Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Welcome Sailorgirl. It seems like lumpectomy and radiation go together. I was scheduled for radiation, but opted for a mastectomy after a second tumor was accidentally found. It wasn't on the mammogram at all. It was the sneakiness that made me decide on the mx. They decided I didn't need rads after the mx had great margins. I was 71 which might have figured into the decision.
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Thanks Jackie and Wren!
I know that lumpectomies w/o chemo seem to include rads but I'd love to see research for those of us 60+ with lumpectomies, small tumor and only 3 lymph nodes (which were in a little clump, the other 3 including two sentinels were clear) who had full shot of chemo. I wonder if other countries do it differently? I did read some info where they discussed 1-3 nodes vs 4+ nodes. Seems some docs look at these cases differently and treat them differently.
I also get that the radiation is necessary for one cell that might be roaming, but I am pretty sure chemo is taking care of those rascals! (And if not, that's pretty misleading because that's why they told me they do chemo.)
I agree that I want to do everything to make sure but I also wonder if some of this over the top!
I love your responses and will keep you posted as to what I learn and what I decide.
Thanks again. Looking forward to caching up with more if you.
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This is probably not a bad time to refresh on how things went for me. I had a bruise on my lt. breast stretching from mid to upper, inner portion. Being a mite older I gave it 6 wks. but it didn't really change much. Got me worried. I went to have it checked --- and whamo -- out of the blue. Well, in the beginning it was determined that I had a Papillary tumor. It was not lg. and this type of tumor is a non-aggressive slow, a rather indolent tumor. My Dr. said if all went well during the lumpectomy to remove it -- I would maybe be given a week of radiation.
I love my surgeon. During the operation --- she lifted out the dead tissue from the bruise but something didn't feel right to her. She kept checking around the spot and lo and behold, a second much larger and much more aggressive tumor was found. That obviously changed my pathology big time. Along came 6 months of chemo and 7 full weeks of radiation. That is what fostered my determination to THROW the book more or less at my cancer. It turned out ( always scary to say the least ) to seem much bigger, meaner, and a whole lot sneakier than I could have imagined.
There are many ways to treat cancer actually and I do think a lot of Dr.'s choose certain protocols for their patients based on the numbers of factors that seem the most prominent in your case. Still, you have every right to ask as many questions as you need too until you are satisfied that you have enough answers to make a cogent choice about your care.
I erred on the side of doing all I could because I felt like I got hit twice --- having two very different tumors, growing nearly right next to one another, and only the non-aggressive one was ever seen or known about until the lumpectomy. I guess from how things came about I saw cancer as totally sneaky and not to be trusted at all. I also knew very few people who had ever had it --- and no one in my family. Far as I know, I'm still the only female of my family who has had breast cancer. So, if I had it all to do over again --- I wouldn't hesitate to do exactly what I have already done.
Jackie
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Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one's
self. We must be purposely kind and generous, or we
miss the best part of existence. The heart that
goes out of itself gets large and full of joy.
This is the great secret of the inner life. We do
ourselves the most good doing something for others.
Horace Mann0 -
GG, hope your Thanksgiving was fantastic too. We are finishing up the last of the left-overs. It's all good though. I indeed truly enjoy those second and third 'meals' that re-cycle the things that didn't get eaten. I think I mentioned making soup from the boiled bones -- so the first of the yr. and beyond, when I want a taste of our Thanksgiving meal, I'll pull out some of the soup with a little of all of the meal ( including sm. pieces of dressing ) in it and have the whole experience over again.
It is once again drizzly out of doors, but hoping that is all it does. Also praying with all my mite that it is almost time to have some sun. Just going to have to buck up and keep going till that old sun gets here.
Already have breakfast done -- most days if we don't have eggs and toast we have steel cut oatmeal. I can get it from Aldi's and it is not nearly as expensive as the 'regular' grocery stores. I usually pop some raisins in it just before it is done along with some chia seeds or some flaxseed meal. I'm into some healthy eating trying to balance the less then healthy things that find their way into my pantry. I try to catch the little elves that put it there but have not been successful....sigh !!!!
Hope you are all going to have a marvelous Monday.
Blessings,
Jackie
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Good morning all,
Sailorgirl, First let me say welcome to our group. I had the same questions as you even though our diagnosis were different. I had stage 3 IDC which was HER+. And I had triple the normal amount of cells. My cancer was so aggressive, my team at Emory University in Georgia decided to do chemo before surgery. When they did the CT scan after the chemo, I was NED. There was no question in my mind that I would have a double mastectomy anyway. But the need for radiation at that point confused me, and my family. I asked the RO why, explaining that I was not trying to back out, just didn't understand. Her response is they do not treat what is there at the time, they treat what was there at your diagnosis. They are doing everything possible to destroy the area where the cancer started, so it has no where familiar to latch on again.
We are all free to make our own decisions, and each case is different. Although my children were a great support to me, this was the first ever major issue I had to handle on my own. My husband of 42 years had passed 13 months earlier. During his many years coping with diabetes and all of its ramifications- eye problems, heart problems, kidney failure, etc, we made decisions together. Now i was on my own. I just knew I wanted as much time with my children and grandchildren as possible, and decided not to leave one stone unturned in pursuit of that. One granddaughter was only 3 months old at the time of my Dx, and I wanted to get to know her. Two years later, I am still NED, and I have two more grandchildren on the way- one in March, another in June, which will make a total of 8, but my youngest son is getting married in June, so who knows how many more?
Talk to your Drs, look for threads here that give you other women's stories, pro and con, then go with your gut. You know your body better than anyone else. I am sure there are women on every side of this issue- those who had radiation, and have remained NED, those who didn't have Rads and remain NED, and those that made the same decisions and have had a re-occurrence. Which decision will give you the most peace of mind?
All of us on this thread. will support whatever decision you make, and will listen to your concerns, fears, etc. We will also rejoice in every step you take to bring your "normal" back, although it will be a different normal than what was. Educate yourself as much as possible, then trust yourself and your doctors. The only real caution I would give you is to stay away from Dr Google- that tends to cause more confusion. Use sites like this one, where there is solid medical information, and lots of individual real- life stories.
Anne
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welcome SailorGirl
I was 62 when I was diagnosed last year May and was told upfront that my choice was a mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation. I chose lumpectomy and then when the tumor was sent for the oncotype test post op it came back with a high enough score to indicate it was an aggressive type so I needed 4 rounds of chemo (cytoxin and taxotere), and then had my radiation. I did meet the criteria for having only 3 weeks of daily rads (M-F), which he called the Canadian model, higher dose with each treatment and then fewer treatments. Since my cancer was estrogen positive I'm taking anastrazole (generic Arimidex) for the next umpteen years. I'm 64 now, and after attending the Livestrong program at my YMCA for cancer survivors, I'm back to all my usual activities. Chemo knocked me on my butt, radiation zipped right by with just some skin redness and occasional itching and zingy type pains. I do not regret the path I took.
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Thank you fabulous ladies! I will keep you posted! I have tears in my eyes reading your posts! So glad I found you!
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PHEW I sort of feel human again. Went from surgery to horrible head cold.
First short on Sunday, that felt awesome.
I see Oncologist tomorrow and will let you know how that goes. According to Surgeon, this is just routine and will probably recommend hormone treatment.
Good luck and prayers to all
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The Rabbi of Berdichev saw a man
running down the street.
He asked the man, "Why are
you hurrying so?"
"I'm rushing to find my
livelihood," the man answered.
"And how do you know," the
rabbi asked, "that your livelihood
is running ahead of you?
Maybe it's behind you, and
all you need to do is stop running
and it will catch up to you."
traditional Chassidic Jewish story0 -
TikkkasMom
Thinking of you and wishing you well as you have your Oncology appt. Hope that cold gets better soon too. I quit having those long time ago, but I do recall how much fun they were NOT.
Blessings
Jackie
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Not first short on Sunday, I mean first shower!!!
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Something I found that is neat and does make me feel better:
I am a Seenager. (Senior teenager)
I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 60 years later.
I don't have to go to school or work.
I get an allowance every month.
I have my own pad.
I don't have a curfew.
I have a driver's license and my own car.
I have ID that gets me into bars and the whisky store.
The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant.
And I don't have acne.
Life is great.
Also, you will feel much more intelligent after reading this.
Brains of older people are slow because they know so much. People do not decline mentally with age, it just takes them longer to recall facts because they have more information in their brains, scientists believe.
Much like a computer struggles as the hard drive gets full, so too, do humans take longer to access information when their brains are full.
Researchers say this slowing down process is not the same as cognitive decline. The human brain works slower in old age, said Dr. Michael Ramscar, but only because we have stored more information over time. The brains of older people do not get weak. On the contrary, they simply know more.
Also, older people often go to another room to get something and when they get there, they stand there wondering what they came for. It is NOT a memory problem, it is nature's way of making older people do more exercise.
SO THERE!!
I have more friends I should send this to, but right now I can't remember their names. So, please forward this to your friends; they may be my friends, too.
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Jackie, My brain seems to be full of old commercials and their jingles.
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Love the seenager info!
Everything is great right now, even though this is a chemo week for Mike. His labs yesterday were better than ever. His hemoglobin is finally in double digits.10.2 is still far below average but a huge improvement over 6.0 in January. Mike is delighted. He feels good, has energy, and is optimistic again. He will have his third bone marrow biopsy in a month and of course we hope the cancer percentage has not increased.
My son Ryan is calmer and happier. His doctor convinced him to try an antidepressant, which is an absolute miracle. Ryan swore at 18 that he would never take meds again. The ensuing 12 years have been so difficult for him but it was his choice. He's been on the drug for 3 weeks and says he doesn't feel scared anymore. He has worked for nearly 7 months now...longer than he has ever been employed...and is doing quite well as an assistant chef at Alamo Draft House. We feared he would lose the job during his most recent suicidal episode, but his boss was understanding and his doctor vouched for Ryan's inability to work during those days. Today Mike took Ryan with him to the chemo clinic and then had an appointment with the oncologist. Ryan is very close to his father and confessed to his sister Allison that he was sure we were keeping something from him. The oncologist spent a lot of time with him, showing him lab results and telling him the absolute truth, his father has a fatal illness with no cure, but also talking to him about how well Mike is doing. She shared her enthusiasm and hope about the immediate future and talked to him about the bone marrow stem cell transplant to come. Ryan told me tonight that he was impressed and although he always thought of the doctor and the chemo clinic as being dark, depressing and scary, but was pleased to find everyone cheerful and the clinic bright, with a positive vibe.
What a difference from a few weeks ago.
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Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.
John Stoot
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Sandra,
What positive ( even though long range outcomes need to be faced ) news to bring. I'm happy for everyone. Though VERY happy for Mike, I'm deeply impressed with your son Ryan who has carried his burden for 12 yrs. That is a long time to try and handle such a serious problem which does indeed affect not only him, but the whole family, employers and relationships one may be attempting. I hope he can continue to see that medication does not need to be an enemy and can actually help him adjust more realistically to life, imperfect for him medically/mentally as it might be.
Going along with that I do hope Mike can hold onto his gains for as long as possible. What a struggle as well it has been for him and we never know just when some of that beautiful grace will come along and leave a bit of light in life.
There is sun out today --- as there was a bit of yesterday as well. That makes me happy and eager to work through my day. Happy lights help keep me going but the bottom line is always a great big happy sun outside. Then everything seems to become easier.
Hoping for a wonderful Wednesday for all.
Blessings
Jackie
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDRA!!
Enjoy your day
Anne
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Wishing you the best birthday yet with many, many more to follow.
Blessings Sandra
Jackie
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Happy Birthday Sandra!!
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Oncologist appointment done.
No need for chemotherapy or radiation. So thankful...
Wants me on Armidex. Anyone else been on it?
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TikkasMom,
I was on Arimidex and basically did just fine. After I had been on it two and a half yrs. or so, it became a generic. I did have some issues with that. They pretty much resolved by my being patient ( about 3 months ) while my body adjusted to the slight change. From what I gather --- if you are doing well with any of these meds ( and it is possible to do just that ) if you go to generic and begin to find issues cropping up it is usually do to the carrier that will be different.
I did find the last yr. or so it seemed my personality changed a bit. I would get angry quickly and really over small things. I didn't figure out ( the culprit ) till about my last three or so months --- so just put up with it for that short time. Being aware helped me deal with this one adverse effect. There seems to not be any way to pin-point if you will have problems, what they might be or maybe even when they might start. There are a few different ones ( 3 I think ) which do nearly the same thing --- so there are adjustments that can be made or trying one of the different meds.
I'm glad that I had something extra to help boost the chemo and rads I had done, and likely ( even knowing se's would have to be figured in ) I would not have considered not doing the 5 yr. pill.
Jackie
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Thank you IllinoisLady any personal experiences are helpful.
Good luck, thank you
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I have been on the generic for almost 4 years. My only SE is being cold a lot.
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Tikkasmom, I've been on it for 3 years. My arthritis got worse. Am hoping it lessens when I am finished!
Sandra, good to get positive news.
Jackie, hope you had a wonderful birthday.
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I'll be 67 on Friday. I don't feel 67...most days. It's peculiar, really. When did I become "old?" I sure didn't feel or look old as we welcomed in the new year of 2013. I had a successful career as an accountant, was a long-time fitness instructor, teaching Pilates and Zumba classes every day after work, plus Mike and I were ballroom dance instructors. We were both gym rats, in good health, and felt merely "mature." Certainly not old. Then I had a moderate brain stem stroke, had to quit 3 jobs right away, felt a major money crisis hit immediately, and felt fragile for the first time. Six months later breast cancer was found and I began the 15 month odysey of surgeries and pain. That's when I became "old" I think.
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The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace.
A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being
that places harmony in one's life.
- Peace Pilgrim0 -
Not old Sandra --- just well seasoned with lots and lots of experiences. Granted, many that could have been done without. I do think though illness and maybe being forced to think of NOT being around can have a big effect of making you feel older. I do think it changes life and our outlook --- but also prepares us for other hurdles --- such as maybe illness in our family. We become not who we thought we'd be, but who we have to be and we make the adjustments. My body is older, but hopefully my mind has regained some of the 'youth' I had before some of my medical incidents --- and yes, I do feel they are what originally made me "old". I'm busy though now trying to stay young or younger anyway.
Jackie
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tikkas mom
I've been on generic Arimidex for a year, first month I had pain in my hands that would wake me at night, that has disappeared. What I notice now is that if I sit too long (like 2 hours) when I stand up my knees and ankles are really stiff, but after just a few steps they're OK again. Hair is a little thinner, but who knows, I'm 64, it probably would be thinning just from aging. I was told it helps to keep active, and because the loss of estrogen can also cause loss of calcium in the bones, I make sure I get my daily calcium, take fish oil, and walk on the treadmill every day. Lew gave me a Fitbit One for Christmas last year. It took awhile to build up to 10,000 steps a day, but I've now done 10,000 every day since July 6.
Be sure and check out the topic "For Arimidex (Anastrozle) users, new, past and ongoing" under the forum "Hormonal Therapy-Before, During and After", remember though that the people having the most problems are the ones that are posting and looking for help. There are many of us on there as well that are doing just fine.
When I called in yesterday I was told my group was not needed for jury duty and I didn't have to report in this morning. Fine with me, too busy a time of year to be on a jury.
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Thank you all for your input, personal experiences of others are very helpful.
Good luck to all
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