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litheraThis it pretty sensative subject for me. Everyone in my family (on my mother's anf my father's side) that I know of who has died, has died of cancer. The subject used to scare me more than it does now, but I must admit, it still chills me.
So, I'm listening to NPR on this book about breast cancer and the way we used to treat it this country. I have learned a lot of things abou the procedures we used to do for breast cancer and the way that doctors use to think about it.
In the 50s for breast cancer a doctor would, in a surgery, remove the breasts, the chest wall muscles, the lymph nodes in the area and often times parts of the rib cage. For cancer in the area of the uterus it was worse. They would remove all of the reproductive organs, as much as they could of any other organs that were touching and occasionally pelvic bone. Doctors thought that cancer moved in an orderly manner through the body from one organ to another. If you removed enough tissue, you would get all of the cancer. It makes sense, but it left mutilated people in it's wake.
(Note to readers. I'm not trying to sound like a feminist, I'm just talking about breast cancer and while men get it, it is fairly rare. If I hear a news story about prostate cancer I'll probably talk about it too.)
In the late 60s and early 70s when a doctor found a lump they would have women sign a form. This form gave the doctor permission to do invasive surgery to see if it was cancer and then if it was, remove whatever they thought was needed. Without consulting the patient first. You could go under and sometimes come back with both breasts and more missing. Talk about horrifiying and shocking.
Bedside manner needed to be worked on as well. A case which points to the problem is where a woman was talking to her doctor about the depression which had set in after losing her breasts he replied with, "Go stuff some stockings in your bra and get on with your life." Damn. Now, it's not as if I'm all for people being sorry for themselves, but I think anytime you get a part of your body removed, you deserve a few breaks, you know?
I am so glad we're starting to understand these things better. I am so glad we're coming up with drug therapy. (Gleevec gives me a great amount of comfort. I just hope we don't find out it has strange side effects later on.)
Some days this worries me alot. Most days, I just shuffle it into the pile of "Things I Can't Do Anything About Until Something Happens". I do my self-exams, I go in for check-ups. I should go in for a mamogram before my next birthday.
The interview was with Dr. Baron Lerner and his book is "The Breast Cancer Wars".
Some thoughts for me in my day. It's good to be informed, even if it makes me shudder.
So, I'm listening to NPR on this book about breast cancer and the way we used to treat it this country. I have learned a lot of things abou the procedures we used to do for breast cancer and the way that doctors use to think about it.
In the 50s for breast cancer a doctor would, in a surgery, remove the breasts, the chest wall muscles, the lymph nodes in the area and often times parts of the rib cage. For cancer in the area of the uterus it was worse. They would remove all of the reproductive organs, as much as they could of any other organs that were touching and occasionally pelvic bone. Doctors thought that cancer moved in an orderly manner through the body from one organ to another. If you removed enough tissue, you would get all of the cancer. It makes sense, but it left mutilated people in it's wake.
(Note to readers. I'm not trying to sound like a feminist, I'm just talking about breast cancer and while men get it, it is fairly rare. If I hear a news story about prostate cancer I'll probably talk about it too.)
In the late 60s and early 70s when a doctor found a lump they would have women sign a form. This form gave the doctor permission to do invasive surgery to see if it was cancer and then if it was, remove whatever they thought was needed. Without consulting the patient first. You could go under and sometimes come back with both breasts and more missing. Talk about horrifiying and shocking.
Bedside manner needed to be worked on as well. A case which points to the problem is where a woman was talking to her doctor about the depression which had set in after losing her breasts he replied with, "Go stuff some stockings in your bra and get on with your life." Damn. Now, it's not as if I'm all for people being sorry for themselves, but I think anytime you get a part of your body removed, you deserve a few breaks, you know?
I am so glad we're starting to understand these things better. I am so glad we're coming up with drug therapy. (Gleevec gives me a great amount of comfort. I just hope we don't find out it has strange side effects later on.)
Some days this worries me alot. Most days, I just shuffle it into the pile of "Things I Can't Do Anything About Until Something Happens". I do my self-exams, I go in for check-ups. I should go in for a mamogram before my next birthday.
The interview was with Dr. Baron Lerner and his book is "The Breast Cancer Wars".
Some thoughts for me in my day. It's good to be informed, even if it makes me shudder.
