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Breast Cancer

Archives for May 2016

Probiotics?
Wondering if anyone has any experience with and/or information for/about Probiotics. My understanding is vague at best, but from what i gather, one's "gut flora" are a key part of one's physiology: how food gets procesed, how toxins are cleared, and so on. And seeing as how Chemo kills stuff in the body, does it impact the…
Is radiation working 8/
Hello Everyone~ I am worried radiation is not working. My Dr said they want to see a change in my skin as that is an indication that the radiation is working. I have gone 5 days a week for 4 weeks now and there is no change in my skin at all. Anyone else have this happen? I have only 10 sessions left. I have asked the dr…
2 year anniversary & graduation
This last week I celebrated my 2 year anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. Mammogram was clean and surgeon said I've graduated from visiting him. Taking my arimidex, and must say, the joint stiffness seem to be getting less noticeable.
Treatment plan it's so real now
It's been a long trip going through second cancer diagnoses.two stomach surgerys.lots of dr. Appointments.I have overuse cancer with no overs for 28 yrs.i have two kinds of cancer.the other one it has taken several pathology boards to figure it out.I go back to reg. Cancer dr.june 10.she will know what kind of Cancer it…
Metal taste in mouth
Hi all, Has anybody found a good remedy to get rid of the metallic taste in your mouth due to chemo? I have tried using biotene and found it only provides very temporary relief. I literally cannot stand it as I have no appetitte, don't want to drink fluids which I know I need to, and am just really frustrated. Would…
Lumpectomy or mastectomy
hello all, I am new here. I am 49 and was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive breast cancer on one side in Feb. I have completed 5 of 6 chemo's and surgery followed by radiation is next. Have elected double mastectomy (based on input from oncologist and surgeon) and recon but getting cold feet. 2 other oncologists I talked to…
The hits may be small but..
I'm doing well physically. Chemo shrunk things so I was able to have a lumpectomy and the 41 lymph nodes removed were all negative and I am grateful for that. I have a small but terrific support system. But it seems like the hits just keep on coming. Things like a port that stopped working before I even finished chemo,…
"Living Flat"
Does anyone have experience with a plastic surgeon in Vancouver, WA who works with women who do not want to reconstruct their breasts and Live flat"? I am having a bad experience with my current surgeon around this subject. I really appreciate any insight! Thanks!
Numbness, tingles and pain in hands
Hello everyone. I am a breast cancer survivor and am in remission. I had a double mastectomy and had both of my auxillary lymph nodes taken out. I have been doing well other than pain in my left breast (or what's left of it). I had radiation therapy on my left side since the cancer was on the left side. Well the problem…
Hip pain
Hello everyone, i have been on arimidex since November. I hadn't had much for bone pain or hip/back pain since my hysterectomy and being put on arimidex. I had more pain on tomoxifen. Anyway the last month I have been having bad bone pain in the tops of my feet and in my hips. Hurts to walk. Could it be the arimidex even…
How can I help YOU?
I am very much a service-oriented person, and this experience of being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and to have to turn to so many people for help and support, has thrown my usual ways upside-down. It's hard to ask, it's hard to receive, and yet I know that i MUST do these things in order to survive. So i am learning new…
Updates 5/19 and 5/20: Diagnosis & Treatment
Here is my Diagnosis: Stage 3 Breast Cancer, ER+, Invasive, with lobular and ductal features . I have an approx 6cm mass (think nearly the size of a pool cue-ball), and a bit of the cancer in one Lymph Node, all on the left side. Definitions: "Stage 3"... means ...the breast cancer has extended to beyond the immediate…
Newly diagnosed and scared
Good afternoon. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my left breast on April 1st of this year. I have had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction and some lympth node removal on May 4th. I just had chemo port put in on May 16. I am 45 years old and very scared. I see my Oncologist on the 31st to determine my treatment.…
Sharing progress!
Hello, friends I just wanted to share that with my insistence I finally have permission from my Plastic Surgeon to begin radiation in June. I don't know why my body was not healing at the expected rate or if she was just bring conservative, but I feel 12 weeks out of surgery was long enough! I realize that the surgeon felt…
Sores due to Radiation damage
I am just wondering how many others have had this problem with their expanders or implants after having radiation treatment. Two months after finishing radiation treatments I developed sores on my left breast where I had treatment. It took me over 5 months, including a surgery and doing hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments…
"Book of Life"
i bought a pretty bound notebook/composition book, and i have begun to ask all teh people i am working with -- teh nurses, techs, doctors, and also family and friends -- to Autograph it as i go through meetings, test, treatments. It's a way for me to remember everyone who helped to bear me up and keep me alive. So far,…
Is there any help
is there any help for treatment if your insurance doesn't pay for it?
Need some help
i recently had an abnormal mammo and ultrasound. I have a lump in my left breast and tomorrow I have a consultation to get a biopsy. This morning I have starting swelling , like a knot, right straight below my color bone. Has anyone else experienced this? It aches, it burns, my breast aches and burns. im so stressed…
How much time between surgery and RAD?
Hello, friends Everyone here has been so helpful through my treatment so far, so I feel very comfortable turning to you once again for some advice. In a quick summary, I was diagnosed June,2015, neoadjuvant TC until November, Shingles in February, finally surgery(partial) March 3rd. It is now 10 weeks since my surgery. I…
anyone turn down Taxol?
Hello All, I am recently diagnosed. I have completed 3 of 4 rounds of AC (neoadjuvant therapy) and I am seriously comtemplating turning down Taxol as the side effects from AC have already been severe. My tumor has responded to the AC by shrinking almost 2/3 of its original size. I want to move forward with surgery after…
Coping with Existential Terror?
I am in very early days, just diagnosed last week. I don't event know what Type, or Stage, or any of that technical stuff. The mammogram and biopsies were enough to make them now want CATscans, MRI's (happening next week), so it may have spread -- in which case i am prettymuch Effed, right? But i am already set for a Port…
Organizing your Chemo Recovery Space
Again, i am looking toward and planning for the start of Chemo in 2-3 weeks, and am hoping that you who have been there, can help me with ideas, suggestions, advice about how to Set-up, Organize and Stock my Recovery Space. What sorts of things made your Recovery Space work for you? Conversely, what sorts of things were…
What is in your GO Bag?
Thinking ahead to when i will be starting Chemo in 2-3 weeks, and working on putting together a GO Bag. I have a great tote: it's a backpack, but it also has wheels and an airport-style pull-out handle. I am assuming that i will put in my paperwork tote, my laptop and current book, maybe a donut neck pillow and a small…
Recurrent breast cancer for fourth time after TRAM Flap
Good Morning! I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer,I had a TRAM Flap done last year,will be seeing the Surgeon on Monday, I have complete faith in my Doctors,I'm triple a negative. Was diagnosed the first time in 2008,second time in 2014,Third time in 2015 and now it's all on the same side,has anyone gone thru this?…
Went on another retreat.
This one was so good. It was with Lifting Hearts. A nonprofit here in Utah. There were 20 bc survivors. Stage 0 -4. Such a positive loving environment. It broke my heart to see so many in their 20-30's with young children. Out of 6 stage iv, 2 were in late 20's- early 30's. All theree were at different stage of acceptance,…
Having Pain Pump on Thursday/Friday
Thursday i go in and the doctor does a 4 inch incision in my spine at the l4 -l1 level and will put in liquid fentanyl. If I have no reaction, I will be admitted Friday morning for the actual pump. It has to go in my abdomin and the catheter William wind thru to the lumbar spine (the same incision from the day b4). I am…
Hypofractionated radiation
Hello all, A month ago I met for 3 hours with a great RO. She explained that I should receive the standard series of RADS - 25 + 5 boosts. After 4 more weeks of waiting to heal after surgery (9 weeks post op), I asked for another appointment to see if I could get things going. To my surprise I was told that she was going…
expanders ? No replies I hate this board!
HI Everyone, it has been awhile since i have been on here. I am at the stage now in my treatment where i have expanders in. I had double mas. and expanders put in in Nov. I ended up having radiation with the expander in. (everything went great!) Now i just went in for my last expansion and for some reason i started running…
DIEP Flap Reconstruction
Has anyone had DIEP Flap reconstrution? I had BLM in March with expanders in place right now. I will do the final reconstruction this coming Fall. It is so confusing to figure out what to have done. Please if you have had DIEP I need to hear how it went, was it worth the extra incision in the tummy and how was the healing…
Breast reconstrution options
I am coming to the part of my journey where I will make my choice of what kind of final reconstruction I want. Flap is a very long recovery and two healing locations..tummy and breast. I'm am so sick of surgery and healing process. We all know how long it takes to get your body back after each surgery! I am know thinking…

Breast Cancer

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