“Don’t quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion!” Muhammad Ali
October is breast cancer awareness month but for those of us who live with Parkinson’s disease in our lives it is always PD awareness month!
But, today I would like to start a new campaign in support of all my Parkinson sisters around the globe who also have had the misfortune of being diagnosed with breast cancer while living with PD. I just spoke to a few young women the other day who are currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer while battling their PD symptoms. Take it from someone who has had the pleasure of having recurrent melanomas and thyroid cancer (increased risk in PD as well) in the midst of PD to sympathize with your plight! Although, technically not the same. However, the anxiety, worry, uncertainty, and initial apprehension are all the same especially when someone with poor bedside manner calls you after a long period of time after tests, which being in the medical field would only indicate everything was okay, only to be told over the phone test are abnormal and you have 6 months to live!
The stress of having to have multiple doctors visits, possible surgery, followed by chemo, or radiation or both can send your PD symptoms into overdrive! Even if you had no PD any normal person would be spent. The mental anguish of perhaps having a mastectomy weather unilateral or bilateral can be equally heart wrenching. Here you were perhaps never paying a single thought to those mounds of tissue hanging from your chest and might have even complained about them a time or two about the size or shape etc. But, as soon as someone threatens to remove one it suddenly becomes a personal affront on our femininity. Although, we cant rationalize the sudden attachment to these so called breast, we truly grieve for their loss. We suddenly may feel less than we were or less worthy and we feel shame and guilt for thinking such superficial and inconsequential thoughts after all removal may mean saving our lives – yet we grieve. These feelings usually are magnified in the presence of our already debilitating PD illness. So beware. Do not make any decisions when you are depressed- it leads to poor judgment.
I say grieve if you must. It is absolutely normal to feel the loss of something so feminine as your breast. But, don’t dwell on it. you are still you. your beauty comes from within. your spouse or partner will still love you for who you are. you must first love yourself. Talk to your doctor, a counselor, a friend, even throw a party for the loss and celebrate new beginnings- increase medications for depression before undergoing treatment. Put your affairs in order. this will give you added peace of mind and give you some control over your life. Talk to your physician about increasing dopamine medications temporarily to handle the stress of surgery, chemo, radiation etc.
Then concentrate on getting better. Fill yourself with positivity and love. Meditate and fight as if your life depended on it because it does and others are looking up to you! Remember you are strong. You have within you the seed of greatness!
Early Detection is always the key to best outcome with any cancer-especially breast!!
Because unfortunately we women with PD have an increased risk of breast cancer particularly those with the LRRK2 gene we need to always be vigilant. Discuss with your physician this risk so that you can have appropriate follow up especially if already family history of breast cancer.
- Do routine self -exams-best to do in the shower!
- Exercise & maintain a healthy weight
- Breastfeed if possible (decreases risk of breast cancer- too late for me!)
- Limit alcohol intake which will also aid with your PD symptoms
- Limit menopausal hormone replacement (still controversial- talk to your neurologist/MDS- some studies have shown reduction of PD risk after intake-not going to change if you already have PD) [Parkinson’s Diva]
GO PINK & THINK BIG- I KNOW YOU ARE BIGGER & STRONGER THAN EITHER DISEASE!!!
Sources:
Parkinson's Diva 