Best Of
Re: ER-, PR-, Her2+ Roll call
This makes me really very sad, girls 😭 Deep down I always had hope that some recovery was possible. Lately I started to get seriously worried about what you @grammie2 were describing to us, but I never wanted to believe the worst. I hope her husband holds up and has someone with him now, he’s going to need it. Lots of strength and courage to the whole family. As for Berta, it was a pleasure to meet her and talk to her, and I only wish that she doesn’t suffer 🌼💟
Re: ER-, PR-, Her2+ Roll call
oh no! @grammie2 I was concerned about this as her updates have been disappointing. I am glad to know I will meet her in heaven as well. This is just totally heartbreaking. The Lord be with her and her family. This is so very sad and has me weeping. Thank you for sharing her updates.
Re: ER-, PR-, Her2+ Roll call
Hi ladies. I wanted to find Berta's last post on her where she explained what was going on with her. My update today was not great. As soon as tomorrow they will be transferring her to a facility in a hospice situation. Her cousin explained that her lungs and liver were not improving with any of the treatments and only a transplant might prolong her life (but she doesn't qualify for a transplant). I know this was such a difficult decision on her families part. Her husband has not left her side this entire time! Yall I can't even fathom that kind of love and devotion.
I pray that Berta will be comforted in this transition and she will be at peace, and the same for her husband and children. I just couldn't hold back the tears and told my husband that I never got to meet her. His response with a tight hug was "You will". I can't tell you how grateful I am to have that blessed assurance from our Savior. Our faith was something that Berta and I did discuss and I am so thankful for that sisterhood relationship we had even though we had never met in person.
I just can't tell you all how sad this makes me. While what happened to Berta is not common, so I hope anyone who reads this will understand that fact. And I can just about bet if Berta was able to talk with us right now, she would say the same…..that this is not the norm. Love and hugs ladies!
grammie2
Re: A 1st ultrasound report suddenly worries me!
Lupron is hormonal endocrine therapy, designed to suppress your ovaries so you can take that aromatase inhibitor, aka an A.I. (aromasin) to inhibit estrogen production because your tumor was ER+ .(A.I.s are more effective than tamoxifen at preventing recurrence because they "shut down the estrogen factory" rather than just block the receptors, without the risk of blood clots that tamoxifen can carry). Anything that affects your estrogen production is going to exacerbate emotional stress and inflammation (hence your eczema flares). These effects should lessen over time once yoyr body adapts to the dose regimen,
Your doc was correct in refusing to radiate your armpit, because all nodes were negative—both on the ultrasound and sentinel node biopsy. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it). Your tumor was Grade 1 (well-differentiated and slow-dividing). Here in the US fewer and fewer docs are running Ki67 levels on tumor tissue, because the size, grade, and negative nodes in such an early-stage cancer (still Stage IB or IIA at the most) plus OncotypeDX or Mammaprint results are more accurate and predictive; you have an excellently low OncotypeDX score and extremely low recurrence risk. And surprised you got a PET scan. It's expensive and usually ordered only if metastases are suspected. In early-stage cancers what "lights up" is likelier to be areas of inflammation (or healthy cells with an uptake of sugar); it causes more anxiety than good. (11 years before my diagnosis I had a PET scan because of a painful "fragility fracture" (occurring in the absence of any trauma, for which I was statistically to young to have gotten). So the orthopedist was trying to rule out bone metastases from a hypothetical tumor somewhere in my body; instead, what lit up was an area of inflammation at the site of both the fracture and a harvest of hipbone to more securely install hardware in the leg I'd had shattered by a car bumper 8 years before even that. But that weekend between the PET scan and the results was extremely nerve-wracking (not the least because I was also awaiting brain MRI results due to a sudden sensorineural hearing disturbance, for which the neurotologist wanted to rule out a brain tumor, blood-vessel malformation, or other anatomical anomalies).
Just relax, take your meds, examine and periodically image the other breast, get bloodwork done and see your oncologist periodically. And as the old blues song goes, "don't go lookin' for trouble, trouble will find you."
chisandy
Re: Anyone starting chemo August 2016?
Popped in once again. This site gave me so much support, I miss it. The cancer seems to be gone for now, we're all 9 years out. One more year and I can stop the Femara. Life continues to present challenges. My husband has been diagnosed with Dementia and has basically lost short term memory. I'm becoming more and more of a caregiver and it's tough. After 54 years of marriage, it's so sad to see the person I've loved and spent most of my life with change and struggle with simple tasks.
I too have had so many friends etc. be diagnosed with cancer, but most are still doing well. It's amazing the new progress and treatments being created for cancer patients. I hope you're all still doing well, and thank you again for the support, friendship, and empathy you all brought to us on this board. I think of you often! Take care and appreciate every day we have with our friends and family. Love, Dara
darab
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
I've had a couple people ask me - more than once - how long I would be in treatment. I explained I'd be on this drug until it stopped working , then something else until it stopped working, until I ran out of things to try. Now, I'd probably qualify that with "things I'm willing to try". That happened when I lived in Florida, and is part of the reason no one I know, socially, in Texas is aware I have cancer.
seeq
Re: Long term "high oncotype test" survivors
I posted here four years ago, was very scared with an oncotype score of 61. Wanted to come back and say all is okay so far. Did chemo (CT) and radiation in 2021. Have been taking Anastrozole and will likely continue for ten years total instead of the usual five (just got the Breast Cancer Index Test results back on that). No evidence of recurrence, I feel good, and some days I don’t even think about this whole thing anymore. Someone up above (UpstateNYer) told me the dark days would pass and she was right—if you are reading this, thank you! If anyone else is reading this and nervous like I was, I hope this update helps.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Life is a terminal condition. The only question is when.
Talking about rationing activity, is anybody else considering the "Visible" activity monitor? It is "like Fitbit," but is made for people with stamina-limiting conditions.
The other day I got all my ingredients for loading my breadmaker on the table, then loaded it from there. At times, I have put ingredients together while sitting. And if all else fails, buy pre-prepared food from frozen or the deli, or get a home health care aide through insurance. Or coach husband towards intelligent cooking.
Chris, I have mild CP and have had many episodes of what is called Post Impairment Syndrome. Not as severe as what you are going through but certainly debilitating and depressing. Chronic pain, like arthritis, is a common trigger, as well as psychological stress,
mcbaker
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
@illinoislady Thank you for the kind response. I have been going to oncology PT for 7 months now. It is something new in this area. I worked on stability, stamina, and flexibility. My last one was last week. I did improve quite a bit but my therapist and I both feel like I won't gain much more with appointments. I can do all of the exercises at home and that should maintain what I have or even improve until my body decides against it. My oncologist told me I can always go back if I feel like I need it. I just need to discipline myself to exercise more at home. It is tough for me to walk atound the block as I am on oxygen, but I take my walker just to hold the eight pound canister and in case for some reason I need to sit. I can lfix dinner etc. at 15 minute intervals before I have to sit. I do my best.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Christine, some of us do a lot and do it all the time, but some (thinking of myself now) pace. I use to try and do tons of things, but I just don't have the stamina I once did. It is not that I have anything THAT wrong, but I'm just older and slower and don't feel any need to push myself. Also Dh is 86 and very slow and I tend to nearly run him down even on my relaxed pace.
I do think I'm going to have to exercise more though because I feel like I'm losing some of my flexibility and I'm not happy with that. As we have cats we always have a bit of hair. Thankfully, Lil' Red is a non-shed dog so not much from him.
We do what we can, as we can and we keep going. All anyone really can do. I will try to be a bit better though because I want lots of flexibility even if I use it slowly.
