Interview Questions
I chose to interview my grandmother Jane Albert because she is a breast cancer survivor and I really look up to her.
1) What was your initial reaction/feeling when you were first diagnosed?
"You don't want to believe it at first. I think there was terror, panic, fear, and I sort of knew in my gut that I had cancer. I was at stage two lobular cancer."
2) what was you husband's initial reaction/feeling when you were diagnosed?
"Papa was very concerned about my well-being and I think he feared being left alone if my cancer took a turn for the worst. But he was very supportive and the cancer didn't change his feelings towards me at all"
3) How did you deal with the stress of chemotherapy?
"I felt I had a plus dealing with the chemo because I went through it with Papa before hand. I felt like I was on the outside looking in, waiting for an answer. I also felt nauseated and tired a lot."
4) What was the toughest part of dealing with cancer?
"I think the toughest part is never really knowing if it's all gone. cancer is a very sneaky disease and i had to come to terms with whatever happens, happens."
5) How has being a cancer survivor changed your life?
"You learn to take one day at a time and it puts your life into perspective. It helps you realize what's really important to you and what or who you care about."
6) Is there any family history of cancer?
"Yes but not breast cancer, I was a first."
7) Did or has anyone change(d) the way they treat(ed) you since your diagnoses?
"Not that I'm aware of...we were definitely a lot freer with hugs and if my friends knew they would hover trying to help."
8) How did you feel after your first round of chemo treatment?
"Uh wow...there weren't a lot of side-effects, I was very fortunate. I found though, that people who have had chemo, tend to keep talking about it, that's called 'chemo-brain'"
9) Did you have a hard time deciding to get the double mastectomy?
"Absolutely not. Once the nurse told me what type of cancer I had, I knew I had to have both breasts removed. I basically said 'here! Take 'em!'"
10) Do you feel like less of a woman or fell less feminine since your double mastectomy?
"you know, if I wanted to sit back and feel sorry for myself, then yes but those days are few and far between. The way I pictured it, I had two options: loose the breasts or die."
11) Did you ever just want to give up the fight? If yes, what kept you going?
"Yeah, I did but the things that kept me going were You and Shayna. I wanted to see you guys grow-up, graduate and become mature young women. I decided that cancer wasn't going to beat me, I was going to beat it!"
12) How long, If it is, has it been in recession?
"I am happy to say it's been five years."
13) Were there any kind of support groups?
"Yes. There was one support group I went to before my surgery and there were quite a few afterwards. Some stories were just so sad, I had a hard time going back."
14) Who helped you get through the tough parts the most?
"I would have to say my mentor Pam. She helped me understand what was going to happen during my war with cancer."
15) Were there any activities you did to get your mind off the chemo and cancer?
"You know what we actually sold our house, started packing to move, my mother got sick and passed away. About a year later, I almost hit a sort of depression because all those emotions hit me all at once."
16) How did you deal with loosing your hair?
"At first, I don't know why, I really hated everyone seeing it. then towards the end showers were great! No hair to wash! Ha ha ha. i really worried though that I had scared you and your sister the first time you came over and I didn't have anything on my head! But then you guys called my and told me that it didn't bother you at all and that...boy...that was just...awesome."
17) How long were you in the hospital?
"I was actually in one morning, out the next! However, that was my first experience with a surgery that was that intense. I'd had my feet operated on but nothing like this...whoa...that was a trip to remember."
18) What was the procedure for your double mastectomy?
"The doctor was very good. she just said that the breasts would be removed and I would have stitches, not staples an no serious discomfort. Though when the nerves started coming back, anything that touched my chest felt like little bugs crawling under my skin."
19) Were there any significant side-effects after your final chemo treatment besides hair loss and your double mastectomy?
"Not really, I did get some nasty sores inside my mouth and i also had no taste at all! but that was at the end and temporary. I did have a reaction to the medication during chemo though. I thought i was having a heart-attack!"
20) Do you view yourself as a stronger, more empowered person now, after surviving breast cancer?
"Yes. There is always this feeling of 'I can do it! I beat cancer!' I did think about reconstructive surgery but I decided I didn't need it. It was a painful process and you can't just get it and 'BOOM' it's done. They insert a plastic pouch and saline to stretch the skin and they do that until your skin is stretchy enough to get an implant.
4/3/09
3/10/09
Cancer Poems
SLOW DANCE
(Anonymous author - Possibly written by a six year old girl with terminal cancer in a New York Hospital)
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Cancer is so limited that:
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
These are just 2 of the thousands of heart breaking, inspiring, tear jerking and all around unbelievable poems written by everyone from ages 6 to 92!!! Both of these poems really got me thinking about how I felt when my grandmother had cancer. I wish I could have told her how much I really loved her before she died but unfortunately, I didn't get that opportunity.
(Anonymous author - Possibly written by a six year old girl with terminal cancer in a New York Hospital)
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Cancer is so limited that:
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
These are just 2 of the thousands of heart breaking, inspiring, tear jerking and all around unbelievable poems written by everyone from ages 6 to 92!!! Both of these poems really got me thinking about how I felt when my grandmother had cancer. I wish I could have told her how much I really loved her before she died but unfortunately, I didn't get that opportunity.
2/25/09
Ideas on how to treat some cancer symptoms
There are many different symptoms of chemotherapy but in this article I found several ways to deal with those symptoms.
If you're experiencing anxiety, try hypnosis, massage, meditation and relaxation techniques.
If you're experiencing fatigue, try exercise, massage, relaxation techniques and yoga.
If you're experiencing nausea and/or vomiting, try acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis and music therapy.
If you're experiencing pain, try acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, hypnosis, meditation, massage and music therapy.
If you're experiencing sleep problems, try exercise, relaxation techniques, Tia chi and yoga.
Finally, if you're experiencing stress, try aromatherapy, exercise, hypnosis, massage, meditation, Tia chi and yoga.
Some treatments are truely worth trying out. Such treatments include, acupuncture, aromatherapy and biofeedback.
Acupuncture- A pratitioner inserts tiny needles into the skin at certain areas. It's shown that acupuncture may be efective in relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain in patients with cancer.
Aromatherapy- Uses fragrant oils to provide a calming sensation. Oils that have been infused with scents like lavender can be applied to the skin during massage therapy or the oils can be added to bath water. These oils can also be heated to release their scents in the air. Nausea, pain and stress can be relieved by this.
Biofeedback- An electronic device is used to monitor a specific body function such as muscle tension or heart rate. The device uses a flashing light or beeping sound as cues to tell you that your heart rate is slowing or your muscles are becoming more relaxed.
If you're experiencing anxiety, try hypnosis, massage, meditation and relaxation techniques.
If you're experiencing fatigue, try exercise, massage, relaxation techniques and yoga.
If you're experiencing nausea and/or vomiting, try acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis and music therapy.
If you're experiencing pain, try acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, hypnosis, meditation, massage and music therapy.
If you're experiencing sleep problems, try exercise, relaxation techniques, Tia chi and yoga.
Finally, if you're experiencing stress, try aromatherapy, exercise, hypnosis, massage, meditation, Tia chi and yoga.
Some treatments are truely worth trying out. Such treatments include, acupuncture, aromatherapy and biofeedback.
Acupuncture- A pratitioner inserts tiny needles into the skin at certain areas. It's shown that acupuncture may be efective in relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain in patients with cancer.
Aromatherapy- Uses fragrant oils to provide a calming sensation. Oils that have been infused with scents like lavender can be applied to the skin during massage therapy or the oils can be added to bath water. These oils can also be heated to release their scents in the air. Nausea, pain and stress can be relieved by this.
Biofeedback- An electronic device is used to monitor a specific body function such as muscle tension or heart rate. The device uses a flashing light or beeping sound as cues to tell you that your heart rate is slowing or your muscles are becoming more relaxed.
2/12/09
What Is Cancer? Response
I thought that this article was very informative and I thought that it had a lot of info on cancer and what cancer is and where it can be located. It also explained the different stages of cancer. This website was also very easy to read and understand. It didn't really have any long and crazy doctor words it explained what I needed to know in words I could understand.
What Is Cancer? Notes
Cancer is a disease in which the cells are unable to stop growing therefore, they grow uncontrollably causing masses called "tumors". Sometimes, tumors can become malignant which means that they are in an advanced stage of cancer so they are more deadly. That also means that they can be more complex to remove depending on where they are in the body. This disease can effect almost every part of the body including the vagina, (for women) and the testicles, (for men). you can even get cancer in your vocal cords!!! That's crazy!
2/5/09
Cancer facts response
I thought that this article/ website was incredibly useful in finding all the info I personally had questions about. Such as how different types of cancers are there? What are some of the most common symptoms? How is cancer diagnosed? Plus some interesting info about how people can "contract" cancer. whether it be by hereditary inheritance or some other way that I honestly don't know about. I found out that women have a higher chance of getting cancer because of their high levels of estrogen in their systems. I also found out that cancer cannot be passed on by kissing, sharing drinks, skin-to-skin contact or taking care of or being in the same facinity of an infected person. This website was extremely helpful! It had a BUNCH on cancer and how it's sometimes diagnosed and other useful info.
1/17/09
1/5/09
Katrina's Response
Wow taylor. I'm so sorry about your grandmother. I've never exerienced losing someone to Cancer. I know how hard it must have been hard knowing she was dying and not being able to do anything about it. As you know i've lost Matt Budrow and that was the hardest thing i have ever been through in my life, I can't imagine how hard it was for you. I hope you find out much more about this topic so you can see what was actually happening to your grandmother. Good luck on your topic. (:
Meggan's Response
I notice that you do not have any citations on your blog and will need to get some for your research. I also notice that you do not have any websites, books, or resourses for your topic. There are also no notes that have been taking with this topic. Since you do not have any notes taken or research I can not see if you have changed your text color from your notes to your five paragraph essay. Seeing that you do not have any of this work I can not critique your blog as I am ask to do by the teacher. I encourage you to step up to the plate and start your blogs as soon as possible!
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