Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Dan Murphy]

Hi everyone! New to posting on this part of the board. I'm in the waiting phase at the moment. Waiting for Oncotype DX results. I'm so clueless about breast cancer and treatment. My biopsy, Aug 15, showed non-invasive cells. But the pathology from the lumpectomy, Aug 30, for DCIS shows invasive cancer. The surgeon said this was the first time in 2 years she's seen the pathology report from surgery come back different from the biopsy.

Good to see you made it here, LTT. 's You won't find a better, nicer group of people to discuss, share, vent, chill out with. And again, prayers and good wishes follow you, LTT.

 

[lovethattink]

Good to see you made it here, LTT. 's You won't find a better, nicer group of people to discuss, share, vent, chill out with. And again, prayers and good wishes follow you, LTT.

Thank you! And thanks for the link.

 

[rajak73]

Hi everyone! New to posting on this part of the board. I'm in the waiting phase at the moment. Waiting for Oncotype DX results. I'm so clueless about breast cancer and treatment. My biopsy, Aug 15, showed non-invasive cells. But the pathology from the lumpectomy, Aug 30, for DCIS shows invasive cancer. The surgeon said this was the first time in 2 years she's seen the pathology report from surgery come back different from the biopsy.

We were also clueless but the doctors and assistance is great. We know a lot more now than when the biopsy was done. The waiting is hard, when DW had biopsy, we didn't worry about it because there is no history of breast cancer in her family, took us by surprise when biopsy showed non-invasive cells. Stay strong, they have so many new innovations now, a lot is curable 100%.
Now update on my DW, she had the second surgery last Thursday morning, got a call yesterday from the nurse assistant, her margins were clear! Yeah, no more surgery, just now waiting to heal and then see the radiologist at end of month.

 

[JamesMom]

Well, I guess I can post in another forum here at the DIS. Just stumbled across this one and, unfortunately, I fit. I was diagnosed on 7/26/16 after feeling a lump that the mammo missed. I started chemo (TCHP as I am HER+) on 8/29/16 followed by surgery (hopefully lumpectomy) and radiation. My kids are handling it well especially since their grandfather died of colon cancer 32 days before my dx (and only 11 days he was officially dx). My hair is started to shed today. I already cut my waist length braid short, but will probably need to shave it later this week. Treatment 2 is a week from today. So far, I have been handling it ok - some bathroom issues and everything has a bitter aftertaste, esp. bread products. Other than that I am still homeschooling my now 6th and 8th grade boys living life. Thanks for reading.

 

[lovethattink]

We were also clueless but the doctors and assistance is great. We know a lot more now than when the biopsy was done. The waiting is hard, when DW had biopsy, we didn't worry about it because there is no history of breast cancer in her family, took us by surprise when biopsy showed non-invasive cells. Stay strong, they have so many new innovations now, a lot is curable 100%.
Now update on my DW, she had the second surgery last Thursday morning, got a call yesterday from the nurse assistant, her margins were clear! Yeah, no more surgery, just now waiting to heal and then see the radiologist at end of month.

Yay for clear margins!

Mine were clear too.

The only twist to the plot was that the biopsy 2 weeks previously said non-invasive and the pathology from the lumpectomy said invasive. The tumor size also varied from mammogram/US/MRI. It was a bit bigger which bumped me up a stage.

And now requires my lymph nodes to be looked at even though the other tests showed nothing. Waiting on genotype dx to see if they need to put in a chemo port at the same time they do the lymph nodes.

Noticed pain yesterday. Redness today looks like I have an infection. The surgeon wrote for antibiotics today. I go back Wednesday if no improvement.

Well, I guess I can post in another forum here at the DIS. Just stumbled across this one and, unfortunately, I fit. I was diagnosed on 7/26/16 after feeling a lump that the mammo missed. I started chemo (TCHP as I am HER+) on 8/29/16 followed by surgery (hopefully lumpectomy) and radiation. My kids are handling it well especially since their grandfather died of colon cancer 32 days before my dx (and only 11 days he was officially dx). My hair is started to shed today. I already cut my waist length braid short, but will probably need to shave it later this week. Treatment 2 is a week from today. So far, I have been handling it ok - some bathroom issues and everything has a bitter aftertaste, esp. bread products. Other than that I am still homeschooling my now 6th and 8th grade boys living life. Thanks for reading.

We homeschool too! My dh has really started pitching in there. For 2 weeks after surgery, I had no voice from the intubation. Do you have a support group for homeschooling?

So sorry about their grandfather.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Well, I guess I can post in another forum here at the DIS. Just stumbled across this one and, unfortunately, I fit. I was diagnosed on 7/26/16 after feeling a lump that the mammo missed. I started chemo (TCHP as I am HER+) on 8/29/16 followed by surgery (hopefully lumpectomy) and radiation. My kids are handling it well especially since their grandfather died of colon cancer 32 days before my dx (and only 11 days he was officially dx). My hair is started to shed today. I already cut my waist length braid short, but will probably need to shave it later this week. Treatment 2 is a week from today. So far, I have been handling it ok - some bathroom issues and everything has a bitter aftertaste, esp. bread products. Other than that I am still homeschooling my now 6th and 8th grade boys living life. Thanks for reading.

Welcome. Glad you found us, too. We're here anytime!

 

[rajak73]

The tumor size also varied from mammogram/US/MRI. It was a bit bigger which bumped me up a stage.

DW never really had a tumor, just cells in the duct. I'm still baffled that they could see that on a mammogram.

And now requires my lymph nodes to be looked at even though the other tests showed nothing

When they did her lumpectomy they injected radioactive dye in the duct to find the lymph node because they wanted to look at it. The lymph node was clear so cells hadn't started to migrate yet because it was caught that early.

 

[robinb]

Well, I guess I can post in another forum here at the DIS. Just stumbled across this one and, unfortunately, I fit. I was diagnosed on 7/26/16 after feeling a lump that the mammo missed. I started chemo (TCHP as I am HER+) on 8/29/16 followed by surgery (hopefully lumpectomy) and radiation. My kids are handling it well especially since their grandfather died of colon cancer 32 days before my dx (and only 11 days he was officially dx). My hair is started to shed today. I already cut my waist length braid short, but will probably need to shave it later this week. Treatment 2 is a week from today. So far, I have been handling it ok - some bathroom issues and everything has a bitter aftertaste, esp. bread products. Other than that I am still homeschooling my now 6th and 8th grade boys living life. Thanks for reading.

I'm sorry to hear that the mammo missed a lump. Is it fast growing? Chemo sucks . I admire anyone who has to go through it. You are a rock star and we are here for you {{hugs}}.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

One of my friends that I met during my cancer journey had a 7cm (yes, seven - like an egg!) tumor pop up almost literally overnight. It grew that aggressively and fast. She, too, did chemo first to shrink the tumor before having surgery. (And she had a lumpectomy!) She'd had her cancer at least a couple of years before me, and mine was 13 years ago, so probably fifteen years, and she's still doing great! (Sharing this because I always liked hearing the "good" stories.) They never even knew if she was node positive or not because they got her into chemo right away. She said it was so scary. And she had four little ones at home at the time, too.

 

[lovethattink]

DW never really had a tumor, just cells in the duct. I'm still baffled that they could see that on a mammogram.


When they did her lumpectomy they injected radioactive dye in the duct to find the lymph node because they wanted to look at it. The lymph node was clear so cells hadn't started to migrate yet because it was caught that early.

That's great! And what we're hoping. But now we're working backwards. Had the lumpectomy. But only now are they doing the radioactive dye?

 

[rajak73]

That's great! And what we're hoping. But now we're working backwards. Had the lumpectomy. But only now are they doing the radioactive dye?

Hoping and praying everything works out great for you too, DW was non-invasive too, the surgeon wanted to take the sentinel node from the duct just to make sure there were no cells in that. Thank god there wasn't, it was clear. Please keep us posted with your progress and hugs to you.

 

[lovethattink]

Hoping and praying everything works out great for you too, DW was non-invasive too, the surgeon wanted to take the sentinel node from the duct just to make sure there were no cells in that. Thank god there wasn't, it was clear. Please keep us posted with your progress and hugs to you.

Whew! I'm sure that was a relief.

Mine turned out to be invasive and the biopsy somehow was wrong. Was quite shocked last Wednesday at my appointment when the surgeon told me to put away my question sheet, because we have to come up with a new plan of action now.

 

[smiley_face2]

My maternal grandmother was from Nova Scotia. She spoke French fluently. A cousin on that side recently did a search on Ancestry.com, and he hooked up with another distant relation who had traced the roots all the way back to France, which I never realized went back that far (but it totally makes sense now). That grandmother was one of the strongest ladies, and had one of the most difficult lives, I've ever known. She lost her husband smack in the middle of the depression, leaving her to raise seven kids alone. When I think of how few modern conveniences they had back then, I'm amazed she managed to see them all through. She was as strong as an ox!

That is so neat! So they were Acadian! such a rich amazing culture! our youngest daughters new beau, is Acadian! It was 1928 when my gramma lost her husband, so also survived the depression on that farm with the kids. My youngest daughter is so much like my mom, was named after her too. She is the one who took a leave from work when our son died, and moved in with our daughter in law and looked after the 4 kids aged 1 through 7 while dil was falling apart. she was only 22 at the time, and she did an amazing job! We had a huge load of firewood delivered today for winter, we got a lot moved, and I was feeling very pioneer womanish working away outside! I even put a plaid shirt on for the job! Lol!!
We have cancelled plans to travel south this winter again. Our dollar is still so weak! We are off to wine country here in BC this weekend, I posted pictures of it a while back. The Okanagan valley, we will pretend we are in California! lol.... we are staying at a resort/winery/vineyard called Nkmip (First Nations) and will also be staying in manning provincial park in the mountains on the way home. For our anniversary in December we will be going to Victoria BC and pretending we are in England! lol! We will have high tea at the Empress, and enjoy all the Christmas decorations. Butchart Gardens is all lit up with a huge light display and they have Victorian carollers and also serve Tea. and then we will take a trip to Whistler and enjoy the apres ski scene, I am not in shape to ski anymore!! and ride the Peak to Peak gondola. so a few shorter trips, which I like the idea of rather than a lot of travelling over 3 weeks. Things are so nice and calm and quiet right now for us, (knock on wood) I pray it can stay this way for a while!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yay for clear margins!

Mine were clear too.

The only twist to the plot was that the biopsy 2 weeks previously said non-invasive and the pathology from the lumpectomy said invasive. The tumor size also varied from mammogram/US/MRI. It was a bit bigger which bumped me up a stage.

And now requires my lymph nodes to be looked at even though the other tests showed nothing. Waiting on genotype dx to see if they need to put in a chemo port at the same time they do the lymph nodes.

Noticed pain yesterday. Redness today looks like I have an infection. The surgeon wrote for antibiotics today. I go back Wednesday if no improvement.



We homeschool too! My dh has really started pitching in there. For 2 weeks after surgery, I had no voice from the intubation. Do you have a support group for homeschooling?

So sorry about their grandfather.

Whew! I'm sure that was a relief.

Mine turned out to be invasive and the biopsy somehow was wrong. Was quite shocked last Wednesday at my appointment when the surgeon told me to put away my question sheet, because we have to come up with a new plan of action now.

What kind of biopsy did you have? Needle core? Because with NC even though they take samples from different sites, if it's only a small area of invasive tissue (which I believe happened with one of our regular posters, Snappy, who lives in Louisiana and hasn't been posting much since the storms down there) then it might not have been one of the areas sampled. As opposed to when they do the surgery, then send ALL the tissue to pathology - that's when they can find even a small area. That's one thing that can happen, anyway. The good thing about looking at all the tissue is at least you don't miss anything and potentially under treat.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That is so neat! So they were Acadian! such a rich amazing culture! our youngest daughters new beau, is Acadian! It was 1928 when my gramma lost her husband, so also survived the depression on that farm with the kids. My youngest daughter is so much like my mom, was named after her too. She is the one who took a leave from work when our son died, and moved in with our daughter in law and looked after the 4 kids aged 1 through 7 while dil was falling apart. she was only 22 at the time, and she did an amazing job! We had a huge load of firewood delivered today for winter, we got a lot moved, and I was feeling very pioneer womanish working away outside! I even put a plaid shirt on for the job! Lol!!

Oh wow, that is not a term I'm familiar with! I will have to look it up and ask my mother about it! Thanks!

We have cancelled plans to travel south this winter again. Our dollar is still so weak! We are off to wine country here in BC this weekend, I posted pictures of it a while back. The Okanagan valley, we will pretend we are in California! lol.... we are staying at a resort/winery/vineyard called Nkmip (First Nations) and will also be staying in manning provincial park in the mountains on the way home. For our anniversary in December we will be going to Victoria BC and pretending we are in England! lol! We will have high tea at the Empress, and enjoy all the Christmas decorations. Butchart Gardens is all lit up with a huge light display and they have Victorian carollers and also serve Tea. and then we will take a trip to Whistler and enjoy the apres ski scene, I am not in shape to ski anymore!! and ride the Peak to Peak gondola. so a few shorter trips, which I like the idea of rather than a lot of travelling over 3 weeks. Things are so nice and calm and quiet right now for us, (knock on wood) I pray it can stay this way for a while!

Sounds lovely. You always seem to have a wonderful time no matter where you go!

 

[smiley_face2]

Well, I guess I can post in another forum here at the DIS. Just stumbled across this one and, unfortunately, I fit. I was diagnosed on 7/26/16 after feeling a lump that the mammo missed. I started chemo (TCHP as I am HER+) on 8/29/16 followed by surgery (hopefully lumpectomy) and radiation. My kids are handling it well especially since their grandfather died of colon cancer 32 days before my dx (and only 11 days he was officially dx). My hair is started to shed today. I already cut my waist length braid short, but will probably need to shave it later this week. Treatment 2 is a week from today. So far, I have been handling it ok - some bathroom issues and everything has a bitter aftertaste, esp. bread products. Other than that I am still homeschooling my now 6th and 8th grade boys living life. Thanks for reading.

I am so sorry you have to go through this. It is so unfair that anyone as young as you, and children have to go through this horrible illness! I felt so much worse for my husband, my children and grand children, than I did for myself going through it all. I had long blonde hair which I lost, and it grew back in absolutely pure white and curly! it has changed back somewhat but not completely. It's been just over 5 years since the end of my treatment, 6 years since my diagnosis. I was always a very quiet person, never asked for help for anything, and I figured that out after a while, to tell the nurses and doctors what was going on and ask for help! There is a lot they can do to alleviate symptoms! There was long period of time when the only thing I could tolerate was carnation vanilla instant breakfast. After all the chemo was done, before I had to start radiation, hubby and I went on a roadtrip through California to Disneyland. I literally ate my way through everywhere we went! lol! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, and don't be afraid to ask anything here! chances are one of us has had some experience with what ever it is! Oh and my biggest thing I advise!...stay off of Google! most things that come up when you search are the absolute worst case things and do nothing to help you sleep!

 

[lovethattink]

What kind of biopsy did you have? Needle core? Because with NC even though they take samples from different sites, if it's only a small area of invasive tissue (which I believe happened with one of our regular posters, Snappy, who lives in Louisiana and hasn't been posting much since the storms down there) then it might not have been one of the areas sampled. As opposed to when they do the surgery, then send ALL the tissue to pathology - that's when they can find even a small area. That's one thing that can happen, anyway. The good thing about looking at all the tissue is at least you don't miss anything and potentially under treat.

Yes. It was needle core. Also the tumor was larger than MRI/mammogram/US showed.

With the lymph node surgery, will I need help doing things afterwards? Will I have a drain? My mil wants to fly in to help, but I'd hate for her to all the way to FL if it's something minor. My husband has off the day of surgery and he'll probably take the next day off as well.

 

[rajak73]

With the lymph node surgery, will I need help doing things afterwards

I'll try to help as much as I can. To clarify when DW had lumpectomy before she went in to hospital, they called the oncologist that she was to see after surgery and he suggested they take a lymph node to check. Her lymph node ended up being about 3 inches below the arm, cut about 3 long. I think there was no lifting over 5 lbs for 7 days, her arm was sore, bruised below the cut, some things she couldn't do like lift her arm above her shoulder, it's still a little sore after 3 weeks and to be expected. Biggest problem was, her bra hit right at the cut. Did without one until the second surgery to take more tissue and surgeon wants her wearing a sports bra for 2 weeks, 24 hours a day for support. I helping her put that on because of the arm. You are going to need a little help for some things but sounds like you have good support. DW had no drain for anything but they said something about water retaining around the lymph node, don't remember exactly why. Wanted her to do exercises like walking a spider up the wall. Her bicep kinda hurts now, she goes in for a check up on her incision Thursday so is going to ask about that. Can I get a little personal? If you don't want to answer, no problem, when they did your lumpectomy, did they stitch you or glue you? They did some internal dissolving stitches on DW and then glued the incision shut. After 7 days she can start peeling off the glue. Weird to see the incision just glued shut, it looks worse with the glue on it than it does when the glue comes off. Hope this helped you little, trying to think of anything the DW couldn't do. Again, hugs to you!

 

[NHAnn]

Stopping in to say hello to all you old friends, and newer posters here.
It's been awhile since I checked in.
Been wondering about Laurie/snappy in Baton Rouge, hope all is well there.
Thinking of you all often, and wishing you all well, always.
Things are generally good with me...my baby (who just turned 3o ) had her first baby at the end of July, been quite pleasantly preoccupied with that as she is a 2 1/2 hour drive from me and I miss them all so much in between visits!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Welcome to all the new posters. But sorry you have to be here. You have found a great place here. The ladies are so encouraging and I admire their strength
and courage.

Linda - Happy Birthday!!

smiley - your trip sounds wonderful

Ann - glad to see you and congrats on the new grandbaby. Hope Avery is doing well too.

Friday I am getting a sonogram of my neck. I had the blood test the other week and I see my endo on Tues. I think. Its also thyroid cancer awareness month, so its perfect timing, lol!

My dh is traveling a lot as usual. I planned our food and wine trip for oct 18-25 and now he says he has a big project to work on and I should just go with ds3. I don't know about that and we will see what happens. At least we didnt get the airline tickets yet or book the hotel. I guess we could try and get the Dolphin if they have the nurse discount for ds. Its all up in the air right now, sigh.

I got to meet ds2 girlfriend. She seems like she would be a nice dil but ds says they havent talked about that yet. It would be nice to not be the only girl around here for a change, lol!

The other week end dh and I were rear ended. Its been such a mess. We found out the boy who hit us actually went to grade school with ds2. His dad even came over the house to see how we were. I thought that was strange. I had dh talk to him on the porch and he said he didnt remember ds2 at first, gheesh. Well the other ins. company keeps putting us off and stalling but we are not going through our ins. co. We got them not too long ago and I am sure if we file a claim with them they will drop us like a hot potato. They said the damage is $3,400!! At least the van is driveable. We shall see what happens, I see lots of stalling in the future. Such is life.

I am getting the butterflies again. It always happens before I go to the dr. Whats inn the back of my mind comes to the front sigh.

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all.