Ninty-five percent sure on chemo

MyTurnNow said:

Welcome, Snowkitty!!
There are so many variables that go into the decision-making process but in the end, the decision must be made by you. Have you met with your oncologist yet? I'm sure he/she will have a recommendation. I, too, had IDC but did not have the Octotype test. My onco recommended 4 rounds of chemo. I did them. But, the final decision is yours and is based on multiple factors. Good luck in making your decision and know that if chemo is in your future, it's very do-able nowadays. Keep us posted.

Welcome Snowkitty!
I was like you and lurked for a while before joining and then was shy about joining in at first.

You didn't say what stage or if you've had a lumpectomy or mastecomy etc. You have probably read, the past couple of days we had a question of Stage one chemo.

You're already scheduled for chemo so your onc thinks it's necessary and truly you do too. You are having cold feet and with good reason....all of our lives we fear chemo as being the worst thing that could ever happen to us...well, actually it's cancer that's pretty near the worst (yes, there are things worse in my opinion). I wanted to fight it with everything known to man and not have to regret my decision down the road should it reacurr. If I hadn't done everything recommended I would always wonder and then it would be too late.

I'm the world's biggest chicken but I got a port (makes it so easy and some of the girls on this site are talking about having problemes with veins collasping after having chemo and not having a port)did my chemo, lost my hair, felt like crap but now it's over for 6 monhts now, hair is growing back and I'm feeling great. Those 16 weeks were just a blip on my screen of life.

If you're worried abou the harmful drugs of chemo, think of the harmful side effects of cancer and you can put things in perspective.

Good luck with your decision, I'm sorry if it's so difficult, for me there was no decision, it was GO!

Please keep us posted..

Hugs, Judy :-)

MyTurnNow said:

Welcome, Snowkitty!!
There are so many variables that go into the decision-making process but in the end, the decision must be made by you. Have you met with your oncologist yet? I'm sure he/she will have a recommendation. I, too, had IDC but did not have the Octotype test. My onco recommended 4 rounds of chemo. I did them. But, the final decision is yours and is based on multiple factors. Good luck in making your decision and know that if chemo is in your future, it's very do-able nowadays. Keep us posted.

Chemo wasn't part of my
Chemo wasn't part of my treatment. My oncologist felt it wasn't needed with my diagnosis. Get all of the facts in regards to you and information that you can. Trust your oncologist to recommend what is best for you.

Good luck!

carkris said:

I only had a choice on the
I only had a choice on the surgery, but when given a choice to stop on my last taxol, I just finished it, I knew I didnt want to leave any stone unturned. Its what you feel, and what your belief system is, and what you can live with. Chemo isnt fun but it is doable for most people.

I was utterly exhausted by
I was utterly exhausted by my 10th weekly Taxol - Dr. said I could stop if I wanted to as the Taxol had done between 855 and 90% of what it could do. I didn't stop and did finished all 12 also even though it was all I could do to drag myself there - I was not going to stop before everything that was possible was done. I'm IBC.

Susan

cindycflynn said:

Snowkitty
Welcome to the boards, although I'm sorry for the reason you have to be here.

My diagnosis was very similar to yours. IDC, Stage 1, Grade 1, 1.3cm,ER/PR+, her2-. Lumpectomy on 10/12/09 with clear margins and clear nodes. My Oncotype score was 20 and I opted for chemo.

I had 4 rounds of Cytoxan/Taxotere, with the last one being done on Feb. 17th. I'm happy about my decision to hit it with everything I've got, and was really one of the lucky ones with chemo, having very few side effects. It was still not a walk in the park, but was definitely doable for me.

Did your oncologist tell you which chemo drugs they plan to give you? Did they also discuss a Neulasta shot with you? Neulasta is a medicine that can boost your white blood cell count and help you fight infections. Some doctors will recommend getting this shot after every chemo, and others will wait to see if you have any issues before recommending it. Since I had an open spot on my chest that was still healing from skin cancer treatment at the time my chemo started, my doctor ordered the Neulasta for me.

Best of luck as you go through this battle. We're here with you.

Cindy

Hi snowkitty
I would do whatever it takes to get rid of the camcer, if your oncologists says "do it" then I would. I start chemo on Wednesday the 23ed, I don't think I'm relunctant one bit. After the chemo is finished then next spring sometime I am having a double mastactomy with immediate reconstruction. Would I rather be spending my time doing something else, you bet but this is where I'm at in life and I have no choice but to face it and deal with it.

Good luck to you!

Thank you cindycflynn for explaining about the nuelasta, I was wondering about how to keep up the blood count in between cycles, I appreciate you telling it like it is. LOL

Have a great day everyone, Love Ronda

2Floridiansisters said:

Hi snowkitty
I would do whatever it takes to get rid of the camcer, if your oncologists says "do it" then I would. I start chemo on Wednesday the 23ed, I don't think I'm relunctant one bit. After the chemo is finished then next spring sometime I am having a double mastactomy with immediate reconstruction. Would I rather be spending my time doing something else, you bet but this is where I'm at in life and I have no choice but to face it and deal with it.

Good luck to you!

Thank you cindycflynn for explaining about the nuelasta, I was wondering about how to keep up the blood count in between cycles, I appreciate you telling it like it is. LOL

Have a great day everyone, Love Ronda

Rhonda
I wish you luck on your first chemo this Wednesday. The first day is daunting but the treatment days get more stream-lined and will go by quicker afterwards. I am taking carboplatin and taxotere, also herceptin. My 5th treatment is this Thursday and I will have one left. I, too, take the nuelestra shots after each treatment. From what I hear, it is very common so don't be scared if you need to do the same thing. I am tired often but am able to do many things still...just listen to your body. If you are tired, rest. If you have energy, go have some fun.

Best of luck to you on your journey!!!! XXX OO

mimivac said:

You can do it
I think you've made your decision, but as someone else said, you have cold feet. Perfectly natural. Many of us here had chemo and are doing just fine now. You also will get through this. Think of how you're blasting cancer cells from your system. Good luck.

Mimi

Snowkitty, you have pretty
Snowkitty, you have pretty much the same d/x that I had, including the Onco score. I was really terrified at the thought of chemo but it does go by quickly, and you'll do just fine. This is the place to come with any and all questions from hair, skin care and side effects. Best Wishes.

Snowkitty said:

Ninty-five percent sure on chemo
Stage I, Lumpectomy with clear margins, 1.5 cm, no node involvement.

Onc did recommend chemo. I asked her and the nurse "What would you tell your sister to do?" They both said chemo.

I don't mind losing my hair...just went out and got a pretty darned sexy wig. Told hubby that I can't be around the stove because of the synthetic hair. Gonna have a problem tooth pulled today. Getting all my ducks in a row.

Yeh, I guess I would wonder if there was a sneeky little cancer cell roaming around that I could'v zapped and didn't.

Not worried about short term effects, just long term.

Just starting Chemo
I too am starting chemo on Thursday. This is my second time with BC. I first was diagnosed in 2006, the size of a grain of sand,Stage 0 DCIS, no lymphs involved, marginal area clear, no chemo/radiation. I had mastectomy with immediate reconstruction(tramflap). I just wish I had double mastectomy at that time, because in April 2010, I went in for my annual/yearly exam and BOOM...there is was again. This time there was a lump(about 3.0). My surgeon thought it was same kind as before, they did digital mammogram/ultra sound which was read immediately. He did needle biopsy, got results and it was high grade DCIS, in a background of chronic mastitis. I chose to have mastectomy again with expander to be put in by my PS. When the pathology reports came back it was worse than expected. It was INVASIVE DCIS Grade 3 Stage 2a. The invasive part was 2.5.
So I went back to our cancer center and was told I needed to have chemo. I will have 8 treatments, which will be 1 every other week on Thursdays. I will have the shot on Friday afternoon after each treatment. I went yesterday and had the life port put in. (In May 2008 I had incisional hernia repair and again in Oct. 2008) Then in November 2009 I slipped and fell in laundry room and had to have 4 pins put into my right wrist. Then found out this in April. But I give God the Praise and Glory for mine being found when it was. My surgeon said that it was "caught" just in time. However mine is a neg.3 so a very aggressive type of cancer and my oncologist feels that if I don't have the chemo, there is a chance of microcells being somewhere else in my body. I had a PETSCAN and ECHOCARDIOGRAM last Friday. I go every week to my PS to get saline injections into the expander, but can't have the actual implant put in until after my treatments. I have already maxed out on my "out of pocket" expense with my insurance so that is a blessing too, because now they pay everything. I work at school, so with it happening when it did, school is out and I have some extra "down" time. This is also a scary and unknown time for my family. My dad died in 2008 with CLL. I have the same oncologist that he went to.
I just lift all of you up in my thoughts and prayers, and pray that soon there will be more and better/easier ways of preventing or treating cancer. I was not an "at risk" person because as far as I know there is no history of BC in my family. So it can happen to anyone.

Snowkitty said:

Ninty-five percent sure on chemo
Stage I, Lumpectomy with clear margins, 1.5 cm, no node involvement.

Onc did recommend chemo. I asked her and the nurse "What would you tell your sister to do?" They both said chemo.

I don't mind losing my hair...just went out and got a pretty darned sexy wig. Told hubby that I can't be around the stove because of the synthetic hair. Gonna have a problem tooth pulled today. Getting all my ducks in a row.

Yeh, I guess I would wonder if there was a sneeky little cancer cell roaming around that I could'v zapped and didn't.

Not worried about short term effects, just long term.

I had a small tumor,
I had a small tumor, lumpectomy, then rads. Node was clean for me too.

My oncologist felt chemo wouldn't be worth it for the very small percentage, and, I felt the same.

Good luck on chemo if you should take it!


Hugs, Angie