Re: Bios of BC Survivors

dede010 · July 2003

Hi. I am 46 yrs old with 6 grown children & 10.5 grandchildren. I was diagnosed ER-PR-HER2++++. My mass was approx 9cm x 10cm. I have had 5 rounds of epirubicin & taxatere-with my 6th & last being tomorrow. I was dignosed stage 4, with mets to my liver and 2 sets of lymph nodes involved. My last scan showed everything clear, except @ the site that I had the biopsy. I am NOT having my breast removed, and may Not need a lumpectomy...at least so far. I will be on herceptin for the rest of my life. I have had many prayers for me, and I praise God everyday...

Sprite · August 2003

This is the original post that was the inspiration for this category. It had gotten left behind.
Maybe the other similar topics should be moved over here from the other boards?
Kathy

johnnafielder · August 2003

My name is Johnna. I was named after my Dad, John.

29 yrs. old
Dx 2-2003 Stage II
Lumpectomy - 2.5 cm tumor
ER/PR+
5+ lymph nodes

4 AC
4 Taxol
Starting rads in October

Have a wonderful Army husband. Stationed in VA. Family all in KS. 2 adoring dogs - a yorkie, and westie. No kids.

mariebenedetto · August 2003

Hi

My Name is Marie and live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
I'm 45 years old
Dx 3/3/03 with IDC of the right breast.
1.9cm tumor poorly diff.
Er+ Pr borderline
Her-
Bloom Rich 8
Started Adria/Cytox on 3/31/03
Finished all four <yeah>
On the day of my surgery 7/1/03 no tumor could be found on ultra sound or xray. The only thing my surgeon could see was the clip that was installed during my biop.
5 lymphs removed and all 5 clear
margins clear
No tumor evident <yeah>
Started Taxotere on 7/26/03
One treatment behind me <yeah>
Will finish will Taxatere on 9/26/03
Rads, well I don't as of yet...
Says Tamxofin for 5 years...

I thank God for each day I'm alive.

pepper03 · August 2003

Hi,

My name is Sue, Im 40 years old and I live at the beach in NJ. Im also a lesbian. I was dx with breast cancer (Duct Carcinoma in situ, nuclear grade III with focal zonal necrosis, high grade) This dx came in May of this year and I have been reading this board everyday and just never read this bio section until today. I had a left breast mastectomy on Jun 30 with Tram-Flap reconstruction. They also took out 16 lymph nodes and all were negative, so no reason for chemo or radation. For this reason I dont alway feel I have the right to reply or even be here on this board. So many of you are going though alot worse situation then I. I will start taking tamoxifen in September...

kats · August 2003

Pepper03,
Please never feel that you don't belong or don't have the right to post here. My thinking is: we're the same, we have BC, just with different stories.
kats

PS: I sent you a private message

MKL · August 2003

Hi Sue,
I'm so glad you found this site. Don't ever feel like you shouldn't come here and tell us how you are feeling. I didn't find this site until my treatment and surgery was done. Sure wish I had found it sooner!! I wish you and every other woman didn't have to be here. It would be so wonderful never to hear the words "breast cancer" again. But you are in the right place. There are alot of women here who are ready to listen and help.

Love, Kay

Kimie · August 2003

Hi, my name is actually Judy but I am going by my middle name since my first is so common! :-) I am 37 years old and I live in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am a high school history teacher. I have been married for 12 years. I have a 17 year old daughter, an 11 year old son and an 8 year old son.

I found a lump in my right breast in September of '02. My gyn was sure it was a cyst so she told me to keep an eye on it. In February of '03, I noticed I was having a yellowish-brown nipple discharge. My gyn took a sample--no suspicious cells but she sent me to a specialist anyway. The radiologist who did my mammograms was outstanding--he wasn't worried about the lump, he thought the area nearby was suspicious. The specialist concurred.

I had a needle localized biopsy on March 19th. On March 21st my specialist told me I had an invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 1. I had a sentinel node biopsy and more tissue was removed on April 2nd. My nodes were clear but they found more cancer and my clear margin was literally, just a hair--they recommended one more surgery. I had my third surgery on April 16th. More cancerous tissue was found but this time I had a big, clear margin! Total tumor was about .8 cm. My surgeon also did a breast reduction/tissue sample of my left breast to make me more symmetrical!

I began radiation treatment on May 13th and finished on June 30th. I am now on Tamoxifen and my next follow-up mammogram is scheduled for November.

I feel very blessed--the lump I felt was indeed just a benign cyst but I feel as though it acted as a guide by keeping me aware of my breast and any potentially dangerous changes. It is entirely possible that if the cyst was removed when I first found it, the cancer would not have been there yet.

Carmelle · August 2003

I noticed some of the bios have vanished? Mine and some of the ladies from around my start time.
March? April 2003?
Michelle

mawusi · August 2003

My name is Reg, 29, from Ghana in Africa.
Noticed the lump by chance one day after work (still in my work clothes) while watching tv. 1.5cm lump was removed in Ghana July 17 2002. Chemo- AC, Surgery, and radiation. Finished July 14th 2003. started tamoxifen july 15th. Saw oncologist yesterday.
Stage 1, two nodes take out, all negative.

roxiesmom · September 2003

Hi everyone I'm 47 DX 1/2/03 Invasive ductal (tubular) &non-invasive (cribiform) right breast 5cm
I lost my mom to BC in '98 & was extra vigilant with Mamos & BSE. Have had 8 clear mamograms& gyne exams everything always all clear. Felt no lump just a thick area in the upper breast in August-quit caffiene & made myself sore squeezing & examining. Finally found lump 12-02 in the bathtub.
Started in Jan--did 6 mos chemo-every 3 weeks 4/AC 4Taxotere. Was allergic to the Taxotere but with enough drugs (steroids & benadryl) controlled the reaction & I got all the drug into me each time. But what a trip!! So scary to nearly be killed by the drug you're taking to save your life.

Had surgery 7/16/03 would up with a very laaaarge lumpectomy! and, very distressing, 7/l9 positive nodes.
Scans are (were) clear in Jan 03
ER+ PR- Her2- Grade 2
on Tamoxifen now-seem to be doing ok the chemo put me thru such h--- had my hot flashes, night sweats, numbness, bone pain, etc. with that treatment. Hot flashes still come daily but so far not as severe.

On all kinds of drugs--antidepressants, acid reducers, aleve daily for chest/rib pain (what's that all about?) anxiety controlling drugs--its' the pits. Not sure who I really am anymore!

Rads begin Wed 9/2 more scared of rads than I was of chemo. Hope docs & techs know what theyre doing.
Roxie is my dog 6 mos old Golden/Lab mix I love her absolutely to death.. my husband got her for me after my diagnosis you can't imagine how much love and devotion this pup gives me I surely wouldn't be doing this good(this is good?) oh well without her by my side.
love to all you ladies whose stories supported me without even knowing it all those times I visited the site.

Sachi · September 2003

Welcome Roxie's Mom,

I used my dog's name, too. Sachi is short for Sacajawea. She was a great dog - we had her for 16 years.

There's a bunch of us starting rads soon so make sure to stick around and we can all compare notes.

I had an allergic reaction to Taxol, also, and the doc wouldn't let me try again. I tried to convince him it was just a panic attack and that I could do it, but he said no.

We'll get through this together!

Barb

pegeyore · September 2003

I am 53, had my first diagnosis (of a lump I found myself but did not tell anyone for a month) in 1985. I had a biopsy in the office, which came back cancerous, had a lumpectomy, which showed medullary ca, encapsulated, then took the option of axillary node dissection, all neg, er+/pr+; had radiation treatments x 33, one week off for burns, where I napped with Burrows solution-soaked diapers wrapped on my left side, in a towel, to get the skin redness away. In 1998, a mammogram found a suspicious site under my left arm, US confirmed, and both the surgeon and I just knew it was scar tissue, but it came back on biopsy as ductal with undifferentiated margins, so I chose bilateral mastectomies and NO reconstruction---happy to be rid of them! I had a hard time healing, because of the irradiated skin, and had multiple infections in my breast wounds, on multiple rounds of antibiotics. I went to a skin clinic in Portland for help in the wound care, but ended up in June 99 with cellulitis all over my trunk, in the hospital and back on antibiotics, back to surgery to open it up again, so I finally got an infectious disease MD in on it, went homne on more antibiotics and dressings and irrigations. Finally healing, so asked for the scar to be approximated one last surgical try, where the surgeon lifted the skin only slightly to draw the skin to a close, but it sat there for a week and did nothing to stitch together! I finally asked for hyperbaeric treatment, and within a week I was stitching together! I had 30 treatments into the hyperbaeric chamber for 2 1/2 hours of my time every Am, got all plugged up in my head and felt terrible, got refused ear vent tubes to help by the ENT, when I cried with disappointment, eventually got double vision toward the end, but finished after one year since my surgery! Had chemo after a couple of months treatment of the infections and finished in Feb '99, was on Tamoxifen and multiple meds to treat the hot flashes and depression, then accidentally found a large lump on my left neck, July 19, a couple weeks after this mysterious chest and arm pain on the left that I put off to musculoskeletal, because it went away. I knew what the lump was (what else?), so I went to my PCP, got examined, where she thought it might be a cyst, but thought we should get an US, where it was found to be a "vascular mass", scheduled to see my surgeon, but he was off (but in contact with his office), so I pleaded the case to his nurse, who called him and got me in to get a neck Cat scan next day at the clinic, which showed lymph swelling; he spoke to my oncologist, who suggested a chest, abdomen, and pelvis CAT Scan, so I went for that the next day. Saw the surgeon on the surgery unit (I am a nurse at the hospital), he saw my lump and thought we should get a needle aspiration of it, which he scheduled with the pathologist that day and I agreed for him to tell me the result of the slide he made that minute, which was a recurrence of the breat cancer. He could not get enough tissue to tell if the markers were positive, but I didn't feel an open biopsy would be needed to determine treatment, it would just give us more info. The Cat scan showed lymph, liver, and mediastinum mets (hence the chest pain). I had a port placed on Aug 11, had a PET scan that Friday, saw the oncologist and started chemo Aug 20 and have just finished my first of three weeks in a row of Taxol & Carbo. At least I could stop the Tamoxifen and two of the meds I was taking for the hot flases, but BOY! did I add some more! I feel the lump is smaller already and guess I will see at the scan in a month or so? Have been thru a lot already this time, because I tried to work for two weeks (except the day of my biopsy results I left work) and then decided to take a LOA and now glad I did. I feel blessed to be able to do this and glad to have worked where I do for 24 years and have great benefits for this purpose! I know there is power in prayer and I will come out of this with a positive oucome as well, if I believe. I wish I'd had this site the other times I went thru this battle. Round 3 against BC starting now! Let us support each other as much and as best we can, OK?
I have two adult, (not grown up yet, really) boys, and a wonderful husband, who is a nurse, and takes it all in stride, but has had diabetes for 44 years and it has ravaged his body, so he is not much physical help to me, except he is still able to work.
And I now have a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, a girl, 3 years old, and a boy, 8 months old, and we just got us a black lab/mix puppy, which is going to be my buddy thru this, but keeps me pretty busy now! I am very blessed to have many prayer warriors around me and am on many prayer chains all over the country and world! I can beat this! And so can you all!
LOL, Peg, in Vancouver, WA

ludemann · September 2003

My name is Pam and I am 49
I was diagnosed on June 3:

ludemann · September 2003

My name is Pam and I am 49

I was diagnosed on June 3 and had a lumpectomy on June 13, followed by a mastectomy with tram flap reconstruction on July 9.

Began 28 radiation treatments on August 25 and am considering taking Tamoxifen.

Stage 1: 3mm invasive ductal carcinoma:
ER+/PR+/HER NU-
intermediate to high grade (2/3)

Extensive DCIS in lower right breast with narrow chest and skin margins.

Maryfe · September 2003

Hello,
My name is Mary and I am from Warwick, RI. I was diagnosed in July 2003 with IDC, .9 cm, poorly differentiated, nuclear grade 3, clean margins, had a sentinel node biopsy with negative nodes, but had some focal vascular invasion. I am going to have 4 rounds of A/C. Can anyone give me any advice on whether that is enough? I am real scared about this vascular invasion thing. I am BRCA1 positive. My sister has ovarian cancer. I am planning to have a prophylactic double mastectomy after treatment but real worried that chemo treatment is not enough. I am terrified and cry every day. Will visit a support group on Oct. 8.
Thank you

lorac · November 2003

Hi Everyone,
My name is Carol and I just tonight found this spot for bios.
I was diagnosed on Halloween of 2001 and had a biopsy in mid-November. It showed IDC and I then had a second surgery,a SNB, along with axillary nodes, 13 of them, all negative. I'm stage 2, tumor was 2.2 and I'm receptor negative, Her2/Neu negative and grade 3.
I'm 65, live with my wonderful husband of 42 years in coastal Connecticut. We have three grown children, all married, and three remarkable grandchildren.
I wish I'd discovered the breastcancer.org site before I had my treatment (of AC and 33 rads) but I'm awfully glad to be here now.

nbelle · November 2003

I'm 43 yrs. old w/ 13 and 22 yr. old sons. I was dx with BC 10/17/03. Had modified radical mast. with node dissection 10/30/03. Just got path report back yesterday when I went to have drain taken out. Tumor was 4.8 cm, Grade III, 10 of 20 nodes positive. They say I'm Stage IIIC. My surgeon (and everyone in her office) is really nice, but from the way they presented the report to me, I feel like this is a death sentence. I'm so scared. I'm supposed to have an appt with medical onc next week. Thought I was doing so well after the surgery (healing nicely, feeling ok), so yesterday was a real let down. I think I'm totally doomed.

shazza35 · November 2003

Hi I'm 35 and from Cambridge,England, United Kingdom.
I found a lump during self breast exam August 2002, was told to come back in a month after i'd had my period.
In the past i've had numerous fibroid lumps diagnosed, so i guess docs thought it might be another of those. I wish it was!
Had needle core biopsy.
Had bone scan, which was clear.
Had abdomen scan and chest x-ray all clear.
Also had a throat scan, as i had a lump come up during chemo. This came back clear also. Thank God!
I was diagnosed in Sept 2002,with IDC grade 3
Tumour was 4cms before chemo.
Started 6 rounds A/C chemo Nov 2002
Had Mastectomy April 14th 2003
9 nodes taken 1 positive.
Er+
Started 15 Rads May 2003
Finished June 2003
Started Tamoxifen June 2003.

Married for 15yrs with no children.
Had 3 miscarrages.
I will now probably be infertile due to chemo.
But this is not certain,as i've had cancer in past(Wilms tumour, cancer of kidney as a 2 and a half yr old) I had A/C chemo, Rads etc done then. That was in 1971/1973.I then went on to become pregnant 3 times, although they turned out to be unsuccessful.

This site is fantastic by the way!

Shaz x

Ruth57 · November 2003

Nbelle,
I was diagnosed in November 1999 with 5 cm tumour, 17/20 positive lymph nodes, grade III, er/pr negative.
I'm going for reconstruction next week!
I know the information is hard to hear, but statistics are only numbers, they can't be applied to any one of us individually.
No-one really knows what will happen.
Keep your head up, looking forward!
Hugs,
Ruth

senga · December 2003

Senga
Just found this site last night great isn't I was diognosed in September 1997 I was a stage 11.
Had lumpectomy
6 sessions of chemo
7 weeks Rads
I had 27 lymph nodes taken away and 25 where positive.
ER positutive NEU -
All that was 6 long years ogo. Unfortunately the cancer came back in September 2003 it is now in my liver and bones. I started weekly Taxol and had my ninth round yesterday.

joannnc · January 2004

HAPPY NEW YEAR. My name is JoAnn. I was DX on 3/17/03 with IDC. 3.5 centimeter tumor at the 10:00 position in the right breast.
ER negative, PR negative, Her2/Neu negative. Grade 3. Age at diagnosis: 54. No family history. Married with no children.

Treatment: 8 treatments of dose dense chemo every other week starting on March 28. 4 AC and 4 taxol.

Tumor shrank by about 50%.

August 8 - had lumpectomy and axillary node disection. Clear Margins and 1/22 nodes microscopically positive.

September - November - 31 treatments of radiation including 8 boosts.

I am happy to be alive and feeling better every day. Go for first follow up visit the end of this month.

Diane_Lynn · January 2004

Hi, I'm 57 and was dx with Stage I, IDC on Oct. 2003. Just found this site.
Tumor: 9mm
SNB: 4 removed - all negative
ER+ PR-
Neu2 -

Routine mammogram showed calcifications in right breast and suspicious lump in left
Needle aspiration done on left - negative
biopsy on right - positive
Lumpectomy Oct. 30 - IDC with margins not clear
Breast infection delayed reexcision
Reexcision Dec 2 - clear
Onc chose aggressive treatment
Chemo starts 1/9 4 dose dense AC followed by 4 Toxal - followed by 5 weeks radiation

Probably take tomoxifen

Looking_for_Clues-2004Jan15 · January 2004

To Judy S. from South Florida. I am from Miami, Florida. Don't be afraid of radiation. I had radiation in 1990. Didn't do bad at all. Be sure to choose a good radiation center or Hospital.
On the other hand, I am terrified of chemo. I've had lots of things shoved at me, but not chemo. When my surgeon first suggested it in 1990, I repeated his initial words to me..."You won't need chemo if tumor 1 cm." He didn't push it, just suggested it as additional treatment, and I opted not to go for it. My cancer came back in 1995, 2001, and 2003.

Marsha_B-2003Aug25 · January 2004

My name is Marsha B and I am 47.

DX on7-25-96
7cm mass with 17 postive nodes Infirlating Ductal

Stage IV
I had 6 months of 5CFU 6weeks of radation
5 Years of Tamoxifen
No family history (i have five sisters)
ER+ HER2+
Had a rad masectomy on left side with tram reconstrution .

I have liver mets and am in a study with Taxol, Comp, Herceptin.

I am currently having good results with this treatment. No new liver mets and it has shrink the tumors. So we will go forward.

I live in Minnesota and we just got 10 inches of snow last night!

Ladies stay strong and pray for healing!
mpbrekkevaderandlandgraf.com
Marsha B

profm2_hotmail_com · February 2004

My name is Marty. I am 60 and live in Indiana.

Breast cancer was dx'd on 09/04/2003 after a screening mammography on 08/09/2003 and a core biopsy 08/29/2003. I knew it was cancer when I saw it on the ultrasound. The spiculates were very prominant. Had to have been missed on yearly screening mammography at least 3 to 4 years.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Stage 2A (T2,N0,M0)

Pathology: Grade 1 (4/9 one path report; 5/9 on excised tumor)
In Situ component (DCIS: 5%, low grade)
tubular formation 2
mitotic score 1
Archtectural type: Cribiform
Nuclear grade 2
Her2/neu (FISH) 1.10 negative on core biopsy; IHC 3+ on tumor.
DNA analysis by flow cytometry: Diploid 1.0
MIB-1 (Ki-67) low (6%)
Comedo necrosis Absent
AngioLymphovascular space invasion Absent
Microcalcifications: Absent

Estrogen recpt positive 95%
Progest. recpt positive 20%

Tumor size before surgery: Estimated to be 4.5-4.75 cm

Sentinel node: negative (Found out I had an abnormal EKG before sentinel node surgery; also have hypertension but take Norvasc for that)

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: 5 treatments (3 weeks cycle) Xeloda 5; Taxotere 4 (taken with Xeloda for four treatments)

Needle localization and lumpectomy on 01/16/04; tumor size 2.5 x 1.4 x 0.8 cm
Tumor was 3mm from deep margin. Clean margins

Radiation: 6 weeks (5 days per week) with boosts.

Tamoxifen 20 mg. for five years. (Osteoporosis negates the use of Arimidex.)

Worked all through chemotherapy and will work through radiation treatment. Under the care of a national cancer center.

Have three grown children: 28, 26, 24 -- none married or close to being married. Was on HRT for about 4-5 years; first child at 31; late menopause; lost my only sister to ovarian cancer when she was only 59. Mother, Father, Sister, Aunts, Uncles - all deceased; no nieces or nephews. I only have my three children and husband. Sometimes I feel like an orphan.

Have wonderful friends; Have wonderful students; Each day is a precious gift. Enjoy this life and let the future take care of itself under the watchful eyes of a good medical team.

Carmelle · March 2004

My name is Michelle,

I am 39. Was diagnosed at 38, 03/07/03 with IDC.
I had a lump for a while, maybe two years?
It was palpable when my first child was 10 months old. I got pregnant again and didn't notice till 01/02 and stopped nursing my 2nd that it was still there but alot bigger.
Left it for another year and found it in the shower to be twice as big again.
I had bilateral mast, 04/04/03.
Right side IDC, lump measuring 6 cm, they broke it down to multiple tumors, largest 1.6cm
DCIS in all four sections of breast, in axillary and on inked margins.
Left breast surprise small DCIS and LCIS.
ER+,PR-, HER-, 5/14 pos nodes
Started CEF 05/08/03. 6 rounds.
Had neupogen for ten days starting 2nd round after fever/infection.
Last IV 10/16/03.
Started 20 (16 dose dense, 4 boosts) rads 12 days later and finished 11/25/03.
Had oopherectomy 01/05/04.Started arimidex 02/04.
I had a clear CT scan in 01/04.
I have a great hubby and two small boys. they were 18 mos and 3 at dx.
I feel like i lost a year of everybody's lives and am trying to live very much in the present and not dwell on the future.
Michelle

Hornsbyhead2 · March 2004

Hi, My name is Karen, I'm 46-have been married for almost 23 years, and have 3 children...Cristal 21, Ryan 17, and Cassandra 13. I am also a grandmother to Angelo 2 yrs., next week.I live in Syracuse, NY.

I found a lump in my right breast on June 7, 1992, I was 34. At the time i had no health care coverage, and not thinking it was anything, waited to go to the Dr. In Sept. '92 became ill with Giardia, which forced me to go see my dr. I mentioned to her that I had found a lump. We did a mammo., an ultrasound, and then off to the surgeon for a biopsy/lumpectomy. Bad news-Stage 1.
Went in Oct. for lymph node disection-I had 2 nodes pos. out of 20, but also was told I was a Stage 2.
I had a 1cm mass on right br.- highly differentiated
ER+
HER-
Bone and CT scans NED
In Nov., had my mastectomy, with no reconstruction {no insurance}
Dec. started 6 months of chemo:cytoxin,Adriamycin,Fu5
Didn't do bad with this, except for the hair loss. After going thru this, life had finally turned back to a somewhat normal state.
June 1996, decided to have reconstruction w/TRAM flap. I was very happy I did this and have no regrets.
Over the years had mammo's and ocassional CT scans, all with NED...Hooray!!
JAN. 1999-had trouble breathing, went into my family Dr., and they couldn't find anything wrong. Went in again in March, harder time breathing, they did some breathing test, said I was ok.Went back again in June-nothing wrong. Finally went back again in Sept. '99, thought I was having a heart attack- I could barely breathe. Well, my Dr. finally decided to do a simple chest X-ray...which showed a large pleural effusion around my right lung-my lung had totally collapsed. Off to the hospital for a grueling 9 day stay-where they removed 2 liters of fluid from my pleura.They did every test you can imagine and gave me some bad news. My BC had returned-Stage 4 with bone and lung mets. My ca 15.3 markers were a whopping 753! They basically told me to prepare for my death.I knew I was dying- I could feel it-but my Dr.'s were not positive at all-they really scared my family. I thought at the time-gee, I'll be lucky if I'm around in a year.
My onc kept pushing the chemo.-which i really did not want to do. I had to stop going to the support group meetings because all the women there were mad at me, and thought I was just plain stupid. Did some research, and found that with ER+, I was a very good candidate for hormonal tx. In the meantime I changed my Oncologist, and found someone who is just wonderful!!
Started Tamoxifen in Jan. 2000, but was only on it for 4 months-had lots of problems with it. In the meantime, it threw me into menopause, which was something else to contend with.
March 2000-Radiation to lower back and left hip for pain...good results.
Aredia monthly for bone strength.
May 2000-started Femara-this brought my markers from 753, down to an amazing 34!!
Markers have been going up slowly but steadily since 2002. Jan. 2003-started Faslodex [hormonal tx}but have had steadily climbing markers.
March 2004-new lesions in spine and cervical spine-very dangerous areas- Dr's said I must have RAD., otherwise I would eventually become a paraplegic-boy was that scary news. Just finished that a few weeks ago-did well! I am getting ready to start Xeloda, the chemo pill. I am not in a big rush to do the other chemo's yet- I don't know about anyone else, but the hair loss is a serious issue for me-it takes away even more quality of life. i'm sure i will do taxotere in the future, when I have to.
Don't you think these pharmaceutical companies should be busy inventing a chemo for BC with no hair loss?? Well, guess they are too busy inventing viagra, cialis, and that other drug they have for men-those are the big money makers. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest!
Anyway, considering I'm 5 years now into this, i am doing well. Have lots of pain at times, which I can usually control. On the days I'm not in pain, boy is it great, i can do so much!!
This has only been a portion of my physical journey, of course the emotional,mental journey is another story.
This is a wonderful place for women/families to go-there is a great sense of community here! The biggest thing I have learned is to go with your gut instincts, and always research what new therapies are out there. And, if you are not happy with your Oncologist, or any Dr. you have for that matter-don't be afraid to change.

PKing499 · April 2004

My lump was found accidentally while undressing on 1/31/02. Diagnosed 3/21/02. Right MRM with Lattisimus Dorsi Flap recontruction 4/15/02. Two tumors found 1.8cm each and 2 of 12 lymph nodes positive. Stage II IDC er/pr- and her2-. Completed 6 AC and 2 Taxotere treatments 10/7/02. No further treatments.
No family history or any other risk factors other than being female. Age 37 at diagnosis 39 now. Married 20 years(and spoiled rotten)with 2 children aged 19 and 13(also spoiled rotten). I have my dream job as a nurse working with premature infants (The most precious people on earth according to me).
I guess thats about it.
Patty

Lorie_Anne · June 2004

Hi..I'm Lorie and heeeeeeeeeeeere is my story:-)

April 27, 2004 (My birthday DAMMIT!)
IDC Left Breast: 2.5 cm (no clear margins)
DCIS Right Breast (no clear margins)
Angiolymphatic Invasion present
HER+
FISH -
0/5 Nodes negative (the surgeon would only take out "5" due to my prior radiation-see below)

May 20, 2004
Bilateral Mastectomy/with expanders (another whole story with this..hehe)

Stage IIB-Undecided about adjuvant/hormonal therapy.

Gets better though!

Hodgkin's Disease 1975-1976; Radiation 5x weekly till the end of my birthday (I think there is something cosmically happening here)

Thyroid Cancer 1999; Partial Thyroidectomy, then determined no clear margins so preceded with complete Thyroidectomy!

So.....I guess you could say I am a survivor!~

Oh..and I was supposed to get married this Saturday June 19...and then take off for Europe...but....that darn tumor would not leave me alone! I have a terrific son, TJ age 20 who wants to be a doctor <go figure>; and I have the greatest fiancee a girl like me could have:-))

Here's to all of "US"

Lorie

Re: Bios of BC Survivors

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