Scared about treatment and new info

Danyel98

Today I met with my breast surgeon in Houston Dr. Arlene Ricardo.  She told me the latest about my cancer.  I am in stage IIIC and the tumor is grade 3.  I have an apt for a pet scan to check to see if the cancer is elsewhere in my body.  They want me to undergo chemo first before the surgery.  I am very SCARED about all of this and I feel like it is all so unfair.  The lump was discovered 6/23 and my cancer was confirmed 7/24.  It is all so fast and I fear it is too late to do alot.  My surgeon says there are still things that can be done.  She is positive thinking.  I like this but at the same time I am still worried b/c I am looking at advanced stages.  I won't need hormone therapy but from what I understand it would have been better for me if I had.  My surgeon says it is still possible they will only have to do a partial masectomy and I will still undergo 2 bouts of chemo, surgery, and radiation treatment.  I don't know if she is saying this to give me a little hope or b/c she knows it won't help to remove the entire breast at this point.  I am so sad and scared right now.  It is so hard to stay postive and keep fighting when I feel so much has already been stacked against me. 

Best wishes to you all out there,

Danyel

Ironically:  I have never had a broken bone, never had a surgery before, don't smoke or drink, heck I have never even had a cavity at the dentist.....

I would dearly appreciate anyone's advice, experiences or kind words

southernchick

Danyel,

I understand why you are afraid.  But don't give up. As long as you are breathing there is hope.  When is your PET scan appt.  Have you already had it done?  They do miracles these days with Breast Cancer.  Just keep on believing.  Your Doctor apparently believes you will have a positive outcome.  Stick with your Doctor's opinion.  I know it is hard to stay positive.  I know that after a while you get tired of tests and waiting, waiting waiting for results.  The best thing to do is get busy with anything that will take your mind of of it.  And to come to these boards where there are lots of women to offer lots of support.  Good luck with your PET.

Shannon

Annabella58

Danye:

I know how terrifying this time is....I had 2 bouts w/ bc...a mastectomy and chemo.'

Listen, if it was hopeless, they would just tell you so and give you a choice to do something or not.  It sounds like a pretty resonable plan to me.  I have a good friend who is buddies with two women in stage IV, both in remission for at least 10 years and doing fine.  Lots of monitoring, but doing f ine.

In your place I would say, just make a choice...are you going to fight?  then do, and it'll be OK.

Look at Lance Armstrong, he had it everywhere in his body, and he's doing fine.  You are young and strong and while this isn't the best case scenario, it is still do able.  Chemo is a drag, but it is temporary.  mastectomy isn't fun either, but they can rebuild your boobs.

Don't look at the bumps in the road right now, just see the end of it.  You will make it, we are all here for you.  Life gives you lemons sometimes, you can still make lemonade. 

I will pray for you right now to St. Theresa, the saint of miracle healing.  Have faith sweetie.

love

annie

Shirlann

Hi Danyel, please do not feel this way.  About 5 years ago, we had a woman who was stage 4, with 27 out of 27 positive nodes.  She is alive and perfectly well today.

There is NO WAY anyone can tell what will happen.  Many, many of our gals have chemo first, before surgery, it will shrink the tumor and give the team a head's up on what combination works best.  

 So stop this depressing stuff.  You will very likely be just fine.  The things you are telling us, we have heard 1000 times, this is not that bad a diagnosis. So until you hear something else, do not get too discouraged.

Gentle hugs, Shirlann 

Aggie84

Hi Danyel,

 You don't know if you are in advanced stages, correct?  I think the classified you as stage IIIc is because of the size of your tumor....5 cm, right?  Advanced stages means that cancer has spread beyond the breast tissue into a vital organ.

Grade 3 tumors are agressive, yes, but this is what I have learned since I was diagnosed with a Grade 3 tumor (2.9 cm)  ...Chemo works best on grade 3 tumors..why?  Because with grade 3 tumors, a high percentage of cells are actively dividing.  Chemo only works on cells that are active..not the ones that are inactive or in the resting phase.  My onc told me that he saw a 5 cm  , grade 3 tumor disappear to nothing after chemotherapy, not one cell was detected.  This is why your onc wants to do the chemo before the surgery. If she can preserve the breast by removing a smaller tumor that is shrunk by chemo then that's preferable than removing a tumor and disfiguring your breast more than is necessary.

I think they are talking about 2 regimens of chemo, not bouts.  Probably will be AC (that's the stuff that kills those cancer cells that are actively dividing by changing the DNA of both cancer cells and normal cells.  It works best on fast growing/dividing cells such as cancer cells, hair follicle cells-that's why the hair falls out.   The second will probably be one of the taxanes, like Taxol. Taxol interferes with the development of microtubules needed for cell duplication thereby inhibiting faster growing cancer cells.

 Hope this explanation helps put your mind a little at ease.  Take care and let me know if you have any more questions about what I wrote here.

Gitane

It's normal to read every expression, comment, or even tone of voice of every professional you encounter as you are trying to understand what's going on and how serious it is.  I obsessed more than most, I think.  I understand the feelings you are having, believe me, the sadness and fear are draining emotionally and physically.  It's hard to wait, it's hard to not know. It's hard to have life be so out of control.  I'm so sorry you are going through this. I am three years out from a IIb/IIIa diagnosis. I had a lot of tumor in my breast and had chemo before the surgery as you may be doing.  Have hope.  That is not just something I am saying,  you are not in a place that you should lose hope.  Trust that the doctors who are treating you can help you, and that you will recover.  Warm and gentle hugs to you.  Come back and be with us, let us listen and help when we can.

BMac

Dear Danyel  I have responded to you on another thread as well.  I really feel for you, you are so young to be going through this.  You seem like such a great person, a teacher, working with bunnies!  I'm stage III and am the poster girl (well middle aged woman, truth be known) for GREAT results with having chemo first.

These other ladies have done a great job at giving you the medical facts and figures (some of which I didn't know) and I'm giving you the living, breathing example of someone who's been there, done that and is here to tell the tale.  I thought I was near the end of my life back in November and now I have a clean bill of health.  Yes I went through a lot but I've come out the other side.

Good luck to you dear Danyel.