the family meal planning. Instead of cake, ice cream, cookies, and pastries for dessert, why not put out a bowl of assorted fresh fruit. This just might be a big hit and encourage the entire family to eat healthier. Remember, you must keep your body strong to fight this horrendously deadly disease.

Small baskets of assorted nuts and sliced cheese are another good idea to place on the dinner table. Your family will stand behind you and support you in all that you try to do, so why not try it? Instead of dishes of candies placed strategically around the kitchen, why not have dishes of whole grain crackers, fresh fruit, and dried cereal. This is both nourishing and very delicious.

First you will discuss what transpired in the medical physician’s office and then you will try to ease into the discussion of the two of you having a family in the near future. You are very upset with the results of the tests that came back and more upset with the diagnosis that you at this young age have breast cancer. You already are aware that the recommendation for chemotherapy is on the plate, but you keep thinking that when you survive this breast cancer you want to begin a family.

Talking with your husband during dinner he is very supportive of you and what you must accomplish. He will be at your side each step of the way. Perhaps the two of you can have a discussion with the medical physician to find out what the options are. Will this be possible for you since you are only beginning? If chemotherapy is not mandatory in your case you may have other options open to you, but first you must think about staying strong. This is going to be a very long and painful road to travel and you will need all of your strength together with your husband to get through this.

Hormonal therapies are in reserve for women who are not within the menopause years. Chemotherapy can affect your menstrual cycle and cause your egg production to come to a sudden halt. Menstrual cycle changes are usually temporary, but this is an issue for the two of you to speak with the medical physician. Keeping in mind that fertility difficulties sometimes occur even with the best approach and attention.

Right now you have enough to concern yourself with. At the moment you might want to talk with your husband before beginning any treatment. Is it possible incase all does not go well the two of you would consider adoption once you survive this battle with breast cancer? Sadly, your fertility or lack of fertility will depend on the type and duration of the chemotherapy your medical physician prescribes. Statistically, most women over the age of forty will cease to menstruate, but this will also depend upon the drugs the medical physician is prescribing.

Women who have their ovaries removed surgically during the treatment of breast cancer obviously will never have children biologically, but the issue of adoption is always on the back burner. There are a few things you and your husband can consider as a safety incase the medical physician decides you must have chemotherapy.

Think about considering harvesting your eggs