Sex After Breast Cancer

Disfiguring!

I applaud your article, it is an important subject. However, for women facing the prospect of Mastectomy your only description of disfiguring is upsetting. For woman who choose mastectomy in order to get as close to a cure of BC as possible there are many options that aren't as completely disfiguring as your link would lead them to believe. Plastic surgery can do amazing things today. There are amazing pictures of beautiful reconstructed breasts in several plastic surgeons portfolios. Speaking from experience my scars look nothing like the images in your link. For woman who opt not for reconstruction (such as a friend of mine) her scars don't look anything like the link you suggested either. She has lost her breasts, but is not "disfigured" in the medevil sense of the word.

The idea of returning to our pre-BC sexuality isn't easy. However, surgeons have come a long way in helping us to regain a strong sense of ourselves after. Whether that is through reconstructing the breast or leaving our breast less bodies still looking great.

Please don't scare woman away from something that can potentially save lives. Don't make those of us who have had mastectomies feel "disfigured".

Sex After Breast Cancer

Thank you for this article...we really need to also look at the partners who aren't supportive during breast cancer treatment, who have real issues finding something attractive about their partner without breasts. These struggles just verify to any woman who has had a mastectomy that they aren't sexual and sensual people anymore. Then of course we add to the fact there aren't sexy nighties made for mastectomy survivors (not to hold a prothesis but to feel silkie against ones skin). I got so tired of apologizing because I got cancer and wasn't "the woman I was before" not only to my husband but to other people who "felt sorry for my husband". I am working on no longer being in that place. The final piece of information that is not really shared with the non-cancer world is that some women can't have reconstruction work done and that even if they can they don't have feeling in their breasts and the reconstruction is so clothes fit the breasts can never be what you have lost.

Bone Dry - Sex and cancer treament in women - A poem From Cancer Lynx - In memorium

Lack of pre information of the effects of cancer treatments on loss of fertility, and the wider possible consequences of loss of sexual identity, and complete loss of sex drive is a common cry from young women.

In breast cancer patients young women were reported as the least satisfied group post treatment.

This is a real issue where treatment benefits are on the border line and a balance has to be struck between risk and quality of life.

Posts from women on breast cancer sites on the subject of loss of sex drive and sexual identity, as well as vaginal atrophy and related conditions are poignant. The posts suggest many women had no idea of post chemo sexual reality at the point of treatment.

This short poem is particularly poignant and recommended reading.

December 9, 2000

Bone Dry

Angela M. Sissons, PhD

In Memorium

August 5, 2005

BONE DRY

(please go to link to see poem)

http://www.cancerlynx.com/bonedry.html

Because I'm bonedry, bone dry, dry bones.

Great interview

Wow. This interview brings home the key message: women are their own best advocates when it comes to their health.

There is no other way for women to live the life they want unless they become educated about health topics that are little discussed by the medical profession and lightly discussed in the media.

Thanks for sharing.

Kelley Connors

KC Healthcare Communications

Worn out from chemo

For all of us who have had cancer, whether you are a woman or man, chemo wears you out! There is nothing more tiring, both mentally and physically, then having your body nuked by chemo, radiation, both, or invasive surgeries. I did not have breast cancer, nor am I a woman, but it is very hard to have sexual health when you have no red blood or white blood cell count. This is not just dealing with cancer, this is dealing with your body being destroyed with the goal of destroying your cancer. Learn the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells in your body. This will give you more energy for whatever you want to do, whether that be make love or go for a walk. I read a book called CANCER:Step Outside The Box, that i got from BulkHerbStore.com. It helped me understand cancer's connection to my body.

and yet there's so much more

It isn't just the lower libido and the dryness and the fear that a cancer patient spends a lot of energy keeping at bay....it's the weigh gain that makes us feel horrible about ourselves. Multiple factors contribute to weight gain: the steriods during chemo, the tamoxifen, and menopause symptoms, either because you are going through it or because they give you a shot that shuts down your ovaries and forces menopause - and the shot gives you another set of symptoms and side effects of weight gain etc. Most people that haven't experienced cancer first hand think that the patient looses weight because of chemo, but the days of vomiting and severe weight loss are gone for most of us.

One symptom of tamoxifen that isn't talked about alot is joint stiffness and muscle pain. It's completely debilitating. So, after all this, sex really is last on the list. And, we get to feel guilty about that too.

loss of libido after Breast Ca

As a former Mammographer and now breast cancer and ovarian cancer survivor I am pleased to see the personal issue of needing conversation of sex health approached.

I was so grateful to an Oncologist from Stanford who broached this subject years ago at a Breast Conference in Century City.

He prompted physicians to pay attention to this part of a woman's life.

In the process I was able to get help with a tiny bit of Testosterone in pill form at that time. It was a definite welcome change. The subject is so sensitive for a woman to openly bring up with her physician, yet should not be. My surgeon made this comfortable to approach.

Sex After Breast Cancer

I commend you for tackling this subject and helping to increase awareness of these issues. I am familiar with the work of The Women's Sexual Health Foundation and Lisa Martinez's tireless efforts to educate women and doctors on sexual health and sexual medicine. The Foundation's website has tremendous resources for women and healthcare professionals, even a brochure on "how to talk to your healthcare professional about your sexual health" that can be downloaded and printed. The address is www.twshf.org. Let's keep this important conversation going so the next generation of women and docs aren't avoiding the tough talk and the difficult to ask questions.