goldenpony

I am also one year this month...WHOOHOO! I go in for my next followup friday and hopefully all will be well.....Congrats to us all

Actually I think it makes her ...

In stage IIIA, the tumor is 5 cm or greater in diameter (approximately 2 inches or greater); or the tumor may be of any size where cancer cells have grown extensively into axillary (underarm) lymph nodes

Stage 2 the tumor can range from 2 cm to less than 5 cm in diameter.

I found a great way for "me" to deal with the gloom and doom feelings. My onc is wonderful and I have total faith in both he and my surgeon, afterall they know a lot more about the medical ends of this than I do and even though I have become very educated in the last several months I would never feel I knew more than they did.

When my onc started giving me the gloom numbers he assured me that they were not numbers for my concern because nobody knew where I was on that percentage anyway but he wanted me to be aware of all aspects of my disease. I assured him at that moment that I "did" lay my total faith in his judgement to give me the absolut best treatments available to me and that was all I needed to hear other than what those treatments were. I even gave up hearing the side effects because I proved to be one of those that does not follow the "usual" path anyway...never have in anything else ... why start now...lol

Anyway, if your stuck with a doctor that treats your disease well but has no bedside manner that just let hiim know that you wear rosey glasses and all you need to hear is what they are doing, is it working, and only what they absolutely know pertaining to you is all you can handle hearing. Assure them you will do your part if they do theirs but your not wanting to hear stats that might or might not pertain to you...good luck and keep the faith. Every moment you're already here is a gift we took for granted before, if not for the cancer you wouldn't even be thinking about the what if's, live life like it was meant to be lived...for the moment :)

I'm really late on this thread but SOOOO GLAD for your great news. I'm sure able to relate to the stress/waiting game and so very glad to hear you got good news straight away! Just reading your thread will be a good thing for my to bookmark in case I ever hear those words because like you I will panic....think the worst....try and stop the mind spinning out of control thinking the dreaded METS! Your thread is a great reminder that not all news is bad news! HUGE HUGZ to ya :)

Well it sure is getting a bit harder and a bit easier to make it through these holidays with this disease. Just getting through the holidays happy and healthy was a challenge and now ya gotta throw cancer in the mix with its treatments and it sure makes it a life test!

I'm down to only 3 more Taxol treatments (of 12  after finishing a 4 month set of Cytoxan, Ellence, and 5-FU) thank goodness because I had quite a few bad reactions to the Taxol. I am then getting a 3 week break over Christmas for R&R and getting a double masto the first week of January...that is if the can do it this time. It was already supposed to be done late Oct. but the tumor was not operable off the chest wall then (trying to shrink a monster 13x12cm tumor and it's down to 5x5-1/2cm right now), hopefully I will be on schedule this time. I will then get re-staged and get daily radiation, possibly another round of chemo, then 5 years oral chemo.

I am going to go to Florida to be with my son and grandson for Christmas and all my family that can make it will be there...unfortunately my husband has to stay home to work and take care of all the animals (dogs, cats, horses, chickens, parrot, and fish...lol). He has been soooo wonderful through all of this and I feel so bad that he and I won't be together this year. Add to my dulldroms. But he understands that I really need to be with my grandbaby this year and see my family cos we all live so far away from everyone.

I was just wondering how all of you are handling things....I am doing so much charity work that it has given me a needed burst of energy to focus on people even worse off than myself. A good slap of reality is so needed every now and again. I am really tired of wishing to get through all this and need to remind myself sometimes to slooooow down. EVERY DAY is a blessing, the good and bad ones and I make myself stop and give thanks for every moment I am allowed. We are all changed by this disease but we are given a blessing in disguise....where we used to take our days for granted....we all know that each day could be our last....where I used to wish for Fridays so I could enjoy the weekends off...I know know I could run out of them so I appreciate each one now. Yes it's not something I would of chosen but it has honestly made me a better person because of it. I have my priorities in order and even though I have always been involved in giving, I give now with all my heart. I will also never give in to the numbers because they mean nothing, you aren't given a number when you drive to work and get killed in a head on....our ends are not in our hands and the true numbers of how much time we have left are not in theirs :)

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL.....and I look forward to seeing you all each year! (sorry the post was so long, I am on the dreaded Decadron and it makes me flap my gums as well as run at the digits...lol)