Stage 3c and Scared

I remember well going into surgery after having been told I'd be a Stage II and 5 days later ending up a Stage IIIC. I was diagnosed 8/2011, but did not know I was a Stage IIIC until 2/2012 due to chemo before surgery. I'm still here now. I know it's not a long time ... yet .... but I feel better and better every day. At first it was devastating and very, very difficult. But I look at it this way--the staging is a way of determining what treatment is needed more than a prognosis. As bad as it sounds, it has not spread to other organs. Do not look at prognoses on Google. Many times, they are based on surgery alone, not other treatment especially the aromatase inhibitors.



My son was 19 and starting his 3rd year of college when this happened to me. I just saw him graduate! Yes, there is hope!



Where are you at in treatment?

I am a stage IIICer.........I am now 9 years out......had 17 nodes and an 8cm tumor.....in the skin, cancer coming out of the nodes...and a bunch of other not so good stuff.

Have hope.....no reason you can't have the same success......my children were 7, 9 and 13......in two more years I won't have anyone in the house (((.  One out of college...one going into college and one going into his junior year in high school.

It is tough in the beginning...... I just clung onto any success story I could find.....taped it to my mirror so I could see it each day.  Every time I refilled my prescription was success!  Every time I put up a new month from the calendar on the frig was success!  Before you know it years add up.

Congrats on getting chemo behind you.....all down hill from here!

Best,

Jacqueline

I'm sorry you have found yourself here with us.  The beginning is the worse part...it's a shock to the mind, body and soul.  I was a complete mess but will be 3 yrs in July and I'm doing good.  My girls were 18 mths and 4 when I was dx, its not always easy but doable and you will make it.  With each day that passes you find more hope and strength, soon breast cancer is not the center of your world anymore.  This website is wonderful, full of great people and info.  I hope you find strength and support here with us.  We're here and understand. 

No I didn't.....my tumor was so big my oncologist wanted it out fast.....not saying that is what most doctors are doing today.

I did have tons of chemo though.....more than average.  Like me you are ER+/PR+ and I really think Femara is what has me going so long.

Fists up!

Jacqueline

Hi Dutchiris. Dont let the staging get to you. Once I learned that breast cancer doesnt progress from stage 0 to stage 4 in that order it helped me. When I first came to this site I met someone who was stage 0 one day and stage 4 the next. So basically we are either metastatic or not. The staging really just helps them decide what treatments to give.

Yatcomw thats awesome that you have been a survivor for so long and you still come here to give inspiration. I hope to be like you.

Healing hugs to all

I went into surgery thinking my nodes were clear and I was maybe Stage 2. Came out of surgery to learn that I had numerous positive lymph nodes, the tumor was larger than predicted and I was Stage 3C. It is very scary.

I am doing chemo now and just trying to stay positive. Chemo is so hard.

My children are 11 and 8.

On top of the Western medicine, I am doing some additional therapies like weekly acupuncture. I have also had several Reiki sessions. I am also going to try hypnotherapy to change my outlook, calm my fears of being Stage 3 and get myself through chemo and radiation.

Lastly, I plan to radically change my diet once chemo is done.

I am just hoping something works and I can be here for as long as I can.

There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to any of this so I am just trying to stay hopeful and cherish every day.

I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in this.

Like several of you, I went into surgery thinking I was Stage IIb (had a PET/CT scan on which 2 nodes lit up), possibly even IIa (specialist I saw for second opinion thought the nodes might have shown on PET/Scan because I had it just two days after a biopsy), only to find I had 10 positive nodes and a second smaller tumor in the same breast that hadn't shown on any prior imaging. I was stunned, and for me that was the low point of this entire process, possibly worse than hearing I had BC in the first place. I got through chemo and am about half way through radiation but I suspect the fear is going to really set in for me when I'm done with active treatment. It's very difficult to find a balance between optimism and the reality of the "ugliness" (as my MO put it at one point) of my pathology. Nobody has talked prognosis with me and actually, nobody has ever said "IIIc" to me, but I'm aware of my situation and the associated numbers. However, there are at least some days, even though I'm still in treatment, when I'm able to forget about BC for awhile and just get on with life. These boards have been a great source of support.



It's great to hear from those of you who are at least a few years out and doing well! Thanks for starting this discussion, Dutchiris!

Angiosarcoma is a very aggressive cancer so that info is very significant......stages are too scary i think as more depends on how the rest of your, unstaged, body is..!

Hi Dutchiris,



I'm also stage 3c with 23 or more nodes affected. I remember, after being told that with my small lump and no evidence of nodal involvement, the shock when i woke up after the operation and seeing all the sad faces around the bed. I didn't even realize how bad the situation was then and was sitting up reading the sunday paper when my surgeon came on his rounds. He told me i had an amazingly positive attitude!! I was treated in The Netherlands and didn't understand half what he was telling me lol. When i found out about my new prognosis I was shocked. Anyway i did TAC chemo and 35 radiation treatments and am currently on arimidex and weekly bone tablet (cant spell it) AND six years later i'm doing great. Loving life and living LARGE. My children were 6 and 10 and now 17 and 13 - amazing. I celebrated 25 years of married life this week and never thought id be around to " enjoy" the hangover I had from the celebrations lol. Take heart Dutchiris - there are so many 3c survivors out there and i remember in the beginning i sought out those stories of hope too. I still do but it gets better and life and living takes over again as you go through treatment and recovery and trying to put the fear aside. Sending you strength, courage and thoughts of good times to come (())

Dutchiris....I'm 7 years out from Dx....at the time of Dx, my kids were turning 8, 19 and 20.....Today they are 15, 24 and 27!!!  I've seen many milestones over these 7 years and plan to be around for many more....IT does get better with time.....As you see from these posts, there are several of us long timers here.....also check the 5 years out thread....Wishing you an easy time with rads and with the tamox and many years of celebrating with your kids...

Hi Sharon, Yes  I know, anxiety can kill the appetite and make you nauseous. Try to take one day at a time. If your not up to returning to work then get an extension for a longer leave. I really beleive that in the early days we all  need time  to heal both body and mind. Put yourself first. Don't rush.

Hoping you feel better.

Oh Sharon. I am so sorry that you have this worry. I was a single mom too. Speak with your HR person at work regarding what options are avaialable.

Reach out to a trusted friend or relative. Speak to Social Services, the local Cancer society  and if you have a religious affiliation, your church or temple or whomever... speak to them.

I do know that there are good people out there.

Although your eldest are only 18 and 20, they surely can help in some way, even if it's helping out at home.

You need to have some help going through this.

God bless and I'll keep you in my prayers.