Calling All with Tumors 6 cm +

J-Bug

First let me say, I am loving a lot of these names! I am new to the boards and I am on communication overload. Decided to dive in without reading the whole thread....so if I repeat the same info, I apologize

My tumor was 12cm (2008) You must think I am an idiot to ignore a lump that big but I had had it for 20+ years and was told it was just a cyst. No biopsy was ever recommended.

Had neoadjuvant therapy (TAC) which shrank it considerably.

Surgery revealed large clean margins and one positive lymph node. Started on Femara and went back to work full-time. This involved an 85% travel schedule. I spent a lot of time hefting heavy bags into an overhead bin and worried about lymphedema.

Had a sleeve and glove to wear if I thought I was swelling. I get small amounts of swelling infrequently and wear the sleeve when I think I need it. No real problems.

I had BMX. No local recurrence but extended to Stage IV Feb of 2011.



Had almost exhausted my chemo list but was placed on Halaven last Sep. This drug has been a miracle for me and I have had minimal side effects. I wish more attention had been paid to those of us with large, dense, fibrocystic breasts. I think too often the message still remains that it is no cause for worry.

First mets were discovered in both lungs and multiple bone locations-primarily pelvis and hips.

I had symptoms: a dry cough and a very sore right hip. I saw my asthma doctor but he never ordered x-rays and I didn't think to ask. I thought my hip was a result of too much gardening with a shovel.

I was so busy thinking positively that I wasn't thinking rationally. I was convinced I had beaten the cancer. Regular follow up with my oncologist was 4 months after symptoms started and she was not happy and sent me for x-rays.

That was the beginning of the mets journey.

thanks to all sisters here, especially OSSA.

sorry i dont come here very often because i decide to keep busy on whatever i can and at the same time, put my cancer-related issues as far as i can. 

updating my situation...

Last Thursday, i had the CT scan which was the last check before i started my chemo. Luckily no sign showing metastatic. of couse it doesnt mean that the cancer cell is not spread. doctors are very careful with their words.

at the same time, my fish test comes out 'negative', which means i am also in the 'tn' group.

this wednesday, i started my chemo. as far as i know, FEC-T, which is what i am using is quite a 'standard' treatment. Hopefully it works for me as well.

J-Bug, so sorry you are once again faced with big decisions. So many things seem to get wonkie once we start treatment.

Hope biopsy results prove to be OK.

What a time to be starting a new job. I was able to work through most of my treatments and when it wasn't driving me crazy, it was a great distraction. Had to retire last June and became batty for awhile trying to figure out how to stay busy.

What kind of design work do you do? My son is a builder and he is part of ADAC. they are currently running a furniture design contest. The creativity is amazing!

Hopefully you will have active treatment behind you soon and can focus on healing and moving on.



Enamel, great news!

Hello Skibunny and welcome. Glad you decided to say hi we are a pretty friendly bunch here. Feel free to hang out any time

OK I'm a graphic designer too. I have notice there is a lot of us here. I wonder if job stress has something to do with diagnosis?

J-bug I'm convinced that stress is one of the factors. Plus my old boss was such an ass, and my BS said that I had my cancer for 4 years which would mean it started about 1 to 15 months after I started working at that place… so I like to blame it on him. That place was so stressful. Next 5 designers they hired quit. I should have too but my DH told me to get at least a year in. I was looking after a year but the economy was bad and not only working long hours but teaching a class too. Finally they let me go but I think they knew I was looking. They just wanted to hire this freelancer… who ran into what I did and quit 4 months later.

Oh, and to answer some of J-Bug's questions: They did the surgery first on me, and after that I had chemo (TAC), radiation and now Zoladex and Tamoxifen. My cancer was like "pearls lined up in a row" (what a way to describe it) that had grown into one digusting 9 cm long messy tumor. I guess the way it grew contributed to the fact that it took such a long time for my cancer alarm to ring. I have small breasts and I did self exams every month! My nodes where clear for some strange reason. This is what I try to hang on to a difficult day like this.

J-bug

I'm planning on having diep in march. That will be almost 3 years from start of my breast ca dx I still think I have the biggest tumor of this group, 16 cm. I usually like being number one, but this is one time I'd take a pass.

What was your recovery like? How long did you take off work? How long before you felt like yourself again?

Flanellette! So glad to hear everything was ok with the nodes and no more cancer. It must have been terrifying going through all of those check ups. Where you scared or did you manage to stay calm? And the prophylactic mastectomy, I've been asking my oncologist since diagnosis to please, please take my other breast, so they knew I wanted this badly. When the dna test was done she said that while its not BRCA it's clear it's hereditary and that they do agree it's a good idea to do the other side as well. They wanted to wait another year, but I asked to do it earlier. Long story short: I need to excange my implant on mastectomy side because it went hard from radiation, and they where going to put a small implant in healthy breast to make it look more even. I just asked them to take the whole breast instead and they said ok. They must hate me being so persistant And oh, I am so thankful for all the care I am given.



My achy back is not too bad, I don't need pain killers or anything. Sometimes I use hot/cold balm on the area because the muscels feel tense, my hip flexors are very stiff too. Well, my osteopath says what it sounds and looks like is irritated ligaments and joints due to stress, to much sitting down, and too little working out. And the hormonal treatment on top of that is not helping. I've heard that bone mets can hurt pretty badly at night while in bed, but I sleep like a baby and have no pain while in bed. Well, this is me trying to talk my self out of worrying sick. In the back of my mind I am terrifyed it might be something... My gut tells me EVERYTHING is mets. I already had a lung scan due to what I felt was short breath, and a bone scan because of a pain in my back. Fortunately they all came out clear.



lago: So good to hear you did pass the scans, and that the spots are nothing to worry about.

OMG Skibunny, all the similarities gave me goose bumps just now. I hate cancer so much, but we'll be ok right? No stress, but know that I am curious about the reconstruction and how it all went Good luck now!

Eluzibeth I seem to remember going on a bus 2-3 weeks after my BMX (with nodes on both sides and tissue expanders not DIEP) to my old employer (was laid off 9 months prior) to do some freelance work. Standing on the bus is not something I would recommend if you have nodes removed on both sides but sitting on the bus was fine. Had no problems doing the work but it's all computer work. Now DIEP is more invasive but I wouldn't be surprised if you can do it in a month.

Yay SolarSister! Clear and set to go!