Stage II Forum

Carole - welcome. Glad to hear your SEs were tolerable. And yes! You will beat this!

I found this. These forums really helped me over the past year when I was diagnosed at stage 2 grade 3. Three surgeries in less than a year. Total overwhelming fearl I just want to give hope to others. I was determined not to be stopped because I had a family. I set goals to get through chemo and everything. Two weeks after my first chemo I showed my horse in my new wig. I also rode bald after third chemo at another horse show just to prove I could still do it. I promised myself I would buy a dog for the family if I made it through all four chemos. I did and bought the dog. I worked every day except the two times I had surgery. I only missed the chemo days and one day after chemo number four that I got sick. I walked as much as possible got lots of sunlight vit D and kept on trucking. I also have a blackbelt in TaeKwonDo. I started it right back up as soon as possible. I competed in a tournament 6 weeks after my last surgery. I made it and hopefully in three weeks when I get checked I will be clear after one year. I was determined not to stop my life for the dreaded C word. I was sad sometimes but I just keep going. Not a day goes by that I don't think about it. TaeKwonDo keeps my mind off it because it is great exercise and it relieves all your stress. Anyways I am a mom too and that's how I got through my trials.

bc...definitely celebrate! Hey, everyone should take every opportunity we can to celebrate in this life! Congrats.

I'm a bit nervous today...going to get my genetics results.

blackbelt:  Nice going.  You seem to know how to deal with this crap.  What kind of dog did you get?  

havehope:  Wow, you have been through a lot and yet your blood cells have behaved.  Good for you.  I did not need the neulasta shots after my first Dx.  My cocktail then was AC.  It was after my second Dx, during TC, that I needed the neulasta shots after every round.  TC lowered my red and white blood count.

Carole:  You are doing so well, going back to work and all that!  Congrats to you and hoping that the rest of the rounds are equally good.

Brenda 

Hi Ladies - I would like to join this group.  I have recently moved from Stage 1 grade 3 to Stage 2 grade 3.  I have been hanging out in the Stage 1 group and they are a wonderful group of ladies and had been looking for a stage II group but some how didn't find this thread until today.

I am still healing from my dmx w/ immediate Tram on February 22 and auxiliary node dissection on 3/15..  I have had a few complications that keep setting my recovery back.  I am extremely anemic since my last surgery(now taking Iron and multivitamin)  and it appears I am having healing issues from that and now they are thinking I might be allergic to the sutures they used in my stomach from the TRAM.  I will know on Monday if they are going to go back in and open it up and put in new sutures.   They are trying to get me healed so that I can start Chemo.   I am not really worried, because I know it will all work out.  I am not mentally in a hurry to start Chemo but know it is best if I get it started so that I can get it over with.

Have a great day!

Mouse6 - I am glad your BRCA test was negative that is such good news.  I am not sure what type of stitches they will use the next time.  I think my ps was not happy about the grade of sutures /materials the hospital I had the surgery  in used.  He a made a comment in the past when I first started having  an allergic reaction to the wire sutures and he now thinks that the the synthetic sutures (looks like fishing line) are causing an allergy.    My oncologist called me earlier tonight and does not want me to wait too much longer to get Chemo started and if my ps wanted to open me back up she wanted him to do it sooner rather then later so I can start/finish healing.  I told her I wanted to wait until after next weekend because we are flying to Indiana for my nieces first Communion.  She told me that if I needed the surgery that was too far out and that I shouldn't go to the Communion.  I think she was thinking that I was taking the whole bc lightly, which I am not.  I just don't want to give up everything when they really don't know why I am not healing.   She did tell me some good news today that my Bone Scan and CT of the abdomen were both clear so that was great news.  These are the first good test results I have had.   So I will know more about the surgery on Monday. 

Carol66 - you give me hope about going back to work while on Chemo, I was hoping to be able do the same so I am glad it is working out for you.

Stick to your guns, Laura.  The docs are employed by you, not the other way around.  Don't let them take over your life just because you have a diagnosis with the word 'cancer' in it. 

Hi Laura - I agree with the others.  You have to live your life and attend special events with your family.  I had a school trip planned with my son to China which put off my chemo by about 2 weeks, and while I was worried about it, all of my doctors said that my timetable was still fine and that I shouldn't miss out on special things b/c of cancer.  

I needed to "rush" things along.  For me that is what worked.  I am high anxiety ~ so I wanted surgery asap and then chemo started asap.  Then when I was done mid March, I felt like now what I'm not doing anything.  Well the tamoxifen counts I guess.

You must do what you feel comfortable with !

Thanks for all your support ladies!   It is so wonderful to have you all in my life!

JustmeAlicia is right, worrying won't help us not get cancer ever again....it will just make our hair gray and (for me grayer!) and old before our time!  We have to get through this hurdle in life and on to the next phase of living.

May you have many, many more birthdays, Terry!  When you've been through cancer, birthdays mean so much more, don't they?  We want as many birthdays as possible!!!

Brenda 

Well I got good news yesterday.  My stomach is healing good enough that I won't need another surgery and I should be cleared for chemo either next week or the following week.   It is bitter sweet, not really ready mentally to start chemo, but will be glad to get it done and over with.

Happy Birthday Terry!

Terry:  Happy Bithday! 

Laura:  Good news you don't need surgery!  Sorry you have to start chemo though.