2010 Sisters
Comments
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hi Karbarn! Glad you found us! Hoping for clear margins and no nodes! Keep us posted!0
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Hi Karbarn - yes it is a shock. Are you seeing a breast surgeon or a general surgeon? If you have a breast cancer center anywhere near you, you may want to get some opinions now on treatment options, get tested for the breast cancer mutation gene (esp. if there is any family history either on your mother or father side), see what your hormone results are, etc. Oct 5 seems really fast. You have some time to think things through, get opinions, and not rush. I had the same thing - lumpectomy and margins were not clear and no one could give me a guarantee that the next one would be clear, and wanted to avoid radiation if I could, so I ended up opting for mastectomy a month after the lumpectomy. There are so many choices now with immediate reconstruction, etc. Just be sure you get all the information you need so you make the right choices for YOU. Get copies of all your reports - surgeons do not mind at all patients getting second opinions. It's almost standard these days.
In the meantime, start a new thread with your questions - you'll get tons of input from women on this forum. All of that helps to educate yourself. God bless.
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hi all, i am checking in on behalf of my wife, she was diagnosed with grade 3 IDC on July 27th, along with 3 areas of DCIS. We spent August having tests (MRI, bone scan, cat scan) and meeting with surgeons. She was supposed to have surgery last week but it got delayed due to some scheduling issues. She goes in on 10/15 for a unilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstructions. Both surgeons told us that the delay won't change anything, and that they don't expect node involvement based on what the saw on the MRI, but of course we're concerned and keeping our fingers crossed that the SNB comes back clear. She will also have a mammaprint test sample taken at the time of surgery.
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TMarina - Yes, that is exactly what I am having done. He is placing a wire before I go into the OR as well, I guess its a place marker for him.
Im dreading this radioactive injection, I have read about it, sounds painful. Although, my last biopsy was actually pretty painful. By the time I was finished and the radiologist was squeezing the crap out of my breast to stop the bleeding, the numbness had worn off. This was 9 days ago, and now, just to barely brush against my nipple is so painful. Im so affraid those tubes (or whatever they were) that got pulled out mid procedure might have caused damage.
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AmyJo I have never been much of an activist but yesterday I emailed two letters to the editors of the biggest Tampa Bay area papers. It was all about Pinktober and how the Pink should be all about curing metastaic breast cancer first along with prevention second. There is no cure. I will post a link if they have the guts to print them.
I am leaving in a few minutes to go march in the St Pete Race for the Cure. My T Shirt says "For my sisters at breastcancer.org and especially my Stage IV sisters". I am on a mission to get Stage IV out there so people know the dark side of breast cancer, not all the inspirational stories of 'cured' people. Bah!
I will post pix of me and the shirt.
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AmyJo - I am thinking of you with my heart.0
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Hi Ladies - Wow more ladies joining every time I visit here. Welcome to you all. Yes so many sad stories and so many young ladies, each of us facing the possibility that we can reach stage IV yet praying we don't. I was dx with what they thought was stage 0 and turned out to be stage 3. Now I worry about every pain and wonder. I try not to let it "get" to me as I hear someone say don't waste our good days worrying about the possibility of our bad days. When someone tells me they are so sorry that I have to do chemo and that I am so sick I answer "I'm just glad there is something they can do for me". I'll do it, I'll take any treatment they dish out for me to increase my long term survival rates. From 50% chance to 75% is much better odds (given to me by my onco). I want to live to see grandchildren, to enjoy them (none yet). This site shows us just a small % of how many women are effected by this terrible disease. Here we are not so alone. We fight it together, we encourage and support each other. We know how each other feels. Thats why I'm doing the Run for the Cure for each and every one of my sisters. I wish I could do more. Yes it would be wonderful to find the "Cure", in the meantime we will carry on the fight. We need to beat this monster. They say there is strength in numbers, and the numbers are certainly growing. Good Luck and Love to my sisters. God Bless each and ever one of you.
Cathy
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sweetaerobabe I had SNB on my right side during my BMX. I had the injections before surgery. I was more afraid of that then the surgery… and it was no big deal. The first 4 injections are small needles with lydercaine injected around the aerola. The next 4 are the dye. First 2 stung for a second then I never felt the other 6. All that worry for nothing.
I would call the department and see if they do it this way. I hear some folks get numbing cream instead but the way it was done for me seems to work better.
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AmyJo hang in there. I actually do worry about stage IV people. While I may not read those threads but I see the thread topics. I can't even image what you folks have to go through. (Actually I'm a little scared to read them.) I totally understand your frustration of Pinktober being about "early detection" and not more focus on a cure or better treatments!
And if I read one more thing about you can reduce your risk by exercising, eating right, staying thin and not drinking alcohol I'm going to scream. Yes, I have always done that!
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Barbara - good for you! I plan to do the same thing because if we don't speak up to the press, who will? If the 200,000 women who get it each year wrote letters to papers, their congressmen, etc., it would make a huge difference. "Prevention" is a misnomer - how can you prevent breast cancer if they don't even know how we get it. The focus should be on the CAUSE and the CURE. In the meantime the healthcare system, insurance, & government should support getting women to start screening much earlier (20s & 30s) using everything available including ultrasounds & MRIs.
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Thank you all for your continued love, thoughts, prayers, and actions. I am having a really tuff time right now. I just got my new medical alert charm and there is it, engraved forever, Breast Cancer. Right under Asthma and followed by See Medical ID Wallet Card. It is the only charm on my bracelet and there is a smaller one on my necklace with my cross that I have had for a while that has instructions on how to access my online medical records. I think it just really sunk in that this is real and never going away. It is now a part of my life and that my new normal is a whole lot different from before.
If any of you travel you might want to go to www.identifyyourself.com and look at the online medical record that you would have access to when you order anything. The record stays there forever and you can access it 24/7 to update the information as you need to do so.
Thank you again for the continued support and giving me a place to express my feelings.
Amy Jo
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Hi Amy Jo - Thanks for tip on online records. I see you are in NC. I'm in Virginia - the sun is finally out and we're just starting to dry out after all that rain. I'm going to take a walk today outside (first one since home from hospital/mastec. this week) and forget about cancer and find some joy on this pretty fall day. Wishing you peace this weekend, a little fun, & escape from the constant worries. Know we are with you holding your hand! I'm such a control freak and have already found I can't control much of anything in this process - so I'm trying to give it over to God. Big hug & prayers coming your way
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sweetaerobabe-->I remember being very nervous about the injection and wire placement. But neither one hurt much at all. I was also given lidocaine, like lago.0
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If it hurts, it hurts, lol. Nothing I can do about it but suck it up and be strong.
My daughter just text me, she made me cry. Her, her friend and a bunch of ministers just prayed for me at her work. (She is a waitress at a diner) Said she just wanted me to know they were thinking of me.
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I'm a little confused. I realize I've not been on in a while, but are there 2 threads for women diagnosed in 2010?
Do some of the ones who were "regulars" on the Class of 2010 post on this thread, too? Should we just ignore/abondon the Class of 2010 thread?
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Hi all. My father went home right after I got back from the Race for the Cure. He is at peace now. Thanks for all your kind words.
The Race was very emotional for me. I had a sign on the back of my shirt that said "For all my sisters at BreastCancer.Org and especially for all my Stage IV sisters". I'm waiting for the friend who took a pic of my back to email it to me then I will post. Here are a couple of pix. This is part of the waterfront where we walk.
And this is a dear friend, Tammy and her kids waiting to walk.
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does anyone know of a website on how to tie headscarfs?
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Dear BarbaraA,
So sorry to hear of your Dad's passing today.
May God bless you with courage and strength.
Thank you for walking for all of us.
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Thanks, JanetinVirginia. I am seeing a general surgeon and have opted for partial mastectomy with radiation. Chemo is likely for me as well. Will know more after my surgery and consultation with the oncologist. I am very pleased with the care that I have received thus far. Fortunate to live in Birmingham, AL where there are wonderful services available.
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BarbaraA - my condolences about your father. When it comes it comes to losing a mother or father, we're still little children no matter what age we are. Prayers coming your way. LOVED your pics from the walk - thanks so much for sharing!
Karbarn - sounds like you are in very good hands & comfortable w/decisions. That's all that counts! And with everything in place, not having to wait long is a blessing. Waiting & worrying is always worse than the procedure itself. Here's to CLEAR nodes next week!!!!
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Barbara: My condolences.
Karbarn: Where are you being treated? I'm from Bham, but moved to Huntsville last year before diagnosis. I almost decided to go back to Bham for treatment since the doctors/hospitals there are so good.
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redninrah There are several videos on Facebook and also some diagrams on the look good/feel good site that show how to tie scarfs:
Click on scarf tips, scarf basics, scaf techniques and t-shirt wrap:
http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/beauty-guide/new-hair-looksVideos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc82k6vHJXI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+tie+an+african+head+scarf&aq=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H12QQAqdJjw&feature=related0 -
Oh Barbara - so sorry for the loss of your father. But as you say, he is at peace now. Praying God's comfort for you and your family as you grieve. It's okay to breathe a sigh of relief as well, for him and for those who loved him. I had those mixed feelings when my mom passed; she was so miserable and our family was so stressed.
Thank you for walking today (and thanks to ALL sisters who are participating in their own way), and I am with you on the mission for Stage IV sisters. I've learned so much in this journey already, and clearly there is a big gap in the public's knowledge. I've just joined a small planning committee for "Game for the Cure" - my son's high school football team does this every year and this year I am the "poster child" so to speak, as a real live/real time example. Sounds a little crass, I know, but I'm okay with it. They will see me during the fight, and hopefully as a "survivor" in the years to come, since my daughter will be a freshmen there next year and I will stay involved. Their purpose is really to get the message out to younger generations, so I'm not balking at the pink parade in this instance. In a broader scope a little further down my road, I will find a way to serve the Stage IV girls.
House work party today, so I'm off to scrub the crap out of the crannies. Have a good one ladies!
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MrsNice!! How wonderful! Make the pink MEAN something to this new generation!
LadyInBama, RedSoxFan and Janet, thank you so much for your kind condolences. Although you pray for God to take your loved one, when it happens, it still hurts. Again, thanks.
Let's have a really nice rest of the weekend, what say you folks?
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Hear, hear! To a nice weekend with some smiles sprinkled around.
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Thank you everyone for welcoming me to the club. I'm not happy about the club but I am so glad to have so much love and support from all of your wonderful club members.
I'm still hanging out in the "waiting on tests" forum a lot because there's a few more tests that I'm sure I have to do when I get to the oncologist. I got final results in and my tumor is still Stage 1, Grade 1, 1.8 cm, they cleared all margins back to the chest wall and all 5 lymphs were negative. AMEN! Still waiting on PR/ER/HER2 results, which should come in next week.
The surgeon said that my tumor was vascular. What does that mean? I thought cancer spread through the lymph nodes. Does vascular mean that they'll be testing other things because it could have spread through my blood stream?
Thank you all again for welcoming me here. I told my husband today that this site and these forums were going to save me. Hugs and love - Shelle
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Barbara-->sorry to hear of your father's passing. Your family will be in my prayers. Thank you for walking for us!!
Shelmel--> yay to clear margins and nodes! Keep checking in with us!
Mrs nice--> that's nice what your son's team is doing, and glad you don't mind being the "poster child". As we were out shopping last night, I said to my husband that I feel like the poster child for bc because everyone is so aware right now with all the pink in the stores, and there I am with the scarf and no eyelashes! I guess I just feel more self-conscious now.
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How do they know it's vascular? I've wanted to know that about my tumor but I can't see anything that indicates that in my path report. Only thing I see is lymphatic vacular invations: absent. I think that only means my nodes are clear.
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Hi there. I think all this breast cancer awareness is a step in the right direction. Of course, we all want a cure and fast! We all want for no others to go thru what we have all had to live thru. We want for our children and grandbabies to never know what those words mean. I pray for that everyday! In the meantime, having folks pay attention a bit more for this month is not such a bad thing.
I, too, feel like I am always on display. The head scarf, the tired unmade up eyes, the slow gait. Hell, I look anything but beautiful, but when I think of what my poor body is going thru right now, I am humbled and grateful to be exactly where I am right now.
I stand in awe of you and am privileged to have "met" you, and have you all in my corner. I think about all of you and when I do my walk tomorrow, you will all be with me!
take good care and just breathe. . .
Teklya
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BarbaraA- so sorry to hear about your Dad. I lost mine last year and I still miss him terribly. I know I will see him again, just as you will see yours.
Today has been a good day. Cooler weather and lots of sunshine. I have had minimal pain in my arm and bones. I have even managed to take a trip to a local consignment venue for a brief shopping trip. Emotional roller coaster is calming down so maybe I will be able to get some sleep tonight.
Hope everyone has a restful evening.
Amy Jo
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Barbara- I'm so sorry to hear about your dad....it's always hard letting go.
AmyJo- I don't have words, I wish I could comfort you some way.
My sons football team surprised me by honoring me at their Homecoming game today. All the players had a pink ribbon on their helmets (they will continue to wear them all season) and the cheerleaders wore a big pink ribbon in their hair. They announced this at the beginning of the game and I was overwhelmed by the support of the community but mostly by the kids. I was glad to see the team give my son a hug, because our poor kids go through so much when we are fighting cancer, they need support too. The game raised a ton of money, both schools were very generous and we donated the money to a school bus driver who is also going through treatment and doesn't have health insurance.
Do something nice for yourself and I hope we all have a good Sunday.
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