Profile for Mandy1313

Member Since: August 8, 2008
Last Login: November 20, 2008
Location: PA United States
Occupation:

Biography

Diagnosis

Diagnosis:	Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-
Diagnosed:	July, 2008
Type:	Invasive or Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma
Recurrent?	No recurrence
Metastatic?	No
Stage:
Lymph Nodes Removed:	2
Positive Lymph Nodes:	1
Tumor Size:	1cm-1.9cm
Tumor Grade:	Grade 1 or low grade
Hormone Receptor Status:	Tumor has both estrogen and progesterone receptors
HER2/neu Status:	Tumor does not have an excess of HER2/neu receptors or genes

Recent Posts by Mandy1313

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 18, 2008 08:43 pm

CMF Question

Julie

I am so sorry to hear about Allie. Losing a pet is like losing any close family member. How hard this must have been for you. And yes, she probably did know when she wrapped herself around your head.

Let us know if there is anything any of us can do.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 18, 2008 09:45 am

CMF Question

Woke up feeling great today, 7 days after the first treatment. I am hoping to go away this coming weekend to visit my daughter at college and see her in a performance.

Good luck with your decision Colleen. My onc didn't offer me the dose dense but I'm alot older than you so that might be the reason.

Thanks all.

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After, Created: Nov 16, 2008 09:14 am

Radiotherapy standing or lying down?

Also for left side radiation, is it better to be prone? Should I insist on this so as to protect my heart?

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Chemotherapy - Before, During and After, Created: Nov 15, 2008 10:22 am

Decadron protects cancer cells from chemotherapy?

Thank you for posting that. You do wonder why we aren't finding more research on this.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Breast Prostheses and Reconstruction Alternatives, Created: Nov 14, 2008 03:52 pm

Knit a tit!

What a great thing. I hope my knitting is up to it.

thanks.

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 14, 2008 11:25 am

I just want to say you are in my prayers and I am sending positive thoughts to you as fast as I can. I had a mast 23 years ago (on the other side) and I once had a bump like yours....it turned out to be a suture cyst or something like that....my surgeon just took it out in his office and it was nothing .I hope you are as lucky as I was.

In the meantime, I will keep pushing good healing vibes to you.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 13, 2008 03:03 pm

CMF Question

Annie,

I am just thrilled to hear your good news!!! It brough tears to my eyes because I can imagine how stressful it must have been. Here's to many more good mammos!!!

I am doing very well after Treatment 1....a little nausea and a little heartburn seem to be the main problems but nothing else. I am working hard to stay hydrated and to keep eating good things....plus my nightly prunes .

Thanks to all for your support. I sure makes the journey less lonely and more doable.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 12, 2008 03:50 pm

CMF Question

Oh Harley don't give up hope. Some of it is just the lousy economy and has nothing to do with you. I never got a job on fewer than 10 resumes; when I finished school, as an honors student, it took about 60. I am always telling my kids to just send out another 10 resumes and something may turn up.

So sorry about your job difficulties. I'll send you positive vibes and hope that something comes your way.

Mandy

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 12, 2008 09:02 am

CMF Question

Hi all.

Last night was a little difficult with heartburn, nausea, and general malaise. But this morning I woke up feeling so good it is hard to know I had the chemo. I do feel dry....not only in the mouth but a kind of dry eye so I figure I'll get some kind of OTC eye lubricant like "refresh". Did anyone experience dry eye?

Thanks to eating a bowl of stewed prunes for dessert last night, all systems are go. But thanks to all who warned me or I'd never have eated the prunes.

Again, thanks for the advice.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis + IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer), Created: Nov 12, 2008 07:40 am

Some good news

That is wonderful news Shrink! Congratulations!

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis + DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), Created: Nov 12, 2008 12:04 am

Sentinel Node Biopsy

You can always get a second opinion on the sentinal node biopsy and that might make your decision easier.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 11, 2008 02:26 pm

CMF Question

Thanks Annie and Carol.

Annie:Sending positive thoughts to you for your mammo.

Carol: hope your port removal is really smooth.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 11, 2008 11:45 am

CMF Question

Just got home from my first treatment. So far, so good.

Thanks to all for your support.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 10, 2008 12:58 pm

CMF Question

Tomorrow is my first CMF treatment. Naturally I am scared to death. Wish me luck!

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 9, 2008 10:16 pm

CMF Question

Lisa

That is an incredible photo of the walled city. It is just amazing. You are really talented.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 5, 2008 08:55 pm

CMF Question

Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement. My onc was concerned because of the 24 weeks for 8 doses of CMF...she said that alot of people get tired of it and don't make it to the end, and that is why she was originally pushing CT. I fit the profile that Carol described and feel that for me CMF is the right choice. I just hope I am as good as you other ladies and get through it.

My onc is planning to have me do my radiation after dose 2, during doses 3 and 4, I believe. She said she'd drop the M during the radiation period because it could cause skin discol0ration. So, on April 5th, I should finish my basic treatments and will be on to some kind of hormone therapy. I am a world class coward and hope I can live up to the way you other ladies have handled things.

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 4, 2008 04:27 pm

CMF Question

Thanks Harley and Ritajean. I think the anticipation is pretty scary. I appreciate your time.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 4, 2008 03:05 pm

CMF Question

Methatrexate is hard on the liver so no or low alcohol is the best. My friend from the UK had methotrexate for psoriasis and had to drink ginger ale at her local pub rather than her usual pint.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis + IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma), Created: Nov 4, 2008 02:09 pm

Anyone had one pos sentinel and any axil pos?

Like Peeps, I opted to rely on the sentinal node and not go for a further axillary dissection. My consulting oncologist at Dana Farber was the person who suggested this to me. She said that over 70 per cent of people with one positive sentinal node did not have further nodes and that if you had one node, you were probably getting chemo anyway. She pointed me to an unpublished study at the Massachusetts General Hosptial which showed that axillary radiation was as good as axillary dissection for morbidity and that it had a better rate for lymphedema. Those were the factors that I considered plus the fact that I had an axillary dissection on the other side (0/32) 23 years ago and had lymphedema as a result of that.

But there is no one decision in this and everyone needs to do what is right for them and what they are comfortable with.

Best.

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Posted in: Tests, Treatments & Side Effects + Help Me Get Through Treatment, Created: Nov 4, 2008 01:52 pm

CMF Question

Hi!

I am going to begin CMF next Tuesday (November 11). Outside of avoiding alcohol, I would appreciate suggestions for getting me through this. I am going to try to do it IV since I would prefer to not have a port.

At what point does the hair thinning happen and should I have hats? wigs? for it. I have thin hair to begin with. Any diet suggestions. TX 2 is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I surely hope that I will be able to eat my dinner.

Thanks for your time.

Mandy

Dx 7/2008, IDC, 1cm, Grade 1, 1/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-