Survivors

It is certainly not too late to be tested. BRCA 1 and 2 testing can be done on DNA extracted for a blood sample or from a buccal swab. NCCN guidelines for who should be offered testing were updated in April 2011. Generally if the guidelines are followed, insurance will cover the testing.

Myriad will provide testing kits to a doctor's office to facilitate the sample being sent in. I'm not a doctor but I do know you CAN be tested even though you already had a mastectomy. The BRCA gene is tested using blood (not tissue sample). There are other things that can be determined only with tissue (ER/PR status of tumor) but BRCA only requires a blood draw and it can be done at any time on anyone.

AnneMarie

A survivorship care plan includes, includes a record of all treatment received. Upon discharge from treatment, patients and their primary provider should receive a written follow-up care plan that includes; ongoing health maintenance, screening intervals and periodic testing, signs of recurrence, physical and emotional effects of treatment, recommendations for health behaviors, information on genetic counseling and testing as appropriate, information on chemoprevention, referral to specific care providers, and list of cancer related resources.

Questions to ask:
- List of medications and treatments
- Detailed plan of follow-up care
- Risk of recurrence or secondary cancers
- How to maintain health
- Possibility of short-term and long term side effects
- Resources for potential employment and insurance discrimination
- List of support groups
- Who will be monitoring care

The importance of the survivorship care plan is to assure that all providers involved in care are communicating, and that the individual patient has the information and support needed for ongoing care.
A survivorship care plan includes, includes a record of all treatment received. Upon discharge from treatment, patients and their primary provider should receive a written follow-up care plan that includes; ongoing health maintenance, screening intervals and periodic testing, signs of recurrence, physical and emotional effects of treatment, recommendations for health behaviors, information on genetic counseling and testing as appropriate, information on chemoprevention, referral to specific care providers, and list of cancer related resources.

Questions to ask:
- List of medications and treatments
- Detailed plan of follow-up care
- Risk of recurrence or secondary cancers
- How to maintain health
- Possibility of short-term and long term side effects
- Resources for potential employment and insurance discrimination
- List of support groups
- Who will be monitoring care

The importance of the survivorship care plan is to assure that all providers involved in care are communicating, and that the individual patient has the information and support needed for ongoing care.

Hi there,

Sorry for the delay, I reached out to one of our professional career coaches for her recommendations:

• It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now: How to Create Your Second Life atAny Age by Barbara Sher

• Living the 7 Habits: The Courage to Change by Steven R.Covey

• I Don't Know What I want, But I Know It's Not This by Julie Jansen

• Coach Yourself to a New Career: 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life by Talane Miedaner

• Escape From Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams by Pamela Skillings

There is also a lot of chat about career changes/shifts on our career coaching center, http://www.cancerandcareers.org/career-coach

Good luck!

Rebecca

Rebecca Nellis
Director of Programs
Cancer and Careers
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay Great book!

Estrogen in natural food (unprocessed has been shown like ORGANIC soy) to occupy receptors like tamoxifen does. It is not our enemy at all.

Healthy foods are the natural ones - real fruit (organic when possible, unsprayed), vegetables,all COLORS. The colors indicate the broad variety of healthy phytochemicals (plant-substances our bodies need).

NO SODA or JUNK food, less fried foods or NONE. Lower amounts of salt. Try to avoid food coloring, artificial flavors and preservatives. Our bodies do not recognize that stuff as 'food'/'nutrition'.

REAL food as often as possible in small amounts at a time.

Wild fish is better than farmed (they feed those poor fish all sorts of crap), free-range animals if you eat them also better. Estrogen in natural food (unprocessed has been shown like ORGANIC soy) to occupy receptors like tamoxifen does. It is not our enemy at all.

Healthy foods are the natural ones - real fruit (organic when possible, unsprayed), vegetables,all COLORS. The colors indicate the broad variety of healthy phytochemicals (plant-substances our bodies need).

NO SODA or JUNK food, less fried foods or NONE. Lower amounts of salt. Try to avoid food coloring, artificial flavors and preservatives. Our bodies do not recognize that stuff as 'food'/'nutrition'.

REAL food as often as possible in small amounts at a time.

Wild fish is better than farmed (they feed those poor fish all sorts of crap), free-range animals if you eat them also better.

This question is actually a big part of what let me to specialize in working with folks affected by serious illness. Coping with a cancer diagnosis is a process that starts with the moment of diagnosis and can last long past treatment. I think that many family members and friends are dealing with two separate issues here:
1. They really don't understand what is happening. With some medical issues, once treatment is completed, then you're done. The issue is resolved, and life returns to "normal," even if "normal" is a little different than it used to be. When you have cancer, your body may be permanently changed by the treatment process (lymphodema is just one example of this). The fear of recurrence never entirely goes away. Neither your mind or your body return to their pre-cancer status.
2. They desperately want you to be better. This can be because they have been in a "high-alert" state during the time of your treatment, and they're exhausted. Compassion fatigue is a real phenomenon and it affects families and care communities as well as care professionals. It can also be that they want you to be "normal" and healthy in a pre-cancer way. If so, they may be going through their own grief process (which includes denial), and so they may be trying to "will" you there.
Sometimes understanding what is happening with your family and friends is really helpful, because it puts their actions in a context. But contextualizing their behavior is only one step. You still need to get the support you deserve. So here are a few thoughts on that.
1. It is absolutely normal to experience a lot of changes and challenges that last beyond the end of treatment. There may be some parts of your life that are permanently changed.
2. Our culture often expects people to "get over" grief (and surviving cancer includes several different kinds of grief) much faster than we actually do. It's not unusual to continue to feel scared, angry, frustrated, and lonely. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that those feelings are normal.
3. It helps to connect with others who have walked in your shoes. That may be through a local support group, through sites like this, through communities like the #bcsm Twitter chat, or through other online support groups.
4. If you're not getting what you need from support groups or online support, then consider reaching out to a therapist or pastor who can provide more in-depth support.
5. I know that I said this already, but your feelings are normal. Other people feel them too. Even if your family and friends can't provide the support you need, there are avenues to get that support.
I hope that was the information you needed. Please feel free to ask a follow-up question if you want more detailed information. This question is actually a big part of what let me to specialize in working with folks affected by serious illness. Coping with a cancer diagnosis is a process that starts with the moment of diagnosis and can last long past treatment. I think that many family members and friends are dealing with two separate issues here:
1. They really don't understand what is happening. With some medical issues, once treatment is completed, then you're done. The issue is resolved, and life returns to "normal," even if "normal" is a little different than it used to be. When you have cancer, your body may be permanently changed by the treatment process (lymphodema is just one example of this). The fear of recurrence never entirely goes away. Neither your mind or your body return to their pre-cancer status.
2. They desperately want you to be better. This can be because they have been in a "high-alert" state during the time of your treatment, and they're exhausted. Compassion fatigue is a real phenomenon and it affects families and care communities as well as care professionals. It can also be that they want you to be "normal" and healthy in a pre-cancer way. If so, they may be going through their own grief process (which includes denial), and so they may be trying to "will" you there.
Sometimes understanding what is happening with your family and friends is really helpful, because it puts their actions in a context. But contextualizing their behavior is only one step. You still need to get the support you deserve. So here are a few thoughts on that.
1. It is absolutely normal to experience a lot of changes and challenges that last beyond the end of treatment. There may be some parts of your life that are permanently changed.
2. Our culture often expects people to "get over" grief (and surviving cancer includes several different kinds of grief) much faster than we actually do. It's not unusual to continue to feel scared, angry, frustrated, and lonely. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that those feelings are normal.
3. It helps to connect with others who have walked in your shoes. That may be through a local support group, through sites like this, through communities like the #bcsm Twitter chat, or through other online support groups.
4. If you're not getting what you need from support groups or online support, then consider reaching out to a therapist or pastor who can provide more in-depth support.
5. I know that I said this already, but your feelings are normal. Other people feel them too. Even if your family and friends can't provide the support you need, there are avenues to get that support.
I hope that was the information you needed. Please feel free to ask a follow-up question if you want more detailed information.