Washington Ladies/Men???

Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
I saw that someone else here started a thread and invited others from their state to introduce themselves and I thought I would be cool to start one for Washington State.

I will start by saying Im 46 yrs old, two wonderful kids, one girl, one boy, they are both grown and on their own with their familes, they have given me 6 beautiful grandchild to spoil rotton
I live in Southeastern Washington and have the majority of my life...love it here, close to the mountains and the Snake River.
I was dx'd the beginning of Nov 06, had my lumpectomy/SNB on (my b-day) Nov 15th, Stage II, Grade I, 2.4 cm, node neg, er/pr+, her2 1+, Oncotype test score 12...choose to not do chemo and move on to rads...will start those tomarrow (Jan 24th)....26 entire breast and 10 boost...

Jule
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  • jbettie
    jbettie Member Posts: 19
    edited January 2007
    Hi Jule,
    I too am living in southeastern wa. Love it here. Was raised here, moved away and came back after the birth of my beautiful son (age 11 years). ICurrently doing rads as well. I was diagnosed in July 06 with bilateral (separate tumors) invasive ductal carcinoma and had bilat mastectomies 2 days after my 36th birthday. I have completed 4 months of chemo. Have 12 rads under my belt and 15 more to go. Sentinel node biopsies showed 3 positive nodes with dcis, hence the rads. i was dx'd with stage IIA and stage IIB. Glad to hear from you & hope to hear from you again!
    Julie (aka Jules)
    honestly, that's my name...how strange!
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Hi Julie,
    Glad to hear from you....thats funny about the name...mine is pronounced Jewel, but it was my grandmothers name and Jule is the way she spelled it.
    Strange things that bring us together.....
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  • EllenS
    EllenS Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2007

    Hi I am also from Washington, Olympia area. Actually I am a native born Washingtonian just the other Washington (DC), but I moved here 16 years ago. Iam 49 and I have 2 daughters , 19 and 16. I was dx with invasive ductal carcinoma 11/06. I just finished doing 4 rounds of chemo and I am doing another MRI on friday. Then we decide if I have to do taxol or can go on to surgery. I have decided to do a bi-lateral mastectomy since my mom had bc 2x and I don't want to do this again. My next door neighbor's name is Jewel. It is a small world and Washington seems to have lots of Jewels

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Ellen,
    Im sorry you have had to join our club, but it is very nice meeting you....now I have two new friends that I have more in common with than I thought...
    Obviously we are here:(, so all three of us have BC, we live in Washington, Julie and I have similar names, Ellen and I were dx'd in the same month...
    It sounds like you have already done some of the hard stuff...I had surgery (lumpectomy) within a week of finding the lump, everything was low grade and testing shows that I wouldnt receive much benefit from doing chemo so have by passed it and will have my first radiation treatment later today...
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  • eightblueeyes
    eightblueeyes Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2007
    Hi,
    I'm Kellie. I live in Vancouver, WA I am a married mom of 3 girls and 1 boy. I am 30yrs old and was diagnosed with Pagets and dcis on December 3rd of 06. I had a partial mastectomy on December 6th. I am now waiting for the genetic test to come back and then I will decide if I want to do 6 weeks of radiation or have double mastectomy. Nice talking with you all!
    Kellie
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Welcome Kellie,
    As always sorry to have to meet you under these terms but glad that I have.
    You've likely read my earlier post so know that today is the first of my 36 radiation treatments.
    I a little nervous as I dont know what to expect but Im certain in my mind that it cant be all that bad...
    I started this thread in hopes that us Washington Girls can support each other as we each step through whatever this decides to throw at us...Sometimes it just helps to know that there is someone a little closer than 1/2 across the USA....(I know sounds dumb!!!).

    Jule

    P.S. I also have something in common with Kellie, my 5 yr old granddaughter lives in Longview, which isnt far from where Kellie lives...
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Kellie,
    I like your post name here...Im guessing your children all have blue eyes...How old are they?
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    I also live in Vancouver, WA

    I've been with bc.org since the very beginning.......
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  • eightblueeyes
    eightblueeyes Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2007
    How was the radiation? I think I'll be starting soon. I'm actually over due to start. This darn test has been taking so long! My daughter didn't send in all of the info so the test was delayed.
    We have been thinking of moving to longview!
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  • eightblueeyes
    eightblueeyes Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2007

    You got it. 4 kids and all with big blue eyes. I have 14yr girl, 8yr boy, 5yr girl, and 3yr girl.

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  • eightblueeyes
    eightblueeyes Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2007
    That's cool you found them right away. I wish I had found this sooner and talked to more people that actually have been through it instead of just doctors if you know what I mean!
    Nice talking to you!
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  • badbabe56
    badbabe56 Member Posts: 46
    edited January 2007

    Hi to all above, I live just outside Castle Rock.Before that I lived in aussie for 24 years, and before that new zealand. I am a nearly 17 year survivor dcis. I had a mastectomy, chemo, silicone implant and ten years later a tram flap. My eldest daughter was 6 weeks old when I was diagnosed with my bc, and my second daughter was born 3 years after chemo. I go into bc chat most days to offer hope and support, please feel free to ask me any questions and if I can help I will be glad to. Hugs and sorry you had to join the club

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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited January 2007
    Hi ladies! I'm Cheeryl. I'm in Seattle! I've talked with some of you before & I met Pepper this last Nov.
    I was dx with IDC stage 1c Grade3c triple neg in Oct '05. I did 21 weeks of CMF and 36 rads. MY treatments for BC are over but I'm still being treated for SE of BC.

    There are several other gals from Washington around here so I hope they pop in here to say "HI" too!

    If you haven't seen the Circle Map go to Moving Beyond - Time to Circle the Wagons and find the Circle Map there is a link there that will take you to it. Zoom in a couple of times and then put your pin in where you are so we can "see" you too!
    You are all welcome to join us in the Wagon Circle too! It's for helping us through all the stages of BC.
    Please feel free to contact me if you need someone to talk with.
    Cheryl
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Kellie,
    What test is it that your waiting for??? I had my oncotype test done between xmas & new years, took a little over 3 wks to get the results with the holidays..
    The Oregon coast is one of my favorite places in the world to go so try to get there a couple of times a year, and of couse with my granddaughter in Longview its an added incentive to go through that way
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Welcome pepper, badbabe56 & cthomason
    Im so happy to have started this thread...it seems that our group is growing ...
    I had my first rad treatment yesterday, took a little longer than I thought, but it was because they wanted to make some changes in the the angles and such...from here on out it should only be about 15-20 minutes each day....
    One down.....35 to go!!!!!!
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  • JoniQ
    JoniQ Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2007
    I am one-year post-masectomy and live in Seattle. For those of you relatively new to BC, I strongly recommend making a weekend retreat to Harmony Hill. It is a beatiful cancer retreat center on Hoods Canal, and there is no cost to those with cancer. It was one of the best things I did for myself last year. There are retreats for women with breast cancer as well as retreats for those with cancer and their partners.

    Does anyone know of a woman oncologist in Seattle who believes in the mind-body-spirit connection and supports the use of adjuvant cancer-treatment therapies such as acupuncture, gental yoga, meditation, massage therapy, etc? My oncologist is very nice but very "old school" when it comes to trying anything non-traditional to manage pain, etc. I found tremendous relief from a number of my cancer-related stuff (hot flashes, pain, fatigue, lymphedema) when I started getting acupuncture and want someone who will incorporate those remedies into my treatment plan.

    Hang in there all of you. Living with cancer has brought many blessings into my life.

    JoniQ
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Welcome JoniQ
    I will look into that retreat, maybe over time some of us can try to get together there or something.
    Jule
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  • eightblueeyes
    eightblueeyes Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2007
    I'm waiting for the genetic test to come back. It should have been back by now BUT my daughter did not send all of the information they needed so there was a delay. I got a call when the test should have already been back telling me that they had not even started it yet. There was also an issue with insurance. They will only cover 80% so I have to cover the rest. They said the test generally takes 21 days but they have been having some back in as few as 8. So mine should be here any day now. Seems I've been saying that for a long time now!

    I love the coast too. We go quite a few times a year. It's my hubby and I's favorite place!
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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited January 2007
    Joni, Harmony HIll is wonderful isn't it! I went last Sept. For those of you that have not been i highly recomend it! You do put a deposit down when you send in your application but they will give you back the deposit or you can let them have it. It is well worth it. You can go once a year. Or if you are in the area, Union, yo can drive up and enjoy the laberinth unless the are in the middle of a retreat.

    Joni, I go to SCCA but there have been commercials on this week on channel 4 for a place that offers the kinds of treatments you asked about.

    I get the results on the genitic testing next week.
    I saw the Onc today for the blood clots and he said I don't need to come back until May, unless I develop symtoms of the clots again. Looks like I'll be on coumadine for at least 2 years though.

    Jule, the first rads usually takes a little longer as they make final adjustments. They will also take more xrays throughout your treatment and sthose days take just a tad longer.

    We also love to go to Cannon Beach. I grew up in San Diego so it's about as close to the beaches there as I can find up here. Although a lot colder. I've been up here since 1989 this time around. The first time I was here from Aug 1979 - Dec 1981 I now have 3 granddaughters and 1 grand son and a new grand child due in May that keep me up here as I wouldn't want to be too far away from them.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2007
    Eight,
    Is this the Oncotype test you are waiting for? Mine took a full 3 weeks, but I was initially told 10-14 days...it was sent off between xmas and new years so I chalked it up to being the holiday season.
    Had my second rad yesterday, was in/out of there in 10 minutes so was bad at all.
    So far my insurance has been really good....the only thing the denied was the request to do the BRCA testing...said something about I didnt meet their requirements to justify it...
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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2007

    Hope all you Washington gals are staying warm. It's going to be another cold night

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2007
    Its not too bad here this morning...my thermo in the truck on the way to work said 26 degrees....didnt even realize it was icy until I stepped out into the parking lot here...did hear that there are couple of late starts for the schools here but other than that doing ok
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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2007
    I'm getting tired of scraping ice off the car every morning. But the nice sunny days has really lifted my mood.

    For those that may not know it Pepper goes in at 7am tomorrow for surgery. Please keep her in yo prayers.

    Stay warm and be careful out there on the ice
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  • jbettie
    jbettie Member Posts: 19
    edited February 2007
    Hello to all above!

    Kelli - I am waiting for genetic testing to come back as well. I just got the good news last week that they (my insurance company) have approved the full BRCA testing. I gave my blood on friday and hopefully will find out sooner than later. Have you heard anything back yet?

    Jule - How are rads going for you? I will be finishing up on St. Valentine's Day. So far so good. It's just now starting to burn but silvidine cream is the BOMB! And how i love love love the weekends with no rads!

    Badbabe56- You'll have to tell me all about the tram flap. I will be doing that somewhere down the road and need to find out if you can recommend a surgeon here in washington. I've heard good things about Dr. Cooper in Spokane for reconstruction/tram flap.
    Blessings to All, stay warm!
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  • EllenS
    EllenS Member Posts: 10
    edited February 2007
    I just got results on friday from my genetic testing and I am positive for BRCA 1 so I get to add total hsyterectomy to my surgery list. I had already decided to do a bi-lateral mastectomy. I have an appt with my onc on tues to see if he thinks I need to do more chemo or if I can start surgery. I am hoping for surgery, I am really tired of chemo side effects. I am now 3 weeks since my last chemo and I am still dealing with nausea, it has been really bad today.
    It seems like all I am doing is complaining today, but mostly I had waiting and I really want to have a plan for what is next.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2007
    Jbettie,
    The rads are doing good so far, noticed a little more fatigue than normal and that my breast is getting a little tan...and YES silvadine is the best!!!! I wont finish rads until about the 15th of March.

    My onco ordered the BRCA test because of a huge family history of other cancers but my insurance said I didnt meet "their" criteria for them to pay so wont have the test...

    Hope everyone else is doing well....I see several of the washington people havent checked in for a bit....

    All take care and good luck with anything that you might be facing this week...
    Jule
    Does anyone know how Peppers surgery went? I didnt check here over the weekend but will look for a post in other areas from her.
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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2007
    Pepper is home recovering. Looks like it went well.

    I got the results of the Braca back, it came back negative! Yahoo!

    Sometime the Dr has to write a couple of letters to get the coverage. My had to send at least two letters.

    Hope all are doing well.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2007
    Cheryl
    Jumping for joy with you that the test was neg
    Thank you for letting us know about Pepper....I hope she is being good to herself during recovery...
    I saw the rad dr. yesterday, he asked if I had noticed any SE's yet...so far not really, a little pink but no tenderness to speak of...
    I did ask him about my breast feeling like it itchs inside somtimes...he said it is the nerves in there trying to repair themselves while they are zapping them...he gave me a prescription for a low dose pain killer, said that it will numb the nerves and stop the itching...Did you experience this? I am also looking at at total of 36 rads, the last 10 being boost.
    Talk with you all soon and in the mean time stay warm and healthy...
    Jule
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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2007

    Yeah I had the itching and still do a lot of the time. Remember to do gentle stretches. the area can egt pretty tight and you do want to be able to move. Exersise drink plenty of water and be good to yourself

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  • b445
    b445 Member Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2007

    Hi ladies, just wanted to let you know I changed my Screen name but I'm still here!

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