Younger Survivors?

JMShaddock

Just curious. Who are some of the younger survivors here?

iodine

posted January 29, 2003 12:25 PM
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Hope the moderators of this board don't mind me doing this, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows about the great information available at http://www.youngsurvival.org/ This web site is also listed under the "resources" tab on this web site, but I wanted to draw special attention to it in case you missed it. They have a discussion board, but it isn't nearly as active as this one. (I don't mean that as an insult - hope it doesn't sound like one).

This morning I was reading posts about pregnancy and adoption - my big issues - but I know others on this board would be interested in reading them. Also, I was reading a post from a woman who had bc in her 30's and is doing great after 17 years! (SandyL, she made me think of you even though you have had a recurrence. Your insight is always so valuable).

Okay - that's all - just wanted to point this out. No need to reply to this post.
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I found this by searching "young surviors". You can also ck. out the bio's of all who have listed here on the thread "bios of breast cancer survivors". Lots of young women here--way too many. Hopefully, someday there will be none.

Ginger815

Hi JenS:

I am 37 which is pretty young for this. I am in my 3rd week of rads.

ginger

alphadecay

I am 32 with idc. I had a mastectomy and 5/7 + lymph nodes. I am finishing up rads now. I previously had 6 rounds of CAF chemo.
My mother was diagnosed at 32 and died at 38. Her sister was diagnosed at 26 and 27 with 2 seperate primary tumors.
she, however, is still alive.

faith_m

Hey Jen,,
I was 35 when dx with stage II,
Now 38 with stage IV.

Faith

Fleurdelis

I'm 34, and I just finished my sixth and final round of FAC!!! Now I have to decide whether to do radiation next or have prophylactic bilateral mastectomy due to the BrCA1 gene.

JULIEHOPP

Hey-
I am 31. I had my fourth round of FEC today. Two more to go. 1.9 cm tumor with 1 out of 6 positive lymph nodes.
Julie

Pinkribbonmum

Hi
I'm 35.I've had a mastectomy (2 tumors totalling 76mm in R breast)had 4 rounds of AC, 16 of 30 rads treatments and have 6 rounds of CMF to go followed by tamoxifan AND I'M A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR as you to will be.
All the best
Teena

M_J_s_MOM

I am 36 as was dx in sept 2002 stage 2 4cm tumor no nodes involved, er/herneu2-. i had 6AC , lump, and will be starting rad nxt week. stacy

tess528

I am 30 years old and dx on Valentine's Day with IDC 8mm, ER+/PR-, HER2NEU -. I'm having bilateral mas. w/immediate tram flap this Tuesday and will then know if there is node involvement. Praying hard for clear nodes.

My grandmother was 70, died at 70 of bc and my mom was diagnosed at 46 and died at 51 of bc. I wanted this operation when I was 23 but no one agreed and thought I was nuts. At least my paranoia led me to catch it early....wish it led me to cut it off before the pass.

lorna1966

I am 36. Dx on Oct 4th. Had 4 A/C, then surgery, now 4 rounds of Taxotere, then radiation. I think they consider "young" to be under 40. Although it is becoming more common in this age group, I believe people, including doctors still feel surprised when they come across someone under 40, because the percentage is still quite low.

You can see the actual bios of alot of women, including ages and more details of dx and treatment in this same category, Biographies...

Good luck to you.
Lorna

JMShaddock

Thank you all for replying. It's amazing that BC hits such a young women I have had two cousins die of BC at very young ages (one fought this awful disease, but the other did NOTHING if you can believe it!) Please know that you are all in my prayers at this time!

(I am waiting on my results as I type--argh--the waiting game is no fun. I think it is the worst part, as you know.)

debramsey

This is the first time I've been on this site and am amazed at the number of "young" people with BC. I just turned 31 last Friday....three days after a right masectomy. The mass was 8cm and involved 5 of the 6 nodes removed. The doc said it is Stage IIIA. I begin chemo on 3/14/03. It is expected that I will have 8 cycles and then radiation. I believe that I am dealing with this well but have found that losing a breast is nothing compared to the thought of losing my dream of having children. My husband and I have already suffered 4 miscarriages (the last one at 18 wks of pregnancy). We were getting ready to try again when I went in for some final checkups with my gyn. She found the lump.
I am just curious how some of the rest of you are dealing with this issue?

Christina

I'm 32 years old and was diagnosed back in Dec. I had a bilateral mast with tissue expanders for reconstruction done in Jan. JenS- I sent you a private message.

Ramsey-- the fertility issue is a big one for me and my husband also. We were just starting to discuss having a family when I was diagnosed. With everything else I'm going through we opted not to try harvesting eggs and freezing embryos, but this is something you may want to look into. I had a Lupron injection before I started chemo last week in the hopes that it will "put my ovaries to sleep" and make them less of a target for the chemo. My next decision will be when to start Tamoxifen and for how long, based on my recurrence risks and how badly I want to get pregnant. I am leaning toward 3 years of Tamoxifen immediately following chemo. I don't think I'll personally be ready for pregnancy before I can put my treatment behind me. Be sure to discuss your options with your oncologist to see what works for you. Good luck!

*Hugs*
Christina

Kathe_P

Hi Jen:

I'm 38 years old and was recently diagnosed with DCIS in my left breast. I am recovering from a re-excision of the original biopsy site; they got clear margins, thank God! Tomorrow I see my oncologist to see when we start radiation and Tamoxifen.

Going through this process has opened my eyes to the fact that I need to take care of ME for a change. So I quit smoking (which I never should have started again!) and workout everyday, I eat better and pay more attention to how I'm feeling than I did before. I also joined the Young Survival Coalition and Living Beyond Breast Cancer which have been a great help to me. I volunteer with them 1 or 2 days a week and just signed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to volunteer with them. It's nice to be around others who have gone through the same thing.

There are a lot of us out there, and we all get through our situations in our own way, but it makes it a hell of a lot easier to do it with the friends you will find on this site!

Good luck to you!

Kathe

JULIEHOPP

Ramsey-
I also did not want to put off my treatment, so I did not pursue the freezing of eggs. My onc also put me on Lupron to put my ovaries to sleep to preserve them. Now it is kind of a waiting game, but I wanted to take care of me first. BC really pushed the fertility issue to light for us-we thought we had all sorts of time. Now we have 5 years to wait before we know if it is even possible.
Ask your onc about Lupron. You could also look into seeing a fertility specialist to freeze eggs.
Julie

sanam

Hi, I've being just diagnosed with idc. I am 32 with family history. I've decided to do a bilateral mastectomy since I have the gene. I've being searching on the web to find any statistics on young women in their 30 and what kind of treatment is the best and found very very little. This message board seams to have so mach information and even the statistics. Thanks for sharing your stories.

__CrystalBCS__

I wa 28 when I was Diagnosed with Breast Cancer (2001) I had a double masectomy (simple on left and a radical on the right - 20/31 lymph nodes removed were positive - I was Stage 3 at Diagnosis - Her2 pos / estrogen - neg) I am now 29 - will be 30 in one month and I am still battleing this disease. I have had 3 reaccurances since my origional Dx - the cancer has spread to my skin. I continue with weekly chemo (every friday like clockwork) this month I have been going to chemo for a whole year with 2 breaks in between for Radiation (if thats what you want to call it a break) Despite all this I am doing good - I am confident I will beat this.

Anonymous

Hi Everyone!
Looking through this, and after receiving some emails, we have decided to launch a new forum for young survivors.
Yes, the Young Survival Coalition is a very good address, but we get so many visitors everyday that we think that there is a need on our site as well. Thanks for making us more aware.
Melissa
breastcancer.org board moderator

nixi

Melissa,
GREAT Idea!
LeeLee

alllison_roberts

Ramsey,
I am just 32 with invasive ductal carcinoma with lymph nodes positve and my husband and I are going through the same issues with fertility and chemo. My husband tries to be supportive and says not to worry we'll adopt a baby but I know how hard it is to think that this option has been stolen from you. It's just not fair. My diagnosis came in December 2002 - surgery Dec. 23rd and chemo started the end of January 2003. We didn't have time to consider freezing eggs and nobody even mentioned a drug that could put my ovaries to sleep. I am blessed with a 3 year old who makes my cancer experience more real. But I truly want another baby and it just seems like none of my doctors want to discuss it! Be strong and ask as many questions as possible. This is your body!!
Take Care.

seawolfe

Hi all
I turned 38 in April. Last March I ended up with IDC - stage 1, ER/PR neg, Her2 pos, no nodes. Left simple mastectomy and DIEP recon. Just started chemo (Taxotere and Carboplatin) on a herceptin trial.

It amazes me how many women my age are in the chemo room every Thursday!

ParrotHead

I am 29 and was DX in March with Stage 2, IDC, lump approx. 5-6cm with one lymph node. I am undergoing TAC chemo and this week will be my third treatment. Goal is to shrink the tumour to save my breast. In my area, I seem to be the youngest patient with BC.

nancyh

I am 33, stage II, three positive nodes. ER/PR+, Her2 -. 4 rounds AC plus 12 weekly taxol. I'm in the home stretch now - with only a couple weeks of rads left. Tamoxifen is next.

Having kids is a huge thing with me. Like some of you, we were about to start to get pregnant when I was diagnosed.

LaurieQ

Hi everyone,

My husband and I were also trying to get pregnant when I was diagnosed.... now everything is up in the air.

I am 34 and was diagnosed this past New Year's eve with DCIS. Had a mastectomy on 2/18... 14 clear nodes (thank God). Now on tamox and about to have the genetic test. If I have the gene I will most likely remove my right breast and will struggle with the ovary question since we haven't ruled out children.

(My grandmother was 39 when she was diagnosed.... had a mastectomy and was thought to be free of cancer when it came back 30 years later as lymphoma. So I'll take whatever serious steps i can to prevent that)

chigbie

Just a bit of a laugh, can you all remember when we were kids and thought that 30 was ancient? Now there are people looking for youngsters in their 30's - ain't life a hoot!

Tere2299

I think I am also young for this (27), when we get together for the cancer suppor group, I don't feel like I am part of it. And even here, I think I am a little behind, I haven't get married yet.


I was diagnosed on June of last year (almost 1 yr ago)I am about to finish with my treatments. And now I just can't think about the future as I did before. It seems so unclear....

Right now I just want to live this moment, but when someone asks me what do I plan to do for the next couple of years ... (I just can't think of it) I guess be alive. Although I am not afraid of death, now I realize that I may be one of many others who may die young, who knows!!!

But for right now, I will just live as if nothing had happened to me. I don't like to be worried about the unknown.

Take care

Yosepha

This is the first time I have posted a message so....I was diagnosed at age 38 with a 4cm tumor and 1/28 positive lymph nodes. I had a bi-lateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction due to family history. I had 4 rounds of AC and 12 weekly taxols followed by 28 rounds of Radiation.
I won't be taking tamoxofin due to my ER status. My question is if anyone has muscular aches and pain and/or numbness in their fingers and toes after 6 months of being done with chemo? I do and it is sooo annoying and uncomfortable. I wake up in the morning with my hand so asleep it doesn't even feel like it is mine. I have been told by DR's it is residual affects of the Taxol.

chigbie

It's funny that you should mention the numbness - I still get that 2 years later. It is anoying as h&*(). I was told that if you have it, you probably always will. You get used to it after a while, but when it wakes you up in the middle of the night it is terrible. My doc suggested trying to sleep on my back, but I guess I have spent 42 years sleeping on my side and stomach and in the middle of the night, I always roll over. I did get one of those foam mattress toppers and it seems to help, a little, but I don't know that it was really worth the cost. If you come up with a solution, by all means, please share! Thanks.

eve

hi to all, you're all roughly my age and I thought I'd share my experience of bc although it's not myself. My daughter was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in the right breast when she was 5 years old,had a mastectomy - no nodes were involved....then had a recurrence earlier this year now aged 13. (tricky age to be dealing with this) Surgery was successful and luckily again the nodes were clear, she's now recovering well and had a prosthesis fitted in the school holidays(one of the adhesive ones)which makes her feel 'normal'. When the onc was discussing the possibility of Brooke needing radio/chemo fertility issues etc. all ran through my mind but as a parent the bottom line is that you want your child to be well. I,ve sufferred two miscarriages, one was a twin pregnancy, but went on to have 3 more children, all healthy...follow your dreams, I wish you all well,
eve

LaurieQ

Oh Eve

Tears in my eyes as I write this... 5 years old and again at 13...to say it's not fair for your daughter to be going through this is an unbelieveable understatement.

I am sending healing, positive thoughts out to both you & Brooke.

Laurie Q