First time here !!
Hi all,Well, before I start, I would like to say Thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences , as they go through BC. To give a little background about myself, I am 25 yrs old, and was diagnosed early this year (can't wait for 2011 to get over, and close the doors on it !!!), I got no family history and it was shocking to hear the news, just like it is for everyone. Anyways, Doc was surprised too, and he did a genetic testing, and it came out to be in my genes (BRCA1 Mutation),. My mom was tested, but she was -ve. Anyways, I had to go through mastectomy (since was I at high risk of reoccurrence, due to my age and genes mutation). I had my surgery in March, and started my chemo in 2 weeks after surgery. Had 6 sessions of chemo, finished on 30th June and was not suppos to get radiation, since I had only 1 lymph nodes effected, out of 14. My onc put me on the world famous Tomixfen. I startd working in Mid-oct, and now my Onc suggests that I through radiaton, as there is a new study and it shows it might help me in the future by reducing the chance of reoccurance by 3%. They left the option to us to decide if we want to go for it or not, and We decided to go for it, coz 10 yrs down the road, I don't want to regret, and have that feeling of "I wish I had done radiation back then". So now I am undergoing radiation for 25 sittings, 10 mins each sitting. So far it's been going good (I have just have 3 sessions out of 25..). .. My over-all side effects from everything (chemo, Tomixfen , radiation etc) include a lot of hot flushes, Mood-swings, hair loss (of course), my periods stopped while I was on chemo and hasn't come back yet(the last time I saw my onc, he said usually takes about a yr orso to come back). Does everyone feel the same? There's a lot of times I feel helpless with the way I react to things. My family and husband have been really supportive with everything, but I seems my mood swings are testing their patience now. Is there anything I can do about it? What things do I need to be careful about, as I go through radiation? (It is just a local radiation to the Rt Breast), I am working full time while going through radiation, is that ok? What else can I expect from everything overall? When can I expect the hair to grow back to normal?I know this is a long posts, but due to my young age, and no family history, I am completely lost and need all the help I can...and what better place than this!I just pray to God, and wish that no one goes through this. Its been difficult and it continues to be, but with great family support and an awesome husband, ...I have something positive to look at.Thanks all again, for reading and supporting - And Good Luck and best wishes to anyone and everyone who has a close one going through this.
Comments
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HI Nitihere and welcome,
You should find some great support from the wonderful ladies on this site! While you wait for some posts from the ladies, you may also consider checking out and posting in the Chemotherapy - Before, During and After forum, as well as the Radiation Therapy - Before, During and After forum.
Also, you may find some information helpful on the main Breastcancer.org site on Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment, as well as Radiation Therapy, including what to expect with radiation treatments, and managing side effects.
Hope this helps!
--The Mods
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PS. in addition, there's some good info on Breast Cancer and Your Job, including Working During Treatment.
Good luck!
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Nitihere, you have been through a lot for someone so young. I'm glad you have good support, and you seem to have a good attitude.
Regarding moods, it may help you to see some type of counsellor or therapist. I see a psychologist regularly as there are always issues that come up that you don't necessarily want to discuss with family or friends. A good therapist can teach you strategies to deal with your emotions. A therapist who understands cancer is most helpful.
Also, I take a mild dose of antidepressant to stop me dwelling on negative thoughts. Efexor is one that can also help with hot flashes.
Wishing you happiness and good health in 2012 and always. -
Check out the Hair Hair Hair thread for info about hair regrowth. It is uplifting and fun.
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Thanks a ton Racy...for your thoughts and good wishes..they are always needed!
Hope you are doing great..I will definately check out the hair thread and see the therapist options.
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Hi there - Just wanted to say hello and welcome you to BCO. There are a lot of great women on this site and some who are in a similar situation as yours. I hope all goes well with the rest of your rads treatments. You should definitely check out the "radiation therapy" threads for some support. Take care:)
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I am still in therapy 2 years down the road and on Zoloft to help with the mood swings. Instead of going every 2 weeks I have been able to move it to every 3 weeks for the therapist.
I am also on anti-anxiety medication which helps when I have anxiety attacks! Typically I will call my dh to come "save me" as they always happen out in public.
I have heard that Effexor is great for hot flashes from many women. I tried it and it didn't work for me as far as mood swings so I switched over to Zoloft. Tamoxifen and any of the AI's can put you into major mood swings. You are fortunate, it seems as though your dh is really understanding.
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As far as radiation - I was using Aquaphor at night and aloevera during the day. (geez....doesn't look like I spelled Aloevera right but don't know if that is due to chemo brain or the brandy/egg nog that I just had!). Be careful with the Aloe gel and check all ingredients to make sure it doesn't contain alcohol. Many of the brands you get in the grocery stores contain alcohol so I got some at a natural drug store.
Sure you can work during radiation but you might get fatigued. That for me was the worst SE - the major fatigue I experienced.
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Hi, I'm new here too! I was also diagnosed this year (I'm 44) no family history. Lucky to only be Stage I, <1cm, so Lumpectomy, Rads, and Tamoxifen for me. I was on Paxil for anxiety, but had to wean off due to interaction with T. I tried to make it through my RT and keep working, but ended up going out for the last 3 weeks and 1 week of recovery, I was soooooooo tired. I swear I spent the last week staring at the wall and drooling. Now I'm having the fun of Tamoxifen side effects. I'm glad that my cancer wasn't as severe as it could have been, but I'm really ready to stop having it slap me in the face everyday through the SE.
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