Today, we met with Dr. P, the Radiologist. He brought his Nursing Assistant with him. He sat us down and drew me the same picture as the surgeon, only a little more detailed.
This doctor was also a bit more thorough. As he wrote everything out on a full sheet of paper, he then added my medical sticker at the top of the page, and then made a copy for his file. I got to take home the original.
He explained that DCIS is contained inside the ducts.
His recommended treatment: 1) Mastectomy and full reconstruction; or 2) Lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation. He wrote that if I have the lumpectomy alone, there would be a 20% chance that the cancer would recur. If I included the radiation, the chance of it coming back was less than 5%.
He wrote that with radiation therapy, they would mark tattoos over my breast, and treat just that area. My treatments would be 20 minutes each, Monday through Friday, times 6 weeks, so we would be done after 30 treatments.
He concluded with the side effects. He wrote 1) Fatigue and 2) Skin reaction, similar to sunburn.
Hmmmmm. Really?
Is cancer caused by a deficiency of chemotherapy or radiation? No. Cancer is systemic, not localized. I developed breast cancer, but it was not caused by having too many breasts. Cutting the breast off doesn't solve the problem, because ALL the factors that allowed the cancer to develop initially would still be in my body.
I know a little about radiation, unfortunately. Family, close friends. So, I've learned that radiation can cause cancer. It can also cause cancer to spread. It will kill healthy cells along with the mutant cancer cells. It will destroy your immune system. Some people who have radiation and/or chemotherapy end up with other problems AFTER the treatments. Does the medical profession do anything to help you combat these issues? Very few medical doctors will give you help in that direction.
So I shared my thoughts with the doctor. His responses were standard, medical practice. "Yes, radiation does destroy healthy cells, but it tends to kill the cells that are fastest growing or the fast-dividing cells. Therefore it will kill MORE cancer cells than normal cells."
Okay, so I asked him, "how many cells can I afford to lose?" I don't think he understood the question, because he never gave me an answer to that.
Here's what I know.
Radiation causes cancer. "I don't have a history of breast cancer in my family," I said. Again with the statistic... "Well, 90% of women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history." he said.
So I asked him, "You suggest six weeks of radiation. But we know radiation causes additional problems. As a matter of fact, can you prove to me that the radiation in the mammograms hasn't caused this problem?" His response, statistically, was "the percentage of radiation used in mammography is so small, it would probably not cause the cancer."
Really? How much is too much?
Let's put it this way. I'm 50, and I had my first mammogram. Damn, that hurt. Smashing my breasts into a vice. Radiate. Oh, this picture is fuzzy, let's try that again. Radiate, radiate. Done. Next breast. Radiate, radiate, radiate. "Thank you - see you in a year!" I'm 51, squeezing them into that vice again, radiate, radiate, radiate. "Thank you - see you in a year!" So now I'm 52, same thing. Radiate, radiate. Done. Then 53. Hmmmm. We see a minor calcification. Please come back in 6 months. But not before we radiate, radiate, radiate! Six months later, it's "Yep, it's still there," radiate, "we'll need to see you again," radiate, "in another 6 months, radiate, radiate."
So my last visit six months ago went like this: They see the calcification, they want to focus on just that area, so they radiate just a small handful of the breast, about two inches all around. So cup your hand over your breast. And then, to get an even closer view, they radiate just the areola area. Radiate, radiate, radiate.
"Dr. P, can you tell me for certain that the mammogram isn't what caused this cancer...?" As his Nursing Assistant is shaking her head no, he's wholeheartedly denying that a mammogram could possibly cause cancer.
But you already told me that radiation can cause cancer, and can cause cancer to spread. So again, we're back to the percentages.
Let me give you a percentage. The medical doctor who reviewed my last mammogram told me, "When we see this type of calcification, eighty-five percent of women are reported to have no cancer." Well, I'm the 15%. Here's to you and your percentages...
It's not an exact science - none of this is.
I then asked if he suggested anything to help combat the effects of radiation, if I choose to take that route. "No, not really - just a good healthy diet."
Really? You know, there are natural detoxifiers out there. Once the radiation is in your body destroying the bad AND good cells, you need to help the excess radiation out of your body through detoxification. Chlorella is one of nature's best detoxifiers. It contains one of the highest concentrations of chlorophyl of any plant. It's high in vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and essential fatty acids. It's also a great immune system builder.
Do you know that six months ago, this doctor and his nursing assistant didn't even know what Chlorella was? But they know that the radiation they are giving their patients is causing havoc to their immune system, all the while destroying healthy cells.
We won't even talk about Chemotherapy. This is not on my "recommended treatment" list, but the same could apply to the effects of Chemo.
If you have, are or plan to have radiation or chemotherapy, please see your nutritionist or health food professional. I want to help you fight the damage that has been done, and prevent further damage. Something that the medical profession will most likely treat with prescription, more radiation or more chemotherapy.
Radiation. Not a big fan.
Later this week, we visit my General Practioner and meet Jenny, the thermal imaging specialist. Good stuff!
More to follow -
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