Chemo- I think my brain just stopped working

PoppyK

Hi Everyone,

So everyone, including the SO, MO, RO and the entire Tumor Board, are shocked that my node was positive. I was floored, devastated by the news. I can barely think clearly.

Now I need to get my act together. I meet with my MO and RO next week to discuss my treatment plan. Any advice would be appreciated. I usually am prepared and composed, but this has really thrown me for a loop. What should I be prepared for? What should I ask about?

Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

Poppy

Quasi

hi there,

Please don't panic, I was diagnosed with triple positive grade 3 breast cancer, I am 36, I had ALND and got 3/12 nodes being positive, did FECD chemo and currently on herceptin, I declined rads - asked 4 oncologists, 2 said go for rads, the other 2 said no rads - anyways, I just wanted to say that node positive is not a death sentence, BC runs in my family, I have an aunt whose situation was much worse than mine she is 10 years out. I am not in denial I know that node positive breast cancer is much worse stats wise and has a poorer prognosis but remember stats work for the general population but every individual is unique, somebody who is stage 1 might end up with a recurrence, a different stage 3 individual might beat the odds and live a long happy life post cancer, cancer is a tough diagnosis and the treatments and scans require PATIENCE, patience that you might not have or be used to practicing, however, the one thing that does NOT work with cancer is being scared, try to put your emotions aside, so hard to do when you are fresh out of a diagnosis, but try HARD, also try to research the heck out of your treatment options, oncologists will NOT tell you everything you need to know, don't assume they have all the answers because no body does, remember there is no cure for cancer. Good luck!

Melrosemelrose

Poppy- Keep breathing...... you are doing just fine.  I know it may not feel like it and your head is spinning with so many different thoughts.  Remember to try to stay focused when you meet with your MO and RO.  Here is a link to the main bco.org website which is titled Treatment and Side Effects. ( http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment )  .You can read up on chemotherapy and radiation therapy so you can help get a better idea of what these treatments entail.  You may want to read  Talking to Your Doctor about Chemotherapy http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment to help give you a better idea of the types of questions you may want to ask. Do ask the doctors to explain/illustrate by pictures anything you don't understand.  It is fine to ask them to explain something several times to you since one does not always grasp what one is being told in these initial appointments.

You may want to ask for copies of your pathology so that you have that info at home. While I was going through active treatment, I started a notebook to collect my medical information and copies of test/scan results.  I also created several info sheets to take with me to different doctor appointments since it always seemed like there was another form to fill out and my mind seemed to go blank when I had to fill out the forms.    Those lists included a medical history, list of things and drugs I am allergic to, important doctors phone numbers, addresses and the phone number and address of the nearest 24 hour drug store.    As others will tell you, stay off Dr. Google.  Utilizing the internet aka Dr. Google is one way you can overwhelm and scare yourself.  Remember that not information on the internet is current, correct and for the most part, may not be applicable to your situation.  What you do want to do is stick to reliable resources for information ( ie bco.org). 

Hang in there..... you will get through this and keep moving forward.