Breast Cancer

[missprim]

A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and as you can imagine she is feeling very low.All she seems to mention are the celebrity women who have died from this form of cancer i.e Linda McCartney, Dusty Springfield, and now Wendy Richards has died she gets more and more worried.
I would like to try to make her more positive by mentioning all the celebs we know who have survived breast cancer i.e Anastacia, Olivia Newton John.
My question is first of all do you know of other famous women who have survived and secondly, do you think by telling my friend of the survivors that it migth help.I especially would like to hear from people who have had this terrible disease and what helped them to cope.

[burbie]

Im not famous but Ive survived . I had invasive breast cancer, it had spread into my lymph glands, I had chemo and radiotherapy, but Im still here and well.
I remember in 1998 being on holiday and buying a newspaper with the headlines that Linda McCartney had died of her breast cancer. I just sat and cried. How could someone with money and access to see the best doctors, and have the best treatment in the world die. When I read the story she had the same as me, so I thought I had no chance.
I was treated by my local hospital and the Christie Hospital in manchester.
I have now survived for 14 years and I am alive and well.
I also know other women who have also survived for longer then me.
So reading about celebs means that they get the publicity when they die. You dont hear about all the people who survive, and there are lots of us.
As for coping, you just get through each day at a time. It never goes away, and you never have complete piece of mind but it does fade into the background as you get on with everyday living. You dont have a choice.
Good luck to your friend, she needs support and help from friends like you.