Birads 5 with calcification
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@amerli I know both would have preferred to meet under different circumstances, but here we are. ❤️I’m truly grateful that you took the time to read my story and learn about everything I went through last year. I strongly believe that no matter what we experience in life, good or bad, we all have a purpose. Like you, I was newly diagnosed when I first joined this group, and the love, support, and comfort I received from these ladies carried me through. Now, almost eight months later, I’m in a place where I can offer that same love and support to the next woman walking this path. I won’t pretend it’s easy. it’s incredibly hard. But you will get through it
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Congratulations on finishing chemo! That is a huge accomplishment. I am so sorry that the accident has changed your confidence in the chemo, but I am hoping that you will feel some reassurance from a clean PET scan. Remind me.. You are having a mastectomy without reconstruction, right? Do you have a date for surgery?
I am hoping that life is starting to stabilize a bit for you. I can't even imagine the emotions you are going through over the accident as well as Cancer treatment. Hoping that 2026 is a better year for you and your family.
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@lisat8228 I'm sooo happy for you that you finished Chemo!
There a no words for your loss - I just read your post… from your accident and your little sis😔 I'm sooo sorry for you! I have a younger brother too. Also for your mum and hole family I feel sorry!
I'm going to pray for you for comfort!
Please feel free to contact me - we can pray together too if you want!
Whats my actual situation:
I had my last round too on 08january.
Now I have to expect for my surgery until the 26th of february and I can competely understand your worries about the increasing of cancer... I have to wait another 4 weeks without chemo till the surgery.
I'm glad the chemo worked out well - all the 'suspicious cells' on my sternum are gone but the are still not sure if it was tumorcells or not... Radiation for this area is planned and also a specific type of antibodies they will give me after the sugery.
I'afraid of it because they want to take 50%of my breast or, if not possible than all.
Next wednesday I'm going to see the dr. Oof plastic surgery who is going to inform me about possibilities for reconstruction.
But I think I will do first the radiation treatment and the reconsteuction in a year.
Who have experienced a similar situation? Which type of reconstruction can you reccomend?
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I’m so sorry I’m late responding. The neuropathy from the taxol has taken over. My fingers and toes are numb and soooooo painful. I can barely scroll or type on my phone so forgive me if it’s taking me a couple of days to respond.
@illimae it’s good to hear it doesn’t cause you in any problems. mine is good so far but sometimes it feels like a sensitive spot. I’ll get a funny feeling and get the urge to rub back there.
@scaredme that’s correct. A double mastectomy with no reconstructive. My oncologist hasnt scheduled my surgery yet. I met with him on Wednesday after I had my last chemo and he said he was going to put the order in for the pet scan and surgery. I got the call from the nurse Thursday letting me know they scheduled the pet scan for Tuesday. I’m assuming once that’s clear, they’ll go ahead and schedule the surgery.
@triplepositive5 Thank you so much, and congratulations to you as well on finishing chemo! That’s such a huge and meaningful milestone. If I’m understanding correctly, you’ve decided on a lumpectomy with reconstruction? I don’t have personal advice to offer on that, but I’m sure many of the ladies here will be able to share helpful insight.
I did want to mention that I had two tumors—one behind the nipple and another in the upper left area of my breast. At my first appointment, a lumpectomy wasn’t recommended because of the distance between the two tumors, as it would have left my breast disproportionate. I ultimately chose a double mastectomy and, for now, I’m not planning on reconstruction. I think, mentally, it just feels like my breasts betrayed me, and I want them gone lol.
Praying together sounds so peaceful. I think we should definitely plan to do that before our surgeries, once we have dates. Like you, I was told surgery would likely be in the next 4–6 weeks to give my body time to recover from chemo.
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I had my PET scan yesterday around 11 a.m. It was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but there was some miscommunication, either on my end or with the nurse. When I went in around noon on Tuesday, they told me my appointment had actually been at 7 that morning and I had missed it, so they rescheduled me for Wednesday at 9. I was finished by about 11 yesterday, and last night I got a notification from the patient portal saying my results were available. I don’t know how long they’d been posted, but the portal automatically sends notification emails at night. I’m scared to look. I’d rather wait to hear from my doctor, but I haven’t heard from him yet today. I don’t want to call. I just wish I didn’t have to go through this at all.
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@lisat8228 I haven’t had a PET scan but I know this anxiety well. I am thinking of you and sending you good thoughts for clear scans.
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@amerli So far, I’ve had two. The first was at the beginning, when I was diagnosed. I needed it before starting chemo. Now that I’ve completed treatment, my doctor wants me to have another one before scheduling my surgery. The first time was very hard for me, but the scans came back good, and the only area that showed anything was the spot on my breast. From the start, he told me I would need another scan after treatment, but missing a month of treatment has made this one feel even harder for me.
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I am so sorry that you have to go through another round of scanxiety. Just keep in mind that you are probably even less likely than last time to have any spread since you've been through chemo. Hoping you get good results soon.. so terrible to have to go through a weekend waiting. Hugs
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Small update: I got a call today from the receptionist at my breast surgeon’s office. She said my oncologist informed them that I’m ready to move forward with surgery. I’m assuming my PET scan results were good, since at my last appointment my oncologist said he wouldn’t schedule surgery until he received a clear scan, but I was still expecting a “your scans were good” call. I have the appointment with my surgeon on the 17th. I haven’t seen him since around July or August of last year when he did my biopsy. Are there any essentials you girls would recommend for someone getting a double mastectomy? I saw someone mention that having a recliner made recovery a lot easier. What else would you suggest?
I have kind of mixed feelings about the upcoming surgery. Part of me is ready to just get it over with, but another part of me feels like recovery is going to be really hard. I haven’t even fully recovered from the accident yet, and now I have to go through this surgery too.
Sorry if I’m complaining too much. It’s so much at one time.
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Hi @lisat8228, Good news on being ready for surgery. It’s probably safe to open the PET results in your portal now. I can’t give you any personal advice on recovery from bmx but from what I have heard the lifting restrictions (no more than 5 -10 pounds while keeping arms at shoulder level or lower for 4 - 6 weeks) are the hardest part. People advise putting anything you use regularly out at counter height to access it easily.
I don’t blame you for not looking forward to another surgery with all that you have been through. You can complain as much as you want to IMO. I hope your daughter is putting weight on her injured leg now. May the day that your body finally heals come as quickly as possible.
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Im finally home from my appointment with my breast surgeon. He shared the wonderful news that my PET scan showed no signs of cancer anywhere in my body. Even the original breast where the cancer was found showed no metabolic activity. The scans indicate that I’ve had an excellent response to chemotherapy. For the first time in three months, I genuinely smiled. My mastectomy is scheduled for the 26th.
@scaredme @maggie15 I didn’t ever open them. I was too scared. Although we all thought they were good, a whole lot of “what ifs” took over.
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@lisat8228, Great news on the clear scans! It’s time you had something to smile about. I hope your surgery goes well.
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That is the best news about your scan!! Life definitely owed you a win and I'm so glad you got it!
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I hope you made it through your surgery well. Please update us when you can.
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Thank you so much for thinking of me, it truly means more than you know that you remembered. ❤️❤️
The surgery went well, and I came home this morning. They’ve given me strict instructions not to lift anything at all, not even sweep. I have drains on both sides that I need to empty twice a day and track on a chart.
The pain is manageable. more discomfort than anything. The side where they did the lymph node dissection is definitely the most uncomfortable. My night shift nurse was amazing. she’s a nine year triple negative survivor herself, which was really encouraging.
I’m so grateful to be home, and with the pain medication, I had the best sleep I’ve had since the car accident. I follow up with my surgeon on Tuesday.
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@lisat8228 , It’s great that your surgery is over and you are home. How nice to have had a nurse who understood what you are going through. Drains are a pain but you wouldn’t heal well without them. The intercostal brachial nerve often gets injured during a lymph node dissection. It hurts for a while (mine felt like it was burning) but it does heal slowly.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself about the lifting restrictions but it’s worth following them. Take advantage of the meds and get as much sleep as you can.
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Just checking in.. Hoping that the healing is continuing and you are feeling better and better.. If I remember correctly, I got one set of drains out after about a week, but I also had reconstruction (longer healing time)..
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Good morning, ladies. Here’s a quick post-surgery update. Healing is going well overall. My drains were removed 5 days after surgery, but nights have been really uncomfortable. My ex mother in law ordered me a recliner to help with sleeping. it was supposed to arrive today, but unfortunately it’s still at a fex ex about three hours away.
I had an appointment with my surgeon today and we reviewed my pathology report. The good news is there was no cancer found on the right side. On the left breast, he was able to get clear margins. They did find a small amount of cancer in one of my lymph nodes, but he described it as microscopic and only measuring in millimeters.
My next appointment with my oncologist is on the 26th. we’ll talk about the next steps, which could include radiation. I have a feeling he’ll recommend it because he’s been very thorough throughout this whole process.
I was surprised about the lymph node involvement since the PET scan didn’t show any activity. They explained that the trace was extremely small. likely too small to take up enough glucose to show metabolic activity on the scan. It does make me wonder if there could be tiny activity somewhere else. I’m trying to stay positive, but that can be hard with a fight like this. Isn’t it crazy how even after a sensitive scan like a pet scan, it’s still not convincing enough to bring peace. I hate this.
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@lisat8228 , It’s good that you are healing well. Getting rid of the drains makes life easier.
Clean margins and no cancer on the other side is good news. I had a positive lymph node that didn’t show up on ultrasound. I was having radiation anyhow since I had an oncoplastic lumpectomy but they added axillary rads because of that. Radiation would probably wipe out any micromets.
Scans are helpful but not definitive. I have a lesion on my acetabulum which looks like a met on MRIs but can’t be biopsied without irreparably breaking my hip. My MO ordered a PET with FES tracer which they knew wouldn't reach the lesion and nothing else showed up (except the pulmonary fibrosis in my lungs which we all learned is ER+.) They are now monitoring the lesion for growth. I've given up worrying since it is exhausting and go with the proverb that a watched pot never boils. It takes a couple of years to get there but it is possible.
It sounds like your oncologist is on top of things. I hope the recliner has arrived and you are getting more sleep.
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Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about that one tiny spot of cancer in the lymph node. Easier said than done, I know. I had chemo after surgery so I was never able to know exactly how much it helped which was both a blessing and a curse, I guess. I worried so much for years about recurrence and I've finally come to a place of acceptance, likely because I am not constantly having appointments and blood tests to scrutinize. I did seek counseling in the beginning, but it was the passage of time that really allowed me to move on.
I did have radiation after chemo and found it it be much easier by comparison. I will be interested to see what your Oncologist recommends.
How are you feeling post surgery? You are nearing the end of your active treatment phase! I am hoping that this will bring you some peace in the upcoming months..
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@maggie15 I completely agree, worrying really is exhausting. I don’t know if it was losing my sister and going through that near death experience in the car accident back in October, but something in me has shifted. It’s like my whole mindset about this cancer journey is being rerouted.
I’m not fully there yet, but I’m starting to find a sense of peace with whatever comes too. I’m trying to let go of constantly thinking about the “what ifs” and all the possibilities, and instead just focus on getting through today. Like you said @scaredme it’s definitely easier said than done.
It does feel good to finally see the end of this journey getting closer, but I already have a feeling my oncologist is going to recommend radiation. From the very beginning, he’s made it clear that he wants to throw everything possible at this cancer and that’s exactly what he’s been doing. It’s good to hear that radiation isn’t as intense as chemo, but I’ve still seen people talk about the burns, and that makes me nervous.
On top of that, I’ll be on hormone blockers for 5–10 years, and I’ve come across so many different experiences with those too. Some people even end up needing a hysterectomy. It’s just… a lot to take in. Thinking about everything all at once can feel really overwhelming, but I’m trying to take it one step at a time and give myself grace through it all.
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Hey ladies, I just wanted to give y’all an update. My quality of life has been really tough lately. Even though I’m grateful to be here, every day still feels like a struggle. I’m back driving and trying to get through daily activities, but nothing comes easy. I still can’t sit low because getting up off the floor is almost impossible so I have to take showers instead of sitting for a bath. I’m still showering on a bench since my balance isn’t quite right, and my focus is still off too.
I wake up most mornings with pain in my back and shoulders. Even though my neck has healed, I still have a hard time turning to the right. The doctor told my mom it would be a long road to recovery, and I’m really starting to understand just how hard that road is.
I do my best to stay thankful, because when I look back at how far I’ve come, I know I’ve made progress, even if I’m not where I want to be yet.
I also found out I’ll be starting radiation—30 rounds total. I go back Monday for my planning appointment, where they’ll walk me through everything, including how I’ll need to position myself for treatment.
I’m definitely nervous, like I am with any new chapter, but I’m not surprised. I’m tired, but at the same time, I know I have no choice but to keep pushing forward.
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Hi @lisat8228, I’m sorry that just getting through the day is so hard. Your body was really knocked about so it’s not surprising that recovery is slow. You definitely have made progress but it’s normal to be frustrated. You have earned the right to vent as much as you need to.
About four and a half years ago I was in a burn unit after I caught on fire when my knee buckled and I fell onto the gas stove while cooking. The doctors told me the scars would fade in a couple of years because my skin is fair but I would probably have some permanent nerve damage since they could use a laser on my face and left hand but not on the area that had recently had radiation therapy. They were right: my skin now looks fine but my right chest from my sternum to where my ribs are under the shoulder blade still has nerve pain. Like you I just tell myself things could be worse and keep on going.
Radiation makes many people tired. The fatigue usually dissipates after a few months but that was what surprised me about it. Like everything else it’s one of the steps to prevent recurrence so you’ll find a way to get through it. Maybe you’ll be one of those people who breezes through rads.
It was good to hear from you. Keep in touch. Eventually things will improve even if some issues remain.
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