Class of 2010

LINDAGARSIDE

Hi Jakhope,

I hope you are keeping copies of all lab reports?  This is important information and it's all about you...and so you should have it.

Good luck at the radiologist appointment.  Let me know what to expect...I won't be going until Feb sometime.  '

I see you are Her -.  that is apparently quite good (a positive Her factor is less good).  Being positive for estrogen is good (being negative is less good).  There is just so much to learn about in this crazy medical degree we're developing, isn't there?  LOL...we should create some sort of cancer exam to test people on their knowledge about Her and IDC and DCIS etc etc  and so when we read their posted comments, we can determine how accurate their assumptions might be....we could have their exam graded ("A"  or "B" or "C"  certainly we'd never listen to someone who got a "D" ) and then posted just near where we post our cancer data. We could have a spot that says:  Date of cancer exam and results of exam or something like that!   Right now I think I might get a C- or possibly a D.  It's like going back to school all over again isn't it?  So, on second thought...maybe it's not such a good idea...but it was fun to think about.  LOL.  Good luck tomorrow.  When you are talking to the different Dr's, ask them what grade they got when they graduated from medical school.  See what they say...LOL (and get copies of your results/diagnosis)...

irish47

Good news, my surgeon phoned me today and my lymph nodes and margins are clear!!!  I am SO relieved.  Didn't really have an emotional meltdown since I was diagnosed but must admit I cried like a baby after the call.  Phoned my mum and sisters and they thought the news was bad at first, I was so choked up.

I am not worried about the lung biopsy now, must admit I was thinking bad thoughts about it till I heard the lymph nodes were clear.  Large glass of wine called for later i think  :-)

LINDAGARSIDE

I am so HAPPY for you!  Have a great glass of wine and smile the biggest smile of your life....yahoo!

Try not to worry about your lungs.  You KNOW worrying is not going to help so why do it?  Enjoy the wine already (you ARE Irish...aren't you?

P.S.  I'm part Irish...my grandfather:  "Paddy O'Connor"  (my grandmother was French and so you can imagine what it must be like when our family all gets together...half of us drunk and the other half talking too much about the drunks)

jakhope

I am so happy!!!! Great news! No chemo! I will have radiation for 6 and a half weeks and a pill therapy for a few years, but Radiologist, oncologist surgeon and oncologist feel this is enough to have no recurrences. I am so happy! I wish you the same.I still have the sterri strips that the nurse said will or I can, take them off in the next few days. Get my tattoo markings for radiation next Monday and I think my treatments will start the following week. only a high genetic testing, wihich is not in, will change this direction.

jakhope

I have been so dilligent about keeping a binder , and notes , thanks to you and your suggestions. I had a pad in hand when the Dr came in today and he took it from me when he was a going to examine me, and with all my glee of his news I left it in the office. Called back later and will get it on Monday when I get my tattoos. His nurse was so impressed with my well written list of meds and folder she asked if I wanted a job! Joking of course. I said if I can't get back to work as a hairdresser with my arm, I may take her up on her offer. Speaking of having a glass of wine. When I asked my Oncologist surgeon about the fact I did not want to give up my wine at night, he said well, he agreed a glass a night is fine, my Irish husband chimed in and asked , did it matter the size... My surgeon said no! I love my Dr and husband!

jakhope

another ps here in US and my Dr's. Being as I am not having chemo they do not want to wait treatment so I will be starting radiation three weeks after my surgery.  

LINDAGARSIDE

JAKHOPE....YOU ROCK!   Yahoo....have that wine girlfriend.  I think I will toast both you and Irish tonight.  I think I will toast myself as well.  Yahoo (again).  My scars are looking well healed already...and I am feeling like I've got energy to burn it seems.  Maybe because I'm so happy?  I'm even thinking of going to our local pool and start to swim...but will ask the surgeon first.  Maybe there is a lot of germs/bacteria in the pool? 

jakhope

A toast to the three of us and that all we ALL need is only radiation and the pill, whch he said is non toxic and very little, if any, side effects, He said the same about radiation too, except for watching for redness and soreness. Here is to us getting through this with a better appreciaiton of life and what is good in ours, and more compassion for others who will go this journey of ours and more. Cheers!

Irishmom

Hi - Diagnosed 1/12/2010 - having a lumpectomy w/sentinel lymph node biopsy w/ dye injection before surgery.  Not sure what to expect.  I guess alot will depend on pathology reports after surgery.....any advice would be very helpful.

irish47

Hi Linda and Jakhope,

Looks like we all three have plenty to celebrate!  Enjoyed the wine last night, (two small glasses only)  :-) 

 So you have an Irish grandfather and husband between you, another common link!  A nicer one than IDC.  I am pure Irish aside from an English great grandfather, from Dublin originally.  I have been to Florida three times, we have friends in Altamonte Springs who also share a common link but that is another story.  Have never been to Canada but that is on my wish list.

I am still pretty swollen and bruised but tender now as opposed to sore.  It's too early to say yet but the surgeon was hoping I would end up symmetrical (because of the mini breast lift).  To me though there looks to be a big difference with the right breast  higher than the left. he did say that if that was the case he would do corrective surgery on the left which i won't object to! The breast care nurse has phoned me every day just to check in and see how I am which I think is a nice touch.

irish47

Hi Irishmom,

I only saw your message after I posted my last reply.  When is your surgery?  See Linda's post of January 16th, she gave lots of good advice for after the surgery.  In my case I was up and about  a few hours after coming back from theatre and had my pathology results after three days. By the way the dye injection will make your urine blue for about 24 hours so don't be alarmed.

If you have any questions please ask, try not to worry too much and all the very best, hope your outcome is good and I am sure we will all be thinking about you.

ronqt1

Hi all, I am a 2009 BC Sister. I agree, PM is personal message.

My best wishes to all.

Hugs,

Irishmom

Thanks for the reply - my surgery is 1/27/10 - the dye actually is going in the afternoon before - the Doctor said she wanted the dye in for at least 12 hours. 

Thanks again

Ezscriiibe

Irish47: my pee turned green! It was bright green! (it is true what they say, "yellow and blue make green!") In fact, it was the EXACT color I've been trying to find to paint my study walls! My daughter didn't think it would be a good idea, though, to try to take it in to get a match. She's probably right. She usually is about things like that!

Irishmom: I am currently recovering from my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. It was yesterday. or was it Thursday? I've lost track of a day in there I think. .. Nevermind. My doctor injected the isotope and dye about 2 hours before the operation. The thing I was in the most panic about was the actual injection itself. I saw the size of the "needle" they used in the core biopsy (which revealed my IDC) and when they kept saying "We will inject the dye under your nipple. . . " I kept asking, "You WILL use a local for that, right?" 

To which they always looked puzzled and said, "No, it might feel uncomfortable but it's not very painful."

Then *I* said, "Oh, you've had it done on you, then, right?"

"Um, no. . . ."

Anyway, I finally asked them to show me the needle, which turns out it is a very very fine needle, almost the same gauge as my insulin needle, and the exact location they will inject, which is actually around the outer edge of the areola. 

I was envisioning a huge needle jammed straight into my nipple and was thrilled when I saw otherwise!

They were right, by the way, it's not painful at all. The stick is barely noticeable. And I will admit that there is a small "burning" as the dye goes in, but it dissipates rapidly. They only inject a very small amount, too.

If I haven't said so already, the sentinel node was CLEAR, so no additional nodes were removed! Woohoo! I am supposed to get the results of the margins on Monday.

After that, the only thing I'll be waiting on is the BRCA test results in about 2 weeks.

I will be thinking of you on the 27th!

jakhope

Hi all,

I have to admit my underarm seems to feel more discomfort now than it did right after my surgery. I think that is because the numbness is going away. it feels like I have a band around my upper arm. I do not have any swelling though and all seems to be healing well. My lumpectomy was 1/12.

I do not remember any blue or green pee. I stayed in the hospital overnight and was very sick from anesthesia and the shot for pain. I hardly remember going to pee.

I have had c-sections and abdominal sugery and I can tell you the pain level of any of what this was is in no way close to the other. I have not needed pain medicaiton, except for Aleve since day2. have any one else gotten Rx pain meds?

Hope you all are doing ok. We are going to dinner with friends and I will have my two small glasses of wine.

I

KatieMom

I have been reading you all and you seem so nice.  I am a little scared, but right in the same boat with you all.  Here's my story:  I was diagnosed with DCIS in October 2009.  My father died on NOv. 12.  Not of cancer, and not unexpectedly, but a loss to me. I had a lumpectomy on Dec. 12.  The pathology came back fine on a monday from the PA, but a call from the doctor the next day revealed that I had 2 very small areas of IDC in the tumor they removed so a SNB is scheduled for Jan. 29.  Meanwhile, my mother died on Jan. 5.  Also not unexpected, but a loss.  I am 49 and have a wonderful husband and divine 6 year old daughter.  They are being incredibly supportive, but this poor old family has had a rough 6 months!  With all the trauma of my parents deaths I haven't had time to worry about myself and think about the possibilities of really having cancer.  Now I am downright panicked about what they will find in my nodes on Friday...  Thanks for letting me vent and be part of a club I never wanted to join.

Katie 

LINDAGARSIDE

Hi everyone...and welcome all newcomers...not that you really chose to be part of a breast cancer group!  Now that we are all on the bus we might as well enjoy the trip...or at the very least...learn about the country we're passing through together! 

Katie, I cannot believe how much you've been through!  My goodness...it's almost too much, isn't it?  I pray God give you strength to take one day at a time, step by step...breath by breath.  Some small comfort I suppose is that your parents are united again?  I lost my father about 12 years ago and I still miss him like crazy...so does my dear mother.  I guess if we don't know how to feel our pain...we can never experience real joy?  That's what the experts seem to say...but when you're in the midst of it all somehow words don't help all that much do they?

Irishmom and Irish47....maybe they use a green dye in Ireland just because they can get away with it...LOL...over here in the west...it's blue all the way baby.  I stopped peeing blue last week sometime.  I sure laughed when you spoke about the needle Irish...that is almost what I was thinking as well.  I wanted them to show me exactly where they were going to put it...didn't want it to go into any nipple area at all. 

By the way...I'm noticing that since my lumpectomy (2 weeks ago) I've still got some red color and lumpiness in my breast.  Also, my nipple doesn't seem to want to stand up anymore...lazy thing that it is.  Is anyone else experiencing this besides me?

I'd like to mention that you REALLY need to do your arm exercises (were you given a book outling the special arm exercises?  I was and it really helps) as it helps a lot with the healing and will help you maintain full arm motion etc.  Don't forget to tuck in ice packs under your arm...they really do help!

We've got a couple of young grandsons here today... 2 and 3 years of age....so sweet and so funny.  All they want to do is play and entertain.  Talk to you soon...have a great weekend everyone!

KatieMom

Thanks, Linda.  Yes, my parents are a great love story.  They were married for 52 years and apart for 52 days!  Too much eh?  I hope I have similar love results.  Can't wait to pee green  

funsizejen

Great news for Escriibe, Jakhope and Irish!!!!!

Welcome to our new members!

Apple1965

Hello, Ladies. I just joined here today.  I was diagnosed on January 4, 2010 and had the lumpectomy yesterday.  The surgery was only 1 and 1/2 hour long and I am already doing well, no pain! 

Hi, Ezscriiibe, Me too!  My tumor was very close to the surface so the doctor removed some of my skin.  I didn't see my scar yet (it covered now).  I am a little nervous to see.  My node was clear and no drains.

My doctor took only one node from me; the sentinel node biopsy mapping showed only one node.  Does anyone know if this is normal?

irish47

Hi Apple,

I think the whole idea of the sentinel node biobsy is to just remove one node;  The dye shows up the node nearest the tumour that the duct drains into, saves having the more extensive node clearance done in the past,  That's my understanding anyway.

To clear up the pee thing, It was blue after the sentinel node dye and green after the bone scan injection!

Katie, wow you have had a very traumatic six months, my heart goes out to you.  I lost my dad 18 months ago but to lose two parents in such a short space of time, that really is tragic.  Hope your SNB goes well.

Irishmom, good luck on the 27th and Ezscriiibe with your margins results tomorrow.

LINDAGARSIDE

Hi there....I'm no expert on any of this...but I think the reason for the gamma probe and then the blue dye injection is to discover which of the sentinal nodes are "hot".  In my case, two appeared hot and so they removed both.  I have a friend who had 9 removed.  Apparently the dye helps to identify hot nodes...and Apple, it sounds like you probably only had one that identified as "hot"??

When you talk to your surgeon it would be great to clarify that in case that question comes up again.  LOL...we're starting to become somewhat of "subject matter experts".  In our ministry we call them "SME's".  Honestly, we do.  Funny hey?  I'm considered a SME (pronounced Smee) in Family Maintenance.

Irish47...thanks for clearing up the color code issue...LOL.  We're quite an entertaining bunch,  aren't we? 

Katie and Ezscriiibe...good luck!!!  And welcome to Apple!

Ezscriiibe

Actually, the sentinel node was explained to me this way: the dye will process through the body the same way a cancer cell would. The first node that the dye reaches is then designated as the "sentinel" node. They can determine which one that is because, obviously, it is blue and has a higher geiger reading (hot) than the others (as the dye continues its journey through the body, it will go through the nodes in a certain "path.")

Since the sentinel node is the first node a cancer cell would migrate to, that is removed and examined. If the node is clear, then the doctors can safely assume that the cancer cells have not made their way to any of the other nodes, so there is no reason to remove any additional nodes.

If the node is NOT clear, they take the next node in the "path," and test that. If it is clear, they stop, if not, they take more. . . and so on.

"Hot" only means that it has more of the radioactive isotope than the others because it was the first node to which the isotope moved.

LINDAGARSIDE

Hi Ezscriibe,

Thank you for your great explanation...it certainly makes more sense than mine...but I am a little confused.  I had two sentinal nodes taken out and my report states"Number of lymph nodes with micrometastases  >0.2mm to 0.2cm and/or >200 cells: 0"

When I went over the report with the surgeon she advised there was no cancer in my lymph glands...yet they took out two.  I'm curious why they went for the second if there was nothing evident in the first.

Prior to the surgery I thought I was told that the dye would make the nodes that were "hot" identify themselves and those are the ones they would take out.  She said while a node may be "hot" it doesn't mean that cancer is present...only that if it was present...this is where it would be found.   Does this make sense to you?  Are we saying the same thing?  I hope  so! 

Thanks!!!

Cinnamon69

Freaked out!  I have a meeting with the entire medical team tomorrow to discuss the results from my surgery Jan 12th and treatment.  I am hoping for clear margins and radiation only!  I do know the nodes were clear so that was some good news that came out of surgery.  My arm feels pretty good but I don't understand why my breast is still SO sore!?  The skin on the entire breast is so sensative! Anyone else have this issue?  I can't drink wine but I do plan on a margarita tomorrow evening!

LINDAGARSIDE

Hi Cinnamon....I had my surgery on January 8th and my breast was quite sensitive and also sort of "numb" feeling in some areas for quite awhile.  My nipple is still not quite right and I've got red blotches here and there on my breast....it also feels sort of lumpy.  I'm large breasted and wear a 40 double D bra. I'm guessing that my hard bits are from internal bleeding that probably happned during the surgery?   I noticed just now it's not as lumpy as it was the other day.  My tumor was about 2 cm but the pathology report says they took out 10 cm (I guess to get the margins they are looking for).  I was very fortunate and my margins are clear.  Good luck tomorrow!!

jakhope

Hi all.

KatieMom- As you said you were diagnosed and then your Mom died. not unexpected and then your Dad, not unexpected. You must have been under a lot of stress. This past year I had one of the most stressful years and did not take care of myself as I should have. Did not excersise and gained ten pounds in a year. I think that attributed to my diagnosis and I have vowed to take care of myself first now. I am a caretaker type person and I do believe that stress plays a part of this disease. I think we all need to put ourselves and health first. We will not be able to be there for anyone else if we don't. Eat right, get rest, find some quiet peaceful place that we can rejuvenate ourselves, even if it is in our bedroom listening to music, reading or outdoors or where ever we can find it.

Linda, thank you for the tip of the ice packs and excersises. My Dr did not give me any, and I am trying to do things to help but I do not know what to do. I am going to call my Dr and find out tomorrow if he has any sheets on ones to do. He has pretty muched released me and I go see him after radiation. I get the marking tomorrow and then start treatment I think the following week. I meet with the Oncologist Dr on Feb 2nd I think to go over what homone or pill therapy I will be on and I guess confirm no chemo. Yippee! 

What is the test they do to get the odds of recurrences? They have not done that on me yet and the surgeon siad he was going to contact the oncologist for him to order that. All this political stuff due to insurance and how they pay. I thought I had good insurance but my radiologist office aid oh dear, you have to pay $5000. out of pocket and then they will pay 100%.. I hope I am not going to have to pay that much out of pocket!!!

cinnamon69- Jan 12th the was the date of my lumpectomy as well. I hope you have as good news as I did with no chemo. I am still sore too. the nurse explained as the nerve damage comes back we may hurt more as time goes on.

jakhope

I had seven nodes taken out. They were all negative. there was a cancer cell cluster around one that was taken out, but was explained it was not in the node and so my report will say no node involvement. Any lingering cells around will be killed with radiation. I had nine staples in the area where they took out the nodes and main tumor. I had another incision where I had seven staples and took out another two smaller tumors, one negative and one positive. I have rather large breasts and do not feel like I lost that much area. maybe I am swollen. It does feel a bit lumpy and someone said it could be some scar tissue.

soccermom97

Hello everyone!!!!

 I just turned 30 (I always said that when I hit 30 it would all be downhill and am new to this board I was just diagnosed on 1/8 after a biopsy confirmed that the mass I felt on Christmas day was malignant. I had a battery of tests to see if there was mets, which all look negative so far, just a single lymph node is enlarged...I began chemo (adriamycin/cytoxan) on 1/18. I will have a total of 4 rounds every other week and then hopefully surgery, I am opting for a B/L modified radical mastectomy with immediate reconstruction...I don't care if I end up having triple negative markers come back, I want these things gone!!!!! Anyways, my question for all of you that have had the A/C chemo....when did your hair start to fall out??? I know it will happen, and I know everyone is different, but if I could just get an approximate timeline that woud be wonderful!!! I have 4 kids and one of them is very concerned that I may have to go out in public without hair, he doesn't want my feelings to get hurt (my sensitive one) I have some scarfs, bandanas, and hats lined up, and will be getting a wig this week for work...but any type of experience with hair loss would be so very helpful!!!! Thanks!!!!!

Dawn

jakhope

To soccermom- So sorry you are going through this and you are so young!!! You may be the first one of our group to be starting with chemo, as many are just going through the surgery and treatment plans I would suggest you post on the other boards and maybe find some ladies that are not just diagnosed this month and maybe they can asnwer your questions about what to expect with your  upcoming side effects with the chemo you are taking.I know as a hairdresser, cleints I have done their hair and they lost it usually within two weeks. I cut their hair very short so it was not so shocking as it came out. Some even buzzed it off. Are you sure the type of chemo you are having that you will lose it?