Nancy Sokolowski - The Breast Cancer Companion: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

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The Breast Cancer Companion

A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

The Breast Cancer Companion

A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

Nancy Sokolowski, RN, OCN

Valerie Rossi

Acquisitions Editor: Noreen Henson

Cover Design: Aimee Davis

Compositor: Absolute Service, Inc.

Printer: Hamilton Printing

Visit our Web site at www.demosmedpub.com

2011 Nancy Sokolowski and Valerie Rossi. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a healthcare professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physicians independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own healthcare decisions.

The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sokolowski, Nancy.

The breast cancer companion : a guide for the newly diagnosed / Nancy Sokolowski, Valerie Rossi.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-932603-99-6 (alk. paper)

1. BreastCancerPopular works. I. Rossi, Valerie. II. Title.

RC280.B8S5854 2011

616.99449dc22

2010021184

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Contents

Nationally recognized as an expert in the treatment of breast cancer, Dr. Richard Zelkowitz, or Dr. Z as he is affectionately called by his patients, is the medical director for the Smilow Family Breast Health Center and former chief of hematology and oncology at Norwalk Hospital.

The diagnosisbreast cancercreates a feeling of crisis. You likely will be shocked. Your outlook on your health, your life, and your future may be shaken. This is all very normal.

How did this happen? The cause of breast cancer is mostly unknown. That does not help to know except to remove any possible guilty feelings you might have regarding your role in causing this cancer. The two major risk factors known are being a woman and getting older, and you have NO control over either. This loss of control introduces uncertainty. As time goes on, however, what will evolve out of uncertainty is personal growth, resilience, and strength as your priorities become clearer.

People often ask me how to choose the best medical team. You are about to enter a collaborative relationship with all members of the team that will be treating you. Most decisions will be made in conjunction with your doctors. Know that there is often more than one alternative that is appropriate for a given patient. For instance, you will be offered surgical options once the biopsy results are known. There are usually at least two choicesa lumpectomy followed by radiation or a mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction. The cure rate is the same for either.

Many factors will be considered in making this choice as well as the multitude of other decisions that will need to be made. Take your time. Gather all the data needed. Information from your medical team, Internet searches, books, organizations, friends, and family should be incorporated into your decision-making process. Once you have done that, your decisions will seem far easier. Trust your intuition; you will make the right choice.

Your relationship with your doctors is vital to your healing process. Although you need to be your own personal advocate, it is essential that a successful doctorpatient relationship be built on trust and communication. You must be comfortable sharing your fears and, more importantly, your questions with the doctors caring for you. This is not an area of compromise.

Patients also need some venue to air their concerns, whether that expression occurs with a doctor, nurse, other patient, or family and friends who are supportive. Writing in a journal, creative expression through art therapy or music therapy, or spiritual support can help with the evolution of your journey through this experience.

Physical and emotional healing is necessary for a complete recovery. Connecting with the correct healthcare team can offer enormous assistance with both. Knowledge provides some semblance of control when it appears there is none. Without concrete information, imaginations can be overactive causing fears that are unfounded.