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  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 150
    edited December 2010
    I got a call from my dr. this evening. He said that the path report confirmed that I do have breast cancer and that it is in my lymph nodes. He said that it means it isn't an early stage. Cry We won't know all the details until later this week when the rest of the results are in. I am doing ok. It is what we expected, I just can't even figure out how it wasn't there a couple of months ago and now I have it in a more advanced stage. I have to agree with Coni, Cancer SUCKS! But God will get me through this and give me the strength I need to beat this.
  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 174
    edited December 2010

    Kerri, sorry to hear your bc is more advanced than you thought initially, but you are still going to kick this thing's butt! There are lots of women on here who had many nodes and are doing awesome many years later. I had it in one node (maybe more, I only let them test the one- false negative during surgery- then the final path report came back with a  2.5mm spot- I just bawled my eyes out when they told me that, perhaps it was worse cause I had been told they were clear.

     cancer sucks!

  • bonitamagic
    bonitamagic Member Posts: 8
    edited December 2010

    jpmercy

    I was 29, and I did go through chemo pause. 2 weeks after I finished radiation, I got my period. The Drs. said I should wait to get pregnant. (all the extra hormones would not be good) WELL, 5 1/2 months later... SURPRIZE!!!!!! I had a healthy baby boy, with no complications, to him or me. :)) It is possible to have babies after chemo.  

  • LtotheK
    LtotheK Member Posts: 487
    edited December 2010
    Karebear, I am so very sorry.  However, as a group of young women I can say wholeheartedly that being young is an advantage on some levels.  We get the max dosage of chemo (a lot of older folks can't hack the full dosage), our bodies bounce back faster.  It can be harder in some areas, chemopause, for instance. But I felt my body was up to this task. Yours will be, too.
  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    karebear im so sorry for your news...You can fight this and get thru this...It seems you and i have about the same dx...My original path report came back as false negative and with a second test it came back positive.  My dr's are kicking in chemo next week and now we are moving on..Prayers are coming you way...

  • Lady_Madonna
    Lady_Madonna Member Posts: 313
    edited December 2010

    Kerri, Sorry for this frustrating setback.  Try not to get too discouraged.  As the others have said...we're young and strong- hit it hard and take it DOWN!! 

  • ladym13
    ladym13 Member Posts: 107
    edited December 2010

    jpmercy-

    I had three periods through chemo and on the fourth treatment my period stopped, I was SO upset, had HORRIBLE hotflashes and was convinced it was chemopause- well my chemo finished July 30th and I got my period back I think a month later, since then it's been every month regular like it was before, so don't lose faith.

    I should mention I'm 35

  • txstardust
    txstardust Member Posts: 180
    edited December 2010

    Kerri,

    I had cancer in my lymph nodes as well - don't let the doctor scare you too much.  Again, it's still so early in the process, and i know it's scary, but stay strong.

    As far as periods go - there's no way to know what will happen.  I was 36 at diagnosis last year, went through chemo starting in October, and have not gotten mine back yet over a year later.  I'm not sure what it means and whether it will ever come back.  Just another "cancer unknown".  

  • jpmercy
    jpmercy Member Posts: 94
    edited December 2010

    thanks ladies about your info on periods! i have three treatments left of weekly taxol and am hopeful life will return to normal! and hey i live in Buffalo Ny so hot flashes in our zero degree weather and foot of snow isnt all that bad! lol !

  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 150
    edited December 2010

    I finally have my oncologist appt!! It is tomorrow at 10:30. I am actually glad to be moving forward and a step closer to treatment

  • in_cognito
    in_cognito Member Posts: 87
    edited December 2010
    Karebear76 - Good luck with your appt tomorrow - let us know how it goes!  I think you will feel tons better once you talk to your Onc!
  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    Kerri, Good luck with your appt. I felt so much better once I talked with the oncologist...she gave me so much information and I left knowing not wondering what the next step was!! 

    Ladies, I have a busy week next week...Monday i will have a bone scan, then at ekg(heart check). Tuesday port placement and them possibly chemo..Also this weekend Im going to get my hair cut short...I tihnk im more nervous about that, than everything else(right now..LOL)  Is it normal for them to do chemo on the same day as the port placement?  What should i expect with the port placement? 

    I hope everyone has a wonderful,blessed day!!!Happy Wednesday!

  • Alyad
    Alyad Member Posts: 174
    edited December 2010

    Melissa, I have heard of people having port placement and chemo the same day. I had my port put in the day before my first chemo, tho they wanted to do it at the same time as my initial surgery, but I had planned to say no to chemo before I had a positive node show up.

  • jpmercy
    jpmercy Member Posts: 94
    edited December 2010

    i just wanted to tell everyone new that if you are interested the penguin cold caps really do work! i have had 9 weeks of taxol and have lost NO HAIR! i also have many woman on our board who are doing TC and TCH and have lost very little hair. i know it is a personal decision but i just wnated to let you know of the option!

  • coni
    coni Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2010

    Moe and Karebear I know exactly what you both are going through, I was diagnosed in October Ive don 2/4 AC Well almost 3 (this friday) and then moving on 12 taxol weekly, Karebear, I also have 4 lymph nodes involved and like you, I was very scared becuase on the biopsy report says grade 3 which means very aggresive, but what my surgeon told me that women our age tend to get aggresive cancer, but at the same time, it responds very fast to the chemo, so dont worry too much, believe me I was so worried of spreading of having it somewhere else, but thank God It didnt...keep us posted what the doc said and everyone is in my prayers every night.

  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    thanks coni...its been a rollercoaster for me...one minute im stressed and worried and then i ready to go out and fight the world...thankfully i get to start next week...I believe im starting with taxol and then ac, but will find out definitely once i get to UNC..i'm also going to participate in a clinical trial if everything works out..

  • coni
    coni Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2010

    Moe.... I know exactly how you feel i still feel like that, did you have your surgery yet, Im doing chemo first and then having surgery, losing my hair was really hard, still is Im not getting use to not having hair, but dont worry the chemo is not as bad as we make it think it will be yes you do get side effects, but you get meds for them nauseau if very well controlled and for me is more fatigue, dry skin which makes it itchy, headaches, and you get this chemo brain, but like I said dont worry you will be fine, Ive heard Taxol is easier on the body, I cant wait for taxol Ive heard that your hair starts to grow with it, but also followed by this does not happen to everyone :( if you need to talk to someone let me know, Im 31, I find it that at our age it suck because at the center there are not a lot of ppl our age going through it, although I have met a few girls where I live but they are all done with chemo...so you kind of feel lonely this site does help a lot!

  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    Coni, when i went for my initial visit i was the only young woman there...I felt sort of out of place.. Im so thankful for finding this board, now i don't feel so alone..I wonder if i do Taxol first, will i loose my hair?  

  • Kouragio
    Kouragio Member Posts: 30
    edited December 2010

    I haven't posted on this topic before, mostly on the Stage 4 platform. But I agree, I always feel too young to have this disease, esp, knowing it has metastasized all over my body. Most women seeing my oncologist are older women, I look like a saw thumb sitting there! My youngest, of five children, just turned 2 years old a few days ago..I can't help getting slightly emotional on these days, which then makes it hard for everyone else. I'm learning to let go of the future, and worry about today only...xox

  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 150
    edited December 2010

    I am home. Here are the biopsy results:

    IPCD Grade 3, Est and Preg poss and HER2 neg.

    I get my port on tues and start chemo on wed. Tomorrow and Monday I go for the  MUGA and the CT and bone scans. I am hoping to get an appt with  the genetic counselors the week between Christmas and New years.

  • coni
    coni Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2010

    Karebear76 we have almost the same diagnose except mine is IDC and and I have it on the lymph nodes and it was 3cm big.....I got a picc line instead of port, I did go for the generic testing but waiting about 8-10 weeks for results...what type of chemo you getting? Im doing AC 4x and taxol 12 weekly....dont worry about chemo...you will be fine...I know its hard to believe it but, how ever I dont know how it works in the states, Im in Canada, here i ask for med in advance in case i get something for example my first chemo i had really bad thrush, soo for second one he gave me fluconazole, made a huge difference!! so many you and  Moe can ask just incase, have the prescribtion ready if you need it...I did the same for nausea, incase the others didnt work I got a different one...

    Moe Im doing AC first,  a lot of ppl I have talked to most do AC and then Taxol, heard taxol is much easier than AC, and a lot of ppl have their hair growing back while on taxol, so if you are doing Taxol first then you might not loose it, but everyone is different, just get prepared, just in case you know....I was very happy when I first started my chemo, 3 weeks after chemo and my hair was so shiny and healthy looking, I was like oh maybe i wont loose it, then it slowly was falling, by the second chemo, I was so overwhelmed it was falling so bad, I remember I washed my hair two days after second chemo, and literally almost all the hair in the front fell off, i was so depressed and decided to just shave it off, my mom shaved her as well with me....I have also heard that with taxol hardly any nausea again everyone is different! When I go for my chemo i have yet to see someone around my age :( not that i wish this on someone else, but to atleast talk and go through it with someone else, I do have my husband with me through every chemo but is not the same we can 

    Kouragio Im so sorry for what you are going through, this cancer sucks! I know it sucks no matter what age you are at, but specially for us, i mean we are on the prime of our lifes you know, a lot of you guys have small children, we should be worrying about raising kids, growing in our careers and not cancer, but then you see how many little kids are going through the same thing including babies and that gives me more strength, if they can go through it so are we....and I must say that prayer is so powerful, I dont know what your belief is but I will pray for you and you will be fine, faith is everything believe me yesterday I was having such a bad day so stress out, and today one of the problems I was stressing out (financial) it has been some what resolve, I know, that sometimes we feel so overwhelmed but believe we are not left alone....I dont like the staging no doctor knows what will happen, I heard of this story that gave me strength, this little girls was born with some problems since bith, they told the parents that she would never talk  or walk, she was learning to do all that when out of no where she became paralized they took her to the hospital did, they just though it was a brain promblem that she was born with, her grandfather was the chief of the children hospital somewhere in florida, then the father was very positive, but as the days went she got worst and worst, then test revealed that she had a lump on her spine, mets in her shoulder, arm, and a lot of more places , I cant remember, (chemo brain is kicking ) any how they gave her 1% survival, a friend of littles girls dad called, you can imagine how the parents were feeling, this friend told him, you know if God has given her to you, and even when the doctors told you that she would not walk and talk,  and she did it, now why are you letting them tell you that she cant survive, what you need to do is get as many ppl and you can to pray for her...so they did that everyone that would come to the hospital, with gifts, they would just ask to pray for her instead, and to get their friend praying for her as well, they made a web site for ppl to pray for her, they had so many ppl praying, when the time came to do the ct scan the lump had shrunk 94% and the mets had disapear, when I heard the story I just cried, cause now I know we all make it! we just need to pray! no doctors can bring us down~!

  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 150
    edited December 2010

    I am getting AC 4 doses over 8 wks and then taxol 4 doses over 8wks. I have 4 scripts that are being filled for when I start chemo. 

    I have a question. What did you do about loosing hair and how did you handle it with your kids? We told the kids and my oldest (7) got really upset that mommy won't have any hair. 

  • mommichelle
    mommichelle Member Posts: 92
    edited December 2010

    Karebear,

    I told me kids (5 and 3) that the medicine was so strong it would knock the hair right off of my head and then I joked about how I would be bald.  I also told them I would get a wig, which I hated.  I did wear it for the first three weeks of my son's school until he told me that it was alright to wear the scarves.  I also told them they could draw on my head for Halloween.  They loved it - thank goodness for Crayola washable markers.  They were there when my husband cut my hair and buzzed me.  I wanted them to be a part of it so they would not be afraid.  We have taken a very light hearted approach with them and tried to keep iot fun.  You will find a good way to deal with it.  Kids are surprisingly good at adjusting.

    Take care,

    Michelle

  • leftfootforward
    leftfootforward Member Posts: 1,396
    edited December 2010

    Karebear- I am one week behind you. I just got diagnosed on the 13th of december. I am 37 years old and am still rattled by the news. Everything goes so fast once they diagnose you.   I am ER/PR - and HER2 +. I have been staged at a 2a or b but am expecting that to change to 3 after surgery. I have opted to do the mastectomy first followed by chemo and radiation.  I have an ECO, CT, and bone scan on Monday. AFter that we will have the final plan set.  God willing all those will be normal. Surgery is planned for the 5th of Jan.  I am a mother of 4 (8, almost 6, turing 3 on the 2nd, and a 4 month old). I wasn't expecting this.   I wish you the best in your journey. I am glad that this forum exists as it give me encouragement and hope you find some peace here as well.

  • leftfootforward
    leftfootforward Member Posts: 1,396
    edited December 2010

    I am 37, have been married for 14 years. I have 4 children (8, almost 6, 3 on Jan 2nd, and 4 months old).  Currently the hardest part for me is giving up breast feeding and realizing that the fist year of my last babies life won't be what I expected it to be.  I am struggling with having so much information throw at you at once and trying to digest it at the rate they would like you to.

    I had my baby in August, felt a lump and assumed it was a clogged duct.  I went on to get mastitis and was told the lump would resolve after awhile. Two months later it was still there so I scheduled a mammogram.  That was on MOnday.  Tuesday I had the core biopsy of my primary tumor and one suspicious lymph node.  By Wed, I was in a surgeons office talking about mastectomies.  Thursday I met with the two oncologists.  Now it is sat and I am engorged after learning I can't breast feed any more.  Everything is going at light speed.  MOnday is more testing and by Tuesday I hope to have a set plan for now.  Everyone is flying in to be at my house for the holidays and then I appear to be off for surgery.  

    I am so sorry that you are in this place.  I appreciate everyone's honesty and words of encouragement.  Good luck on your journey.

  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    Karebear...seems like we start chemo on the same day..the oncologist moved my start to wednesday from tuesday..I still need to get a couple more biopsy's for the clinical trial....Monday i have a bone scan and ekg, Tuesday port placement and biopsy, Wed.  Chemo! Going to be a long week...

    As for my hair...i started talking to my boys about it at the beginning...today i got a pixie cut along with my sister and mom, they love that my hair looks like theirs...lol...I'm hoping that this will make the transition from having hair to having none easier...I also have let them see me wearing scarves around the house.  On Friday I received a free head wrap from gailafund.org..its beautiful and my boys like it...I have tried to get them as involved as possible... 

    Girls we have to keep our heads held high because we are going to beat this and show it's whose boss!!!   Hope everyone has a great weekend! {{{hugs}}} to everyone!

  • karebear76
    karebear76 Member Posts: 150
    edited December 2010

    your week sounds like mine Melissa! CT scan and bone scan Monday, Port on tues and chemo on wed. Thurs I get my booster shot. Too bad we don't live in the same area!

    I contacted gailafund.org on friday to get my hat. I really hope they have the moss green velvet one. It looks sooooooo pretty and soft!!!  My aunt told me about that website.

    We WILL beat this!!! Seems like lately all I am hearing is about women who have lost this battle. I refuse to be one of them!!! My pastor's wife just lost a friend yesterday to this disease. She held me tight last night and told me that was NOT going to be me. When I was first diagnosed I never saw that as an option. With treatment coming up fast it is becoming more real that I really am fighting this battle. I know that God will get me through this. Sometimes it is just so hard to stay strong. I just want to sit in my room and cry and cry to get it out. Being a mom to 3 little ones sometimes it gets tough to be strong for them. I don't want them to get scared and worry about mommy.  

  • coni
    coni Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2010

    yoerlh i know exacly how you feel, mine happend  very similar, i'm 31 and since i was 20 ive been getting fibroid so when i went this year to remove another fibroid a month before the scheduled surgery i found a lymph node swollen they did the couse biopsy and turn positive breast and lymph node, i was so scared, especially about chemo, because of my age they decided chemo was the best approach first because they can check to see if the chemo is shriking the lump and lymph nodes and Thank God is working, everything is so overwhelming, but with a lot of prayers you will get through it i promise I have done my 3 round of AC and believe me if I can do it anyone else can i am the biggest wimp ever! 

    you are in my prayers.

  • coni
    coni Member Posts: 181
    edited December 2010
    moe and karebear yes you are both right we will beat this!! believe me anxiety gets the best of us, as long as you take your meds for nausea which i find is the worst and for me was the thrush, you can prevent that you will be fine, doc told me to exercise is very hard but im trying to....atleast 5 mins on treadmill, again ask your onc not all of them agree....its weird how they all think differently Undecided we will beat this because in God we will find the strength! we will grow to be 80! you will both see your grandchildren! all of you who have kids !
  • moe0279
    moe0279 Member Posts: 100
    edited December 2010

    Wow, im a little emotional this am...Karebear, unfortunately some people always tell about the bad stuff...what i want to say to them is "do you really think I need to hear this NOW" but i don't and just say "im going to beat this thing!" 

    I agree karebear, i wish we live close, we could do this thing side by side!  but we can thru BCO!  

    Coni, do you think the Chemo list on the Chemo Board is appropriate for the "chemo bag"  Should i wait to get stuff until the dr tells me what to get?I will go in asking for neausa meds, and meds for thrush..

    Does anyone know if the YMCA has any programs for cancer patients? Its funny i planned on starting the gym in november, but now don't think it would be wise to spend the money...so now im going to have to get creative..any ideas??I think going somewhere will be best and get me out of the house! 

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