A place to greet and meet newbies to stage III
Comments
-
We may be quiet but we are still here. Welcome to the club no one wants to join, Jazz. This thread is in my favorites so when we have new folks I alway see it.0
-
Jazz - sorry you have to join us, but welcome to this forum. As I traversed this journey it was helpful to join threads that were going through the same part of the journey I was in to share; provide support and encourage and also a wealth of information is provided for some who have been part of bco for a while. Hopefully you are finding the threads that meet your needs. if not we can assist you.This thread and others are part of my favorites as Mags stated and I will respond when there is a post. Specifically as a newbie to Stage 3 over 1 year ago it was a needed source of support.
Feel free to PM me if needed.
0 -
Mags & LadyB - interesting about keeping the thread in our favorites. I have quite a few that I once read regularly that now appear to be in hibernation. But I think many of us were helped to much that we are always willing to jump in when a new post comes up. Saluting both of you for posting.
Jazz - we're here for you.
0 -
hi jazz. We are here for you. I too have just been through all this recently. At first it is all so overwhelming and so much to deal with. I found it helpful to break down the treatment into phases or chunks so it was more mentally manageable. It's all doable. Really! I was scared to death the day of surgery and said i grew chicken legs and almost ran out of the op room. Good thing the Dr drugged me up and I started saying how cute the anesthesia dr was. I guess it was embarrassing. Then at chemo it scared me even more. After the first one you get to know what to expect and how your body reacts. Then during radiation i thought i was going to be like hamburger and be fried. Didn't happen and it too was doable. Now I'm on hormone therapy and its very doable too. These forums are the best mind medicine there is . helpful to find those that are tracking with your treatment schedule. I found some forums I was closer to than others. Let us know how we can help.
0 -
Some days (today is one of those days) I feel alone. Every ache and pain I question. I love reading the stories and knowing that I am not alone. I start a support group next week (didnt really think that I needed it at first) but am now realizing I do.
0 -
Running, you definitely aren't alone.
0 -
Hi Running - chiming in to say also that you are not alone. Also, I think support groups are more useful after treatment. When you're in the thick of it with chemo, surgery, etc. it's just too much. Once all that is finally done - you have time to process it all. I feel like "what just happened?" every single day.
0 -
Hi everyone, joining you here.
0 -
hi newday123. welcome aboard. I'm sure you'd rather not have to be here but you will find good company. You and i have similar diagnosis. Let me know if I can help you in any way. It's been a year for me now.
0 -
This is my first post although I have been reading so many of your comments this past month. Officially diagnosed as Stage III last week after a lumpectomy on my left breast, had CT and bone scans today, getting the results as well as the full pathology report from last week's diagnosis tomorrow. I am officially scared to death. I was fine six weeks ago, and now I have triple positive invasive cancer, and absolutely in shock. No history, picture of health, two kids. Every time I go to the doctor it's bad news. I'm trying not to be in a dark place, and Christmas is only 4 days away. I want to enjoy _now_ but instead only think "isn't this going to be a nice memory after I'm gone." I'm generally a positive person, a fighter, and tonight I just want to crawl in a hole. I don't want to crawl in a hole, so posting here.
0 -
Hi fightergirl... yeah, I hear you. ""isn't this going to be a nice memory after I'm gone."" -- Me too! What can I do now to spend some time with the family and just save up some good memories for them. Sigh. I try to think that this is just something my family and I are going to have to go through. We're going to make the best of a bad situation. Nothing else we can do except try. We're here. I'm sure others will chime in too. Best to you and your family.
Hi live_deliciously... thanks for the welcome. It IS good to not feel alone in this.
0 -
you ladies are not alone. At first everything is so ridiculously scary. It's all the unknown that causes the fear. It really does get better and the "dark side" moments get fewer and farther in between. Another sister says it best. Life is today! Live, laugh, love!
0 -
Thank you, praying tomorrow I get an early Christmas gift, and then I can focus on treatment options, instead of waiting to hear if the cancer has spread beyond lymph nodes. It's just all so surreal, I feel so betrayed by my body. And I worry about the kids, of course. Luckily I am getting some meds for the anxiety short term, to help take the edge off so Christmas doesn't seem so sad. Thank you again for the welcome.
0 -
Good news! Got the call, and THE SCANS ARE GOOD! I still have a post-op appointment later this afternoon to get details on the pathology report but I haven't felt this hopeful since I learned it was Stage III. Thank you for letting me post here last night. All of a sudden I feel like I got my life back!
0 -
That's great news fightergirl! I was in the same place as you in January. Last Monday I had my final surgery (ovary removal) as part of my treatment plan. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel...5 months of chemo, surgery and then 33 radiation treatments followed by surgery last week. I only have one surgery left - exchange surgery in the Spring. You will get there!! In retrospect the most difficult time was that following the diagnosis. Once you develop a treatment plan & find doctors that you are comfortable with & trust, it seems things fall back into place but with your "new normal". Treatment took a year of my life but I am here now & able to spend quality time with my two girls and amazing husband. I found when I broke up the treatment into portions - like chemo, and only focused on one portion at a time as I was living it (instead of the entire lengthy treatment plan), it made it more manageable in my head. Focus on the here & now rather than the big picture. You've got this! Please PM me if I can help support you in any way. Hugs!
0 -
Glad to hear of the good news fightergirl!!! Stage III can be a bit scary but all of the treatments are doable. The ladies here are wonderful and we all understand as we have been there!!!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!!!
0 -
great news abiut the scans fighter girl! You can do this!
0 -
Great news on the scans fighter girl! What an early Christmas gift. Enjoy your family. Remember this is not a sprint, take one day at a time. As Angiel states, the hardest part was after DX, the test and waiting on results. I was in treatment for a year and had to break it out in chunks ie: surgery, chemo phase 1, chemo phase 2, radiation, etc. most importantly let your support group take as much off your plate as possible and focus on you. Remember get a team of doctors you trust and feel comfortable with and they are There for you. We are here for you too. You will do this!
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!!!
0 -
Fightergirl - Congratulations on the scan results!! I was dx on 12/22 last year, and was in a tailspin for Christmas, and beyond. As others have said, it's a long haul, but doable. Once the plan is in place, you will have a focus and can take it in steps.
0 -
Thank you! I know, need to take it one day at a time. AND stay away from all of the stats or recurrence or progression, because those are the worst. I'm still dealing with shock, but keeping the mantra of 2016 will be a very short year of a very long life ahead. Happy holidays everyone, will keep checking back!
0 -
For more perspective, I was originally dx with at least 10 positive lymph nodes, and a small but aggressive tumor. After chemo, all nodes were clear except one, and one other had stray cells. Chemo reduced tumor volume by 92%.
There's a new BC book by Elisa Port (maybe you have it already.) Reading it really helped me feel confident about treatment and outcomes and one of her main messages is - Stay off the internet!!
0 -
Whenever I start talking about stats a friend of mine gets snarky and says "Oh yeah? So when are you dying? And when am I dying? I need to know how much money to save or not to save." It makes me smile. I'll definitely check out that book. Thanks!
0 -
Welcome to all the new people. I hope you find comfort and strength here. Fightergirl, good news about your scans. I'm also stage III, and getting the negative results of the CT and bone scans was the biggest feeling of relief.
0 -
Thank you for the welcome! Everyone in this forum has been so supportive, and responsive, I never know what to expect on these things. I'm keeping relatively calm today, hopefully this carries through the weekend of festivities and family. (I don't know about all of you but I have a ton of cooking to do and I still need to work tomorrow!) Pennsygal - since I'm new I'm going to ask - how did they check the nodes before and after the fact? Other than the biopsy, I'm not familiar with that process. Thanks again!
0 -
fightergal, I had 4 nodes diagnosed originally - through ultrasound & then biopsy. After chemo I had BMX surgery and also a lymph node dissection which removed a section of nodes. Once those nodes were all sent to pathology, only 3 were shown positive for cancer.
Enjoy these Holiday days with your family!!
0 -
My grandma was diagnosed with clinical stage 3B micropapillary breast cancer. The tumor is about 6,5 cm in mammography and few lymph nodes was enlarged. Skin edema was also detected. After preoperatve letrozole for 7 months, tumor shrinked from 6,5 to 2,5 cm, skin involvment disappeared and all lymph nodes decreased in size, but one axillary LN still contained cancer cells.
0 -
Fightergirl - I had an MRI before surgery, and then when they saw the lymph nodes, decided to do chemo first. I then had MRI guided biopsies on both breasts. Then they did another MRI to check for response to chemo.
0 -
Hello everyone! I'm joining you all here... DX was in July, had cancerous activity in sentinel node pre-chemo. 5/23 nodes positive after chemo and BMX on Nov. 30th. BS called after path report and declared me cancer free. Saw my MO for post op follow up and asks me what the BS told me, then says, yes, all of that is correct, but we still have to take into consideration the 5 nodes positive (the BS said, tumor shrank with chemo and nodes and tumor were more scar tissue than cancer when removed) So, I was feeling good about the discussion, then she starts saying we have some options to look at here because of the positive nodes...A bit more chemo (she mentioned adriamycin, "just to be safe" uh no, the 6 rounds of initial chemo really did a number on my body in the first place. Moving on to the next thing, she mentions Xeloda, if I'd like that. No... Next OK, we continue with the original plan, radiation to mop up anything surgery might have missed, finish the year of Herceptin (I'm Her2+), and add Tamoxifen for a very short period of time to see if my periods come back. If they do, then ovary removal and an AI. If they don't come back in a year, switch to an AI....and 2nd petscan once all treatment is finished after radiation to make sure of all clear.
I guess I'm freaking myself out with her mentioning more chemo drugs... I feel like my MO was giving me the "standard" discussion to see if I'd do more chemo or something else... then she seemed perfectly happy with my choice to go with the original plan.
I'm usually really strong-willed and positive, wanting to push forward and kick this Stage 3 to the curb. This just knocked the wind out of me a bit... Thanks for starting this thread, I need to hear what you have to say.
0 -
JerseyGirl, everything will be OK. You are "triple positive", so you have many treatment options available. I believe Stage 3 is not a death sentence, especially in luminal breast cancer. It's just diagnosis.
0 -
Gohan1983, you are so right... others out here have made the statement, "You are not the cancer you have/had!" It is just a diagnosis, and I do have plenty of treatment options at this point. I'm thankful for being cancer free and looking to the new year!
Thanks again for starting this thread and all of you who are out here being so supportive. I was just throwing myself for a loop for no good reason.
Pennsygal, thank you for the book recommendation! I got on Kindle and read it cover to cover... Gave me so much clarity.
Merry Christmas to all...
0
