Re: Radiation Tattoo Removal Options?

On Jul 24, 6:33*pm, Linda <lindascheim...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Jul 24, 6:51*pm, "Eva" <EvaDStructio...@NOverizon.net> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Linda" <lindascheim...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:197d8905-1122-406f-bf49-6ddfab986bd0@n33g2000pri.googlegroups.com....
>
> > Just out of speculation, suppose you had raised the religious
> > objection and refused the tatoos. There must be people who do that.
> > Then what? Are you denied the treatment? Seems to me like a straight
> > 1st amendment freedom of religion type refusal to me, a little more
> > than just the right to refuse medical treatment. Can't they find an
> > alternative like removable tatoos. I wouldn't want tatoos. Like you
> > it's ingrained, in my case from conservative Lutheran.
> > ---------------
> > When I began my radiation treatments, I was so sick that I was as closeto
> > death as I've ever been in my life. *I did in fact raise the religious
> > objection, and the doctor and technicians simply said no, you have to have
> > them, and before I could put up a fight (which essentially I was too weak to
> > do anyhow), boom, it was done. *If I took this to court it would be my word
> > against a doctor and three technicians.
> > Eva
>
> I can understand that. I've experienced similar pressure when I was
> fighting post-op hospital acquired pneumonia. Back then I was still
> married. I feel much more vulnerable now because there really is no
> logical person to choose to advocate for me. It makes me very
> defensive about healthcare. Someday I am likely to ignore symptoms for
> too long just out of aloneness, and that's likely to be the end game
> for me.
>
> Linda- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I don't want any breast cancer badges. I feel pretty sure this
experience will end up like my other bad memories. I won't want to
talk about it to anyone or think about it any more than I have to.
I'm glad my cervical cancer was cured 23 years ago, but I'm not
proud. I don't want any grim reminders that my efforts to rise above
the poisons inflicted on me as a child failed.

The tattoos are proof that despite some advances, our disease is still
treated with the sledgehammer and shotgun approach. What happened to
you, Eva, was downright cruelty. Temporary tattoos have been around a
long time, but no, doctors won't use them!

So sorry you have no one to advocate for you, Linda. I signed the
directive for my hubby, but since he loathes doctors and has no idea
how to deal with them, it's uncertain how capable he'd be.

Five radiation visits down, 20 to go.

Les

I don't want any breast cancer badges. I feel pretty sure this
experience will end up like my other bad memories.

BINGO! les, you are the bomb. no pink ribbons, no yellow bracelets, no
shouting "I'm a survivor" (excuse me, what living person ISN't?), no
t-shirts or pink visors...

> I won't want to
talk about it to anyone or think about it any more than I have to.

exactly. not only that, people don't like to HEAR about it, they cringe and
wince and grow pale. they like to see me as this vibrant bouncy hale girl
and if I mention it (which I only rarely have) they act as if I have let
them down, LOL!

I'm glad my cervical cancer was cured 23 years ago, but I'm not
proud.

BINGO! I don't want to be congratulated. It's just like any life challenge;
you deal with it as best you can, but it doesn't elevate you. It's like
people congratulating prisoners of war; yes, the survived and yes they
endured grim things, but what choice did they have? Suicide is rarely an
option in that type of situation.

>
The tattoos are proof that despite some advances,

I didn't even know about radiation tattoos. yikes. actual ink is used?

our disease is still
treated with the sledgehammer and shotgun approach. What happened to
you, Eva, was downright cruelty. Temporary tattoos have been around a
long time, but no, doctors won't use them!

why the hell not?

So sorry you have no one to advocate for you, Linda. I signed the
directive for my hubby, but since he loathes doctors and has no idea
how to deal with them, it's uncertain how capable he'd be.

I put my sister down. she lives 800 miles away but she's a surgeon and
shares my views about "heroic measures" and organ donation (yes)....my best
friend of 23 years would be totally useless. I'd rather have a stranger make
my decisions! ;-)

yes, I miss having my lifelong partner, but, it is what it is....

Five radiation visits down, 20 to go.

this is SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!

Les

On Jul 25, 3:20*pm, "fortunata" <pacif...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't want any breast cancer badges. *I feel pretty sure this
> experience will end up like my other bad memories.
>
> BINGO! les, you are the bomb. no pink ribbons, no yellow bracelets, no
> shouting "I'm a survivor" (excuse me, what living person ISN't?), no
> t-shirts or pink visors...
>
> > I won't want to
>
> talk about it to anyone or think about it any more than I have to.
>
> exactly. not only that, people don't like to HEAR about it, they cringe and
> wince and grow pale. they like to see me as this vibrant bouncy hale girl
> and if I mention it (which I only rarely have) they act as if I have let
> them down, LOL!
>
> I'm glad my cervical cancer was cured 23 years ago, but I'm not
> proud.
>
> BINGO! I don't want to be congratulated. It's just like any life challenge;
> you deal with it as best you can, but it doesn't elevate you. It's like
> people congratulating prisoners of war; yes, the survived and yes they
> endured grim things, but what choice did they have? Suicide is rarely an
> option in that type of situation.
>
>
>
> The tattoos are proof that despite some advances,
>
> I didn't even know about radiation tattoos. yikes. *actual ink is used?
>
> *our disease is still
> treated with the sledgehammer and shotgun approach. *What happened to
> you, Eva, was downright cruelty. *Temporary tattoos have been around a
> long time, but no, doctors won't use them!
>
> why the hell not?
>
> So sorry you have no one to advocate for you, Linda. *I signed the
> directive for my hubby, but since he loathes doctors and has no idea
> how to deal with them, it's uncertain how capable he'd be.
>
> I put my sister down. she lives 800 miles away but she's a surgeon and
> shares my views about "heroic measures" and organ donation (yes)....my best
> friend of 23 years would be totally useless. I'd rather have a stranger make
> my decisions! *;-)
>
> yes, I miss having my lifelong partner, but, it is what it is....
>
> Five radiation visits down, 20 to go.
>
> this is SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!
>
> Les

Thanks so much for all that affirmation. It's true most people don't
want to hear the grim details of my cancer. They seem to feel some
misplaced duty to ask, though. It kills me when someone asks in this
perky voice, "How's your radiation going?" It's getting harder to
answer politely.

But I've noticed a few people who are morbidly curious. They're the
hardest ones to deal with. All in all, it's painful dealing with
other people right now. I have the excuse that my throat is raw from
our endless forest fires, which enables me to cut off phone
conversations. I still have lots of physical (nervous) energy, but am
running on empty mentally and emotionally. It is good coming here and
communing with others who have been through it, and Judy, who's going
through it at the same time.

Les

On Jul 26, 4:54*pm, sage hen <desertny...@cwo.com> wrote:
> On Jul 25, 3:20*pm, "fortunata" <pacif...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > I don't want any breast cancer badges. *I feel pretty sure this
> > experience will end up like my other bad memories.
>
> > BINGO! les, you are the bomb. no pink ribbons, no yellow bracelets, no
> > shouting "I'm a survivor" (excuse me, what living person ISN't?), no
> > t-shirts or pink visors...
>
> > > I won't want to
>
> > talk about it to anyone or think about it any more than I have to.
>
> > exactly. not only that, people don't like to HEAR about it, they cringeand
> > wince and grow pale. they like to see me as this vibrant bouncy hale girl
> > and if I mention it (which I only rarely have) they act as if I have let
> > them down, LOL!
>
> > I'm glad my cervical cancer was cured 23 years ago, but I'm not
> > proud.
>
> > BINGO! I don't want to be congratulated. It's just like any life challenge;
> > you deal with it as best you can, but it doesn't elevate you. It's like
> > people congratulating prisoners of war; yes, the survived and yes they
> > endured grim things, but what choice did they have? Suicide is rarely an
> > option in that type of situation.
>
> > The tattoos are proof that despite some advances,
>
> > I didn't even know about radiation tattoos. yikes. *actual ink is used?
>
> > *our disease is still
> > treated with the sledgehammer and shotgun approach. *What happened to
> > you, Eva, was downright cruelty. *Temporary tattoos have been around a
> > long time, but no, doctors won't use them!
>
> > why the hell not?
>
> > So sorry you have no one to advocate for you, Linda. *I signed the
> > directive for my hubby, but since he loathes doctors and has no idea
> > how to deal with them, it's uncertain how capable he'd be.
>
> > I put my sister down. she lives 800 miles away but she's a surgeon and
> > shares my views about "heroic measures" and organ donation (yes)....my best
> > friend of 23 years would be totally useless. I'd rather have a strangermake
> > my decisions! *;-)
>
> > yes, I miss having my lifelong partner, but, it is what it is....
>
> > Five radiation visits down, 20 to go.
>
> > this is SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!
>
> > Les
>
> Thanks so much for all that affirmation. *It's true most people don't
> want to hear the grim details of my cancer. *They seem to feel some
> misplaced duty to ask, though. *It kills me when someone asks in this
> perky voice, "How's your radiation going?" *It's getting harder to
> answer politely.
>
> But I've noticed a few people who are morbidly curious. *They're the
> hardest ones to deal with. *All in all, it's painful dealing with
> other people right now. *I have the excuse that my throat is raw from
> our endless forest fires, which enables me to cut off phone
> conversations. *I still have lots of physical (nervous) energy, but am
> running on empty mentally and emotionally. *It is good coming here and
> communing with others who have been through it, and Judy, who's going
> through it at the same time.
>
> Les
Les, I totally understand the need to not have it define you: a friend
was watching CSPAN2 and they interview authors of non fiction work and
Barbara Erienreich (?spelling) who wrote "Nickeled and Dimed" talked
about her breast cancer and the fact that she does not want it to be
the primary thing that people think defines her.
Hard to do when you're in the midst of treatment.
It's hard to want support and also just want this part of my life to
be over....
I did complain about the shoddy lymphedema clinic, and got an upset
call from my surgeon and reportedly they will change the entire
clinic. I sent articles of national standards and a log of the
horrible care I received....To the medical director.
For me, who has completed 22 out of 35 total (they have me getting 7
boosts due to scanty margins), the end can't come soon enough.
I did tell the surgeon I was second guessing my decision not to go
for external beam partial breast irradiation, and she told me that in
my case, it really wasn't a good idea.
I know Eva says she'll be a survivor when she dies of something
else. I just want to be someone whose life is not taken up with daily
breast cancer treatment and treatment for the side effects from the
breast cancer treatment....
August 13th can't come fast enough.
Hang in there Les, my "prison tatoos" are tiny, but I don't get the
need for the one low down on my side. I was just hoping they'd fade, I
work in a building with a dermatologist who does tatoo removal, and
she's good. If it bugs me, I'll talk to her. So far, it's just another
insult.
Judy

"judy.n" <judy.nudelman@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:79d3fb0c-0f91-4d18-8bdb-675b4d8236fd@2g2000hsn.googlegroups.com...

<snip>
Barbara Erienreich (?spelling) who wrote "Nickeled and Dimed" talked
about her breast cancer and the fact that she does not want it to be
the primary thing that people think defines her.
------------------
Ehrenreich.
------------------
<snip>
Hang in there Les, my "prison tatoos" are tiny, but I don't get the
need for the one low down on my side. I was just hoping they'd fade....
------------------
Unfortunately, they don't. I work in a nursing home and I see women in
their 80s and 90s who were treated 20-30 years ago, and the tattoos are
still very evident.

Eva