Nice things people have said...

I was wondering if anyone can tell me about their experience from radiation to reconstructive surgery?  What was the recovery period from radiation until the surgery?  Are you happy?

Thank you

Scottie

Gaby,

I was also diagnosed with breast cancer in August, my birthday month, I have done my mammograms like I was supposed to so the doctors think that we caught it soon enough. My surgery is on Sept 27 and I get more anxious the closer it gets. I am also having both breasts removed. The cancer is just in my left breast, but I decided to have both removed so I don't have to go through this again. I do not know what my treatments will be yet. I was scared at first and thought that I was going to die, but now I just want to help other people. Right now I just want to get it over with.

Dear ladies,

I was feeling down myself today, its been 6 days since my surgery.  And I was feeling like there is a no light at the end of the tunnel.  Thank you Miss Shapen and everyone, we hope we all have life at the end of the tunnel.  Yes, we are in pain and uncomfortable right now, but to know I will live to hold a grandbaby or two comforts me.  Your comments made me cry, I have not really cried since I was diagnosed.  Its ok, it was a happy cry, I know I'm not as alone as I feel.  I do feel I can draw strength from everyone.  I'll know Fri, if there is cancer in my nymth nodes.  I have to keep positive and know it will be ok. 

Hi Sherry11,

After my mammogram and they found a lump, the very next day I was sheduled to meet with the surgeon, and about 1 week later or so I had my biospy, I had to wait 6 days for the results. I have Invasice Ductal Carcinoma. Be patient, you have to jump through a lot of hoops. Its one step at a time. I had surgery lumpectomy not even 2 wks ago, and they said they did not get all the cancer and now I have to have another surgery in less than 2 wks. It's very hard on the nerves when you don't know anything. Hang it there, and hope its not cancer. If it is then you have us. I was diagnosed Sept 4, I'm new and still wondering through this. I have met the nicest kindest people since I was diagnosed with bc. Good Luck to you. Life right now is one pathology report after another. Be patient 

My SO has said a number of very nurturing things.  I told him that he will definitely go to heaven because of his thoughtfullness and support during the last 5 months since my diagnoses.  He said he'd already been there when he first met me.  I know it's corny but I still loved it.

Hi Sherry,

Don't despair - you will get through this awful time.  Thank God there are so many tests because each of them serves a different purpose and some are used to confirm what is found in the others.  For me the waiting was the worst of it also, but now, almost a year and half later, it's just a fading memory.

You have 100's of friends here on this site who have gone through what you will and perhaps even more than you will.  They will be your support and inspiration over the next months.  Your husband is trying his best but he is not the one with breast cancer so it's difficult for him to find the right words. Also, he is probably almost as scared as you are.

This board is full of 1000's of women who might have asked themselves "Why me?"  There is no answer to that question and if you focus on that, you will find it very difficult to move on. 

My guess is that all the stress you are feeling right now is draining you and that's why you feel so tired. It's our body's way of dealing with overwhelming situations.  Once you find out your results and have a plan of action, you won't feel so alone and powerless.  Right now you are in limbo and once you get concrete information, you will feel better (as ridiculous as that may sound, it is true).

Just keep coming to this board and you will find support and understanding.

Let us know the results of your tests.

Maureen

Yes, I agree, it was the hardest thing to deal with and as I told people who said, "well, I cut my hair shorter than yours...." and I said, that was your "choice", it's ok to feel bad about it, I struggled with my self confidence, and it was a loss and it made me sad at times. It's OK, just feel what you feel and you WILL come through this.  I'm just feeling ok about my hair as I have about 5 inches now, I used to have shoulder length hair and people have said I should keep it short, well, I'm growing it out again because it's what I want!  Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Hello Sherry,

I'm so glad you found us.  So sorry you had to.  You are in a really tough place right now.  It will be tough for a few more days.  Next time you talk to your doc, ask him for something to help you sleep at night.  You will need all your strenght to get you thru the next few weeks.  You will have a lot of decisions to make and good rest will be a big help in making those decisions.

The way you feel is perfectly NORMAL!  We have all been there and felt about the same way. 

Please come here as often as you want, say whatever you feel, we'll understand.

Hugs.

I could have written Sheryl's letter except for the husband...My name is Sheri and I will be starting treatment on the 15th of this month, and am scared...I try to be brave but when I am alone I am scared...Now with the new report about one of the drugs (that I having) can cause heart problems...not that I don't have enough to worry about now this...I realize that I was lucky that my breast cancer was caught really early and a good prognosis but that really doesn't help..I am scared...Sheri

Hi! My name is Barb and I am an RN----I have been developing blotches on both my breasts since Sept 1 and now have some sharp stabbing pains.  I went to my GP----she basically blew me off---so I booked an appoitment with a dermatologist for tomorrow.  I am very fearful it is IBC---what should I do if ths doc thinks it's nothing too?  I have read IBC moves fast and furious, and I am quite fearful of dying. As I am sure we all are---unless we are 100 years old...I'll be ready by then.  Thanks for listening. I live in the chicagoland area.

Sherry, Make an appt with the doctor and have him go over the report with you.  You deserve to hear what he has to say, not what the nurse tells you over the phone. 

I'm unclear about what the rads doc said to you--only that it's big.  Most times if you have a cyst, they insert a needle in it and drain it.  That's almost standard practice.  It's so on the next exam it doesn't hide a lump.

You have to become pushy with these medical people--they sorta want to brush us off, and we can't let that happen.  It's our lives on the line. 

If the doc doesn't explain things to your satisfaction, get the films and report and take them to a breast surgeon at a specialty hospital.

good luck and let us know what happens, OK?

A nice thing my daughter said was simply "Mom you have a nice shaped head, you look good with no hair"

This is a bit off topic but I was watching "Criminal Minds" the other night and at the end of the show the main character quoted Eleanor Roosevelt and I felt the quote was meant for me. 

The quote was "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in  the face.  You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

I started to cry.

I am bald and my eyelashes and brows are falling out. One day while using my brow powder, I mentioned to my 20 year old daughter how hard it is to feel attractive while going through chemo.

Last Wednesday was my birthday. My daughter, who has been so wonderful throughout, gave me a really pretty handmade card. Inside, she had glued a magazine picture of a very handsome man, with a word bubble coming from his mouth. Inside the word bubble she wrote "You still look beautiful".

I cried, not because of what she had written, but because I was so proud of the sensitive, caring, kind adult she is turning out to be.