Anyone else feel good, like they don't have cancer?
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I am glad I found this thread, having just read several that were quite gloomy. I was diagnosed in early January, had a single mastectomy and implant, and will soon be starting radiation. I'm awaiting oncotype results and determination as to whether I will need chemo.
The surgery, which I dreaded, went wonderfully well, and just over two weeks later, I feel quite good, in some ways better than before. How I will feel once I enter the treatment phase (a bit scared of all of it), I don't know. I lost a sister to bc, so I had a lot of fears around this disease. I have confidence in my medical team, and have an unbelievably supportive husband, so those things contribute to the positive feeling (at least right now). Sometimes reading too many books and websites sows doubt, so I have to moderate my intake of those things.
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Welcome Miranda
Sorry to hear about your sister, I imagine going through that makes you well aware of the toll breast cancer can take on a family but hopefully you’ll find some hope here too. Even with the full course of treatment, some are lucky enough to tolerate it well and go about our days.0 -
Thank you, illimae.
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Miranda- I feel great. Post BMX and SNB went very well. It felt really good having those drainage tubes removed. LOL Like you, I am rather anxious about chemo . But we're tough and it's doable.
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Right you are, jo. We got this.
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Anyone else feel considerably worse after reading board threads on upcoming treatments? Today for me it was reading about hormonal therapy drugs, which the MO had said was in store for me. Joint pain, arthritis, thinning hair, insomnia, a thousand other bad side effects. I'm starting radiation Friday, on which day I will also get my oncotype results and find out if they want to do chemo. I think this is the point where I start to wonder about overtreatment.
So, not having a great moment right now.
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I don’t feel bad about any of it really, stage iv at 41 with brain mets leaves little else to worry about. Having said that though, I think you’ll find you’re strong enough for whatever the future holds. I’ll always maintain that I have been incredibly lucky with SE’s and my feeling good, really good, is not typical but I did a 5k on chemo, I saw a friends band play after brain radiation in the morning. The SE’s fro my tamoxifen were some night sweats and stiff finger joints but they mellowed out after a couple of months. Do your best to stay active, it is so helpful
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Thanks, illimae, I needed to hear that right now. It does seem that everyone's experience is different. I do need to step up my exercise.
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Another 5k 3 weeks ago followed by 2nd Gamma Knife brain radiation 2 weeks ago. Oddly enough I feel like I did before cancer. Sometimes I have so much drive and energy that I wonder if it spread to my adrenal glands and is making me amped up or something, lol.
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you are an inspiration Illimae, I am glad you feel well enough to do all of these things
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I don't feel like I have cancer.
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I know the treatment can be hard. I am glad to be done with AI drugs just crossing my fingers I don't have a recurrence.
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Live it up! I’m always happy to see others feeling good and living as well as possible 😀
I’ve been on an adventure kick lately, parasailing, concerts, travel, etc. Also, I’m filing my medical retirement soon, allowing more time to hit the gym.
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Illimae - love, love your attitude. You feel great because you are such a positive, bigger than life person. You brighten up this Forum.
Meow - I don’t feel like i have cancer, but I am always tired and hungry. Worried about recurrence, too, so trying to starve my cancer away... it is depressing sometimes that I can’t eat a donut or French fries.. but coming here gives me inspiratio
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I eat whatever I want including wine. I had none of the "risk" factors in fantastic condition and I got cancer. When they really understand what causes BC maybe I would listen.
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The only time I feel ‘it’ is when my yearly mammo comes up...most of the time I feel it was all a bad dream, the kind whereyou forget 99% of the details.
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Meow13, I agree with you about "cause." They really don't know, can only tell you about certain things that statistically seem to increase or decrease risk. I had an excellent diet and great health before diagnosis, and I'm continuing my plant-based plus adding increased exercise. But there are many myths out there (i.e., "sugar feeds cancer"). I try to listen to things that have actual scientific data behind them.
Edited to add: Though I tested negative for BRCA and the other available genetic test, both of my sisters had BC (one died). There's still so much that is not known. Sometimes I am glad my mom and dad weren't alive to see yet another daughter battling BC.
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I agree with Meow and I do the same except I did have a genetic connection - my mother had breast cancer. Regardless I do everything in moderation including drinking and eating sugary foods. There are a zillion articles about the do’s and dont’s with regard to cancer. You can dissect/interpret them anyway you want.
My MO admitted they simply do not know why some women get BC. We all know women who live the healthy lifestyle and still draw the unlucky card. One of the ladies in my church group is one of those women. Not only did she get BC she just had a recurrence after a 2 year DX. Her BC was aggressive from the getgo and they treated it accordingly. She takes a chemo pill every day. Obviously her nerves are shot and we are worried but hopeful
Diane
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I feel like I don't have cancer anymore. I'm 7 +years from diagnosis. I've completed all the treatments I've agreed to do. My MO retired last year. Instead of finding a new one, it was agreed that being followed by my BS yearly would be sufficient in my case. Went to see my BS a couple of months ago & she asked me "Do you feel breast cancer is behind you?" I told her I did. She replied "That's how you should feel". My stats & if I were diagnosed today, I would be stage I & not stage II, my prognosis............... She left it up to me if I wanted to continue to see her yearly, I left without making an appointment.(I do like this doctor). SO, I feel I'm officially done with cancer!!!
I know it can come back & there isn't much I can do about it. Those tiny percentages that can be gained by eating, weight control & the like don't mean much because I did all those things prior to BC.
In the rear view mirror.....
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illimae, thank you for starting this post. I finished chemo 5 weeks ago. Started AI a month ago, and still have exchange surgery to go and I already forget through most of the day..even with hard expanders in my chest and looking like GI Jane. I asked myself if I am in denial feeling like this so soon while still in the middle of treatment....should i not be so happy?. i am back to work, full force exercise, and enjoying my family and friends. That can change in an instant and I will worry then. My heart goes out to those that are struggling whether it be physical from side effects, finding themselves in that deep dark hole emotionally, or that today is the day they hear more bad news. It's awful. I hate it. It can be any one of us at any time. I choose to take nothing for granted and enjoy each day. I've made a few needed changes to my diet that were easy to make but guess what..today.. I'm going to my sister in laws pool with my family, will have a slice of pizza and even a beer or 2. I can hear you all gasping now lol And I am going to enjoy every minute. Hugs to all of you!
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I am very pleased to see so many of you able to deal so well with the risks and treatments and get on with living instead of letting the what if’s haunt you.
DebAl, no gasping here, lol. While I do my best not to invite further progression, I absolutely have a good time, I have the cupcake and the wine, just not too often. Technically, I’m terminal but I don’t feel that way, I feel good and I’m only 43, I still like to party 😃
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I am coming up on 5 yrs since my DX. Other than a few scares along the way, I feel it is behind me. My Mom was DX'd with BC again last yr at 83 YO, 23 yrs after her 1st Dx. My half-sister was DX'd at 27 yrs. old. We are all doing well and hopefully we will continue to. Sometimes it's like walking on a tight-rope and sometimes it's like flying in the wind! I believe life is about balance. Drink a glass of wine now and then, but not the whole bottle! Keep those that you love close and live in the moment. You are all an inspiration in your own way. Thanks for sharing your stories. ((HUGS)).
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I'm a Health Educator and have tried my best to live the healthy lifestyle since college 32 years ago. I still got it. No family history. I didn't expect cancer to be my fate, but here I am. I'm ticked about it, too. But, I do feel great. I hope I continue to feel great. I'm one week from being finished with radiation. So far, very slight skin reaction. I've had mild sunburns that were worse. I have to go through 4 days of boost doses and one more whole breast dose. I lay there and say, "Please let my healthy cells survI've and help to kill off the cancer cells". I rarely get sick and hate taking drugs. Haven't had an antibiotic in 20 years! I had an Oncotype score of 27. All the docs said i probably wouldn't need chemo. Well, surprise, I was the outlier that needed chemo. I didn't do chemo. I also don't want to do tamoxifen. I want to believe this was a blip due to some chronic stress I've been under and my body will now take over and get back to work. I hope, but I also know I'm taking a big chance. I may take that chance because I do feel so good and I don't want SE s of drugs to mess that up!!! My docs don't understand.
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Marymc, I took a risk too. Seven years ago I had good news until the oncodx came back 34. I looked at the whole picture and said no chemo. My oncologist and surgeon tried to persuade me but I didn't do it I chose AI therapy and I am still cancer free.
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hi Meow13. I remember reading your response on another thread. Reading your response made me feel more confident in my decision. I think if they had let me stew a bit longer, I might have done the chemo. I thought it was the right choice not to do it, but most people on these threads have done it. I'm in radiation now and I guess it's too late. Now, I have to face the tamoxifen issue. If I skip both, I figure I'm going to have that recurrence. I just really want to live life the way I was before. I had lost 40 lbs, was exercising regularly, sleep like a rock. I feel better than I have felt in my entire life. Why would I want to mess that up? To live i guess, but with the threat of other cancers, stroke, pulmonary embolism, joint pain, ugh! For some unknown reason, I had a lot of joint pain in my 30s. I know what that's like. No thank you.
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Hi Marymc, it so important for you to do what is right for you. Don't worry about what others do. Going with your gut is important. Sure, there are risks by not doing it and risks if you do. This disease is a crap shoot. Making the decisions that seems right for you play a big part in how you go on with your life. I'm convinced it is why I found myself drawn to this 'feeling good 'thread. I've done what I felt was right for me and I'm moving on until told otherwise. Enjoying life with the least amount of that 'all consuming' worry is what it's all about. Stick with it and don't look back. I hope you are feeling well with your radiation treatments!
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As I sit here, 8 1/2 years later, still NED (even if with some suspicious spots on my bones), feeling like crap, fully disabled and dealing with all the crappy life-long side effects, I keep telling myself "I've never been as healthy and active as I was when I had breast cancer".
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