1. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, Mar 27, 2007, 7:46 pm PDT

My expectations are for my doc to tell me immediately, preferrably, over the phone. Then I have time to think of questions that I wish answered. I was told over the phone that my breast cancer was aggressive 3 and then referred to a surgeon. I'm so thankful that it was handled this way. I live 2 hours from my docs and I certainly appreciated the fact that they didn't make me travel for 2 hours just to be told, "I have bad news for you." The expectations of myself would be to have time to digest the info privately before I tell my family and loved ones. I hope that my docs would let me know when they felt I had reached the 6 months line so that I could prepare for hospice and get my affairs in order. I want my last few months to be as pain free as possible but I don't want to be so doped that I cannot go to family outings, church, shopping, to lunch with my friends if possible. I guess I just want to try and live as normal a life as possible for as long as possible. Finally, I want time to find out the best way to tell my two grandchildren who I very seldom see. Blessings, to all of you

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2. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 11:18 am PDT

So are you saying that Elizabeth Edwards likely only has a few years to live?

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3. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 1:10 pm PDT

This is contradictory to what you had written previously (that many women live for decades with treatment). I hope that the 10% likelihood of living beyond a few years is not really the case. When you have someone close to you who has just finished initial chemo, this is not very encouraging. Of course, our real hope is that there is no recurrence, but we were led to believe that there are quite a few very effective treatments in use now and hopefully more to be introduced.

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4. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 2:49 pm PDT

I am a 16 year survivor and I cannot begin to get a doctor to be serious about giving me an MRI. I feel like I get patted on the head once a year and sent home again.

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5. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 3:19 pm PDT

Its a sad fact that doctors and nurses are retarded when it comes to cancer. All they have to offer is radiation and chemo, both of which kick the Hell out of the immune system, and when the immune system is drained,you die.

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6. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 3:40 pm PDT

In answer to your first question, I would obtain at least 3 opinions from various doctors, talk with others who have had breast cancer by joining a support group and let everyone that I see know that of have always cared about them. I would want each of the doctors to answer all of my questions, but also know that they only have so much time to answer questions, so perhaps I would read as much as possible about my disease. I know that I would be very tired, thin, not have much of an appetite and that not everyone would feel comfortable talking with me. Some people would want to remember me as I was when I was well.

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7. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 4:02 pm PDT

www.myspace.com/rapforacure I created this project for Breast Cancer fighters and survivors.

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8. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 4:27 pm PDT

All cancers mostly all diseases are fungal-based and can be "cured", yes, I said "cured" with aspirin or diflucan or nystatin and with a proper low carb diet. All statins should be prescribed and used sparingly and for a short period of time not forever like many people are using. Yes, this also includes AIDS! It was proven at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic that diflucan and nystatin was killing the AIDS virus - could this be fungus? FDA & DRUG companies do not want anyone to know that. Raspberry seeds destroys the cervical cancer virus! This is an antifungal. And the drug companies are forcing their vaccine. No prick biopsies either they just open & spill the cancer in the system and the result is metastises! No mammos - its xray and radiation only causes cancers - do thermal imaging if you have to. Read the book "The Germ That Causes Cancer" by Doug Kaufmann (Knowthecause.com). Unfortunately, the doctors don't study fungus. Since the creation of antibiotics in the 1950's diseases are at an all-time high than prior 1950s. Antibiotics destroy good bacteria making our immune system defenseless! Thus allowing all diseases ie, cancers, diabetes,ms, als, parkinsons, autism, etc. to kill us! I am not the one that opened this can of worms. There are doctors out there that are starting to get it. Almost everyone I know is going to doctors and spending their spare time in their offices when they can be preventing and helping their conditions with a little research and finding those doctors that are "getting it right". I pray every day that I never have to use a doctor for anything! I am becoming more and more aware of what is out there and I research it before I do. I have learned that drugs should be the last resort and not the beginning. If I have to take the last resort I will supplement with killer acidophilus supplement as well as oregano oil and oregano supplements which I have researched. It is ashame that the majority of cancer patients are not aware of this and they should be made aware. They must find the doctors that "get it". I am still searchng and I have found several osteopaths that "get it" but they took an oath and feel that with naturals they may be doing us harm. The doctors are doing more harm by prescribing drugs as soon as we set foot through their door. Remember, Know the Cause, it is fungus!

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9. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 6:00 pm PDT

I found out that i had breast cancer the same day that mrs edwards announced that she had breast cancer. Iam so sorry that it came back so quickly ,i pray that she will be ok . As for me the doctors say the is no sign of the cancer,i still have pet scan to do if it comes back i do not think i can handle the chemo again.

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10. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 6:01 pm PDT

Well I had breast cancer seven years ago, July 1999 I first was found with cancer in the left breast. I had Radiation, tamoxofen for 5 years and Femara for two years. Bingo! July 2006 I found out that all the toruture I went through didn't do nothing for me. I still going through I had my breast removed and my ovaries, now I have 85% chance to not have cancer again, only 85%! so the 15% chance can kill sooner or later, what a releaf!!! Bull-lony I'm goin to live with fear the reast of my life. March 23 I was in so much pain from chemo I can't walk or drive or sit laid or nothing, I called the Doctor and he said wait till Monday to see if the pain goes away, ha! it didn't I have to called the monday and get pain pills and some steroids finaly! I tell you I agreed with the comment #5 doctors only care for the patients as a one more chek in their packets regardles of our sufering and posible death...

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11. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Wed, Mar 28, 2007, 7:04 pm PDT

I have worked in the medical field for 26 years in Nuclear Medicine. Doing repetitive Bone Scans on women with Breast Cancer has been my profession. That being said, there are many great MD's who do not want to give up..the good guys, but that being said, does the end justify the mean? I have survived (so far renal cell CA) so I know the feeling. I myself ( and this is only my opinion and not in any way meant to be medical advice), would never have a lumpectomy, would go for the radical, don't even take a chance to cut into the cancer, would do the chemo and take the tamoxifin if I was in the early stages, if I had metastatic disease, unless someone had a guarantee that it would prolong my life, I would wish to spend my last 6 months enjoying the few months I had left and not feeling sick from some (experimental or not chemo, radiation). I would rather enjoy the end of my life with my children and family, not feeling sick from the treatments, than suffering through the chemo, etc. and not enjoying the quality life I had left. I would travel, spend much time with my family, and every day I could with my children. Remember, the end justifies the means. You have no control over the cancer. It depends how far the mets have travelled. Look at the presidential candidates wife, her cancer has spread to several sites in her bones...next it will go to her lungs. What a lovely lady to tell her husband to keep running for president. Cancer is such a sad thing, I'm just so fortunate that I found my own, my MD's wouldn't listen to me...K

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12. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, Mar 31, 2007, 10:00 am PDT

I have been told that I have metastatic disease. I wan't the doctors to assume I could be in the 10% but mine do not. They have all but given up. They are willing to treat the symptoms only. I have an HMO so it appears that all the cards are in my doctors hands. But I will not stop fighting. Even if they think I am crazy some how I am going to find a doctor that will treat me as if I can live. It is up to me when I throught in the towel not them. I invite anyone to contact me that feels they have some advise. Although I have been told that my lung cancer has spread to my brain and the middle of my chest I feel pretty healthy. I am not ready to give up.... mpatten4@aol.com

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13. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sun, Apr 01, 2007, 1:29 pm PDT

Thank you Lillie for a realistic and balanced article. With all the downplaying of E Edwards cancer I was beginning to feel as though I was missing something. It is a fine line to find the balance in being positive and yet accepting the reality of the situation and preparing for it. It is something, as you know, I am struggling with now. I have heard from the "Pink Petals" in force (the group of gals from the Havre de Grace retreat) and highly respect and honor them for their wonderful support and encouragement. I think it is important that the media start telling the true facts in regards to the publicity of Edward's cancer. I am also sending you a letter I have sent off to the Baltimore Sun. Love and good health to you, Peggy Murphy.

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14. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Tue, Apr 03, 2007, 10:25 am PDT

This is not new information regarding metastatic cancer. My mother died from her chemo after a 13 year battle. Yes, her cancer came back three times and each time she was given chemo, different drugs, but chemo after surgery. Quality of life really is more important, in my mind, as a breast cancer survivor of 2.7 years. Will it come back, maybe. My grandmother's came back after 30 years and she died full of cancer. The reality is we ALL die, how we die can sometime be more important than how we hang on to the last few days, months. I do speak from the personal experience of seeing loved ones die painfilled days from their cancer knowing we can only provide support and helping hands while we see them waste away. If you do have someone you know with metastatic cancer, the most precious gift you can give them is time. Sit with them, cry with them, laught, sing, read, feed, whatever they would like to do. Saying goodbye is hard enough, not spending the time is tragic.

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15. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Thu, Apr 26, 2007, 10:17 pm PDT

I found out that my cancer had spread before my doc told me. I had a routine scan and the following week was scheduled to see the doc one day and the surgeon about reconstruction the next day. To be efficient I picked up the cd with my scan results early so I would have them for the surgeon appt. I never suspected a prblem and I popped the disc in my computer on a Friday and saw that it had spead to my lungs. yikes!! I didn't call the doctor...i waited for the appointment. I was in the exam room when the doc came in. He said "how are you?" I said "fine" He said "well,I am concerned about you, your tumor marker sare up" I said " and those spots in my lungs seem concerning" His jaw dropped and he asked how I knew about that..... I am now on my 2nd chemo since the mets showed up - nothing is working. I'm going to keep trying treatments as long as they offer them...I'm only 41. I have no symptoms now but we have talked about the likely progession if we can't stop this beast.

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