Recently diagnosed, Assistance with terminology.
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sampy,
I doubt you could scare Shetland pony re: chemo. Many members have done multiple chemos and are not only well aware of the side effects but have many tips and tricks for dealing with it. We do what we need to do to stay alive. Side effects? Sure, though being alive is the best one. As to growing old gracefully, I imagine that is what most folks want but as the song says, you can’t always get what you want.
I’ve been stage IV for almost 10 years. I’ve had one potentially life threading complication and a few little things that bother me daily, but I’m still here. I have worked full time and found a way to live with bc. Was this what I wanted or planned? Of course not but like most others I have learned to cope and still have a good life. I hope you do too!
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I’m very humbled by the responses, they really allow me the opportunity to view things in a different light, so thank you.
What truly stands out is “chemo is life” care of Moth - that refraining of the word has had a tremendous effect on me. If the situation were flipped and either my husband or our Maine Coon required chemo, I’d be insisting on chemotherapy and radiation, so why not for myself?
Although there was confusion regarding the registrar informing me I wasn’t a candidate for chemo and radiation, she was corrected by all three senior surgeons who did in fact recommend both chemo and radiation in their meeting, in this instance they were all in alignment. Where the senior surgeons differed in opinion was whether to have additional surgery before chemo, since the clear <0.5mm from my breast plate DCIS is considered controversial, my IDC has decent margins.
I can get a referral to the Olivia Newton John Cancer & Wellness Research Centre, my GP is happy to do so, she also told me there’s no rush and has offered therapy. Problem with therapy is I’m useless in that sort of environment. When the coroner arranged therapy for me after my mother’s suicide, it consisted of 20 minutes of exchanging pleasantries to which I excused myself and never returned, pounding it our anonymously via an iPad is safer and easier for me. Even when I arrived to my meeting to be informed of the results of my surgery, when asked how I was, I commented on the drapes for a good solid minute - who does that? Shetland, I don’t know why I said I don’t want to scare you, it’s me who’s a little on the petrified side - apologies it came out so clumsily.
Bessie, you’re absolutely right, for 48 years I’ve been in tremendous health (give or take a few partying years) that’s held me in good stead, and now is the time that I should take advantage of this because I’ve had breast cancer. If others can withstand chemotherapy after chemotherapy while in a worse predicament than me, why the hell have I invested so much time in my health? So I can look pretty in my coffin?
I think I need to challenge myself, I’ve had 48 good years, so from this point forward, things will be different, not necessarily tragic, it’s just a change of circumstances.
Like many have mentioned, cancer is sneaky, I don’t quite know why, but that’s a question for my oncologist, I don’t want to regret no having treatment because I was a afraid and didn’t wish to be inconvenienced. Who knows, maybe I can be an example for others in my situation too.
I’m tentatively agreeing to everything recommended simply because so many others have, I’m reading you all right now. Like my vet said, cancer isn’t the end of the world, I may be hit by a truck tomorrow! Thank god he’s a great vet.
Thanks again for listening and caring and giving me food for thought.👍🏽💙0 -
sampy,
What a wonderful post! Things may not always be easy or pleasant, physically, emotionally or mentally, but you get through treatment a day at a time. Your life will never be entirely the same but you will find your way and many good things that you never expected. Ta
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Sampy,
Cancer is sneaky because you don't know what it's going to do. If you read through this board, you will find people who were initially diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and who despite all their treatments still faced a high risk of recurrence, and yet they are doing well and have never had a recurrence, many years post-diagnosis. And you will find people who were initially diagnosed with a seemingly indolent cancer and who required minimal treatment, who may even have been told by a doctor that they were cured (silly doctor!) and yet they've been hit by a metastatic recurrence and now are Stage IV. There are probabilities about what might happen with every diagnosis, but there is no way to know what will actually happen for any one person.
Cancer is also sneaky because it only takes one rogue cell to raise havoc. Most breast cancers have been in the breast for several years before they become large enough to be detected. During all that time, before anyone even knew about the breast cancer, a few cancer cells from the breast might have found their way into the bloodstream or lymphatic system and floated away to another part of the body. These cancer cells find a comfortable spot and set up there. If it's only a few cells, it's completely undetectable. These breast cancer cells might lie dormant in their new home for a few years or many years. And then one day, they start to multiply and develop into a metastatic recurrence - in the liver or in the bones or in the lungs or somewhere in the body. This is why, unfortunately, once diagnosed with invasive cancer, we are never in the clear. While most recurrences happen within the first 10 years, some people are shocked to have recurrence after 15 or even 20 years.
It's because of this risk from these undetectable rogue cells that almost every patient with invasive breast cancer is prescribed one or more systemic treatment, such as chemo or anti-hormone therapy. The goal of these treatments is to track down these breast cancer cells, wherever they might be in the body, and kill them off. Thanks to chemo and anti-hormone therapy, many patients who otherwise would have developed a metastatic recurrence never develop one**. Unfortunately, no treatment is 100% effective, so despite treatment, some patients nevertheless face a recurrence. Here too there is no way to predict what will happen to any one of us.
That's why cancer is considered sneaky. You don't know what it's going to do. You don't know where it might turn up. And that's why treatment decisions are so hard - we make our treatment decisions based on possibilities and probabilities and hope we made the right decisions and that the treatment works.
** Within the PREDICT model, for someone with your diagnosis, the patients who otherwise would have developed a metastatic recurrence but never do are the 22% of patients who are alive at 15 years thanks to chemo and anti-hormone therapy.
Edited for typos only.
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Quoting sampy from above "What truly stands out is "chemo is life" care of Moth - that refraining of the word has had a tremendous effect on me. If the situation were flipped and either my husband or our Maine Coon required chemo, I'd be insisting on chemotherapy and radiation, so why not for myself?...Bessie, you're absolutely right, for 48 years I've been in tremendous health (give or take a few partying years) that's held me in good stead, and now is the time that I should take advantage of this because I've had breast cancer. If others can withstand chemotherapy after chemotherapy while in a worse predicament than me, why the hell have I invested so much time in my health? So I can look pretty in my coffin? ...I think I need to challenge myself, I've had 48 good years, so from this point forward, things will be different, not necessarily tragic, it's just a change of circumstances.... I don't want to regret no having treatment because I was a afraid and didn't wish to be inconvenienced"
Sampy, what you said makes a lot of sense to me! I am very happy to know you are open to doing the recommended treatment now, in order to give yourself the best chance at a long and happy life! Invest now, big payoff later. The stage iv people like me, we like you, but we do not want you to join our stage iv club, the club nobody wants to join. There is something special about you that comes through your posts, I think you are a spirited person, and that you will ultimately handle things and triumph. I hope that does not sound corny; it is hard to find the right words.
No worries about saying you didn't want to scare me. I just smiled ruefully and said, "Honey, you can't scare me." But this was not my attitude when I was first diagnosed. I just had to have that courage that means though you may be afraid, you do what needs to be done anyway. Then you learn just how strong you can be. There are many, many bc patients in your position who end up saying it was not as bad as they had feared.
P.S. I am very sorry for the tragic loss of your mother.
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In other words, I do have an aggressive cancer, despite it being early (T2N0), and I’m right to assume the more aggressive, the less predictable it behaves, hence why all three surgeons recommend chemo, rad & hormone therapy.
You know, about 4 years ago I began taking Vitex (Fusion brand) active ingredient - AGNUS-CASTUS, to help with my pre menstrual breast pain, worked pretty well, it’s the only supplement I’ve taken in recent years, I have a niggling feeling it may have contributed to my current situation. Not that I’d dwell on it, I had breast cancer, I’m not going to beat myself up over why - it is what it is, tide goes in, tide goes out, lol. I’ve always taken a multi b vitamin since I’m vegetarian, but b’s have been part of my life for 20 years. I generally believe supplements aren’t necessary if you’re eating a nutritious and varied diet. The Vitex on the other hand.... I no longer take it.
I find it interesting that initially, my breast surgeon estimated my tumour size to be approximately 1.4cm based on ultra sounds and mammograms. Turns out it was 3.3cm IDC with an additional 2.7cm undetected DCIS - what if I have DCIS in my left breast the mammograms and ultra sounds missed, how sure is my “team” I’ve nothing in my left breast, I don’t personally feel anything - I guess these are questions I should have asked last Tuesday and will endeavour to ask my breast cancer care nurse on Monday. Could the chemo and radiation mop up any micro cancer cells in my left breast?
Shetland, I like that I come across “spirited”, it’s not corny at al, I fluttered my lashes when I read it. In all the drama it’s nice to be reminded I’m still a person on not a perpetual patient.
Incidentally found this interesting episode from the ABCs Catalyst, exercise and chemotherapy in case anyone is interested....
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