Bios of BC Survivors

ibasurvivor · January 2006

Hi Anne,
I also was treated in Santa Barbara.
The best of luck to you.
I would recommend getting 2nd and 3rd opinions.
I was dagnosed with Stage 1 in 1996.
Although I drive from 4 hours away I thought I was getting the best of care so, it was well worth the drive. Or so I thought.
Chemo CMF 6 months followed by Rad 6 weeks.
Never was I put on Tamoxifen.
I stayed with the same doctor for 9 years.
Recently had a recurrence.
2cm in diameter.
My oncologist said "she would only use a particular surgeon.
I found out later he is a general surgeon not a breast surgeon. He does have a subspecialty in it.
I was told total masectomy was my only choice.
It wasn't.
My surgeon removed way more than he had to.
And slipped with the scalpel so I have an additional scar.
Also of note the major hospital in that area is a teaching hospital.
I didn't know this before.
I found out after the surgery when I was awake in the operating room.
Could hear but not speak.
Be sure to ask if he /she will be using a resident medical student to assist.
I am now interviewing for a oncologist and plastic surgeon.
I will send you positive thoughts and well wishes.

cowgirl · January 2006

My Story is Long but hey I am only doing one Biography!

So this is my story. I feel it is time to be a biography now instead of a work in progress. I had a routine mammogram in March 2005. They kept calling me back for more views, which is routine I had dense breasts. But they kept trying to get a view of an area, which put my radar up. But you know you want to stay positive! So the radiologist called me back in to tell me I had clusters of micro-calcifications. In my family that meant either one of two things I had BC or I was on my way to BC. She told me because they could not get me into a biopsy for two weeks, and she told me it is very important to go to the biopsy. Well that was the other red flag, but you know you want to be positive! So I told my Hubby, and a couple of close girlfriends. And I searched on the net and found this board(my lifeline since March of 2005 Thanks!).

I believe my biopsy was 3/27, I was dxed on 4/12. I knew it the day of the mammogram but you know once you hear the words Ductal Carsonoma In Situ it is real. See being a great neice of several BC women, neice to two BC survivors, and daughter of a survivor. I knew the score, I knew Exactly what I would do! Not many know what I knew going in, God was kind that way! My aunt told me she had cute nipples, she loved her breasts, and half way through it I would hate the whole thing! She has been the honest helper I needed through this!. So even though my aunt that had it twice, and was a pioneer in reconstruction (1974) was gone her sister came to my rescue. Our survival rate is 100% if mast and caught in time. I would like to say they caught all in time but they didn't.

Mast and Recon was not easy or fun but you know I am so glad I did now I could dance for joy!

There were times even I got down and thought I would throw away everything related to BC. But I have come full circle I embrace BC, I am blessed. BC taught me what was so important all those years I was busy doing things that pulled me down. I had always been a superwoman/supermom doing anything in the community and school that anyone asked. Well that ended on 4/12/05. I became the woman that loves her hubby and kids, and I try to spend as much time with them having fun and doing things together as they will allow to be seen with me. I love my family, school and the community will be last on my list! I love my family too much to let anything trivial get in the way between us! So now they get the best mom, not the hurried psycho mom trying to please everyone!

When Bluekitten became ill I thought she would rally and be fine. Kathy being so ill was a wake up call, I needed. Her life was dedicated to God and her family. She helped so many women here but not at the expense of her family. Her death was very difficult for me, but because I know her character it was a time for me to Move ON. I can not park in despair, I can visit and mourn but I can not linger! We as survivors have to know what a gift life is! That our life is worth living and surviving! I am so grateful to God, my family, friends and this board for supporting me on my darkest days and my brightest days.

So that is my story! Thanks for letting me share it here!

deem · January 2006

Hi all,
Just found this site last week so wanted to give my bio. I was first diagnosed at age 34 with in situ ductal ca. Had a left masectomy and reconstruction with saline. 9 1/2 years later, I kept having mid chest pain and they were treating me for inflammed cartridge between my ribs and sternum for over 6 months. Then I found a lump in my neck. Immediately had a biospy only to find more cancer. After the bone scans and cat scans, we found out it was mets to bones including the sternum, ribs, spine, hips, scapula and left humerus.
I use to do Radiation Therapy so I made out my will! I had taxatere, herception and zometa for 12 straight months every week with herception then every 3 weeks with taxatere. Plus radiation to my chest and back for six weeks. Man was I sick. My son was graduating in June when we found out in January and I prayed everyday to make it to his graduation.

I just had my FOUR year anniversary and I just met my son's girlfriend (pretty serious!) from college. I could go on and on but I guess my point is, Never give up! They are coming out every day with new mediation. I know some of us are in clinical trails so we seem like the little lab mice but if it will save one more life down the road, what do we have to lose! Hang in there ladies and God bless.

Teresa44 · January 2006

Hi deem,

What a great story you have to tell. You are so right in saying Never Give Up!!! I hope that you have many, many more years to come. You have got to keep telling your story. It can be such an inspiration for others going through the same thing. Thanks for telling it. Good luck in the future.

God Answers Prayers

Teresa44

RobinTN · February 2006

I was diagnosed at 43.I remember the day oh so well,I was sitting at my desk at work and got a call from the Dr.who did the biopsy.2 Days later I had a pet scan and saw my Onc the next day.The next 2 weeks are sort of fuzzy but here is what I remember.The news was not good.Inflammatory breast cancer stage 4 with mets to 7 nodes,and two areas in the liver with slight activity in the bones.I was lucky there.I had been treated since august in the same breast for Mastitis.The ca did not show up on 4 ultrasounds,and one mammo.After I researched inflammatory bc,I found that is par for the course as it does not show up on diagnostic tests and masks the symptoms of mastitis.It has a 1% survival rated because by the time a biopsy is done it has usually spread to other organs such as mine did.I had chemo for a year,In june a Modified radical mastectomy on the right with 9 nodes removed and only the area around one of them positive,and a simple mastectomy on the right.
Then more chemo.The liver is clear now the chemo got rid of the cancer areas there and in sept i had a rfa.Radio frequency ablation of the liver where the Md went in and sort of blasted the 1cm area that was left.I had 2 soromas,one on each side so these have put off radiation.But they are healed now and I am getting ready to start this month.I thank God each day,he spared me for so me reason.If the cancer wasnt caught when it was I would be with him today.I am so looking forward for this to be over with and I can get back to work and on with the life I have planned.A very different life than the one I have now.I am also taking weekly herceptin and have another year to go of that.Oh I almost forgot,my mom had colon ca,was cured from that then she came up with liver cancer the next year.But no bc runs in our family.
Well thanks for listening to my story.
God Bless All
Robin

Teresa44 · February 2006

Hi Robin,

I was the same age as you when I was dx. God also blessed me and healed me from the bc that I had. We have such an awesome God and I know that we are to use this experience so others may see what can happen if you only have Faith and you ask God for help.

Good luck on the rest of your treatment. My bc was hormone negative so my treatment is all over. I had chemo, mast., chemo and 25 radiation treatments. So my life really is in God's hands.

God Answers Prayers

Teresa44

RobinTN · February 2006

Hi Teresa:
thank you for the kind letter.Yes I feel God has spared us for a reason.I am an RN have been for 25 years,and its funny I always tried to stay away from cancer patience,I always felt helpless in caring for them.Now I have it in my heart and soul to do something toward helping them.I feel in time God will show me what he has in mind.
Congrats on your treatment being over.My bc was hormone positive,so I guess it will never totally be over.But I am just now starting to look forward to life again.I will just be glad when the rad and the reconstruction are over.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.And again thanks for the kind works
God Bless
Robin

lexi4 · February 2006

I was diagnosed August of 05. I'd had a lump in my breast for months before I had it checked out. Big mistake. I truly thought because it wasn't hard or pebble like that it must be a cyst. Not until I had some pain and burning sensation under my arms did I make an appt. I was also feeling fatigued. Sure enough because of my age(36) the Drs believed that it was a fibrodenoma (sp). Well, it wasn't. IDC that had actually spread to the skin on my breast. They thought that I had a reaction to the surgical tape and I told them that the spot was there before my surgery. IBC was the final diagnosis stage IIIB. I thought I would die from fright and heartbreak. I have never felt fear like that in my life. I knew the stats aren't good especially for IBC. Then found out that my cancer was her2 driven. Another blow.

Today I am finishing up rad tx and on herceptin for at least a year. I recently had a brain mri and pray for good results.

I do believe that God is in charge. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior 15 years ago. I know my way to heaven is through Him. I pray for all of us who are faced with cancer. I pray for healing to our body's and our spirit's. I couldn't deal with this disease if I didn't have faith that Heaven will be awesome.

Love,
Lexi

Biker54 · February 2006

I was dx in Mar.04 at the age of 52. I have a long history of fibrocystic breasts. Every so often I had cysts aspirated. No big deal, right? Hah! In Nov.03 they found a couple of cysts during my mammogram and ultrasound exam. I went to my surgeon's office and had them aspirated. When he got to the third one, he couldn't get any fluid out. He strongly suggested that I let him surgically remove it and I agreed. He didn't think it was really anything to worry about, so I asked if it could wait until my trip to St. Kitts in Feb. and he thought that would be fine. I had my surgery to remove the "cyst" in March and he told me that it looked fine. A pathologist even looked at it and he thought it was fine also. Imagine my surprise when my surgeon called me at 8:00 on a Sunday night and told me I had cancer!! He said he was stunned at the pathology report and apologized profusely.
I set up surgery for a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. The biopsy showed that the cancer had gone into my lymph nodes. He removed about 20 nodes and 5 were positive. Yikes!!
I was stage IIB (I think)and I was Er+. I was so blown away by my dx, that I didn't pay too much attention to stages, etc. I will get that info at my next visit.
I had 4 A/C and 4 Taxotere, followed by bilateral mast. and 33 rads. I decided to have the mastectomies because I was cystic in both breasts and didn't want to take the chance that I would have a recurrance that would sit there for a long time again. No regrets .
I am taking Arimidex for 5 years. I have unpleasant side effects, but I only have 31/2 years to go, so I will hang in with it. I am also not really happy with my reconstruction, but am seeing my ps tomorrow to talk about revisions. Right now I am happy to be alive and be able to love my wonderful DH and 4 beautiful grandkids.
Sorry if this is long, but I think that's all there is ( although I always remember other things to say after I have posted).
Love to all,
Jan

didda566 · April 2006

Any stage IV survivors? Congratulations to all of the ladies in these stories! I think it is tremendous that it has been a successful battle for everyone in this board, but (always a but, eh?) anyone with some positive news for me to hear about with regards to stage Iv? I could really use some!

andreab · April 2006

Hi, my name is Andrea and I live in Pennsylvania. I was diagnosed at age 37 with stage 2 IDC, estrogen +; progesterone+; her2neu-, a 2.6 cm malignant lump in my right breast. I had a lumpectomy 9/1 (bad margins), a lumpectomy 9/20 (still bad margins, and the discovery of DCIS throughout the tissue) at which point I changed surgeons. Too much was not being done correctly by this doctor, he was argumentative, and pretty much hated me, so I found a new surgeon. My sentinel node was negative. I changed surgeons, underwent 16 weeks dose dense chemotherapy AC + T, finished that 2/7/2006, and on 4/6/2006 had a bilateral mastectomy with tram flap reconstruction. My new surgical team has been awesome, I feel empowered by this whole experience, and although I am not even a week post-op, I really feel GREAT!!! If I had it do it over again, other than not starting with the one jerky surgeon, I would not change a thing!

luba · April 2006

Hi to all my name is Marie and Im happy too share anything if will help others get through this experience....

Dx Jan 05...I found a lump in dec 04 and went to my fam dr, she did not feel anything but since I was just turning 42 I went for a mam, only as a precausion she said, I had had 3 other mams because I have fribrodic(sp) lumpy breasts. At first the mam tech said all was fine, after they took 4 slides on both sides, BUT, here is the scary part, I was VERY persistant that there was just something not right on my right side, soooooo they did 3 more slides on that side, again the tech said all looked good, and again I was peristant, sooooooooooo they did a sonogram on that breast and about a half an hour later that tech found something that, wasnt very clear, but looked "alittle" suspicious. So back to the mam machine, I stood on a chair and hung my breast down into the plates from above and they took 3-4 more pics that way and got a film of what looked odd. 1 week later Im in a surgeons office talking about the biop she is gonna do, again, shes looking at the pics saying she sees nothing either so I had to stay awake for the first part of the surgery while they put a long, very long needle into the area I felt was wrong so that when the sergeon gets in there she will know what area to take out. After the surgery she says the tissue looked healthy, that she has seen cancerous tissue and mine did not look bad at all. Wellllllll, another week goes by and her office calls me the day I'm going in for my follow up with her and they ask me if my husband is coming in also, and I say no because you said all looked good, and they say bring him. I knew. 1 hour later I had may cancer dx, Jan 11 2005. She did not get it all out and the margins are not clear so I have to have another surgery and node disection because I had IDC. INVASIVE. After no one could feel it or see it on mams it was so far gone that it was invasive.

I went to a bc specialist in Cleveland who did the rest, out of 7 nodes 1 was postive and she cleared the margins so my breast was saved, down a cup size from the other, but saved.

8 chemos (4 a/c 4 taxol)I have a port, last chemo June 05
33 rads ended sept 05
Tamoxifen since

I look back now after reading all this, sorry its long, but I cant belive is been so long since all this. It went by so fast, or so it seems, when your in the chemo haze time just gets lost. BUT, i think where id be if I hadnt been so damn persistant, Im sure there were lab techs thinking I was crazy and a hypocondriact(sp), BUT, I just knew something was not right. God must have been my inner voice telling me they were wrong, but how many other women went home when they were told nothing was wrong, where are they now? I think about that alot, why did I know so certainly that these professionals were wrong and I, little me, was right?

I go for my 2nd mam since my treatments ended on may 1st and them to my onc on the 8th, I may have to have a few more scans, since at first my liver and lung showed small spots that have since gone away, but he wants to make sure one more time before they let me get the port out.

Thank you for letting me share, most people dont want to hear all this stuff, I think it scares em. I also would not change a thing, my first surgeon was not very knowledgeable about bc, which is why I found the specialist, I have to drive an hour 1 way to see her, but Id drive a day if i had too, shes that wonderful. My onc, both chemo and rads were wonderful as was the nursing staff, Ireland Cancer Centers of Community Health Partners, I miss the people, not the treatments!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again, good luck to all and God Bless
Marie
Ohio

Shepgirl · May 2006

Looking for stage 4 survivors?? Please take this poll!

http://community.breastcancer.org/ubbthr...ge=0#Post303158

evilelf · August 2006

bump

Anonymous · September 2006

Rosemary44 · September 2006

Back to topic

melanie48 · September 2006

Lexi just read yr post..what's going on with ya?? how are ya feeling??? we all have been through a mess and we all have diffferent issues....if I can help in anyway just type to me.....Im always here....
Thanks so much for the post at the photo shoot haha
hola at me back anytime
Melanie/s fla

melanie48 · September 2006

Bonny I am 48 also is this a 48 thingy...????

enjoy life and keep riding !!!!!!

hola out me back
Melanie

vickybee · November 2006

Hi all.
Dx in July,2003
IDC, Stage 1, no nodes (14 removed). ER+, Her 2 - neg.
Lumpectomy, radiation and tamoxifen.

lori_dixon · April 2007

My Name is Lori and I posted back in 2002 and 2003 of being a suvivor. Here is is 2007 I just hit the 5 year mark. It is a trip I would not want to do again but with the women and men that are on this site the caring and everything i feel that I have grown in a way that some people will never do. I don't know if I am making sense or not. I have met Marci-beth and Stacey and Shirley from the Cancer concection. And Alice and Carol from the Radiation center, and all the other wonderful people. I have been blessed with these new friends for life. I have lost Alice 2 years ago now and before she died she sent me a card that said. " I am not sure why we met when we did but people come into our lives for a reason and i am proud to call you my friend". Well that about did it for me. She was a wonderful women (lung cancer took her) we enjoyed being with each other even after the rad's were done. If she was still here we would still be going out to dinner once a month as it is carol and I are stil doing that.

I just wanted to say to all thanks for being there.

I did get another tattoo..... Yes this one is on my leg it is 2 angels facing each other and they have a breast cancer ribbon that they are holding. above it says souvivor. and that is what we are.
Love to all
Lori D

rene1957 · June 2008

Hi my name is Rene,I live in carrollton, Ga. and am 51yrs old. I found out I had BC ten yrs ago, it was very aggressive so I lost my left breast and it was in my limpnodes.The doctor gave me less than a year to live, but after a brutal round of chemo it almost killed me, so the doctor put me on shots everyday. After that the sur geon removed my breast and limpnodes,then it was back to another round of chemo when that was finished, I had my radiation treatments. I can remember going to the doctor at least three times and they would tell me my vitals were so low I should be dead,but no matter how sick I felt or what they said I just felt at peace with the fact i would be okay. Since then I lost my other breast because my fibrosistic disease was so bad I couldnt take the pain and was scared to death it would be back if I didnt.I dont know of anybodyelse in my family having BC,but my dad died of bladder cancer when I was seven,so cancer runs in the family. I have never had reconstructive surgery,with my ins. I was afraid I wouldnt be able to pay for it,my disability check just wouldnt cut it. Its good to be able to talk to someone who knows how it feels,for us and our familys.

Glumabel · November 2008

Hello...to everyone..from...PHILIPPINES.....I'm Gems...single mom to a twelve year old daughter and at 38 y o was diagnosed of BC ...stage 2b..3cm lump mass...last aug 21, 2007 thru mammogram...then have a surgery biopsy on Oct 23, 2007 which resulted INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA.....Had my Radical Mastectomy on Nov. 22, 2007 with 28 nodes mets out of 41 nodes removed.....then started my 6 sessions Chemotherapy Jan 10, 2008 and ended on May 15, 2008....And so far...my last monitoring check-up results were all normal except on Mild Fatty Liver.....AND THANKS ALMIGHTY GOD.... FOR THAT.....still on the process of the JOURNEY...despites of being hard financial....

I shared this to give an inspiration to others....AND THANKING....Personally an ANGEL WHO SENT GOD TO HELP ME...specifically on financial side...HE IS SURGEON FROM BROOKLYN HOSPITAL, NYC, USA....and THROUGH LIFETIME...HE WILL BE AN ANGEL FOREVER....THANK YOU SANJEEV.....

Joviangeldeb · March 2009

Hi. My name is Debbie and I'm 46 years old.

I was diagnosed with Stage IIIA IDC.

I found a lump by accident while I was lying in bed one night in later part of September 07.

By mid October, i had a left modified radical mastectomy.

My chemo was delayed due to a recurrent seroma and infection of the surgical site that landed me in the hospital for 1 week in early December of 07.

Had port placed right before xmas of 07

Began 6 rounds of chemo 1st part of January 08, and finished on 4/21/08

Started Arimidex right after chemo, and about 1 month ago, switched to Tamoxifen.

I have one sister-5 yrs younger than me, that just finished chemo for breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy and having expanders/implants.

I've chosen no further surgery. so almost one year from my mastectomy, I finally got my prosthesis after several bouts of surgical site infections. It's doing fabulous now.

Something in the cancer treatment has left me with some pain and stiffness in my muscles, but I just deal with it and go on. I'm currently suffering with a fractured lt foot that I injured on a treadmill a week ago. I finally decided to begin an excersize program to get more healthy and then this happens. Oh well, I plan to get back to the gym as soon as I'm able.

Bios of BC Survivors

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