September 2013 Chemo Group
Comments
-
SImplelife for real, your post touched me. I am sending good thoughts that that 14mm of C gets blown to bits by that last AC. AC is some nasty, powerful stuff and it CAN do the job. Also, your surgeon will get excellent margins and whatever tumor (or tumor shadow) that is there won't be causing you any more trouble. Keep thinking positive thoughts, we are all pulling for you!
KJ and Hockeymom, best wishes on those surgeries! and KJ, remember THE GAME is this weekend...you can forget the post-surgery yuckies for a while and enjoy yourself! I had surgery first, and here's my advice....take it easy! Lean on your loved ones who want to help out; you will heal and you will have plenty of energy to pay it forward when you are rested and well. You will feel GREAT to have 'the beast' out...it will be a load off your minds.
Southern Girl 74, you have come so far! Are you doing rads? You have the TOTALLY RIGHT attitude. Claim NED, baby! If you feel good, and your energy is good, and you have a positive attitude, you can't lose. Keep on keeping on.
Mercedes, #7 wooooo!!!!! 5 to go! I am getting #10 at 1:30 today. Double digits, baby!!!!!! Keep up the good fight and keep rooting for those 49ers.
Josgirl, done with rads? That's me someday soon. *high five*
LHL: getting through the post-mastectomy period OK? Keep taking it easy; get a good book/put on some fun TV and take it easy for a while every day.
Audra: congrats on last chemo. That's me in TWO WEEKS!
SpecialK, thanks for all the guidance and wisdom. See you on the Stage 2 boards.
And, anyone I have not specifically mentioned, please don't take offense. You are all amazing. Keep up the good fight. WE WILL WIN!
Love
Warrior70 (Michelle)
(PS...any wants to friend me on FB, send me a PM at BCO. I have 'fuzz updates' weekly...yup, I am taking pictures of my head...chemo hair porn! Love to have you guys join me over there. Love to all...)
-
simplelife I agree with knightzoo, it is hard to know what you have left in there just with imaging - the post-op path report will tell you for sure. Are you planning on radiation? Something to think about is that chemo may have killed off any roaming cells, and/or nodal issues, and surgery will remove the largest concentration of potentially remaining cells in the breast. Not achieving pcr in the breast may not necessarily mean that cancer cells outside of the breast have not been eradicated, and that is really the purpose of chemo, it is systemic treatment, not local - not complete removal of the cancer in the breast itself. I don't know if this helps but this is from LBBC:
Question: What percentage of women achieve a complete pathologic response after neoadjuvant therapy for TNBC?
Dr. Anders: While the rates of pathologic complete response to chemotherapy for TNBC vary by study, rates have consistently been in the 30 – 40% range. Many studies have illustrated a higher pathologic complete response to chemotherapy for TNBC as compared with other subsets of breast cancer, particularly hormone-sensitive breast cancers.
-
Kj /mommasteward sending prayers. Hvv, I didn't know you had surgery, happy you are doing ok.
Simplelife, sorry about your results, hopping ac will finish it off or its just scar tissue.
Art-I hope Nat feels better soon. You are a great husband.
Lhl I hope you do get drains out. I did not like them at all,couldn't sleep.
Congratulations to everyone on their last chemo.
-
Hello everyone! I tried to read through the posts but my eyes are all buggy for some reason. It feels like they did after chemo and gives me a headache reading anything for some reason. I think I kind of reacted more strongly to the anastesia. It took me like an hour and a half to wake up. For all my other surgeries it was less than a half hour, I think. Guess I was wiped out lol. So GOOD NEWS! She only had to take out 2 lymph nodes and they both looked good so far. It took her about 5 minutes to find my tumor because it was so small! Will have the official path report on Monday but hoping for pCR! She was very shocked and excited that only two nodes needed to come out. She really thought there would be more.
I didn't anticipate being this sore or bruised or swollen. My size B is about a size D and the entire side of my breast is black and blue from my nipple to my armpit. Is that normal? She said it would bruise and swell "a little bit". Maybe I should call. I also didn't anticipate the incision. I thought I would have one cute little one but instead I have two that are about 2-1/2" long! Now I am really scared for my mastectomy if I am hurting this bad from this!
-
KJ I hope you are doing wonderfully!!!
-
Congrats to all of our surgical finalist! Done did overwith! Celebrate slowly & calmly.
Congrats to all finishing up chemo. Achievement acknowledged!!!!!! And it is a big one!
Mamma yup your gonna have a good bruise!
Had my appointment this morning. Turned out it was my Post Treatment Follow-up!!!!! I'm done & now it is official! Apparently it takes a full year from your last treatment to recover. Anything you have left at that time (ie. tingling in fingers, toes, face, discomfort in sentinel lobe area) will be your new normal for life. No more sun tanning, always have to wear minimum spf30. My tan line from Rads will fade a bit, but always be there. My first post mammogram will be 1 yr from my last one. Have to see my GP every 6 months for 2 years then every year after that. I have to e-mail my boss & let her know I will not be able to work for her this season. I have to concentrate on my recovery.
-
70charger - Congrats on POST-treatment follow-up. What a good feeling that must be. Now you can focus on returning to being YOU!
Hope our surgery girls are doing ok.
Had an uneventful trip to Dallas. <sigh> 3 hours each way for the nurse to tell me I'm healing good and the skin looks great, but no, the drains are not ready to come out, and no, I'm not ready to get a fill yet. So now I go back NEXT Thursday and hopefully get these last two drains out, and get at least a small fill to get started. Have my rads consult on Feb 6th and would like a couple of fills before then.
Also, what I thought was puffiness from swelling or fluid is actually my expander. It shifted a bit so it's lower and more to the outside than the other. GREAT - like I needed to feel it any closer to my armpit??!?!
The nurse did say if my drains got below 20cc for two straight days that we could pull them ourselves. I asked Hubby if he'd do that and he said sure. So maybe I won't have to stand these things another whole week. They're around 25-35cc per day now.
Thinking of my September chemo girls.
-
Lhl did they fill your expanders in surgery? Or nothing at all
-
They put 100cc in during surgery.
-
warrior - chemo hair porn? That is the funniest thing I heard all week!
Wow it is amazing that just over 6 months ago this journey started and we are all moving through the treatments.
Hope all your surgeries went well - KJ and hockeymommy. Thinking of you. Give yourself time mamastewart and HVV. Great news about the nodes mamastewart!
All of you who are finishing up chemo - we are all with you til the end. Amazing but the time does pass.
KJ - radiation isn't too bad. I did the 33 total treatments with 28 whole breast and 5 boosters to the tumor site. The thought of it isn't so pleasant but the actual treatments are pretty easy. And gosh the techs at my site were so nice and professional I was in and out so fast I barely thought about it.
LHL - I think pulling the drains at home would be perfectly doable (and esp if it means one less day with them)! Hope you can start filling those expanders and they move back to their rightful place.
Sending everyone strength and health for this year!
-
Question for you all;
Had my last chemo today. Asked a list of questions, one of which was about when / what kind of scans I need now.
He said I won't need a scan until 2 years after my initial diagnosis! NO SCAN??? I find that VERY odd.... I asked why and he said it just worries people and scans show every little thing and he just doesn't like to do them and finds after chemo that people need to move forward and quit worrying about every little thing.!! SERIOUSLY?!!!
We know another girl that had BC years ago and she didn't get a scan either and won't unless bloodwork or symptoms show up...is that the norm??
Seems like all of you get petscans at finish?
-
Audra my mamo is 1 yr from diagnosis. I've never had pet or mri.
-
hi ladies,
Just a quick check in. My surgery went great. I am a little sore but not too bad. Keeping up on the pain meds. KJ I hope you are doing great too!! Mamastewart, I hope you are feeling better, keep up on your pain meds!! Congrats to everyone who finished chemo!!! You guys did it!!! Ok, off to the recliner I go.......thank you to all of you for the well wishes!
-
hmmmmm well that makes me feel better...maybe some don't do them...I just didn't want to be the ONLY person not getting one and somehow missing something...
Thanks !
-
Lhl- when they did my surgery my PS had filled me up with 350cc. It hurt every time I moved. With time I got used to it and only did two more fills. I stayed at 450 cc.
Hockeymom- so happy you are doing well.
-
alfranco... wow that seems like a LOT at surgery!! I think my PS might have put more than 100 but they removed a LOT of skin on the cancer side.... So not much room for expansion yet.
Hockeymommy - happy to hear from you. Hope you have a restful night!
Heard from KJ... she's fine but exhausted.
-
hockeymommy: So glad to hear you are well after surgery. And LHL, thanks for news on KJ. Mamastewart: Hope you are ok and painkillers are working well!
Congrats all who've done with chemo!
I have been done with active treatment now for a month and am feeling very well. Rads by the way were an absolute breeze after chemo. It was a bit unnerving at first getting used to laying still under a big machine but I did 33 rounds only some redness and that faded quickly. I had fatigue at the final week and some days after but now I am very well.
I've started yoga and Pilates and am feeling good. Also in a cancer support group and that's very comforting.
My hair is doing well, there's lots now and it's very soft, very gray and wavy! I'll show photos later (I'm three months PFC now).
LHL, continue to be gentle as you can with yourself while you heal. Remember we have all been through so much!
Audra, like 70charger I never had a PET scan and will not receive another mammogram until May (my last was in June). The scans we receive are all dependent on our individual diagnoses and stages of cancer.
Everyone, massive hugs! We are all champs!
-
hello all. Was doing really well after one day discharge and then began bleeding a lot. Doc checked at their urgent care and said just need to be packed better. Small hematoma. Your fine. So other than now being sire when was previously fine I'm doing really well. Thanks for your posts of encouragement. V
-
thinking of all with post surgery...you did it. rest easy ladies. audra thnx for rads info i start 1/27. i still get infusions of herceptin and perjeta every 3 wks during rads. on a 2 month taxol and neulasta holiday to regain eeling in feet and fingers. couple off crazy circus hairs coming in...still no eyebrows, lashes, etc. you ladies rock!
-
Good to hear from you both, posneg and HVV. HVV, take it easy and rest well. All the surgery ladies, wishing you speedy recovery.
-
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for all our recent surgeries. And congratulations to those that completed chemo this week! Well done! My last AC is Monday. I'm soooo excited to be finished soon but also soooo scared of what comes next. I can still totally feel my tumor. I mean really feel it. I was hoping 12 Taxols and 3 ACs would wipe it out but not so. I'm holding onto some hope for the last AC and that maybe what I feel is scar tissue but it is hard. Also, for those that have finished chemo, when does this stupid eye watering business go away? It is driving me nuts!
Keep up the fight, ladies! You're awesome!
-
On the question of scans and tumor marker tests - some docs do them and some don't, if they consider you early stage - which is stage 1A - 3A. Some docs like TMs and scans done at regular intervals (mine does) and others never do them because they consider TMs to be unreliable (mine uses them for trending info) and will not scan unless you present with symptoms. You will actually hear some oncologists say that if you progress beyond your initial staging, including to stage IV, it does not matter if you catch it early or not. When deciding on an oncologist, I think it is very important to ask how you will be followed going forward after active treatment. Having an oncologist who will not scan or do TMs has become frustrating to many on these boards and they have switched to another doc. Others adopt the ostrich mentality and figure no news is good news - personally, I like that mine is aggressive with surveillance - then again, all TMs and scans have been good - but I rest easier at night.
-
Thanks everyOne for your good thought and prayers. Doing well. Will likely go home this afternoon. Chest sure looks different. My oversized button down shirt is nice.
-
kj - yay, glad you are going home and doing well!
-
High 5 to KJ!
-
KJ and Hockeymommy, - Thanks for giving us an update - one big milestone done! Just take it easy and use the time to catch up on all the great reality TV - haha! But seriously take it easy - the last thing you want is to overdo it and extend your recovery time out longer! I know a really stuborn lady who thought she was fine to vaccuum after a C-section....
Audra, I did a bone and CT scan in the very beginning but never a PET scan. And I wil have (only) mammo or MRI every 6 months for next 2 years. I plan to pursue some blood tests that are recently out on the market with my Naturopath. The only thing is I think I will have to pay out of pocket. But they seem to be pretty interesting (still researching myself) - here are the websites... http://www.oncoblotlabs.com/how-it-works/ and http://www.americanmetaboliclaboratories.net/CA_Profile-The_Original.html. But what I like is that they are just blood tests. I don't want to expose myself to anymore radiation or other testing types that could compound my future cancer risks. I've done enough of that!
BetterDay - I hope it is all scar tissue and if there is anything left that last AC will take care of it.
HVV - Glad you went and got it checked out that must have been scary.
-
KJ-
Happy recovery! yay!!! Glad you are done with that!
I see everyones Dr is different in the scanning area. I am going to request one anyway. I would like to see as I had 2 spots on my liver before treatments and if they are gone -HMMMM- if they are still there good....I just want to know..if he won't I will change DR's??
-
Audra, I think that makes sense to me. If you present it as a scan for that reason and not as a routine thing and obviosuly will make you feel more secure (as Special K eluded to) then it seems to be his responsibility.
JellyK - you still out there?
Mamastewart - hoping surgery site issues are on the mend. Let us know how you are....
-
Better Day-- I can totally feel my tumor as well and, in fact, my MO said to me at the last visit. "Do you feel like it's gotten ANY smaller?" I have one more Taxol left to go. The good news is that the chemo has definitely affected a lymph node which looked positive on the first MRI and now does not. So, I'm grateful for that. I was told that the main reason to do the chemo was for the "stragglers and lymph nodes", so I'm hoping it has done it's job in that respect.
Good luck with your last chemo and I hope you get to enjoy some time off between chemo & surgery.
-
Thanks, clickchick. And same to you. Do you have a surgery date yet?
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team