CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
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Hi girls - I had my lumpectomy last Tuesday and saw my surgeon today. Hooray my lymph nodes and margins are clear. I see the oncologist Monday 2/8 and will find out my treatment plan. My surgeon said that "everybody" nowadays has radiation and that chemo will depend on my oncotype score and how aggressive the oncologist wants to be. I am premenopause and 46 years old. Any thoughts???? Thanks for listenting.
Kathy
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I am also premenapausal so am pretty much waiting to see what happens tomorrow at oncolog appointment,I have no idea what to expect!!
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Erika
I have a little calendar in the kitchen and check off each day when I take my Tamoxifen - at night before bed - and that's it - just part of my night time routine like brushing my teeth. I may wake up warm sometimes - but I must sleep through any other side effects. Remember, just because the SE's are listed, that doesn't mean you will get all of them or any of them.
I purposely did not read the side effects because I did not want to expect to get them. What I expected was to be thrown into full blown menopause... that did NOT happen. I am as regular as ever - and at 44 I have to say I am glad to still have my periods. I am losing some weight (that's a PLUS) and my mood is even better! Some people get irritable but the opposite seems to be happening for me & some people need anti depressants. I am not sure if it's the Tamoxifen or just realizing what isn't important anymore.
All that said, you will make the best choice for YOU! It is what you can live with and sleep with. Just being able to sleep at night knowing I am making the right choices for my self is key. If it were keeping me awake stressing over it, I would be making the wrong choice.
YES I AM getting excited to get my soft squishy implants on 2/18 it's coming up FAST! I took some picts of the TE's fully expanded a few weeks ago and looked at them today. I think they look even better after a few weeks. I will probably take some the night before surgery and then after the swap. I will take more before the nipples and after nipples and then the same with the tattoos.
It's weird because they look different in photos than in the mirror or when I look down directly at them. The photos show what I can't see from my view. I will post them when I have before and after shots to compare.
I had 7 fills on top of the 300cc that were there from the placement of the TE's. If you have any questions, just ask... I learned the hard way to tell my PS I needed more drugs! I knew it would be 3 days of pain after a fill and then the massages made all the difference after I was finished expanding.
Good luck making your choice and then you can always change your mind later!
Kimberly
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Irishmom & running-girl
Great news both of you have clear nodes! YaHoo!!!!
I was going to have rads if I stopped at the lumpectomy, but my path report came back worse than expected and I went with a bilateral mastectomy and skipped the rads.
My lumpectomy Oncotype score came in at 13 then the mastectomy came back at 9 = no chemo for me.
My post to Erika has more info in it, but ask any and all questions! SOMEBODY will help you out!
Kimberly
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Irishmon and Running-girl - That is wonderful that you got clear margins! You must feel very relieved! My lumpectomy was 4.5 cm and they only got clear margins on 4 our 20 blocks around the cancer,. so back to surgery for me later in the month. I am not sure if I will need any other treatment after my bmx, depends on what they find.
DenverDiva - I am praying that your biopsy results are good!
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DenverDiva ~ Love your new avatar! Still keeping B9 thoughts for you, Susan, with a gentle hug your way.
Welcome to running-girl & Irishmom ~ That is such good news about no nodes affected & clear margins. I was the same, it was such a relief. Because I had a lumpectomy, I had Rads. My Oncotype dx score was 14, so I did not have chemo. Ask anything of us when you find out what your treatment will be. Someone is always here. Please keep us posted.
carolehalston ~ I haven't played golf in about 2 years, due to my surgery & my DH's shoulder surgery & then hand injuries. I do love it & miss it. Hopefully this summer! I have been on the AI Aromasin for a year & have only minor SE's. The loss of cognitive function has slowly gotten better. I don't zone out quite so much anymore! LOL
Hi to everyone else!
{{hugs}}
Valerie
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Valerie, glad to hear that your cognitive function has slowly gotten better. Hope you can get back on the golf course this summer. I'm playing this morning at 9am. It's an organized event with the women's golf assoc. at the club where we play. Today is supposed to be cool, in the high 50's so I'll have to dress for the weather. I'm a "high handicapper," but I love being outdoors and especially outdoors on a golf course. I played tennis many years before switching to golf. Any tennis players in our group?
Good luck to all of us Stage Ones having surgeries and treatments. It's so wonderful to get through the recovery and back to everyday life. BC changed me so that I rarely let things bother me any more.
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Irishmom: I had a lumpectomy & clear nodes.On my first vist w/ the oncologist, she talked about all the different treatment options. She did a blood test for my oncotype score. I had a low score(14), so chemo was not part of my plan I had radiation for 5 weeks & now I am taking Tamoxifen. It ttok about 2 weeks for the results. PS: I am premenopausal.
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Hi Everyone,
I only have a few minutes to post as I am at work, but I just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got my biopsy results and they were B9!!!!! Just fat necrosis, I am so relieved. Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers, it really helped me deal.
Love and Hugs,
Susan
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Susan...I'm so very relieved for you. congratulations and thank You for sharing your good news.
Sheila
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IrishMom and running girl,
It is so nice to hear all the good news. February is already started right.
Hugs
Sheila
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Hip hip hooray! Wonderful news!
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Good news, Susan!!!
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Hey Ladies just thought I would let everyone know that after 39 radiation treatments I am now officially finished!!!! I am a kripsy fried fritter but done never the less. lol!!! I I practically danced out of the Rad Onc's building. heehee!!! I would love to treat myself to something special but wouldn't you know that I am on call this weekend and actually have to go in and train one of my new nurses on Sat. Oh the joy's of being a Director of Nursing.
I hope everyone else is having a great day and week!
Irishmom and runninggirl - Congrats on the clear lymph nodes!!!
Susan - congrats on the B 9 !!!!!
What a way to start off Feb... seyla888 is so right!!!
Renee
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Congrats to all for clear nodes & B9 results!! Wahoo!
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So happy to hear all the good news for everyone.
Running - girl - Let me know how the oncologist visit was. I'm making a list of questions for my appointment on Monday, Hope all went well.
Kathy
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mimi...What a nice and happy day this is.
Lets Call February 4th a Holiday for< Good News Day>.
Sheila♥
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Sounds like a winner to me Sheila ... Come on "Celebrate, good times, Come ON!!!"
Renee
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Good to hear all the good news!!!! 0
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YAHOO!!!! (I don't know how to make the font bigger so trust me, my yahoo has much more pizazz than it looks like)
Joni
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Hi Renee...congratulations on completing your rads. Yay for you! Whoo Hooo.
I am wondering about something and if you don't know the answer have you seen this discussed much at this site?
I am probably going to take tamoxifen but I was wondering how long I will have to take it (I am 58) and what would happen if I stopped taking it after awhile. I will certainly ask my oncolgist these things as well but I see you are a nurse and can't help but wonder what you think of my idea.
I do not yet know my Her status or my ONC score. I am still in the waiting line up as my surgery (lumpectomy) was only Januray 8th.
Again...congratulations and thank you for your time.
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Hey Everyone,
Thank you for your well wishes!!!! I agree, February is of to a rousing start! So glad that others have had good news too.
Renee, I love your description of yourself! I am so happy that you are finished now. CELEBRATE!!!!
Irishmom, and running-girl I am happy that you are doing well.
Linda, I think that most people are told they will take Tamoxifen for 5 years. I have been on it for 2 months with no real side effects. I know that some switch to Aromatase Inhibitors at some point and that menopausal status matters in which drugs you can take. You are at the beginning of the journey, but you are in good company. Best wishes!!!
Shelia, and Meece, your support on this thread along with so many other stage 1 sisters is so appreciated!!!! Carolinachick, and Carolhalston, I always love reading your posts, thank you for sharing. Joni, and Grakenmom, your encouragement of everyone means a lot. You are all very special to me. Warm wishes from Colorado!
Hugs,
Susan
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hello
i asked the same question on a different board, did anyone question the need for tamoxifen? has anyone declined taking it? still doing research on it. need to find a CAM practitioner.
thanks
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Linda, 5 years seems to be the time frame for taking Tamoxifen. I believe research shows that taking it longer can be more harmful than beneficial. I'm supposed to take Arimidex (AI) for 5 years and then switch to Femara. A lot can change in medical treatment in 5 yrs, so I'll just have to wait and see what the thinking is when my 5 yrs is up.
The oncotype test results is based on the assumption that a woman will be taking Tamoxifen for 5 years.
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Hi 131mom - a trusted nurse and my onc each quoted to me the 40% reduction in recurrence rates by taking Tamox, and also that taking it for 5 years is the recommended time period. Apparently taking it for less than 5 years decreased the benefit, and taking it for over 5 years showed no increased benefit. (It's been a while since I've looked this up, so please don't take this info to the bank, for some reason it just stuck in my head). So, the "need" for Tamox is, of course, individual, if you're willing to deal with any se's for the decreased recurrence risk.
Best to you in your decisions. xo,E
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carolehalston...I have been on Femara since March of 2006.
Do you know why your DR put you on Arimidex first?
Thanks
Sheila
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Sheila, I wondered the same thing. One of my bc.org friends on another thread is on Femara and doesn't have any problem with SEs. When I see my dr. again in June, I'll ask her.
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carol...I didn't have any SE from Femara either, except few hot flushes at the beginning.
My body took it very well. I'm suppose to be on it for 5 years.
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Congrats to all for clear nodes, completing radiation & Benign results!
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