Calling all TNs

Cocker_Spaniel

Jenjen always come on here for comfort that's what we are here for. Don't beat yourself up about flaming exercise you work full time for God's sake.    I also worked from home for a year and I'm now back at work full time.  As for the diet I have always stuck to the same diet and it took me 65 years to get this frecken cancer so how can it be diet.  I take my hat off to the girls that can exercise and keep to their own diet but I work from 7am until 4.30pm and I am knackered by then so I am going to eat what I want and exercise if I want and as Titan would say DANG to cancer.  We've beaten it and hopefully it won't come back but in the meantime lets enjoy life as much as we can and if you feel like a wine, ciggy, hamburger then bloody well go for it life is very short.     

Hi to you BAK.  Agree with your comment on disappearing lump for Cat Yay.  I still love that beautiful dog in your avatar.  He is gorgeous. 

Good to hear from you Tazzy.  Hoping you come back on here cause we need some bloody good laughs.

Hi to everyone who's just reading and thinking of all of you going through or suffering from treatment. 

Hoping our LUV is ok and and she will soon pick up again.  So miss her on here.       

TifJ

Debra- I did put everything away in an effort to get my house back to "normal", however, my 11 year old son keeps getting out my wig and running around the house in it and taking videos of himself on the I-pad acting like a rock star. He is a drummer and the wig is shoulder length and kind of shaggy! Silly kids!!

Sending love to LUV.

njprn

Inspired, I benefitted from your post today, thanks.....

Stupidboob

Hey Gang,

Hope everyone is doing well.   I ask a few days ago about how often you get your bloodwork done and only got two responses...Please let me know.   Thank you.

Julie.........wow girl I am just at a loss as to what to say to you besides I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this.  (wrote you personally too)

So sorry to hear about LuvRving..........please keep us updated.

Csr319 congrats and I agree if you can get off of the boards and get on with life that is a great thing to do.   I will be doing good and then I get on here and read and I am depressed and in a funk for days afterwards..........it helps but it scares me too

InspiredbyDolce

Hi Stupid Boob... I saw your question and replied but it was inside a long post so sorry about that. Thanks for asking it again.





My Onc does labs every 3 mo. He runs a quick check right then and then the kidney, liver and CMP lab results come in the next day.

Stupidboob

thanks Debra...................I did not see it....:)

InspiredbyDolce

Maybe I forgot to type it in my message and went off topic... That has been known to happen!!



How are you doing?

Kazzie61

Stupidboob....I have bloods done every 6 weeks & scans every 12 weeks unless of course there are some 'issues'.



I'm on Xeloda, 14/7 & 3500 a day dosage. And the best news......it is working!!



(((Hugs)))



Take care ladies......Karen xxxxx

jcolford

I have CA-125 done once a year other than that nothing unless there are symptoms. The beauty of free healthcare.

NavyMom

Onc does labs every 6 months.  Liver panel, kidney panel, complete metabolic panel and CA 27-29.  PCP does Vit D, Lipid profile and HgbA1C.   I declined my Oncs offer for a PET scan in April.  I see her again in November and plan on declining again.

naan-so sorry to hear your recent "event"  Enogh already, girl!!!!.  Hoping that you are recovering quickly.

Sending Luv some Love.

graceforme

Stupidboob, I'll be having lab work every three months.

mags20487

My onc has coming every 4months right now and each time we do blood work...cmp and cbc along with ca 27-29 and ctc.  I have a pet scan every other visit but have requested we go to only if something shows on the labs as I just hate subjective myself to more radiation just because. 

Ka-cey

Good morning ladies.  I am 3 years 7 months out from surgery and last month I finally felt the fear had subsided and I was moving forward.  Yesterday I went for my annual mammogram and ultrasound, the technician excused herself and 5 minutes later the Dr. walked in.  He explained that they saw a group of calcifications that were circular in shape,  at the base of the scar.  He thought that it could be "fat necrosis".  He then marked the area & sent me for another mammogram.  As a result of that mammogram, he said that a biopsy was needed.  My question is - has anyone had a diagnosis of fat necrosis 3.7 years out from surgery?  My biopsy is 6 days from now. 

I read the posts daily and am sorry to see all of the newcomers.  Thinking of Michelle and her family.

Cocker_Spaniel

christina1961

Love that pic, Annie!  I am very crispy. 

I go to the oncologist every four months and get routine bloodwork as well as liver enzymes and CA 27.29 markers.  No scans unless something suspicious occurs.  Mammogram for remaining breast every year.  I usually see my surgeon every 3 months - the last time I went he said I could go to every six months.  It has been a little over six months now and I need to remember to make an appointment next week.

InspiredbyDolce

Hi Ka-cey,

Yes - I had a similar situation.

I had something at base of tumor site and everyone felt it was scar tissue and Radiologist said it looked like fat.  I had an MRI done with diffusion imaging (diffusion is an add-on to standard MRI to reduce the need for biopsies), so I didn't have a biopsy.  This returned a non-cancer probability to me, but due to bc history, it was still given a birads 3 which means very unlikely to be something, but not a firm negative.  So I went to my PS (the path of least resistance) and since I was scheduled for an implant exchange it was good timing to ask him to take it out.  So he sculpted some more and also removed additional bumps/scar tissue.  He sent them to the lab, they were non-cancerous, and a few were called sclerotic fibrous tissue two were called dermal scar.

I truly 100% think you will have benign results.  Positive thinking, and please report back when you find out the results.  But I truly think it's something that will be related to the surgery and healing, etc.

Have a great day!

Over time, this does

naan1004

Inspired, my onc confirmed it's breast cancer with mets to lungs, bones, brain, appendix, left neck, left shoulder,...

relocatedtarheel

Can anyone share any info about rads with me? I had a bilateral mastectomy so I don't have any breasts for a 'local'recurrance. So why have radiation if the chemo is going all through my body, its also going where ever the radiation would go?

placid44

Relocated,



I had BMX but still had radiation. The radiation helps get rid of any stray cells that might be in the small amount of breast tissue or in the skin or mastectomy scar. Another big thing is the rads hit the lymph nodes and help prevent distant spread. People can have small/undetectable cancer in the nodes. I went to a survivorship conference at Inova life with cancer today and tha radiologist speaker said that is one of the benefits of rads.

relocatedtarheel

Thanks placid44. My chemo has been postponed for the 3rd time now...and I have way too much time to worry/wonder/reconsider every option

placid44

Why postponed?

placid44

Ohm the surgery complication? Now I remember?

Stupidboob

Thanks for all the responses...............and Karen I am so happy that it is working for you........we all like to hear that kind of news. 

Update from yesterday.  all looked good, she was pleased with how I looked and they all loved my hair (what I have).    Repeating the Pet Scan in December.  We did blood work but not sure if she had it while I was there because the lab was running behind.   I have to make my mind up how I feel about the blood work issues as she does not routinely do them and she does not do tumor markers ( my last one not do them either) I like this lady and she is at one of the biggest cancer centers here (besides cancer treatment centers, which is new here) 

relocatedtarheel

Placid44...first 2 delays were from the second surgery from the mastectomy not healing/regaining bloodflow. Now I have some infection...a tooth problem 5 days after I took my last antibiotics (after 6 weeks of them) and extra fluid that keeps building around my tight tissues expander and weird pains there/low grade fevers. We're considering just removing the right expander so I can get in chemo.

InspiredbyDolce

The decision for radiation as treatment for someone with a BMX is recommended based on a variety of information that the doctor has about the patient, with a number of factors involved.

This is what is quoted from the American Cancer Society:

"Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays or particles that destroy cancer cells. Radiation to the breast is often given after breast-conserving surgery to help lower the chance that the cancer will come back in the breast or nearby lymph nodes. Radiation may also be recommended after mastectomy in patients either with a cancer larger than 5 cm, or when cancer is found in the lymph nodes."

Referenced from this link:  http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-treating-radiation

 

InspiredbyDolce

StupidBoob - So wonderful to hear your update!  That is awesome news.  When are you going to show us your fabulous new hairdo?! 

Regarding the labs, if you are still pondering how you feel about it, then it sounds like it is still a concern to you.  And if it's a concern to you, you might consider a 2nd opinion with another Oncologist to see what their surveillance protocol would be on you.  Then you'd be able to have more than one viewpoint to go by.  I know we all posted how we are being followed, but we all have different risks assoicated with our diagnosis, and therefore our own tailored protocols.  But with you, the common link between both of those Oncologists' opinions, would be you.  I think it's something to consider - talking to a second Oncologist.  Even Oncologists within the same group or office can have varying degrees of opinions.  So if there's even a second Oncologist at your current facility you can try with that or you can try with a different facility. 

I have seen a second Oncologist before for a second opinion on whether I could go on Tamoxifen.  If you are hesitant because you don't want to upset the relationship between you and your current Onc, you can always request a complete set of your file from the Onc - the Admins work on these all day long, and it would not be an uncommon request. Once recived you can give that to the second opinion Onc about a week before your appointment so that they have an opportunity to review your case. But do know, that Oncs know and even come to expect that people get second opinions and it's usually handled very well by the Onc and doesn't make the relationship awkward. 

InspiredbyDolce

StupidBoob:

I just logged on because I had another idea for you.

Why don't you download the NCCN Guidelines Manual for Physicians.  It is unique in that you can directly follow the schematic based on your indiviual pathology, such as tumor size, margin status, node status, er/pr status, etc.  In addition to that, there are reference pages in there for what the standard or suggested protocol is for following the patient and provides very clear details and it's specific to the selection you've chosen - you'll arrive at the page as you click on the appropriate links relating to the information about your pathology.  You can reference your diagnosis, and see what the various recommended treatment options are, etc.  It's very informative. I've attached the link.  I believe you'll want the red pdf one, under breast cancer titled NCCN Guidelines.  When you download it, it should be filled with technical information.  The one titled for patients is not the same thing.  You want the Physician's one which should be referenced on the front page of the manual.

http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp

You'll have to create a user id/password and provide some info, but when I did it, I used generic information so I could maintain my confidentiality.

Hope this helps!

JAN69

NavyMom--Thinking of you and sewing halloween costumes.  Are you making something for your GS this year?  My 2 GSs want to be Batman.  I have the pattern and fabric, but lack the energy just now.  The 3 girls have interesting ideas:  a black cat; a pink dog; and a character from some kids' movie, a minion.  So I've bought various pieces of the outfits for the girls and I think I'll only need to make ears on a headband. 

I hope you are well.  Jan

NavyMom

So nice to hear from you, Jan.  My little guy is 3 1/2 now.  And he is changing his mind hourly for his costume.  One minute he wants to be an m & m (the red one) and then he wants to be a power ranger.  So no costume order yet.  I haven't been in the mood for sewing so hopefully he'll settle on something easy!  Can't imagine making five costumes...you go girl!

naan1004

Ok I need to vent! There is this so called friend of mine who lives in Korea and was an exchange student here around the same time I was in college, she is 1 yr older than me and is a 2 time breast cancer survivor. Anyways, she decided it would be a good idea to visit me while I was having rt breast radiation treatment in Sept 2012 to supposedly help me with cooking/housework. She wanted to bring her then 4 yr old son, her motive to send him to pre-school in the states. I knew she didn't know how to cook, but she insisted she even has a cookbook and everything!

Well, as soon as she came with her son, they were on Korea schedule and were up when we were trying to sleep, cooking, talking, eating, ... My girls needed to go to school and mind u I was doing radiation treatment at the time and was very tired! She cooked 1 meal the 3-4 mos she stayed with us. Never did any cleaning, I had to teach her how to clean the damn bathroom mirror, which had so much splatter on it, I'm sure she couldn't even see herself! I also had to teach her how to clean the damn toilet, especially since her son kept leaking on the rug, told her to clean the floor and wash the rug! OMG, she's been married for how long and her son is how old, she doesn't know how to do these basic things. I even had to ask her to at least vacuum my younger daughter's room, where they took over.

I ended up cooking for 2 more people and cleaning for 2 more people, while taking care of my 2 kids and my husband, go figure y I now have stage 4 breast cancer. She had the nerve to tell me after 3 months of intruding in my life that her son has been complaining that my husband and I have not been as nice to him as the beginning. Is she fucking kidding me!

She was planning to go back around Christmas and wanted to return with an additional kid, not her own, but one of the students she was tutoring in English. I warned her having 2 kids is way harder than having 1, especially not her own kid. She didn't heed my warming and I only ok'ed it cause she offered to pay for living expenses. Since I wasn't working I was thankful at first. They ended up using 3x more electricity and water that the amount they paid us wasn't enough, our market bill came out to at least twice too.

This is getting too long. Fast forward, she now lives with her son, the exchange student, and another female adult she asked to come and help her cause without me she can't do anything. She texts me today and has the nerve to ask me where to get Halloween costumes, I flipped out. I gave her a piece of my mind. I told her she doesn't know what I'm going through since she had early stage breast cancers, went through chemo only once, surgery twice and radiation twice. I have stage 4, everything hurts from head to toe, what does she know about how I feel! I'm worried about who will take my girls costume shopping and here she is asking a sick person where to get costumes. She has access to internet, she has a smart phone, she has other friends she can ask, and I'm sure she has ads like all of us do from Party City, ... Y are people so selfish and senseless, I know I'm always giving, but isn't it time I receive and not give for once? So frustrated and hurt!