melmedic06

my original dx was in october 04- ILC 0.9cms in the left breast- i had a lumpectomy- radiation and started on arimidex (post menopausal)- in august of 05 they found a very small cluster of DCIS in my right breast during a needle guided core biopsy followed by another lumpectomy but the tissue removed was totally benign- no DCIS anywhere and the surgeon took a good chunk of my breast since DCIS is so sneaky- the radiologist- surgeon and oncologist all receommended another 6 weeks of radiation to the right breast so i went for it- i had no trouble the first time with radiation and the second time was just as easy- it did lower my chance of a reoccurence so i was happy to comply- my suggestion- a second opinion and do not make a decision until you feel totally comfortable and feel you have learned all you need to learn- it is a very personal choice and knowledge is power (IMHO) keep the faith ladies-

hi angela- i have had 2 lumpectomies- both breasts (lucky me) and the recovery period is individual and very personal and you must take time to heal- my first was in october of 04 when i had the SNB- i think that slows down the healing process and contributes to the exhaustion and the length of time one needs to take to rest and eat well and process everything we have just been  through- i was lucky enough to have friends who are RN's (as i am) and a sister who loves me and they cared for me in such a special way that i recuperated slowly but both physically and spiritually - i felt very blessed- my second was not as involved and i took only 5 days off before i went back to school- i remember sitting there feeling fairly normal then just having a moment where i realised i had pushed myself beyond normal and felt like crap- i stuck it out but it set me back in my recovery process and i would not do it again - please take as much time as you need- don't try to do everything yourself and remember each day you will feel a differnt twinge and a different pain and a different sensation- it is all a part of the healing and YES we need to stand up for ourselves and say we ARE cancer patients and we need not only the insurance companies but our friends and families and our jobs to understand this is surgery and as patients we have a right to be away from work- to rest -to recover and to regroup and get ready to face the world post-cancer treatment- keep the faith ladies- stay strong-

i pay 25$ a month for my Rx and that price is good for all 12 months (i have united health care) but a year and a half ago when i left my job and went on COBRA i paid 225$ a month for a 30 day supply - that hurt the pocketbook so i am incredibly grateful to be back at that same job and back on my great insurance- i hear astra zenica may try to include arimidex in the 4$ classification that alot of the ABX's and anti-hypertensive drugs are in- wouldn't that be wonderful? my secret to getting the pill out of the nuclear secure packaging- i use my letter opener to pop open the "day" tab then use a small phillips head screwdriver to pop the pill out- pretty silly!!

ILC  october 04  0.9cms  lumpectomy (negative nodes)  radiation  arimidex (left breast)

DCIS  august 05  found on mammotome- lumpectomy with benign tissue- no DCIS-radiation -continue on arimidex (right breast) 

monee- yes you can make it through treatment again-- take some time now to meditate or pray or exercise or have an extra glass of wine or to break a very expensive plate (or two) anything to set your mind free and let the strength in - you must convince yourself that no matter how bad it was the first time and how possibly bad it may be this time it can save your life- i was less than one year out when i had my 2nd dx- other breast and a different type of cancer- i was one month into paramedic school and not about to give up- i had my surgery over labor day weekend-took a week to recuperate then went back to school AND back to radiation and i survived and i have been cancer free ever since (and with God's blessing will stay that way) so pull up those boot straps- get back on that horse and prove to yourself- no one else- that you are a powerful woman and this beast is not going to get you down- OK???? keep the faith ladies

i had 2 palpable- good sized benign cysts removed from my left breast (over a 4 year period) that i found myself and that were both painful- with my ILC cyst i had a feeling of an electrical shock thru my nipple area up into the axillary area for almost 6 months with nausea every day around 4pm- i did not feel a lump but my gyn did- it was very clear on the mammo and ultra sound and oh so present on the mammotome even though it was only 0.9 cms- thankfully negative nodes- good luck on your journey- keep us posted and keep the faith ladies

 ILC- october 04 (left breast) 0.9 cms  lumpectomy radiation arimidex

DCIS- august 05 (right breast) found on mammotome- surgical tissue benign- lumpectomy- radiation and continue on with the arimidex

good morning lindamem and thank you very much for your response- after reading my post again i realise i need to make some changes- all of what i described is not the person i am deep inside- i am a loving-caring and compassionate woman and i want to feel that way again- i so respect your decision to take back your power and fight this dreaded disease in alternative ways- i'm not sure why i keep taking that little white pill everyday when i know how much it has changed me but i do know right now at this moment my oncologist and i will be discussing other medications and possibly getting off the arimidex early (it has been 3 1/2 years) - thank you again for taking the time to respond to my post- i received a big wake up call this morning and i needed it!!

i have been on arimidex since february of 05- i also have numbness and tingling in both feet- both arms and hands and knotted up joints in all of my fingers- i attribute it all to the medication since i was perfectly normal before starting it- my oncologist keeps saying it is "old age" (i am 56) but plan on proving to him when i am done taking it and my hands and feet look and feel normal again that he was indeed wrong- and i am not old- i find 800 mg of motrin helps alot twice a day- keep the faith ladies-

ILC  october 04  0.9 cms  0/3 nodes- lumpectomy- radiation- arimidex (left breast)

DCIS august 05 found only on mammotome- surgical pathology benign- (right breast)