Stage II Forum

Wow LEAH great trip to be able to take! What a milestone. When I asked my onc about prognosis he said with a wry smile- "Don't stop paying your taxes yet!" And that was sweet to hear. Best, Valerie

Athena-Lioness - you are so right! I felt just fine before this nonsense. Had a trip to the UK planned, was looking forward to all sorts of things in life and then wham! Somebody I don't know saw something I couldn't see or feel on a mammogram and then there goes the best part of a year recovering from the treatment. Yes, all the health care providers have been excellent and since I am in Canada, relatively worry free. Nevertheless, it certainly is counter intuitive at best.

It has come to the point where I was delighted to wait at the car dealership for some work on my car. After that waiting, no one was going to poke me, undress me or put poisons in me. They just wanted my money.

What an excellent thing that you have finally had an appointment that makes you feel better rather than worse.

Lassie and Athena-I know what you mean about the Dr. visits.  I have gotten to the point where I just assume that an appointment will come with pain.  Somebody will be coming at me with a needle is almost a guarantee.  I did chemo without a port so I guess part of that is my fault for agreeing that I could do without but I have thought that it is not right that we get this illness and then get tortured for a year (or more).  Guess that is why none of my doctors had any problems giving Xanax.  Maybe they needed a few too.  Great to hear you feel a little better Athena. 

Leah-Have a wonderful trip and hopefully wherever here in the States you are going is WARM:)

Rumoret-thanks for starting this thread.  I thought about a support group too but couldn't really find one.  This is a great alternative.

CoolBreeze-hope you end up with cancer in mod.  No post deleting necessary...grab a microbrew and tell us how you are feeling.  I am also of the POV that we did not do anything to cause our cancer.  I asked my onc (and BS,PS, everyone) if I did anything to cause this and my onc, who is YOUNGER than me said maybe it was the big old microwaves we got in the '80's and I said no it had to be my Atari game system.....too much Pong and Pacman playing as a kid!

Count me in, too....As a Stage 2, some of us have the dreaded "lymph node involvement" and this is a great place to be with each other with similiar diagnosis!  I am also both her2 AND estrogen positive..I guess if I am going to do this C thing, then I go all out! lol

Can I join?   Thursday I go for my "routine" 6 month mammo and echocardiogram.   All of my tx are finished.   It is a year and a half since I was dx at the ripe old age of 62 and 3 weeks before my only son's wedding.   Am I the only er/pr neg and her positive...  so far?    Hugs and Blessings for all,   Nancy

Hi Kathy,

A 5 year survivor!!  That is awesome and inspiring. 

Just a thought, could we have a topic of the day/week, to get the momentum going?  I'm all out of ideas at the moment, my brain is still sleeping this morning.  Anyone have something on their mind they'd like to get off their chest? (no pun intended!!)  LOL

I check for lumps/bumps everyday also.  However on my right breast where I had the surgeries, I cant tell if the lump/bump is scar tissue or something else.  This is something I'll discuss with my surgeon during the next visit.

I'm also a bit confused about the location of the node they removed that was positive.  I just assumed it was from the armpit area.  My rad onc said they were radiating on my upper chest due to the positive node.  The redness from radiation is up near my neck, collarbone area.  Something else I'll need to discuss with the surgeon as I did not ask questions in the beginning. 

This whole experience has been one big learning process for me.  It's great to have other women to talk to who are going through or have gone through the same thing!! 

Jean - it sounds as if you had the same radiation that I did. The explanation I got is that the lymph nodes are like a tree. The "invvolved" node is gone - the radiation is up a branch higher in case any of those little suckers escaped up higher in the lymph node system. As far as I can tell, everything since surgery has beeen "just in case".

I never check for lumps.  Both times I had breast cancer, the lump was found by a routine mammogram and was not palpable - not even by the surgeon who knew what he was looking for. So I just don't worry about  it til the next mammogram or MRI or CAT scan or whatever test is next.

Hi, all!!! Thanks Jean for congratulating me on my 5 year anniversary! That was so nice!!!! Even though I had a bi-lateral mastectomy and no reconstruction, I still check for lumps along my chest wall, just habit I guess. I would love to have our own Stage II forum. thanks!!! Kathy

You guys make me feel like a freak.    I don't check for lumps, and I'm not worried about recurrance.  Maybe it's my ADD, or perhaps it's pure stupidity, or maybe it's because I'm still a cancer newbie  - but thinking into the future isn't something I do very well.  I just am sure that once this year long nastiness is over (chemo, herceptin, reconstruction) I'll be back to normal and moving on and not thinking about cancer again.  Maybe I'm wrong.

It's not that I never worry - I've always worried about my children - but never about me.

Something must be wrong with me.

But, I really love the idea of being five years out and people doing stuff for you because you had cancer, lol!!    How do you let the news slip?

Dear Cool Breeze, I definitely tell people about my cancer because I want them to know that it is not a death sentence. I know so many people that have been just diagnosed. They all need that reassurance that they will be around to see their children grow up and have grandchildren as well. I tell them it is a gliche in the road that they can handle.Hope and Faith are everything. It's what us going. God bless you, Kathy

What do we need to do exactly to get our own forum? Our needs in Stage 2 are different than 1. It is important every person that comes here to learn, vent or just read has a place to "fit in"...Let me know if there is anything we need to do....:)

Ladies if anyone is feeling uncomfortable that I'm not stage 2, I leave the thread.

I PM ed couple of people about this they said they had no problem. What I see sometimes its only the size made you stage 2.

 Sheila