A column of a different kind.......... -- RAVENBEAUTY'S ALL-STAR RADIO!

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Date Posted: 04:58:27 09/25/11 Sun
Author:

Ravenbeauty
Subject:

A column of a different kind..........

Hey Guys,

I know that many of you (particularly on my Facebook) have been wondering what is going on with me, and why I have not been around very much over the past two weeks. I really wrestled with telling you this because I wasn't entirely sure that it was the right thing to do. Some of you already know what I am about to share and have encouraged me to let my readers know what is going on, but my initial knee jerk reaction was to try and keep this to myself. I didn't want to expose a vein, and wasn't sure that it was the right thing to do.

We go way back you and I. Most of you have been readers of mine since the beginning (2001). I have been truly blessed to have your love and support for so many years. I am so grateful to you. I am truly grateful to my sources out there. Some of the actors themselves have proven to be some of the loveliest people I have ever come to know in my life. Cat, you will always stand out for me because you are beautiful in so many ways. You are so real and genuine. You have helped me in ways you cannot imagine so far. Thank you for that, as I know your schedule is insane. You really are a precious jewel (it's why so many of your fans love you).

As most of you know from reading my interview with SoapZone back in April, I dealt with breast cancer extremely young (in my twenties). Our family has very rare cancer genes that tend to complicate our lives. Last week I learned that the cancer is back in not one, but both breasts. I was not prepared for this and needed to step away to just breathe and attempt to process all of this. To complicate matters, it is a very rare and aggressive form of cancer known as Epitheloid Angiosarcoma. My mammograms and ultrasounds were fine (rather frightening in retrospect). This is a cancer that attacks the blood vessels and has already begun sinking into my breast from the skin down. It has moved from my left breast (where I originally had cancer) to my right breast. It is rare (there are only a handful of cases like this in the United States). It can happen to people with certain genetic markers who have had radiation to their breasts in the past. The incubation period is usually 5-10 years after having the initial radiation. I've spent the past two weeks wishing I had done the Mastectomy instead of what I chose to do years back (Lumpectomy with Radiation) but I can't do that, I have to move forward instead.

I am going for a PET scan to see if it has spread and where. Chemo is not an option for me (would rather not go into the details) and you cannot radiate a breast twice. Surgery is our main option now. They want to do a radical mastectomy with larger margins as soon as possible (within a few weeks if we can get everything scheduled just right). The next month or so is going to be a bit of a blur for me. Because I honestly don't know what to expect, I am letting you know that I will obviously need to skip columns here and there, as I am doing this weekend. It's incredibly hard to focus on anything else right now, however I will get to you what I can as I walk through this. A lot will depend on how I feel and how long of a hospital stay I will have. I will try to get out a column or two before I go into surgery, but they will need to be brief. I will try to keep you updated as much as possible.

I have been blessed to have such lovely readers who have shown me so much love and support over the years. If things don't go very well, I wanted to say that here and now. You have added to my life in so many ways. Sharing scoops and dishing with you over the years has been a lot of fun and I don't regret any of it (even some of the negativity could not take away from all the positives). Hopefully, I will get through this and be able to continue doing what I love so well, but if things do not go as planned, I wanted you to know how much I love you, and how much you guys have meant to me over the years. I will post this on my site at Voy as well, although I know that most of you post over here on my Facebook page instead.

For my female readers out there, please be aware that some of the deadliest forms of breast cancer are not found through a mammogram or ultrasound. The cancer grows in sheets on the breast and will often appear as a rash. I began to see a strange growth on the skin of my left breast (it did not hurt or itch which bothered my Oncologist). I went in to have that breast biopsied, but at the last minute, the surgeon asked me if I wouldn't mind if she obtained tissue samples of the right as well. Like so many women, I would get an itchy rash that would come and go that seemed hormonally related on my right breast. She got biopsies of that one too, and both sides were cancerous. I was told that it stunned even the pathologist who ran the tests again and sent smaller samples to another lab for further testing. Had I not met with this particular surgeon who was so meticulous and observant, I would have never known that the other breast was cancerous as well. Please be aware of any strange growths or rashes that appear on the skin of your breasts. They will undoubtedly send you for a mammogram and an ultrasound (that's if they don't pass it off as dermatitis as so many will do), but only a biopsy can tell the tale when dealing with this form of breast cancer. If you want to do something for me, you will research Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Paget's disease, and Epitheloid Angiosarcoma so that you are fully aware of these forms and how they may appear on the breast. You won't have lumps and they do not show up with a regular mammogram or ultrasound. Please see a dermatologist or breast surgeon immediately if you feel you have anything suspicious like this on your breast that doesn't go away. Insist on a punch biopsy at the very least. If this can save even one life, it was worth exposing that vein and sharing something so very personal with all of you.

I will keep you posted as much as possible. Thank you so much for your many years of friendship. Your love and support has not gone unnoticed. I love you guys. I always will. I leave you for now with fingers crossed and a heart full of hope. XOXO!

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Replies:

[> Re: A column of a different kind.......... -- Daryl (Praying for you), 05:14:13 09/25/11 Sun [1]

Raven,

You are like a dear friend that I only get to meet online through your columns but you have to devote your energy to recovering from this. Do what you can when you can but YOU have to come FIRST !!! Praying for you and wish you a speedy recovery.