CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
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I am so upset with this proposal, We all have sisters, daughters, mothers and friends.
My DD are scheduled for the first Mammo when they turn 35. If its approved how many women will be effected. Majority of BC Sisters are young. This no longer an older women Disease
We need to do everything possible to fight against this proposal.
I think I need to SLAP whoever started this nonsense.
Sorry I needed to vent
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Thank YOU Sheila and all! Check out the new forum at the top of the discussion boards (new forum). Sign your names!0
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Hadn't been here in a few weeks and saw this thread when I came to growl with others who will get that these new guidelines are both stupid and deadly.
I'm Stacie, and I'm a Stage 1er - diagnosed with a mammogram at age 38. It was a follow-up to one of what the new study and guidelines calls a pesky, unnecessary biopsies 9 mos. earlier. That first, pesky, 'false alarm', unnecessary biopsy may have been negative - but it saved my life.
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I signed my name. I pray to GOD this works.
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ME TOO.
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What a great thread. I think I am stage 1 or 0 or 0.5 who knows? A wonderful lady here Beesie stated that I was stage 1 with a letter after it. I had DCIS with microinvasion, multicentric, grade 3. I had right sided mx due to the multiple areas of cancer. I am in my 11th month of the "immediate" reconstruction. I may just lurk for awhile, but really do enjoy reading your posts. Thanks.
Jan
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Seyla888, don't get too upset with the personal concern for your daughters. I say this because now that any of our daughters have a first degree relative with B/C (US!), they all have family histories which doctors probably WOULD want them to get an earlier screening. Any daughter could push a strong request for a mammo for this reason.
The women at more potential risk (if the guidelines do change) are the 40-50 group, with little or no risk factors or histories who, as WE know, can get cancer anyway. A mammo could be their only hope at early detection.
In my case, the mammos didn't matter. I was faithful about following the current guidelines, but had to do all the work and find the lump myself anyway. To me, the article is most disturbing in that the Task Force recommends against self-exams claiming they have no value. WTH! I beg to differ! Besides, why would anyone not encourage a woman to do something free and easy that can save her life. That is just retarded!
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Watch Dr. Weiss tomorrow morning at 8am EDT on Good Morning America if you can.
She is reading the threads tonight, and will discuss the outpouring of responses.
Thank you Everyone!
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I was dx at 44, no family history, only risk factor is having kids at 32 (but I did breast feed them).
My cancer was found by a routine annual mammogram - which I did because I was supposed to but honestly thought it was an inconvenient waste of time as "it did not run in my family". Well, here I am - thank goodness I had my mammograms!
Mine was non palpable so who knows when it would have been detected and what stage it could have grown to.
This is the most ridiculous medical guideline I have heard. Most of the women I know are under 50 and being diagnosed with no "risk factors".
Yes, my life matters more than the $200 a year a mammogram will cost.
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I'm not a stage I, but stage III. I was diagnosed at 46-and had mammos every year after 40. If I had waited until 50, it would have been too late for me. This is ludicrous. How many deaths will it cause-one is too many, especially when it could have been prevented. We have to join this battle. I'm very afraid this is just the beginning of what the future holds when healthcare is controlled by the government. Call your congressman.
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Hi ladies, oohh, I love coming in here after a day off, so much to get caught up on! I wanted to share what I do post maintenance... I got an MRI plus mammo at the one year mark as mammo did not catch my original tumor (One reason, I was 36 at diagnosis and did not have a baseline mammo to go from) The MRI gives me peace of mind. AS well, I am on 50,000 IU of Vitamin D per week. This is one pill, green in color, and I take it as my Vitamin D level is super low.
I take daily Tamoxifen... and I, too get Zometa infusions every six months for my bones... I do not think I ever had a bone scan that I recall... not sure why the dr has me on the Zometa other than he claims it has benefits for early stagers! So, I do whatever they will allow me to take for prevention.
I have a random question, when do we start counting our years out, is it after original diagnosis, after chemo/rad treatment? It confuses me. I was dx in June 2008, ended radiatin treatment in January 2009. Am I a little over a year out or less than a year?
BTW- HAd my celebration of life party yesterdy, HAD A BLAST!! FEELING a bit hungover today
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Nicole...According to my oncology nurses, and NP. The day you receive that phone call with a DX june 2008 so that makes it about 18 months out.
Celebration of Life Party must been wonderful. Very happy for you and your little hungover haha
Sheila
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SHEILA,
You made my night!!! THANKS FOR THE INFO!
Cheers!
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Well, I was 54 @ dx, and have had routine mammos since 40. Until I was 50 I think it was every 2 years & then every year @ 50. My BC was discovered by mammo, no palpable lump & altho I am in the "safe age" of over 50 I can not imagine why this is even being discussed as a possible change. I guess we can't say the insurance companies are behind it, cause they'll be losing money. I agree with TJW!
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Hi Rose47. Did your onc recommend chemo? I am er/pr + and her-. I had a lumpectomy on Oct 7,2009. My nodes and margins were negative. My thoughts re: treatment are radiation and hormone therapy.
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Aprilgirl,
This may sound ignorant, but what does non palpable mean?
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Nicole-nothing is ignorant if you don't know what it is-how else will you find out? non-palpable means "not felt". Or at least that's my definition.
Joni
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Joni...I just learned something new. I always read it but I didn't know what it meant.
Now I can say it that I had a none palpable lump.
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Now I can say mine was palpable... and undetectable in the mammo!
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Okay you ladies should have heard me yelling at the TV. I am one with no risk factor and if I had not done my SBE for the year prior to finding my lump I would have thought nothing of it BUT I knew it was something I needed to get checked out. What I heard on the news is going to hurt a lot of young women and whoever recommends it should be ashamed of themself.
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Hello ladies. I am so glad to be a part of this community. It's good to share with others who are on the same journey. Right now I am undecided about chemotherapy. My onc wants me to start on December 1. My oncotype D result is 25. If I do decide on chemo, do I do it with port or iv? So many decisions.
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Welcome pephillips....If you have tiny veins which your oncologist will tell you, its a very good idea to have a port. I had one put in and believe me I was so grateful. Again its a personal decision. Also I've been reading some BC sisters have theirs either under the arm or not sure exactly where. Someone else can explain it to you I'm sure. Mine was above my unaffected breast.
Good Luck to you.
Sheila
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pephillips, I had a port because I'm a "hard stick", my veins are practically impossible to find. Trust me, I hated the port, but I loved that they didn't have to dig for a vein each time I went in for my chemo treatments. And like Sheila said, I've read about some ports being "installed" in other places other than below the collarbone like mine was. If your onc is someone you trust, that should make your decision easier. If you are in a quandry, I'd ask for a 2nd opinion, take your info to another doc and just see what they have to say.
Joni
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Thanks Sheila. I do have good veins. I guess the onc will let me know what he thinks when I visit him on Dec 4. Are you on any treatments?
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No. I was done with all my treatments including Herceptin for 52 weeks On September 12, 2006
Im on hormonal therapy Femara since March of 2006. ( I always kept a journal that how I know all the dates.) And I see my Oncologist every 4 months for TM test.
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Thanks Joni for your input. I'm just taking it all in and hoping for the best. Take care. 0
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That mammo change is RIDICULOUS! I was dx'd this year at age 37. I have NO cancer in my family of any kind for generations. I would be DEAD at age 40. Were they planning to take care of my 4 kids when I'm gone?
I think I saved the insurance company a lot of money because I DIDNT need chemo, and all that other jazz...and my kids dont need psychiatric help because they still have me around...They also learned that in some instances, cancer does not have to kill...thanks to a MAMMOGRAM that I only got because my gyn said just get a baseline since you're between 35-40. No bumps lumps or concerns. No risk factors...not one (except maybe having a little extra weight on me...)
How can these people say "early detection" is the key and then take it away. They will have a lot of blood on their heads if they pass this. If they need to reduce spending, how about taking away some of the ridiculous programs that benefit no one...
SHAMEFUL THAT THEY WOULD EVEN THINK TO SUGGEST THIS!!!!!!
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Pephillips,
I chose to have chemo also based on my oncotype test. I had four TC's which were doable. I had many complications with reconstruction that I decided I did not want to have port put in and have another surgery. The oncologists managed to find veins for the four treatments. Remember if you go without a port one can do a number of things ...drink plenty of fluids , use a heating pad, exercise hands .. all prior to treatment.
You can PM me if you have any questions.
Hugs,
Francine
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Self Exam Not Valuable?
What?The government panel that just recommended a more lax approach on the screening guidelines also "Recommends against breast self-exams based on findings from two large studies showing the practice to have no value."
I did the self-exam on my breasts on a regular basis. That is how my cancer was found. If you feel it is a valuable method to detect breast cancer, please stop by a thread I created on this issue and leave a comment. (Opposing views tolerated, tho' probably debated)
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/110/topic/744035?page=1#idx_1
Hope you don't mind, seyla888, that I inserted a link on you. The screening guidelines issue is the big story, but I'm finding this additionally disturbing. Thanx!
[Edit: Link having a problem, please cut and paste. I'll try to fix it if I can.]
[Edit: Link problem fixed. Hope it stays that way.]
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http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HealthyLiving/experts-debate-breast-cancer-screenings/story?id=9101256
This is the the link of the full length video of GMA this morning
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