I am still a woman - Confessions of a twice cancer survivor - my journey by Nina Ann McCurley

Life is amazing. Being a mum is the most amazing and fulfilling experience. From the moment you fall pregnant you are in love with this amazing little person growing inside you. After 5 months you feel movement the excitement grows. I loved being pregnant some woman it just agrees with and that was me. You get given this small baby in your hands and the labour pain disappears and you are instantly in love. That bond is incredible. I have 3 sons, I am very proud of them, they are Nathan and he is 21. He is at university and graduates this year doing Bachelor of Science in information Technology. Damian is 20 today - Happy Birthday Damo he is a 3rd year apprentice in steel fabrication & Branden is doing year 12, he has not decided what he is doing yet. They are all different, each one of them very caring and considerate. After coming from 3 girls, its been wonderful to have boys....Not a day passes that I don't think how lucky I am to have them......

The date Unveiled, Still waiting to Confirm first book launch in Sydney Australia for April, looks like due to the school holidays and Easter will be end of April. Confirmation for Texas which is the international book launch and second book launch is September 29th  2012 Jim and myself are going to attend the: Komen North Texas Race for the Cure® - Denton September 29, 2012 TBD   September 29, 2012 Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.9 billion to fu...

How do you tell your children you have Cancer! What happens to them, as we know the media and people panic and why is it hard on children as well. To be honest we panic ourselves when we hear that word, so it effects those around you as well. Children sense when things are not ok. Before you even tell them. In a sense we protect them by not telling them the truth as it may hurt them. But really I had decided that I would protect them. Its ok everything will be ok. But that is ridiculous, I had 3 teenage boys, they are very smart. My youngest son Branden said, "mum please tell us. We will worry less if we know everything. If you hide things that will make us more afraid". Answer this - "Mum will you die?" You know I thought my heart might stop, when he asked me this. But you know this - this story is still being written the ending is yet to come!!!

Only the good die young! It's a statement that is the truth. I have lost a lot of friends over the years through death. I must say it is the hardest thing to say good bye to good friends, Cancer is a terrible disease. It has no mercy and it changes many lives in a second. I would like to tell you about my friend Norah Adams. She past away this week from pancreas cancer. She was a Pastor at Liberty Church Gosford, she has a wonderful family and they all touch many lives daily. Norah worked at Gosford Base hospital and helped me a great deal through my own battle. The start, 3 years ago Simone a great friend of mine took me to Liberty Church when I was diagnosed with my second cancer. She took me there every Sunday and Norah started to do a healing prayer for me. We became great friends and she became a really amazing support. Liberty Church is run by Kim and Tim Jones they are amazing and give food to the homeless and orphanages. While I had no income they provided some groce...

So Many Celebrities have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, the media show us that all the money in the world can not save you sometimes. We like to be made aware about the Celebrities. As it brings the reality home. But remembering as well that so many woman that are just normal woman, like me get Breast Cancer as well. But sadly we don't have the resources or the money that they do. Famous Breast Cancer Celebrities: Christina Applegate - Actress (pictured above) Kylie Minogue - Pop Queen Kate Jackson - Charlie's Angels Cynthia Nixon - Sex in the City Olivia Newton John - Singer/Actress Grease & Xanadu Sheryl Crow - Singer Nancy Reagan -  is the widow of former United   States President Ronal Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Edie Falco - Actress Elizabeth Edwards -  the estranged wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards Robin Roberts - Good Morning America Melissa Etheridge - Rocker...

Recreating the nipple areola is the final component to making your breast reconstruction complete. There have been numerous approaches to nipple reconstruction over the last 30 years, and with several options available, surgeons can utilize whichever method is most suitable for their patients. There is no one absolute best method of nipple reconstruction for all patients. Some patients are comfortable without having a nipple, and do not wish to have further surgery. Others choose the non-surgical option of tattooing without reconstruction. This allows color pigmentation to simulate the nipple areola without the contour of an actual nipple. Still, the reconstruction of the nipple areola helps to put the finishing touches on the new breast after a long journey in reconstruction. After optimal symmetry between the breasts has been achieved, the nipple areola reconstruction can be done. There are a number of factors that help determine which method of nipple reconstruction is right f...

Nipples, we all have them. They come in so many different shapes and sizes. They react to heat, cold and of course intimacy. Its a part of being a woman. It gives that sexy and enticing shape. What happens when you loose them in the surgery. Well now that is interesting!! Mastectomy and double mastectomy you end up with one or no nipples. Replacing nipples so many different ways. Most ladies have a new nipple's tattooed on so they end up with a round flat disc. They do this and it does not take long. Cosmetic tattooing is very clever. Surgery there are quiet a few different ways to replace nipples. A girlfriend grew her new nipples under her arms and they look great. They transplant them then as the nipple. They do this in Sydney and I guess all over the world, they can actually make them also. Nipple surgery costs between $3,700 to about $12,000 plus the cost of the tattooing and the hospital that only covers the surgeons fee. They used to take skin from in between your...

Vacuum-assisted biopsy is a new procedure that involves a biopsy being taken through a small incision in the skin. This procedure uses ultrasound or mammography projections to assist the surgeon in guiding the instrument into the area in need of biopsy. The vacuum-assisted biopsy allows the surgeon to remove several samples of the tissue with only one insertion of the vacuum and one very small incision in the patient's breast. If you are scheduled for a vacuum-assisted biopsy: The area of the breast being biopsied is cleaned, and a small amount of local anesthetic is injected into the breast in the area of the biopsy. The mammogram images or the use of an ultrasound enables the technician to place a breast probe in the necessary area. The vacuum brings the breast tissue through the opening of the probe into an area called the sampling chamber. Once the tissue is in the sampling chamber, the rotating mechanism is advanced and a tissue sample is captured. The sample is then carr...

Sickness in the house. Impacts everyone, animals are very sensitive and they are really smart. I set myself up a sick bay on the lounge with water, blankets pillows and anything that I needed to get through the day. We have 3 dogs and they seem to think that the sick bay was there's as well. So when I lay down to sleep or rest each of the dogs had there spot. When the boys came home from school they would laugh, as the dogs were my security. As I got well, they still expected me to lay down. Just like children they know something is wrong.....as they say man's best friend...

Body Images for woman have changed over the years. Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Lauren and Bridget Bardot were the sex symbols of the past. They looked unreal and were very sexy. They were a size 12 - 14. Where did that sexy go. Now the media states its skin and bones that look sexy. With over inflated lips, botox foreheads and fake ridiculous looking breasts. They kind of look like an alien. Pretty disgusting. but that is the fashion. The young girls are under pressure. I hate fake and I guess for me, breast cancer has made me now be a little plastic. I am proud to say the cancer patients look ok, considering what has taken place. I wanted to say that woman put all this pressure on woman. Men are unreal, they don't care I have found they are really supportive and understanding. I was a bit worried no one would want t take me out as my body has been put through surgery and scars missing pieces, then a women say. "What men still ask you out like that".........YES they do ...

The big C. Its a really hard thing to explain. Why me? There is no explanations, but sometimes people are resigned to thinking that you will die. When you tell them you have Cancer, they write you off, think you will die for sure. While they never said it to my face, on several occasions it has been bought to my attention. It shocks me as I never thought I would die as I don't think about it. But really we are all dying, that is a fact of life. A friend drank to much one night, went telling everyone I would die, she cried and got people believing it! I know everyone gets scared the battle affects everyone around you. But if you are supporting a friend with cancer at the moment, support them, be positive around them and don't cause a panic. Its scary enough without extra fear. Hold their hand, call them, text them. But believe in them...... As I always say to people only the good die young, I will be fine, not ready to go yet!  :-)

When your body goes through all the changes its a bit scary. For me my clothes were big. My boobs were gone and everything was hanging on me. Illusion is a great thing cause visually we can project beauty. Scars are frightening and they fade with time, the surgery lines are long and you wait such a long time. The path to recovery gets longer and longer. I think that there are some pretty amazing tricks us girls can do. Look at this bustier, rather sexy! You can't tell what's happening under all of that. You know what, with your clothes on its really hard to tell what's missing. Come on girls you can play this one. You are still sexy and you know it.....

What happens when you feel all of a sudden like you are a boy!!!! This is a really deep place I was an E cup natural breasted blonde. I had a great life. All of a sudden in a matter of months it seemed to all slip away. I am a bit of a princess lots of heels jewelry and girlie things. I looked in the mirror and to my horror stood a woman I no longer recognised. Who are you??? A boy I was looking going who is that in the mirror. There stood a rather sickly looking flat chested, black under eyes NO eyelashes NO eyebrows NO boobs and NO hair person. I felt rather ill, I looked awful and I wondered what the hell happened....... We are all different I have a lot of butch friends and I love that they are like that. But I am not and I hate seeing myself like that. I get up in the morning, I do my make up and I get dressed do my hair 100 different ways. Spray Perfume and wola there I am. Well I realised that you can still do that. On the days I felt well got all dulled up and it is amaz...

On my birthday I was getting dressed to go out. I found a pretty dress and picked out my wig (I had 3 all different) I was putting my make up on. Firstly my mascara was going on my skin, I kept trying and trying...dam!!! Nathan came into the bathroom I said why is my mascara going everywhere. He said mum your eyelashes are gone. Oh no. Then looking at myself, I thought how do I go out now, then realising also half my right eyebrow was gone. I know its hard to understand till you go through this yourself. All of a sudden I didn't want to go out. You know that feeling when you know its just all to hard. I rang my girlfriend Ann Taylor and said I can't come I am sorry but I lost my eyebrow, she said you must come...OK I remembered a conversation with a Transvestite she is very famous in the gaye world. Her name is Rubella and she is a friend of my friend's  Robert & Zu. She had given me some makeup tips. I drew on my eyebrow, as I did the rest of it fell out on the...

For me loosing my boobs was really traumatic! But loosing my hair seemed worse. It comes out suddenly, quickly and be careful as I never listened but its very quick, my good friend and hairdresser Robert from Robert on Macleay offered to cut it off for me. But one person said they never lost there hair so I hung onto that. Shave your head as the Chemo heats up your scalp. As it heated my head I was loosing hair on my pillow. So I decided to wear a red cap to catch the hair. Sadly this was a huge error. As on this morning I took the hat off and my hair was stuck and cooked to my head. I went in the car to visit my very good friend and confidante Marie Paterson who had to cut off clumps of my hair. Very upsetting day for both of us. I jumped on the train headed straight to see John my hairdresser. Ringing my also very precious friend Zu.  She collected me from the station in her convertible. It was a terrible windy day. I had my hat on holding to it for dear life. As we were...

On this trip I have made the most amazing friends. People just like me that love their lives and never thought they would be ill. The most amazing thing is that I think we think we are all bullet proof. Sadly we are not. I would like to say thank you to those who have lost the battle. I am a better person for knowing you all. Thank you for sharing the journey with me.

I am not really sure when I was supposed to go through Menopause. They say that its similar to your mother.  Mum was in her late 40's when she went through it. I was pushed into early menopause because I had the double mastectomy. Then the chemo seem to push me through then fairly quickly. I think my body must have been in shock as so many things happening to it. I only get one symptom, that is the hot flushes. Every time I think I am through them as I don't have them for a few months. They come back. They are really bad its like my pores turn into a tap...turned on full and then it passes. I am so lucky I think, as some woman really suffer with menopause.

Most surgeons recommend removal of the nipple because cancer cells can grow there. Nevertheless, with some types of cancer that are not located near the nipple, it is possible to undergo a type of mastectomy in which the nipple is saved. However, this nipple-sparing surgery is rarely done. A nipple-sparing mastectomy is more likely than a total mastectomy to leave breast cells behind that could later become cancer. Moreover, because the nerves are cut, neither the nipple nor the breast will have the same sensations after any type of mastectomy that they had before the surgery.

Breast Self-Exam (BSE) Taking a few minutes to do a breast self-exam a minimum of once a month can make a lifetime of difference. Nearly 70% of all breast cancers are found through self-exams and with early detection the 5-year survival rate is 98%. If you find a lump, schedule an appointment with your doctor, but don't panic—8 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. For additional peace of mind, call your doctor whenever you have concerns. *Ladies, I cannot stress enough that early detection in any cancer can save lives. See below I have given you a few ways to do a self examination. Most lumps are nothing so don't worry. I have a thing in my own head prevention is better than cure, its better to just check it out. If you find something that is not right call your GP for an appointment. Ask for a mammogram if you are under 50 get an ultrasound as well! HOW TO DO A BREAST SELF-EXAM In the Shower Fingers flat, move gently over every part of each breast. Use yo...

Men are also in danger: What are the key statistics about breast cancer in men? The most recent American Cancer Society estimates for male breast cancer in the United States are for 2012: About 2,190 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men About 410 men will die from breast cancer Male breast cancer? Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like Breast Cancer in women, Cancer of the male breast is the uncontrolled growth of the abnormal cells of this breast tissue. Breast tissue in both young boys and girls consists of tubular structures known as ducts. At puberty, a girl's ovaries produce female hormones (estrogen) that cause the ducts to grow and milk glands (lobules) to develop at the ends of the ducts. The amount of fat and connective tissue in the breast also increases as girls...

Why should I have a breast biopsy? The basic aim of a breast biopsy is to determine whether or not a worrisome lump is cancer and, if it is cancer, what type it is. When no cancer is detected, the diagnosis of a benign or harmless lump is reassuring. There are several different biopsies, I was very confused by this so thought I would share this information with you. Who has a breast biopsy? Anyone, female or male, with a suspicious breast growth or other symptoms of Breast Cancer should undergo a biopsy. Ninety-nine percent of all breast cancers occur in females, however, males can and also get Breast Cancer. Therefore, men should regularly examine their breasts as females do for lumps or other cancer symptoms. (Males with the genetic disorder Klinefelter Syndrome, which is associated with increased breast development, have approximately the same risk of developing breast cancer as females.) How is the suspicious breast growth di...