Single life after a mastectomy

11920222425253

Comments

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    I imagine you may be finished with the exam E. My apologies for not remembering today was the day. 

    I am sending good good vibes to you.

    No venting...for now....

    All good thoughts and cyber hugs right back at ya gals

    Happy

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Hi, my exam is next Sat. 

    Well my sister has bc :((((((

    we found out around 4pm i cry so much already. I think it hurt me more than my own dx, maybe cuz somehow i am still acting as if it never happen. I dont know what to tell you, my family is having such a hard time and all i can do is give her all the information i can but i just cant stop asking myself why, why is this happening? You ladies are the once that can understand how i feel. I try to be so strong inside but i am not. i am a mess. Tmw she is meeting her doctor and we will know what will be next. The biopsy says Carcinoma tuctal Infiltrante Hisquierdo. which means DCI 

    she has it in the left breast, now they will do all kind of test i am so sick of thinking about all she will go through now :((


  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    enerva - i am so sorry....

  • grayeyes
    grayeyes Member Posts: 533
    edited February 2014

    Enerva - I am sorry to hear this.  Thank goodness your sister has you to talk with, to support her emotionally, and to share information.

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Thanks i am scared cuz the doctor want to give her chemo first, i told her to seek a second opinion since it did not work with me i wish the do the surgery first for her since she is so weak. i fear that if they give her chemo first it can make her very sick for the surgery as it happen to me. Anyway already got a second appointment with different bs this Friday. So yes i am glad i am here full of experience to guide her. Still so sad i just dont get it. Plus my exam is coming this Sat. till then. 

    Thanks for your words

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    enerva - is the tumor big, why the BS suggested chemo first? i agree the body too weak for the surgery is not good.

  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 261
    edited February 2014

    Enerva, I am so sorry.  I've been following this post thinking of what I want to say and today I see this.  This is so not fair.

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Hi June, her tumor is around 2cm. But i know ladies here who had that size and had the surgery first, plus they gave me chemo for 6 months before my surgery and my tumor kept on growing i know every body is different but i am worry about her other conditions. I know if they do the surgery first she can manage that then see what the Pathology report says then take it from there. I fear chemo cuz of what it did to me. ;( 

    I will keep u all posted.

    good night 

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    Yes Deb it changes your name on all of your posts. I checked when I changed mine in the event you would ask ;)

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Deb, They check only by touching it and kept giving me strong Chemo hopping for it to reduced then decided to do only 6 and by the time they operate it was over 13cm GDI i wish they had took it out before :( My sister will see a second opinion this Friday. At least i am here to guide her. 

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    enerva - 

    My experience was when my BS saw me and she would prefer to remove the tumor within a month. She did all exam touching, MRI etc. the way I felt my lump was I lean forward and grabbed the lump and it felt big especially a month after DX. And when the doc felt it was I lean back...it didn't feel that big. Not sure if I made sense: The surgery is about 1.5 month after my DX. But when both BS felt me, it didn't alarm they the lump was much bigger than they thought. On US it's 1.2cm but after surgery it's 6.5cm. So I would say surgery before chemo. Just my experience...I am not a doc. 

  • grayeyes
    grayeyes Member Posts: 533
    edited February 2014

    My two cents:  I had surgery before chemo, just because I started with the surgeon before I met the oncologist.  But, all of the other BC patients at the treatment center were having chemo first.  They told me oncologists do that now so they can see which type of chemo works on the cancer you have.  I used to sit next to a woman who was receiving the same type of chemo that I was.  Her tumor shrank from 3 or 4 cm. (I can't remember the exact size) to practically nothing.  When she heard that I had surgery first, she asked, "How do they know the chemo is working on you?"  The last time I saw her, she said she'd found a surgeon willing to give her a lumpectomy instead of MX.

    But, now, in reading Enerva's story, I can see why surgery before chemo makes sense - because look at what happens if the chemo doesn't work.  :-(




  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    i am just speculating here since i met my onco yesterday. she said they do chemo first and sometimes the tumors just melted away. and there's always a risk that cancer would spread under surgery. so i just assume chemo first to melt the tumor away and when do the surgery, the risk of spreading is lower. just thinking out loud here.

  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 276
    edited February 2014

    Hi ladies, I know you have a nice group here because I read through your posts often, I just wanted to say something about chemo prior to surgery - I did it that way and it shrunk my 9cm tumor down to a 4 cm tumor, which was good because it made getting clear margins easier. Also, I knew the chemo was working. Enerva, I'm sorry that yours didn't & also kind of surprised that they didn't change course after the first couple treatments. I'm wondering - did your tumor keep growing through the whole chemo process or did it get larger at the beginning & then stay the same? Glad to hear that your sister's is 2 cm. - that's easier to deal with at least.

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    hi ziggy!!!!! Nerdy

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    OMG, i felt very sad to read about your friend deb. life is so fragile and full of contradictions. 

    btw about eating well, check out ewg.org about what veggi/fruits we should eat organic. pesticides are so bad for er/pr +. and no cow dairy or beef. the hormones in those cows are so high that europe already stopped doing so. def go organic.

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    may be you can do almond milk? and check out the ewg.org and get those less contaminated food from regular supermarket. this way you don't have to buy that many organic. avocado, asparagus and broccoli are good and much cheaper at regular store.

    pork and lamb are probably better than beef and chicken, less hormones. if you have a farmers market around, go when it's close to the end, they tend to sell them at a lower price bc they don't want to drive them back to their farms. the farmers market at queens is so much cheaper than the one in nyc.

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    image

    I have no experience with the current subject at hand. I was looking for man pics and stumbled on a mouth watering dessert instead.

    Dark Chocolate peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache.

    Dig in ladies. and Happy Hump Day

    Piper

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    In my efforts to provide a pic, I totally missed the last 3 post. How awkward of me to post that cake.

    But,,,in my defense it is gluten free and low carb!

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    lol piper, they look so delicious...BCO needs to provide more stickies. i need a drooling one...

  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 261
    edited February 2014

    juneping. I laughed at your post. I say you only live once, might as well have some chocolate.  It has antioxidants ... Like blueberries. 

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    image

  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 261
    edited February 2014

    love it

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Hi all thanks for all your words, to be honest i am afraid of the chemo affecting her in a way that we may regret it at the time of the surgery only due to her blood pleasure and blood veins problems if she was very healthy like i was before bc then i know she can take the chemo first but if you see hoe fragile she is already then i am not too sure. She had an operation in the past which they removed her mayor vein in the left  leg   not sure what they call those surgery when you have serious vein problems internally? anyway the reason why i fear chemo first is due to her physical condition to begin with ;( tomorrow two doctors will see her i sent her a list of questions and she will have another sister with her so we went over everything that they need to ask and i am hopping we have a better outcome tmw.

    Thank you all ;) 

  • grayeyes
    grayeyes Member Posts: 533
    edited February 2014

    Enerva - I hope your sister's appointment with the two doctors goes well.   Your concerns about your sister having chemo first are understandable.  I hope the doctors take these concerns into consideration. 

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    Gosh gals......sharing a hug and a glass of wine.

    Longest week ever and passing around hugs and well wishes for a very nice weekend.

    XOXOXOXO

    piper

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    how's everyone? 

    piper - hope you are feeling better by now...

  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 634
    edited February 2014

    hi deb,

    may be we should all come here on v-day with a drink next friday night. i don't have plans at allNerdy

    i like my own company the best these days...

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 508
    edited June 2014

    Junie, ty for asking.............Not venting ......................yet!

    E..tomorrow is your exam??????

    I can never get this right and I start typing and fail to scroll back through before typing.

    Anywho......Clear your mind girl. You want this bad and we can commiserate about your sissy after the big exam.

    Focus...and don't make me post Channing prematurely......I will look for the most awesome picture of him when you are done.

    Deep breathes. Wear the ear plugs during testing if they are offered, or take a pair of your own. (being sensitive to external stimulus-I found this helps).

    extra special xoxoxoxoxo coming your way!

  • Enerva
    Enerva Member Posts: 2,985
    edited February 2014

    Oh my dear Sandp thanks for reminding me i actually want to try ear plugs, i thought about it but forgot. its almost 2 i just finished reviewing i am going to  get up and look for the plugs, fortunately i have some in my bikes bag lol Thanks girl sister doing ok she is happy with one doctor who will take care of her soon, not date yet but as soon as in a week he will do all test then surgery then ll see what the preports says regarding margin. Anyway thanks ll be more active after tmw. hope to pass lol