Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[Tinkertude]

SLO yepee yeh so glad for your news

NHAnn You will have prayers said for you during my drive to work in the A.M. (sticky notes on dashboard).

I have great news on my gal pal SAM She went for a cone down mammo yesterday and her results were "nothing to worry about" . I think I was worried more than her. But I didn't have the same results when I went 9 yrs ago. I went to her appt. to sit in the waiting room just incase she needed a friend. Boy, did I surprise her. So thanks for the pixie dust and prayers. God is faithful.

 

[snappy]

SLO yepee yeh so glad for your news

NHAnn You will have prayers said for you during my drive to work in the A.M. (sticky notes on dashboard).

I have great news on my gal pal SAM She went for a cone down mammo yesterday and her results were "nothing to worry about" . I think I was worried more than her. But I didn't have the same results when I went 9 yrs ago. I went to her appt. to sit in the waiting room just incase she needed a friend. Boy, did I surprise her. So thanks for the pixie dust and prayers. God is faithful.

What a great friend you must be to be there for SAM like that. Kudos to you, Tinkertude.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Ann, best of luck to you tomorrow, you'll be in my prayers.

Slo, glad everything was fine and same with your friend, Tink. I love hearing good news!!

I had a productive week this week. I finally got my Relay for Life team up and running!! There will be 8 families camping out overnight with me taking turns walking all night with more friends and family coming for the evening activities. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun with grilling, bands, DJ's, massages, kids activities, etc... At 5pm there is a Survivor's Reception with a Survivor's Walk at 6pm that I'll be doing with my cousin and some friends. They light the luminaria (lights with names of people affected by cancer) at 9pm across the entire field which I guess it's really beautiful and moving from what I'm told. I better bring lots of tissues as I get really emotional at these things, LOL. This is the second year my town has had it but last year I was too sick to do it. I'm hoping it will be a yearly thing. Wish us luck!! :thewave:

 

[newholidayx2]

My older brother (5yr9mo) is a breast cancer survivor
He had it back in 2001. I've been having yearly mammograms since.

 

[laurabelle]

slo - Whoooo hoooo!!! I'm so happy for you!

Ann- Starting the prayers going up right now...

newholidayx2 - Congrats to your brother! My onc has a husband and wife as patients...

Linda - Your Relay For Life sounds like alot of fun! I have 2 Race for th Cure events next month. The National Race in D.C., which I've done every year since dx (this is the one I did on Taxol ) and one in St. Louis with my sistas from my online group. We get together annually, this is the 3rd year, and I'm so excited to be seeing them again! Last year we went to Daytona Beach and I got my belly button pierced, This year some of us are getting this tatoo that one of them had made for me...my group is called "Sisters in Survivorship" SIS. Cancer makes you do crazy things!

 

[slo]

Thank you all for acknowledging my good news - I'm definitly going to sleep better tonight.

Pea-n-Me - your dog is absolutly beautiful. We had a German Shepherd and he was a wonderful dog (my first born I would tell people). When he was 5 he was diagnosed with lymphnoma and we had to put him to sleep. His cancer was so advanced that there was no helping him. I would have done anything to help him, but treating him would have only prolonged his life for 6 months and the vet said that it would not be an enjoyable 6 months for him. Being the majestic dog he was, I wanted him to die with dignity and I especially wanted my DD, who was 4 at the time, to remember him for how he was. He was her best friend and he loved her so much!!. Anyway....whenever I see a German Shepherd it makes me think of my Sampson and even though he died 3 years ago, I still miss him everyday.

Talk to you all later and I hope you have a good night and a great tomorrow!!

slo

 

[MinnieM3]

Slo.... great news! Congrats!

Ann.... good luck! hope all goes well!

Will see ya'll next week..off i about 12 hours to Polynesian!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks, slo. So sorry about Sampson. It's hard enough when they're elderly. I would be devastated to have to go through that with such a young dog. I did lose two of my babies in the past year and it was very hard, I miss them so much (I think I rambled on about that in an earlier post on this thread). The dog in my siggie is named Liesl, she is one year old. Each time I write here she is sitting beside me. Come to think of it, she's beside me almost all the time - - a real velcro dog!! Have you thought about getting another Shepherd someday? Liesl is my sixth GSD, I've had them all my life and could never be without one. I might have some ideas about where you could find a nice one if you're interested.

Ann, my thoughts are with you today.

Minnie, have a wonderful trip! One of my favorite things in WDW is those tiki torches at the Poly at night. Can't wait to hear about your trip.

Strange we should be talking about males with breast cancer. We admitted one to my unit last night at work as well. Fairly unusual for us to see.

Laura, your races sound like a lot of fun, especially the Daytona Beach one with the belly piercings and tatoos!! Good for you!!

 

[mickeymost]

Hi everyone

I had to read some today to catch up.

Ann hope all goes well today my prayers are with you

Just wanted to add a note about being bald. I never wore a wig, a hat outside when it was cold, but wore my bald head with pride. To me it was showing the world that I was going to win this battle. I wear my pink (and I mean everything pink) to show my survival now. My 3DSs wanted me to shave their heads so they could look like me, they were so cute to suggest this and I might have if it were a warmer time of year. No one ever laughed at me, some children had questions, but I would tell them I lost my hair because of special medicine I had to take. I got a special pride from the baldness, but whatever you decide to do (it is very individualized) do it for you and no one else.

Stay healthy
Kelly

 

[SillyMe]

I hope you guys don't mind me jumping in on your thread, here, but I have a question. I didn't want to post my own thread, b/c I really don't want "everyone" to know. I just came back from my doctor for my annual exam and he found a lump on my breast. It's toward the side and I do get really tender and have pain there on occasion. He told me to check to see if it goes away after my period.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm trying not to panic. Any advice? I hope I don't upset anyone from posting it here, but I figured you guys would have some advice for me since you've been there.

 

[mickeymost]

Silly Me Hi I'm sure no one here will mind. I feel that's why this thread was started.

Have you had a mammogram? If so when. Most times lumps turn out to be nothing more that cysts, I wouldn't panic,but I wouldn't wait too long to find out what it is. I found my cancer through a lump, but I wasn't having any pain. Cysts can come and go during your cycle, so it is possible that is all it is. If you haven't had a mammo, I would get one. If it doesn't change during your cycle, you really need to follow it up.

Best wishes, I'll pray that it's only a simple cyst. Again, don't panic, more things turn out benign than not.

Kelly

 

[snappy]

Sillyme, not sure how old you are, have you started having mammograms yet?
Also, have you had lumps before that disappear after your next cycle?

My bc was found by mammogram, no real lump existed, it was mostly DCIS with just a small area of invasive cancer. Never dealt with a lump myself.
But my sense is that doc's (especially male ones) don't realize how truly scary it is to wait and see. It's like waiting for the other shoe to fall.
You might consider going to a breast specialist.

Maybe someone else could be more helpful.

Sorry you are going through this but glad you found this thread. There are a lot of very wonderful ladies that have posted here (and Dan, thank you, Dan).
I will bet someone can and most definitely will help you.

 

[SillyMe]

Silly Me Hi I'm sure no one here will mind. I feel that's why this thread was started.

Have you had a mammogram? If so when. Most times lumps turn out to be nothing more that cysts, I wouldn't panic,but I wouldn't wait too long to find out what it is. I found my cancer through a lump, but I wasn't having any pain. Cysts can come and go during your cycle, so it is possible that is all it is. If you haven't had a mammo, I would get one. If it doesn't change during your cycle, you really need to follow it up.

Best wishes, I'll pray that it's only a simple cyst. Again, don't panic, more things turn out benign than not.

Kelly

I asked him about mammograms b/c my mother has calcifications that need to be checked every few months. I'm 35 so I wasn't sure if he'd want me to have one done. He said it's not necessary. I'm guessing he must feel that it's probably a cyst. I guess I'll just wait and check it like he told me to and see if it disappears. Thanks for your response and I hope you're doing well.

 

[NHAnn]

Hi friends...I'm home....very quick surgery again! I felt a tiny bit woozier when "coming to" than I did a few weeks ago, when I mentioned it to the surgeon she laughed and said I was "all over the table" this time and they had to give me a little more of the "sleepy stuff" to keep me still It must have been my Mickey socks that I wore and my plan to start my walking program at WDW....I must've been headed down Main Street for the rope drop

SO now I'm in la-la-land of vicodin this afternoon....and better get back upstairs to the couch before DH gets back (he ran out to do a quick errand). I'll get my pathology results on Thursday...keep those prayers that they got it all this time!!

Thanks again for alll your prayers and support!

SillyMe...welcome to this thread...hang in there!

 

[laurabelle]

SillyMe - I'm not trying to scare you, but I run a support group for young women diagnosed w/bc under age 40. I was diagnosed at 36, and I have several friends who were dxed in their 20's so it does happen to young women too. My gyn found my lump, and sent me to have a mammogram and ultrasound. Since there was something they could feel, it was a diagnostic mammogram, which is different from a screening one. One of the reasons young women aren't routinely screened using mamm. is your breast tissue is denser than an older woman, and it's more difficult to read. It is very important that you also have an ultrasound done too, as this is easier to read. Another option is MRI.

Breast cancer can be painful. I had alot of fibrous cysts in my breasts, but the tumor felt different.
I was lucky to have a proactive gyn, though my surgeon told me he was 95% sure I didn't have cancer...surprise!
I would insist on the mammogram and ultrasound. The ultrasound is good at telling the difference between a cyst and a tumor. Chances are good that
it's not cancer, but unfortunately there are exceptions and if it is cancer, the earlier it's found, the better. And it will give them a baseline to compare for follow ups in the future.

 

[laurabelle]

Ann - Even the drugs can't keep you down! Now go rest! Sending up more prayers for you...

 

[mickeymost]

Silly Me I was 35, just turned 35 two weeks prior to finding my lump. And yes, it was cancer. I would insist on the mammogram. I had one at 32 yrs old. You should have a baseline mammo at 35 anyway. I would do it for piece of mind. My doctor also told me he didn't think it was anything, but it was. Thank God he was an aggressive doc. I would find someone else who will give you the scripts for mammo and ultrasound if he won't. This way you will feel better about it. Please don't wait. Like Laurabelle said the sooner it's found the better.

Good Luck. Let us know how it goes.

Kelly

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ok, stupid question. When you lost your hair, how did you wash/care for your head? Is plain soap ok or should I use something else? What about sunscreen and lotion?

Saw my previous cancer doc (just happen to be visiting the area we used to live) for a 2nd opinion. She gave good news/bad news. Bad news, she agrees w/my current docs diagnosis and prognosis. Good news, she has a pt who's 5 years out from her diagnosis and doing very well. Generally the life expectancy is 1 to 2 years. She said in her opinion, this pts focus on nutrition and exercise has made a tremendous difference. Anyone know any good books or websites for teaching me what good nutrition really is and how to do it?

DH is having a REALLY hard time dealing. Much harder than even I am. He doesn't even want to talk about the possibility that I might not make it. Men! We were at the mall and I was looking at hats and wigs. I turned around to show him one and he was gone. Found him around the corner crying. First time I've ever seen him do that in the 5 years we've been together. MIL says he'll be devestated but she'll do what she can for him if it comes to that. How do you get your DH to accept that the outcome probably won't be favorable and get him to open up? I feel so bad for him. So bad I wish I hadn't said anything yet.

To all those having a rough time right now. Haven't had time to read through all the responses but I know there are many who are in the same boat or sailing rougher seas than me. and to everyone in the bald head sisterhood today.

 

[kkana]

Always be proactive about your own health --- when my lump was found I was told it was 99.9% benign ---- surprise surprise plus I had lymph node involvement. Insist on further testing.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Oh Shugardrawers. You could not have kept this to yourself, it's too much of a burden to bear alone. You need support and so does your DH. He has to go through his own "grieving" process now to come to terms (again) with the loss of your health and all the possibilities of your disease. It will be a hard road for him to process all those feelings but like I said earlier (about myself processing my own feelings) I believe it is necessary in order to move forward. Of course, everyone does it (or doesnt' do it) in their own way. I believe it's ok for him to cry. I'd probably be more worried if he didn't. My DH is very emotional like me (nice pair) so I would sometimes see him teary too. Hang in there. Remember what my friend said, you are not a statistic, you're a person.

I have to go to work soon but as far as an article/book on healthy eating, start with that article I posted Wednesday. I really love WebMD for information that's user friendly so you may look there too. I'll think more too and get back to you later.

Silly Me, I am also of the camp that thinks you should get started and not wait, especially since your mother has a history of calcifications. Yes, it's a scary road to go down but worse if you realize later on you shouldn't have waited. I also found my own lump because of an ache in my breast the day after my wedding anniversary late Sept, 2003. I had just turned 41 a week earlier and had 5 yr old twins at home. I never expected it. Luckily my team sent me right away for a mammogram and ultrasound but had they not I would have insisted on them anyway (I'm an RN). I had a needle core biopsy a few days later and in early October they called to tell me I had invasive ductal carcinoma. I'd had a normal mammogram the previous October. I had surgery in November and unfortunately even in that short time it had already spread to one of my lymph nodes. I don't see that I could have done anything differently and I'm glad of that fact. But if I had I waited and it was in my node I'd now be kicking myself.

Younger women's cancers are often very aggressive so you don't want to waste any time. It doesn't mean you have to switch doctors or anything. Just call your doctor and tell him that although you're hopeful it's nothing you would like to get started with a mammogram and ultrasound (don't feel badly, he'd likely do the same thing if it were his wife or daughter). In the meantime find a good breast surgeon or two in your area (look for a good "comprehensive breast center") and schedule appointments to get their opinions, they are the specialists here. In the meantime your period will come and go and you can still see what happens to your lump, but IMO better not to wait. These tests and appointments take time so just go ahead. Hopefully it will just be a cyst that disappears (which I've had happen myself too).

Good luck, we're here as you go forward. Keep us up to date. You'll be in our prayers. We're all hoping it's nothing. But better safe than sorry.