Calling all Stage II Sisters!!!

Dorrie, how are you?  I'm hoping that we haven't heard form because you're doing the happy dance of a low oncotype score....

My mother hen side is worried that the asnswer wasn't what you hoped for.  A lot of us have been down that road ourselves and are ready to lend a helping hand, or an ear to listen to a justified rant.

FWIW, there's been a lot of work done in the last decade to help mitigate chemo side effects. It's a new set circumstances for the treatment and for your situation and coping skills.

I was told "no chemo" right the lumpectomy, only to have final pathology find a micromet.  Three years ago, the agressive  treatment was what the research supported, no oncotype for those with positive nodes (including micromets).  About  6 months later new research came out that turned that around.  I worked through chemo taking the day of chemo and the day after (neulasta shot),  the support, meds and nutritional guidance got me through.  

A lot of it was rmembering to drink lots of water, get enough protein and listen to my body.  

If it looks like cehmo is recommended, come by and talk with us and let us share our strategies, ones that worked, and ones we wish we'd thought better of.

You're not alone.

..of course if you've been about partying come by and tell us about your adventures. 

I want to know HOW on earth a 3.4 cm papilloma went undetected by yearly MRIs, mammography, and ultrasound? I found the sucker by feeling it. And I had that false security that I was doing all that I can, that I would catch something EARLY since I was doing all the screening. I asked my doc why it didn't show and she just kind of scrugged. WHAT? If I had know that a papilloma might NOT show on imaging, I would have done the prophylactic mastectomy 10 years ago! I am now officially in the ANGER stage. I'm so upset today. :0(   

Are papillomas notoriously undetected? How scary is that?  And if they are, shouldn't there be closer attention paid to findings that are "probably nothing?" I feel so duped! How much sooner could this have been found if they took a little more care over those "probably nothing" issues?  And then to ask her WHY and have her kind of shrug! I felt all the confidence I had in these professions run right out my body. I feel ripped off, bdavis!  My BMX is coming up on May 10th and I'm wondering what else lurks in my breasts. :0( 

well.. what you can do is be a self advocate... and that is what I did by having the BMX even though they all thought it was overkill... In 50 years, heck in 5 years, I am just a number to them... but for me its ME... so I make decisions I can live with... and I too lost some faith, so took matters into my own hands. I know I couldn't have lived worrying about the "other lurking" stuff.

Hi teeballmom!  We can be twins - we're both triple positives, our names rhyme and we're starting at about the same time. 

Welcome vballmom and teeballmom....I'm sorry we have to meet here, but am glad that you have found us here....I know, by now, you have met some extraordinary ladies (and a few gents) on this message board...keep coming back, asking questions, asking for advice, and giving us your thoughts on things...It's such a wealth of knowledge here.  Keep us up to date on you as well.

Take care and God bless!

Tori 

Shin pain could be related to several things....

Any change in activity level?

Are you in menopause?

When my estrogen tanked (cancer - the gift that keeps on giving) I started to have quite a bit of joint pain. Now, I'm on hrt, and my joint pain is backing off considerably - hoooooray!



Anyway, I believe that the ct/pet scans for early stage breast cancer are no longer recommended because you essentially get unneeded radiation... Unless something in your case calls for it. Definitely worth talking to your health care professionals about this in detail!



I was stage II... Triple negative etc.... Doing well as far as I know.... Hoping that holds true for years to come.



Hope everyone has a lovely night!

I was on annual mammography screening since the age of 40 and my mammograms did not pick up a developing IDC.  Even my diagnostic mammogram - after finding the lump myself - came back "inconclusive.  My MO has since told me that mammograms are only 70% accurate.  Say, what?  Who forgot to mention THAT???

After surgery and before starting chemotherapy, my MO ordered a series of tests: bone scan, abdominal ultrasound, chest x-ray, bloodwork, the works.  She said that it was the protocol for the cancer centre that I was attending and had to be completed before starting chemotherapy.  (It always amazes me how many differing opinions there are in the oncology field!)

Now, my MO says, I'm due to start mammographic screening again.  I just looked at her.  She said that, unfortunately, mammograms are still the "front-line" screening tool and I need to continue having them.  And, given my history, she will order regular diagnostic ultrasounds, as well.  I don't know if that will help or not, but I think that I will still do regular self-exams... just in case.

I had a BMX and am having an MRI next week... There is still a 2% chance of recurrance on chest wall or nodes, and since a friend of mine was just diagnosed with a recurrance post MX, I am doing this.

I have been on Tamoxifen since Dec and my knees are definitely more achey.. I am sure chemo did help also.

Megs.. They actually recommend nothing.. us flap girls don't have risk of anything rupturing, which is the big reason implant gals get the MRI... but having said that, I asked for the MRI and plan to have one once per year for the next 5 years or so, and hope my insurance company is good with that.

I had the tumour markers done when I was first diagnosed - they were "clear".  No one has suggested having them routinely done going forward.

I had the "works" when I was first diagnosed: CBC including tumor markers; CT scan; bone scan; abdominal ultrasound; chest x-ray.  Going forward, I've already had my 6-month follow-up with complete exam, but no bloodwork; have my next mammogram booked... and have entered the Metformin Clinical Trial, where I did undergo bloodwork for fasting glucose and B12 levels.

The tumor marker tests going forward (I have since asked my MO's office) are not routinely done (at least at the institute that I go to) for early stage breast cancer follow-up because the test results can be affected by things other than breast cancer antigens and can give both false positives/false negatives.  When I checked a couple of websites to be sure, including the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Dr. Susan Love Foundation, all the sites said roughly the same thing.

So... that's why I'm not having them, I guess.  And I had heard the same thing as you have about regular CT scans; that they can, often, give false positives/negatives for a variety of reasons.

i feel exactly the same! i am gg nuts now, i want to go to the nun convent, live and pray there without my phone or any gadgets so that i could listen to God or my own heart. i hate this stupid cancer and i am too young to get this! i am still building my career yet i need to stop it now since it will affect my lifestyle, i cannot hv kids, i face many difficulties in lots of areas in my life even without this stupid cancer!!

I had Lumpectomy and SNB (positive with extension thru the capsule) 2 1/2 weeks ago. So I'm Stage 2b. My MD wanted a CT as a Baseline, and a MUGA  to determine the type of Chemo. I'm healing great and want to get started........how long did you gals have to wait to start the chemo?

I had a lumpectomy and an auxially clearence and started chemo exactly 3 weeks later.

I had my port put in the morning and started chemo that afternoon.

I had no issues with healing from either surgeries.