CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS

Hi girls - I had my lumpectomy last Tuesday and saw my surgeon today.  Hooray my lymph nodes and margins are clear.  I see the oncologist Monday 2/8 and will find out my treatment plan.  My surgeon said that "everybody" nowadays has radiation and that chemo will depend on my oncotype score and how aggressive the oncologist wants to be.  I am premenopause and 46 years old.  Any thoughts????  Thanks for listenting.

Kathy

Erika

I have a little calendar in the kitchen and check off each day when I take my Tamoxifen - at night before bed - and that's it - just part of my night time routine like brushing my teeth. I may wake up warm sometimes - but I must sleep through any other side effects. Remember, just because the SE's are listed, that doesn't mean you will get all of them or any of them.

I purposely did not read the side effects because I did not want to expect to get them. What I expected was to be thrown into full blown menopause... that did NOT happen. I am as regular as ever - and at 44 I have to say I am glad to still have my periods.  I am losing some weight (that's a PLUS) and my mood is even better! Some people get irritable but the opposite seems to be happening for me & some people need anti depressants. I am not sure if it's the Tamoxifen or just realizing what isn't important anymore.

All that said, you will make the best choice for YOU! It is what you can live with and sleep with. Just being able to sleep at night knowing I am making the right choices for my self is key. If it were keeping me awake stressing over it, I would be making the wrong choice.

YES I AM getting excited to get my soft squishy implants on 2/18 it's coming up FAST! I took some picts of the TE's fully expanded a few weeks ago and looked at them today. I think they look even better after a few weeks. I will probably take some the night before surgery and then after the swap. I will take more before the nipples and after nipples and then the same with the tattoos.

It's weird because they look different in photos than in the mirror or when I look down directly at them. The photos show what I can't see from my view. I will post them when I have before and after shots to compare.

I had 7 fills on top of the 300cc that were there from the placement of the TE's. If you have any questions, just ask... I learned the hard way to tell my PS I needed more drugs! I knew it would be 3 days of pain after a fill and then the massages made all the difference after I was finished expanding.

Good luck making your choice and then you can always change your mind later!

Kimberly

Irishmon and Running-girl - That is wonderful that you got clear margins!  You must feel very relieved!  My lumpectomy was 4.5 cm and they only got clear margins on 4 our 20 blocks around the cancer,. so back to surgery for me later in the month.  I am not sure if I will need any other treatment after my bmx, depends on what they find. 

DenverDiva - I am praying that your biopsy results are good!

Valerie, glad to hear that your cognitive function has slowly gotten better.  Hope you can get back on the golf course this summer.  I'm playing this morning at 9am.  It's an organized event with the women's golf assoc. at the club where we play.  Today is supposed to be cool, in the high 50's so I'll have to dress for the weather.  I'm a "high handicapper," but I love being outdoors and especially outdoors on a golf course.  I played tennis many years before switching to golf.  Any tennis players in our group?

Good luck to all of us Stage Ones having surgeries and treatments.  It's so wonderful to get through the recovery and back to everyday life.  BC changed me so that I rarely let things bother me any more.

Hi Everyone,

I only have a few minutes to post as I am at work, but I just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got my biopsy results and they were B9!!!!!  Just fat necrosis, I am so relieved.  Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers, it really helped me deal.

Love and Hugs,

Susan

Good news, Susan!!!

Congrats to all for clear nodes & B9 results!! Wahoo!

Sounds like a winner to me Sheila ... Come on "Celebrate, good times, Come ON!!!"

Renee

YAHOO!!!!  (I don't know how to make the font bigger so trust me, my yahoo has much more pizazz than it looks like)

Joni

Hey Everyone,

Thank you for your well wishes!!!!  I agree, February is of to a rousing start!  So glad that others have had good news too.  

Renee, I love your description of yourself!  I am so happy that you are finished now.  CELEBRATE!!!!

Irishmom, and running-girl I am happy that you are doing well.

Linda, I think that most people are told they will take Tamoxifen for 5 years.  I have been on it for 2 months with no real side effects.  I know that some switch to Aromatase Inhibitors at some point and that menopausal status matters in which drugs you can take.  You are at the beginning of the journey, but you are in good company.  Best wishes!!!

Shelia, and Meece, your support on this thread along with so many other stage 1 sisters is so appreciated!!!!  Carolinachick, and Carolhalston, I always love reading your posts, thank you for sharing.  Joni, and Grakenmom, your encouragement of everyone means a lot.  You are all very special to me.  Warm wishes from Colorado!

Hugs,

Susan

Linda, 5 years seems to be the time frame for taking Tamoxifen.  I believe research shows that taking it longer can be more harmful than beneficial.  I'm supposed to take Arimidex (AI) for 5 years and then switch to Femara.  A lot can change in medical treatment in 5 yrs, so I'll just have to wait and see what the thinking is when my 5 yrs is up. 

The oncotype test results is based on the assumption that a woman will be taking Tamoxifen for 5 years.