My mom is about to be treated with radiation for her breast cancer. What can i do ... - Cancer: Breast Message Board

Abrie25 · 03-28-2008, 08:31 AM

to help this time pass by easier for her? I do not like the fact that she has to get this done as well as take a hormone pill which i have researched enough to know along with radiation, does more harm than good. She is 63 and sometimes i forget that when she fools me with her youthful outlook and demenour. None the less, she is that age and i worry for her health after all of these procedures. she had her surgery and it was a rather small set of lump removal. It hadn't spread much to the lymphnode area and now they want to do all of the preventative care and i feel like it's just going to do more harm than good. They are making her do it "just in case" they missed anything or there are cancerous cells lurking within her body. I'm just so sad for her, trying to keep an open, positive outlook, but feel so uncomfortable with the whole process. This is going to be an awful 6-7 weeks. I know people go through more and i feel for them, but she isn't young and didn't start out healthy to begin with. I am thankful that they canceled chemo out as part of her therapy, but still worry about her health from all this.

Any advice from people who have been there would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and i wish you all the best.

Graywren · 03-29-2008, 02:01 PM

I have recently been through chemo, radiation and am now taking a pill called Arimasan. Mine had not spread to the lymph nodes but the oncologist thought all that was necessary. Just be glad they are doing what they can to prevent it from spreading. These people are pros and know what they are doing. The treatment is difficult but we do what we have to do. Give your mother all the practical and moral support you can.

vallegrrl · 03-29-2008, 06:14 PM

I am 62 and have just finished radiation and started hormone therapy. I have adult kids.
It might be a good idea for you to just explain to your mother that you want very much to help but you just don't know how to do that- ask her what she would like. I am sure she will appreciate being asked. What she would like might be very different than what you think. She might not want to talk to you a lot about her treatment or how she feels because she might feel it would be a burden on you. I talked more to close friends, especially those who have been through breast cancer.
It has been very important to me to be able to do some of the things I normally do, like working, seeing grandchildren, going out to lunch with friends, etc. She might feel the same way.I was tired during radiation but did not feel sick, just had to pace myself. It was not nearly as bad as I had heard. As for the treatments, many of us are just grateful they are available- they weren't in our mothers and grandmothers day when breast cancer was a death sentence.