MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Dianarose......I am so sorry you are going through so much at once. Deep breaths....I know how hard all of this is. Remember these tests are all for diagnostic purposes and are standard. We are all here for you and we love hearing happy news. This is what we are counting on.
Loves Christmas....oh we could be twins. I have terrible brain fog. I can't focus on anything and it drives me crazy. I love this place, yet often go for days without checking it. Then I am so far behind, and like you, have trouble with all the names. Arimidex? I think it is part of the problem. I hate feeling this way. Four years and eight months left.
To all the newbies.....a warm welcome to everyone. I will try harder to be on here more often and connect with everyone. I miss all the fun, but also want to be here to cheer you all on and offer support. Breast cancer is a long journey. The friends you make here are amazing.
Pocket party for me on Friday? I have had severe neck pain for years. Sometimes I can barely turn my head. No diagnosis. My PCP treats me with meds. It is getting worse and I am getting so weary of it. I am going to see him Friday and tell him I need to know what is causing this. I am hoping he will order an MRI and maybe actually get a diagnosis. I need this fixed if possible. Whatever it takes!
LovesChristmas....I am so sorry to hear about your friend....it is unimaginable. Her poor family. Sending tons of healing prayers and energy her way. Please keep us posted......let her family know there are lots of prayers headed their way. You came to the right place!
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Hey buds. I'm a member of hte group who doesn't get in here nearly often enough, but also one who prays for you all daily, and I'm in every pocket party whether I know about it or not!!!
Making decisions - that is so hard, I know. For me, I trusted my instincts when choosing my doctors, and I went with their recommendations. Whatever decisions you make, you just have to feel "this is right for me" and then never look back. If that decision leads to side effects from chemo or meds, so be it ... you'll deal with them. There are ways to manage most side effects, and with most treatments, the effects are temporary. Emphasis on most, because unfortunately there are times when the effects last for years, or even forever. But in some cases, even dealing with that is better than the alternative.
Anyway...a bundle of hugs for all who need hugs, cheers for the good news of clear mammos, etc., and much love to all. See you in another 5 pages or so!!!
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Loveschristmas I will def pray for your friends daughter. 15 is way too young to be dealing with ovarian cancer.
Diana will be with your for your pet scan, hopefully it will be clear.
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I was reading the addendum from my lx lab report and it is different from the biopsy one. The biopsy which was IDC said the er and pr were 90% positive. The lx which is the ILC used an Allred score. It says for both the er and pr score were 5+3=8/8. Does this mean 100%. I am not sure how to read this one.
One thing I noticed is a lot of ladies who have mets have 0 positive nodes. All the doc's worry so much when we have a positive node, but what about the ones with mets and no positive nodes. To me it's a false sense of security.
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janis, I'm coming along to your appt. for sure, and have to hear everything they say. I woke up last Fall with a sore neck (shoulders & skull too) and it never went away. I never went to the doctor. I got chiro and massage which only helps a little. I guess the joke will be on me if there is such a thing neck & shoulder mets. I think it is degenerative arthritis. Since I was whiplashed twice, it was only a matter of time til the whole area fell apart. Want to see what they say about you.
Dianarose, I'm not familiar with the Allred score. Google it, if no one here knows. Your mega-page path. report soundsdifficult to decipher what with everything going on.
LC-Barb, That is sad for a young girl to get that Dx. Hopefully she will not have to have them both out.
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{{{{Dianarose}}}} You CAN do this, and when you feel like throwing in the towel, throw it to us and we'll help you back to your feet.
After reading your posts I think back to how blessed I was. I went through all of those tests, Mammo, US, BX, Upper CT, Lower CT, ECG, Heart US, PET and plent of Bloodwork. But it all happened within two weeks and I didn't have any contact with my Onc between tests. He saved up all the information for my face-to-face appointment. There was certainly a lot to process at that appointment, but since all the test were scheduled in order, I had no idea what they might be looking for or where. I just thought this was all necessary prior to Chemo.I can only imagine what it would have felt like to get results from one test only to necessitate another test. I didn't hear any staging until that one appointment, and from then on, my treatment plan remained firm.
You can do this...YOU CAN!!!
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Eli.....I had a brain scan a few weeks ago which was normal. I have no idea if they can use those films and find anything on the neck. I am not even thinking mets...more on the line of a disc problem. My back MRI revealed a large herniation in my lower back. It rarely bothers me so I don't plan to do anything about it right now. My neck is a whole different story. Arthritis is sure possible. If it is a disc problem hoping it is fixable. I hate my neck! I can't even drive much as I have such limited range of motion. Backing out of parking spaces is tough!
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E-topper pic is quite freaky today!
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Eph, That is my special April Fool's image. Rock on!0
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Eli where do you find these pics?
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Has anyone heard from Barbe lately? I haven't noticed her posting for a few days. Barbe, I hope you are ok.
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Eli-My what big boulders she has!!
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Claire....love it!!!! She does indeed! 0
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Diana, there are many women who have mets but who had 0 positive nodes. The cancer cells don't have to show up in nodes before showing up in other organs or bones. Not sure if anyone ever explained that in a way you were able to understand. It's soooo confusing, I know. You can have malignant cells show up in nodes, as I did, but never ever show up anywhere else. That's my plan! Because I had one sentinel node test positive, I did have chemo which wasn't the original plan. But I believe 100% that my treatment rid my body of breast cancer. I trusted my docs, like I said before, and I don't look back, I only look forward. Hard as it may be to believe, I've done more and had more enriching experiences in the last 6+ yrs than I did in the prior 20. Please don't get bogged down with statistics and "what ifs". Keep a positive attitude, that's been proven to be a huge boost to the outcome of treatment for any illness, including cancer.
Meese, my course was similar to yours - I was diagnosed one week, then had a multitude of tests before surgery, then tons more between surgery and beginning of chemo. I had no time to do anything but follow the list of where I was supposed to go when! I was told by my doctor that they were standard/necessary and as I've said hundreds of times, I chose her because I trusted her, so I never minded. And like you, I had one appt after all of them to go over results, not afer each one. To each her own, but for me that worked well.
Have a good week all. I'll catch you next weekend, many pages from now
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I have a question for any of you gals who have had a BMX went thru chemo, the on Tammoxifen. I started my Tammo last June. I haven't had a single blood test from my ONC since then. I'm not looking for anything to be wrong, but am concerened about it. I saw her Friday and asked her why, and she told me her reasons why she doesn't do it. Any input from you gals will be a be help to ease my mind a bit.
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Paula66, I would be interested to hear why she does not do it. Does your PCP do annual bloodwork at least? My MO doesn't do the tumor markers on me, but he does look at the CBC (blood count) and the Chem Panel (liver function) which are just very standard tests that can indicate that something might be awry. It's what you normally have at annual physicals anyway, only now I get them twice a year from the MO.
p.s. As I posted a few weeks ago, I was interested to have my cholesterol & triglycerides checked. No, they are not the same things, and the tri's should be checked after a 12 hr. fast. It's one more little tube of blood. Some women have noticed a tendency to have their triglycerides number go up, if they are on Tamox.
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Yes, where has Barbe been? We haven't heard from her for some days now? Hope you're just taking a break, or having a computer issue (and I know how those pop up unexpectedly) and that there are no troubles health-wise.
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Woohoo I got one of my two drains removed today. The one I got removed was the one that was bothering me so much. Nurse said I should start feeling better tomorrow.
Yes been missing Barb, hope nothing is wrong.
Paula I would be interested in hearing why your MO does not do bloodwork. My MO does CBC, viat D, chem panel and tumor markers everytime I see him.
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Janis, I am with you in the neck area. I rarely drive as I cannot turn my head to the right to much. Backing out of a parking spot is crazy scary. I am affraid I will run over someone. With rads starting, I will be doing the 93 mile round trip by myself.. DH is a nervous wreck. It is what it is. I have the blue plackard, and my primary doc has stated he does NOT like me driving. Cervical degenertive disease is the worst. I would rather have it in my back.. but wait I do.. LOL
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Girls from what my Onc told me there is no real hard data linked to regular blood testing for recurrence with early stage cancer, especially if you have a BMX. She too had BC the same time I did and she takes Tammoxifen and she also doesn't do blood draws every 3 months. She says she could make lots of money by doing it, but with the data out there she feels that its just taking someones money by doing them. As for the liver fuction testing and other non BC related stuff I just go have that done with my PC.
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Paula, That is how my doc felt about checking tumor markers on me. There was no real advantage to do it, and sometimes the numbers change for non-cancer reasons and then you get an extra bonus freak-out. However, you did have more going on than I did, Dx-wise. Does your doc like to monitor with scans?
Lory48, Cervical degeneration sounds about right for me. I take glucosamine (without HLA) but no help yet. What do ya' do? They don't have NECK replacement!
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Eli I have said for years that I need a neck transplant. Nobody listens!
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Latest report that SOY IS A NO-NO for our EP+/PR+ breast cancer.
I hadn't been avoiding it, but I guess I should start reading more labels now and minimize it.
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She doesn't do scans either. I just don't know. I am abit confused. I am comfortable with her, but am so confused when I see someone here who has this that and the other done while I don't. Like I said before I'm not out to look for doom and gloom. I just am abit leary of the medical community because of all this, since I was told I had cancer the 2nd time in less then 2 years and how can I have a clean mammo then 1 yr later I have a 2.5 cm tumer growing in me. I want to just have some piece of mind I guess.
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Paula I think so many different doctors just have different protocals. I wonder too why I do not have blood work done more often. I notice that many women have their first mammogram six months after diagnosis. My doctor does it at a year. There are a lot of differences but I assume each course of treatment is planned for each individual case. Maybe there is no definite standard. So I understand how you feel, it is often confusing. It is so important the we are all comfortable with our course of treatment.
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Neck Replacement..lol I have said that many times..
I just learned I have been selected for Casting for Recovery Idaho.. I am so excited to partake!! I feel so blessed to be chosen..
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Lory I have no idea what that is. Can you PM me and fill me in?
I am sorry you have to make that long drive alone. I worry about driving too. I am going to see my PCP on Friday and see if he can order tests to diagnose (if possible) my neck problem. I want it fixed so badly! What do you do or take for your neck issues? I know how severe the pain can be.
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Lory congrats on Casting For Recovery I went this last fall and had a great time. It came at a time that I really needed it. When is your's scheduled?
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June 8-10.. I am so excited to have this time with fellow BC sisters I will just be finishing rads.. and ready for a new look into this world...
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Lory have a great time.
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