Calling all Stage II Sisters!!!

sanbar8771

I just wanted to sent a shout out. I don't see many forums for stage II. Finished treatment almost 6 months ago and I am going crazy. I want to re-arrange my house....buy a new car, even replace all my furniture.  Does anyone else feel this way? I feel like I have no control what is going on inside my body so I just eat right (vegan) and excercise daily. Help, I am going nuts. My onco does not need to see me until my 6 month time period. Do I get a scan? As you can see in my sig, I am super duper high risk. Yay...me! But I know not to stress...just be thankful for everyday god has given me.

Julie

37antiques

Hi Julie!

I think it's normal, I remeber wanting to change everything around too.  It's just your mind trying to cope.  You're doing alright!  The doctors will do follow up mammos and things, but they wont order any special scans unless they see something or you feel something.  My signature is pretty close to yours, and I'm still kicking!  You're not going nuts, live life to the fullest!

shadylady1

Julie - I was diagnosed on 5/13/2010 so we aren't that far apart!  My primary was 1.5 cm and I had 3 out of 17 nodes that were positive.  My grade is the same as yours.  My prognosis was 90% so I am taking it and running with it. I do have new aches and pains but nothing that consistently bothers me.  The big lesson I have learned here is that I am not going to spend whatever time I have on this earth worried about something I can't control.  In addition, I am doing work to my house because it is important to me to enjoy where I live.  I work 60+ hours a week and I am going to do what I want to do.  I am headed to New Orleans a week from tomorrow for Jazz Fest.  I haven't been in 2 years and I am really looking forward to it.  It is expensive? Yep.  Is it going to put me in debt?  Nope.  I also have lymphedema in my arm, back and chest.  Wearing the compression garment sucks especially in the heat but I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to live my life!  It really sounds like you are eating write and taking care of yourself and that's all we really have control over!  I think the new car sounds like a great idea! 

sanbar8771

Thanks Ladies, it is good to know I am not the only one trying to change everything. I will keep moving and living life to the fullest that I can....when its my time to go I will have NO regrets.  Hugs to you both.

suzwes

I am two years post diagnosis, went through mastectomy, chemo and radiation.  After treatment I decided to live life to the fullest and since I love to travel, DH and I try and go some place frequently.  I'm lucky I can afford to travel a couple of times a year but do have a tight budget.  I figured I was going to enjoy life to the best of my ability, so screw the budget.

I did get a PET scan at about 6 months post radiation but that was because one of my errant lymph nodes was enlarged (I have Lupus too so they do that occasionally) and they wanted to double check everything.  I don't know if that's common practice.  I still see my onc every 3 months and soon I'm hoping to move to every 6 months.

I am much more thankful for the small things in life although I wish I wouldn't have had to go through this process to make me more thankful.

I'm so glad you're living life Julie and even though I'm not one to say "don't stress" cause I do ALL of the time, I guess we just have to try to do something to relax when we're stressed.  (Ha Ha Ha, I'm sooooo not the one to be talking about this - Xanax is my friend occasionally).

Have fun in New Orleans Shady - sounds like a lot of fun!

shadylady1

Geez - I think chemo made me forget about spell check

Jalsmama55

Hello stage II sisters! I finished rads 4/6/11 and had chemo & BMX prior to that. It feels so scary being out of ongoing tx. Almost feels better when someone is watching us all the time. Now I have to figure out a new "normal" and how to function everyday without dr appts. I want to change everything about my life and only do what makes me happy. That's the way everyone should live anyway! Haha! So glad we are here to support each other. Hugs to all!

momand2kids

Hi

almost two years out of treatment--I know exactly how you feel.  It is like you want everything to change and for it all to remain the same.

My life is not markedly different-but I am.  I no longer worry about too much---and if I go over the budget, well, so be it.  I definitely work less and worry about work, well,never!  Try to spend as much time with my h, kids and friends.....

I realize that "it" could return at any time, but I am being checked every 6 months and I figure that is all I can do--- I certainly don't want to waste my time worrying about this, but I think that is a process and it takes time to get there.

My treatment is really a memory at this point (I had chemo and radiation) while I remember it in theory, the details now elude me, and I think that is a good thing.  I pretty much live my life like this has never happened and I  just have 2 extra doc appointments each year for a while.

I will admit to some anxiety around the 6 month visit, but then I have to remind myself that even if there was something, it would be very early--- and I would know what to do.....

Before this, I did not have any guarantees, and I still don't.  I think I am just more appreciative of what I have every day....it will come with time-- and you will settle on something that works for you--which may be to re-decorate your entire house!!!  The two big things I had been dragging my feet on before dx--getting a dog for the kids and buying a summer home--well, they have happened in the past year---- why the hell not????

sanbar8771

momand 2kids,  I completely agree...I think I am going to buy new furniture for my whole house today..ha ha. I am ready to de-clutter. Thanks everyone for your comments. It is so nice to know that I am not the only one going through this. I am no longer stressing over cancer. I am living the good healthy life.

Cyborg

Hi! I also stage 2 and going go start chemo tomorrow. I have been up and down mood wise.

sanbar8771

Cyborg, what chemo are you going to receive? It will suck in the beginning but I promise you, you WILL make it and feel so much better after. If you need any tips on how to get throught please let me know. Even with all the wonderful anti-nausea drugs they give you I was still sick. Don't worry about your hair, it will come back and more beautiful than ever. Take care and know you are a survivor!!!!

heartnsoul76

Hi ladies! I would love to join this thread! Thank you for creating it, sanbar - I think you're right, I have never seen one just for Stage 2 sisters and I've been bouncing around here for a while!

Cyborg, sanbar is right - your hair does come back more beautiful than ever, so don't worry about it at all. I ended up choosing to wear scarves and hats rather than a wig - I just never found one that didn't look fake to me or that didn't drive me crazy while it was on my head. But they are kind of fun to wear once in a while.

I found a great place on eBay to buy scarves just for chemo patients. She is very affordable and has many, many patterns to choose from. They're not really scarves, although they look like a scarf - she designed them especially for a friend of hers who was going through chemo, trying to make them as lightweight and practical as possible. They are practically pre-tied so they're also very easy. Let me know if you would like to know more info and I will find her link and post it!

So nice to be here! Is anyone else taking Tamoxifen and how do you like it? 

sanbar8771

I'm on Tamox...I can't really say I like it but it is fine. It did make me a little bitchy at first but then I started taking a low low dose of effexor and now I feel fine. Other than that I can't even tell I am on it.

heartnsoul76

Yeah, I don't really notice a difference either. One poster said she just tries to think of it like taking the birth control pill - just something you do everyday.

I almost wrote the BC pill, and then I thought, "ewww, that's freaky. BC - birth control, breast cancer". Coincidence? I think not!

j/k, but it IS weird!

sanbar8771

Heartnsoul76, I was on birth control for about 8 years on and off...I would not be surprised if the birth control was the fuel that encouraged this fire (BC).

heartnsoul76

I was on it for about 20 years, and I wouldn't be surprised either. Have you heard that they've discovered a link between anti-depressants, particularly SSRIs, and breast cancer? Obviously, they don't know enough about hormones to be messing with them, I say as I take my Tamoxifen. But, the main reason I asked for Tamoxifen (she wanted me on Arimidex) was because Tamoxifen has been around for 40 years.

sanbar8771

Yes, I have heard that about anti-depressents...I am on Effexor. Per my onco she said it is not pert of that group and it will not affect my tamox. I think there is only 2 types that will not messw ith Tamox.

Jalsmama55

Most anti depressants inhibit the cyp2d6 enzyme which is responsible for metabolizing tamoxifen. Effexor is really the only one that's been shown not to have much effect on cyp2d6. Also FYI, benedryl also inhibits cyp2d6.

sanbar8771

Yes, Jalsmama55, you are correct. Thanks for sharing.

She

Just a few weeks shy of 15 years post Stage IIb TN diagnosis.  Ha! I still want to buy all new furniture lol. 

DebRox

Im a new stage II.  Was supposed to be stage I until the final path revealed a larger tumor.  I heard this is subjective to the pathologist who errs on the size, but anyways quite a surprise. 

Im looking forward to the day I feel like buying something and moving beyond this disease!  Today I had to cancel a vacation I had been planning for a year.  I hope to reschedule for this time next year - don't like wishing time away, but can hardly wait to get this s**t over with!

At least the MO I visited yesterday actually said the word curable to me.  She said I was curable.  I thought most doctors don't say that!

Anonymous

At first I had the opposite problem.  Before BC I was a shopper.  Loved clothes and jewelry and was always in stores.  After diagnosis, I suddenly began thinking why should I buy anything since I don't know if I'll be around to wear them.  But I'm back in the fashionista mode again!  I never ventured further than a lumpectomy since I refused chemo, drugs or radiation.  So far, so good.  We shall see.

Bold

Hi sis's

I took BC pills too. Yikees huh. I am almost 3 years out. Mu hair did not come in better it is thinner.

But my body is fatter.

My attitude is good.I can not believe it even happened. I still am more tired than I was before DX. Oh well small price to pay. Just a post to let you know there is a lot more life to live.

cp418

sandbar - I also took birth control pills on/off for about 8-9 years.  No family hx of breast cancer until me.

sanbar8771

cp418, I did not have any family history of cancer either. It is crazy. I believe and my onco believes that birth control are inhibiters for breast cancer. I wonder if they did a study on all the women who took birth control vs cancer ocurrances, what they would find out. Hmmm...

heartnsoul76

They probably don't want to do that study, because the percentages would be overwhelming. Then women would stop taking them and there would be a population explosion. AND we would start asking whatever happened to the MALE birth control pill, but development on it was probably stopped because they found out it can cause prostate cancer. Yep, still a man's world!

herekitty024

HI Sanbar8771

I was dx as Stage 0 but after my mastectomy on 4/9/2010 5 out of 17 lymph nodes were positive,thus I was re-staged to II. I have 10 brothers and sisters and no history or cancer in my family at all.  I have completed 4 rounds of Adriamiacyn(red devil) and cytoxin and 11 rounds taxotere with Herceptin. I also completed 33 rads and just started Herceptin once every 3 weeks until my ejection fraction went from 60 to 45 this past March; so it has been temporarily discontinued for 3 months until my EF goes back up. I just had recon (DIEP flap) April 15th 2011 so i am in recovery mode right now. I havent been able to say i need to re-arrange everything yet but do look forward to that day. So God Bless you and good luck and congratulations on the completion of journey.

kriskat

Hey Fellow stage 2's!!! I totally believe birth control pills contributed to my bc!!! Kick myself daily for not taking more permanent measures years ago-we did things a little diff and had our daughter while in college and was on birth contol ever since! My husband has really had alot of guilt too- we knew back then oor daughter was it for us.

libraylil

Can I join in? Just finished rads last week and will start Arimidex next month. still completing my year of herceptin. Finally I am getting to the point I don t think about BC all the time. told my oncologist I still can t believe I have BC. Libraylil

sanbar8771

Kriskat, you are so blessed you were able to have one child.  I just got married and as of right now, do not see a future for my own children. I know I can adopt but I still am very sad. Breast cancer sucks...I'm only freaking 34.

pejkug3

I never took the birth control pill, but I did do several rounds of fertility drugs to have kids.  When I went to Mayo, that issue continually came up as a risk factor.  Ugh.  I wouldn't change it, so it is what it is.  And I have four kiddos to love as a result.

I'm 35.  My BC stats are in my siggy. 

I have to admit, the "what ifs" still overwhelm me.  But I do like momand2kids' take on this whole roller coaster ride...