Career Kick-Off & New Cancer Resources

Family, friends (& friends of friends)...

The last time I posted it was Spring and I was 3/4 of the way through my Dietetic Internship at NewYork-Presbyterian hospital. Now, it is Autumn, we are approaching Halloween, I have graduated from the internship almost two months ago and am preparing to sit for the exam that is the final hurdle before becoming a Registered Dietitian. So, it looks like it has been awhile - - so long that I managed to skip over an entire season.

I'm back now because I have some new resources I am adding to the site and I also want to share the latest updates. Since graduation I have been catching up on all the things that I neglected during the internship. Unfortunately, that included a couple doctor appointments I was slightly overdue for. I recently went in for a clinical exam and a breast ultrasound. I am happy to say that everything looks good.

While I was at the clinical exam I was killing time by reading magazines and came across a new resource to add to this site. 

Post Surgical Camisole that Does It All

Before each of my surgeries I went to support group meetings at the Young Survival Coalition and got advice from the ladies there about preparing for surgery. Everyone wanted to share their favorite items that helped them get through recovery at home. All of my favorites are listed in the right frame under "Useful Items, Gift Ideas, Book Recommendations" but I want to spotlight my absolute favorite item in today's post. 

Knit-a-Boob

This comes slightly too late for anyone to get involved this year but I still want to tell you guys about a relatively new breast cancer awareness event, in partnership with breastcancer.org, called Knit-a-Boob. Yesterday, Friday April 13, supporters gathered at Oak Knit Studio in Brooklyn, to knit "wearable prosthetic breasts for patients and survivors of breast cancer, who have lost their breasts to the disease." As I understand it, this was the second annual occurrence of this event. To learn more...

Knit-a-Boob Facebook Page

Oak Knit Studio Facebook Page 

Heads up

Just a heads up that I am working on separating my two blogs into two different accounts so that I can keep my nutrition writing separate from my cancer writing. If you notice any technical difficulties, have no fear, they will likely be corrected shortly. Love you all!

Evidence for avoiding soy after all? (In my case, anyway)

The results of a recent animal study suggest that "western women who started soy intake as adults, should stop if diagnosed with breast cancer" as Genistein (an estrogen-like compound in soy)  intake "in adult life which continues during tamoxifen treatment appears to make the tumors resistant to tamoxifen; However, if animals were fed genistein during childhood, and intake continues before and after tumors develop, the tumors are highly sensitive to the tamoxifen."  


In my case, I started eating soy as an adult, developed an estrogen-sensitive cancer and am now on Tamoxifen. So, it looks like, if I want to play it safe, I should consider avoiding soy. What will I dip my sushi in?


To read the full article, go here:

Medical News Today - Link Between Breast Cancer Resistance And Timing Of Soy Consumption

No surgery after all

So after changing my mind multiple times and having the surgical coordinator at my doctor's office take me off the operating schedule only to then ask her to put me back on, we finally decided once and for all that we would not proceed with the surgery to remove the thick tissue from my right breast. My pre-surgical mammogram came out all clear and our plastic surgeon agreed that the thickening is most likely scar tissue and will just return if we cut it out. Neither D nor I ever felt 100% comfortable doing the surgery so we have decided to skip it and just continue to follow my schedule of regular mammograms, MRIs, sonograms and doctor visits. I am much more comfortable with this plan. 


Meanwhile, I have a follow-up scheduled with my oncologist for next week. I recently spoke to her on the phone and told her about the ovarian cyst I had removed and how I was recently told that I have another, this time smaller (3 cm) cyst that we are keeping an eye on. I asked her if it is possible that the Tamoxifen is causing these cysts that I never before had a problem with. She said it is certainly not impossible as the drug is messing with my hormones. But how many more of these cysts I can look forward to? No one knows.

No more surgeries, please!

Has it really been nearly 3 months since my last post? Last time I wrote I talked about an MRI I had that found some suspicious looking thing in my right breast, followed by a sonogram, during which the suspicious looking thing seemed to have disappeared. Since that time, the radiology place sent me a letter stating that they compared my old and new scans and determined that whatever was there is nothing at all. But it doesn't end there. A few weeks ago I also had a regularly-scheduled follow-up appointment with my breast surgeon. During that appointment I mentioned to her that I had recently noticed some thick tissue on my right breast, directly under my implant scar. She agreed with me that the thickening was likely scar tissue but went on to say that she does not like to keep anything suspicious in a person with a cancer history and felt we should cut it out. I scheduled a surgery for April 5. Now I have been having second thoughts about the surgery but the doctor doesn't recommend that we skip it and just keep a watchful eye on the thick tissue. So now, D and I are planning a visit with the doctor for Wednesday to discuss this surgery and whether or not to have it. I'll keep you posted!