Topic: CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS

Well ladies, it's nearly 7pm and I've still got chores to do. You all have a good evening, and we'll yak again soon...yes?

hmm, I chose bilateral mast because it worked for me. Amen. I didn't care if I lost my breasts, i just didn't want to deal with having lots of biospies and all that stuff. I had a long history of cysts that were aspirated and turned out to be nothing. lots of stuff sent to pathology. I was so sick of it all. I was being "treated" at the women's health ctr at Umass Health in Worcester, where they didn't even have digital mammos......and this was supposedly the best. sheesh. I did get the courage to venture off to Boston and advocate for myself. I don't miss the boobs. Kinda like the prosthetics. DO NOT WAIT SIX MONTHS...take care of YOU.     Sue

PS, I reitred in march of 08, had another pain in the ass mammo in June 08, they saw something and i had an ultrasound. dx was cyst. In Dec for follow up.........it was cancer.  but stage1. these take a long time to grow..Take care of YOU, I cannot say that enough............Love,Sue

Hey, can I join this friendly thread too?  I joined BCO only after  finishing  all my treatments, so I missed out on making connections with people during the treatment phase.  I have learned so much from this forum and wish I had accessed it when I was making those gut-wrenching decisions like chemo or no chemo and should I do this or that clinical trial!

My stats: Stage one, lupectomy, re-excision, rads, Arimidex, and  Zometa twice a year.

I live in the Bay Area and have also spent a lot of time in Boston. Agree they are two great places.

Somebody a while back mentioned having something done on Friday the 13th. Well,  my first surgery was Fri the 13th, my post op mamogram on the next Friday the 13th and my appt with my new PCP is on...Friday 13!  Hope it went well for you.

Hi, I would like to join too please.  I found my lump in August while putting on a bra and within a week was dx with stage 1 (1.9 cm), grade 3, triple negative bc.  I had a lumpectomy on Sept 17 and started 4 round of chemo on Oct 16.  I just finished my second round of chemo today.  After chemo I have 6 weeks of radition to look forward to.  After the lumpectomy they told me they believed that my tumor grew in about 6 months, which scared the hell of me.  And being triple negative didn't leave me with many options.  I've taken the BRCA test but haven't gotten the results back yet.  I don't really feel like I've been poo-pooed for being stage one, but that may be because it was so aggressive.

My next labs are on Friday the 13th, but when I was a kid it was always a lucky day for me.

Be well, Sido

Lindissima

I can relate to having made all or at least most of decisions prior to finding this site. This would have been so helpful !!!!!!!!!

Pat

I am also a Stage 1 -- 3mm pure tubular, ER/PR+, HER2- and node negative and extensive DCIS.   Had a mastectomy with DIEP recon and currently taking tamoxifen.   I am now 2 years out and doing OK.   Unfortunately, I was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a few months ago, so I also have that to deal with -- so what does that make me?   Stage 1 with an additional cancer?   Nice ....

Anyway, welcome to all

Hello all Stage 1 ladies - I am just popping in to wish you all very well (in all senses of the word) and to say I think it is a grand idea to have a Stage 1 thread - it is already a big success and I think it seems that Stage threads provide a quick and easy way for people to link up with fairly similar situations.

Sheila - so glad your tests went well!

and Lindissima - I have my 5th chemo on Friday the 13th, and your post has rather cheerd me up so thanks for that!

Cheerio ladies -

Good morning, ladies.  I saw this thread yesterday during my morning break so I added it to my favorites so I could post when I had time.  It only had about 5 posts and now...3 pages to catch up on before I even post!  Good work!

 I seem to have been out of touch for so long.  I never knew this website existed when I was diagnosed 6 years ago this month.  You can see my diagnosis at the bottom of this post.  I don't know how I missed this, I went to cancer.org for info, but never found this area.  I was going through a divorce from a physically abussive husband and my focus was on surviving, this would have been such a good support for me.  

I made it through the mammo, ultrasound, biopsy, lumpectomy, chemo, rads missing only two full workdays (one for surgery and one for nausea) and half days on my chemo days.

My current husband found you here in September when I faced a stereotactic vacuum assisted core biopsy after a questionable mammo in conjunction with other symptoms.  I am so glad he found this site.  I was a wreck and my fears were eased, but more importantly they were acknowledged.  So many people just like to tell you "You'll be fine".  Nobody wants to admit that cancer happens.

Last December I finally bagan reconstruction.  I am going to have stage 2 on the 19th.  I hope that this will be the last.  I hate surgery, and I hate anethesia.  I am learning so much about options here, and I can go to my PS informed.

Thank you all!

Sido and Virginia

Sido: Good to meet you.  Virginia:  Your witty posts have often cheered me too.  Keep kicking up those lovely London autum leaves!  I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you  both on the 13th. 

hmm and Meece: 

Although I did a ton of research on medical sites like Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins etc, I was warned off discussion boards by the medical professionals I was seeing. Those establishment medical sites are good for basic information, but it was such a relief to come here and  be able to explore all the nuances of being diagnosed:  the grey areas, the contradictory feelings we sort through as we make those difficult decisions. Hey...and I could really 'get'  the humor too!  My friends, though very supportive, just didn't understand  why making treatment decisons was so hard.  It was like, "Just follow the protocol."  Well, I learned here the protocol for stage one is in many ways  a negotiation between patient and doctor. And it's ongoing. 

Sheila:  Thanks for the cheery blinking  flower pot! And for starting this thread.

Virginia... With pleasure if you liked it because it took you back in time.

So nice to see all my old and new sisters feeling comfortable posting in this thread.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY

 Sheila

Linda... I hope its not cold up there, since you'll be outdoors.

Are you going to take your long walk?

Hello Marie - I have had the chemo depression too.  Really grim.  I wish you well for a better outlook once the bloody chemo is done.

best wishes -

London V,

Just emailed the Youtube video to my British expat friend who lives for his garden and is the right age to have seen this.  Can't wait to hear his reply. 

Well I hope he enjoys it!!  I also found other programmes from the same series (Watch With Mother was on daily.)  My other favurites were Rag, Tag and Bobtail (about naughty rabbits), and the Woodentops, which had The Biggest Spoitty Dog in all The World!!!!  I really lolathed Andy Pandy.

The other fun thing is that someone has made a humourous skit on the Bill and Ben thing (which if you look around that Youtube thing you will find.  It nvolves illegal things so I haven't posted it here!!!

 Highly recommend Captain Pugwash.

As Marie is Cajun, maybe she could post a link to some good Cajun music?  In the 80s a cajun band used to come touring here regualarly -  somebody and the Zydeco Kings.  Very popular.

I am off to a bonfire diosplay now -

good wishes all -

xxxxxxx

Good Evening All,

WOW, 89 posts, and I make it 90.  It was a real nice day in New England.  Tomorrow even better.