P&PT for DH's coworker/friend......AND...Ways To Help.....

[newg]

So DH had a video conference this morning and after he got off the computer he tells me his coworker's wife had their baby two weeks early because they discovered breast cancer and need to start chemo.............

It was the size of a walnut and they removed the breast immediately after she gave birth.......she'll start chemo in about two weeks, to give her time to recover from the birth and the other proceedures.......

So now they have a newborn son and a 2yr. old daughter................so some P &PT would be greatly appreciated for them!

Oh, she's only 29.....so please do your monthly self-check ladies!!!!!
Thank you!

**** I'd like to help in some way.............they live over 2hrs away, so I was thinking DH's team could put together some gift cards to help them out.......maybe one to Diapers.com to help take care of diaper and formula, and possibly some kind of home delivery for meals.......
Any other ideas....??
Thanks!!!

[MamaMolly]

What a sad reminder of the importance of self checks! P&PT that she heals quickly and is able to enjoy her babymoon.

[BabyMine]

P & PT comming her way.

[writermama]

Sending P & PT and BBB mojo.

[Kitten007]

Sending P & PT. I need to remember those self checks.

[tylersmama]

Oh, wow, this hits SO close to home for me. See here (http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=331029). My good friend was diagnosed at the end of July, at 36 weeks pregnant. She was induced at 38 weeks, had the double mastectomy less than two weeks later, and is waiting for the ok from the surgeon to start chemo. She has a newborn and an almost 4 y.o.

Sending lots and lots of p&pt for your friend's wife. :hug:

[alien_host]

Wow, my friend (also a young mom) also was just diagnosed with breast cancer. What a horrible disease! newg and tylersmama PT out to both of your friends.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Hoping for the best for them! My mom died when I was 5, after being sick for 2 years, so I will think VERY positive things for them!:cheerleader1:

[KrisM]

I'm so sorry. I hope it all turns out well and that she can get help with everything.

[Melbel]

Sending prayers and positive thoughts. What a challenge with a new baby!

[graciebellesmomma]

P&PT being sent!

I've heard that breast cancer in pregnant women is becoming more and more
common, due to a surge in estrogen. It seems to be an aggressive
estrogen fed cancer....so scary!

[tylersmama]

Some of the things we're doing for Amy...

A friend set up a Care Calendar so that people can sign up for meal delivery. We're delivering meals 3 nights a week. Once we have a chemo schedule, we're going to arrange for chemo buddies to take her to and hang out with her during chemo as well as babysitters as necessary if her mom and DH aren't available.

Another friend is organizing a team for Race for the Cure. Our local race is at the beginning of October, and Amy is hoping to do the 1 mile family walk with the team.

Arrange for a housecleaner or people to come in and help with housecleaning/laundry/etc.

Amy has 7 angels who are donating breastmilk for baby Ty. This may or may not be something that your friend's wife and family are comfortable with, but if they are, it would be a wonderful thing to help her organize. Amy was devastated about not being able to breastfeed, so she's incredibly relieved to be able to give her DS breastmilk, even if she still has to supplement formula.

Those are what I can think of off the top of my head right now. If I think of more, I'll post back...

[newg]

I love the idea of donating BM.....it makes me wish I was still nursing DD.......but we're more "work" friends than close family friends, so I'm not sure I would be comfortable having DH ask........
I'm going to keep pushing for DH's team to put something together to help the dad in taking care of a newborn, toddler and a fighting mommy.............

Does anybody know why breast cancer is becoming more common in pregnant ladies??!! That is really really scary........I always thought being pregnant and nursing were suppose to be good for you in the fight to keep breast cancer away..........

[Nooknookmom]

I love the idea of donating BM.....it makes me wish I was still nursing DD.......but we're more "work" friends than close family friends, so I'm not sure I would be comfortable having DH ask........
I'm going to keep pushing for DH's team to put something together to help the dad in taking care of a newborn, toddler and a fighting mommy.............

Does anybody know why breast cancer is becoming more common in pregnant ladies??!! That is really really scary........I always thought being pregnant and nursing were suppose to be good for you in the fight to keep breast cancer away..........

I can only imagine how scared she must be. TONS of P & PT going out to her & her family.

I thought the same thing, about bfing and BC. I found a lump back when DD2 was a few months old, couldn't have a Mamogram due to nursing and had to wait forever for the ultrasound. I swear I was up every night sobbing b/c I didn't want DD(s) to grow up w/ out a Momma (my Dad died when I was 2 so it hits close to home). Thankfully I was told it was a cyst and to watch it.

I found my lump doing a self exam while DD was eating (trying to decipher if I had a plugged duct or not). Keep checking everyone! More and more cases of very young women are popping up on the radar and it really freaks me out. Why so many??

[hardysmom]

I was dx's with breast cancer when my twins were 3 and DS was 7.

I am sorry your friend is going through all this. It sucks.

That said, treatment isn't as bad as one would imagine and having young kids is a huge boost. You have to keep going. With babies at home, you can't have much of a pity party. Things will be so crazy and chaotic that treatment will be over before she knows it.

It is hard to help at first because when you are first dx'd you feel fine. The treatment makes you sick. For now, I would treat her like a good friend who had a baby and do everything you can to make these short weeks as special as possible.

Don't focus on the cancer, focus on the baby.

When she has surgery/chemo she'll have a better idea of her schedule, but still won't know what she is going to need.

The most common chemo protocol right now is a IV cocktail administered every 2 weeks for 4 months. She'll lose her hair between day 15-21. For the most part, you feel like you have a bad flu for the 3-4 days after a treatment, then get better for the next couple of weeks until you feel almost well. Then, it is time to go again. The effects are cumulative so you feel worse each time, the fatigue lasts longer, etc.

For work friends, I would say the most helpful thing would be to bring/provide meals. I did great during chemo, but by the end of the day I was way too worn out to prepare dinner and feed the kids. The meals that people delivered were a godsend.

I liked things I could freeze (or that would keep a few days) since there was often some overlap among helpful friends.

Stephanie

[hardysmom]

Does anybody know why breast cancer is becoming more common in pregnant ladies??!!

I don't think it is necessarily more common, just that it is detected more often. Also, people are having babies later.

Many (but not most!) people who are diagnosed before 40 have a genetic mutation which heightens risk.

A tumor doesn't develop in the 9 months one is pregnant, however aggressive. Someone who finds a lump during pregnancy had cancer BEFORE getting pregnant. The additional hormones may have made it grow faster and become palpable, but it was there before.

If she had not become pregnant, she may not of found it for a couple more years, but it would have turned up eventually.

My doctors say my 1.9 cm tumor probably took 3-5 years to grow from pre-cancerous DCIS. During that time, I nursed 3 kids and gave birth to twins. I had no family history. I was a vegetarian who worked out several times a week and was the picture of health.

Stephanie

[hardysmom]

P&PT being sent!

I've heard that breast cancer in pregnant women is becoming more and more
common, due to a surge in estrogen. It seems to be an aggressive
estrogen fed cancer....so scary!

Most breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive, meaning that they are fueled by hormones. It doesn't mean they are more aggressive. In fact, it is "good" to be estrogen positive because it opens up more treatment options.

There is a lot of talk about increases in incidence because of environmental estrogen in plastic, meat, processed foods, etc...

I don't know that there is clear data showing causation, though there are plenty of activists who strongly believe that there is a connection.

Most physicians say that the increase in diagnosis is because of earlier/better detection. That said, only 5% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women under 40 so we aren't a well studied cohort.

Many believe that breast cancer in young women is essentially a different disease, but there aren't enough of us to make research easy (or lucrative). Almost all of our current data is based on studies of post-menopausal women.

All cancers in young women (not just hormone positive cancer) tend to be more aggressive, possibly because our young healthy bodies provides a nourishing environment for "rapidly dividing cells" to rapidly divide.

Stephanie

[MontrealMum]

I don't have any specific suggestions besides bringing meals, just wanted to send you and your friend's family some (((hugs))) :hug: