Table of Contents
COPING WITH BREAST CANCER
Most common cancers, by gender, 1999
BREAST CANCER STATISTICS
SELECTED CANCER STATISICS
“Life is what happens while you’re making other plans”
It is likely that you will be touched by cancer some day, if you have not already been touched by it.
COPING IS AN ONGOING PROCESS DURING ALL STAGES
DISCOVERY: How Are Tumors Found?
DISCOVERY: Action Needed
DISCOVERY: Personal Reactions & Reactions of Others
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSIS: A Mammogram
DIAGNOSIS: Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
DIAGNOSIS: Breast Cancer Terminology
Discovery
Initial Reactions
Diagnosis
Finding Doctors -1
Selecting a Medical Team
Finding Doctors -2
TREATMENT & RECOVERY Specific Decisions
Treatment Plan
Treatment and Recovery
Treatment and Recovery
COPING AREAS
Doing Research, Gaining Knowledge
Some Information Resources
Taking an active role in your medical treatment
Making life modifications, especially re: work
Getting Help and Support
Getting Help and Support
COPING: Getting Help -American Cancer Society Online
Taking control of your ATTITUDE
Taking control of your ATTITUDE
Some dimensions of controlling your attitude
Consciously build and reinforce your positive thinking
Don’t make your illness the only focus of your interactions
Be creative in dealing with problems
Do what is important to you re: body image
No wig on Xmas eve!
My first “wigless” sortie
Going without a wig on a regular basis
Stay around positive people and away from negative people
Set goals & try to achieve them, but it’s OK to let some go
Make room for humor and laughter
Sexuality Issues
Survivorship and Identity
Recurrence and End of Life Issues
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