January 15, 2001

Important News About Breast Cancer
Submitted by
Catherine C Howard

In Nov. I lost my sister (Betty Botts of Troy, Al.) to a rare kind of cancer. She developed a rash on her breast similar to that of young mothers who are nursing. Because her mammogram had been clear, the Dr. treated her with antibiotics for infections. After 2 rounds and it continued to get worse, her Dr. sent her for another mammogram and this time it showed a mass.

A biopsy found a fast growing malignancy; chemo was started in order to shrink the growth; then a mastectomy; then a full round of chemo; then radiation. After about 9 months of intense treatment she was given a clean bill of health. One year of living each day to its fullest - then it returned to the liver area. She took 4 treatments and decided that she wanted quality of life, not the after effects of chemo.

We had 5 great months and she planned each detail of the final days. After just a few days of needing morphine, she slipped away saying she had done what God had sent her into the world to do and now it was her time to go. I still have tears as I write, but our message would be - like the one below - to be alert to any thing that is not normal - and be persistent in getting help as soon as possible.
Juanita Bush

Ladies, take note:
"This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureola. It appeared as a rash which later became a lesion with a crusty outer edge. I would not have ever suspected it to be breast cancer but it was.

My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me so I went to my doctor for that. Sometimes it itched and was sore, but other than that it didn't really bother me. It was just ugly and a nuisance, and could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this
outbreak. They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous.

Now I suspect there are not many women out there who know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureola can be breast cancer. What are the symptoms? Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureola. One of the biggest problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.

The symptoms include:

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn. As I stated mine did not itch or burn much, and had no oozing. I was aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one side.

2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. Mine was on the aureola area with a whitish thick looking area in center of nipple.

3. Usually only one nipple is affected.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and should suggest having a mammogram of both breasts done immediately even though the redness, oozing and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast.

Your doctor should order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on. They will take a sample of your breast tissue in that area to test for cancer.

If the cancer is only in the nipple and not in the breast, your doctor may recommend just removing the nipple and surrounding tissue or suggest radiation treatments. Had my doctor caught mine right away, instead of flaking it off as dermatitis, perhaps they could have saved my breast, and it wouldn't have gone to my lymph nodes.

This message should be taken seriously and passed on to as many of your friends as possible; it could save someone's life. My breast cancer has spread and metastasized to my bones after receiving mega doses of chemotherapy, 28 treatments of radiation and taking tamaxofin. If this had been diagnosed in the beginning as breast cancer and treated right away, perhaps it would not have spread...

I did try to spread the word through Rosie O'Donnell show on breast cancer awareness, but it failed to trigger importance enough to be announced on her show last year. This is sad as women are not aware of Paget's disease.

If by passing this around on the e-mail, we can make others aware of it, and it's potential danger we are helping women everywhere. Please, if you can, take a moment to cut and paste this information into an e-mail and share it with a friend. It only takes a moment yet the results could save a life."

Linda R. Watson, Clinical Associate Professor
Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, CB# 7190
UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7190
Phone (919) 966-9466 FAX (919) 966-0100
Email: lwatson@css.unc.edu

Stressed Out!
By Iona Hoeppner

And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:27

My mother was the world's best worrier. She fretted and fussed with resolute dedication... and she worried about everything and about nothing. My dad, on the other hand never gave a second thought to even the most perilous situations. No matter how dire things were, he was able to see the positive and absolutely believed today was wonderful and tomorrow would be grand!

Growing up, I found this dichotomy more than a little confusing. While Mama's predicted catastrophes rarely came to pass, Daddy's conviction that all was "hunky dory" was seldom true, either.

The more Mama worried about her health, the worse it got. Her blood pressure soared and she suffered a plethora of ailments from headaches to kidney disease. By the time I graduated from high school, Mama was taking 19 different medications and had constant doctor's appointments until Alzheimer's disease caused her to forget to fret. Then her blood pressure began to drop and within six moths the only pill she needed was a daily vitamin... and she had nine carefree years.

Daddy, on the other hand, pain no attention at all to his physical well-being even though as a very young man he'd had a heart attack (certainly not stress related) and was supposed to be on a special diet and exercise program. He happily continued to fry all foods in lard and his only physical activity was to go prospecting in the High Sierras several times a year. That's where he was just before he died at age 64.

So, Mama, the worrier lived almost 26 years longer than my happy-go-lucky dad... But one thing was certain, Daddy did more living! I could see that from an early age and deliberately chose to take that path.

I am a person of high activity. I am always busy, but doing things you enjoy doesn't induce stress. I love almost everything I do. That's a choice I deliberately make and I almost never find my work stressful.

But what about things over which you have no control? Life can be demanding at times, and disappointing, and painful. That's where God comes in. I take it all to Him. He helps me change the part that I can alter and, when I let Him, gives me the power to let go of what I cannot change plus the wisdom to know the difference.

Oh, and there's one more thing, a very, very important thing: God is helping me see myself through His eyes and not as others see me. This relieves me of the need to be a "people pleaser." I can quit worrying about what people think, and just live for Him. After all, He's my dad, and He can handle anything that comes along.

Stress, worry, guilt. They're killers! They'll kill the body, break the heart, wound the spirit... That isn't what God intended for His kids!

Thanks to Dianne Miller who sent:

~~ THE POWER OF WORRYING ~~

Here's a good inspirational message. Keep it in your hearts.

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, What are you going to do?

I'm going to take 100 people, Death replied.

That's horrible! the man said.

That's the way it is, Death said. That's what I do.

The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death's plan.

As evening fell, he met Death again. You told me you were going to take 100 people, the man said. Why did 1,000 die?

I kept my word, Death responded. I only took 100 people. Worry took the others.

This interesting tale portrays so well what the National Mental Health Committee reported a few years ago - half of all the people in America's hospital beds are constant worriers. Mental distress can lead to migraine headaches, arthritis, heart trouble, cystitis, colitis, backaches, ulcers, depression, digestive disorders and yes, even death. Add to that list the mental fatigue of nights without sleep and days without peace, then we get a glimpse of the havoc worry plays in destroying the quality and quantity of life.

Worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart, for its beginning signals the end of faith.

Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow and receive instead, the peace of today.

FREE YOUR MIND, YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.

And Phyllis Coats who sent us these:

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR STRESS REDUCTION

I. Thou shalt not be perfect, or even try to be.

II. Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people.

III. Thou shalt sometimes leave things undone.

IV. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin.

V. Thou shalt learn to say "no".

VI. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and for thy support network.

VII. Thou shalt switch thyself off, and do nothing regularly.

VIII. Thou shalt not even feel guilty for doing nothing, or saying no.

IX. Thou shalt be boring, untidy, inelegant, and unattractive at times.

X. Especially, thou shalt not be thine own worst enemy. But, be thine own best friend.

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Author: Iona Hoeppner
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