2011 Sisters

Good luck Carol! Will be thinking of you on Friday. Hope that it all goes well. *hugs*

well surgery is done and finally over with. Just in alot of pain and have 4 drainage tubes, which are uncomfortable. But, I would like to say ty, toall the wonderful ladies out their, you have really helped me through this.

There is a forum called "Calling all TNS" that is fairly active and will give you lots of support. I am also triple negative...scary sounding, but not the end! I'm not familiar with a ki67 score, but I bet the TNS site will have somebody that knows. Come on over and ask all the questions you want. Just take your time, take a breath, and DON'T go doing a lot of research yet. There is so much stuff out there that will scare you and not all accurate. Hang in there. These gals will get you through!

Hi Ladies, sorry i havevnt been on this thread as much as i would like, its hard to keep up to them all and work full time between treatments. had my third round of FEC yesterday yeah no more red devil and I am now halfway done chemo. Moving on to doxotaxorl for the last three.Hopefully this goes smoother.Onc added in some new meds for me this go around as i have been having trouble keeping sickness away seems better so far but only day one out so we shall see.the puckering in my lumpectomy scare seems to be filling in a bit but still not happy with it did they really need to bring in part of my areola really. lol. its snowing here again, sigh,

ok well need to run, folks are down this go around should get out there and visit some with them.

hugs to all my sisters that were in the chair with me this week, hope your side affects stay at bay.

Kymn

Hi all.  I was diagnosed in April, had a lumpectomy and snr a week and a half ago.  Meeting with the oncologist for the first time this week.  So glad I found this forum, and others who are in the same situation!  I look forward to offering mutual support throughout!

Count me in to the Class of 2011.  IDC diagnosed on May 6.  We're still in the information collecting stage.  Had breast MRI Tuesday where another small spot was found just far enough away from the original spot.  Having a node biopsy this morning and an MRI guided biopsy next week to look at the new spot.  I have made the decision that the information we receive is no longer "good" or "bad," just information that needs to be learned to make the best decisions possible. 

HI K1122 and DocBabs, welcome, sorry to see you here but this will be an invaluable place for you. Excuse any typing or spelling errors as I am half way through chemo and my brain doesnt connect like it used to lol.

KII22 the information stage can be overwhelming, so much to learn and I remember just wanting to know everything right now and then having to wait for all my tests it seemed like forever and now here I am half way done chemo. Ask all the questions you need to here there will always be someone who has been through what you are unfortunelty. Lost of great threads on this site to addresss everything.

DocBabs Good luck tomorrow, I will be thinking of you sending hugs your way. Join us on the what about drinking thread we have lots of fun even if it is virtual drinks when we are not feeling well enough to endulge in a real one

To all the rest of my 2011 sisters hope your having a SE free day

Hugs Kymn

Hello Ladies...I also can be added to the 2011 club....I had mamogram in Feb..Core biopsy in March..diagnosed with IDC in April....Lumpectomy and Sentinal Biopsy May 3, see surgeon May 16th for details....for sure radiation in my future..not sure about anything else...Everything seems to be moving along quickly now that I've been diagnosed...I'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba and it seems to me that the Breast Cancer People here have definetly got their shit together....going to an after surgery info session tomorrow at the BC Centre of Hope...this will be my first outing since surgery. I am hoping to learn something there about diet, exercise and what to expect in the near future I guess....thanks for being here....Huggs to all!

Update: Went to see the surgeon for a recheck and Radiology Oncologist.. Surgeon said I'm good to go back to work in another week... then RO says that he is thinking 16 rad treatments and I will be good BUT we are still waiting to see if I need chemo... That appointment is Monday if the oncotype test results are back.. They weren't back when I saw the RO. I will probably start radiation in June.

I am back from my appointment with my MO.  She has recommended chemo, and I have agreed.  Without it, my recurrence probability is at 45%, and that is just too high for me at this stage in life.  Treatments to begin in a couple of weeks.

Yes Grammy, It is bittersweet for me.. I donate my hair every year for cancer patients and now I am one... I just cut off 9.5 inches and my new doo is my picture... I figured no matter what my treatment plan is.. I needed to have an easy short haircut that all I have to do is brush it.. I find out Monday if I need chemo or not.

filrb: I opted for a BMX. I do have family history. But there are many women here who have BC and have NO history. 

I did not have chemo. My oncotype score was 16, which is at the top end of low risk. My oncologist did not think the benefits outweighted the risks. I agreed. I was not willing to do the chemo but I was willing to have a BMX. Here is how I made my decision.

Initially I was supposed to have a lumpectomy. But my mass was 3.2 cm and in the center of my breast. I was a 34 B. They would have had to remove 1/3 to 1/2 of my boob. Even though I had a slow-growing cancer (Grade 1), I was afraid of stray cells remaining if I didn't get rid of all the breast tissue. I also knew that if I was going to go through with a mastectomy, I wanted to do both sides. Get rid of all the tissue. Then make them both match. So I had a BMX with TE. I plan on silicone implants. They are the most natural looking, and they are very safe now.

Things haven't been easy; I had problems healing one of my incisions so I haven't had any fills yet. But I never for a moment regretted my decision, even though there are no guarantees that won't get BC again.

It all comes down to knowing yourself, your fears, and your tolerance for uncertainty. Each of us is different, and we must make the decision that is best for us, not anyone else.

I hope that helps a little! ;-) Hope you have a peaceful weekend! 

Sam, the BMX was not so bad! I took Vicodin the first 2 weeks, but only when I needed it. The bigger problem is that you can't move your arms above your head or bear your own weight or lift or even scoot yourself up in bed for the first couple of weeks. That was the hard part! I started driving after 3 weeks.

I'm sure some other ladies will chime in about their experience!

My husband and I went out for a late dinner.  Tried to get a good night's sleep, but it wasn't easy.  I'll have to admit I tossed and turned a lot and shed some tears.  It was a pretty hard night for me.  Fortunately, I had to be at the hospital at 6am for which I was really grateful.  After that it was all a blur! 

kks_rd:  Sorry we all have to meet like this, but WELCOME - you DO belong here!  This is a great starting point and, when appropriate, I'll venture to say that others will direct you to more specific threads.  There are threads for different forms of BC, different surgery and reconstruction choices, drug treatments, radiation, hormone +, hormone -,  etc.  When in doubt, just ask or use the "search" function that you'll find at the top of the page.  You can then add to your "favorites" so the threads are easier to find.

Sounds like you've been through a lot in a month or so.  You'll hear this over and over - try to take it one step at a time, learn as much as you can, and listen to your gut as well as to your doctors.  It's not easy, but you can do this!!!

Again, welcome!