Bena Roberts

Finding out I have metaplastic breast cancer

I have spent most of my life being very healthy.  I used to pride myself on never having a sick day and I used to laugh in the face of people that were sick and miserable.

Finding a lump on my breast

This sadly changed on October 11 2009.  As I walked my children to their wrestling class with the dogs I felt a funny pain in my breast.  I thought nothing of it until my Dachshund Dotty, decided to run away and I chased her.  When I ran something painful and  unfamiliar was juggling around in my bra.  Of course, I thought it was an acorn and Autumn was to blame for my discomfort.

New Metaplastic Breast Cancer open page on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/MetaplasticBreastCancer Please join our new open group!

I am not Assange, I don't need to go on USA Today!

 

My Metaplastic Cancer Group administrators emailed me this morning. They didn’t want to ruin my Birthday plans. But felt the need to tell me that one of the girls in my forum (who I supported from day one and I thought was my friend) was going to write an article about me for USA Today!

Tomorrow I will be 40 and crazy things seem to be happening

 

Three and half years ago, I got Metaplastic Breast Cancer.  I thought I would die and living to the age of 40 would be a dream.  But tomorrow I will be 40 and I feel that I have achieved and reached a milestone. I might still not have much hair (it didn't want to come back after chemo).  But at 40 - I am more at peace with myself and my life than ever before.

 

However, my delight at being alive is plighted by an uprising of discontent in one of the most important things that I do.  For the past three years I have been running a support group for women with Metaplastic Breast Cancer.  

 

I attempted to please everyone within the support group.  However, I quickly found that with this aggressive cancer – you can’t please everyone.  Worse than that, many women die very quickly.  So, for the past three years I have been sending books to girls with stage 4 cancer, calling them and helping them word last words and memories for their loved ones. 

Study Metaplastic Breast Cancer

Out Metaplastic Breast Cancer Group on Facebook has nearly 300 members.  We have the largest database of stats and information on this very rare type of cancer. 

There are members from all over the world - from Alaska to Spain, London to Norway. 

 

We are actively looking for a medic, student, PhD to study Metaplastic Breast Cancer. 

 

If you are interested please contact benabroberts @ gmail . com

 

Belly fat blasting plan is working!

So, as I mentioned below, I am on a mission to drop 3kg and blast inches of my belly before my 40th b-day in Feb.

 

So after 3 weeks of fitness; I have lost 1.2kg and a whopping 5cm off my belly!  I have lost more from my legs and my bum - but they are not the reason for this diet so am not tracking them!

Why metaplastic breast cancer should be removed before chemo and RIP Vickie Knuston

My dear friend and wonderful metaplastic cancer fighter Vickie Knuston passed away on November 17th after a long fight with metaplastic breast cancer.

We spoke on the phone and chatted regularly and she knew her time had come and spent it peacefully with her familiy and grand children.  Her death has hit me hard and I feel pain and anguish that I couldn't have done more for her, but I hope this post will help all our MBC girls moving forward.

New diet plan to stop deep deep belly fat

I am Bena Roberts, a mother, social networker, cancer survivor, teacher and 39 year old women.  I have had belly fat my entire life.  This deep deep fat is stored around the gut and doesn’t move.  It can also be called visceral fat.

Why am I telling you this?

Metaplastic Breast Cancer Group and Research Update

Why do people get cancer all the time?  Why is Metaplastic Breast Cancer so rare?  Why do some people survive and some people die?  For what reason do we fight on and try and live even though inside we are falling apart?

Could it be that the world in which we live in is plagued with chemicals, additives, bad food and too much sugar?  Stress is confused with career and cancer is sometimes a second chance for many of us?

I don’t know.  I am not Aristotle.  But what I do know is that if you find out you have Metaplastic Breast Cancer (MBC) and you need someone to talk to. Then we have the group just for you.

It can be found on Facebook.  It is completely private so no one from your family can see what you write.  We have three great Admins, Judy who is a three year survivor.  Cari who is finishing her own chemo and radiation plan for MBC now; and me, Bena.

 

What we have found?

With over 200 women on our forum we have conducted surveys and questionnaires on why we think we got cancer and specifically on MBC.  As you now MBC is extremely rare.  It effects 0.01% of the women with breast cancer and it is extremely aggressive.

We have found that there are two common types.  One that spreads to the lymph nodes and one that just grows in the breast and then jumps sporadically to other organs. We have about 15 hormone positive MBC patients on our site and the rest are triple negative.  

But there are some things that all types of MBC have in common:

• It grows very quickly and very aggressively
• It is often confused for a cyst
• It can be painful and hurt (usual breast cancer lumps do not hurt)

How do we deal with Metaplastic Breast Cancer?

• We must deal with this aggressively
• Depending on age this means chemo and radiation
• In 40% of cases chemo prior to lumpectomy has worked.  Unfortunately this is a bit of a gamble and depends on the type of MBC that you have.  Some ladies that have had chemo and it didn’t work – progressed to stage 4 cancer quickly.
• Your chances of survival with stage 4 MBC are slim.  But we have two girls on the forum that are alive and kicking.

 

If you are doing research on Metaplastic Breast Cancer please contact me.

If you have Metaplastic Breast Cancer and want to join our group please search Metaplastic Breast Cancer on Facebook or click here.

And then I got hit by a car....

In the Summer and I had the great pleasure of going to London during the Olympics and watching some games.  Olympic Fever had really hit the UK and the night before the Olympics were due to start I got hit by a car.

Now, now.  Don’t worry!  I felt like an un-welcome guest to the giant Mercedes E Class that tried to mow me down.  But, little did the driver or the car realise that I wasn’t going to be knocked down so easily!  The little Bena of the past has been replaced with a Cancer Warrior that spits on the face of fear and triumphs in glory!!

When Cancer Hits

When Cancer Hits

When Cancer Hits is one of many books on cancer.   But it is one of the few that does actually deserve an accolade.

I am surprised that I feel that way, because when I received the book – I was nervous about reading it.  When you live cancer and you have chemo, five operations and radiation… you read books and you try and be positive but the books that you read gloss over the bad bits. 

Or the alternative is that they blame you for everything you did wrong in your life (you drank too much, you ate too much sugar, you ate too much salt…).  Then you get more depressed and never finish them.

 

Today I ran 10KM and then cried like a baby

 
I can remember when I couldn’t run 100 meters.  During chemo – I couldn’t even complete Wii Fit exercises.  But earlier this year I joined a running club (www.zeitfuersport.com) and today I ran 10KM in 1 hour 11 minutes (www.jogandrock.com).  It’s not my best time – my best time is 1 hour 8 minutes.  But hell, it was GREAT and I feel great and I ran with some dear friends (see pictures).

Refreshed after an amazing holiday

2009 was a year of sickness for me.  2010, I was so drugged up on chemo and steroids I just can’t remember anything.  2011 was OK. But since my trip to the states in June/July it’s become a fantastic year.

 

Please donate to my metaplastic breast cancer charity

As the founder, Editor and more often than not the CEO of GoMo News, I have met some wonderful and remarkable people.

 

Do you get your periods after brutal chemo and rads?

Unfortunately, I know the answer to the question above.  The answer is yes!  15 months after my last period and after months of hot flushes and my belief I was going through the menopause.... I started again.

Yuck. It is hell and I know I should be rejoicing my woman hood but can't bring myself toas everyone thought that I was in the MP.  ARGHHH!

Even worse, when I was so sick, I told Ian that if my periods came back I wanted another baby.... fingers crossed he forgot that!

Oh! People are still rude even when you tell them you have had cancer – bad Landrat Dieburg!

I am fuming.  I have never been treated so badly in all my years in Germany and it is shocking.  As all of you know I lost my hair during Chemo and was stopped at the border control.  My passport is not expiring yet; but I was advised to get a new one before I travel.  So, I sent it off to the passport office.

One year after the end of chemo... still bald, but fit!

My sisters family and my family went to Italy for a lovely Easter break.  I can’t remember Easter last year I was spaced out from my sixth chemo and it was hell.