Class of 2009 - Sisters in the same time frame
Comments
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Renee---answered prayers for your Dad's surgery, may he continue to do well as he heals.
Alicia & Shelby---great news, ladies!! and, Shelby, I admire your courage so much, I'll never be seen jumping out of an airplane! I feel adventurous just driving my grocery cart in Kroger on "Senior Day"!
M360---thinking of you as you await your doctor's call and plan for treatment.
Hope y'all have a wonderful Saturday, it's beautiful here. aaaahhh Spring!
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Michelle, Magob (Mary) and txtstardust - ya'll are definitely right my dad is one tough nut. I guess that's where I get it from. Everyone has always told me all my life I look like him. LOL! I guess I have more of his "genes" that looks. We are both pretty mule headed. Just and fyi... he is a prostate cancer survivor.
This is a picture of my dad and my youngest sister Betsey. What do ya think? Do I look like him or not? LOL!!!! Just had to share after all I've been through.Love to you all
Renee
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Renee, I will be keeping your Dad (and You & family) in my prayers for an easy recovery! So glad he made it through the surgery.
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Renee, from the pictures that you have posted I see the Dad thing, you can tell you're his daughter. I think though that children look more like a parent in their actions and mannerisms. You are just as strong and a fighter like him, and because you both have battled cancer, just another factor that makes you alike. Your Dad seems like a kind and gentle soul, I wish him a speedy recovery.
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Thank you M360 that was a lovely thing for you to say. God Bless you in your continued battle. Miracles can and do occur everyday! :=)
Renee
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Renee,
I think I see a resemblance in the set of your and your dad's mouths... determination kind of. A good thing :-)
Stay strong.
pam
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Aww Renee he is adorable... (LIKE you) and yes, I definately see the resemblence. Especially in the eyes. I will keep your dad in my prayers ~
Hugs..
Alicia
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Renee, I see you in your dads eyes..
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HI ALL
Its the long lost Princess JOJO , Sorry Ive been away from talking to every one for a while but life has me very busy , at the moment and all is going great for me except for a very achy body joints feet and hands and muscles always sore ,is anyone else feeling the same ,Sam wants me to see the doc but i recon its the after marks of chemo so ill just see and hopefully ill come right .
RENEE
Love the picture of your dad he does look like a really sweet man and so glad all the prayers have been answered .Ive been getting into jigsaw puzzles lately and loving them ,and our new puppy well 4 month now, he is just such a blessing for me he really keeps my mind of BC and we have a dog beach down the road from us i try to take him there every day to develop his social skills and its great to talk to lots of different people about dogs and not me and my cancer .
Glad to hear that most of you are doing well, but for the others who are having a bad time my wand is at hand ready to do its magic so close your eyes and just feel its powers taking place
All the best to you all sweet ladies big kisses to you
PRINCESS JOJO
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Renee - what a nice looking Pop! Glad you and your family are doing well.
JoJo - Chemo made everything achy and stiff for about six months after the last treatment. Then things started to feel better. Hope you experience some relief soon.
In my world, tamoxifen is one mean son of a gun. These SEs are crummy. Wondering if any of you have a similar situation - stage 1, grade 1, ER+ PR+ HER2-. My oncotype was 20. Who knows what the benefit of Tamoxifen is in this scenario? My onc says it is around a 9% reduction in relapse. Have a call in to her to see if that is over a lifetime or in the first 10 years. Adjuvent Online shows a different story - more like a 2.5% reduction.
Any input from my sisters in the trenches would be most appreciated.
XO, Mary
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Hi Mary,
Do you understand about relative risk of recurrence vs absolute risk of recurrence? I am not smart enough to discuss it but do understand that the same stats can sound a lot better one way and not so red hot the other. There was a big discussion of this on Had it with Arimidex in the Hormonal category. Maybe that would explain the two opinions you are getting.???
pam
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Thanks, Pam. I'll look it up.
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Thanks Ladies for all the wonderful comments about my dad. By the way that is my 19 yr. old sis in the pic with him. LOL!!! I have one other sis and brother, we are all in our 40's and we have a diff mom. :=)
Magob - I'm sorry you are stil having all those probs with the Tamoxifen. I have the creaky knees but that is all. No pain or anything else so far Praise the Lord!! How long have you been taking it? I hope things get better for you.
Renee
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Renee- I am so happy for you and your family that your dad is doing well! That is wonderful! And I love the pic of him and your sister, I definitely see you in him
Mary- I am stage I, grade I ER+ PR+ HER2- and my oncotype score was 16. Without looking at my printout of the Oncotype test results I am not sure how they catagorize it. I do now that when they say your chance of recurrence is let's say 10% with radiation, that is also taking into account the 5 years of Tamoxifen. So, they kind of lump it together. Don't know if that really answers your question or not. I am so sorry you are having so much trouble with the meds and the fibro. My husbands aunt had the same situation and after about 2months of taking it, she stopped and refused it and never took it again. Maybe you can see if there is an alternative? I don't know. Good luck to you and prayers are with you.
Hope the rest of you ladies are doing well.
Hugs
Jen
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Never heard of an Oncotype score. Could you explain Jburke1? Is it something on the pathology report?
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PauldingMom -- I am pretty sure the Oncotype is only if you are ER+ or PR+... and it determines whether you would benefit from chemo. Since I was neither (and therefore did not have an oncotype test) I could be wrong, but that is what I understand.
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Lisa, Oncotype is for ER+ with no lymph node involvement. Some of the tumor is dissected to determine the possibility of recurrence in 5 yrs-my score was 42 which was why I did chemo.
Joni
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My oncologist wouldn't do the oncotype test..... they told me "YOUR having CHEMO!" I figured they knew what they were talking about being my tumor was large and a grade 3. I was looking for a way out and they weren't giving me any option.
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Since I am HER2+ I also was told: chemo. No need for onco test since I was ER- but even if I had been ER+ the HER2+ meant chemo so, no need for oncotype.
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I did not get the Oncotype test...this is all new to me..I figured it was because I am in Canada...The numbers seem different here...Here in Ottawa, they wont do a braca test unless there is a family history..
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Thanks for clearing that up.
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The oncotype test is not covered in Canada so if you wanted it you would have to pay out of pocket. I can't remember exactly but it is about $4000-$5000.
It's kind of a waste of money for women who have positive nodes since protocol says they are having chemo no matter what. It's more for women Stage 1 or 2 with no + nodes who are on the fence about doing chemo. As said, if you are ER- or HER+ the decision is already made.
It's just one of many factors that lead to a decision... albeit it, an expensive one!
pam
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Re oncotype in Canada... Ontario recently announced plans to cover the cost. There is a separate thread on this somewhere.
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So glad to hear Canadian sisters will now have another tool for making decisions.
pam
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I guess since I am ERand PR + it makes no difference.
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Hi All!
I finished Rads last Friday and I am enjoying my "off" time. Trying to rest and heal.
Today I saw my oncologist and he gave me a good report - patted me on my short haired head and told me I was doing well.
He wants me to start taking the Tamoxifen until my OOPH in July, told me I could have dental cleaning even though I'm on Zometa (no extractions he said) and gave me orders for a chest x-ray and mammogram to be done before my next visit with him in 2 months.
When I asked him about a mammogram he told me 1 year from the last one. So in July it will be 1 year since the dreaded life changing mammogram....
Next up is a follow up with the surgeon on Monday - he likes to check on my arms (cording on left and PICC complications on the right) and every time I see him I ask him about my other breast. Again he'll probably refuse to take it off. He has taken on the role of primary doctor and likes to keep up with what is going on with my treatment. Kind of unusual I know...
After that - the week after in fact - I see the PS to follow up on my skin post rads. Hopefully we'll come up with a timeline/plan for reconstruction.
I feel like there is always something to do, some doctor to visit, some test to take, some treatment to endure etc...
I wonder if we'll ever get this BC monkey off our backs? Silly question I know....
Marie
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HI LADIES
Talking about oncotype test i dont know if i had one he never mentioned any numbers to me just % in reacurrance ive just on #17 of rads 13 to go then on to Tamoxifen yah hope that goes ok with me getting into life more so now trying to leave b/c locked up in the shed for now lol
MARIE
Hope all the planning goes well for you
ALICIA
Love the new picture and the new hair go girl soon you will be able to do the flick of the shoulder thing lol
Keep well everyone
princess JOJO
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Actually, Michelle... since you had 3 positive nodes you don't need oncotype. I think it's just for ER+ AND no nodes... to decide if chemo would be a benefit or not enough of one. Did you have chemo? (Sorry, since I DID have chemo, I can't remember if you posted that or not
Marie -- WOOOOO HOOOOOO NO MORE RADS!
is sounds like you had a unilateral MX... that's what I did. Though I was told I did not need radiation so I was fine with that (just the one breast removed) -- what is the reason you had radiation, if I may ask? (I worry about not having had it of course -- though my cancer was microscopic and behind the nipple, so I believe that is why I was told I didn't need it). I must say I worry sometimes about the other breast... but also have doctors who tell me a prophylactic removal is not medically warranted. I hope they are right!Alicia -- nice hair!!!!
JoJo -- I think I need you to wave your magic wand at me and make stop obsessing/worrying about the unknown!
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I had the oncotype test done and I had one positive lymph node (micrometastasis). Apparently, Oncotype also works if you have 1 or 2 nodes positive. But you do need to be ER+ and PR+. My score was 21, it determined I had a 13 % chance of recurrence, so I did chemo.
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Lilah, yes I had a un-boob-ectomy. and Chemo.
Marie, I know what you mean. It does seem like all we did was go to appointments. I too am waiting to see a PS. My onc said not until 6 months past rads. As well my surgeon said he would be following me and getting all reports as well as my GP and both ONCs. I always say "You can't have to many people see your reports, or breasts".
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