Stage II w/Lymph Node Involvement
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ktsmny - have you asked your doctor about the knot? It could be scar tissue... could just be that you are not doing enough stretching... but I would ask doctor (either surgeon or oncologist or both).
Lilah
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Hi ktsmny, I still have a large lump, at my excision on my breast. It's been examined my a GP, my Onc., my Breast Care NP, and my surgeon. My surgeon gave me a biopsy, even though he didn't think it was anything other than scar tissue. No cancer! But on that note, I had it checked. My surgery was in April and then again in May of 08, and I still have scar tissue, but it's finally not as painful, and less noticeable. Onc.'s arn't always, the best at breast exams, see your surgeon, and he can set up appts. with a breast care nurse. I saw mine every 3 months, for one year. and she was also a breast cancer patient, so she was a great comfort.
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That Wolfie, my Schnauzer! But I've seen bigger cats.
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Aw he's a cutie! Great name for a Schnauzer too because they think they are far more ferocious than they really are
Lilah
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Thanks Lilah and Leggy. I have had the surgeon, the radiation doc and the oncologist look at it at my regular appointments. The surgeon says its scar tiissue and the two oncs say its fluid but nobody seems to address how long the pain may last. I have appointments with the onc in Feb and with the surgeon in March for routine followup.My surgeries were in May (lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy, and node dissection.)
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Are any of you taking Arimidex?
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ktsmny... Hi. I'm taking Armidex. Switched from Femara because of all the deep bone pain I was having. I'm still having joint pain on the Armidex but not quite to the extent of when I was on Femara.
For your peace of mind, I would continue to badger them about the pain and the "knot" your feeling....
Hope all you ladies have a blessed day!
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ooops Arimidex...lol
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Oh yeah Lilah, Wolfie thinks he's a Rottwiler. Little man syndrome.
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LOL Leggy - that is so cute.
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ktsmny,
I have a lot of pain on my right side, from where the lymph nodes were down to the bottom of where my bra would be (if I wore won now!). I have to keep a pillow under my right side when I sleep, because if I roll onto it it hurts and wakes me up. So I think it's normal. I finished chemo in Sept, rads in November.
I'll see my radiation onc for an exam tomorrow and will ask her about it. I'll let you know if she sheds any light on what's going on, but I would think it's just the effect of rads and scar tissue.
Jo Anne
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Hi ladies-
Can everyone tell me if they had any testing done when they were done with chemo? (I might have asked this before, not sure though. Chemo Brain) Onc. says that they just give too many false postives and that if the cancer would reoccur or metastisize that the treatment would be the same, not matter if they found it early or later. Is that the same thing that anyone else was told? I'm having a hard time not knowing if the rest of my body was clear. Also, did anyone have radiation done after a mastectomy? I wonder about this because of the lymph involvement.
Thanks for any help on this.
Jo
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Hi Mama - in my case I was told MX means no radiation. So I did not have radiation (had MX). Finished chemo in November and just saw my Onc. The only tests she wants to run now are MUGA every three months (I am still on Herceptin til next summer) and bone density test (because chemo put me into early menopause -- I'm in my late 40s but Onc said my ovaries will not be starting up again, thanks to the chemo). She said that since the Pet Scan I had before I started chemo was clear and since the pathology on the tissue removed at MX in December was cancer free, I don't need any further tests. Oh I will be having a mammo on my healthy breast prior to my exchange plus lift/reduction in the spring (no date yet for either).
Hope this helps.
Lilah
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No scans here except for a CAT scan in December of my head, due to some dizziness (all clear thank goodness). I have a mammogram scheduled for April, for the other breast.
I did have radiation after a mastectomy, 28 rounds. It was because of the lymph nodes and I think also partially due to my young age (32 at dx). My RO said they are finding survival rates to be better in cases where someone has had positive nodes, even with the mx, so I said, sign me up!
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Lilah and Lauren3... Thanks for answering. It makes me feel that I have reason to question him a little further. I appreciate it.
Jo
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No more tests here either!! My dr told me the same as yours, Jo. I don't even get blood tests and will just have a mammo on the remaining breast once a year, it is a little un-nerving. I had a mx, chemo and I had rads too - I did have node involvement and LVI. Now I'm on tamox and unlike a lot of the women who post here I was not tested to see if I metabolise Tamox so I don't even know if this is doing me any good. I worry about every ach, pain, lump and bump!!!! I really hope I learn to cope with this sooner tather than later!!! Hope you will too!!!
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MAMAQ, My oncologist told me I would just have mammograms ( every 3 to 6 months on the rt breast and once a year on the non-involved lefty....I think) for followup but that most recurrances are ususally found by the patient herself. I did have a pet scan before the chemo began and it did not indicate any cancer had spread beyond the breast lump and one lymph node. All this uncertainty is surely hard to take, isn't it. She did say that if I am worried about any symptom to come in to see her and that worrying is normal....fat lot of good that is.
Thanks for the info on what you're experiencing, jaelsne. It helps to "talk" to someone going thru the same thing. I have been taking Naproxen (Rx strength Aleve) and that seems to help some. I also have tried Darvocet but the Naproxen seems to be better. The lymphodema expercises seem to help some too. so maybe the fluid theory is right.
Arnie2 ... I understand that Arimidex is going generic sometime this spring so at least we'll save some $. lol
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ktsnmy,
I talked with my radiation oncologist today. She told me that I'm still "cooking" six weeks after I finished rads. I'm more swollen now than I was six weeks ago. She's going to check me again after another six weeks go by--and at that time she tells me that I should be feeling less pain. The fatty tissue that remains is in the process of hardening, and that causes swelling and pain.
I also asked about fear--as I mentioned in an earlier post, my oncologist set me off into a week long anxiety attack when he told me that "because you're lymph positive, you'll always have to live with uncertainty." My radiation oncologist told me that she disagrees. She said that you can predict chances on a large population group, but not with an individual. She's seen people with DCIS that come back a year later with a serious recurrence, and people with many positive nodes that live a long and fruitful life. She said that we all live with uncertainty--we could get hit by a car walking across the street today, but we don't think about it all the time. Then she went on to say that the statistics we're using are already ten years old, and that cure rates improve by 2% per year--if there is a recurrence further down the line, perhaps it will be very treatable in the future.
Anyway, it was a nice visit. Now we scheduled my one year mammo--for March.
Jo Anne
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It so true, we all live with uncertainty, I never know which side of bed I'll wake up on. Wolfie hogs the bed....No tests for me, unless there's a problem.
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I love coming on here and reading everyone's posts.... I go for my first visit with the radiology Dr. on this coming Monday and then the onoc on Wednesday. It'll be interesting what my next steps will be. The worst se's I'm dealing with are fatigue and soreness in the treated breast...
I hope you all have a blessed weekend with minimal se's.
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Arnie....good luck with the RO tomorrow!
I, too, do NOT get any tests other than a standard blood test. I did pull the old "my neck hurts" so I could get a bone scan....negative. Thank God. But, I felt like I needed SOMETHING to tell me that chemo and rads and herceptin all worked.... My onco said the same thing.....80% of the time, its the patient that tells them there is a prob..ie headache for 2 weeks...pain for 2 weeks..coughing for 2 weeks. Its that infamous 2 week mark. If you have something persistant then get it checked out. Remember, we are EARLY stage breast cancer and we caught it as early as we were able. Our prognosis IS very good so don't listen to that oncologist. There is uncertainity in all we do....driving, working and even breathing. God has a plan...enjoy today!! Don't worry about tomorrow....enjoy your moments NOW! xoxo
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((((((((((((((Warrior))))))))))))))))))) thanks!
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Spoken like a true warrior, Warrior
Lilah
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Yep, the tests just make you worry, for nothing...2 week mark is what my doctors told me as well. One thing to add to that is what my GYN said, 2 weeks of diarrhea, go see her for possible ovarian cancer.
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Leggy -- I assume she means when NOT on chemo (re: 2 weeks of diarrhea)? I had it almost every day while on chemo.
But that is a very interesting thing -- I would not have ever thought diarrhea had anything to do with ovarian cancer.
Lilah
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Oh yes, after chemo. On chemo. I had constipation and diarrhea, and nothing in between. Not a happy pooper. She said there is no good test for ovarian cancer, so use the 2wk. mark for diarrhea.
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Leggy -- phew! (re: after chemo)... that's one thing I can take off my worry list then
And ty -- good to know!
Lilah
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Lol...I love the chat has turned to the educational aspects of diarrhea. Although, I did not know 2 wks can mean ovarian...so thanks for the heads up!!
For those that are pre-menopausal, did you choose to remove ovaries or keep them?? Just taking a survey and want to hear your reasoning.
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Warrior... I had my ovaries out with my bmx. I opted for this based on the estrogen positive aspect but mostly because I test positive for BRCA2. Wanted to do all I could at that time, to fight the beast.
Also, thanks for the answer to the follow up tests. At least I know that my docs not the only one, but I might push him a little when I see him in April.
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I am keeping my ovaries for now but it's tricky being ER+ with 4 nodes. I was all ready to get them out if it would help, but my oncologist recommended I wait due to my young age (32 at dx, 33 now). He said since we can shut them down temporarily with Trelstar, that will leave the option down the road for me to have a second baby. Personally, I am all for doing whatever will keep me here for the one baby I do have, however I am glad I didn't do anything hasty. I have my annual OB appointment next week so I'm going to chat with her a bit. I desperately want another baby but there's one thing I want more! To see my son grow up.
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