CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS

Meece

Mrs Chorlton, welcome.  I was finally on annual mammos until the other girl started acting up a year and a half ago.  Now I get annual mammos and semi annual MRIs.  One day it will straighten back out and I will return to the annual routine.

Eph, I used to get mine done in March (Birthday thing) then I had to move to the six month, and had them in October (BC awareness, which by the way is stupid, because i am aware of it every month) but then a finding on a 6 mo check up moved it to September and to six mo.  Now stupid finding January moved it to February and...what's six months from Feb?  Oh, yeah, August.

Oh, for simpler days!

VickiSam

The crappppy part of risk .. is that I have a 8% chance of getting breast cancer again,  even after my bilateral mastectomy .. per my Oncologist.

I do not have to have mammo's .. new breasts - so where does this 8% factor in ? 

Vicki Sam   

deborye

For a few years I was getting mamos every 6 months, first the left then 6 months later both etc.  Now I am once a year with a follow up with the BS the same day.  It is at a Breast Care Center so

my BS has an office there. I still see my oncologist every 4 to 5 months.  March 23 will be my 4 yr cancerversary.

FireKracker

Vicky-where does that 8% factor come in?????sounds strange to me.are you questioning it?with every damn post you read you find out something new.i thought i was finished.damn.i guess your never finished.just keep loookin behind me.scary finished?????Ned dont mean a bag of crap either.GO AWAY.WHO INVITED YOU ANYWAY???I dont mean the NED sure im grateful it that bc that needs to find a new place to live.how about in the bon fire of the goddess????

sheila888

I read it somewhere that after 5 years your chances go back 1 in 8 again.

But this not the case.

This percentage things nobody knows if or when.

Hugs.

jo1955

Sheila -  You got that right.  Whoever decided to come out with the percentage crap should be shot.  No one knows if or when - it is like playing russian roulette.

sheila888

I think I will post that on your thread

catbill

Liars figure and figures lie.  I am not going to pay any attention to statistics any more.

sheila888

I ate right, exercised, never smoked still got BC.

When I mentioned this to my BS (Which I really like) he said your cancer was accidental.

You figure it out.

jo1955

Sheila - An accident - how?   He may be a good BS but I wonder how he came up with that reasoning>

sheila888

jo...He has a sense of humor and he loves to talk.

One day I said I thought I did everything right not to develop BC.

He was reacting to that.

Still I wasn't high risk no family with BC. My Mother had lung cancer.

I used olive oil. Didn't fry. overdosed on veggies and fruits.

Thats why I dont believe this how to prevent cancer S**T

annettek

seyla- mine said basically the same thing-it was bad luck...i loved her for it...none of the blah blah maybes,,,she said the truth is we do not really know..others with your exact profile might not get it or it might be entirely different. BUT BUT BUT there are things I can do for my general health and I have. Today I am going on my third day of living without smoking. nobody can comprehend what this is in my life...I have smoked for 40 years to one degree or another. It was my choice to quit. Wow. I can't believe it. I was going to do all these things and even went so far to sign up for the big program at md andersen to quit...and then I thought...why not see if you just can't do it? It is like salting your food before trying it. I would be saying to myself no annette you cannot do it you are weak and stupid-do i thought ok i will read this book and see what i think about things...then i smoked my last cigarette wed eve/thus morn12;30AM. hmmmm. very odd what is going through my mind. You see since I don't have a feeling that I could do anything about the BC that is was a crapo shoot...since so many were so healthy with no predicators leading to it, that well, with my diagnosis (although not a guarantee of anything but perhaps a chance of cancer again sometime-still the one you want to getI owed it to myself to just stop for gods sake. - to make my body and mind stronger. to live armed the best way i can...and know even if it doesn't really do anything in the end for my body...it is incalculable what it will do for my mind- or I should say is doing. Thanks...

jo1955

annette - So glad you are on the road to being a non smoker.  You will have to keep us posted on your progress.  Wishing you success.

VickiSam

Ladies ..  I concur 100%  -  it is confusing!   My thought ..

bilateral .. NO breast tissue -   tissue expanders, fills then gel implants.  Where does this 8% come from???   I have been told .. no mammo's, nothing there to view with the exception of my gel implants .

It's a crazy world that we 'all' live in.

Vicki Sam

jo1955

The percentages must have been done by men and they all think we are a bunch of dumb blondes.

VickiSam - Where in So Cal are you?  I am originally from Riverside. 

1xmastree

Hello

I had Stage 1 breast cancer and had a lump......done Sept. 1, 2010, 6 weeks of radiation everyday, and started taking the pill arimidex.  Having some trouble w/hand pain.  Doc stopped and will put me on tamoxifin.

chabba

Welcome 1xmastree to the place where none of us wanted to be but are glad we found it when we needed it.

My situation sounds much like yours (see below) but with 7 weeks radiation.  Managed a month on arimidex but switched to tamox because of extreme joint pain.  This is a good place to come for information, sharing of problems, pain,  fears, joys and celebrations, such as finishing a round of treatments or having a "clean" test.  It is also a great place to just vent.  We have all been there or are there with you now.  The support here is wonderful.

At the top of this page you will find the rules for "newbies" if you haven't read them already.

You will find several other topics you will want to follow.  If you haven't already found "Bottle of Tamoxifen" you should check it out.  It is a great place for help for dealing with our side effects from Tammy.

Good luck and remember we are here for you.

jo1955

1xmastree - Welcome to the group.  Chabba said it all.  This is a great place to be if you have to be here at all.  I went through arimidex and femara before going on Tamoxifen.  Join us on the Tamoxifen thread.  We really support each other there too and have lots of fun along the way.

sheila888

3jaysmom

hey girls.. tonite, i have no answers, just questions.. one of those dark days. lost a friend to brain cancer tx today. he's safe and well, went to bed, and woke up in Gods' hands.. the reat of us are here, wherever that is for each of us personally. mostly, just scared silly, if ya think too much (which is where i live, unfortunately)  lol  good to see you all here. WELCOME to ajitna, and Mrs. Cholton sorry you have to be here. glad your here with us!      3jays

bombaygal

Hello all,

Been diagnosed with stage 1, would love to know about more sites to research treatment options. Confused, and frustrated. Have had my lumpectomy and am scheduled to start  radiation next week. My Onc is pushing me to go thru chemo. but, most people I talked to say, with 1.3mm lump and no positive  lympnodes, I dont need chemo.

Anybody else been through this situation... I want the best treatment, but dont want to overload my body with stuff if I dont need it...  especially chemo.

VickiSam

Jo ..  down the freeway from Riverside .. I live in South Corona .  Originally from Orange Country, needed some  breathing room ... Moved into a new preplanned community - 6 years ago .. love all the new schools, stores, strip malls - but, not the traffic on the 91 freeway.  We live yards from the Cleveland National forest .. Hot as Hell, during the summer months ..

Vicki Sam

jo1955

3jays - Sorry to hear about your friend.  Sending hugs your way.

bombaygal - Welcome to the group.  Sorry you have to be here with us.  There is lots of support here and you can ask lots of questions, vent, laugh, cry, do whatever you need to do.

My diagnosis is close to yours and I did not have chemo.  The choice at this point is yours.  There are several of us that were in your same situation - had lumpectomy and rads.  You may want to search the threads and see if there is a March Rads thread.  That would be a good place to get on for rads information or you can ask any one of us here.  We will always help you along. 

Until you reach 50 posts you are limited to 5 a day.  You are more than welcome to send me a PM anytime as they are unlimited.

Vicki Sam - I know where that is.  I would like to be back in Calif but it is way too expensive and DH doesn't like it out there.  Guess I will settle for visits to my brother who lives in Upland.

Sheila - Merhaba

BarbaraA

Welcome, 1xmasgal and bombaygal. This is a fine group of folks.

{{{ANNETTE}}}} you can do it!!!

annettek

welcome to all who are new and remembe there is a wealth of information out there...please keep in mind the particular nature of your BC while considering options....

Yes, it day three today and I am feeling good. this is odd as i smoked 1.5-2 packs a day....maybe it is just because I wanted to stop. And at this point in time, I can't understand why I would want one...they never calmed me down, they never kept me slim, they always made me smell, these are the thing my brain gives me when I consider one.The beast could grow worse as I am not underestimating 40 years of additiction, but it is too cool to have just stopped. Confusing too. Everyone had a good one! 

jo1955

annettek - Good for you - you go girl.  Are you using patches, Chantix or did you do the cold turkey thing?

lestwin

My MO also told me to have chemo.  I had 1.4 cm, 21 nodes removed all clear, onco type 20 with 13% recurrence if I did nothing.  I am in my late 60's already have leukemia (5 years), 3 melanoma's and decided for the 4% that chemo would gain me it was not for me.  I am doing the rads, 33 total and Friday was my 25tx.  Yes, I am burnt pretty bad (bleeding) but yesterday was the only day I felt fatigued (a 15 yr old boy I knew committed suicide and it hit me pretty hard).  I then go onto Arimidex which really scares me, I am so allergic to every thing and I've heard horror stories about these drugs but I am giving it a go, so together with the rads and pill it will bring me down to 9% recurrence.

annettek:  You go girl, I went cold turkey too and have never looked back.  You can do it!

AnaM

Bombaygal - it looks like your prognosis is very good. I would look for a second opinion about having the chemo. In MY case, the tumor grade was 3 which is the aggressive kind, the cell was invasive and I am a triple negative. Three strikes against me. PLUS, I have had ovca twice, 11 year survivor, though. So I HAVE to take chemo as I am in the 20% of women who could have microscopic disease somewhere....NOT happy about that, of course, but will do it because it is my best option. I had BMX on Jan 20th with recon/TE's....might start chemo on the 10th of this month (UGH!!) and the cocktail chosen is Taxotere with Cytoxan. So you have many good things going for you, try to get a "tumor board" to review your slides, etc. Best of luck. Ana Maria

slinky

Annettek, I'm so proud of you! I took the cold turkey route when I quit smoking.  The first week is the hardest because old habits are hard to break.  Just keep envisioning healthier lungs, pinker gums and a stronger sense in taste (or whatever will keep you from smoking).  Keep it up!

sheila888

Annettek.....I can imagine how difficult it is. Good for you and I'm proud also you decided to quit.

Whenever you have a cranky day or moment we are here for you. I never smoked but I believe i have a eating disorder because I'm always hungry and craving things.

Hugs