Women under 45 stage II w/node involvement?

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  • zanoza
    zanoza Member Posts: 40
    edited June 2011

    Hi girls!

    I think I also belong to this group. I'm 41 now and was diagnosed almost 2 moths ago. Also found the lump myself July of last year, but was going from doctor to doctor asking to check it out. the responce I was getting "cancer can't be painfull, don't worry about it". Of course I so much wanted to believe in it so I was calmed down for few months, then was trying to get an appointment with the diffenet doctor... Anyway, my gyn fillany addressed the issue and sent me for mammo and US and the very next day I had my dx. Had a left MX a week ago and gonna wait for the path report for 2 more weeks so not really sure about node involvement yet. Didn't do any recon since my surgeon and onc. believe I'll need chemo and rads.

    Definately not the club I'd like to join, but so glad there is a place where I can talk to people who understend. You all are so wonderful and helpful ladies!

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  • XRAYestInMA
    XRAYestInMA Member Posts: 132
    edited June 2011

    Hello to all of you young ladies =)

    I'm here to tell you that there is a light at the end of this lousy BC ride...so please, please, please hang in there girls.

    Back in 2005, I was 37 at diagnosis - found the lump myself and also had some troubling clear nipple discharge - no family hx, have since tested neg. for the BRCA tests. My baby turned 4 the day after my diagnosis, my little girl was 6 1/2 - they are now DD13 and DS10 =). After my head cleared from hearing that I, AT 37, had BC (WTH!), I had a right lumpectomy and SNB, which showed a micromet in the sentinel node, and unfortunately non-clear margins. I had a right MX 2 days after the lumpectomy, with additional node removal which were (thankfully) clear. I had 6 rounds of AC, 12 of Taxol, 52 weekly doses of Herceptin, took 5 years worth of Tamoxifen, and had a BSO 6 months ago after I finished the Tam. My BC was 2.5 cm, high grade, ER/PR very positive, Her2 positive, showed some LVI, - was basically tyring it's hardest to kill me. Well guess what - so far it's me = 1, BC ZERO !!!  I've been okay for over 6 years now, and hope to continue to be living the sweet life of being in NED for as long as humanly possible. You ladies can do this and can BEAT this, too...and you will ;-)

    Ladies, perhaps many of you have heard that when we young gals get BC, it is usually worse and more aggressive, with a worse prognosis. While that may be true, and who really knows if it is, getting BC IS NOT a death sentence - as I once thought it was when I sat in the surgeons office with my mammo films and was told that I had BC. BC has robbed me of my innocence as far as having cancer goes - after all who ever thinks they are going to "get cancer" ? I know I didn't even consider it, and I work in the health care field and with patients who have all types of cancer diagnoses. It has not robbed me of my love of life, for my children and my DH ...it has changed the person who I was before BC, but not necessarily in a negative way. We'll never forget what we have all been through, but time does heal the wounds, and the scars toughen us up.     

    ~ Lori

    43 y/o and still 6 feet up

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  • pejkug3
    pejkug3 Member Posts: 902
    edited June 2011

    XRAY/Lori - Thanks for posting your story!  It really encouraged me today.

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  • XRAYestInMA
    XRAYestInMA Member Posts: 132
    edited July 2011

    @pejkug3 You are very welcome. You and I had pretty much the same stats as far as the BC is concerned. I know that being Her2 positive isn't the best of circumstances, but with Herceptin added to the arsenal of drugs we Her2 gals can receive, the results are very promising. You can and will get through this nightmare. Once you do, life does become pretty wonderful again, I promise = )

    (((HUGS to you)))

    ~Lori

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  • marcusm
    marcusm Member Posts: 8
    edited July 2011

    Hi Ladies,

    my fiance Joanne is probably the baby of this group being diagnosed at 26.

    she had 3 positive nodes and its ER,PR and HER2 +  Tumor was around 2cm, clear margains.  She had breast conserving surgery and is doing 6 rounds of chemo (3 FEC and 3 taxotore/herceptin).  2 FEC's done and 1 more to go.  Then 6 weeks of RADS, then Tamoxifen for 5 years.

    She is a very brave, beautiful and positive young woman, just as you all are.  God bless you all and good luck with your journey.

    Marcus

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  • Madismommy719
    Madismommy719 Member Posts: 781
    edited July 2011

    Oh my goodness Marcus, she is SO young....but definitely brave! And she sounds very lucky to have a fiancee that would find support forums like this one for information, etc.



    Welcome, but I certainly wish it were under other circumstances!!!!!

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  • kris1
    kris1 Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2011

    Marcus, what a lucky woman your fiance is to have such support in her life!  I wish you both all the best. :)

     Madismommy...how did your PS appt go?  I was thinking of you...mine went pretty well and I'm hoping that you're experiencing some of the same relief that I am getting with having a little more fuid in these things! :/   Sorry about the additional surgery...hope it goes well! Do they say when it will be?  Met my onc for the first time today..looks like I'm going to be "backed up" a little also...even though my CT scans and everything are clear he wants to do bone scan also (stressful!!) and echo before starting chemo...he says he has no reason to expect any changes but wants it done...i guess i understand but it is just adding another stress.  Assuming all of that comes back clear we will start chemo mid July-AC/Taxol. I will def be doing RADS as well, probably 6 weeks. 

    Lori, thanks for posting your story and congrats! :)  It is so nice to hear such positive and uplifting stories!! 

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  • Madismommy719
    Madismommy719 Member Posts: 781
    edited July 2011

    Kris, my chest has been killing me since my appointment, a little better today but oh my goodness. I only had 40 cc's and it feels like a truck has been parked right on my chest!!!

    Which scan is the echo? Is that for the heart, like the Muga? I have to schedule that too but I'm trying to get my lymph node surgery scheduled and my BS office was CLOSED today? boo!

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  • marcusm
    marcusm Member Posts: 8
    edited July 2011

    hi girls,

    thank-you for your kind words of support.  Joanne is my soulmate, so i am doing everything i can to help her through this journey.  it just sucks that i cant do anymore then support and be there for her and read these blogs to get tips and info to assist.

    Has anyone here done Taxotere with Herceptin?  i am struggling for questions to ask the oncologist about this chemo cocktail.  from what i can gather most girls seem to get issues with bone pain and nails falling off and becoming brittle.  any suggestions/tips would be great.  i have read taxotere is a nightmare blog, but any other tips/suggestions would be great ::)

    God bless!

    Marcus

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  • kriskat
    kriskat Member Posts: 163
    edited July 2011

    Marcus- there r some great threads on the her2 forum, one specifically about tch and for us triple positives! Great info as you guys get started on this journey. I just finished TCH and it's very doable, but everyone reacts differently!!

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  • Pinkprincess
    Pinkprincess Member Posts: 280
    edited July 2011

    WOW....I am soooo glad you all have joined this thread....I am overwhelmed:) I hate that we are all here but know that through this thread we will find comfort. You all are amazing and will do fine. I have completed all active treatment except Lupron and Femara. Anyone else on these drugs? I also wanted to add that you should join or START your own start month thread if undergoing active treatment...rads, chemo etc. It helps to endure the side effects with others experiencing the same things, name it June 2012 rads etc. It is amazing what friendships and support teams are made through this site. Also I am on Facebook if anyone would like to add me my name is Heather Edwards Angst. Have a GREAT 4th of July !!!

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  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 858
    edited July 2011

    Hi friends.  I'm 39 stage II--I thought there was no node involvement (from sonogram), but now after the neo-adjuvant chemo, at my BMX, they are going to do a sentinal node biopsy.  And now they're talking about what to do if there is node involvement.  I feel so betrayed--I thought there wasn't ANY node involvement.  I have a 5 year old, and this whole thing is just finally catching up to me.  A friend visited this weekend--her mom is in really advanced stage 4 BC, and she was talking about how it was 15 years since her mother's first BC.  DAMMIT, I don't want to be dying when my kid is only 20.  I am just depressed today.  I'm sorry.  I've NEVER felt this bad before.  I'm usually a really upbeat person, but this all just has me terrified.  

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  • Ainm
    Ainm Member Posts: 781
    edited July 2011

    I was 45 when diagnosed and understood that I was llb but i just recently discovered that because of the multifocal aspect of my diagnosis I am more likely a llla - I thought the stage ll thread was home but it looks like I will have to pack up and head over to the stage lll thread.

    It's funny but I am really resisting changing my stats info!!!! It would seem like giving in!!

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  • Calico
    Calico Member Posts: 1,108
    edited July 2011

    Hi,

    I am almost 6 yrs out from DX (DCIS and a seperate IDC with one out of two nodes), bilat mast, chemo, rads, Femara past 5 yrs now and keeping it up. I was 41 at dx

    Best wishes! 

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited July 2011

    Ainm...for what it's worth, my onc says stage is becoming less significant (unless it's 4) and tumor biology is more significant.

    I was soooo sure I was stage I....and then having that one lil node pushed me to a 2 it was kind of a shock. (People kept saying small and early)

    Hope everyone had a nice holiday.

    Profbe...The latest reasearch is to not take so many nodes....but maybe that is different since your chemo was before surgery.

    All things being equal, if I had a choice, I would want as minimal a dissection as possible, lymphedema sucks.

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  • kris1
    kris1 Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2011

    Hi there, hope everyone had a great 4th!

    Madismommy, yep, from what I understand the echo is to check the electric rhythms of your heart to make sure you're ready to begin chemo-my onc says it's an 'easy' test.  Do they say what kind of recovery time it is after your additional surgery? 

    Profbee, sorry to hear your news :( but remember that everyone's situation is different!  Keep the positive and upbeat thoughts going! 

    Calico, thanks for posting!  I'm getting ready to start the path that you have finished and am nervous!  I think the not knowing is the hardest part right now..how chemo and rads will affect me. Trying my best to take it one day at a time!

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  • sundermom
    sundermom Member Posts: 463
    edited July 2011

    I LOVE this thread!!!



    XRAY - Thank for your post. It was just the encouragement I needed. Sometimes I feel like there's this unspoken perception that us girls under 40 with high grade and positive nodes are doomed.



    Ainm - My onc told me I was 2b, but the RO says IIIa. I prefer IIb, but I know a bunch of letters and numbers don't seal my fate. The tx is the same, so I try not to think about it. I do think there is some subjectivity in dx process. For example, my biopsy was Grade 2, but the surgical pathology came back Grade 3. I was freaked, but my onc said not to worry about it. "These decisions are made by humans."



    Cookiegal - PET and MRI had me at Stage I with no node involvement detected. Thank goodness for the SNB :)



    Tammy

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  • pejkug3
    pejkug3 Member Posts: 902
    edited July 2011

    There is some subjectivity in the staging, isn't there?  My MO said that some oncs would stage me Stage Ib and consider me node negative.  But my my official staging was IIa.

    Then I saw the RO who said he would have staged me Ia.  But is radiating my nodes anyhow because of my "official stage".

    And I learned that my Sentinal nodes were both negative.  The cancer was found in a node further down the chain.  Go figure.  (and how unsettling is that?!)

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  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited July 2011

    Normally I would not post on this thread as it would not apply to me; however, I just came back from my bone density test and the tech that did it had ER/PR positive cancer - with one node positive and was diagnosed at the age of 34.  She is now 58 and has had no problems whatsoever.  Just thought such great news needed to be shared.

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  • stephanie1
    stephanie1 Member Posts: 131
    edited July 2011

    KC MOM

    We are almost identical in our diagnosis. Only difference was I had a few more nodes taken out - but I was 35 at diagnosis I will be 38 in about a month (which is also my two year anniversary of completing chemotherapy) The docs were going to put me on the shots but it turned out when they tested my hormones I was in what they thought was going to be permanent chemopause/menopause. Well fast forward to now - almost two years out from chemo everything kicked back in and I am having a cycle again. I am thinking at my next appt in a month the doc may recommend the shot now. Guess I will see what he thinks then. I am still on 90 day checks right now. My CEA tumor marker keeps going up - I have been sent for test after test and they can't find an explanation. Anyway nice to meet you :)

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  • Madismommy719
    Madismommy719 Member Posts: 781
    edited July 2011

    Thanks for that info LRM....I love hearing success stories like that!!! Helps me so much mentally....I'm 35. ER/PR+ and 1 node so to hear someone with an almost identical diagnosis living with BC in the rear view mirror really gives me hope!!!! :0)



    Welcome to anyone from the last few days, I need to go back and catch up on anything I might have missed....I've been feeling like crap the last couple days, I'm thinking it's all part of my BMX healing but man has it knocked me down. Today is this tingly weird feeling all over, especially in my chest... Almost like a butterfly fluttery feeling. My BS says it's nerves healing??? It's weird.....

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  • caaclark
    caaclark Member Posts: 936
    edited July 2011

    I just saw this thread-  I was 40 when diagnosed with stage III.  I had 6+nodes and extracapsular extentions.  Scary stuff!!!  At the time my 3 daughters were 8, 6 and 4.  They are now 14, 12 and 10!!  I am now 45 and over 5 years out.  

    It sucks to have kids and cancer but I can tell you that it helped me get through treatment. 

    I am glad someone started this thread.  Being under 45 or 40 when diagnosed has different implications and issues for many of us.

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  • Natrellex2
    Natrellex2 Member Posts: 10
    edited July 2011

    Hi Ladies, 

    I was diagnosed Feb.2010 only 15 days shy of my 37th B-day.  I found the lump myself (after my doctor who examined me only 3 months earlier at my regular physical found nothing).  My mammogram came back negative and the ultrasound tech found no abnormalities.  I was however still sent to have a biopsy because there was infact a large lump.  Within 12 days of my biopsy coming back positive, I was in surgery for a rt breast mastectomy (my tumour was 4.5cm) which included the removal of 11 lymph nodes, 3 were positive.  I opted for Lupron injections throughout the 6 month course of my chemo to help protect my ovaries as I do not currently have any children.  Through my onlocogist I joined an exercise study that was hoping to show how exercise through chemo could be helpful.  So 1 day after my first chemo (which I had a really hard time coming to grips with) I was in the gym with 12 other ladies who were already bald from their chemo regiments...all of them under 40.  The youngest I met was 29.   One year later, I finished my chemo, 28 rounds of radiation and just two weeks ago had a prophyalactic left Mastectomy with alloderm and immediate implant, at the same time I had my rt TE exchanged for an implant.

     Wendy72:  In my experience with talking to over 25 women through the course of my treatment and exercise study(all under 45) there are at least 7 different types of BC.  Each type, depending on the type of tumor, needs a different type of regiment to target the active cells.  My tumour was ER+ and PR+ but HER2-, I was on FECD and will be on Tamoxifen for the next 5 years,  to target the hormones...others in this group were HER2+ so they went through a different chemo, AC or AD and needed Herceptin after without the need for Tamoxifen.  Some women were triple positive, others triple negative, so they had a combination of treatments.  Ultimately throughout this whole crazy ordeal we realized that although there has been a lot of research done we are really just guinea pigs....

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  • seasiren
    seasiren Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2011

    Hi everybody!  I'm joining the group, too.  I was diagnosed with IDC at 44 (my one year anniversary is coming up - 7/15/2011).  I've been through a double mastectomy (2/8 positive lymph nodes), chemo, radiation, tamoxifen, and recovering from some treatment complications but making progress with healing,and heading for reconstruction in the fall. Best wishes to you all - I look forward to participating in the group. 

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  • Arman10
    Arman10 Member Posts: 3
    edited July 2011

    Well, family I was 33 when I was diagnosed with stage II BC. September 1, 2010 is a day I will never forget. I was 7 months pregnant and now I had breast cancer. This road has been long 4 rounds of AC then 4 rounds of TAX and 34 treatments of radiation... I have thanked GOD every day after 10/1/10........

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  • Pinkprincess
    Pinkprincess Member Posts: 280
    edited July 2011

    Welcome to the short straw club ladies:)  It is my pleasure to connect with all of you. I felt alone when dx, like everyone that had breast cancer was 60 or so. It is nice to know there are others facing the same challenges.

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  • seasiren
    seasiren Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2011

    I'm curious to ask - anyone else have neuropathy in hands and feet as a side effect from chemo?  I finished last/6th round of chemo (Taxotere, adriamycin and Cytoxan) in January (I started developing the symptoms earlier in the treatment) and, although a bit improved, still have some neuropathy.  If you developed this, too, I'd like to hear how it's going for you and how far out from treatment you are.  Thanks and best wishes to all!

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  • profbee
    profbee Member Posts: 858
    edited July 2011

    I have neuropathy, but I'm still in active treatment (Taxol and Lapatinib right now).  It's worst on my fingers, but I'm hoping that it will go away someday!  Sorry that's not any info at all for you, but you're not alone!  :)

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  • stephanie1
    stephanie1 Member Posts: 131
    edited July 2011

    Sea

    Yes! Unfortunately I still have neuropathy from chemo. I have increased sensitivity in the bottoms of my feet. So when I walk for long periods the bottoms of my feet give out. I can push through the pain but at times it can be very uncomfortable. The palms of my hands are still a little numb as well.  But it is better in general than when I was actually in active treatment. I couldn't feel the bottoms of my feet at all at that time and would have to be very careful - I had a tendency to fall down stairs. I dont have that problem anymore. I wish I had better news for you but mine did get better with time. August I am two years out from chemo. FYI

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  • Taylor777
    Taylor777 Member Posts: 141
    edited July 2011

    I'm 41 and I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Jun. 16 . I had a lumpectomy almost 2 weeks ago and I'm just waiting for the results. Its the waiting thats killing me. I feel like I'm going crazy and I feel pain all over my body and I keep thinking the cancer is all over my body..I just need my results so I can start my treatment !! I have felt so alone until I came across this site..I havent really told anyone except my husband and a few others. I dont want my kids to find out just yet, I have an 8 yr old son and an 11 yrold daughter..this is so not fair!! I'm so stressed out I just keep thinking the worst..The drs. and  nurses  keep telling me to be strong and stay positive..How can I ?? I look at my kids and I just want to cry.

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