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  • rumoret
    rumoret Member Posts: 685
    edited January 2010

    Ainm -- You made it through the first year! You've come along way--enjoy life!Cool

    Love,

    Terry 

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  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 682
    edited January 2010

    Congrats Ainm!  I am coming up to a year since dx, too....and I hope to have it pass uneventfully! I have given up enough days to BC....don't want to give it any more than necessary!

    God Bless!

    Angel

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  • Mouse6
    Mouse6 Member Posts: 246
    edited January 2010

    Congrats to both Ainm & Angel. Strangely, time seems to go quickly and slowly all at the same time through all of this. And time doesn't quite mean the same thing to you after the diagnosis. It's much more precious. Enjoy every minute. ((((((hugs))))))

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  • nene2059
    nene2059 Member Posts: 270
    edited January 2010

    Ainm and Angel we were all diagnosed about the same time so we share a "cancerversary".  I can't believe all the treatment that can be fit in to one year!  Cheers to my cancerversary sisters and to us never having another year like 2009.  Best wishes on healthy futures, one moment.....one day....at a time to all.

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  • WLL
    WLL Member Posts: 96
    edited January 2010

    Hello all, I had my first mammogram after treatment--all clear. I am cancer free!!! forever. Hope everyone is doing great. I also met a 20 yr breast cancer survivor today, she had stage 2. Very encouraging.  Good-Luck to everyone and God bless.

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  • Mouse6
    Mouse6 Member Posts: 246
    edited January 2010

    Congrats WLL! Great to hear such wonderful news.

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  • sherrilynne
    sherrilynne Member Posts: 65
    edited February 2010

    I just went for my 6 month checkup and my white blood cell count is low.  What could this mean?  My oncologist asked if I had been sick and I told him no not lately just last Christmas with a cold.  I have felt a little tired but thats all.  He said I must be fighting off an infection.   All through chemo and radiation my white blood count stayed normal, but treatment ended last Sept. & July 09.  What could this mean now?  

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  • jolynn61
    jolynn61 Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2010

    I made a year  yeah  but what a year.

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited March 2010

    Hello:

    This is my first post on this thread. What do you consider your "cancerversary?"  Is it the dx date or surgery date?  My onco told me I had mx in January (left) and my onco told me last Monday I can offically say now I have "no known cancer".  He didn't say "cancer-free" just no known. 

    For something that was going to be a "small little lump" that was barely seen on mamo in August, it turned into 2 lumpectomies and then a mx with cancer of 2 cm and 2 different pre-cancer cells in there. 

    Of course now I'm reading about how there is a chance I could still get cancer again there on that side even after mx!  I thought that was the point.  I guess I have to try to keep positive and stay on my neds.

    My son-in-laws' grandma had BC over 20 years ago and has been taking Tamoxifen ever since then because she is so afraid it will come back!  Is anyone else that afraid?  I can't decide if I am or not.  I want to be at peace with it, but I can't say I'm not worried! 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2010

    Dear bcincolorado,

    My diagnosis is exactly like yours.  I also had a lumpectomy then a mast which found a 2 cm IDC with other atypical cells.  I was also first told it was very small.  What was your Oncotype?  Good luck to you and all.

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited March 2010

    Aug242007:  My Oncotype is 9.  When you think you can have a lumpectomy, and then well gosh we need another one....then you end up with mx.....it was tough to deal with 3 surgeries in 4 months.  But on the other hand it also saved me from rads and the onco saved me from chemo!  I guess we have to count our "wins" where we can get them.

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  • Mouse6
    Mouse6 Member Posts: 246
    edited March 2010

    sherrilynne - it sounds like you likely have an infection of some kind. your doc will be the best resource for you. i know you're worried, but try not to get too ahead of yourself. wishing you all the best.

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  • Flmgkat
    Flmgkat Member Posts: 25
    edited March 2010

    just discovered this thread....thank you, thank you, thank you!Sealed

    am heading for the last round of chemo and still explaining to people I know about the stage II of my cancer (and sometimes I think I need to do a puppet show for some LOL). I find that I need to relate more with others in a similar situation of stage II

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  • Mouse6
    Mouse6 Member Posts: 246
    edited March 2010

    Welcome Flmgkat...it is nice when you have people to relate to. It does get sort of exhausting trying to explain everything to relatives and friends.

    I'm going for my last round of chemo as well...on Thursday. When are you going in?

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited March 2010

    Flmgkat and Mouse ~ so exciting heading into your last round of chemo.  That is grounds for Celebrating!!!  YOU did it !!

    Hope all goes smoothly for your last infusion.

    :)
    Alicia

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited March 2010

    Congrats to celebrating the end of chemo to you Mouse and Flmgkat!   

    I totally understand about explaining to people (family) all about cancer, etc.  We just spent the weekend with family who live out of town and I spent about 30 minutes trying to convince my sis-in-law (who is 51) to get her first mamo and the importance of getting it.  Not sure I succeeded either. 

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited March 2010

    I was diagnosed 3 years ago March 7th.  Did the lumpectomy/rads thing, then had to have a mastectomy a year later because of radiation damage and constant abscesses/infections/pain.  I wish I never gave in to radiation, but there it is.  I refused chemo--oncotypes weren't being done in Maine 3 years ago, at least not routinely.  Got prophylactic mast and bilateral reconstructions set for June 21st in Boston. 

    bcincolorado--breast cancer is never considered "cured" and we are never considered "cancer free" due to the beast's nasty habit of popping up again years and years later.  "NED" or "no evidence of disease" is the best we can hope for and get.  But as long as I'm NED, I'll take it and continue to hope for NED until I die of something else, preferably old age.

    Thanks to bc I am now severely needle-phobic, have anxiety and sleep problems.  I just love the way bc just keeps on giving and giving and giving. . . 

    Aarrgghh.  Sorry for the depressing post.  I'm tired today and I tend to let the negaive side out of it's cage when I'm tired.  I am glad I found this thread, though!  Nice to find some women with the same diagnosis.  

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited March 2010

    NativeMainer:  I'll settle for being NED.  I don't know if you get Kaiser Permanente commercials there or not, but there is a great one with old women doing crazy things and a song about how when I grow up I want to be an old woman!  I just really do!  My grandmas died at almost 88 and 97....just short of their birthdays both of them.  I take after the oldest one's side of the family too,,,but none had BC.  All I can do it take my meds and do what I'm told and stay positive.

    I've always been needle-phobic.  I wake up at night sometimes and worry it wil come back on the other side (I did a uni and kept the "good side").  2 lumpectomies though and then mx because no clean margins and 2 different pre-cancer cells in the bad one.  I worry the other one will act up too and I'll go through it all again.  Then I try to remember I'm on meds to help stop cancer from from growing, so I try to calm myself down.

    This is definitely a place where everyone can relate to everyone in a safe enviornment and support each other.  Good place to be with similar stagers.

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  • Mouse6
    Mouse6 Member Posts: 246
    edited March 2010

    I think all of us feel the same way...always wondering if cancer will come back to bite us. But, I know I've learned a lot about diet, exercise & the other things I can do for prevention (Anti-cancer is an amazing book to read if you haven't already).

    So, I feel like the rest is out of my control. I'll never forget the day my Dad said to me. "Well, honey, it's great that your taking care of yourself and doing everything you can do to help yourself. Now just make sure you look both ways before you cross the road!" And I thought, well, it's true. Nobody really knows how much time they have. And from that point forward, I started to feel (ok, get ready for it) lucky in a way. Lucky that I was given a glimpse into my own mortality. For me, it's really forced me to rethink a lot of things...wasting time on toxic relationships, trying to be perfect doing everything for everybody, not speaking up when I should, ignoring my kids when I should be playing with them...the list goes on. I feel like it's given me a bit of a gift to live a more purposeful life and not waste time on things that don't matter. Well, laundry would be the exception or we'd all have dirty underwear!

    OK...now that I've gone all Oprah on everyone...ha ha!

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  • havehope
    havehope Member Posts: 503
    edited March 2010

    My onc told me that unofficially in the medical world if a person is NED for 16 consecutive years is considered cured.

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited March 2010

    Hmm.  If I haven't had a recurrence or new bc by the time I'm 64 I'll be cured. I really wish I could get my gut to accept that thought!  My friend's Mom was NED for 22 years, then diagnosed with brain mets and died 6 months later at 82.  I'm really going to have a hard time forgetting how quickly she went downhill, and how much I miss her.  I think my gut has decided that I won't be cured until I'm 83 without mets or recurrence!  Still, there's time for my head to work on my gut. 

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  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 682
    edited March 2010

    Mouse6....AMEN!  I totally agree1

    Although I really miss my boobs (bilat mx here) I totally feel that I am more appreciative of life, relationships and the big Guy upstairs than before BC!  Who would have thought that so much improvement could have come from so much pain and disfigurement!  Life is good!

    God Bless!

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  • Carole66
    Carole66 Member Posts: 63
    edited April 2010

    Hello, my name is Carole and just found this message board.I was diagnosed with stage 2 on March 5th. I start chemo today every 2 weeks for 8 cycles. I am 44 and healthy so I will get through this.

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  • havehope
    havehope Member Posts: 503
    edited April 2010
    Happy Easter! Red Wine Helps Cardiovascular Health, But Is It the Alcohol or Something Else?Two studies show different results on the source of wine's heart health benefitsJacob Gaffney
    Posted: March 31, 2010One of the longest-running debates on the potential health benefits of regular, moderate red wine consumption is whether the alcohol or the other components in wine are responsible for better health. A study from Italy claims that moderate consumption of alcohol, regardless of other compounds like polyphenols, can help prevent a repeat heart attack. But a new study from the U.K. suggests that the polyphenols found in red wine may help keep blood vessels in proper working order.Previous studies suggest that red wine is responsible for improved blood flow, which helps keep the heart and the body in better health, but whether that's due to polyphenols or alcohol, or both, is still unclear. A study from the Research Laboratories at the Catholic University of Campobasso, Italy, claims the alcohol, not the antioxidants, helps prevent another heart attack or stroke.Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study looked at 16,351 people from eight countries who had previously suffered a heart-related injury, usually a heart attack. When the researchers compared their drinking habits to the recurrence of strokes, heart attacks, or any other deadly cardiovascular event, they found that moderate drinkers of one to two servings of alcohol per day had a 20 percent lower risk of recurrence compared to nondrinkers and heavier drinkers."Our research highlights another crucial issue: Drinking has not only to be moderate, but also regular," said co-author and university epidemiologist Licia Iacoviello in a statement. "Moderate consumption spread along the week is positive. The same amount of weekly alcohol, concentrated in a couple of days, is definitely harmful."The director of research at Compobasso warned against using the study as an invitation to start drinking, however. In a press release, Giovanni de Gaetano said that the study dealt with previously ill people and, therefore, is not necessarily translatable to the general public.A study conducted at the University of Surrey, England, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests that alcohol may not be the only factor, however. A research team found that people who drank a kind of simulated wine—alcohol mixed with red grape juice—during mealtime showed several markers of improved cardiovascular health. Those who drank just water did not see the same levels of improved blood flow. Those who drank just grape juice saw slightly lower benefits.To try to figure out the relationship between alcohol versus red wine compounds, the team had ten subjects consume a standard meal with a test drink on different occasions. The test drinks accompanying the meal were either water, red grape juice or red grape juice plus alcohol. Red wine itself was not used in any form, as de-alcoholized wine tends to still contain some level of alcohol, which might have marred the results. The simulated wine was red grape juice with alcohol added to create a 12 percent alcohol drink. Various measurements were taken to estimate blood flow.The flow-mediated dilation, a measure of the ease at which blood is pumped through the body, stood at 6 percent for those who only had water, 7 percent for those who had grape juice only and more than 8 percent for those who had the red grape juice/alcohol mixture.The scientists credit ingredients in the red grape juice for most of the benefits. "The conclusion drawn from this study was that non-alcoholic components present in alcoholic beverages have a potential benefit on vascular function—blood vessels," said Dr. Shelagh Hampton, senior research fellow on the faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.
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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited April 2010

    Carole66:  Welcome to Stage II thread.  Hope you findn a "home" here. :)

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited April 2010

    Interesting study.  I wonder if the actualy benefit is from the interaction between something in the wine and the alcohol.  Anyway, I'm going to continue to enjoy my occasional glass of wine or mixed drink, and I don't care if it helps or hurts.  I am soooo tired of cancer dictating my every choice and running (and in the process ruining) my life.  I'd rather enjoy life for 1 year and then die of a met or new cancer than live 10 years constantly examining every decision/food/activity I make in terms of  risk or prevention. 

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  • bcincolorado
    bcincolorado Member Posts: 5,758
    edited April 2010

    NativeMainer:  I agree!  It is so easy for cancer to take over our lives.  I used to work with someone who became obsessed with everything she ate and drank after being diagnosed with BC and would only have "natural and organic" and I think she even went vegetarian at one point as well because she was so worried.  She didn't enjoy her live she "managed" it.  She died of BC 2 years later after recurrance.  I couldn't help but think how much she missed out on by not having fun and enjoyig her family and life.

    Besides, everytime we turn around we hear something is "bad" for us....or no....look at eggs.  Cause bad heart issues because of cholesterol, but high in protein and good for you now....you just can't win sometimes. 

    When it is our time, it is our time, and nothing we do will stop it from coming.  Enjoy our lives!  Enjoy our families!  Enjoy your holiday!

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  • havehope
    havehope Member Posts: 503
    edited April 2010

    Talking about eggs: I  ate one everyday when I had chemo to keep my white cells up and I had a beef steak every Sunday to keep my reds up. My onc did not believe it. I didn't need any blood busters ( neulasta) my cholesterol didn't go up at all and my heart is healty. My onc was amazed how my blood was always back to normal by the time I had to do the next session ( I had 4 FAC every 28 days and 12 wkly Taxol).

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  • Carole66
    Carole66 Member Posts: 63
    edited April 2010

    Thank you for the welcome. I got through my first round so far very well. Had chemo on Thursday and had no side effects until Sunday night with feeling very fuzzy and lightheaded. Now I am back at work and feeling a bit better. I did get my genetic test results today showing that I do not have the BRAC1 or BRAC2 mutating gene so that was good news.

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  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited April 2010

    Hooray for good news! 

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