MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
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My onco type was 32, no nodes. I am doing chemo. 2 down, 6 to go....
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Enough. Enough already. You know that statistic about 1 in 8 women? Well our staff which just happens to have 8 women just got a 3rd dx of breast cancer. One co-worker is several years out, (not past the magical 5 yet though) me in Feb and now the 3rd one.
argh.
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Dianarose, I am surprised they ran the OndoDx test for you, as you were neither early stage nor limited node involvement. Low score of 6 notwithstanding, I don't know of anyone who would feel safe enough to have skipped the chemo.
Hooray, Eph! The probing and prepping are definitely worth the aggravation, 'cause now you know you are good to go for the next decade. However, if you get any signs that something might be amiss, do not ignore it, and don't wait for the 10 years to be up. (Your odds are good that you did not get implanted with an alien baby this time. Sorry if that news disappoints you.)
Well, my port is in. Went in at 6 a.m., surgery around 10:45. I got bumped from being first by a trauma surgery. Got home around 1 p.m. I'm on the Vicodin now. but the port really only bothers me if I try to use the arm on that side. I found that out trying to put on my coat. Going for radiation sim tomorrow, PET scan on Weds. The wheels of treatment moving forward slowly.
Cindlyl, So much for the stats. Argh!
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Just semi-disappointed about the alien baby---my 18 yr is alien enough I think.
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Elimar- the onco test was done in March after my lumpectomy with only 4 nodes and a lower stage. In April I had the BMX which revealed all the ugly stuff along with 14 more positive nodes. Things seem to be moving very quickly for you. It's a good thing. Less time to think about it all. I hope all goes well for you.
I am having my radiation sim on Thursday. I want to get things going and over. Foob deflation on Wednesday
.Dam, it's like losing them all over again.
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Dianarose, Of course! Your story is so involved, you can't blame me for forgetting all the strange twists of it. So we can be rads buddies now, kind of, if you don't mind me going at it bass-ackwards.
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Elimar-I do a lot of things bass-ackwards these days. We will get along just fine. I have to do 28 rounds. How many do you have to do? I think my first actual day for rads will be on Monday. What about you?
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I have to do 25 rounds, and supposedly will start on Dec. 3rd also. Ya know, we will get a couple of the holiday days off along the way. Take it from me, once we start feeling the effects, having an extra off day thrown in there will be a real blessing. When I had my breast rads, that 3-day Labor Day weekend was like heaven.
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I don't have to have any boost this time. I had 3 last round and they knocked me on my butt. I just want it behind me. I sure hope it doesn't make my hair kink anymore than it is right now
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.......changing the subject......my 15 year old stepson is moving in with us next month! It's time for him to live with his Daddy! And me! I'm so excited, we've had him all summers, holidays and schools breaks but that was never enough.
I need my health to rev up so I can stay engaged in his life, school and activities. Has anyone else had an unexpected Teen move into your life full time?
Thanks,Lorraine0 -
Hi, when you all have your chemo treatments or radiation did you take time off from your full time jobs or continue working straight through. I'm not sure of my game plan yet but I'm just wondering what you have done. Thanks, LorAll
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I worked quite a bit after surgery, I was able to work from home. During chemo I tried to keep working, at least part time, but ended up taking more and more time off due to some side effects that severely limited my ability to work (I had eye issues that didn't allow me to read or look at the computer screen and that's what my job was). Then I had to get my rads 90 miles away from home, so ended up staying there during the week - that's when I totally quit work. Remember though every body handles the treatments differently and every treatment is different. I wish that I had just stopped working at the very beginning and planned a year off or so, I think that I made it harder on myself because I tried to push myself to work as much as I could, instead of concentrating on taking care of myself while I was (I got this from Susan Love) butchered, poisoned and burned! Even if it seems you're flying through the treatments, they are hard on your body.
Now that being said - I volunteer at the local infusion center and many women manage to work close to full time through their treatments, they only take a day off here and there. On the rads day they take the little local cancer bus to the center and come back and work a 1/2 day. The cancer center is 30 miles closer to the radiation center than where I live.
Some women have to work, cancer is covered under the American with Disabilities Act and your employer needs to make concessions for you during treatment - ie flexible hours, working from home, allowing more breaks - there's a great site on working and cancer - they have tons of information on working through cancer treatments from a legal and practical standpoint - http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns.
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Thanks for posting that link LindaKR. I haven't seen that before and it has some useful info. for the working woman.
firework1068, I'm not sure who here had situation like yours. We'll have to see. Tht is some good news for you and your family, good luck to you. I went thru' my cancer with teen hellions raised by me from the get-go. I did not find the teen years to be very ideal, but I survived those too. Now, with both of mine out of teenhood, I have recently been reaping the benefits of their maturity, with my older boy being especially peaceful and loving lately.
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firework-or he could go typical teen-dom & go alien on you! Be prepared!
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Looks like I'm on the right with the short white hair!
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Diana, foob deflation? Do you still have TEs/
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I just received this today from the ACS about cancer and the work place - I think it might be helpful for those of you still working also - http://images.delivery.net/cm50content/19439/59252/page1.html?acx_mid=198364&acx_rid=1-2P9KKOF
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cindyl, I hate to be the bearer of bad news and burst your happy bubble, but there is NO "magical" 5-year mark in breast cancer!!! There is NO cure for breast cancer. That's why there are "Run for the Cure" races all around the world. Breast cancer is a different beast, they don't even use the term remission anymore. You are NED if you have no evidence of disease. That's it. You have breast cancer until the day you die of something else, though most of us say we "had" breast cancer. As to this 5-year mark, I am ER+ which is a slower growing breast cancer and my dangerous time is coming up NOW at year 4. This is the time I would be more apt to recur, the further out I get. So I have to be more vigilant now. In fact my onc has brought me to 6 month visits instead of yearly.
firework, be prepare for how much they EAT!!! My sons are 30 and 31, but I remember we'd have a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and veggies and then they'd get up from the table and make some pizza pops!!!! Also, they sleep a LOT!!! Don't be scared and don't try to keep them awake. They NEED that sleep. Good luck!!!
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Oh, I know that it's just that a lot of studies talk about 5 year survival, 10 year survival, etc., and none of us have made 5 years yet, it's just so discouraging that we are our own little hot spot.
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firework, good luck with that...I hope you can keep up, but also recognize your limits at the same time.
Lorall, I did work during chemo (8 rounds). I'd have my infusion on Thurs and not work that day, but would work Fri. Sat/Sun were generally my "I feel it" days so it worked out well for me. When I did rads, I was fortunate enough to be able to work from home. The hosp where I did tx was close, so I'd go early for the zaps and be home by 9:30. I took short-term disability and only worked about 25 hours a week. Lots of factors to consider and you need to do whatever works for you.
Cindy, I know the fact is there's no cure for breast cancer, but I have no doubt in my mind that I rid my body of cancer through my course of surgery, chemo and radiation. It's been over 7 yrs for me and who knows if I'll get news to the contrary someday, but that's my belief and it serves me well! I'm a firm believe in a positive attitude having a huge impact on physical health and well-being so if I choose to wear these rose-colored glasses for this issue, I'm fine with that! Of course, that being said, I still see my surgeon every 6 mos so her trained eagle eyes (and fingers) can keep me on the right path too. Once I finished my course of tamox, I was discharged by my med onc, so I'm fine with my surgeon keep close tabs on me. I'll look forward to celebrating with you when YOU are 5 yrs out
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marlegal - smart attitude! I try to believe that cancer has been shoved out of my life. Most days I'm pretty confident. I'm doing stuff that's supposed to help, tamoxifein, better food choices, exercise. With luck it will never come knocking on my door again, but if it does? Well every day I spend worrying now is one more day cancer steals.
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Marlegal- I like your positive additude. I was feeling down today as I have to have my left foob deflated tomorrow so I get do the mapping on Friday to start rads. Someone hacked into my bank account and got 60.00 and then tried to get 99.00 out later, but my checked hadn't gone in yet. Thank God. Now I have had to cancel my debit card and checking account and the bank is working on it. Then I was watching TV and a dam mouse ran accross the living room floor. I have an old house and they manage to get in. I hate them. Traps will be set tomorrow.
Your post made me feel better. Thanks.
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You know, the whole 5 year thing is more suited to some cancers and less suited to others. It's really not that well-suited to B/C for those who have ER+/PR+ because the recurrences can be much further out than 5 years. I still think the 5-year mark is meaningful because I have to reach that before I can reach the 10-year mark, then the 15-year, then the 20-year. So first things first...get me to 5 years.
I requested my 3 tiny tatts today. The one side was a heart with "Mom" written on it. The other side was a bluebird, so I'll always be able to find my happiness. And for the middle one, I just said "surprise me." I can't quite get the magnifying glass around my backside to see what's in that final freckle (see below, left) so maybe you can tell me.
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Marlegal, why are you seeing a doc every six months then? That seems often for being 7 years out! I don't WORRY about it recurring, but I am vigilant. I am stunned by women who say they were "blindsided" by breast cancer. Are you kidding me??? You have breasts!! You are female. You are getting older! It's more like WHEN are you going to get breast cancer!! I wasn't blind-sided at all and moved quickly once it was found. No hesitation or confusion or a scramble to research my options. Any female that isn't aware right now of their chances is a fool.
Sorry, I seem a bit cranky about this, but like I said, it still amazes me when a woman is surprised. Heredity accounts for only about 8% of breast cancers. How can you feel "safe" just because it isn't in your family?? Maybe the organizations are right and AWARENESS still needs to be funded! I'd rather see all that money go into CURE, but obviously some people haven't kept up with the times...sigh.
I NEVER said "why me?", in fact it was more like "why not me?" I never cried as that is a waste of energy and cancer didn't "take anything" from me except my breasts. I was prepared for a double mast the second cancer and my name were in the same sentence and it was done 6 days later. I don't moon and gloom over a recurrence chance, but like I said, I'm aware and vigilant. If you are vigilant, then you are just like me!! Marlegal, you think about it or you wouldn't see your doc every six months. Sure our bodies are rid of cancer, but they know the recipe.
Off my soap box and apologies to anyone I've pissed off tonight. I just prefer to be a realist. Rose coloured glasses are for real life, not breast cancer...hehehehheeee (notice they're PINK!!!!)
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WWe do a Christmas tree contest on campus every year. Here's this years entry.
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"LE with lumpectomy - not unless they cut or screw up (twist?) your lymph flow system. Some lumpectomies may take out a node within the breast tissue but that would be a pretty deep lumpectomy!"
I must say that I had 5 nodes removed when I had my lumpectomy & it was not due to a screw up or a deep lumpectomy. It all depends on where the lumpectomy is done; mine was close to the surface at the ten o'clock outer quadrant of the rb.
And even if one does not have nodes removed with a lumpectomy, if they have Rads near or that encompasses the lymph node system, they are at risk for LE. I know of one sister who had no nodes removed at all but had Rads after a lumpectomy & developed LE two years later.
Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to insert my two cents.
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This article made me angry this morning. I think it should be our choice if we want both breast removed even if it is for piece of mind. I love the part where they say if it comes back a 2nd round that most of us would be cured. Again, I must have missed the article that said they found a cure. They are going to spend 13.6 million on a new interactive decision making tool. Why not take the money and find a cure and then we won't have to make these life altering decisions.
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Surprised to learn that lymphedema can show up so far out from surgery. Will the poster who had it appear 2 years later bump her comment, or share more info? One more thing to worry about!!!
Thanks!!!
(And while my Oncotype score was a low 8, I did have node involvement and chose chemo, in consultation with my MO...just wanted to throw everything at the bc. Now 9 months PFC and on Arimidex and in Metformin clinical trial...)0 -
Diana, grumble, grumble on that article.
1. It wasn't the fear of recurrence that drove me mainly. It was the description of what follow-up would be on the "good" breast - mammos every 3 months, with biopsy of anything suspicious. Sounds so fun! Not!
2. I had a bad feeling about that boob. Clinically I did not have the factors necessary for a BMX, but I insisted and the "good" boob turned out to have both hyperplasia, LCIS and DCIS. It was, in fact, the timebomb I thought it was.
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Valjean, good point about rads to add to the risk of LE. I had rather large breasts and was under the impression that my nodes were closer to the chest wall (where my tumour was!) I thought nodes were more in the muscular part and not the fatty part. Though, if someone had smaller breasts then that would cover both areas!
LE has been known to show up as late as 20 YEARS later!!! Though how they can truly "blame" a surgery that old....
I removed both breasts for symmetry and to avoid reconstruction or prosthesis. I wish they'd ask "real" people their thoughts before they write the articles! (My "good" breast was full of ADHP and was the one they were watching all those years...doi!)
Wave, as soon as you have node involvement that trumps any Oncotype score so you did what most of us would do.
Just want to add to my rather harsh comments from last night:
You get a mammogram to check for breast cancer. How can you not be thinking about cancer while you sit there?
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