2011 Sisters

Gandtwoboysmama:  Welcome to the club to which nobody wants to be a member - I guess we were all drafted!  You'll find lots of understanding ears and hearts here.  No two stories are exactly the same, but a common thread runs through them all. 

Hang in there everybody!!!

CT#2, day 9. Haven't felt like posting in a few days. My skin is really drying out...can't get enough lotion. Yesterday, aches and pains subsided, only to be replaced with skin blisters near the IV site. My feel are also beginning to get really sensitive and it hurts to walk. I am exactly half way thru this.



Until next time.

Thank you

Hi Ladies,  I guess I'm now part of the IDC club.  Had my lumpectomy on July 22 and today had my recheck with the surgeon.  On to the next phase, Monday the RO and Tuesday the ONC.  The surgeon did not think I would need chemo but the ONC might have a different idea.  This waiting is really knocking my depression into high gear.  I'm hoping for the Oncotype DX test and a low score.  I've also been recommeded for Brachytherapy rads (internal type).  That would mean a lot less time and SE's.  Anyone done this?  Kitty

Hello all.  I am new to this thread and forum.  I am the mother of two beautiful grown daughters, 32 and 20 years old and two absolutely lights of my life, my grandson and granddaughter.  My grandson is 4 and will begin pre-k this year and my granddaughter is 1.  Ironically, my youngest daughter has been accepted into the Radiology School.  I am 50 years old and I don't know my history because I am adopted. 

I have been diagnosed with Grade 1 IDC.  I had just had my routine mammo in January and no evidence was found.  The early part of June, I found a lump.  I waited for about a month before I called my doctor.  I thought it was just a cyst or something.  But it didn't change in size during that time and it didn't hurt.  Went through the whole mammo, US and US Guided biopsy.  On July 20, my world changed for ever when I got the diagnosis.  I am having a lumpectomy on August 9.  I figure I will find out a whole lot more then.  I am ER+, PR + and Her-.  I am supposed to have scans after my surgery Tuesday and that's where I am the most afraid.  Now that I know for sure I have BC, then at least I know what I'm dealing with.  I have been having a lot of shoulder and hip pain on my right side, which is the side my BC is on.  I am so worried about mets, but I also know that I played softball for years and really want this to be arthritis.  I also suffer from scalp psoriasis and I know it could be psoriatic arthritis as well.

I do have a question for any of you that may know this answer. My path report says that my breast is extensively involved by invasive ductal carcinoma. It also says that no insitu component was identified.  What does extensively involved mean?. It is estimated that the tumor is 1.7 cm in greatest contiguous dimension.  And the tumor has been graded as a 1.

Thanks so much for allowing me to be here. I have learned so much and enjoy being a part of a community that understands what I'm going through.

RJ

Hi rjbaby69 and Janis,  We are all so close together we are like sisters!  I felt the same as you rj when I got the news too.  I was so scared I almost couldn't think straight.  So I jumped on the computer and found this site.  It is a world of wonderful and caring sisters as well as great information to calm those fears.  It helped me ALOT to read through the diagnosis and treatment information as well as follow others who have already started this journey before me.  I know what to expect and I'm able to know what it is that the doc is talking about. It has eased my mind considerably to be armed with this knowledge.  You are not alone with this and we are all here to help each other to kick this demon to the curb.  I'll be thinking of you tomorrow RJ.  I have my first meeting with the ONC tomorrow and I'm not sure yet when I will see the RO.  So let's be strong for each other and send this BC packin!  Kitty

Rjbaby69

I also have no idea what your Dr.means. However, my Dr. Was convinced that I had lymph node involvement and After surgery was surprised that the nodes were clear. My mass was 2.7 cm and invasive. My recovery was also easy with little discomfort. I did keep using ice packs even for a longer period. I think it helped any swelling and soreness. I Had my radiation simulation today and will start my 6.5 weeks of radiation next week. For any of you that are at this point, let me tell you it went very smoothly. The hardest part was keeping my arms up for the setup and cat scan. The tech. Was very understanding and gave me a ball to squeeze so my fingers didn't go numb!

I will keep thinking of all of you and the best with your lumpectomy tomorrow.

Thank you all so much.  As you can see, here I am and it's 10:55 p.m. here and I can't sleep.  Ho hum, Ho hum.....I am trying to get my last snack in before midnight.  After midnight cant eat nothing!  Not even my morning cup of coffee.  Hum.....no coffee, no hormones, no food.....my girls will be speeding to get me to that hospital!!!  LOL!

As soon as I can, I will post and let every one know how it went.  Thanks so much for your encouragement and understanding.  It means a lot.

Hugs! 

RJ you will be in my thoughts today.  I know the surgery will go well for you.  I hope you have a very speedy recovery.  I found the lumpectomy pretty easy to get through.

I got a HUGE hiccup yesterday and am so supset.  I thought I would receive my Oncotype test results by tomorrow at the latest.  The doctor ordered it two weeks ago.  Yesterday i talked to my Nurse navigator and found out they are awiting "insurance approval" so the test has not even been done yet!  I do not have insurance; my doctor got me on emergency Medicaid for my breast cancer.  So guess they have to approve the test?  So more waiting...who knows how long?  I just want to know so i can get my treatment started.  Whatever it has to be, I am ready.  Now more waiting.  Tick, tick, tick, tock.......

I have to go have a bone density scan this morning.  Maybe I will find out more today.  I am just so frustrated right now! 

All my sisters out there, hope you have a wonderful day.  Sending healing hugs to all!

Hi girls - time to introduce myself I guess. This is my first post.

I was diagnosed with IDC this past Wednesday and am currently in Hawaii on our preplanned (nonrefundable!) family summer vacation. Fortunately I was able to get in to see the surgeon the day before we left. He described my cancer as "low grade but still cancer" but said my treatment (assuming nothing else is found on MRI) would most likely be lumpectomy, rads and tamoxifen. That news is allowing me to relax a little and enjoy our vacation even with a bit of a cloud over me. I am here with my husband and 7 yo daughter (I'm 49) and I'm keeping the news from her.



MRI is scheduled for Wednesday next week. I also have consults with two plastic surgeons lined up. Am nervous about the MRI because I have a few other masses indifferent quadrants but the pathology report stated they were possibly fibroadenomas and a cyst but surgeon will want todo biopsies to be sure.



Anyway it sure does suck to be in this boat with you all but I sure am glad for the company of my sisters. I have been reading for a few weeks (since I noticed the indentation that sent me off to my doctor) and the boards have been so enormously helpful during this time.



Now that I am past the shock of initial diagnosis and have some idea of what I'm dealing with I'm feeling pretty steady overall although I do have my moments if I let my imagination get ahead of me.



Look forward to sharing the journey with you all (well, you know what I mean).



Jenn

Thanks Barb. So far Hawaii seems to be just what the doctor ordered, not that I felt in the least like coming when I got the news last Wednesday!



I forgot to mention in my intro post to add me to the dense breast group. My tumor doesn't show on mammo, only US I have been having mammos since 2004 and no one, at any time, mentioned this to me and the risk that mammo wouldn't necessarily show a tumor. All this time I thought I was doing the responsible thing for my health only to learn it wasn't enough. Now, of course, I have copies of my records and see the disclaimer on all of the past mammo reports but I didn't know to ask for them. When I have the time I think I'm going to get very angry about that.

I found a very helpful ebook here , it's worth a read www.breastcancerbook.net

When I went back to my MO, which was weeks after surgery, she said to me............oh we sent you oncotype test out.................I said "what", I was expecting to hear the result today....she said I'm sorry, then said.............we will know in 2 weeks...............honestly, I was so fed up with that comment, I never bothered to check back...............finally I remembered, and on the next appt. with one of the Dr.s I said "oh did the oncotype ever come back"..............they said "yes it was 8.............so maybe that is why there was no big deal made about it once they found out...................but I thought it should have gone out right away...........oh well, at least it was low............hope yours is too.

I just found out my Oncotype recurrence score is a 22.  I called today before my appt on Thursday.  WTH? UGH!!!!!!  The nurse said it's borderline "in the gray" she said.  Has anyone else been in the gray?  NOW, I'm scared. 

Hi Ladies...it's been awhile since I posted.  I am finished with chemo (neo-adjuvant) and scheduled for BMX next week.  I ended up in the hospital last week for low WBC and what my doctor thinks was a bug.  I'm still anemic, so am getting a blood transfusion as I type.  It has been a long day (the infusion takes 6 hours), but I am okay with it so I will be as healthy as possible for surgery next week.