Everyone Makes Mistakes

It is common practice for people to make mistakes. We all do it and yet we deem some professions infallible. Why is that? Why do we believe that someone might have some perfect record in which they were born with a score cared reading 100? Obviously this is an asinine idea that should be applied to all professions, including physicians.

When I was diagnosed in 2006 I was stage II, DCIS, ER Positive and BRAC2 positive. I had a lumpectomy with no clear margins. The suggested course of action was chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. My father, being a doctor, recommended that I get a second opinion on my pathology report due to the fact it was the “personality” of the cancer. I sent my samples off to one of the leading labs in the country.

I met with my oncologist to get my chemotherapy protocol and he had copies of both pathology reports. He told me that based on those reports I would require radiation. He sent me downstairs to meet with the radiologist. I had a consultation on what would be required. It included the number of weeks, the tattoo and the time. I was not looking forward to this process. When I was finished, I was off to the plastic surgeons office.

Sitting on the table in my plastic surgeon’s office donning the paper cape, I started calculating how much time this whole process was going to take. Sheesh, a minimum of a year. My plastic surgeon walks in, and proceeds to glance at my chart. He said, “Well I see here you don’t require radiation.” I was thinking to my self, WHAT? Obviously plastic surgeons need to know if you are going to need radiation to make appropriate surgical decisions. That’s right, my own oncologist misread the second opinion pathology report because it was different than what he was used to reading.

I could have received radiation even though it wasn’t indicated. After that experience, I questioned EVERYTHING. We are the only ones in charge of our bodies and yes the medical profession is fallible. Do the research, ask the questions and get second opinions…your future depends on it.

© 2013 Genae M. Girard Author of Off the Rack, Creator of www.BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com email: info@BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com

Telling Your Boss About Diagnosis

Recently I was giving an educational seminar to breast cancer patients about stress relief. After the seminar, there were a number of women standing in groups mingling about various topics. One of the women was discussing the fact that she was scared to tell her boss about her diagnosis because she was sure she would be fired. Being a business owner most of my life, I went up to her and made some suggestions. After every suggestion she had a negative response. After the suggestions, I realized she was exhibiting a victim mentality. Rather than problem solve, she complained.

Finding out you have a cancer diagnosis when you are employed can be a scary thing. There are some actions you can take to make a smooth transition through the process. If you look at it from the side of the employer, they may not understand cancer treatment. The word “cancer” may translate into fear of losing a great employee. There are a number of actions you can take when learning about your diagnosis. First, it is important talk to your doctor and find out exactly what your treatment protocol will be. Determine the time that will be required and the side effects of the treatments. Talk to your doctor about your work schedule and the possibility of treatment around that schedule.

 Once you have all of your information, create a detailed outline for your employer before you approach. This information will give the employer knowledge about what to expect and help you outline a plan. Some tips for approaching your employer include:

1)   A detailed plan about a work schedule

2)   Develop a possible work schedule from home (telecommuting)

3)   Clear Communication about what your intentions are regarding work

4)   Bring up possible contingency plans if you have down time

Note: Remember that it would cost an employer a good deal of money to hire and train someone that could do your job. There are clever ways to hint at that concept with out being too blatant. You are valuable and if you have a well thought out plan, they will respect you for that. 

A great resource for legal, financial and career plans is www.cancerandcareers.org

© 2013 Genae M. Girard Author of Off the Rack, Creator of www.BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com email: info@BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com

Teeny Weeny Paper Bikini

                                   

Here I am again. Behind a square set of curtains that remind me of the screens in the surgical room in the sitcom MASH. They provide enough privacy so that no one can visually see you, however you can hear every word being spoken. I can hear the woman in the pleated material draped barrier next to me talking to her husband about her upcoming nasal augmentation procedure. It isn’t a great thing to hear everyone’s thoughts and verbal fears because it raises your anxiety and the need to urinate.

 As I am sitting behind my sound penetrating curtain, I hear my surgeon’s voice talking to the nurses about the rotations for the day. My nerves spring as I equate that voice to the guy with the honed blade. There are odd comments that occur between surgeons and nurses. It’s not the usual chatter you would hear in a confined cubical farm. It is disturbing. I hear the nurse ask my surgeon, “Hey doc, are those new boots?” And he answers with, “well, my wife threw my other ones away because she said they probably had AIDS.” It took me a second to comprehend blood-splattered boots. My mind bent as I was thinking, what about shoe covers, why is blood on the floor and is this really going to be a sterile field during my surgery?

 Sitting on a table freezing my tookus off, wrapped in what feels like a cotton moo moo, the surgeon walks in with a surgical marker and T-square. Similar to high school wood shop, it brings new meaning to the term measure twice cut once. After I was all graffiti-ed up, a nurse proceeds to bring me a wrapped package and placed it on the uncomfortable surgical bed. These are the beds in which you know that you are about to meet the surgical room when the metal roll bars pop up on either side and you become mobile, which indicates its show time.

 One final blood pressure check and the nurse says, “put these on”, meaning the package lying on the bed. Let’s see, one pair of non-slip surgical socks, one surgical cap and…..wait what the Hell is this? I picked up what appeared to be a paper table napkin with rubber bands on either side of it. Yes, you guess it, surgical paper underwear. This item would not even fit a Barbie doll let alone me. I would be lucky to fit it over my foot. What deranged paper hospital design troll has decided that it is okay for us to sit on uncomfortable table paper that we stick to, have paper capes that look like a white boy scout vest and paper underwear that I can use as a Kleenex?   As breast cancer patients we exhibit so much bravery so why can’t we receive more dignity? 

  © Genae M. Girard 2013

Genae Girard is the creator of the breast cancer site www.BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com She is the author of the breast cancer book, “Off the Rack” and maintains over 22,000 breast cancer followers. Email her at: info@BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com

The Housewives of Breast Cancer County

You have seen them on television. There are the Real Housewives shows in Atlanta, Orange County, Beverly Hills, Miami, New York and New Jersey. They all have a number of traits in common; wealthy women with too much time on their hands gossiping, bullying and spending what amounts to the price of a car on frocks. These women look like the came out of a fairy tale, except the last time I checked fairy tales have a moral at the end.

Lets talk about the limousines. I haven’t seen that many limos and drivers since prom or the inaugural ball.  And what about the parties? They have a party if their dog sneezes or if one of them bought a new Prada purse. The rotation of men in their lives reminds me of the constant revolution of chemo and radiation we have endured. As the wine flows on these shows, the hair pulling, backstabbing and the need for more drama crescendos. In fact, they may have more wigs than we do collectively.

And lets not forget the plastic surgery. There is enough silicone on these shows to keep a plastic surgeon in business for years. Before these shows, I had no idea there were chin and lip implants. Perhaps they are a couple of surgeries away were there own mother wouldn’t recognize them. I will never forget being in my plastic surgeon’s office wondering, shouldn’t there be a front row for breast cancer patients where we at least get a free shot of Botox? Then the other women in the room gearing up for their elective reconstruction junction would recognize that cancer chose us.

What bothers me the most is the petty fighting amongst these women during the shows is sickening. When the chips are down, your girlfriends are the ones who are present. These shows set a bad example for all women. As these women are fighting to obtain Armani, we are engaged in a sisterhood of fighting for our lives. As we encourage each other to move forward it becomes obvious that there is a big difference between LIFE AND EXTRAVEGANCE and LIFE AND DEATH.

Genae Girard is the creator of the breast cancer site www.BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com She is the author of the breast cancer book, “Off the Rack” and maintains over 22,000 breast cancer followers. Email her at: info@BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com

"WISH"....Our Conversation Is Over

As I walked the aisle In Target, I saw a child with crossed arms wearing a school uniform. Her eyes wide as she perused the crayons, coloring books and zeroed on an art kit that could have been used to graffiti the entirety of New York City. Her eyes glazed over as she uttered, “I wish I had that.” Her mother was focusing on the mandatory school supply list required by the school designed to increase the sales quotas of any large retailer.  As I walked by I noticed the check off list she was gripping contained fifty plus items. Binder dividers (The kinds with pockets are good for loose papers.) Several three-ring binders (Some teachers require that a binder be used exclusively for their class.) Folders that fit in binders, a small notebook to record assignments, pencil case that fits in binders, red-ink pens (Some teachers have students do peer editing.) I thought back to my childhood where you showed up. A number 2 pencil, a notebook and a metal lunchbox with peanut butter and jelly would suffice.

As I grew older I remember getting on the “ Wish Train.” The most popular girl in school had Guess Jeans and I embarrassingly wore the handed down Tuff Skin pants inherited by my brother. Brother had generously deconstructed the knees, which isn’t supposed to be physically possible. The definition of “wish” includes: a desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific item. I remember Barbra Eden on “I Dream of Jeannie” could grant a wish by simply nodding her head. I tried nodding my head in an effort to get those “wished jeans”. I ended up biting my lip, and not seeing denim appear before me so I simply stopped trying that approach.

 I have been thinking about all of the THINGS I have “WISHED FOR” in my life.  As I wind down in my nightly ritual of bathing in the tube, I peer down and peruse the map of scars. I thought, I wished that I didn’t get breast cancer and proceeded to complete the Genie nod and nothing happened. As the tub water gently turns from hot to lukewarm I though I’m trading in the word “Wish” for “HOPE”.

 

Genae Girard is the creator of the breast cancer site www.BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com She is the author of the breast cancer book, “Off the Rack” and maintains over 22,000 breast cancer followers. Email her at: info@BeyondtheBoobieTrap.com