Illinois ladies facing bc
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Hi ladies. I need some help, because I'm freaking myself out. This might be a long post, and I apologize for that up front. But, here it goes...
Back in 2008/2009, I was having quite a bit of RUQ pain. I saw several doctors, and had test after test (CT's, ultrasounds, HIDA scans, etc.). Everything came back normal. After a year of pain, though, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I was recommended to a surgeon, and he ended up taking out my gall bladder--which we were told at the time looked normal, it just had some scar tissue on it. Well, the pain didn't go away. I eventually mentioned everything I'd been through to my gynecologist, and he suggested we try shutting my ovaries down with birth control pills. Lo and behold, it worked. The pain stopped. I was on the pill from June of 09 until I was diagnosed with BC in Jan of 12 when I had to go off of it (my BC is estrogen positive). Because the pill worked on stopping my pain, I have always been under the assumption that the "scar tissue" on my gall bladder was gastrointestinal endometriosis (yes, I know it's bad to diagnose yourself!). Anyway, the pain is now back, but instead of thinking it's gastro related, you have to know where my mind went. I mentioned the returned pain to my new GP, who suggested we do a CT. I had that done 2 days after Xmas. The CT showed a liver lesion, consistent with a simple cyst, but I had to have an ultrasound to verify. I had the ultrasound yesterday. The doctor calls me back today (on a SUNDAY) and tells me that yes, the spot that showed up on the CT is a hepatic cyst--normal. BUT it also showed an 18mm echogenic lesion near a vein. The radiologist said that the sonographic appearance is most consistent with hemangioma, but given my history of breast cancer, further evaluation with MRI of the liver is recommended.
You ladies know what I'm thinking. I'm really, really freaking myself out here. I KNOW I shouldn't be borrowing trouble before I know anything, and I know you ladies can't tell me this is just an hemangioma and not a metastasis, but I'm scared and needed to share. This is just like a repeat of last January. All the tests and worrying and being so scared. I feel so, so worn out.
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Kristin - As hard as it is, you just have to have to grit your teeth and get the MRI behind you. Liver hemangiomas are not that uncommon and they are typically easily diagnosed. If you didn't have the history you have, I doubt you'd even be getting a follow-up. The MRI will hopefully just confirm the diagnosis and you can sigh with relief and move on.
I have a small hemangioma that was found on one of my early scans (I can't even remember what kind of test it was!). It was mentioned again on later test - with no interval change. Not that I was dwelling on it, but I was glad to read that.
Good luck to you!
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Kristin when they initially did my scans my liver showed "lesions" that they were pretty sure they were cysts… but given my breast cancer diagnosis I was scanned again after chemo. Then a year after chemo ended. Then 6 months after that… all in 2 years. Finally my onc agrees they are stable (one did disappear) and are just cysts. No more scans and I'm still NED.
No need to worry until someone say the "M" word. Because of our diagnosis they monitor the shit out of anything that might be. Cysts are like zits inside your body. Your bound to get them from time to time.
Don't let the scanxiety take hold of you.
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I am 2.5 months off chemo and a week and half off radiation and can't fall asleep for anything. I had this SE while on steroids but not since October.
Have any of you experienced insomnia after treatment? The only meds I'm on is for high blood pressure that I've been taking for over a year.
Can't do anything to fall asleep, even took a sleeping pill an hour ago
And I am going back to work in the morning, but don't feel and stress or anxiety about that at all...
Cancer smancer...what the heck0 -
Grace I'm sorry this is aggrevating--Alot of us can't sleep like we used to??? I really don't know why I've changed my time with Aromasin several times and it makes no difference. Islept better on chemo and rads tan now. I have started something strong now and I try not to take a nap in the daytime. But if u'r goin back to work, it might help alot--I hope so.
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Here it is 3 AM and I just took a xanax hoping to get to sleep.
Nothing about me feels the same after chemo and certainly not on the AI's. i've gone from arrimidex to femara and now I'm on aromasin but I've been off of it for 2 days because I want to see i I can feel "normal" again.
Then there's the metformin, the vitamin D, 4000 mg a day, the calcium, the fish oil, and my blood pressure meds.
I just read that chemo can cause diabetes and my blood sugar is very high.
it feels like dominoes, one thing leads to another.
Sure hope the xanax kicks in soon. A good night's sleep changes everything!
Good luck to you.
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Graceembraced I had trouble sleeping through the night starting after my BMX (used to be a stomach sleeper). Chemo didn't help nor did chemo pause (night sweats) and I also think Anastrozole. But it did get better. Now I have no issues but I do wear a sleep mask. This way even if I do wake up I fall back to sleep right away. The complete darkness helps.
But just to let you gals know I feel much better this winter than I did last winter. Even my nueropathy has gotten better in my left heel (and still have hopes it may go away completely). Sometimes it does take 2 or more years PFC to get better. Jan 20th will be 2 years PFC for me.
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Move to your heart, Breathe.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply - slowly -
fill your lungs with love and gratitude -
exhale each and every trouble -
again and again - gratitude in, troubles out.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie0 -
Kristin....oh how well we understand your anxiety! It's natural for our minds to "go there" and for us to worry when thngs like this show up. We know worry doesn't do us any good, but we can't help worrying. Your doctor is probablly just being especially cautious because of your BC history. You want him to be that way. Try to calm your worries and anxiety if possible. It is so hard to go through additional tests but they will give you answers. Hang in there and keep us updated. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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Thank you, Rene, lago and ritajean. I knew you all would understand. I like that they're all being overly cautious, but I just wish they didn't *have* to be. And it's not so much the cysts (I forgot to mention that the CT's I had before showed cysts as well), it's this hemangioma-- or what they assume is a hemangioma. I understand their common, but...
I see my oncologist today before my herceptin treatment and we'll be discussing this. Not that he can tell me what this is and he definitely won't placate me, but at least I can get some more info from him. Thanks, ladies. I'll keep you updated.
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And lago -- scanxiety. PERFECT term.
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KristinFro, Thinking of you, and hoping that all of this amounts to nothing major at all!! Please keep us posted.
Timbuktu and Graceembraced - sorry about the insommnia that you are experiencing. I don't have much trouble falling asleep initially, but wake up 1-2 times due to night sweats. I had these during chemo (finished April 2012), and now attribute to Tamoxifen. I do sometimes have trouble falling back to sleep after these wakeups. That is tough, especially now that I am back to work (had lat flap with TEs/reconstruction surgery on 11/28/12; back to work last week).
So, the transition back to work has gone alright for me. I am feeling pretty good. Annoyingly, I STILL have one drain - it just keeps draining like crazy. I had a check up this morning, and Dr. said we will probably take it out next week regardless, as it isn't really meant to stay in as long as it has. My body apparently is not normal when it comes to how it responds to drains. My lymphedema, which had flared up somewhat (causing me to freak out) right after surgery, is back under control, so that is good.
Other than that, I have just been busy with holidays, kids, and now work . . . my youngest just turned 5 on 12/31, and my oldest will turn 10 tomorrow, so we've had birthdays to celebrate as well as the holidays. My middle baby has her (7th) birthday mid-February, but I'll have a little break at least before I have to get ready for that. All sports/activities for the kids are starting up again now after the break (well, hockey never really stopped, but all the other acitivities did).
Have my 3 month check with BS at the end of January. At this time last year, I was recovering from BMX and getting ready to start chemo. I am definitely in a much better place this year. Thanks to all of you for supporting me through 2012 - I have not been posting much, but think of you all frequently.
Happy New Year to all!
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Thanks, lago for the encouragement. I did get some sleep and feel much better. It's not even a year since my last infusion so I have to have some patience. But I can feel improvement. Yesterday I did a mathematical problem for a friend, without even thinking about it and I was so shocked because 6 months ago I could not have done that. There is hope!
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I was relieved to be told recently that anxiety does not cause cancer! I've heard both but i'd like to think that it doesn't because there's plenty of anxiety going around.
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Lemon--I don't know how all of u ladies do all of this when u have young kids---it's unimaginable to me--my kids helped me I couldn't do so uch and I don't have a husband si u are all amazing to me
Kristen every test could be a worry, but they need to be done to make sure and u'r Drs. seem to really be takin care of u. So that's good.
I have some scans and biopsies to do next week, the only thing that bothers me is he said for one I have to be put to sleep, twilight so that's not to bad for me--So that scares me--I don't care what they are looking for or what they do--I just always want to be awake--That's how goofy I am. So we all have our levels of not liking something. So my worries are always different tan most. But I do feel bad for u cuz any worry is stress---Good Luck
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Met with my oncologist today before my Herceptin treatment. He told me, point blank, not to worry about the hemangioma and MRI. He said hemangiomas are quite normal and that both the radiologist and my GP are covering their asses by ordering the MRI for it. He said, sure, go ahead and have it done, but freaking out isn't necessary. He also asked me about exercise and I told him I wanted to get back in the gym (we have a GORGEOUS one close to me), so he wrote me a prescription for a gym membership and personal training (insurance will cover my membership if I have a prescription for it). So, yay on that. And I found out today that I only have 3 more Herceptin treatments. My last one will be March 11th. All in all, it was a good visit. I really, really love my oncologist.
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Hi there have been busy and trying to get all the Christmas decorations packed up spent the weekend in bed feeling bad and trying to sleep it off. We Spent new years eve watching movies all night it has been cold out and trying to stay away from the stores. had my second chemo on Jan 2nd and still tired My dd started back to school today and I am more excited than her
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Kristin - I know how you feel about additional tests and scans...given our situation, each one is scary. I try to frame it in thinking that if I just could have had a better test or scan at a point earlier on, maybe I would have had no or less cancer, or a less treatment because of it. So if they do find something, at least you know what you are dealing with , and hoping its earlier than if we don't check. I was surprised when I asked how they'd follow me after chemo to see if it worked and was told there are no tests, they just see how you feel. And only my 3rd opinion MO wanted to even run anything before chemo to ensure we were on the right track...so I went with him and sweated out CT scan, bloodwork and Oncotype and thankfully it was all good news, but if there was anything I had resolved it would be better to know now rather than regretting later that no one even offered to see what else was out there. While I know they don't want to waste time and money chasing every tiny thing, it's nice to know someone is watching out for things they may find concerning. All the best to you for continued good news - I will be praying for you!
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Hi hope---I'm the confused onee here--U went to Drs. that didn't run any tests? Cuz rhe Drs. are always running test for something so now u seem to have the right Dr. And after u srill go for tests. I'm having trouble with my computernow.
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Hi Cami...the first MO I went to just told me what treatment would be and gave me a booklet to read about it...she wasn't a good fit for me, and said no pre-chemo testing and only after if I had something concerning going on. 2nd opinion said maybe an Oncotype since I did not want Adrimycin if it would not help me much, but no other tests...3rd and final opinion was really in tune with my case and because of pos nodes wanted to be extra cautious. It was good because I now feel more confident in the treatment plan and also learned from the otype that my tumor shows lowered risk of recurrence which I wouldn't have known otherwise. So luckily I found him in my path, but I would have kept searching until I knew I found the right dr ...it's too long a relationship and too much at stake to settle.
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Yay Kristen.!!!
Peace & love,
Jackie
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Re: Insomnia Has anyone tried Ambien? Seems to do the trick for me and I don't feel groggy the next day. It's a prescription. Maybe over-the-counter Tylenol PM or something similar if you don't want to go the prescription route???
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Hope I got it now--my confusion is ongoing LOL But I'm glad u got a Dr. u like--U'r right this is a long haul with u'r Dr. and u want the right one for u. Now u have to keep us posted on what's going on. OK?
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Hope I too believe you made the right choice. You have every reason to feel confident with this onc. Granted a lot of oncs don't do pre-test for early stage unless there is a symptom. My BS ordered mine because there was so much time before surgery. I think because my tumor was so big and he thought there was a good chance of micromets in my nodes, and HER2+ that he order scans… which let to 2 years of liver scans that ultimately showed no problems. I won't be getting anymore scans unless there is a symptom.
Kristin it's so much nicer when the doctor tells you not to worry. Yay!
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Life only appears complicated when one is worrying.
Relax, and life becomes simple again.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie0 -
Csquared, long time no see! Hope you're doing well. I took Ambien all through chemo and it helped tremendously. I quit 2 weeks before my mastectomy (I was worried I had become dependent on it). At that point I had 8 pills left in my prescription and I've taken one here or there since then when I couldn't sleep. I still have some ativan left over, too, and I'll take 1/2 a pill some nights when I can't doze off. I've taken Tylenol PM, too. One pill works only so-so (it gives me restless legs, which is so annoying) and two really knocks me on my rear. Out of the three of them, though, I like Ambien the best.
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Kristen and any one else who takes something to sleep---Whatever u take if it works good for u. Getting a god night sleep is so important to the whole picture whether it's thru pills or not it's good to get a good nights sleep, of course this is only my opinion but it just makes sense.
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I finally fell asleep Sunday night at 3:30 (Monday am), but last night I slept hard. Thanks for all your words of wisdom. I guess the new normal is "everything can change". Stay warm and strong?
Quick question...has anyone done the Avon 2 day walk in Chicago? How far is it, I started biking and walking now that I'm done with radiation and wondering if I want a 5k or 2 day to be a goal.0 -
Isn't it 60 miles?
I need a walk for people with arthritic knees. Maybe a couple of blocks?
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Came back to check if I had left a quote this morning. I must be getting old and forgetful. Good thing life is fun.
Peace & love,
Jackie
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