Please don’t forget guys

[Lady Joyce]

October is breast cancer awareness month.
Thanks

http://www.breastcancerawareness.com/

[bsaride]

I'm supporting my daughter who us going on a walk this weekend in rememberence
of my aunt Helen.

[Griff]

I'm growing my hair long again to donate in the name of my best friend's wife who underwent a double masectomy last November and has been in Kemo all year... one treatment to go... and I have about another YEAR to growin' the hair... I was told the first time I tried to donate that they didn't want "silver" hair, and then two years ago they said, wow... that's just what we want... we can dye it any color and some ladies want it left alone... minimum 11" and I'm about halfway there!!!

[Ysabel Kid]

Thinking about my cousin's wife. Glad to see so many people remembering!

[AJMD429]

My 35th high school reunion was this weekend (problem was, a bunch of old people must have thought it was bingo-night at the Elks Club, so they showed up, too ).

Anyway, one of the coolest things was to hear one of my classmates tell me how she felt bad after talking to so many of our classmates who in their early 50's, had 'peaked' lower than expected in their careers, or were stuck living in places they hated, or with jobs they were stressed out by. Her comment was "Man, I'm living the dream life - I almost feel guilty. I have a good marriage, don't hate my job, and live in Montana, so I can ski all the time." It was only after talking to her further that she casually mentioned she'd missed the 25th reunion because that was when she was having her breast cancer treated.

Too many women (at least judging by what patients tell me) either don't take the disease seriously yet (haven't had a friend diagnosed yet), or are so frightened at the thought of what they assume is an incurable disease, that they don't even bother. It's VERY curable if found early, and it is usually easy to find early if the woman learns, and remembers, to do self-exam thoroughly. Self-exam is so good that on numerous occasions I've had women with normal mammograms come in only a few months later with something they felt 'changed', and it turned out to be a cancer. A very curable one, too, since they found it 8 or 9 months before their next mammogram (hopefully) would have spotted it.

For the ones who are worried about the cost of a mammogram, most imaging centers participate in programs like the "Little Red Door" program (http://littlereddoor.org/), which can cover the cost of a mammogram for those without much money.

The only other comment I'd make is that up until maybe age 55 (varies by family history), melanoma is far likelier than breast cancer in any individual - maybe 100-fold even. THAT cancer doesn't have the 'press' that breast cancer does, but men and women BOTH should do a thorough skin-check each month as well. Melanoma moves way faster than breast cancer, and unlike the other 'skin' cancers, does NOT appear to be dependent on excessive 'sun exposure' - nor prevented by 'sun avoidance', as is obvious when you look at the sites of occurence vs. the more-common (and far less dangerous) basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. (Sun damage is present on the shoulders more than the middle-back, and the necklace area rather than the breast area, and the thighs more than the female privates, yet melanoma is just the opposite.)



So - you all should be checking your own skin, head to toe, or spouses check each other, for new dark or multi-shade or changing skin spots, and the ladies of course do the self-check of breasts every four weeks as well.

[Old Ironsights]

Alway up for checking out breasts...

Wait. That didn't come out right... wife is hitting me with a spatula... ow....

[cshold]

Lady Joyce decided to refrain from creating a stir and ruckus
in the forum this year and not do a Ta-Ta picture of her own.

But we need something here. So I decided to highjack OS’s
very nicely done and applicable picture for this thread.

[gak]

+1 to all said, and thinking of my SIL's sister we lost at 53 three years ago after a valiant on-off-on again battle.

Another thought on the skin cancer comments made. Even though melanoma CAN and does occur virtually anywhere, including "always shaded" areas, it is STILL important to do what you can control, and that is to reduce risk by either sun avoidance and major screening/coverage (if very light skinned/sensitive) or moderation if darker complexion. Regarding the latter group, however, melanoma can also be pretty skin color/racially-blind, although the aforementioned light skinned (stereotypical Northern Europe-extract blond or red hair, blue eyes, etc) need to be particularly concerned and "healthily paranoid." Over the years, I have had multiple surgeries--some very extensive--my mother some fifty such procedures--of the also very destructive "lesser" skin cancers, basal and squamous cell...and have been lucky with no "M" detections yet to date. These "conditions" have been directly attributed (as close as they can do such) to early life over-exposure bad sunburns. As I didn't tan well, through my youth--to the present (mid 50s)--I was never a "sun-worshipper," so they say the "most important" exposure probably was as a younger kid...those lobster burns we all got back then. In those days, "sun protection" was just staying indoors or in the shade of a tree. So watch your kids and grand kids. Back to melanoma. My non-blood uncle died in his late 70s from melanoma, diagnosed just 18 months prior to his passing. The doctors all felt it was very likely due to his largely shirtless Army stint on Saipan and Guam in WWII. Now that's a long time to "develop," but is another indicator: watch the sun.

Didn't mean to hijack from the breast cancer awareness focus, but watching your skin is also important as others have mentioned. It doesn't have the focus it should, and as said can be just as deadly--and often strike/complete its process more quickly.

[Blaine]

I want to thank y'all for keeping me abreast of such matters.

[edwardyoung]

I can't wait for manicured-hands awareness month

[wecsoger]

Please save second base!

[Hobie]

+1 to all said, and thinking of my SIL's sister we lost at 53 three years ago after a valiant on-off-on again battle.

Another thought on the skin cancer comments made. Even though melanoma CAN and does occur virtually anywhere, including "always shaded" areas, it is STILL important to do what you can control, and that is to reduce risk by either sun avoidance and major screening/coverage (if very light skinned/sensitive) or moderation if darker complexion. Regarding the latter group, however, melanoma can also be pretty skin color/racially-blind, although the aforementioned light skinned (stereotypical Northern Europe-extract blond or red hair, blue eyes, etc) need to be particularly concerned and "healthily paranoid." Over the years, I have had multiple surgeries--some very extensive--my mother some fifty such procedures--of the also very destructive "lesser" skin cancers, basal and squamous cell...and have been lucky with no "M" detections yet to date. These "conditions" have been directly attributed (as close as they can do such) to early life over-exposure bad sunburns. As I didn't tan well, through my youth--to the present (mid 50s)--I was never a "sun-worshipper," so they say the "most important" exposure probably was as a younger kid...those lobster burns we all got back then. In those days, "sun protection" was just staying indoors or in the shade of a tree. So watch your kids and grand kids. Back to melanoma. My non-blood uncle died in his late 70s from melanoma, diagnosed just 18 months prior to his passing. The doctors all felt it was very likely due to his largely shirtless Army stint on Saipan and Guam in WWII. Now that's a long time to "develop," but is another indicator: watch the sun.

Didn't mean to hijack from the breast cancer awareness focus, but watching your skin is also important as others have mentioned. It doesn't have the focus it should, and as said can be just as deadly--and often strike/complete its process more quickly.

You guys started talking about this and then today, CAZ says...

We just found out that Kyle, who is in SE OR hunting till tomorrow, has malignant melanoma. He had a suspicious looking mole on his head just above his left ear. The doc just removed the growth last week.

As you are probably aware, melanoma on the head or neck greatly increases the danger of the cancer. The lab report stated it was at "Clark's Level IV" which appears to be advanced (invasion into the reticular dermis).

We will appreciate your prayers as you may have guessed.

[gundownunder]

My missus has to make another appointment at the breast clinic. Still not sure what the problem is, but fortunately cancer has been ruled out.
I really feel for some of the people I see in the clinic, the devastated look on their faces says it all.

Lady Joyce decided to refrain from creating a stir and ruckus
in the forum this year and not do a Ta-Ta picture of her own

[Old Ironsights]

In all seriousness...

My BROTHER-IN-LAW is a Breast Cancer Survivor.

If you EVER get a lump in your chest, or have a sore that won't quite heal right, or ANY of those sorts of weird things, GO GET A "MAN-O-Gram". I've even taken Inmates to go get one.

Really. Most Docs (and men in general) tend to pooh-pooh the idea of Male Breast Cancer, but my Wife's Brother is (fortunately) Living Proof of it. His PREVIOUS doc told him it would go away and heal on it's own and never even discussed the possibility of it being Breast Cancer. It almost got to his Lymph Nodes. Fortunately Chemo and Lumpectomy worked, but still...

Don't rule out the necessity of a "Man-o-gram".

[AJMD429]

Some 'tips' I think are good for getting the most out of your health care:

• get a primary care physician who you are comfortable with, not just one picked by your insurer
  physician should be someone you can talk to, and they listen, but not just a passive Rx-writer,
  and someone who explains so you can prioritize or select options yourself, vs. just tell you what to do
  preferably use the same physician for husb/wife so things stay simple - transportation, scheduling, messages, etc.
  wife can tag along with husband and keep him 'honest' or even take notes if alot is going on
  get in to see said physician annually for a 'complete physical' - not just a 'check up' or 'to refill meds'
  most doctors don't just spontnaneously do 'preventative care' exams when you're in for an earache!
  treat your body like you would an expensive, one-of-a-kind, vintage automobile - do preventative maintenance
  pick what you want to 'cut corners' on, but also pick important stuff you want to be sure you're on top of
  95% of your needs can be met with that one doctor, most likely, with anywhere from 1 to 4 trips per year
  to avoid being 'rushed', tell them ALL the things you'd like to address when you schedule, not after you're there
  just because insurance pays for something well doesn't mean it's a good idea
  just because insurance refuses to pay for something doesn't mean it's a bad idea
  a physician should treat YOU the same way they would want their own family member treated, not as a 'statistic',
  and should care more about your health than the profits of your insurer, or of any hospital (if any) which owns their practice
  don't avoid getting the best health care possible, just because they 'system' is so messed up and hard to navigate!

There ARE some really decent doctors out there, and they are mind-numbed from working 14-hour shifts on the assembly-line of insurance-dominated 'protocol' care. They are fatigued, bored (from not being allowed to think much), and usually a bit irritated by the 'system' on many levels. Sometimes the escape is to be 'distant', or not to focus on the patient-at-hand, but more on their 'productivity', but . . . when a 'real' patient comes in, one who doesn't just want whatever quick-fix is cheapest, but rather wants to really take care of him/her self . . . look at the physician's facial expression. All of a sudden you'll see a spark of interest, and the 'teacher' and 'healer' comes out of them.

It's probably like a weary gunsmith, tired of putting cheap scopes on guns that shouldn't even have scopes, for people who keep wasting money on the most powerful ammo when what they really need is some serious practice, yet you can't talk them into a few dollars' spent to repair a dangerously sloppy tang-safety. Then . . . someone with a fine old levergun comes in, who wants not to 'hotrod' it, or just put duct-tape on the cracked stock, but would like the stock repaired correctly, and askes whether it would be money better spent to lap the barrel, do a re-crown, or maybe just some action smoothing, and selects his ammo load on would be most consistent with that rifling twist.

If you can be a patient like the second gun-shop customer above, your 'body-smith' will help you have the most years possible to spend afield...

[cshold]

My missus has to make another appointment at the breast clinic. Still not sure what the problem is, but fortunately cancer has been ruled out.
I really feel for some of the people I see in the clinic, the devastated look on their faces says it all.

Lady Joyce decided to refrain from creating a stir and ruckus
in the forum this year and not do a Ta-Ta picture of her own

I agree Bob, the worst part is I didn't get to play photographer.
We all know how much I love to take and post pictures.

[Lady Joyce]

Some of these responses are just to funny

[piller]

Sometimes you deal with a serious subject with humor. Thanks for putting this thread up and thanks for the good medical advice.

[Bosco]

My wife intends to buy me a save the Ta Tas shirt.
I have relatives that are breast cancer survivors.

[AJMD429]

My wife intends to buy me a save the Ta Tas shirt.
I have relatives that are breast cancer survivors.

One of my patients now wears a shirt that says,

• Yes, these are fake;
  my real ones tried to kill me...!

Her sense of humor no doubt steeled her nerves during a potentially deadly battle; I'll never forget the look on her face when I was unable to conceal the look on my face as I stumbled across something not-right during a routine physical. We joked later that neither of could ever do well playing poker.

[Lady Joyce]

A fitting picture posted by my facebook friend Malinda.

[Old Savage]

Had a request to bump this for all the right reasons by a concerned citizen.