2012 sisters

Lol lielie thanks for Making me laugh

I had my right breast removed on 11/12 (15 nodes removed, clear).  The plan was critical path remove righty, go through chemo, remove lefty and start with recon at that time.  I was fine with this approach but all these posts about something being in the other breast have officially freaked me out.  

I find out the chemo plan tomorrow so I am hoping that if there is anything there, the chemo is getting it and that lefty time left will be ~ 4 months.

I had the mammo, US, MRI, US, CAT, Bone scans, etc.  I am BRCA1 +.

Any feedback or wisdom?

websister - consider it a date. Maybe I'll take a note from Tazzy and look for some type of graphic to help us virtually celebrate!

mrscich and scorchy - where you been? Hope you're both doing ok. Thinking of you.

mcook - hoping today is a better day for you.

Hugs to all!

Websister- thank you, I'm excited and can't wait. I'm going to flaunt those babies everywhere I go.

My dad called me last night just to bs with me ( we do that often). The next thing I know I hear something similar to a sniffle. He then tells me how proud of me he has been through this whole thing. I had to ask him to say it again just because he doesn't say things like that. I don't think I've ever heard my dad say that to me before in all my 35 yrs. Who knew all it took was me having BC and fighting like hell to get through it.

ramols- I'm with you, where is Mrscich and scorchy? Hope they are doing well.

I hope everyone is doing well.

christy

Hi guys, just reading through all the posts, nice to hear that so many are finishing treatment!

I have spent the last couple of weeks obsessing about my pathology report and wondering what comes next. My original biopsy said I had IDC that was ER-, 20 percent PR+ and HER2-. Some of you know I did neoadjuvant TAC and the tumor shrank and then grew again. My surgeon said that PR result from the biopsy could be a false positive, and my final pathology report from mastectomy said the tumor was 3.5cm basal-type triple-negative with focal carcinosarcoma. 

OK, so I was thinking now I know I'm triple-neg. But my MO said today she still wants me to take tamoxifen. I'm troubled by that and will probably seek a second opinion. My surgeon's treatment review board will meet next week to decide if I should do radiation and/or more chemo.

My oncologist gave me a report showing the prognosis for patients with residual disease after chemo is worse than for those who get complete response, particularly for triple-negative. She followed that up by saying, "I don't want you to walk out of here thinking you're triple-negative."

I researched carcinosarcoma, and did not find out much other than it is rare, aggressive and should not be Googled. My oncologist did not have much to say about it. My surgeon said she had two patients who had breast sarcomas, and they are doing well.

Overall I feel like things are becoming less and less clear. There does not seem to be a strong argument for radiation. The additional chemo would be a clinical trial, and I would not get Neulasta or Neupogen. I am concerned about the risks of tamoxifen, which include uterine sarcomas, would outweigh the benefits for me, since the tumor was triple-negative at the time of the mastectomy.

For the first time since my diagnosis, I am starting to feel demoralized. I am thinking about not doing any more treatments. As far as I know, I no longer have cancer. If it comes back, I can treat whatever form comes back with whatever treatment is appropriate for that type. I am tired of the limbo and the ambivalence that accompanies mixed pathology results.

I hope I do not sound too negative. Overall I think things have gone very well. Clear margins, node-negative and speedy healing. I am grateful for that.

You know, liefie, I think you might be right. Maybe I'll just ignore all of this noise and just accept the fact that I'll probably spend the rest of my life in limbo. My long, long, happy life! 

This is surreal: married husband and wife, both cancer researchers, both develop breast cancer within one year of each other!

http://gma.yahoo.com/married-cancer-research-couple-both-breast-cancer-225947486--abc-news-health.html

Hi



Stride - I agree it is so scary to not understand all the information and studies etc! Big hugs! I get it!



So saw another PT person today and he recommended more exercises for shoulder Issues...Ahh maybe I just need to accept this will pass too and be more patient. I have some scans on Friday, heception infusion and echo due to being on herceptin. Dam if only the hospital gave out frequent flier miles we all could probably have several paid trips to Europe!



Well I am off to bed and please hot flashes stay away tonight dam it as I need some interrupted sleep:)



Think of all of you!



Michelle

Quick check in - waiting for my Sister to come over.   Off to see the outlaws for the day while I am here. 

Sending hugs to all who need them - hey isn't that all of us.

Wishing everyone minimal se's, congrats to those finishing up tx, hi to new ladies - crap you have to be here, but you really will not find a better more supportive, comforting group of women.

maryah:

Paula, I don't think that's unusual.  My surgeon took the drain out when there was less than 30cc per day.  But there was still about 10cc per day of fluid and it had to go somewhere.  For me it collected right under the skin, below the incision.  The area was actually enlarged a bit and darker colored.  When he checked it he said that was normal, but if it got larger to the point of being annoying, it was a simple matter for them to drain the fluid.  Thankfully that didn't happen, but it did take a very long time to subside completely.

BethBV- what a relief to read that some swelling under the arm is normal. I actually took out the tape measure as I was getting a bit worried by the discomfort. I'm just 5 weeks out of rads & I've been on tamoxifen for 3 months. Got kicked off chemo. Taxotere was just too brutal on my body. What about the lymph nodes in your neck? Mine are swollen & sometimes very painful...so much that I get a sharp pain in my right ear. Is that normal, too? I am really hoping that these SEs aren't sticking around for the full year I'm slated to be on tamoxifen.

I'm starting to wonder if Dr's aren't in a bit of a hurry to jump on the Lymphedema band wagon.  I was told "Yes, maybe and no" by no less than 4 professionals.  My RO said the swelling (It was pretty bad in my calves and barely noticeable in my surgical arm) would "pass in a few months, it's from the taxotere".  The MO said "I've never heard of that happening from taxotere, it's lymphedema"  The BS and LE therapist were leaning toward it 'just in case'.  Well.... Let me tell you how nice it is to see my ankles again!  And NO, I never did purchase the silly stockings/gauntlet/sleeve that the therapist recommended I wear 24/7 for the next few MONTHS?!  And most of the time, I haven't thought to do the LE massages she showed me.  
I know... I'm a terrible patient.
Karen, I had a lumpectomy too.  I have the utmost confidence that my wonderful BS would have told me if she thought it wasn't enough.  If you got clear margins, that's what you should focus on.  I see you had the chemo and rads same as me, just in case there was something left floating about, right?  Well, I consider myself as cancer-free now as I was before my dx.  Since I was a smoker (I quit in May of 01) I've always had the "what if" feeling.  I think everyone has some type of cancer cells somewhere in their bodies just waiting for the right thing to trigger them into growth.  Does that make sense?

Karen - my left side was the cancerous side, and it was chock full of cancer (including the nipple) so a lumpectomy wasn't an option for me. But I did opt to remove my right side even though all biopsies came back technically clean. For me - since they had seen things suspicious enough to biopsy, and since my grandma had two separate occurrences of BC (one on each side) 5 years apart - I personally opted to remove the "what if" scenario for me. I am a young mom whose breastfeeding boobs were sucked down to nothing - so I also kind of saw this as a chance to get the boob job I never would have actually gotten on my own. Lemonade out of lemons if you will. Aside from being sad to see my nipples go - I felt no real attachment to my breasts. So figured the hell with it and had them scrape the whole kit and kaboodle out. But like others have said - it is a very personal decision. You have to go with your heart, gut and dr's guidance.

Jennie & Beth ~Thank you both for responding. I saw my surgeon earlier today. It was my last appointment with him until July mammo.



He said, it wasn't an excessive amount of swelling to him. That its pretty normal 5 weeks post mx. He's very meticulous, and I have every confidence in what he told me.

I have absolutely NO discomfort from it. I just needed to be reassured.



I have MRI tomorrow to check that activity on the shoulder. Then echocardiogram at the same place. I saw pt & my onc on Monday, tests tomorrow, wig fitting Friday, FEEL GOOD LOOK BETTER on Monday, port placement on Tuesday, getting the long hair cut off on Thursday evening, and starting chemo next Friday. Thank God for daily planners!



Blessings Everyone

Paula