Its back again on the other side

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RJ62
RJ62 Member Posts: 58
edited June 2014 in Second or Third Breast Cancer
Its back again on the other side
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  • RJ62
    RJ62 Member Posts: 58
    edited January 2008

    Well here we go again. I have been free for 7 years almost to the day. I had a mast done in 2000 on the left side with chemo and radiation. (2 out of 5 Nodes were positive)  Now I have the same type of tumor on the right. I am going to have another mast done.(my choice) I have my first consultation with the surgeon in 2 weeks. Then we will go from there I guess. So what can I expect more chemo, radiation? It is invasive ductal carcinoma 1 cm and is not hormone positve. I actually took it pretty good. I have been reading through the posts here and you guys seem like great people. I am going for the flat look with the occasional prosts.  

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  • TenderIsOurMight
    TenderIsOurMight Member Posts: 4,493
    edited March 2008



    So sorry to hear this, RJ62. Bad enough when BC hits the first time and totally unfair when it punches again.



    Just wondering if your surgeon might see you a tad sooner. You know how the OR schedules are, adding sometimes another two weeks from her call for scheduling...



    Did your tumor test HER2 negative also? We have a great triple negative group of ladies and men who have a thread called "triple negative' where you may wish to post any comments too.



    Welcome to the breastcancer.org site and discussion forum. You'll get lots of support from great people.



    All the best to you,

    Tender

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  • catbert4209
    catbert4209 Member Posts: 347
    edited January 2008

    RJ62, so sorry to hear about your new diagnosis.  Hope everything goes well for you!

    Let us know how you're doing, okay!  This is a great site with lots of wonderful courageous women who know what you're going through!  I couldn't do without them.

    Cat 

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  • tos
    tos Member Posts: 376
    edited January 2008

    RJ62 I am so sorry you have to go thru this again.

    I too was diagnosed on the other side last year after 4 1/2 yrs of NED, it's quite a blow.

    Best of luck to you and stay with this board, it will help alot.

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  • RJ62
    RJ62 Member Posts: 58
    edited January 2008

    Thank all for your words of support. My HER2 is also negative. So I guess I can post on the triple neg thread. (Didn't think about that). My surgeon can not see me any sooner since he is only in the office twice a week. I am going to go throught the Henry Ford hospital system and it is a whole team than works together.

    My last experience with this was awful. I supppose I will get in to this later with all my other experiences from last time. I

    Thanks again all. I am glad I found this sight.

    I will keep you all up to date

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  • nosurrender
    nosurrender Member Posts: 2,019
    edited January 2008

    Hi,

    I was in your place a year ago this month. I had my first cancer in 2001, it was triple neg, then five years later I was dx'd with a second cancer in the opposite breast that had switched estrogen receptors and type as well to er+ lobular.

    I think because we have done this before we are better prepared and we know so much more and can call more of the shots than when we were newbies who knew nothing about cancer at all.

    I had a bilateral mast in March and did nine months of chemo and I am in rads now. It was a long year, but it was no where near as bad as the first time I did this.

    The good part is we have new primaries and not something worse like a distant metastasis.

    You can do it! 

    I wish you the best of luck and am sending you good thoughts that everything goes smoothly.

    PM me if you ever want to talk.

    Hugs,

    g 

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  • medical418
    medical418 Member Posts: 7
    edited January 2008

    I am also going with bc AGAIN!  My treatment ended on the left one, spread to the lymph nodes, mastectomy and reconstruction in 2006 plus a year of Herceptin.  8 months later, 9/2007 they found a new cancer (oh boy) again in my right breast.  Life sucks.  I had a mastectomy and reconstruction again.  Hair loss again. Not to mention this time it decided to spread to the bones.  If people think I should be positive, they're nuts. I'm just waiting for it to appear someplace else.

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  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 4,050
    edited January 2008

    It is quite the emotional blow to go from NED to recurrence. I was 5 years out when I recurred in my other breast--a new primary, new type. I was fortunate, though, that I found it early, so I can continue to be a chemo virgin.

    I did go for bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction this time.

    It's humbling experience, in a way, to go from survivor to patient to survivor again. And waiting to see what happens next.

    Anne

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  • CalGal
    CalGal Member Posts: 469
    edited February 2008

    RJ62 -

    Sorry to hear about the new bc in the other breast.

    Have you considered the BRCA test and/or spoken with a genetic counselor?

    When I was first dx'd with bc, I had invasive on one side and DCIS on the other.  Turns out that bi-lat bc is one of the indicators of possibly being BRCA1 or BRCA2 (as well as pre-menopausal bc, fam hist of bc - esp early onset, oc, etc.)  I didn't find that out - or my BRCA1 status until my recurr bc and mets dx, less than a year after bi-lat lump's, SNB and rad'tn.

    A great website for more info on BRCA is FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered at www.facingourrisk.org)

    I'm also a trip neg ... and the medical field has much better options and info for us, even in the last two years.

    CalGal 

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  • nancyluvspink
    nancyluvspink Member Posts: 102
    edited February 2008

    Hi, I am sorry to hear about your new bc.  I first had bc in 2000 on the left, then six years almost to the date, I had a new bc on the right.  And yes, I did have to go through the whole routine again, surgery, chemo and rad.  I was so devastated.  I thought I had won the war and that was in my past, always being proud of being a survivor.  But then you get hit again with it.  I had never imagined that scenario.  It's a shock.  I had genetic testing done and found out I have the BRCA2 gene.  Now I am meeting in March with surgeon to discuss double mastectomy.  Good luck to you and I hope to talk to you again. 

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  • melmedic06
    melmedic06 Member Posts: 96
    edited February 2008

    i too am sorry to hear about your diagnosis- doesn't it just p___ you off to no end to hear those words again? my first go round was october 04 with ILC- lumpectomy- radiation and arimidex then in october of 05 DCIS (other breast) another lumpectomy- more radiation and continue on with the arimidex- i can still remember sitting at the dining room table hearing the radiologist say "i'm so sorry to have to tell you this" i was like what the h___? how can this be? but it was and i got thru it and in august of this year i will be 3 years out but that doesn't make me feel any more confident or comfortable that i will never hear those words again- so come to the boards often for encouragment- we are always here for you-

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  • kssb26
    kssb26 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2008

    Oh man... DX 2/2007 (Happy 40th bday to me), Left BR IDC, Hormone Receptor Positive, Her2 neg --- 2 weeks before moving across country! 2 Boys (1 and 3 at the time).  Lumpectomy w/ setinel node bx (5 days before jumpin' on the plane).  Reexcision 1 week later. Oh by the way, "we need to biopsy the right side for something suspicious." they say. Clip placed and results are neg.

    4/2007 through 7/2007 Chemo (Taxotere, Adri, Cytox) and 4 weeks of Rads. 9/2007 Bilateral Mammo - no findings.

    Daily Tamox. user now. 

    Now - 3 days ago 2/26/2008) - 1 year follow up and there are clustered microcalcs on the right side - right by the F** clip!  The oncs came in to discuss and said, "I'm sorry.  Likely it is a 2nd Primary." ... biopsy scheduled for Tuesday 3/4.  

    With my history, how likely this is really nothing? Because I'm not feelin' the love right now.  I'm prepared to kick this thing again! 

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  • snowyday
    snowyday Member Posts: 1,478
    edited March 2008

    I'm sorry your going through this again. Pearl

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  • jdash
    jdash Member Posts: 754
    edited March 2008

    so sorry to all of my bc friends here going thru 2nd dx

    i understand how difficult it is  - i had first dx at 39 then 2nd dx 10 yrs later.....  wow did that come as a shock and to top it off it was 3B

    now how did that happen in one yr! but after much anger and frustration i pulled myself out of the funk and kicked ass again

    after chemo first- then dbl mast and reconstruction i am  NED for going on 2 yrs  if anyone wants to vent feel free to contact me  

    xoxoxox

    julia

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  • SQK
    SQK Member Posts: 89
    edited March 2008

    I'm joining the club.  First dx was Feb 2006.  Stage I, 1.7 cm, ER+ PR+, HER2-, no nodes.  Used Mammosite for 5 days of radiation.  OncotypeDX score was a 24 -- smack dab in the middle where they don't know how to advise you about having chemo.  I decided no chemo.  Started tamoxifen in April 2006 with virtually no side effects.  Just like you guys, I thought I had put this horrible chapter of my life behind me.  I stayed on the email list for BreastCancer.org, but didn't come to the boards much.  Just didn't want to dwell on it.

    But then I had my mammo in Jan 2008 and it came back abnormal.  Had additional views taken, then an ultrasound, then an MRI.  My doc said  something was "really lighting up" on the MRI.  So I decided, even before I had an official dx, that I was getting double mastecomy.  I just wanted to take as much control of the situation as I could. 

    Had the bilateral mastectomy on Friday, came home yesterday.  BTW, I'm in very little pain thanks to something called an On-Q-PainBuster (www.askyoursurgeon.com).  It's something that delivers a continuous stream of local anesthesia to the wound sites and it's working great.  I haven't needed any pain pills at all.  But now I'm waiting for the test results.  I think I COULD use some pills for the anxiety!

    This has been quite an emotional blow but I'm trying very hard to stay positive, leaning heavily on my Christian faith, my husband/family, and also trying to keep my sense of humor.  Except for when I was pregnant/nursing, I have always been very small breasted -- my running joke was that I was a lifetime member of the "A-Team".  So now instead of having a flat chest with two nipples, I have a flat chest with two zippers!  And I'm definitely planning on reconstruction. Hoping the get a better "set" out of all this!

    I'm meeting with the doc on Tuesday to have the painbuster and my drain removed.  That's when I should get more of the test results so I'll know what I'm dealing with here in Round 2.

    So to my friends out there who are facing this again, hang in there.  We beat it once.  We can beat it again.

    Sue K. 

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  • winggirl2
    winggirl2 Member Posts: 332
    edited March 2008

    RJ62 and SQK -  So sorry to hear about your second BC DX. You will gain lots of insight from this forum.

    RJ62 - If you would like to "hang out" with some MI friends come join us on the MI Get Together site. We have a great bunch of wonderful ladies there. We are planning a get together soon. We also have a team that is forming for the Komen walk at Detroit in May.

    You don't have to be from MI we love to have vistors from any state. We welcome all with open arms.

    Hope to hear from you.

    WingGirl

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