MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • Kateygirl
    Kateygirl Member Posts: 5
    edited May 2011

    What a great idea!!!!!!   I was initially dxi 1989,stage 1 ES+/PR+/HER-.  I was 41.  I am now 62, had remained cancer free for 21+ years until recently.  Out of nowhere lung & bone mets.  Went to several "top" docs in NY.  All of whom could not dx recurrence simply because 21 years later was not likely.  Well so much for the so called "top" docs.

      Anyone out there have a similiar experience they can share with me?

    Katey 

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  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited May 2011
    E-I'm coming in at the correct page(s) for all the threads I visit, you are showing as Stage 1a on my computer & all I can say is YOU ROCK for being able to keep track of who is finishing what!  You are my American Idol Wink
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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011
    Katygirl, most of us on this thread are not that far out from our initial diagnosis.  When you say recurrence, are you saying that the pathology was the same as the original Dx then?  That is a long time.  Shockingly long for it to rear its ugly head again.  I don't think I will quit holding my breath about recurrence when I reach the "Big 5 Year" milestone.  Hearing your story, I guess I might never get to exhale.  We are glad to meet you here, but I will advise you to go on the Stage IV forum and look thru' their many threads.  I think that might be the easiest way to find someone who got recurrence so far out, and I'm hoping they can chemo your mets into oblivion.
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  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 5,938
    edited May 2011

    Katygirl, I am in my first year of diagnoses, but I have a friends mother who had been cancer free for 30 years and then it reared it's ugly head again 4 years ago with bone mets.  She is doing amazingly well and is in her 70's.

    Elimar you just never know with this disease, my MIL has been cancer free for 42 years and is now 82 years old.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2011

    Eph, I am not really very good at remembering at all.  In fact, I say to all reading, please do not be shy about "tooting your own horn" when you finish something up or have some all-clear results.  Around here, we are middle-aged, with middle-aged memories.  And some have chemo-brain on top of that.  We need reminders.  I know I do anyway.

    I see my Dx did switch over, maybe needing a little reaction time this morning.  I guess I will leave it at Stage 1a, which is accurate.

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  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited May 2011

    I know that E-I was being semi-facitious, altho you & all my BC friends are my American Idols (and Canadian, Australian, Irish, English, French, Indian.....) I guess "We are the World" Michael Jackson & company were singing about!

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Katygirl, so sorry you are back! So sorry too, that you have proved, yet again, that ER+ cancers (which are slow growing) tend to recur WAY after the 5-year mark! Hugs to you, sweetie!

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  • leisaparis
    leisaparis Member Posts: 587
    edited May 2011

    WELCOME to all the newbies.

    That SUCKS to all the gals with bad news.

    I have no memory these days, CHEMO brain. I think I may have said this before?

    I know these first 5 years will be hell for me, never quite knowing. But I feel for those of you who's on the other end of that. To be 20 - 30 years out, then a recurrence. That totally SUCKS.

    God Bless everyone. Have a great day.

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  • leona5
    leona5 Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2011

    Hi!  How u all doing?I am 48, and a 5 and a half years BC survivor.After taking Temoxifen for 4 and a half years, taking Letrozole now. I am having joint pains, especially stiff fingers now. Am taking 500mg Calcium and Evion 400. Is anyone having joint stiffness like this ? Any suggestions to improve flexibilty welcome....:)

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  • jo1955
    jo1955 Member Posts: 8,543
    edited May 2011
    Welcome leona5 to the middies.  I am experiencing the joint stiffnes with Tamoxifen and started taking glucosamine/chondroitin and it seems to be helping.  Some days I have to put hot compresses on the toe joints to make them feel better.
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  • blondiex46
    blondiex46 Member Posts: 5,712
    edited May 2011

    Kateygirl....my recurrence is after 14 years...and started as on the chest call 1 1/2 ago, now it is in lungs, liver and bones oh an lymph nodes!!!

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  • sheila888
    sheila888 Member Posts: 25,634
    edited May 2011
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  • Eph3_12
    Eph3_12 Member Posts: 4,781
    edited May 2011

    Meece, Faith, Barbe, Sheila, somebody who knows how to do pictures.  Tina has a photo of our bouquet on FB.  Would one of you please paste here, the Garden, and Chemo July '09 threads.  I think there's a TN thread to, but I don't know what it's name is. Thanks, Joni  (oh never mind Sheila read my mind!)

    Katie, Lisa's other daugher posted this message about the flowers: "BCO.Org (breast cancer forum site) ladies sent this to us. each rose had a tag on it, with one of the girls from the sites name and a little saying. so beautiful and sweet."

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  • kal_1865
    kal_1865 Member Posts: 176
    edited May 2011

    all i can say is WOW what a beautiful tribute to Lisa!

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  • pdaw
    pdaw Member Posts: 202
    edited May 2011

    Just curious Kateygirl - how were your mets found.  Were you feeling differently or was it some type of scan that found it.   

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  • pdaw
    pdaw Member Posts: 202
    edited May 2011

    The flowers are absolutely beautiful!  Thanks for making sure we all had a chance to see them!

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  • cathycan
    cathycan Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2011

    Wow, you girls are amazing! I salute you all!

    My story:calcifications in right breast 5 years ago, biopsy= calcifications. Fast forward to Sept. 2010, 2 areas of calcifications in left breast. Sonogram = calcifications. 4/2011,back for diagnostic mammo a couple of weeks ago, cals look just the same but this Dr. has a hunch, wants a biopsy. Biopsy shows DCIS. Lumpectomy last week. Planning on lumpectomy, then radiation after family vacation end of June, a nice tidy plan then the patho comes back with bad margins, actually find more unseen DCIS through sample, so... Got an MRI on the right side to see if it has the same "unseens", if so dbl mastectomy. I know I could "just wait and see" with mammos but after reading your stories, on the chance that the DCIS could invade, I just want it over with. My mom had breast cancer last year.

    Still planning on late june. Am I kidding myself, that I'll have time to recover for school to start back up? no radiation/chemo needed. I'll have 6 weeks.

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  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 2,264
    edited May 2011

    Okay, if that flower pic didn't bring a smile/tears, I want to know about it! Thanks Sheila :)

    Just a thought I want to share. I can't imagine how it feels to live with mets so I won't even try, but until I find out otherwise, I am not waiting for the other shoe to drop, I'm really not. I consider myself cancer-free just like the woman next door to me who has never been dx'd with cancer. I've done all I can do at this point to make sure my cancer was properly treated and arrested and I feel good about the decisions I've made. If I'm proven wrong tomorrow, so be it, but until then, I'm not going to wonder whether something could happen down the road. I will make plans for the future every chance I get, and I will go about my business fully expecting all those plans to be carried out. I wish that for every single person reading these posts.  Huge hugs.

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  • Paula66
    Paula66 Member Posts: 1,728
    edited May 2011

    Thanks so much for the picure post.  They are so beautiful.  I didnt know Lisa like alot of you did, its so heart warming to see just how much you all care in this way.  If the rest of the world could see this, wow!

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  • fmakj
    fmakj Member Posts: 1,278
    edited May 2011

    I look at that picture and think "Pink Hugs"......  Awesome bouquet! 

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  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,648
    edited May 2011

    Marlegal - yes, the picture of those pretty pink roses brought a smile to my face. I'm happy that we all came together and accomplished this tribute to Lisa, and I thought "pink hugs" - just like you said, Mary Louise. It was beautiful!

    And I totally agree with your outlook about future recurrences. Somewhere someone wrote: I didn't have any guarantees before, and I don't have any now. I feel as safe as the next woman, only maybe even more so because we are watched so closely by our doctors. Thanks for putting it so eloquently - it makes me feel even more assured about my future.

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  • leona5
    leona5 Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2011

    Thanks a lot, Jo....Will try that...:).Lovely rose bunches,  caring discussions, exchange of  useful informations....wow ! you people are amazing...I have been missing all these...

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  • Huskerkkc
    Huskerkkc Member Posts: 536
    edited May 2011

    Love the roses. What a tribute. I have been on 3-4 other threads and just came over here after the news of Lisa. 

    I am 50, diagnosed in January. Lumpectomy in Feb, chemo started in March. Will have #5 tx this Friday and one more June 1 or 2; then rads for 6-7 weeks. I am TN, so that adds a shadow to anotherwise (what I thought was) favorable diagnosis. Stage 1A, no lymph node involvement. Glad to be part of such a great group of women, this thread and others.

    Kristy 

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2011

    cathycan:

    I'm not a regular but have been lurking her for awhile.  I had BMX in February and luckily don't have to have chemo or radiation at this time.  I do have expanders and will do exchange surgery down the road.  Everyone's experience is different, but for me 6 weeks was doable (is that a word?).  The expanders cause their own issues and I'm not back to my exercise program yet, but I was back to work by 6 weeks.  Works OK as long as I don't have to sit for 8 straight hours.

    To the rest of you ladies - thanks for your posts.  I didn't know Lisa but the flowers were a wonderful tribure.  Hope you don't mind me dropping in even though I'm part of the "ish" over the 60.

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  • Valjean
    Valjean Member Posts: 1,898
    edited May 2011

    What a beautiful "Pink Hug" for Lisa.........so much love.

    ♥

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  • 3jaysmom
    3jaysmom Member Posts: 4,266
    edited May 2011

    thanks for posting the picture. its' so nice that her family knows how much we loved her/ she loved us... 'cause that's what ive found here, also...    welcome, all newbies, you'll find the same, just set awhile, and let us get to know you!!!        3jays

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  • BarbaraA
    BarbaraA Member Posts: 7,378
    edited May 2011

    Oh, Sheila, they are lovely. As was Lisa. RIP.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Very deep thoughts on this thread this morning. I really appreciate the words about being as "safe" as the woman next door...makes me feel lighter almost, if you know what I mean. I guess, only 2.5 years out I'm still feeling vulnerable and every ache and pain is mets. I have to get over that! Those words are helping me. Thank you ladies, yet again.

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited May 2011

    Oh, elimar, I get brought back to page 42 still....you wanted to know!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2011

    Kim



    Just wanted to say congrats ob the great cancer free news.



    Ladies. I also dont post much but I agree with Kim I have learned so much from all of you and i am constantly amazed about how much support is given. I am fairly new to this thread and didn't "Lisa" but my heart goes out to her family during this time and my prayers are offered for strength and comfort for them. Rest in peace

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