Category Archives: April’s Story
Too Much Breast Cancer Screening?
I came across an article last week about screenings for breast cancer in the UK and whether they cause unnecessary treatment for some women. The recommended screening in the UK is once every three years for women between the ages of 50 and 70. I would recommend reading this very interesting article, which can be found here.
On a day where healthcare is at the forefront of many people’s vote, it is fascinating to see a small glimpse into the healthcare system of a different country and how it may effect breast cancer screening and treatment.
Tags: Breast Cancer, breast cancer screening, healthcare …
Breast Cancer and Your Environment
As I have been preparing to (hopefully!) purchase my first home, I have been thinking a lot about how to make sure my new environment is as safe as possible in light of my history of breast cancer. It’s a funny coincidence that I ran into an article yesterday on MSN.com about this very thing. It’s worth a read I think, and worth thinking about, especially if you’re a cancer survivor.
Certainly, you don’t have to drive yourself crazy obsessively reading labels and researching the safety of everything you bring into your home, or come into contact with. However, as a …
Testing for Radon in Homes – Being a Cancer-Conscious Homeowner
My husband and I are looking to purchase our first home. The process has been very exciting and we have looked at dozens of homes in the past year. We think we have found one and are going through the process. Hopefully we will know in a few weeks!
One thing I was interested to learn about while researching different inspections for homes is radon. Radon is a radioactive gas which comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through …
Breast Cancer Misconceptions
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month fast approaching, I checked out the web for some misconceptions about breast cancer. It turns out there are many! Here are the top 10 from fellow breast cancer survivor, Sheryl Kraft, which can also be found here:
1. Breast pain is a symptom of breast cancer. That’s rarely the case; breast cancer, especially early breast cancer, usually does not cause pain and may exhibit no noticeable symptoms. Most aches, pains or tenderness can be attributed to things like fibrocystic breast changes and the rise and fall of hormones, or a benign fluid-filled sac (a cyst), which …
Be Your Own Advocate: A Reminder
I recently saw my radiation oncologist for my annual visit. It’s the quickest and easiest of my check-ups. There are no test results, blood draws, or anything. Just a quick exam, some easy questions and I am on my way. It was more of the same this time, and my doctor was as pleasant and quick as always.
At the end of our visit, he asked me if I had my arm measured yet and I said no. He told me that he would arrange for it and insisted that I wait and have it done. As you likely know, women …