need some guidance

Options
gatorvet
gatorvet Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

I had a right sided mastectomy oct 31st. 1 in 6 nodes positive tumor size 1.5 cm. I am 43 yrs old. ER+,PR-, HER2NEU +. I start Taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin next week for 18 wks of chemo. Then 5 weeks of radiation. Know I will get tamoxifen down the road. Have felt this was beatable but now am really scared ! 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited December 2011

    Hi, gatorvet ~ What you're going through sounds very normal.  I think at first our minds have a way of compartmentalizing what we're dealing with, and then as things settle down a bit, some of those suppressed thoughts and fears come to the surface and need to be worked through.  It's all a very normal part of the process.   

    But it sounds like you're getting aggressive treatment, and hopefully will be just fine.

    One thing you might want to do is look here for the December 2011 chemo group.  (Click on Forum Index above and scroll down to the Chemotherapy Forum.)   Going through chemo with others really helps a lot.  And you might also want to check into the Her2+ Forum for additional insight and support.

    Glad you've found BCO!  And good luck with chemo!    (((Hugs)))  Deanna 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drwendy
    drwendy Member Posts: 47
    edited December 2011

    You absolutely can beat this.  I have a 6 cm monster IDC, getting chemo first and then sx and then rads, and both my surgeon and my onco say this is curable.  Trust your docs (and if you don't, then get new docs), take care of yourself and know you will be a survivor!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited December 2011

    gatorvet, We all wish you the best of luck. We are a great group of compassionate fighters.  Please continue to let us know how you are doing.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • WCinIRB
    WCinIRB Member Posts: 4
    edited December 2011

    Hi Gatorvet -

    This is my first time posting....I felt compelled when I saw your post. Smile

    You can and will beat this.  I just finished Taxotere and Carboplatin 3 weeks ago after doing 18 weeks of treatment.  I am also doing Herceptin which will continue till August.  I started radiation this past Tuesday and will go for 7 weeks.  I'm sharing this with you so that you know that you are not alone my friend.  If we weren't scared, we wouldn't be fighting! Have faith and stay positive.  You will persevere.      

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SheChirple
    SheChirple Member Posts: 954
    edited December 2011

    No fantasies, here.  We have cancer.  It is a series of battles.  You win each battle.  The WAR is life.  It will beat you every time - ultimately.  And, the cancer may not be the battle that eventually beats you. You will win each battle, though.  Just take one battle at a time. The trick is to enjoy life between, and during, each battle.

    Hang in there.  Get through this current battle.  It sounds like you have a great strategy in place, and you can make it work.

    God bless and keep you strong through each battle that life gives you.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 766
    edited December 2011

    Gatorvet We are close in age (I'm 42). You will get through this and it will go by a lot faster than you can imagine (and I never thought I'd feel that way)! I was completely overwhelmed in the beginning and found it much easier once I started chemo and got past the fear of the unknown.

    Chemo was tough but not impossible and I was able to work full-time throughout. Rads were easy for me but tiring and I had almost no skin problems-just a bit of peeling in the last week. Herceptin has been the easiest part of the treatment so far and I've had no SEs at all-it's just hard to have the continual appointments every three weeks for a year. I've been on Tamoxifen for 3 months now and I'm adjusting to it gradually. It's a very busy year with this much treatment but after chemo and Rads I found that I finally started to have time to myself again i.e. weeks without doctors appointments/infusions/scans. It really does get better as you go along:)

    Please check out the thread: "Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin" for some really helpful tips and support for this particular chemo. It's a very active thread.

    Wishing you all the best !

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories