The Real Meaning of Love

After I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer, I knew my life would change. I had no idea how drastic the changes were going to be. It was hard because you hear different horror stories, in reality; everyone's body is different so the reaction to chemotherapy and radiation will differ. I found this out. Things that I expected to happen didn't. They had the opposite effect on me. My doctors called me "highly sensitive."

Through everything; surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, my husband was there through it all. It was just him and I on this journey. He cooked and cleaned, worked and brought me to some of my chemotherapy treatments, all with a supportive attitude. He has helped me out of bed and walk more times than I can possibly count. He has been my rock. On my weak days, there was none of that, he listened patiently and held me when I cried. He always told me I was the strong one as I drew from my inner strength, but he was also a great source of my strength.

It was hard because my mom was dying of Breast Cancer as I was going through my treatments. She passed away January 9, 2012. She had fought the fight for over 20 years. My husband was there through it all, helping hold me up during the toughest part of my life. That is what true love is.

What I learned from it all is this. You have to be pro-active. Get your mammograms done and do your self-exams. I found my lump. The most important thing is that through the years since my mom was diagnosed to when I was, the technology has changed. More and more doctors are on the same page as far as your treatment plan goes.

Attitude is everything. Get out of bed when you don't feel like it, even if it's only a little bit, it's better than everything. Focus on one positive thing or thought every day and carry that thought with you throughout the day. Write in a journal, it helps get all your feelings out.

Cancer patients have such passion for life, and especially for each other. There is a bond; there are tears, but mostly hugs. Some are from complete strangers who have fought that same fight. So, never give up and always lend your support to others. Loving my life! Eight months of treatment done, four more months to go.

In my case my love was my husband. It might be different for you. It could be a family member, a friend, a new friend, etc. But one thing is for sure, they will be in your heart forever. I will make it! So will you! Never give up the fight!

My website, http://www.womensrecreation.com/, offers hope and encouragement. I do believe that we are here to help each other and to learn from each other.

I wrote three books "Walk in Peace" & "My Soulful Journey" and "The Wishing Well" which can be purchased on my website.

I also have a Blog Talk Radio show. I have interviewed people regarding all subject matter. Feel free to listen to the archives at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/womensrecreation.

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Breast Cancer Treatment and Fertility

Most women are ill-informed about the questions they must be asking their doctor before the treatment starts. Young women who are yet to have children and mothers who are planning for more children are advised to talk to their physician about how cancer treatment can put their fertility at risk.

Chemotherapy may affect your ability to have children. Many well-informed young women decide to freeze their eggs before the chemo starts, but not all women have sufficient knowledge about how the treatment can affect their fertility or about the options that are available to preserve their fertility.

Fertility issues during breast cancer

Most physicians will advise you that breast cancer treatment must take priority over fertility. Fortunately, breast cancer does not mean that your dreams of becoming a parent are doomed forever. Even with cancer treatment as your first priority, you can still maximize your chances of becoming a parent.

It is important that the physician and the patient work together on this. If the patient is in a relationship, the partner's concerns must be factored in as well. Some of the questions that you need to answer include:
How important is it to have a baby, for you and your partner?Do you have an optimistic prognosis that allows you to plan for your future as a parent?Will it be safe for you to be pregnant?If there is a recurrence or the survival is limited, will the child have enough caretakers in your absence?Are you comfortable with adoption or consider using donor eggs to become a parent?

These are definitely tough questions for anyone to answer, even more so for someone who is already bogged down by the severe emotional toll that cancer can unleash. Nonetheless, it is important that you answer these questions as you prepare for the cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy and fertility

Will chemotherapy make you infertile? The answer to this depends on the woman's age and the type of chemotherapy drugs that are used. The younger you are, the better your chances that the ovaries will continue producing fertile eggs even after treatment. Certain chemotherapy drugs, especially those belonging to the group of alkylating agents, can cause relatively more damage to the ovaries than others. Talk to your physician about the type of drugs that will be used for your cancer treatment.

Preserving fertility

If you have been given a relatively good prognosis by your doctor, you may want to ask a fertility expert about the possible options to preserve your fertility.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your fertility expert:
Should you freeze your eggs now? What does the procedure involve?Should you also consider freezing some of your ovarian tissue?Are there fertility treatments that will be less risky for you?What are the financial, medical, emotional and time-wise costs that each of these options involve?

If your doctor says it is okay to postpone your chemo, you may want to undergo ovarian stimulation during this time to harvest enough eggs. Also consider how safe fertility drugs are. Some hormones in the drugs may encourage breast cancer cell activity and cause it to spread rapidly.

With some soul-searching and discussion with your oncologist and fertility expert, you can come up with a definite plan to become a parent in future.

Through his articles, youngrin wishes to inform and educate the readers about breast cancer treatments which will benefit those who are looking for useful information. For breast cancer doctors visit breast cancer treatment centers of america.

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