Breast Cancer: an obstacle of death
“Once before we went to sleep my husband reached to caress my missing breast- I felt him cringe and he slowly withdrew his hand, hoping I had not noticed. Having done so once, he never forgot again. I learn more slowly. Whenever I run up the stairs my hands instinctively fly toward my chest- forgetting, after all this time, there is no need to steady breasts that lie on the cutting room floor.” This is the life of a breast cancer survivor, Lois Tschetter Hjelmstad, she wrote this poem entitled “Force of Habit” in March of 1993. (Eikenberry 78) Breast Cancer, the number two leading cause of death among women, takes over 44,000 American women’s lives alone, each year. Another quote by Christina Middlebrook explains more of the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer in her story, “Sailing“, “Cancer will kill me. It will sneak up on me, make microscopic but lethal invasions into tiny parts of my body without my even knowing it. And as it happens, I will be looking healthy.” (Eikenberry 153) Many times women feel perplexed when they are informed of their breast cancer, because it may not effect them at the time it entered their body, it usually takes much longer before the
It is important for all, but especially recovering cancer patients to keep up with diet, exercise, and vitamins. Directions to dieting are to reduce fat intake by twenty percent or less of the daily caloric intake, increase the percentage of complex carbohydrates, eat as many organically grown meats, vegetables, fruits, and grains as possible, and to eat lots of soy-based protein. It is also very important to avoid caffeine and alcohol. (Link 114) Vitamin C plus bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, germanium, calcium, and magnesium are all vitamins and vitamin supplements recommended for a healthy recovery along with various herbs. (Link 122) produce milk for offspring. Within the breast there are many components. One is the nipple which is in the center of the breast and changes during pregnancy and lactation becoming larger and darker in color. (Hirshaut and Pressman 30) Another section is the areola or pigmented skin around the nipple. There are also sacs lined with cells that can produce milk called acini. They cluster together to form lobules which empty into ducts that can carry milk to the nipple. These groups of lobules that empty into one duct are called a lobe. (Hirshaut and Pressman 30) Then of course, fat cushions these organs. Arteries, veins, and capillaries keep blood flowing to these organs, and lymphatics which drain lymph into the bloodstream are present as well. (Hirshaut and Pressman 32) However there is a very small amount of lymph nodes found in the actual breast itself, most that service breast cancer are found in and around the armpit. Cancer is not just one disease, it can appear in any part of the body and can take many forms, all however, involve the abnormal multiplication and spread of cells in the body which result in a tumor. (Hirshaut and Pressman 33) There are benign and malignant tumors, malignant being most serious, and also several types of breast cancer. “You’re to young, I found a lump at age 26, You have no family history, so, The mammogram was fine, are you sure, Come back in 10 years, I’d be dead, It must be a cyst, I don’t think so, Let’s wait, what for, You have advanced breast cancer, but I’m only 27, All your nodes are positive, Positive for what, Your hair will grow back, that’s not the point, You are incurable, as in romantic, You didn’t have risk factors, Oops.” These are the comments Kelly Forsberg heard after she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at age 27. Her goal at the time was to live to thirty. (Eikenberry 36-37) There are many steps to a diagnosis. Usually
Some topics in this essay:
Austin Hitchcock,
Hirshaut Pressman,
Zimmerman D1,
Christina Middlebrook,
Ellen Goldsmith,
Zeigler Environmental,
Zeigler Aerobic,
Ann Gilchrist’s,
Obstacle Death,
Wendy Jordan,
breast cancer,
austin hitchcock,
hirshaut pressman,
hirshaut pressman 30,
lois tschetter hjelmstad,
pressman 30,
advanced breast,
cancer patients,
breast austin,
lumpectomy mastectomy,
lois tschetter,
breast austin hitchcock,
advanced breast cancer,
lobules empty,
american women’s lives,
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Approximate Word count = 1765
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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