Healthy Lifestyle

[Jaquta]

Hi.  I was wondering if you had any advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I had a recent mammogram/ US for breast symptoms.  The radiology report came back saying that there was a mass adherent to the adjacent chest wall and that one lymph node had a thickened cortex.
This is in the context of a partial mastectomy for DCIS in 2008 followed by radiation in 2009.  Not sure if it's relevant but I had a breast abscess following surgery.  The mass seems to be in the scar tissue.

I have been referred to the surgeon urgently but have yet to hear back from them.  It will be a week tomorrow since my mammogram/ US.  The surgeon will be away for two weeks sometime soon so that doesn't help my anxiety.

I started taking the Mirtazapine 10 days ago.  Some of the initial side-effects seem to have worn off but now I'm attributing certain feelings, such as misc. head symptoms, to the proposed cancer.  I haven't had the biopsy yet so nothing is conclusive.  It doesn't sound very good though and the doctors are definitely concerned.
Having access to a lot of information, with limited knowledge, can be pretty harmful and stressful.  Trying to work stuff out I come up with stage iiib or worse.  Probably that is incorrect.  I hope so.

I'm tired of having potentially life threatening illnesses.  I've just come off months of feeling suicidal.  (With BPD.)

Do you have any healthy lifestyle tips for me.  Stress management is probably a big one.

I was running.  Kind of lucked out in the weekend.  Did 70 minutes then ended up walking the rest.  How hard does one push oneself?  Is that going to be detrimental?  I'm not sure that bargaining really helps at this point.  Not sure how to cope.  I know it's early days.

[Jaquta]

Thanks.  Not sure what institute you were referring too.

My GP recommended I attend a meditation course for people with a cancer diagnosis.  It finished this week.  I guess it was helpful (when I practiced).  One night I slept for 14 hours which is unheard of for me.

I've had surgical appts the past few weeks which have largely been unhelpful.  I see my original surgeon tomorrow and my GP thinks surgery could be as soon as Monday.  I have opted for the straight mastectomy without the reconstruction.  I wasn't able to reconcile the muscle use or use of implant.  I am hoping I can embrace my body and hopefully not feel guilty or ashamed for taking the least socially acceptable option.  I don't plan on wearing a prothesis either.  Hopefully it wont be too noticeable.

The past few weeks have been a nightmare for nutrition and exercise due to me needing to take on more responsibility due to a family crisis.
I am wanting to catch up on some sleep before surgery too.

I am looking to get things back on track tomorrow.  Go for a run and eat healthily.  I am thinking about declining chemo so I need to start making some big changes to my lifestyle.

My family are here or flying up.  I just hope I don't have surgery on my birthday (the 10th) of Friday the 13th.  I have become quite superstitious.

Thank you for your prayers.

[countryvictorian]

Jaquta,

I did not realize I was not allowed to put in a website.  So what I wanted to suggest was the ****** Institute as another option.  You can look online and learn about it.   I hope to remove my earlier link if I can figure out how to do that.  Be blessed and may you find the right healing for your body.

[countryvictorian]

Here is another option to think about

http://******.org/gerpress/

May the Lord comfort you and help you find healing.

[Jaquta]

It feels like an eternity ago that I wrote that.

I told my GP ages ago that it felt like karma.  I've gone from being depressed and suicidal to having breast cancer and possibly dying.

I started reflecting on how I would like to spend my time.  Doing things and creating memories seemed important.  I guess I get joy out of simple things.  I appreciate the little things more.  I also found that while I hated my life there were things that I did like.  I guess structure was important and doing something because I chose to do it.  A lot of what is important is right around us.  Friends and family.

My GP advised I go to a six week meditation course to "increase survivorship".  It's different but helpful.

The initial abject fear has passed and I've stopped packing up my stuff and giving it away.  Testing, and travelling for testing, has been tiring.
I'm facing surgery and chemo soon.  I've been offered breast reconstruction after surgery.  It seems like it should be an easy decision but I can't make it.  Not sure if procrastinating is delaying the inevitiable.
Past the life-saving stuff I wonder what affect plastic surgery will have on functionality.  I'm not sure I want muscle pirated from other parts in order to look good.  Is hard to judge the psychological impact of mastectomy either with or without reconstruction.

I would hate to be one of your patients (not because I don't think you're good at what you do because I think you probably are good) but because of the fear they must experience before surgery and in life in general.  Maybe it's just me but I find the fear of illness suffocating.  Maybe limited options make people more grateful, more courageous, more thankful.

I guess a fear at the moment is surgery and recovery.  Last time ... anyway, one of the doctors here at medhelp said it was probably a huge metabolic strain.  I'm worried that I might end up pushing myself too hard.  I'm quite self-conscious and it's hard for me being so exposed and so vulnerable.  Is hard not to crash diet.  I went for a short run the morning of my last surgery, to minimise anxiety, and took ages to come round afterwards. In hindsight, I'm guessing that running wasn't such a smart thing to do.

I'm rambling.  It's an outlet for all my anxiety and concerns.  The hospital lost my referral so not sure when my surgical appt is.

I've been on Mirtazapine about ?four/ five weeks now.  I haven't experienced any weight gain from it.  The doctor increased the dose to 45 mg due to anxiety re the breast stuff.  It seems to have helped with both anxiety and mood.  He spoke of increasing it to 60 mg but that seemed way too high.  Was thinking about stopping it so that I could feel stuff.  Experience symptoms and know their origin but staying on it seems like a good idea at present.

Thank for listening.

I hope you and your family are well.

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

I'm sorry to hear about what you have been going through.

I think the most important thing right now is to do things that you enjoy - if exercise is one of those things, then I think it's a great idea.  I don't think that you have to push yourself for the sake of doing so - more intense or endurance exercise is unlikely to have a more beneficial impact on your health.  I agree that the priority is to get your biopsy and any other recommendations from your doctors. Take care and I wish you the best.