MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Smith, I'm thinking of you, good luck.
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good morning everyone. I have been reading this board but I don't think I have introduced myself yet. I have spent most of my time on Just Diagnosed. I am a 57 year old married to Jerry for 38 years this coming November. We have 2 grown children, a daughter and a son, and 8 grand-children.
I was diagnosed June 29th. My lumpectomy is scheduled for Thursday. I don't know the details of my diagnosis yet. I didn't even see the path report from my biopsy, but I am going to tell the doctor that I want a copy of the pathology report after my surgery. Right now, it looks like I am looking at surgery followed by 6 weeks of rad. I have made a very good friend on Just Diagnosed and hope to make some more here.
I do have a question. I have read some posts of women who are celebrating their cancerversary. What date do they celebrate? The date they finish treatment or the date they are told they are cancer free? or maybe something else?
I hope you are all having a good day today. Deb
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Welcome Keeping the Faith.
To answer your question, there are many different possible ways to count your cancerversary. Some women count from the day they find "something", some from the date of diagnosis, some from the date they start or end active treatment. Doctors are extremely reluctant to declare patients "cancer free", so I wouldn't wait for that one. Pick the one that works for, and is meaningful for you. For me, it is the date of my surgery, because that is the day that I believe I became cancer free once again, even if the doctors don't use those words.
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Hi KeepingtheFaith! While I am not yet a grandma, your story sounds very familiar to me. Look at my Dx date...I was in your shoes last year. I got the lumpectomy in early July and onto the rads six weeks later. If your doctor had already mentioned the rads to you, and not said a word about chemo, then I can already guess that you probably have a hormone responsive tumor that is HER2-. I'm just guessing. Definitely get a copy of the final pathology (and you can let me know if I was corrrect.) Best of Luck on Thursday. Your Mid-Age sisters will be pulling for you.
As far as the cancerversary, I did my surgery date; but the women seem to pick whatever is the most meaningful date.for them, be it Dx date, surgery, end of chemo or rads, etc. Think about it and just pick whatever feels right to you.
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Elimar-I can't believe you found that photo of us!
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Keeping the Faith;I celebrated my one year on the anniversary of the day I was DXed because that is the day I started to fight cancer, well emotionally at least.
Elimar-That was one crazy day! We all had such a good wig day.
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Thought I would introduce myself. I have been in just diagnosed and surgery before and after. My name is Karen, I'm 57 years old. I have 3 kids and 2 grandkids. I've been married for 34 years to my husband who has been my rock with this mess.
I was diagnosed June 1st and had my lumpectomy July 7th. I will have the 5 days Mammasite radiation next week Monday through Friday. Right now the Dr. doesn't think I will need cemo, but that could change when all the pieces come back. I do know I will need 5 years of hormone therapy which I am not looking forward to.
karen
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The woman on the far right, wearing UGGS and a one-piece is me! I live in my UGGS because it's so flippin' cold here and I wear a one-piece to hide my abdominal scar from my TRAM flop.
Anyways....thank you all for the "good lucks". The interview went fine. The young, and I do mean young, woman who is leaving is doing the first round of interviews. She's only been there three months and is leaving to go to law school. Yea for her. She needs to get out of this tiny town and make her place in this big 'ol world.
The job seems like a breeze so I am very over qualified for it, but it's 40 hours a week and has benefits. I now have Cal COBRA as my medical and paying that $400+ a month is difficult when you have zero coming in! They want the new person to start next Monday so now I get to wait and see if I get a second interview with the boss. Fingers crossed please!
Welcome newbies! Pull up a chair and sit with us for a spell...we rock!
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Karen, so glad you found us (not glad about the dx, but glad you found potential support). Good luck next week. I'm not sure that very many of the gals on this thread have had that treatment (although I can't say that I know that for sure). I'd be interested in knowing your impression of it. You can send me a private message. If you don't know how to do that just say so & will tell ya how.
Joni
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I am the one who is slightly more tan. Whoever took that picture was on top of things, because I am "coldaphobic" and didn't stay out long.
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So far so good, Smith! Hope they call you in for interview, round two.
Greeting to Kira1234! Feel free to tell about the Mammosite treatment next week. I know quite a bit about it, because I tried to go that route (with a similar Contura balloon thingy) but it failed on me because after it was in place and inflated, my skin stretched a little and then I did not have the required mm to surface skin. (My lump was very near the surface.) In the radiation treatment forum, there are several threads about doing Mammosite, if you want to see how it went for others who have gone through it. I will point out one thing I have noticed in just reading about it. Some facilities seem to want to do the CT scans to check placement before every treatment, while some women said they only got a CT before the first treatment of the day. Well, I know I would try to avoid five extra CT scans if I could, so you might ask them about it. Just a suggestion.
Yeah, I was not in the picture above because I was busy building a snow-woman, and just stopped for a sec to snap the pic.
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elimar,
Thanks for the info I will ask them about the CT's. I agree fewer is better. I will have the balloon placed Friday and then see the RAD guy after. I have checked out the threads and there seems to be those who liked it and those who didn't. I'll let you all know my opinion.
Karen
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hey ladies..comcast has had me down a few days. to think i didnt even KNOW how to turn the computer on last year, now im freaked i cant get my email lol f&F, went to u tube...good for youj/ ELIMAR; you r a hoot with the backup singers thing !! also, the picture is great as usual. so appreciate u go thru the trouble to change it up for us.only that pic, and Meece'S flower pix do i ck. start at the bottom for all the other threads..just ckin in to say hello. thurs. appt w/ PS he will tell me all then. i was too freaked out by the size of the insicion{never know how to spell that } last visit..hope he lets me in the pool. its almost 100 everyday now in sunny fla. so, been doing my walking to a tape at home now. the pool gets me cooled off, getting excersize, and i get Fischer to visit..really a win win win..talk soon. light and love 3jaysmom
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So since my shoulder is still sort of frozen, my DO wants me to get this. If anyone watched the Tudors all I can think of is the torture rack. Not thrilled about an hour a day in this. Sigh.
Also going to have another proceedure which is an x-ray guided steriod shot...I actually think that one is cool.
Hope all are well. making progress on the apartment, art is up. Be good!
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Oi. Cookie. Now there's. Concept. This something you could do at home? Holy cow.
Smith.....sending more goodluck vibes.
Thanks 3Jays, it was fun.
Welcome newbies. You're here in time to join in our thread birthday.
My med team said that I became a survivor w diagnosis.Though I use first surgery date. Smith what do you do w the two dx??? Hmmmmmm?? I feel like I'm still in the midst of surviving this second waltz. Yesterday they drained my seroma-hematoma AGAIN yesterday: Ugggggggg!
Ever onward.
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I was diagnosed March 9, 2007, and had the last surgery March 29th, 2007 so I just call March my cancerversary date and ignore the specific date thing.
cookiegal--I agree with Faith, that looks like some sort of torture device! Holy Cow, indeed!
3jays-- isn't is amazing the things we've learned to spell, pronounce, and understand. It's like learning a whole new language, isn't it?
smith--have you heard anything about a second interview yet? We're all pulling for you, and I'm sure you did just fine!
kira1234-- welcome to the group, sorry you had to join us but glad you found us. I know things are really overwhelming right now, but I can tell from being on anti-estrogen hormone therapy, complete with medication to induce menopause, that it's not all that bad. Yes, I have hot flashes, but they're manageable. I have some joint aches and pains, but I had some arthritis before diagnosis so I can't really say it's from the arimidex. Any time you have questions pop on the boards and someone will have the info you need. That's the beauty of this site.
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Nice to meet you Karen. Sounds like you got your BC in the early stages. Congrats. on that!! You will find lots of good info. here. Welcome.
I'm the one with the thigh high boots. I think I'll wear this outfit to the airport this weekend. Maybe I'll get two of those little bags of pretzels.
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Paulding, that will depend on the flight attendant, now won't it?
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Hi Middies it appears all is going well except for a little "torture" here and there! Welcome to the new kids on the block.
Karen,I had Mamosite radiation following surgery, for me all went well, no burns no problems! The balloon has a drain and that is moderately annoying, but to be done with radiation in 5 days is a godsend. I then started Arimidex and have hot flashes and some aches and pains but nothing to fear!
I just read that high doses of Vitamin D when carefully monitored by your Dr. relieve women of this discomfort and prevent bone loss! My D levels are low so I am going to ask my BS to hook me up with an endocrinologist that can treat it and provide some relief from the SE of Arimidex.
I am off to travel the state of NY for work this week and then my pregnant DD is arriving on Friday and I can not wait to see her she is now 20 weeks pg and has a baby bump and she can feel him moving around! So, glad I am here to experience this
I just listened to a book God Never Blinksand though I do not subscribe to any particular religion it was a very funny and uplifting book. The author is a columnist in Ohio and this book is based on an article that she wrote about 50 life lessons. She is a BC survivor, although this is not the entire focus of the book and I did not know that when I rented it! I like books that make me laugh and think.
Have a great weekend,
Linda
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Hi, ladies! I've seen many of you in the games boards. I don't know how I missed this thread, but am so glad to have found it.
I am a grandma of 2; a 3y/o granddaughter and 7 mo grandson. They live much too far away in Whidbey Island, Washington. Hubby and I just celebrated 30 years this week. I am so blessed to have him! He just retired from 28 years in the AF in January. We have two children; a daughter married to a Navy pilot, and a son, graduated from college a year ago, who lives in town, trying to find real employment. I am a science teacher, but have decided the full-time race is more than I want after b/c. I'll go 1/4 time this year, and am looking forward to doing some of the me-things I've put off way to long.
Keeping - sending good thoughts and prayers for your biopsy tomorrow. Two years ago I was were you are. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had taken it easier during treatment, but all I could do then was try to keep things as normal as possible. I chose the end of rads, Oct 2, as my cancerversary. You will pull through this, and come out much stronger and more focused as to what really matters.
It's "nice" to know others are experiencing the same issues I am. Our docs hold the medical knowledge, but we have the working knowledge and experience. Ya'll are a great bunch of ladies.
Hugs to you all,
Judy
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Linda,
Thanks for the info. I will talk to my Dr. to check my D levels. I know I need to watch out for bone loss. My Dr. has already told me he will write me a script for one of the meds that stop bone loss. I don't know which one yet. The family has a long history of bad oseoporosis. They have been monitoring me for it for the last 10 years. No one wants that prognosis along with cancer.
Your info about the Mamosite radiation makes me feel so much better. It's great for me for another reason, I return to school 2 weeks after finishing the treatment. This will allow me to start with the kids rather than taking a leave for the first few weeks.
I'll check out God Never Blinks. Something that makes me laugh is important at this time in my life.
Enjoy your vacation, and your time with you DD and the new baby to be. Grandkids are a God send. I'm enjoying them so much.
Karen
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My surgeon couldn't even say my diagnosis outloud. He just looked at me dumbfounded after he looked at the bottom line and wordlesslly came up beside me and pointed. "Papillary Carcinoma" it said in very black ink against very white paper. I will never forget that sight for as long as I live.
That was December 10th, 2008. That is my anniversary date as that was the real thing.
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Hi Judy,
I'm new here too. I also have 2 grandkids. I am lucky they live near by, so I get to see them often. 30 years of marrage, congrats. I see you are a Science teacher. I'm a 2nd grade teacher. I wish I could take some time off, but don't want to at this time just in case I will need it later.
Karen
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Barrie,
What is Papallary Carcinoma? I'm still trying to learn about this stuff so much to learn. I have even learned I have to kinds of cancer in the lumpectomy he got, makes my head swim. Well I guess the other isn't offically cancer its in situ. The BS didn't even mention it I found it when reading the path report.
Karen
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Back to the cancerversary stuff.......I had my biopsy the Wed or Thu before Labor Day, got the results after the weekend. In theory my sx date feels right, but that's presuming I am cancer free, and that feels like a bit of hubris, since we don't know for sure.
I know Labor Day weekend will always remind me of cancer. Maybe that's the date. On the other hand my SX was smack in the middle of pinktober, so why not.
Part of me says, just celebrate my birthday....IE next year will be my second birthday cancer free.
Oh well, every day we are here is a victory, that's the important stuff.
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Oh and welcome Kira and Judy!0
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Karen, Papillary breast cancer is just another kind of cancer. It is very rare, less than 2%!!! I have found only ONE other women on this Forum that has it; and there's over 60,000 women here. Normally I would just say IDC and that covers it. There was nothing about it when I was first diagnosed and my surgeon phoned me the night before my surgery and he told me that he found something on Google that he'd bring to show me before my surgery! DUH!!!
Barbe
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Barbe, that is so refreshing to hear of a doctor openly admitting to using Google, when usually they just browbeat us for doing so!0
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Well, okay, if you look at it that way!
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What I am saying is that your doctor looked up something on your behalf (even if he called at the last minute.) To me, that is a marked improvement over a doctor who either doesn't admit to not knowing something or who does admit it, but then can't take the time to look into something further (or have a staff member check into it.) As for "Googling," I'm sure you have read posts by women who were told, "Oh, don't read that stuff! It's unreliable." Some are very threatened that we get information from any other source besides them. Good for your doctor and his Googling!
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