Calling all TNs

Hope60

Lovelyface -  When I had the MRI, I already knew I had BC (found on mammo & confirmed through biopsy).  The MRI showed a 2nd suspicious area, which eventually turned out to be B9.   I guess I didn't count that as a scare, because I was already terrified about  tumor #1!   The latest incident was a lot more disturbing, but everything turned out OK, thank G-d .   Wishing you the same good luck! 

mtnbiker

well ladies,

my tumor has shrunk from 5cm to 2cm 3 more chemos, then  surgery in march, the senses is to have radiation before plastics. my onc suggest hit with all your guns  the first time..I wanted to have reconstructive surgery at time of mastectomy , but they believe we will get a better response without plastics.   As we all know, we  do not know much until surgery..so for preparing myself for a breast when,   my margins and nodes are well.... you know...I decided to remove the breast then make a decision down the road ....I think I'm learning one day at a time.

I really don't want to do this bullshit again .......

Does anybody have any info on plastics at time or surgery and recurrence>>I will love to her more

TifJ

Wow Laurajane- As I first started reading your post, I thought you were in the Waldorf Astoria of hospitals! If I ever have to go back to a hospital, that's where I want to go!! It was a great dream though!! Glad you are feeling a bit better and hope you get to go home soon!

Bak- Glad to hear your doctor is taking care of you, but so sorry you are having so much pain. Hopefully this latest procedure will get you on the right track to healing!

Lovelyface-sending good vibes that the enhancement is nothing!

Luah

Lovelyface: Just want to chime in and wish you all the best for a B9 result. Honestly the worst thing is waiting on these scans and next steps. Hope you can distract yourself for awhile. 

mtnbiker: congrats on such a good response to the chemo - that's awesome! I'm sorry I can't help with your questions though - I just had Lx and no reconstruction. There are some other boards devoted to reconstruction, so you might want to post there as well. 

Laurajane: That was a good chuckle. You rock! 

mags20487

Love it Laura Jane....next time the Waiter comes in be sure to have some $1 bills ready!!

Titan

Mtnbiker...good stuff with the shrinkage!!!  Chemo is working..great news!..get that sucker.

Laura..omg..I was sitting at my desk..reading your post..and I started going way into la la land...I swear I could smell the sun tan lotion...and then you woke me up..dang it..get out of that hospital soon..ok?

Lovelyface..hoping for benign results...not going to say anything like it will be fine..yata ..we know too much to do that..but..as we say on here..you KNOW that they are going to very careful with us..which means just that...we just got to deal with it...and hope for the best.

OBXK

1candle - I love a happy ending - so glad you got yours, sounds like you were due.

Monika - Woo Hoo! Great news.

-------

Hope everyone had a good day. It was so nice here, I had lunch at an outdoor cafe!

Enjoying the small stuff...

eva57

Next bout with chemo tommorrow, my second dose hope it will be ok i am so new here don't know what to expect hair is shedding and my head and hair hurt can hardly lay my head on my pillow i'm trying to be strong but am starting to go weak so much more to endure

Everyone here is so strong and positive xxxooo

Great news mtnbiker how often are you getting your chemo and what kind?

OBXK

Eva57- oh, so sorry you have that awful sensitive head! Once mine started going, I shaved it myself, very empowering. It helps if you put something slippery over your pillow, like a slip or night gown, less tugging at night.

Losing my hair, hit me hard - both times! I think because I then, felt like I looked sick. The scalp sensitivity will diminish. You will get through this! One day, this god awful experience will be a dull memory and your life will not revolve around doctors appointments. I promise!

I hope everything goes well at your infusion tomorrow. Rest often, your body needs it. Holding your hand... Karen

tisthyme

 -

mtnbiker-  I was told that it is best to wait until after radiation to get expanders put in, but I have heard from many ladies that their docs said it was just fine.  I think it depends on your doc and what you feel after doing some research and talking to ladies who had TEs put in before radiation. 

I don't post here often, but I try to keep up everyday (lurker). Well I just wanted to share some fantastic news with y'all.  I was originally staged at 3 (I still don't understand why).  I had neoadjuvant chemo, 12 taxol followed by 4 AC that I finished 12/27.  January 23rd I had a unilateral mastectomy with ALND.  I received my pathology report on Tuesday and it said that there was no residual disease and the nodes were all clear.  Blew my mind!! A pathological complete response!  It is what I have been visualizing during each infusion and I almost think I am still dreaming.  I am over the moon! I now have a question though: Should I go ahead and get the radiation I was planning on beginning in March??  I was told that it is up to me.  My thinking before receiving the path report was to do all I can now, but with no residual disease I don't know what the radiation will do except for more damage.  What do y'all think?

LauraJane- I hope you are out of the hospital now. Sending love your way.

Suze- I hope your trip is going well.  Have lots of fun and stay in the NOW! 

Lovelyface-  I hope it is nothing. and you are FAR stonger than you think.

The best part of my morning thus far has been playing outside with my doggies!  I just love their energy and zest for life. 

Love to all of you!

Atlantis 

mccrimmon324

Congrats Atlantis!!!  As far as the radiation, that's a personal choice but I would probably do it. 

tisthyme

Thanks, Heather. That is what I am leaning towards.

CatWhispurrer

tisthyme - I probably wouldn't do the radiation since you had MX.   Everything I've read said that radiation is usually only needed if you have a LX, which I did.   I still am concerned about getting radiation since there can be long-term effects.  One study I read said that the rads helped to prevent LOCAL recurrence, but that long-term heart problems (that they thought were from the rads) were killing survivors.   I'd say, do more reading and research before making the decision.  I'm still trying to convince myself that I have to do it.  What good is preventing local recurrence if the rads are going to kill me early?   JMHO

laurajane

Im home. Yeah! It feels so nice. I slept 11 hours straight last night. Woke up in pain. Its kind of nice having the nurses wake you up to take the pain pills. I even had set my alarm but slept right through it. Im going to walk out in my gardens today and refill my birdfeeders. That is my goal anyway. They sent me home with bookoo antibiotics so i should be fine. I get rescanned on monday and hoping the bc hasnt traveled anywhere else. Ill get the results on tuesday. I heard from MBJ and she has been in the hospital she had high temps from the flu but also scans showed lesions on her shoulder and possibly her liver. She is in incredible pain. She doesnt have her laptop anymore and i asked if she wanted me to let all of you know and she said yes. Lets all send her healing vibes. She has been such a positive inspiration to so many of us on this thread.

OBXK- sounds like you had a wonderful day sitting at an outdoor cafe. The weather here is beautiful

too. Almost 60 degrees. I love it.

Eva57- I hope chemo number 2 goes smoothly for you. Look forward to your good days. I always tell myself that with every chemo I've done there are always a few maybe just one good day before the next one. I had pain when I first start loosing my hair too. Having it shaved really helped the pain go away. I hope it helps you too.

Tis thyme- wonderful news. Thanks for sharing. My philosophy has been to go after the BC with all the guns we have but cat whisperer has a valid point.

I hope you all can do something for yourselves that will put a smile on your face today. I am going to go out and have dinner with friends and listen to some nice jazz. It always makes me feel better to fix myself up and get out of the house for a bit. Sometimes it seems like to much energy but it's always worth it. I think I'll even paint my nails. I still have them which is nice.

ksmatthews

tisthytime go go for it!!!  I had the same response after my chemo and surgery , but just in case there is one little cancer cell floating it will get it.  Dont take chances.  Radiation was not bad at all, t he drive to and there was the worst part.

LRM216

LJ:  sending lots of healing love and thoughts to you and am so happy to hear that you are home.  I am wishing you nothing but the best. Sure wish I lived a lot closer to you, I'd be filling those bird feeders with you! 

Also, thanks so much for filling us in on MBJ.  I am not happy hearing this, as I had my own scares just recently (all is well, thank God, at least for now!) so I can well imagine the fear she is experiencing.   I pray that it is nothing cancer related.  She's had that damned frozen shoulder for so long and it's given her so many problems, I am sure hoping that is all it is.  Should you talk with her again, send her my love and tell her we are all here for her and wishing her well. 

Hugs,

Linda 

mtnbiker

lovelyface; thinking good thoughts:)

Eve57  just think about shaving your head maybe to a 3.... then you will do it  soon..i felt that after I did it, I could move on ..bc makes your plate seem huge.. which it is..so one step at a time..I agree with a cap if needed...my chemo is once a week X12 wks Taxel,Carbo X12 wks and Avastin X5 I am in a study ..

tisthyme,  AWESOME NEWS  !!!!      I hope, I can look over that moon with ya soon...thanks for the info. as far radiation..I tried to talk my Ono out of it if all margins and nodes were clear..she said we need to hit this will the big guns now!!! cause if it comes back well we all know that answer..just sharing..again it is your choice....doesn't much seem like a choice does it lol.......sorry got crazy for a moment..lol

catwhispurr; questions questions question, seems like that's all we do for 1yr during BC.:(

LauraJane,

glad your home...do the birds  look and sound lovely:)

have a wonderful day  Ladies,

Babs37

Hi Laurajane-So glad you are back home. Nothing better then your own bed to have a goood rest!

Thanks for the update on MBJ. I miss her here. Please give her our best wishes and that we are all thinking of her. Hugs.

christina1961

Laurajane, If you talk with MBJ, please tell her we are sending her best wishes and hoping further investigation will show benign findings.  I've missed her posts but knew she had recently moved so I thought she was busy from moving. 

Tisthyme, this is such a personal decision regarding rads when it isn't a decision already made for us but I can only say I'm glad I had radiation even though it has possibly limited my reconstruction choices. I fell into the gray category - 2+ nodes and 2 cm tumor after unilateral MX.  My breast surgeon didn't push for it, & even the RO said an argument could be made either way for it in my case.  I had left sided breast cancer, too, and adriamycin,  but it is my understanding that with the CT modeling they do prior to the treatment, the potential damage to the heart is much reduced over the way they used to do it.

OBXK

LJ - so glad you are going out with friends. Sounds like a wonderful evening, sending you all my spare energy Thanks for the MBJ update.



I'm making chicken and dumplings for dinner. It's not on my diet - but I need the comfort food.

Wishing you all a bit of comfort today.

Lovelyface

I must have missed a prior post or something, as this is the first time I am hearing about MBJ's recurrence (?).  I also thought that she was busy due to her move.  I am so so very sorry to hear this, as she I think was almost past two years and doing well except for that frozen shoulder.  What kind of a monstor of a disease is this?  I am sending love and lots of good thoughts and prayers towards MBJ.

LJ - So good to hear that you are back home and will be going out to enjoy with your friends.

Mtnbiker - Great news regarding the shrinkage.  None of us ever want to do this bullshit ever again in our lives.

Ladies, regarding myself, I am not sure how I am spending my day at work today.  I am shivering all day long, so scared.  My daughter in law went to the temple to pray.  We are all sitting on pins and needles, as tomorrow morning I face the Rad who told me he is watching me like a hawk.  He will do mammo magnifications and see what this enhancement is.  The one thing which is freaking me out is the Birads4 on the MRI.  I have a CD of my MRI, my goodness, they take a lot of slides, lots and lots.  They know what they are reporting, it is amost true what they say.  I am so scared, I have had feelings like this before, but maybe not as bad.  If they can't find any calcifications through the mammo, then they will send me for a biopsy.  I will then see my Surgeon next Tues and ask her if she can do a surgery very soon to take these two areas out, and of course at that point, the pathology will tell me everything.  I am just afraid she will not give me a soon enough date, in which case, I will have to opt for the biopsy, which is not the route I want to take.  I just dont know how to control myself, control my shivering, as I have never felt this kind of fear in my life before. 

laurajane

Oh lovelyface,

I am sending as much calming positive energy I can muster your way. Do you have Xanax . It will help a little. I wish I had a magic eraser to take this all away. I know it sounds silly but deep breathing not so deep and fast you pass out, just deep, 1234 in then 1234 out slow and easy, and when your mind starts to drift that's ok, just go back to concentrating on your breathing, feel your lungs expand and then as you exhale, concentrate on any negative thoughts being expelled, with each breath in think calm positive thoughts. This helps me and I hope it helps you.



I'm text forwarding all messages to MBJ that each of you post. She is still in the hospital and will be ding chemo and rads. I'll keep you all posted too.

Suze35

LJ - please send my heartfelt best wishes to MBJ and let her know I have her in my thoughts. I know what a scary time this is for her, hugs to her. If there are any words of comfort or advice I can offer her, please let me know. I am in utter dismay that she is facing this recurrence.



Lovelyface - hold yourself gently, breathe deeply, and treat yourself well. You are going to be okay, I really believe that.



Best,

Susan

TifJ

Laurajane- please send my prayers and good vibes to MBJ. I am truly sorry she is having to deal with the beast again. We miss you MBJ!!

Anonymous

Well crap. This news just s*cks. Please tell MBJ she is in my thoughts.

Lynn18

I agree with you Heidi, this news sucks.



MBJ, thinking of you and hoping for the best for you.



LJ, glad you are home.

OBXK

Lovelyface - sending calming vibes your way. I'm so sorry you are facing this.

Sugar77

MBJ - you are in my thoughts. I really don't know what to say except I'm so very sorry you are dealing with this. 

mtnbiker

,Lovelyface,  i do believe in what Laurajane said , breathe  slowly and if you can get out of work...you cannot function....I know I tryied....call your doc and ask for xanax something ....My heart feels for you !  I wish  I could give you hugs and you could let it out!!!!! i will ck back often in cause you need to chat.......

I really wish I could  say what I really  feel about BC, we probably all do......

mccrimmon324

Please let MBJ know that she's in my thoughts.