second time around....too soon

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lemonpie
lemonpie Member Posts: 183
edited June 2014 in Second or Third Breast Cancer
second time around....too soon
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  • lemonpie
    lemonpie Member Posts: 183
    edited April 2008

    I have just been diagnosed AGAIN with breast cancer... First time I had a very large tumor (8.5cm) with positive nodes,trip neg, took 6 rounds of TAC, this time no tumor can be found in the breast but cancer cells are in one lymph node. I start 12 weekly doses of Taxol this week and I'm really scared.  My last chemo for the first cancer was August 2, 2007 and although I did not have any major problems during that nightmare, I'm really worried about this.  Physically, I feel pretty good but I have some lingering leg & ankle pain and I'm scared that my body is just not going to be able to go thru chemo again.

    Has anyone had to go thru a second chemo so soon after the first? 

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



    I haven't had to do this, yet wish to wish you strength and know our compassion for your circumstances.



    I did have Docetaxol. Will you be getting the nabTaxol, or regular Taxol?



    Did the lymph node show up on the same side, and allow a biopsy to check HER status?



    Regardless, you're in my thoughts and hopes for great results and not to hard a treatment course.



    Sincerely,

    Tender

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  • LUVmy2girlZ
    LUVmy2girlZ Member Posts: 2,394
    edited April 2008

    mmc ~

    I am so so sorry to hear yet, another battle !  I JUST read a thread and commented on  "Round Two"  created by Smithlme she too has just been diagnosed with DCIS in her breast just 7 months after her Stage II...you may want to PM her or "connect".   Have you found out your results ....did you have a Needle Biopsy ?

    Its disheartening to hear such news...I HOPE that this one is caught early as well !?  You can SURVIVE this...you been through it before you CAN do it again !  I know, this ....sucks!  I've said it...but there is no other way to put it !Undecided

    Keep us posted !!!  BEST of wishes for you mmc ~

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  • lastminuteD
    lastminuteD Member Posts: 333
    edited April 2008

    saying a prayer for you mmc and sending lots of hugs your way!

    Dawn

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  • lemonpie
    lemonpie Member Posts: 183
    edited April 2008

    This new cancer is on the opposite side.  I went for my first 3 month check up and had a mammogram which showed 2 small areas in my breast and the inflammed lymph node. Had all areas biopsied and the breast areas came back B9 but the lymph node..  positive for breast cancer.  My first cancer was trip neg so the doc does not think it is related to that one but is a new primary, which I guess is better news than not.... anyway... at this point I dont know any of the specifics (and not sure I want to) but I will start paclitaxel this Saturday, once a week for 12 weeks.  Please pray for me... I am really scared.  Thanks

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2008

    I wish the best for you MMC.

    I have #8 of weekly Taxol this week. I think I am pretty lucky with it, but the only side effects I've had are some ankle/feet/leg swelling, slight anemia, and slightly low WBCs. The anemia makes me a little winded when I exercise. My nose is still a bit "clotty" as it was with AC.

    Hopefully this Taxol will knock out the new primary. Weekly regimen is pretty tolerable compared to the stronger 2-3 week regimens. 

    I'm not a second or third bc, but just thought you might want to hear my weekly Taxol experience ... 

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  • twink
    twink Member Posts: 1,574
    edited April 2008

    Hi mmc.  I haven't seen you around for awhile and now you're here with this lousy news.  You're right, better a new primary.  I don't have any words of advice but you know the drill.  Be confident that you will get through this.  Take good care of yourself during treatment. 

    t

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  • wishiwere
    wishiwere Member Posts: 3,793
    edited April 2008

    MMC, so danged sorry you are going through this again!  And especially so, so soon after finishing tx.  I know what you were feeling as I went through the scare of more lumps myself a couple months after tx, but fortunately they said it was B9 changes. 

    I wish you could have had the same results. :(  Please know you are in my prayers and thoughts as you travel this road yet again.  It's just not fair, first, second or repeated rounds of this! :(  {{Hugs}}

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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited April 2008

    One of the ladies in my original chemo group(chumfry) had triple neg disease too. Within a year of finishing she was diagnosed with the second BC and had her second mastectomy. She just finished her recon and is pleased with it all. She found the second time around a litlle better only bc she was a ware of most of the se and knew that she would feel much better in the end.

    She is doing well. Hope you do too!

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  • lemonpie
    lemonpie Member Posts: 183
    edited April 2008

    Thanks to all for your support.... I'm at the point that I just dont know what else to say about it.  I have worried myself sick for over a month now and I feel like I'm living someone else's life....weird I know....  I hope to continue to work... I have to work to maintain insurance so I ask again to please keep me in your prayers.  Thanks again.mmc

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  • AlaskaDeb
    AlaskaDeb Member Posts: 2,601
    edited April 2008

    Hugs and prayers headed your way....

    Deb C

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2008

    ((((((HUGS))))))) and prayers........your in my thoughts.

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  • smithlme
    smithlme Member Posts: 1,322
    edited April 2008

    MMC,

    I can completely understand how you feel. I was diagnosed March 28, 2007 with IDC. I chose at that time to have a Mastectomy on my left side. That Cancer was a triple negative. I had 4 rounds DD AC followed by 4 rounds DD Taxol, which ended August 16. On January 28, 2008 I had TRAM flap recon which failed. The muscle had to be amputated and the flap removed. On March 19, 2008 I had my first post Mastectomy. I was called back for another mammo and a biopsy. On March 31 I was diagnosed with DCIS in the right breast. This Cancer is a new primary and is ER+ and PR-. I have chosen another Mastectomy and my surgery is April 22.

    I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this so soon. I wonder if I had this the first time and it was too small to detect? I wonder if the chemo kept it from growing but now that chemo's over it's growing again? All I know is that I want it out of me. Once again, my body has failed me and I need to take what little control I have, over this Cancer.

    My prayers and positive thoughts are with you, my dear sister. Once is bad enough. The second time is our worse nightmare. Stay strong and keep in touch...

    Linda

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  • danix5
    danix5 Member Posts: 755
    edited April 2008

    Do you all feel that just doing bilateral in the first place is best?  That is just what I did to avoid a second time around?

    I am happy I made that decision I just know it is such a personal decision some ladies want to keep their good side.  To me just to much risk.  I had many many tumors only two were atypical and I only had DCIS but I did not want to gamble.

    Just wondering?

    Dani

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  • smithlme
    smithlme Member Posts: 1,322
    edited April 2008

    Dani,

    I wanted a bilateral the first time but my surgeon said that he didn't think it was necessary. I kick myself that I wasn't a stronger person at that time to insist upon it. YES, for me I should have had it done. I wouldn't be going through this again. Hindsight is 20/20...

    Linda

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  • danix5
    danix5 Member Posts: 755
    edited April 2008

    I am sooo sorry!  Yeah we all wish we could have that crystal ball!!!

    Dani

    PS( you do help me confirm my feelings that I made the right choice.  Thank You)

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  • twink
    twink Member Posts: 1,574
    edited April 2008

    Dani,  I'm sure we all second guess our treatment decisions, whether the type of surgery, the type of chemo, radiation or not, etc.  The risk of developing a contralateral second primary is pretty low (almost negligible) unless there's a hereditary factor involved. 

    To some extent many of us are looking for reassurance that our decisions were sound.  We do that through discussion and observation.  I think we also tend to compare our own situation with that of our BC sisters.  Did she do that same chemo regime?  Did she opt out of chemo?  Did she do rads?  What stage was she?  Despite doing exactly the same thing that I chose to do she had a recurrence or a new primary. 

    I made the same decision that you did... a bilateral mastectomy.  Do I feel any more secure that the cancer won't recur or that I won't develop a new primary?  Not really.  Intellectually, I do know that I have not substantially reduced my risk of recurrence. If I was Stage 0 at Dx or if I'd gone for a PBM, I might feel a little more confident I suppose.  If... if.... if.... At the end of the day, this disease is a crap shoot.

    My heart goes out to the women who so quickly after their first Dx have to deal with another, whether new primary or recurrence.  I know they're probably wondering what they could've done to avoid the 2nd Dx but, we're all gambling to some extent, and there is no definitive answer to that question.  There are women on these boards who do more than might be deemed necessary yet experience a second Dx.  There are women who don't seem to have done as much as current protocol suggests and are NED for a very long time (forever?).

    I'm sorry for rambling.  I just wanted to register my thoughts on this worrisome topic and, more importantly, reassure mmc and smithlme, and others, that I don't think there's any point in trying to pin the second Dx on something that you did or didn't do.  If we knew the answers to these questions we'd all be cured.

    Hugs girls.  Cancer sucks.

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  • danix5
    danix5 Member Posts: 755
    edited April 2008

    Twink- you did not ramble and I hope I did not offend by my question!  By NO MEANS do I want to make these ladies feel worse!

    Perhaps I should not have posted the question.  I was just wondering as you say, we all go through second quessing.  I do feel very confident in my decision it was the best for me! 

    I wish I did not come across that I was second quessing my surgeryor judging other's decisions.  I was not!

    I have a friend that had unilateral done 11yrs ago, this topic has been a discussion she and I have been having lately.  We had very similar BOOB problems through the years and then she had a stage 1 and many years later I had Stage 0.  I did bilateral she unilateral, she did not do nipple and I am, she wants to now and wishes she had done implants instead.  Our other close friend and I have tried to tell her that she made the best choices at the time and she reflects and tells us no the dr's made her decisions not her.  She is angry at this point.

    I feel very bad for my friend, Anna she seems to be going through alot of second quessing lately.  My BC has seemed to me to bring it  all back into the fore front for her.

    It was just a question, sorry if I hurt anyone!

    Dani

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  • smithlme
    smithlme Member Posts: 1,322
    edited April 2008

    Dani,

    No problems with me! I'm glad you stuck to your decision and are happy with it. I wish I had of had the guts to stick to mine...

    Linda

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  • danix5
    danix5 Member Posts: 755
    edited April 2008

    Thanks Linda! 

     I guess I should have mentioned that Anna is feeling that she should have done both and now regrets it, even though she has not had a new cancer in her good side.  That is what inspired me to ask about this.

    She has had some medical concerns lately.  I believe that is why she is having such a hard time.  She is literally scared to death she has a new cancer.  But has not gone to get her mammo.  She is 4-6 months late in doing her testing.

    Myself and our mutual friend Sue are very frustrated with her.  She should obviously know how important it is to catch things early.  She is letting her fear drive her decisions.  Wishing she had just dealt with it by doing both years ago.  I do not see how my reconstruction looks better than hers.  She did tram and I think it looks great!!  She is a very hot headed latino!! LOL!!  We love her, but man she is so stubborn.  Driving her husband nuts with Daniella's looks soooo much better.   He has even told her enough talking about Daniella's boobs it is 11yrs in new technology!  Really I do not know why she is sooo focused on my new crap journey.  She makes comments sometimes like I am so lucky and she was not.  I do not see that this is not lucky by anymeans not to me! We are both here and it is no competition for who had it harder or looks worse with their bc. 
    I would rather have my old boobs back and never had this "great reconstruction"!

    I am worried about her and her not getting her test done.  Do any of you have a situation like this old bc friend, vs new bc friend.  Hate to call it that but sometimes she just goes on and on!  KINDA like me right now!!! LOL!

    She wants to go with me to my ps to see about adding nipple.  I told her I would be happy to take her to one of my appts to meet DR.

    But sometimes I feel it would be better for me to say no you need to do this on your own.  I can't say that because I do not want to hurt her feelings.  I do think maybe she will feel better if she gets nipple.

    It was not important to her and now some how it is!  BTW I do not have nipples on this great recon!!!!

    Thanks for listening and your post Linda!

    Daniella

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  • mason204
    mason204 Member Posts: 570
    edited April 2008

    After receiving chemo in 2003/2004, all tests showed clear for cancer.  I also did TAC the first time.  I insisted on a mastectomy and the pathology found microscopic cells in the breast which surprised everyone.  I started chemo again in 2004. 

    I got through it, it wasn't nearly as extreme as the first time I went through chemo - TAC (I did all 3 at the same time, it's pretty difficult, to put it mildly).  My body was physically "worn out" after the first time and I didn't know if I'd survive another bout with chemo.

    Hang in there.  Contact me if you want to talk.

    Cheryl in Toronto

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  • lemonpie
    lemonpie Member Posts: 183
    edited April 2008

    Wow..It is so good to hear from everyone. I also wanted both breast removed at the time of my surgery but my surgeon insisted the risk of recurrance was so small that she couldn't justify removing it. Initially, after the recurrance, I was so mad at myself for not being stronger and insisting on a bilateral but then I got to thinking that my second cancer was detected in a lymph node thru a mammogram so perhaps had I had that breast removed this cancer would not have been detected so soon.  Who knows...I agree with Twink at the end of the day this disease is a crap shoot.... but I will fight... and to Cheryl from Toronto... your story gives me hope that I too will come out of this again and Smithlme (Linda) our situation is very similar.  It is so very discourging to have this happen again...I will be praying for you and all the ladies here... Again thanks to everyone for your encourging words and prayers.  It helps so much.

    Mary

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