Second Time Around with BC

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michaelanne
michaelanne Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am new to this site and am mightily impressed with the courage and hope expressed by people who are admittedly just as frightened as I have been. I had my first bout with the disease in 1995 when I was dx with infiltrative ductal carcinoma in my rt. breast...had a radical, lymph nodes were all negative. Followed up with about 3 sessions of chemo and was put on Tamoxifen. 18 months later the Tamoxifen was driving me into depression like crazy so I took myself off. Passed the 5 year mark and thought I was "home free". Nope. Last August I came down with severe shortness of breath and a nasty dry cough. We were in Costa Rica on our sailboat just following our dreams. We sailed back up to Mexico and I went to an MD there in December and they took some fluid out of my lung lining. Whoa boy! Cancer again...BC metastasis. Pulled the rug right out from under my feet with that! But now I'm back in the US and my husband and children are with me and I am doing great on Arimidex...but still, even though I try to visualize my way out of it, I'm scared...but I also feel like this is just another speed bump in the fast lane on the back roads of life. The most wonderful thing that's happened to me is the outpouring of support and love from friends and family...nothing can beat that kind of therapy.

My prayers and positive thoughts are with all of you whose stories I've read. God bless.

Oh, by the way, anyone know someone who'd like to buy a used sailboat? (picture a grin)

michaelanne

Comments

  • believer5409
    believer5409 Member Posts: 10
    #2
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    Sorry to here it has recurred. Can I ask how big was your first tumor? What % was your HER2? That pretty much can tell you what % of recurrance? What did your doctor say when you took yourself off of tamoxifen? I am going through chemo and will have to 6 weeks of radiation after chemo and my doctor said I wil probably be do taxmoxifen for 5 yrs. I don't want to do taxm because of all the stories I have heard about it. How could you tell it was driving you into depression? Were there other side effects you notice. Can I also ask how old you are?

    I'm sure you are a strong women and will overcome this fight as well. How long had you had the symptoms. Does the Arimidex make you lose your hair?

    Be strong and I will be praying for you.
  • TSaylor
    TSaylor Member Posts: 1
    #3
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    This is my first time writing on this site also. Last year I was disagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, stahe 1. I had two masses and the cancer cells were to the rim of the biopsy. I elected to have a mastectomy and lymph nodes removed. I did not have to have chemo or radiation. The cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes or to any other part of the breast. Some days I think did I do the right thing. Should I just have had a lumpectomy. Anyway I am on "Femara". Arimidex gave me severe edema. Have the same problem with Femara but not as bad. I guess I was very dumb because I just went along not even worrying about getting cancer back. Had my six month check up and mamogram and guess what - cluster of calcifications causing my surgeon to recommend a surgical biopsy which showed insitu ductal carcinoma stage 0. Surgeon gave me choice remove more tissue and six weeks of radiation or mastectomy and no further treatment except for taking the Femara. Since I already had one mastectomy I decided to go that route. My surgery is scheduled for next Thursdayand this time around I find myself very weepy. Is it because now I know that cancer can come back? I didn't even last a year. I also tis past June started with terrible shortness of breadth. Had all the heart tests and lung tests and no answer as to what is causing it. Trying to be very brave for my family. I also have wonderful support from my family and friends. But I am the one consoling them and making light of my cancer because so many of them do not know what to say. God be with you Michaelanne. Sincerely, Theresa
  • michaelanne
    michaelanne Member Posts: 3
    #4
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    TSaylor said:

    This is my first time writing on this site also. Last year I was disagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, stahe 1. I had two masses and the cancer cells were to the rim of the biopsy. I elected to have a mastectomy and lymph nodes removed. I did not have to have chemo or radiation. The cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes or to any other part of the breast. Some days I think did I do the right thing. Should I just have had a lumpectomy. Anyway I am on "Femara". Arimidex gave me severe edema. Have the same problem with Femara but not as bad. I guess I was very dumb because I just went along not even worrying about getting cancer back. Had my six month check up and mamogram and guess what - cluster of calcifications causing my surgeon to recommend a surgical biopsy which showed insitu ductal carcinoma stage 0. Surgeon gave me choice remove more tissue and six weeks of radiation or mastectomy and no further treatment except for taking the Femara. Since I already had one mastectomy I decided to go that route. My surgery is scheduled for next Thursdayand this time around I find myself very weepy. Is it because now I know that cancer can come back? I didn't even last a year. I also tis past June started with terrible shortness of breadth. Had all the heart tests and lung tests and no answer as to what is causing it. Trying to be very brave for my family. I also have wonderful support from my family and friends. But I am the one consoling them and making light of my cancer because so many of them do not know what to say. God be with you Michaelanne. Sincerely, Theresa

    Regarding the shortness of breath, did you have an x-ray? Mine in Dec. showed 20% of the lung collapsed due to fluid in the lung lining. That surely was a major cause of shortness of breath.

    I understand how difficult it is to not only have to keep your own psyche "up" but also support your family...a double burden we bear because we love them so much. I got a lot of insight from reading Dr. Susan Love's "BREAST BOOK". She deals with recurring BC as well as giving resources for helping your family deal with your cancer. You can get it 2nd hand pretty inexpensively from Amazon.com. God be with you, too...I will pray for you, especially on Thursday as you face your surgery. It's OK to feel weepy, Theresa. You have good cause for it. And there is no shame in it whatsoever. God Bless. Michaelanne
  • michaelanne
    michaelanne Member Posts: 3
    #5
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    believer5409 said:

    Sorry to here it has recurred. Can I ask how big was your first tumor? What % was your HER2? That pretty much can tell you what % of recurrance? What did your doctor say when you took yourself off of tamoxifen? I am going through chemo and will have to 6 weeks of radiation after chemo and my doctor said I wil probably be do taxmoxifen for 5 yrs. I don't want to do taxm because of all the stories I have heard about it. How could you tell it was driving you into depression? Were there other side effects you notice. Can I also ask how old you are?

    I'm sure you are a strong women and will overcome this fight as well. How long had you had the symptoms. Does the Arimidex make you lose your hair?

    Be strong and I will be praying for you.

    My tumor was about 2 cm. I don't know about HER2 because no one ever told me...I only learned about it this past January when someone gave me Dr. Susan Love's "BREAST BOOK" to read. When I got to the point of crying most days for no particular reason at all, I knew I was depressed and the only thing I'd been taking was Tamoxifen. My doctor, a GP, just said, "Well, if that's what you want to do..." and left it at that. I was back to my cheerful and positive self within a month. I had similar reactions to birth control pills when I was in my 30s. I am now 64. Try the tamoxifen but ask about the other choices. Tamoxifen doesn't cause depression in all cases...that is a relatively rare side effect, so I have learned.

    When they dx'd this recurrence, almost 8 years after the first time, they gave me chemo once in Acapulco before I went home to the US. That caused my hair to fall out in chunks. Now that I have been on the Arimidex for over a month, my hair is gradually beginning to make a comeback, getting thicker...it will take some time, but I'm hopeful. One of the possible side effects of Arimidex is hair loss but that hasn't been the case for me.

    I had the symptoms of shortness of breath and cough since last August. Never occurred to me it was the BC again...if only I'd had a crack at Susan Love's book earlier, I'd have known. However, the doctor who is treating me now feels the cancer is not terribly aggressive and so far he's been right as the Arimidex seems to be holding it at bay.

    I just keep telling my body I have other plans, like to have my own one-woman art exhibit when I'm 84. I will, too.

    I shall pray for you as well.
  • marytres
    marytres Member Posts: 144
    #6
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    believer5409 said:

    Sorry to here it has recurred. Can I ask how big was your first tumor? What % was your HER2? That pretty much can tell you what % of recurrance? What did your doctor say when you took yourself off of tamoxifen? I am going through chemo and will have to 6 weeks of radiation after chemo and my doctor said I wil probably be do taxmoxifen for 5 yrs. I don't want to do taxm because of all the stories I have heard about it. How could you tell it was driving you into depression? Were there other side effects you notice. Can I also ask how old you are?

    I'm sure you are a strong women and will overcome this fight as well. How long had you had the symptoms. Does the Arimidex make you lose your hair?

    Be strong and I will be praying for you.

    Hi Believer, just wanted to tell you that I'm on Arimidex and it doesn't make you lose your hair. Who told you that? It has less side effects than tamoxifen which I took for 2 years before switching over to Arimidex. Hugs

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