RYKERRULES

RYKER RULES ALASKA

Friday, December 28, 2012

If you have your health & love, you have everything!




It has been 16 months since mama was diagnosed with IBC.  She had her last chemo. treatment December 6th and is doing GREAT!  She has some lymphodema problems with swelling of her left arm due to the large numbers of nodes that were removed...but, she is cancer free and feeling good!  2013 is going to be a wonderful year   : )
  And hey, she wanted to point out all that hair!  Last year she was bald and now she has curly growing hair!  Women,.... shesh, they will never have hair like me!


We are going to re-post this for the folks out there who did not see it.  Think we will post it every year about this time.    Perhaps this information will save a life.
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This is information everyone should know about and so many don't.  Seems everyone I talked with at work or going about my daily activities knew nothing about IBC, Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
Inflammatory breast cancer is the rarest and most deadly of the breast cancers.  It strikes young women as often as older women, breastfeeding mothers as often as grandmothers, and women with and without a history of breast cancer in their family.  It does not always form a lump in the breast and did not in my case.  In fact I had had a mammogram in June that looked normal.  Instead, it forms in sheets and nests in the lymphatic system of the skin, appearing only after it clogs the lymph system with cancer, causing skin changes. Mine were very subtle, just a deeper pink crescent of skin about 2" by 5" that appeared suddenly and did not go away.  It did not itch or hurt, just pinker that the rest of my skin.
 Sometimes, the texture of the skin changes first, becoming tough, hard, or with little dimples like an orange peel.  Sometimes, it feels thick to the touch, or hot, or just … different.
 Luckily I headed to the Dr. in a timely manner and we diagnosed it early.
Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis, especially in nursing women.  The important thing to know is, if you are diagnosed with mastitis and it doesn’t clear up with 10 days of antibiotics, SOMETHING ELSE may be wrong.  Please, please go back to your health care professional and talk  again.  Ask for tests to rule out inflammatory breast cancer. Insist on further tests and a skin and/or core biopsy.  Because each week that you delay is a week that this cancer will grow and expand and be just that much harder to eradicate.
Survival rates for women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer are grim.  Only 25 to 50 percent of women will survive five years.  Believe it or not, this is a HUGE improvement over the survival statistics of just a few years ago — when only 1-2% could expect to be alive five years after diagnosis.  Even with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, 70% of women will suffer a recurrence. 
For more information, please visit:


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My doctors feel I have a much better outlook due to the face that I got diagnosed and treated early and then had such a favorable response to the treatment, (I think it was all those prayers).

So as we are about to enter a brave new year I want to thank all of you for reaching out with your love and support.  Each person has changed my life in some way through comments and photos, sharing the love they have for their pets, family and others. It has helped me heal, laugh and learn.  I look forward to the coming year of our blogging friendships!
~Sandy















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16 comments:

  1. That's wonderful news that your mama is cancer-free! May she remain that way for all the rest of her days!

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  2. Sandy, that is such incredible news and the article you wrote for the rest of us is much apreciated. I hoep you will still be taking Ryker back to the chemo sessions for the other people who are going in. I bet Ryker is the best part of their days.

    So great ful things are looking so good for you.

    Love
    Bert and My Vickie

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  3. What WONDERFUL news!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO. Thank you for sharing. Here's to a healthy, joyful and beautiful new year for you.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  4. Oh Sandy! What great news. Wishing you and handsome Ryker a happy, healthy New Year!

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  5. We are so happy for your mom, Ryker!!! Cancer-free, that is the most wonderful news!

    Thank you so much for sharing the info of IBF with all of us; it's important for all of us to know about it well and prevent ourselves from falling into this devil trap.

    We wish all of you a wonderful 2013 ahead and everyone stays healthy and happy!

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  6. Ah, wonderful news to end the year! Thanks for updating us Sandy, and wow, love the your new curly hair:)

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  7. Oh, Ryker...we had no idea about your momma! SO glad to hear her good news! She is beautiful and a real inspiration. I had never heard of IBC, and read it with great interest and will share with the women I know. Cancer is such a scary thing...your momma is so brave. My own mom is a breast cancer survivor for 17 years now. We will keep your mom in our thoughts and prayers for continual healing and strength. We wish you the most wonderful, healthy, happy New Year!

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  8. Sandy and Ryker! Thank-you for passing on the good information about IBC. I'm so, so glad that you're doing so well, Sandy! I look forward to our blogging-friendship continuing in 2013, and your good health to continue well beyond that!!

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  9. Sandy....
    2013 is going to be a wonderful year. Mmmm. I wholeheartedly concur!! ;op
    Wow. What frightening, and informative facts. Thank-you for sharing them. If memory serves me right, I think that February is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in America. That would also be a good time to share this information. ;)
    Love, Raelyn.... And Rose, my BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE "Mystery Dog"!!

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  10. I don't have enough words to say how happy I am to hear your news. I know how devastating IBC can be, and as a cancer survivor (kidney) myself, WHOO HOO!!

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  11. What great news! I am so happy to hear you are cancer free!! Thank you also for sharing the information about IBC - I have heard nothing of this and will pass the knowledge to all of my friends as well.

    Best of luck in 2013 and I will be here to follow your adventures! xo

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  12. I'm so happy o hear you and your mom kicked cancers butt!!!

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  13. You look wonderful, Ryker's mom! 2013 is going to be a rockin' year, we can feel it in our bones!

    Wyatt and Stanzie

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  14. Couldn't be a better way to say bye bye to 2012 and Howdy! to 2013! Cancer free and happy! Yay! :D

    Hugs and Wags,
    Roo and Mom

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  15. What a perfect way to close 2012! Thanks for the update. Your mom's beautiful smile says it all.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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Ryker is wiggling to hear your comments!

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