MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
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Chacha, Did you just have unilateral mastectomy, then? One-sided? I have heard that the percentage of local recurrence after mastectomy is 2%-5% tops. Maybe the Arimidex is being offered as a prophalactic on a remaining breast??? Especially because you were multifocal. It would seem like you had the ability to grow things in there.
Your tumors were tiny, tiny and nodes clear. The docs don't have reason to suspect spread, otherwise the chemo would have been on the agenda, for sure. I'm not familiar with Herceptin, but I don't think they use that prophalactically. I know women with HER2+ larger tumors, node positives, aggressive Grade 3's usually do get Herceptin, so it seems like the doc feels your risk is extremely low and just not worth it...that the Arimidex is just better for overall umbrella-like protection.
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Thanks elimar, yes I had a unilateral MX. My Onc said my risk of recurrence is "less than" 10%......but he didn't clarify whether the Arimadex was prophylactic on the other....in fact I old him that I was considering having the other breast removed during DIEP reconstruction and he said that was one option for peace of mind....but didn't say the Arimadex treatment would change. What you say about the tiny nature of the tumor and negative nodes makes sense though.
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went to PS today and he said I look amazing. He did my first fills and they did not hurt just a little tight but no bigging. I have always been so flat chested that I have cleavage for the first time in my life. Feels kinda weird.
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I am off to surgery land in the morning scheduled for 6 am ... sad mom is here .. gonna take valium and pray for sleep .. hugs girls xoxoxoxox
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Hi All, Sorry I have been so AWOL. I'm too far behind but did skim a few posts. Welcome home Jo! Heal and rest. Janis, you too get some rest and healing time! I know you so don't be going out and working on that garden! Welcome to all the newbies but sorry we have to meet because of BC. I've been very busy with end of semester at my one job and beginning of spring/summer season at the other. My department head is going on sabbatical so I have to break in a new bio department head. LOL! My retail work is picking up too. Seasonal change has brought out the shoppers. The biggest thing tho has been my battle with my depression. It's really put me into a bad funk of mind and I'm not dealing well with it lately and the meds for it are not working well either. DH did get a new job and loves it, even got a raise! Even that didn't get me feeling better. Sounds like a pity party in my head, so I thought a good vacation would help. My BFF and I did plan a trip and then her DH found out he has cancer! I'm really hating the "C" word right now. Damn thing has again ruined my plans for a vacation just like when I was diagnosed. Can I ever get away from it! I see the RO on Wednesday, hope that she doesn't add to this crappie feeling and has something positive for me. Sinking slowly and not sure how I can get back up to the surface. Sad Kitty.
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{{{{{Kitty}}}}}
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((((KITTY)))))
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(((((((((kitty)))))))))))
you deserve a vacation!!
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((((((((kitty))))))
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(((((kitty))))) and prayers for you...
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Kitty, you are always welcome here, regardless of state of mind. Let it all out. I'm happy to hear some good news about your husband working. Life is ALWAYS like that, the good with the bad. The thing about depression is that we can't get happy enough about the good and we play up the bad even more. Sometimes meds are required, so if yours aren't doing the job, gtive your doc a call. Maybe it is time for a higher dosage or a switch?
I have not had a real vacation since 2008. I know it would do wonders for me and I am working on it this year, but also have things that are getting in the way. So frustrating. Things may work out in a last minute kind of way but, you know, at least part of the fun is the anticipation which you don't get if everything is last minute. Arrgh!
lisamarie68, Good Luck today. Brought some snacks for all those in your pocket today. It's fresh berry fruit tarts. (Oh, Elimar, are you feeling guitly about that whole plane-load of Cheetos you dropped down yesterday? Never! I just like to switch it up, if you don't mind!) Enjoy!
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Omigosh - scrambling to get in lisamarie's pocket - scoot over? Thanks - got distracted with boring work stuff. MMMMM....berry tarts.....0
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Kitty- you need to do something for you. Go shopping, get your hair done, or something just for you.
I went to see the RO this morning. The good news is I only need 28 rads instead of 33.
The bad news is I did my math wrong and it was 17 positive nodes out of 17 and he said that he was calling the PS to tell her not to give me any fills on the left side until after rads and to just fill the right side because he is afraid it would get in the way of radiation. I will be walking lop sided for months. Every time I go to any of these appointments it is always something else that is depressing. When I try to find a positive they snatch it up.
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Hi Kitty! I was having bad mood swings (partly the dx but also being taken off the HRT!)
My primary gave me Prozac......which I was pretty dubious of, but it's been a life-saver for me!0 -
Hi guys, it's been awhile. Had to take a break for a bit. I was hoping it would help me move beyond cancer a bit...but the nasty thing has drug me back in.
Got a kind of different scenario and I would love to run it by you guys. After 4 seperate tests done on my originial biopsy, (3 of which came back as equivocal or unclear, 1 of which came back negative) it was decided I was Her-2 negative and triple negetive. I went to my new oncologist for the second time last Monday. He informs me that he had my internal node tested for Her-2 and it came back positive, so he wants to start Herceptin. Here's the catch...a note on the new pathology report says: node demonstrates a positive result for Her-2, however, it should be noted the fixation time is unknown and may not be between the recommended 6-48 hours. This has been known to lead to a false positive response.
So...I am torn between thinking, If there is something else that could work I should use it and the fact that since it has no effect at all on Triple Neg then if this is a false positive I am doing a year of Herceptin side effects for nothing! Doc said, "Her-2 stage III has a very negative prognosis without Herceptin, so I think we should assume the positive is correct and do it." IDK..second opinion maybe? request testing on other tissue samples removed? Just accept my fate and go with it? IDK...my head feels like it would explode.
What would you do if you thought you were done and then the docs said...maybe it's this other kind...let's do more? Thoughts?0 -
lwarstler- that is crazy- poor you. I would be really upset too. I didn't know about the6-48 hour thing. Is there any other testing that can be done? Mine were sent to a lab in California for that particular test. I am in Maine, so I don't see how mine was done in that time frame. If they are frozen does it matter. I wouldn't want to do meds with SE for nothing either. I feel bad for you.
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lwarstler, your hospital will still have your 2cm mass (in conveniently thin slices) stored in parafin. My common sense idea would be to ask the doc (or a second opinion doc, if you like that better) to get *several* of them all sent out to the lab he trusts most. Hopefully, that would give you a conclusive result.
All the testing could cause ripples with your insurance co., perhaps, and might require a doctor's letter on why all the testing. Still, I don't blame you for not wanting to take Herceptin for a year, based on iffy, maybe, and possible false positive. Heck, I didn't even want to do Tamox., til I knew I was not one of the 10% who have trouble metabolising it.
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Diana hate that you have to be lopsided for a few months. We do want to at least look nice,
Kitty Big Hugs to too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lwarstler-I think Eli has given excellent advice as usual.
Eli-Why oh why does life have to get in the way of vacations? Mines seems to be doing that the last few years as well.
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Diana and Sherry: Thanks for the support, it does kind of suck.
Eli: That's a great idea about sending off multiple slices. I called the pathologist's office and evidently the fixation times (when they were put in the preservative) were not written on any of the samples. Only one slice was recorded and sent off for the final Her-2 (which came back equivocal). The issue he said is that the fixation time isn't known for any of the other samples. However, I think if they tested 5 or 6 and they all came back positive, I would feel better. I'll call the onc tomorrow and see if he will order them. If not, it might be second opinion time.
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Thank you all for the warm hugs! Feeling a little better today. After work I went for a pedicure with my DIL and had a short girls night out with some shopping and eats. She's a stylist and is going to do my hair this weekend so I'm looking forward to that. She's having our next grandson in July so we also had some fun picking out some new maternity outfits for her and a few newborn outfits for the babe. I see the RO tomorrow morning but I'm trying hard to not think negative. Just routine....just routine.... Kitty
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Kittygirl - love the pic! Show them what you got!
Sending warm wishes and ((hugs)) for a brighter day today.
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I am going back to work part time this week, Will work afternoons. Then Monday it is back to full time. I have relaxed and enjoyed my time off for once. I hate to go back to work, but I need the insurance and I have a great boss. So back to the grindstone.
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Sherryc..
I went back to work last week.. only part time to start.. Feels great.. I am lucky to have good insurance and was covered for the full eleven months I was off.. My insurance company set up a back to work schedule for me slowly working back up to full time over five weeks.(3days 4 hours.. 4days 4 hours, 5 days four hours, 5 days six hours, 6 days 8 hours) . Was told if you go back at a gradual back to wok program you tend to do better..I was hoping to go back faster, but am now glad I am following this program.. Four hours is enough for now.. my job is fast paced days ..
Should have my recon about the time I am up to full time, so will be off again for a few weeks.. Glad I got a great boss and good insurance
Good luck going back to work.. remember to listen to your body
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Went to the PS this morning and she said everything looked good and will get my first fill in 2 weeks on the right side (left will be done after rads) I went to PT and it really hurt as I have a lot of cording going on under my arms, but it really helps. She is great.
I am going back to work tomorrow too. I am looking forward to it. It will help me with my arms as well as I really need a pay ck too.
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So I feel really bad. Karma has got me cuz I didn't have y'all in my pocket this morning. I had a blood draw and a abdominal CT with contrast. I warned them that I was a troublemaker--my vein on my non-radiated is shot due to my many years of generous, unselfish blood donations. Now they can't draw blood in either arm very easily. With this scan, they said the iv had to go in a central vein so the contrast would go directly to my heart instead of around my arm, shoulder and back. After 15 minutes of thumping, arranging and rearranging the tourniquet, he "thought" he had my vein. After verifiying with another nurse, they went ahead. After 30 years of blood donations, I had never felt such pain. They couldn't get the blood draw as the needle slipped and came out. Blood everywhere. They got me a bed, after some o.j. and making sure that I wasn't going to throw up and pass out.(I have never had that problem before, so I was a little freaked) They took me to a holding area for about 45 minutes until they could get a PICU nurse to come down and stick me. She was able to put the iv in my forearm, again, wussy me, almost passed out again. She couldn't get that to draw so she had to stick me AGAIN in the hand to actually get the draw. Talk about a pincushion. The poor rad tech was apologizing out his you know what. He had a nurse stay with me constantly to make sure I was ok (or not sue, complain??) They actually were so upset with themselves, I felt sorry for them. After I was done, the ct tech gave me a meal chit for the cafeteria because "the supervisor wanted to apologize for all I went thru." That was the best tasting hospital food I have ever had!!-----the funny thing is I am not at all ticked off about the whole thing. Didn't give them much to work with. and the one thing I have learned while going thru all this stuff is that you can't get yourself worked up about some things. If I had been nasty to them, they probably wouldn't have done their job any better. Kinda like the waiter spitting in your soup. It just doesn't pay to piss off the people that are there to help you.
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So May 21st is my pretesting. PLEASE be in my pocket for that!! And should I say I have a dentist appointment this Monday?? hehehehehee
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i'll be there claire
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Claire- that was a Hell of a day. I was getting stressed reading your post. I was asked if I wanted them to draw blood from the top of my foot. You might want to try that way next time. I hope everything works out for you. I will be in your pockt too.
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Lordy, Claire, what a day. Bet you were really glad to be done with all that! I'll definitely be in your pocket next time.
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Wow Claire...that was a day! I'll be in your pocket next time...
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