Stage II w/Lymph Node Involvement
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Hi Jo...We are THE SAME DAY for surgery..we will say prayers for each other! I have had tissue expanders and then switched to silicone. The surgery was pretty easy and the implants were MUCH better than expanders. For me, personally, after having my implants for three months, one of them failed due to rads so I had to seek new reconstruction options which is the DIEP procedure that I choose in New Orleans. I am from Michigan. Where are you from??
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Well shoot! Just got the final path report and I am definately stage IIIa due to the high number of positive nodes (11/18). If okay with you all, I would like to still hang out here for now.
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Hi Leslie!
You are always welcome to hang out here! Its not about how many lymph nodes or if we are Her2 or Triple Negative. Each of us have our own unique fingerprint in the BC World. It seems like there are never two alike!
Ok..so fill us in. What is your next step? I know this gets overwhelming so please come here to vent, ask questions or "Just Be".....we can help! xo
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Leslie1962 - Sorry to hear about the lymph nodes (I'm anxiously waiting on my own news later today), but as I understand the staging, the absolute number of + nodes is not germane; rather it's whether they are matted together or sticking to other structures that may kick you up from Stage 2B to stage 3 (with a 3 cm tumour). Is that the case on your path report? or did you doctor say? In any case, the ladies everywhere on these boards are fabulously welcoming!
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Did anyone do their radiation with implants in place? I have TE's, is it really recommended to have these darn things for a year until after it's all over?
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Warrior... I definately will be saying a prayer for both of us that day. And thanks for the positve info on the implants. These te's are uncomfortable, especially seeing that one of my valves turned and ended up under my armpit. Not comfortable when you're a side sleeper. What will they be doing to you that day? New Orleans is my grandma's favorite place, so I always see it as a place of unlimited happiness. So I know that it will be a great place for you again. Oh, and I'm from the other side of the big lake... Illinois.
Leslie... You, of course, are certainly welcome here. The anxiety from positive nodes is real, no matter how many, and that is something we all know too well.
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geewhiz- I did have the expanders in all through rads and then some. I had them in over a year before the exchange. In June of this year, one of them failed, which can happen after rads. I had it removed and then in September i did a DIEP Flap, which is they used the fat and skin from my lower ab to make two new breasts....and I love them!
MAMAQ- I go back Dec 10th to New Orleans to basically be "sculpted"..lol A fancy word for lipo! They will help contour the muffin top and dog ears on my hips, etc. Dr. Massey is very, very generous in additional areas that may need tweeking. Trust me, I need tweeking. I gained plenty since dx and it doesn't seem to want to budge. It must like me! lol What city in Illinois??
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Thanks Warrior. So, the implant that wasn't in place until after radiation failed? Is it because of tissue damage from the rads? I am just trying to make sure I can do everything I possibly can. Did they give you any creams or gels? I have seen the threads on here and there seems to be a zillion options with lotions and potions.
On another note, I just heard that my margins on my bilateral mx 3 weeks ago were not clear, so after I start chemo in a few weeks, it's back to surgery when done.They had mentioned possibly doing the exchange prior to radiation, but opinions seem to be mixed. Good luck with the sculpting. That sounds exciting to be at that point!! You will be gawgeous!!
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Hi Geewhiz! More surgery? Yuck. Sorry to hear that. I thought w/ a dbl mx that they took everything out so what margins are left?! Just goes to show you , on here you can learn SO MUCH!!
As for the implant, I had expanders in all thru rads. Let my skin heal and exchanged them out in March. I never quite healed from the surgery. I always had a small area on my mastectomy scar line that would not heal..it just stay scabbed. Its easy to get staph w/an opening like that. As for lotions, do whatever drs tell you. When do you start rads? Did you read my poem about rads? Kind of humorous since you will understand it all...I think its on this thread. Keep me posted on your tx!! happy thanksgiiving, too!!
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hi gals - can I join you please? I was diagnosed this jan with gr 3 stage 2, 2cm - finished chemo late june - 3 fec & 3 tax, rads and now on tamoxifen, I'm from the UK just into Wales and find you all so supportive and friendly to each other - I've been reading but not got round to registering or posting till now. mary x
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Welcome Bongo! Congrats on finishing chemo! Did you have rads, too? I am glad you are registered. You will find these boards so helpful, weather its for venting, learning or even laughing!! If you ever need to search a topic, just go under discussion boards, then hit search. I don't know about you, but it took me a while to figure that out! lol
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ahhh thankyou, I had rads - 23 and finished them in early august. I must admit its a funny ole time when you finish active treatment isn't it - sorta feel like the support systems are falling down and I found it took a while to start to get used to it......mary x
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welcome Bongo, This is a lifetime thing I think -as long as you want it there will be many of us here, Fortunately, and a little bittersweet-hopefully our numbers will shrink as our babies grow up! But we r here now! valerie
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Bongo... welcome. I know exactly what you mean. When your doing chemo, you feel like youre fighting the beast but then you get done and nothing. You just have to go on faith that the doctors and your body did what they were suppose to.
Warrior... I'm in a little town, almost to the Wisconsin border. Are you excited about surgery or nervous?
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Bongo..I so know the feeling of the 'safety nets' being removed. THIS IS ALL NORMAL to feel this way. If you want me to send you a poem I wrote on the "end of tx" then let me know. I tend to get my feelings down on paper during transition times ...lol
MMQ..I am not nervous..YET...lol I am trying to get all things done for holidays. Xmas shopping, mostly since I have three kids and all the grandparents send ME money and have me shop for them, too! I don't mind, but I feel like time is few before I leave. I leave on Dec 10th for New Orleans. I return on the 13th and then on the 14th, hubby has a heart ablation procedure done! aRRGGHHH LOL I told everyone we are getting all our illnesses done in our 40's , so when we do hit our golden years, we will be all done! lol
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Warrior... I like that idea of getting our illnesses done in our 40's. I would like to think I'm done and will move on in age with no worries. But sometimes it seems like I'm being too optomistic. Is that possible? I've been doing the same thing with the kids presents. I have four of them. And one great grandparent that has me shop for her. How long does the recover take for your procedure? Mine says about a week of no heavy lifting. I'll be saying lots of prayers for you and for your DH.
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Hi mamaq! It should only take a couple weeks recovery, I hope. Thanks for the prayers!! More are coming your way. I know what you mean when you say you feel too positive, YET, we really should be!! We are early stage BC, and even with node involvement, our prognosis is very good! I always tell myself if I start thinking negative, or start imagining what my funeral will be like, that is the Devil trying to instill fear in my head so I have learned to change my thoughts in that one moment. Know that you are not alone, I think many of us will admit we have moments of fear set it. We are WARRIORS and we are stronger because we have EACH OTHER to impove our strength! Good luck!!
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Hi All!
Cand I join your group?
All my info is in my signature line below.
Right now I'm 1/2 way through chemo (FEC X 6 - already belong to October Chemo group) but have not decided on reconstruction.
My oncologist is referring me to a radiation onc at some point to determine if I need rads or not. Will it be my decision - I'm not sure?
In the meantime I have had a follow up with my BS and he has referred me to a PS but my appt is not until March. He seems to think there will be no problem getting implants - with or without radiation but we'll what the PS says.
I want the least invasive recon (if I go for it) and I'm even considering just having my right breast removed and going flat!
I have enjoyed reading your posts and appreciate all the info you've shared on here.
Marie
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Hi Girls,
Just joined the discussion board today and glad to find the stage 2 group.
I was diagnosed in August, had a partial mastectomy in September and started chemo FEC-D in November. I just had my second treatment this past Thursday. As I'd been told, "it's not easy, but it's manageable". I lost my hair almost two weeks ago so still adjusting. I absolutely can't stand wigs. I have a couple and wear them in public for my daughter, but much prefer wearing a scarf. Will I ever get used to wearing a wig?
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Dear Joyceva, I never did get used to wearing my wig. I loved wearing hats and scarves. Do whatever is comfortable for you. God bless you, Kathy
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I've been following along on this topic but not certain if I've posted. So many of us with only one node positive and that seems to make such a difference in treatment. Prihode, 1/28 nodes. Wow.
MarieK I'm in the Vancouver area too and had my first appointment at the Fraser Valley Centre on Monday. I was hoping that because I am post menopause and age 65 and strongly ER+ I could skip chemo, instead the oncologist is suggesting 6 cycles of FEC-D (FEC x 3, Docetaxel x 3) but then suggesting that if the side effects of the stronger first cycle of the Docetaxel are too much they would return to the FEC for the remainder. I wonder what the benefit is for doing the Docetaxel in the first place? Must do some research.
joyceva I note with interest that you are doing FEC-D also.
Back to doing my research. I have a bone scan and MUGA scheduled, and with any luck maybe I won't qualify for chem. (Just kidding)
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I went under for a bilateral mastectomy, believing I had a "simple" stage 1 cancer. I woke to the news that three nodes were positive, and one of them had started to spread. That pushed me to stage 2, and all of a sudden I was facing chemo and rads, instead of "just" surgery. That was a tough day, but I got through it. Chemo was REALLY hard on me, rads not so much. Now I'm on tamoxifen, and if they can get my bone density up over the next couple of years, they'll switch me to an aromitase inhibitor.
It's good to "meet" all of you!
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hi Gryffin! I am sorry you have to join this club, but we are glad to be here for you. I am also on Tamoxifen and also on Boniva, which is a clinical trial. How is your hair doing??
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Hello Gryffin
The same exact thing happened to me (although I didn't have a mastectomy) Went in for a simple lumpectomy and when I awoke my family and the doctor came in to tell me that it was in my nodes. We had the exact same count. Two of mine were sentinel and one was in the auxillary. Our signatures are almost identical. My main tumor was large though - but some of that was because of the wide clear margins I got.
I got some news this week that I have Pre Ostopenia. Not a big deal I realize but at 36 it sure hit me that I seem to be aging faster than I wanted to. At least they caught it early. So it looks like calcium and vitamin D supplements are now for sure in my future along with the clodronate I am taking in the clinical trial.
Hi Warrior
Good to see you. So glad to see you are keeping your positive attitude going. I really think it is key to getting through this. I have to make a conscious effort 0 -
Stephanie- What is Pre Ostopenia? Is it osteoporosis?? how did they catch it? I have been taking Vitamin D in a pretty large dose since dx. There is some data that says the lack of VIT D is associated with BC. I take 6000 a day....3 pills. My levels are checked twice a year..even at that high dose, I think I am just above the normal levels.
Girls...all ask to have your Vit D levels checked! Its as easy as a blood test. Lack of VitD is associated w/three things...BC, Osteoporosis and Multiple Sclerosis.
I leave on Thursday for Stage 2 of my DIEP. I am going to NOLA (new orleans) I am getting nervous but excited....
I feel like I can not lose the weight I gained since DX. Do you really think Tamoxifen is part of the problem? Or maybe its just me? Or is it that I turned 40 last year...hmmmmm lol
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Good luck to your with your diep Warrior! And my thoughts are with you through your husbands surgery as well. Keep your chin up, and your boxing gloves on girl!
I start my TCH regimen this Friday the 11th, so there are some nerves running high around here too. I have 3 little ones as well, so just spent the morning beating the crowds shopping a bit. I figure after the chemo I need to watch my exposure to all thee flus - you probably as well!
What's the idea behind Boniva --I think I missed some threads.
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Geewhiz...Boniva is part of a clinical trial w/Zometa and another one...some of the earlier studies have shown reducing the risk of a reoccurance. Once you are done with treatment, you can join. I think it will be open for awhile...ask you Onc.
My prayers are with you next Friday. I used to look at chemo as my own little Star Wars Battle. I welcomed Chemo...I said "BRING IT ON" lets show that little cancer cells that they are doomed!!! I have three kids and at the time my youngest was 6. I understand the difficulty of being a Mom and going thru this. Your heart bleeds for them..but you will be surprised how well they will ultimately do! I started to lose my hair about 14 days after treatment. If you want to...you are more than welcome to look at my Carepages sight. It pretty much goes from first treatment to now...it may help you to see how I coped, too. Go to Carepages.com and my page is called, kathysconnection (all one word) PM ANYTIME, too!!! Every side effect I had, there was almost always an answer to...ASK DRS FOR HELP!!! Better yet...ASK ANYONE FOR HELP WITH CLEANING>>COOKING>>LAUNDRY etc etc!! YOU CAN DO THIS WARRIOR SISTER!! xoxo
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I'll be thinking of you on Thursday, Kathy!
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Hi Everyone,
This is my first time on this board. I was diag. 11/08 with IDC. Had lumpectomy in Dec. with lymph node dissection. Node was positive. Went back in Jan and had mast/lymph node removal. This time 0/19 nodes
Finished my chemo (TC) April 27th. I am not taking any hormone therapy and did not have any reconstruction. My hair has come back curly, very curly.MY question is: When I went through chemo it put me into menopause, but now 7 months later I am starting to have cramps and am spotting. I am 48. Has anyone else had these issues? What do you think? I have just moved to CA and don't have a Dr. here yet.
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Anna....Thank you for the well wishes. Will keep you posted after this surgery!
Dpstarr...WELCOME!!I was 39 at dx. My periods ceased for a year. They came back nearly a year to the day of chemo! I am now "regualr". The first couple cycles were HEAVY but then they mellowed out. I am on Tamoxifen. Dr sd some get the cycles back, some don't..just depends on your body. Try to find an oncologist so you can have your cehck ups. Why no Tamoxifen? AIs?
My hair was so curly, too. Believe it or not, those curls will disappear as it gets longer. Mine did. It does make your hair more stylish w/curls vs straight! lol Congrats on finishing treatment!!
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