Best Of
Re: STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER
The ability of people to formulate weird ideas about cancer and the treatment thereof, is truly remarkable.
My sister, who lives 20 minutes from me told me I had to stay away from her for the first 72 hours after my chemo infusions because they were somehow a threat to her mysterious health condition she refused to explain. She had gone through treatment for hyperthyroidism a year or so before (radioactive iodine). The issue for me was that our mother had purchased a $12,000 long arm quilting machine for us to share and to help me deal with the mental side of months of chemo and radiation. The only days I had enough energy to use the machine were the 3 days of steroid treatment after chemo infusion. To this day, I have never used the machine and I still don’t know what this mysterious condition was that went against all medical knowledge of my treatment team and the endocrinologist I consulted to try to understand. I believe the truth is that her husband did not want me around. He has some strange ideas and beliefs and I could see them concocting a story that wasn’t well researched.
The emotional impact of the situation has affected our family in such a negative way. I am estranged from my sister, my niece and obviously my brother-in-law. My nephew has stayed neutral but like his generation, he isn’t in touch with extended family. The toll this disease takes on our bodies, minds, and relationships is frustrating to say the least.
Re: How long have you been Stage IV?
@livinglifenow @ssales13 @tougholdcrow @eleanora @jensgotthis and everyone one else:
Sending wishes to all for a fun, happy, healthy, comfortable Thanksgiving holiday!
Laugh a lot, eat a lot and love a lot!
Enjoy! juliana xoxo ♥️🥳💃🕺
eddiej
Re: Making that Final Surgery Decision
@sanchez22 I'm sorry to hear about your tough decision and situation. I went with BMX with implant reconstruction. I didn't qualify for diep recon. I had high grade DCIS on left only but went ahead and did bilateral mastectomy because I didn't want to deal with this again though my breast surgeon said risk of it coming back on the good side was very low. Plus I wanted breasts to look symmetrical. My path did show 1.3 mm focus of invasive cancer. I did not do radiation or chemo.
I know have 3D nipple tattoos and decorative tattoos on my boobies. They look great but I do miss not having sensation in them like before.
snm
Re: Newly diagnosed and scared
@cosun10 I have been so back and forth on course of treatment, every time I think I have a decision, something else comes into play. Like you, I will be glad to get results in the MRI biopsy but like you said, the holiday may play a role in delay, I'm sure the Dr. offices are closed on Friday in addition to T-Day.
Maybe we will both have our answers within the next week or so.
I don't like the idea of radiation, which I would need if I go the lumpectomy route but at 62 I don't know which way to go with mastectomy: flat, implants or flap surgery. It's all so overwhelming. And then there is the nipple saving issue, who would have thought I'd be thinking of that.
I lived in CO from 2nd grade - high school, Arvada West.
sastip
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
No sooner did I finish my post last night, than the sleep study report showed up in my portal. I know I have OSA and have been using an APAP machine for years. Results were not unexpected, since it confirmed NP's concerns that I do become hypoxemic during sleep. The initial study in September showed that my pulse oximeter readings dipped into the 80's (norm 90 and above) while I slept. I am glad that she ordered additional study, but now am concerned about what else I will need to have done, or will I be referred to other physicians for follow-up? I would just like to get one positive report that all is well, and next week is my mammogram, which I am dreading after last year's debacle. This is a lousy time of year to try to have anything done with the approaching holidays.
The office called today and I was able to get an appointment for next Tuesday afternoon to review results and to see what she feels is a necessary intervention. My biggest concern is how this will impact my vacation plans for the spring and next fall. We'll see what she has to say then.
I feel a lot of this dates back to when I had my hernia repair and had a disastrous outcome with time spent in an NCICU post-op, and 4 months of at home recovery. The knee surgeries may have exacerbated it. I had a fluid overload after hernia surgery, and then again after left knee surgery. I needed transfusions after the hernia and spent New Year's in ICU being short of breath because hemoglobin was only 8 (up from 6). Hgb on discharge on 1/4 was barely over 9.
After left knee, again I had a fluid overload due to them trying to raise BP using lots of IV fluids. Spent 5 days in the hospital then, on oxygen and hemoglobin was barely 11 at discharge. Recovery was slower and I did have shortness of breath for several weeks after surgery.
I realize now that the surgeons were not concerned about these hiccups, because they were not surgical issues, even though they were post-op findings. I did see my cardiologist for the abnormal echo, but the next one was fine and she did order the cardiac CT study before my left knee surgery.
I am glad the NP read my left knee hospital records and decided I needed more pulmonary intervention based on these. So while I am distressed, I am also thankful that she is on the ball. I guess the concern is, is she too late because non-recoverable damage has already occurred? I have no daytime issues and do not have any daytime symptoms from OSA.
Taco, hope you get some sun soon. It has been relatively gloomy here with overcast skies and drizzle, so I hear you. It does have an impact on my mood.
Sandy, sorry your Housekeeper was the one who got the ticket, but that is not much of a fine. Our baseline fee for any fine is higher than that. DH will forget to feed Leo who likes room service for his meals. He's older, spooky and set in his ways. He will drift downstairs on his terms.
I hate Fedex deliveries. They employ the laziest drivers. I had an order coming from Amazon that they claimed they could not find my house the first attempt. On the second, I told them to leave package at garage door and last night we received a message that it wad been delivered and it "was in a secure location". So DH and I checked the garage door, the front door and the back door twice and came up empty. This morning, DH finds the package at our roadside mailbox, which is far from secure because it is over 100 feet from the house on a somewhat busy road. Right next to it is the Balsam Hill Christmas tree I ordered. They tried to deliver it 2 days ago and when the guy arrived at the top of the driveway, he finds it is not on the truck! He said he would be back. No notice from them it had been delivered, but it too, was at the mailbox. I haven't seen the box to see if it disclosed contents, but glad he left early today to take dog for her walk and then to the Acme where they were accepting turkey donations. Otherwise, we might not have gotten either package. Now that the turkeys are gone I have room in both freezers. I will rearrange them now, since they were hastily filled.
Spent today consulting Dr. Google about test results, so I can understand the report, and formulate questions about the results. A lot to digest and learn about. Not in the mood for much else.
Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
betrayal
Re: Just Diagnosed- Get Prepared
Just diagnosed with breast cancer last week. stage 3 Inflammatory. (one has spread to lymph node).
age 35. have 2 kids. vegan.
Pathology report said it 's moderately differentiated invasive DCIS came out on hormones.
swelling1:
ER : positive >90%
PR: negative <1%
Her2: negative
swelling2:
ER : positive >90%
PR:positive >5%
HER2: negative
swelling3:
ER : positive >90%
PR:positive >10%
HER2: negative
Surgeon is sort of advising me to start with chemo and then check on surgery/radiation.
any advises please?
pray for our family
Re: Just Diagnosed? Start Here
I have had a lump in my right breast since March of this year. I did not say anything because I was mourning the death of my mother (who died at the end of February), on top of still mourning my niece (who died 6 weeks earlier).
A couple of weeks ago, I finally had a mammogram. Or I tried to. Once I told the nurse that I had a lump and have had some minor pain on the other side of the same breast, I was immediately scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound…
But once I had them done, the doctor noticed something funny under my arm and asked for a biopsy of the right breast and another for my right under arm to check a swollen lymph node.
The biopsy was last Thursday and after this – things moved VERY QUICKLY… The results were supposed to be ready the following week – 5 to 7 days or so. But to my surprise, My PCP called with the results on Monday. His nurse confirmed that I had cancer… It blew my mind, and I cried like a baby. He asked if we could meet on Tuesday – an appointment in which he scheduled me for an appointment with a breast surgeon, oncology and a check with my cardiologist since I have congestive heart failure and an implanted defibrillator.
On Wednesday, I met with the breast surgeon, who officially diagnosed it as stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. He explained to me about the options and scheduled more tests and surgery for a lumpectomy.
In the next two weeks, I have blood work to have done, a follow up with my cardiologist so that he can clear me for surgery; more imaging, and then surgery on Friday, 21 November…
Things have gone quite fast and I am still trying to wrap my head around it. I have a lot of support, but it is a bit stifling as I am trying to focus on my classes since we are close to finishing this semester. This is my new normal…
Re: Are you currently (or have you been) in a Clinical Trial?
@cure-ious any thoughts on this news out of Duke about their breast cancer vaccine study?
mswife
Re: Newly diagnosed and scared
Hi @cosun10 . I had to do a double take on your process as it mirrors mine, I too was discussing lumpectomy and radiation with my surgeon but needed additional testing. The MRI showed an additional suspicious 1 cm mass in my left breast and clumped non mass enhancement, and a mass in my right breast with slightly irregular margins. The MRI also noticed a nodule in my right lung, like your's and I have already had the chest CT. The CT said the nodule was nothing to worry about, scaring from prior infection. I pray yours is the same.
The ultrasound to confirm MRI finding did not see the mass on the right side. I am scheduled for an MRI guided biopsy on both right and left breast tomorrow.
My cancer was diagnosed Sept 19 and I'm hoping to make a decision at an appointment with my surgeon on Dec 3. It is a slow growing cancer, but it seems to be taking forever to get to the resolution (the mammo that found the original mass was Aug 6). I am ER/PR+, HER2-, no node involved, IDC, ILC, and LCIS.
My research has told me that cancer in both breasts at the same time is very unusual. I told myself that I would not go down the rabbit hole, but I have done many internet searches and used chapgpt also. It's hard to know the questions to ask because we have never been through this.
Like you, I'm torn with emotion and scared too.
I'll let you know my outcome and I will follow you too, and I will pay for you.
sastip