Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

Hi Chevy...agree with you completely.......if doing nothing was that easy and took away our cancers, none of us would be here writing on these threads...until you know what your dealing with (and any good Dr. will tell you that first hand), you will never know "what your dealing with".....I never heard of any Dr. telling a patient they had cancer without a biopsy.....mine was "in your face on the ultrasound", and even with all that proof, my Dr. still ended up saying.."but until I biopsy this we will not know for sure"......


This is not to minimize the fright of a diagnosis...my head spun even when the Nurse Navigator said to me after a mammogram call back, another mammogram, ultrasound, etc....and the tech who did my mammogram saying to me "you can go now everything looks good, see you next year".....A woman I never saw came to the waiting area and said "Hi Genevieve would you like to come with me"....never happened....I knew something was up..then asked me "do you have a surgeon you like"........from that moment on.....my life changed.....but even then I thought.......well maybe not.........
So yes its scary, and yes you think the worst....but until someone says "we did a biopsy and it came back positive".....you cannot be sure.........
You owe yourself that much ..and remember in the end the choice is yours..........you can always still say no to whatever they suggest, but at least you know what your dealing with.......and just think...........your biopsy could always come back "negative".........give yourself every chance possible.....and come back here.......we will be your support system......we care about each other....trust me.....I found friends here that I never knew existed......and 6 years out when no one wants to listen to our story, or our comlplaints, our fears.......we are "all ears", and "all heart".....good luck.

What Suzanne Somers (still very much alive and spouting harmful nonsense) doesn’t vociferously disclose is that one of the reasons she’s still standing is that she had at least some conventional treatment (lumpectomy & radiation) for her breast cancer. She says she regrets having had the radiation (which an alternative-medicine physician she trusted recommended) but now says “all” her “health problems” were caused by it. Horse hockey. She is now a disciple of quacks, especially Ty Bollinger. She also is taking mistletoe which is itself somewhat toxic, and for years took “bioidentical” hormone replacements which she touted but probably may have contributed to her having ER+ breast cancer. Yes, she skipped chemo, but back then they weren’t doing OncotypeDX testing so it’s possible she wouldn’t have needed chemo anyway. She spurned Tamoxifen (back then, AIs weren’t commonly in use, and she was pre-menopausal), but she’s probably dangerously rolling the dice by not doing any anti-hormonals.

Newpath, there are many things (as IllinoisLady pointed out) that can cause swollen lymph nodes, including various infections (I used to get swollen glands if I had a few zits and still do if I have a bad cold). If your nodes are getting worse, it’s possible that you are battling an undiagnosed and therefore untreated infection, and are running the risk of fatal sepsis unless you get it diagnosed and treated. But you might also have not breast cancer but lymphoma (Hodgkins or non-)—which if untreated WILL DEFINITELY kill you.

Don’t assume that even if you have breast cancer that those swollen lymph nodes are positive for cancer (stress caused by the breast or other tumor, or an unrelated infection could be the culprits), nor that all breast cancer patients need mastectomy, chemo, radiation or anti-hormonals. For example, DCIS patients don’t get chemo, even though many of them have hormone-negative tumors. Invasive breast cancer patients with 3 or fewer positive nodes whose OncotypeDX score is low enough can skip chemo. (Even some older women with tiny node-negative triple-negative cancers—usually aggressive--turn out to have “low-risk” MammaPrint scores and can skip chemo; we have one, 74, who just joined our support group and is awaiting her MammaPrint results). Most women with DCIS or invasive cancer can skip radiation if they have a mastectomy. Nowadays, more and more doctors are saying it’s okay for older women (65-70+) to skip radiation after lumpectomy, if node-negative with slow-growing types of bc such as Luminal A &/or Grade 1; and many women over 60 (like me) with such tumors that were node-negative are able to have short courses of precisely-targeted radiation, rather than the usual 6 weeks of whole-breast.

So get a second opinion. Travel if you have to, in order to get it. Or at least ask questions and challenge your local “cancer team” to explain their reasons for everything: make them cite statistics, basic scientific reasoning in layperson terms, and research articles if that’s what you need to make an informed decision. But whatever you do, don’t do nothing…eventually even just a simple infection can, if untreated, go systemic and kill you without your ever having a single malignant cell in your body.

An uninformed decision is almost as dangerous as no decision at all.

Yes, there was a lot written, and spouting all kinds of information from Suzanne Somers... This was when I was first diagnosed.... And she was spouting all this wonderful information about this Dr. "someone".... Who was not a Dr. at all. She believed everything about her holistic treatments... and that's fine, if that's what you choose to believe.

Maybe everything she was doing, helped her.... but who knows? And yes, Jackie is right... She DID have surgery for her cancer!

I was taking tons of vitamins & supplements after my surgery also.... But I never felt any different! And some of them cost a LOT! Some women will tell you "You need THIS" to keep the cancer from coming back.... Save your money.... If you eat reasonably healthy, then you probably don't NEED to supplement your diet..... Other people say, don't waste your money on taking this for that, or that for this.... You are just making expensive urine.

That was a good post Ducky.... You too Sandy... We've been around long enough to hopefully make a difference in newcomers here....

A LOT of us are NED.... but that doesn't mean something else won't come up and wipe us out faster than getting cancer again. Just don't worry.... Do YOUR part in taking care of yourself....If something doesn't look right, then get a professional opinion!

Mammograms are for OUR benefit... Doesn't do any good to get a Mammogram, if we don't follow up when something looks suspicious.... It IS scary, to hear those "Doc's" say something to us, but being scared is no reason to just forget what they say..... and do it your own way.

I think I told you guys, I had a lot of vitamins, & supplements for a few years... and some were really outdated... So I googled it, and found you CAN add them to your compost. I mean I save all peelings, rinds, and coffee-grounds, egg-shells, etc. EVERYthing that is not cooked. So I threw out old bottles of vitamins, after I tried to dissolve them in a big watering can overnight!

They did not dissolve! I put them in hot-water, then filled that can up to the top.... Left it overnight, and you would THINK they would have dissolved! But NO! I reached in & tried to squish them with my hand... then they were just mush! Didn't even change colors! So I watered around the plants with this vitamin water.... had to take out the undissolved capsules! Some I turned over... but just hard to believe they did not dissolve in hot/cold water, overnight!

They must just SIT there in your stomach, and do nothing! So I learned my lesson....

Headed to the shore today..........or did I already say that...........well either way......all you ladies have a wonderfful day.........will be back on later from Margate NJ....hugs all....

New path- pleased to meet you, hope you hang around and get to know us. I have a different story to tell. My sister was a chain smoker for over five decades. It was okay with her that I was the only relative besides her own two children and grandchildren that would go in her home because she smoked inside. She also has really bad eating habits and is a recovering alchoholic. She has been coughing for years,with it getting worse and worse. We all begged her to go to the Dr, but she refused because she was so afraid they would find cancer. She deteriorated till she was 84lbs. One day last Oct (about 3 weeks after our brother died from melanoma) her daughter had lunch with her, as she does every day and the cough was particularly bad. It was so bad that her daughter decided to stop in on her way home from work. She found her mom in bed, but my sister didn't recognize her. She tried to help her mom to the bathroom, but my sister passed out. In the ambulance she stopped breathing. The ER diagnosis was stroke, urinary infection, pneumonia, heart issues and her kidneys and liver were headed towards shutting down. After being admitted, the Dr said her whole body was septic, and once the antibiotics did their job, she was left with a diagnosis of COPD. Not cancer- COPD. She hasn't had a cigarette since, and is on no medicine or breathing treatments. She has gained almost 20 lbs and has resumed her life with no changes other than not smoking.

My mother had a similar story but without the happy ending. 3 of her 4 siblings died from cancer - different kinds, but cancer. She developed a itchy problem in her genital area. First of all, she wouldn't talk about "that" stuff with anyone, nor would she see a Dr, because, after all, it was cancer- what could the Dr do? My father finally noticed that she was buying an exorbitant amount of underwear. She finally told him what was happening, and he insisted she go to the Dr. She did, but her blood pressure was higher than the machine could register. She had a YEAST INFECTION, not cancer. Unfortunately she had waited too long and before they could get control of the blood pressure she had a stroke and passed.

Both my mother and sister refused to get a Dr's diagnosis. Both went thru terrible pain and fear because they "knew" what was wrong with them. If nothing else, by going to the Dr when I did, I saved myself fear and pain. Was the treatment fun or easy? Absolutely not. I was stage 3 and went thru the whole enchilada- chemo, double mastectomy and full radiation. One thing that made it a littler easier was that I loved and trusted my Drs unconditionally. The first time I saw my surgeon, he put his hand on my knee and told me I was going to have a rough year or more, but that I would be fine. I, again, don't want to mislead you, my life is different. I have no where near the strength and stamina I had before. I have lymphedema, that requires some concessions and fore thought. But, I have 3 more grandchildren, I have been at my younger son's wedding, and I am healthy enough to fly back and forth to visit my children and grandchildren. That is well worth what the cancer and its treatments cost me.

Moral of the story- like anything else- you can't fix a problem until you know what'S wrong. Find a good Dr you trust. Ask family and friends for recommendations. Ask your primary. To me, the skill level and compasSion level of my Drs was every bit as important as the treatment. Don't suffer in silence for months or years- whatever the outcome, you will save yourself so much unnecessary mental, physical and emotional stress by finding out for sure, whAt is wrong. Then how you decide to deal with whatever is wrong is your choice 100% and each of us on this thread will, individually and together will be here for you, cancer or not.

Anne

Ducky -- enjoy the shore.

Wren44 thank you for pointing me to alternative treatment!!

ChiSandy thank you for taking the time to pass along your wisdom.

Ah Newpath --- for those of a certain ilk -- we live forever, for others just this life no matter how good or bad, fair or un-fair. We wish you well and whatever wellness you can find. Many hugs and wishes for fulfillment.

Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more
fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot
of the great majority of our fellow humans. It then appears
that we are among the privileged.

Helen Keller

Still cold here by the lake—too cold, in fact, to grow tomato plants indoors even in containers. So much for my plans to go to the neighborhood edible plant sale (in the vacant B’way Bank bldg., on the Nat’l Register so it can’t be demolished) and perhaps supplement it with tomato & herb plants from WF. Going down to 38 tonight, not getting out of the 40s till Tues. and highs in the 50s the rest of the week. Been advised not to put out tomatoes, annuals & tender perennials till the night temps stay above 50.

When we align our thoughts, emotions, and actions with the highest part of ourselves, we are filled with enthusiasm, purpose, and meaning. . . . We are joyously and intimately engaged with our world.This is the experience of authentic power. - Gary Zukav

Illinois......Sunny here today, but cool...high is going to be 60......we get Chicago weather a day or 2 after you get it so hopefully it warms up a little..........my grandaughter has a softball game today, so I am sure it is going to be a chilly couple hours......you have a good day and enjoy the nice weather

Anne, what a great post you wrote for new path's benefit.

Sandy, I'm so glad Gordy enjoyed Jazz Fest and Nola. I tuned in to a station that was broadcasting from the Blues tent at JF and enjoyed the music. I just can't tolerate the traffic and crowds. One year I bought a gorgeous pottery bowl from an artist vendor.

Yahoo! I went to my WW meeting this morning and am down 11 lbs. I wore some shorts today that haven't fit for 2 years. The group celebrated my 5% of my weight loss. I really enjoy and benefit from the meetings. It's a great support group. I'm hoping to be back down to goal weight next week.

Jackie, your location sounds lovely. We can see our neighbors and I don't mind that. They are too far away to come to my aid, though, if I yelled for help.

My mother and I colored today. She finished a picture and was proud of herself. I sent a photo of her and the picture to my siblings. We do group texting.

All and all, a good day.