My grandchildren and Sweet, my caregiver, some of the important people in my life. 

After my breast cancer, I have noticed almost daily some relevant news in the papers. I used to skip them previously.

Now I read about Vitamin D and breast cancer, and menopause drugs that are deemed unsafe for women after breast cancer. Hormonal therapy for menopause, linked to breast cancer and strokes, is now reported to increase the risk of death in women who develop lung cancer (re: Women’s Health Initiative). In the past two weeks I read about women who have had potentially erroneous breast cancer tests and are seeking retesting.

The waiting is agonizing for thousands while waiting for new tests. Just reading about botched results is enough to make anyone wonder if hers was accurate. Cancer alone is enough and we want to trust the doctors, the pathologists and the results without going for second or third opinions. We need the facts and the truth while the tests will be subject to outside verification if necessary.

Maybe newly diagnosed women will benefit and get accurate test results. It might be potentially life threatening to get false negative results for invasive cancer and go on without proper treatments while cancer advances.

My cancer was nine years ago. I wonder if the treatment was the best for me in light of my current health problems. I would like to hear what happens to other survivors after breast cancer is seemingly over. Most are surely doing well while each passing year without recurrence reinforces security. We want and need the treatments but I wonder what they do to our immune system and how we can protect ourselves.

I wish there was “a recovery treatment” after cancer to boost the immune system without pills and medications. There is no money in that but a small handout booklet would do in addition to follow-ups at the oncologist. Maybe it is just common sense: Eat good stuff with joy, exercise, enjoy life with passion and surround yourself with people who love you, get out and soak up the sunshine and rain and wind, smile and laugh more, be good to yourself every day, do things that give you pleasure, breathe deeply, read good books, listen to music, be grateful, reassess your life and change things you can and must, write your memoirs for family, don’t feel guilty, and other such things. An elderly friend in excellent health offered her simple common-sense tips: Avoid salt and sugar, avoid packaged foods, steam vegetables, eat fruit, eat some good protein, be happy, be positive and your cells will listen and follow. Write your own list of feel-good get-well stuff. No guarantees even then to avoid recurrence of cancer but it feels good to do at least something positive.

David Kessler, author of The End of Overeating, writes about combination of salt, sugar and fat releasing dopamine associated with the pleasure center. Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which brings emotional relief. Dopamine and opioids together activate every time a person is reminded about that particular food. The comfort foods of our childhood are never forgotten.

Maybe it is better to be happy and not worry and go on with gusto for life. Many years ago I read about a letter one woman found after her father had written just before dying of cancer at age 49. He wrote that he never smoked, never drank alcohol, always went to sleep early, always eat only healthy food... well, you get the picture. Then he wrote that had he known he will die at young age of cancer, he would have drank wine, smoked, traveled, eat whatever he liked, and enjoyed women and life. Maybe he worried too much? Maybe he indeed should have just enjoyed life. Nothing wrong in being healthy and yet enjoy life, especially then.

Send me your tips to get well again.