CAT Scan
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Hi all:
All I can say, hold on, put your seat belt on, keep your hands on and sit down, the roller coaster is starting.
I was dianosed 12/14/07 with triple negative breast cancer in my left breast. I have already had an MRI. My chest x-ray showed a spot in the right, lower, lobe of my lung. I had an CAT Scan but it was not able to identify what the spot is. My surgeon is sending me to an oncologist for a PET Scan, Bone Scan for her opinion.
The surgeon did say it would be very unusual for this spot to be cancer, she'd expect to see more than one spot if it was cancer. I did have a chest x-ray in Oct. of 2003 and the spot was not there.
Anyone have any opinions? I was scheduled to have a lumpectomy on 1/7, but now that is cancelled. Now, I am wondering if I should just have a mastectomy so I don't have to worry all of the time. I am the Worry Wort of Macomb County, MI. My daughter used to tell her school friends, "Oh, you don't have to worry about that, just tell my mom and she'll worry for you." Get the picture? And, I cry at store openings, so I am a mess.
The surgeon still says she can do a lumpectomy because I am bodacious and she says that there is a lot to work with. But with a 4.6cm tumor, and this damn spot on my lung, I am falling apart and think that maybe I should just have the mastectomy and be over with the entire mess.
Any suggestions? I am most interested in anyone that has any information about the spot on my lung. I feel hopeful because the Dr. said it would be very unusual for it to be cancer.
Thanks
Cookie
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Here is a web site everyone needs to see. It is so positive and full of information on triple negative.
http://www.y-me.org/coping/me_concerns/am_i_going_to_die.php
I was so excited yesterday after reading it but then I got knocked down when seeing the surgeon today, with the spot on my lung.
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Hi Cookie,
I like your opening and you are very right about this roller coaster! I was dx 8/07 a few weeks after my 27th birthday and I could barely keep it together. This website and the support you find here will help you through this.
As far as the spot your lungs...keep faith until you know for sure. After I was dx I had a CT scan that showed two spots on my lungs. They were 2mm and 3mm, one on each side and were ruled as being below PET scan resolution. They could not tell what they were either so cancer could not be ruled out. They were small and I opted not for a biopsy but to wait for a 3 month follow up. In the mean time I started neo adjuvant chemo and tried to stay positive. I just had my 3 month up follow up and the results came back that they were exactly the same...thus ruled as not cancer and probably post infection scarring. So, I know how you feel with the not knowing, but you will make it through this tough time. Whatever the results, you will receive much support and information on this site.
Sending support and hugs all the way to Macomb County, MI.
Natalie
P.S. I also posted when I was worrying about the spots on my lungs and several ladies pm'd me with similar stories and the spots not being cancer. Hang in there!
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Hey Cookie,
I just posted on another board about my CT scan. Mine shows a 1.7 mass. I go to onc next week to probably get further tested. I got responses to my post from women saying it is probably scarring or residue from when I had bronchitis.
Don't freak out! I know you are a worrier, but try not to make yourself nuts.
I think it's time for you to buy a new vowel and go from worrier to warrier!
Hang in there,
Watson
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Thanks for the positive feedback. My oncologist was excellent with me yesterday. She said, "first we have to take care of you and make you feel normal, so here's a script for xanax and ambien" I was amazed just one xanax worked in less than 1 hour and I do feel like I am back to normal.
I asked her about the physcian to physcian treatment consultation with MD Anderson and she said she worked there and just left them a year ago. That she is still affiliated with MD Anderson, has a grant and knows everyone in the breast cancer department, so she talks to them all of the time.
She is going to use doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide with paclitaxel (Adriamycin and Cytoan), I think I heard her right, 3-6 months. I'll have radiation too. I failed to ask if I'd get chemo before and after surgery. Along with a script for kytnil, pnenergan and darvon. Whatever all this means. I was so distrought that I could barely talk.
I had mentioned some things I saw online and she said that a lot of it hasn't been used long term and there is no stats on any of it that it actually works.
She is willing to work with me with whatever I want, i.e., I'd like to get this under control here and go to be with our friends in AZ for a month or so, then come back here for follow-up, then go back to MI, have treatments there but have her and the other DR.s here in TX my primary doctors even it means flying here once a month. She didn't say that was impossible. I just feel I need to be around my friends, we are all so close and even if I were home, they'd all be right there by my side. They'd also make life easier for my husband.
Does anyone have suggestions for during chemo and radiation. Creams, salves, soap, clothing, etc.?
Fondly,
Cookie
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Cookie,
The chemo regimen is (was typical)... AC and T (for Taxol or Taxotere). I had both early last year. The treatments were two weeks apart (called dose dense). There's new information on the A part of AC that you might want to research a bit. I think there's a trend to replace the A with something else. I'd suggest you join up with one of the chemo groups here and benefit from the support of women going through the same stage of treatment. Also, there's a ton of information about coping with chemo but until you know how you're going to react it's just theory. Everybody is so different... some breeze through and others have a very tough time. As for traveling to treatment, I'd say that would depend on how you do with chemotherapy. Radiation will likely follow surgery.
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Twink - I am not computer literate - I don't know how to get to one of the chemo groups. I only know how to go into my site and put info there so I don't know if anyone else even sees what I post.
I have always picked up my granddaughter (7) from school, as long as we've been here. I realize that I won't be able to get her every day and may not feel like it but I got a devistating e-mail yesterday from my daughter and son-in-law; it was in response to me telling them to tell Sarah I won't be picking her up on Wed because of my oncologist appt. There response was "we'll be picking Sarah up from school from now on." Could be me and my hormones, probably is, but this is the first time that I am crying and devistated, I feel that I will still be able to do still do this, if not every day, some times and maybe on Fridays so she can take the bus home so she can play. Her parents won't pick her up until 5:30 - maybe even 6:30, whereas I get her at 4:30. I just feel this is more stress for me, of course they haven't told her anything about this yet, my son-in-law, God love him, he is a dear, doesn't think she needs to know anything. Guess I'm just venting. I see no reason that telling her that there are these two "guys" in my body fighting and we need to get them out and clean up the mess they left, so I'll be tired, lose my hair because of the medicine to get rid of these bastards and then we'll move on.
Thanks for listening. I go for my PET Scan today, why do they do a PET Scan and a Bone Scan both? I see the oncologist on Wed. Looking for a wig today.
God Bless you y friend
Cookie
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Hi Cookie,
I wonder if your daughter was just trying to help you. She may have wanted to take one thing off of your plate since you are going to have new things to do.
You may find that you can still pick up your grand daughter. I had to drive back to my clinic for an injection the day after treatment and I was fine to do that. Usually for me, the day after the injection I would feel chilled and wanting to rest. I had my treatments on Thursdays and I would go back to work on Tuesday. I was on a three week schedule. I worked through it all.
I know it is a personal decision to decide when and what to tell your grand daughter. You might consider that she is over hearing some conversations. Children can imagine much worse outcomes if they are not given real information. I always take the child's lead. If they feel there is an openness to talk about you feeling ill, they will guide you to the information they need. Most children wonder first about how it is going to impact them.
Kids are great about hair loss. They often think it is cool.T hey are interested in how it feels and might mention you look different. The American Cancer Society has a brochure on talking to family members and children about cancer. Your doctor probably has some copies.
Wishing you an easy time today.
Sadie
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Oh Cookie... here's a big hug... I know this is so very hard. Here's a few ideas to bounce around.
1. Talk to your daughter, tell her that if you feel up to it, you'd really like to pick Sarah up. Tell her it will make you feel better, not worse to still have the time with your granddaughter.
2. Play it by ear, until you get into treatment you won't know exactly how you're going to react. Some do very well and others just slug through chemo. Once you know which days are good for you, see if the Sarah pick up routine can continue those days. (By the way, my 18 y.o. daughter is named Sarah -- I love the name).
3. Another woman (apologies, I can't remember who) posted that she'd told her young children that she was going to be taking some medicine because she was sick. Losing her hair would be a sign that the medicine was working. Kids are amazingly resilient and accepting. I'm sure Sarah loves you dearly and will be a great comfort to you during this difficult time. Tell her enough so that it makes sense but not so much as to scare her unnecessarily.
As for the PET and CT scan... one checks what's going on biochemically, at the cellular level (that's the PET) and the other checks your organs and bones using x-rays (but it's much more detailed than a regular x-ray). These two scans will show the docs whether there's any abnormal cell activity and exactly where it is. The tests aren't bad, no pain, and pretty quick. You'll do fine Cookie. I can tell you're a trouper.
I'll post the link to the January Chemo crowd so that you can just click on it and be there. Kinda like Dorothy and Kansas... right?
Hang in there Cookie. I'm thinking about you.
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Here's the link to the January 2008 chemo group Cookie:
http://community.breastcancer.org/topic/69/conversation/696709?page=4#idx_91
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