Calling all TNs
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Welcome Lynn..keep in touch here so we can support you with your treatments! You will do ok...I think the hardest part is realizing that you are going to have to give up 6 months to a year of your life to get better....You WILL function during that time but it is like.take a deep breath, get it over with..and then go on...people told me that the time would go fast but I didn't believe them..I would read on here about people that were done with treatment and be so jealous..I wanted to be them so bad...now I am!..I can't believe it sometimes..but it was nice coming on here and being with people that were in treatment the same time as you are..it really helps..
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I have my regular 4 month appt. with my onc this morning and for some reason I'm really nervous. I have no reason to think anything is wrong, but on edge. I think maybe because I'm in that 17 month to 3 year window when it's more likely to recur. Anyway, can't wait to have this appt. behind me. Cancer sucks.
Anna
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Welcome Lynn 18 I wasn't aware that they did chemo. first and then surgery. I keep learning things here everyday.
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In my case they wanted to get the thing out ASAP. But I have heard of many who have chemo to reduce or kill the tumor first before removal. Personally I think I would have been freaking out with that thing in me because it was so visible.
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Lynn18 - Welcome. Sorry you have to go through this but you have all of us to support you. I to have learned so much from the ladies on these boards and feel as though I have an extended family here. I hope you are doing well with your chemo and wish you the best.
Jen
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Juanita - have you been tested for the BRCA gene? I tested positive for BRCA1, so I opted to have a bilateral mastectomy (with tissue expander reconstruction). I took good care of myself ans was back to work within 3 weeks (even did a day trip to Reno 3 weeks later). It's a very personal decision on whether you decide on a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Even before I tested positive for the BRCA gene, I had decided to do a BMX. I already had breast implants (augmentation), so I figured I would do just fine with having surgery on my breasts again. And I like my new size - silver lining! If you want more info, I would highly recommend doing a consult with a plastic surgeon that specializes in reconstruction (not just augmentation). This is very important. After meeting with my plastic surgeon, my decision was made. He was a different PS than the one that did my aug. I thought he did a better job.
Also, keep in mind that regardless of whether someone has a bmx or lumpectomy/radiation, there are no guarantees that BC can't return. I was diagnosed with BC only 8 months after my surgery. Looking back, I would have still had the bmx because I wanted to minimize my chances of getting BC again by getting rid of as much breast tissue as possible. Being TN does increase a chance of recurrence/2nd diagnosis within the first 3 years. BE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT CHECKING YOUR BREASTS!!! NO MATTER WHAT!!!
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I made the decision and talked with my BS again and she again said I was a good candidate for either procedure with the same expected outcome. I am doing the partial mastectomy. Since I am TN, I will have to have the chemo and then radiation due to the partial mastectomy. In many cases I'm learning with a total mastectomy you may also have to have radiation. A dear friend from my church had a total mastectomy, and finished her chemo almost 4 weeks ago and was told Tues. that she had to have radiation for 5 weeks and started it on Wednesday. I feel good about the decision. I am a deeply spiritual person and felt this was the decision I was being led to make. I trust my surgeon and I trust my faith in God. Thank you all for your input and support. It means so much to have found this place of comfort and encouragement. I'm saddened that any of us have to go through this but am encouraged that I am not making this journey alone. But then, I am never alone as long as I keep my heart and eye on God.
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jwatrlily: I know what a difficult decision this is and I am glad that you have finally figured out what will work best for you. Are you planning to have reconstruction? Have they given you any options yet? Let us know how you are doing and keep us posted.0
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AMEN!
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jwaterlily: I am glad you are at peace with your decision. It sounds like you have someone helping you with that. Good for you!
Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
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jwaterlily...good... you made your decision..now you can go forward and get it done..we will be here to help you along the way....
Not to change the subject...but itsn't it really hot where all of you live? I'm in Ohio and we are MELTING! I'm happy for the air conditioning but our electric bill was HUGE! Oh well..since I'm in Ohio..the next time I post I will be complaining about the ice and snow...
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Titan - it's really hot here in Toronto, too....very muggy and humid. My air conditioner is on non stop!
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Hot and muggy and I have the frizzy hair to go with it!
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We live in the south, it's like the gateway to hell with this heat. I'm more than ready for summer to be over. ugh!
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I suppose we are lucky that we dn't have the humidity that the South does. We are having a pretty mild summer with temps rarely exceeding 100.
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Hot and muggy in NY but in my house it's never above 70! lol
No hair, so not worrying about the frizzies!
Scooter, bite your tongue!!! Summer can't be over yet!
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Summer over?! We fee like it's only just begun. Temperature in the low 80s, still cool at night and haven't had the AC on yet. (Idaho)
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Well Gilly..seems like we need to make a trip to Idaho!
I do have hair now..but I'm glad that I've kept it short! ..Guess there are some advantages to having short hair and/or bald with this stupid heat!
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I have a question. I just got my blood test results and my white blood cell count is at 2.9! Anyone have this happen so long after chemo? I had my last one on 3/1/10 and the day of my MX I was at 3.2, the day after my MX I was at 7.9 (Maybe they gave me a booster?) and now this is the lowest I have ever been! Any suggestions? My Onc isn't available to talk until after 4 pm today and I am worried it will interfere with my exchange surgery.
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Hi. I am so glad this post was started. I was diagnosed at age 47 with stage 3 TN with lymphnodes involved two months ago. I had a clean mam. last December and felt the pea size lump in Jan. grow to walnut size by April. Will have my 4th DDAC next Thurs. then 12 X Taxol weekly, then surgery. Doc said I am responding to AC. I can feel the tumor is smaller in my left breast but feel the same swelling in my lymph nodes( about the size of an almond)under my armpit. I am BRAC negative. I've always been healthy and active as a self employed landscape designer. I haven't been able to tolerate the heat and or sun and lack of energy on the AC. Doc says I should be able to work again on taxol weekly doses. I am used to building stone retaining walls and ponds, patios etc. I hope she is correct in her assumption that the Taxol is easier than the AC has been.
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My daughter was telling me that she read in a book by Susan Weed, I believe, that a woman that has unresolved differences with her mother at the time of her mothers passing will have breast cancer in her left breast within a year. Interesting because my mother passed last January. Any correlation?
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Laurajane - I am having the same chemo as you and I am on my 3rd Taxol and it is much better than the AC! Hope you have the same results.
Hmmm. about the mom thing my mom past awayed 5yrs before my lump was found in my left breast but, I have the BRCA1 gene!
Here in WI it is HOT and Wet anyone see the large sinkhole in Milwaukee!? I am done with summer only because then I will be very close to the end of my treatments - sorry to those who want summer still here! ;-)
Sorry MBJ still going through treatment so I can't help but I hope that it does NOT interfere with the surgery that would suck.
jwatrlilly - glad you have decided, your choice is always the right one for you!
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Laurajane, my mom is still alive and we have a great relationship, my left breast harbored the beast anyway. Even if there isn't a lick of truth to it, it sure will sell books now, won't it? What do they claim causes BC in your right breast? There are some funny threads, or portions of them, where ladies "attempt" to find the correlation of their life style and getting BC. For everything that someone claims to cause it, there is an opostie opinion.
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I think every woman has unresolved issues with their moms. It's part of that mother/daughter relationship. I heard breast cancer in your right breast is caused by a broken heart
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I'm in New Orleans and I have to say it's one of the hottest summers I can remember in a long time. The end of May felt like August - now that we're almost to August it seems to be getting worse.
MBJ - I haven't had it happen to me, but my onc did say that it could take a year for my WBC count to get back to normal. If you can't talk to the onc, what about the dr's office that will be doing your exchange surgery?
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It never fails that the "off" things happen on Fridays, and you can't get ahold of anyone.
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I read somewhere on another thread here to never feel yourself up on a weekend..I take that to heart...
My mom is still alive...so I won't go there...but...she did have Hodgins disease..the lump was in her right armpit and my cancer was in my right breast..hmmm...she also had both her knees replaced but it was her right knee that really bothered her..guess what knee bothers me sometimes?
Welcome Laura Jane.....I have a desk job so I could work during chemo but I'm in total awe of you even attempting to do physical labor while undergoing chemo! Hopefully you can get back at it during taxol....just don't push it too much....Ok???
Back to the weather again...I I think everyone is really hot except Gilly in Idaho....I love the sun and love to get a suntan but it was too hot today to even think of being outside.
Kad.I wanted summer to be over last year too..my last chemo was the first week of August, 09...I l so looked forward to the fall! Football, done with chemo, football, done with chemo.....Rads was nothing compared to chemo...piece of cake.
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Someone told me that you should look back five years from the diagnosis date and whatever happened then caused your cancer. Well, everything happened then, including my mother dying and our relationship was a tempestuous one--it went way beyond unresolved issues. I read somewhere, maybe on this thread, that cancer is just an accumilation of many things and if you put them all together with stress, you end up getting cancer.
I have to get more info on Monday re my low blood count. Sucks to wait until the weekend passes but at least it isn't as hot as it was last week.
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I was dx with TN when I was 56 and that was in Oct. 2004. Found out I was BRCA2+ Had lumpectomy, chemo (FEC), & rads .... It will be 6 years this fall since dx. Unfortunately, 3 1/2 years later had another primary in other breast ... ES+/PR+ .. totally different pathology .. had bmx this time. My mother died of bc 27 years ago when she was 57. I had been having yearly mammos - the 3 cm TN lump was found during regular mammo but never showed up previously either on mammo or in physical check up (only a few weeks earlier)
The heat in Toronto this summer is unbearable. Temp has been in the mid 30's (high 90's) range since May and A/C has been on non-stop. My hydro bill will be enormous.
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Welcome Helen..to the TN thread..don't I know you from somewhere??
We just got some badly needed rain last night..but it is still hot today...remind me of this 6 months from now when it is snowing...
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