Roll Call

DX@55 Dec 16, 08. Felt a lump on rt side last yr and can't remember when the "oh, shit" moment really was. Went to ps to ask for a "quick needle biopsy" and he sent me for diagnostic mamograms/sonograms. Five days later a diagnostic lumpectomy.(2cm) IDC. Then a stereotactic biopsy on left -B9! - then brst MRI showed ANOTHER suspicious couple of lesions on rt brst..so 2nd core biopsy - big breath - doc says - lumpectomy with re-excision and SNB if b9 - or mastec if malignant.  - Biopsy came back b9! Surg. 1/21 - Nodes came back clear -.EP+Her2-; Mammosite placed and failed - Oncotype of 22 put me in the low intermediates - i decided i would rather change my diet and exercise habits than go through chemo...now waiting on approval for IMRT and found PARABENS in the cream the Radiological nurse gave me!! Help! I need a non - paraben cream!!! I am reading Dr. Servan-Schreiber and taking a serious look at my new life! S-t-r-e-s-s-ed cuz my housesitter has to leave in May and I may still be in treatment....anyone is western Pa/Magee?

Your angel woke up and tapped that doctor on the shoulder....!!

Checking in although I don't really feel old, but I guess older than some. I was among the oldest in my chemo group and I was grateful that I could go through this without having to worry about dating, or dealing with young children. My heart goes out to the younger women who have to deal with this trauma. But I was also young enough to cope with the treatments. Chemo put me into menopause and I was ready for that.

I was 53 when diagnosed. My mammogram showed nothing, but ultra sound showed a tiny suspicious spot. MRI showed multi focal IDC Stage IIa (3 lymph nodes). I had a left mast w/tram flap recon, chemo, rads, and I'm now considered a 4 year survivor. WOO HOO! I've been on Arimidex for 3 years with no adverse side effects.

I was a daily user of this site for 2 years. Now I just occasionally drop in. I hope to be seeing all of you here for many years to come.  

hi ladies -

Diagnosed 7/08 age 62 after found lump myself and family doc sent for mamo and ultrasound.  Had lost my job and ins 7 years before so no annual exams in that time     now self-employed in graphic design and layout and work from home, no ins

always had dense breast tissue and pre-hysterectomy had history of cysts that had to be drained periodically

IDC, 2.5cm, grade 2, ER+PR+, HER2-

left mx, no recon, 2/13 nodes, almost through with 6 x TC chemo, no rads recommended, onc says will put me on Femara when done with chemo

cannot imagine dealing with this as well as children at home or working full time outside my home, am in complete awe of those who are doing some or all of that - guess the Lord knows what we can stand...

prayers and blessing to all...

Diagnosed at 49 and turned 50 the following month. Found on routine mammogram. I am fine today, but still afraid of it coming back.

The good part is I don't think about it every moment like I did in the past

am i the oldest among this group??

i turned 72 in october 2008  i had mammogram in october '07 and nothing was noticed.  i was not very dilligent about self examining. but i did one in june '08 and found a lump in my right breast.  took a week to digest this-never telling my husband of 50yrs.  then checked in with the pcp and started going down the long, long road.  mast in aug '08 then fec chemo.  couldn't decide whether to go for rads.  after much agonizing felt i might as wll go the entire way as at present i am in very good health(except for the bc), and would feel real bad if it came back later and i realized that i had not done it all... so 2 weeks ago i finished rads. now my hair and energy is coming back. i will be 5 years on arimedex.  se are  joint pains, but i find that if i go to my pilates class i can manage the joint pains.  oh i am so glad to be over the md and hospital visits.  and summer and bright sunlight is coming-what a good time to feel better.

p.s. that picture is of me before all this began.

Updating my roll call notice--I decided to go to NOLA for unilateral mastectomy plus immediate reconstruction, probably DIEP.  In my last visit with the surgical oncologist she finally admitted that she thought a mastectomy is best for me, and I agree. The DCIS could be all over and there's no way to know. I don't want radiation, then frequent MRIs and biopsies, then probably a mastectomy later on anyway. My intuition tells me this is the right thing to do. My surgery there is scheduled for April 21. 

The input of all the wonderful women on this site has been invaluable--thank you everyone who has helped me without knowing I was reading your ideas and soaking them up!

Ina

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dang--had such an eloquent post and it just poofed!   So, will start over....

junie, here.   I'll be 62 next birthday.   53 when dx with IDC.  (happy Thanksgiving); Lumpectomy (Merry Christmas)....ax node dissection (15+ nodes all clean)(bs didn't do SNB at that time)...4 A/C chemos, rads...Tamoxifen for 5 years.........

Found bc.org when searching for Tamoxifen side effects...been a "groupie" ever since!   I read (lurk) a lot because there are so many changes just in the last few years; post a little.  I want to be as up-to-date as possible because of the fear of recurrence or possible new primary....and concerns and care for other "old-age" ailments creeping in.....

"We" keeping eye on calcifications that have presented in last two mammos.  Need to schedule next mammo!!    I have learned so much from the posters here--my rads onc thought I was a doctor!!!

Have met on-line, and in person at get-togethers, some of the most beautiful, incredible people!!!  Have shed many tears here and laughed out loud!  I live in a rural, isolated area and bc.org is the best support group I could have!!!

Hi, I was diagnosed in Nov. 2004. I was 51, with a clear mammogram inAugust of that year. My breasts were dense and my right one full of calcifications. I had a ruptured appendix in Sept. of 2004 with an abcess 4 weeks later. In November I felt a lump in each breast . I called my radiologist immediately(Thank the Lord she was a parent of one of my students.) I went in that Monday, she did an ultrasound and told me she suspected cancer at least in the  leftbreast. She decided to then do biopsy on right one also and yes, stage 1 in right breast. Conclusion:Bi-lateral Breast Cancer- with one positive lymph node. I was in treatment by the end of Nov.At Magee Women's Hospital In Pittsburgh),chemo first, surgery in May(Bilateral Mast.) and 36 radiation treatments. The following February, I had a complete hyserectomy. I am currently on Aromasin and doing great. We were transferred to the state of Indiana, but I go back twice a year to Magee. My radiologist and the staff at Magee saved my life. I will be five years out in Nov. What a great forum, thanks for starting it and God bless you all. Kathy

I'm 61. I've been pretty good with the mammograms, dense lumpy breasts, a few call backs. I always trusted the mammograms. If I felt a little lump and the mammo revealed nothing, well great! Last year I felt a lump in my upper inner right breast. A month later I decided to ask my primary care doc. I had to put her hand on the lump because it was apparently an atypical location.  A mammo showed nothing! A sonogram did. The radiologist told me he was sure it was cancer. A biopsy showed ILC. That started a long journey to surgery (never get breast cancer near the holiday season). A long scary wait (what if it spreads to the lymph nodes while we're doing all this waiting?), MRI, CAT/PT.

Everyone was extra concerned about sneaky lobular cancer. So instead of a lumpectomy I had a single mast. and same time reconstruction w/alloderm and inplant in late Jan. with a quick easy recovery. Close margins in such shallow tissue, but no radiation. An oncotype score of 20.5 after another loooong wait, and the recommendation that I skip chemo. I've been on Femara 3 weeks and only SE so far is very tolerable hot flashes at night.

Now I want to tell every woman I meet that mammograms don't show all tumors. I had never heard about lobular cancer. I'm very lucky it formed a lump.

I'm so glad you're all here. Wish I had found the forum earlier. Long happy lives to us all. 

Cheryl60 I am also on Femara since July, terrible pain in hans and thumb also. What did you end up doing?

Spar 2 - dancing for you!  How wonderful.  Enjoy your weekend - you certainly deserve to!

Jan244 - And who says you won't have another 23 years?????  Although have the mets after 23 years really sucks big time, You have the Arimidex and the Zometa, and most importantly of all, you have all of our arms giving you strength that will get you through all this.

And to all you other fine sisters - may blessings be upon all of you, no matter what life throws our way.

Hugs to all,

Linda

Hi, just one more 'well seasoned'  from Scandinavia even though the summertime has just started! Well, straight to the issue. I had my first taxotere two weeks ago and my main symptom was constipation. Stomach ache was not on the list of common taxotere side effects. Did anyone of you suffer from this? Blueberry 46