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Started My Radiation
Hello Everyone...Just had my second radiation treatment today and all is going well for me. I know I will get through this and come out okay. But I have a question to all of you. When you were taking your treatment, were you bothered by seeing so many other people going through so much and struggling to just live?…
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Hot Flashes relating to tamoxifen therapy
Hi, my name is Patti, I just had my 3 anniversary of being (Breast) cancer free. The last stage of my treatment after chemo & radiation is Hormone therapy (tamoxifen therapy) I have been on tamoxifen therapy since 11/1/05 & have 2 1/2 years to go before I'm done. I have HORRIBLE hot flashes & they have consumed my life!…
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Scams?
Wow, talk about cancer! Am I wrong, or every once in a while do people come on this site to sell or promote things that have no business on a place of safety such as this should be. I didn't check out the link from Juan, maybe I am overreacting. If there is something amiss from time to time, does CSN Dana step in? I don't…
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Just read....there are over 250,000 of us!!!
Yup, over a quarter of a million people have been diagnosed with breast cancer all told....whew! And with better 'early detection techniques', more and more are surviving...Yea! So my question, and one posed by the article as well, who should follow we long-term survivors, since the oncologists are getting more and more…
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poorly differentiated?
I am including a copy of an email I got from SusanLoveMd for all of you sisters, like me, who were told that their tumor was poorly differentiated. Getting this news was scary for me, but a doctor told me that it was good news because the chemo is effective against these poorly differentiated boogers. It is a small thing,…
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chosing a plastic surgeon
My question is like the one below. Specifically, what can I do to make sure my plastic surgeon knows what he is doing. Websites to look him up on? Questions to ask? He is, by the way Jesus Garcia, with Kaiser, if by small chance anyone has run into him. Thanks for writing! love, Joyce
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Oncotype/decision to get chemo or not
I just had a mastectomy for invasive intraductal bc. My tumor was 1.1 cm and did not spread to the lymph nodes. My tissue is being analyzed in the new Oncotype test and I will have the recurrence score on March 24. It is my understanding that it will either fall into the high or low risk categories of recurrence, or there…
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Hot Flashes (Pleeeeeeeeeease Help!)
Hi everyone- my name is katie and i am new to this website. i am looking for some advise and support for hotflashes!! I am a breast cancer survivor of almost 5 years and believe me I am so greatful, but trying to resume a "normal" life again is seeming impossible. I would much rather of course have hot flashes than…
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Look for me on the catwalk!!!
I am soooo excited! After narrowing it down to 8 survivors, I am now going to be in a fashion show hosted by Komen Race for the Cure (I participate yearly) in Anaheim, CA, near where I live. They are partnered with a natural foods company that is underwriting it, and we 8 will be at the end, wearing dresses made from the…
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Worried....
Hello everyone, its me again, Josie. I have been reading the boards lately and have found so much support and comfort in you ladies, I can't even tell you how much you all have helped me in my 3 year road trip with BC. I completed my chemo treatment for my recurrence in Oct and low and behold, I feel like its back already.…
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crying from pain and worried
I already wrote about this, but am hoping more people will respond as only a few did to my prior posts. I had a mastectomy with immediate LD flap reconstruction using an implant (it's a new procedure where the reconstruction and implant is done in only one step as opposed to the tissue expander thing). I am in such pain…
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Question about Arimidex study
My first time and wanted to ask if any one has heard of a new study being done on Arimidex. I am 5 years out now and will be going off Arimidex in Aug. My doctor has suggested that I go on this study. He said that reserach has showed that there is a 2% chance that the breast cancer will come back. They are hoping to find…
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Heart Surgery after Chest Radiation
I will be needing a valve replacement (not related cancer) and my cardiologist says consideration has to be made because of the radiation and potential for not healing as well. I did have a recurrance after the radiation and mastectomy followed by an infection that put me in the hospital for a week. Funny, when the…
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more about the BRCA test
I recently had a mastectomy for invasive early stage bc. I went to see a geneticist to find out about being tested for the breast cancer mutation. Although I wrote to the group before about the pros and cons of getting this test, I now have additional questions since I got more information from the geneticist: 1.) the…
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Services for Survivors
I first have to say that I really appreciate all the women who organized several years ago and created the awareness of breast cancer and forced the legislatures etc to direct more funding to research. I don't know that I would be here today, but for them. I wonder though if it isn't time to start putting some of that…
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We have a Plan!!
Hello everyone, I posted last week because my Mom has been diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma of the right breast. I myself am a one year survivor of stage 3 rectal cancer and doing great. We met with Mom's surgeon today and the surgery is scheduled for March 11th, modified radical mastectomy with auxially lymph…
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after arimidex
After 5 years of arimidex, what's next? Thanks to all u respond. Sue
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need for physical therapy
Hello, group! It's ohilly. I am feeling much, much better...I gave in and took my pain medication, but I haven't taken it for 24 hours and still feel better. I am not sure why I don't have as much pain, but am definitely happy for this. My question to those of you who have had mastectomies is: did you have to have physical…
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BRCA test
Hi, it's ohilly. I had my mastectomy on Feb. 21 and am on the road to recovery! I just wanted to ask the group what they thought about the benefits/disadvantages of getting tested for the breast cancer gene? I did make an appt. with a genetic counselor, but now am having doubts about the benefits of finding this out. What…
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lifeline
I want to write my feelings, but I don't want to be negative. Let me just say that I feel beset on all sides. Not just (!) the C, but family problems have pretty well torn up my happiness. I wish I was religious. It seems that is something to hang on to when all else is crumbling. But I have tried, and I am not religious.…
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Wig Hint
I ordered my first wig so that it matched my color almost exactly (salt & pepper) and matched my style. When it arrived and I put it on, I found that it was "close" but no cigar. The style was just "off" enough to make me terribly unhappy. You know the feeling - when you walk out of the hair salon and go straight home and…
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curcumin and quercetin antagonistic?
I've found just one study in which quercetin and curcumin were administered together. The results were positive. However, another study may suggest that they are antagonistic. I am almost completely ignorant about the mechanisms of signalling pathways. Hopefully, one of you readers knows these pathways and can interpret…
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and lastly....
A friend of mine came over, out of the blue, and gave me a gorgeous Revlon wig that looks like (but better) than my natural hair (used to). She knew I was unhappy with my wig and so she shopped secretly all over till she found a better one. Now, when I wear this wig I will think of love. Wasn't that a nice pick me up!…
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follow through
Well, Ladies, I read all of your posts and thank you so much! They really helped, sometimes directly, sometimes in subtle ways, and definitely in seeing an outpouring of love. I wrote the following poem after reading and responding to your posts. Now, being of the hippie generation I don't worry too much about rhyming and…
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Radiation Questions
Okay ladies, have a couple questions regarding radiation. I would rather hear it from you than try and believe all the stuff on the net. It seems the most side effects are fatigue. Did all of youexperience this and when sis it come on...early in treatment or later? For those of you who have job, were you able to work while…
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Doctor's Appt
Great news, the kidney counts are much better...thanks to my acupuncturist. My body is healing itself. My counts are looking better and I do need to eat more red meat...I am really not a meat eater. I lost more weight and they did take some more vials of my blood for some testing but to be honest, I am so glad my numbers…
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How Do You Keep Your Head Warm?
I finally lost my hair and am wearing cute little cotton caps (the kind they put on newborns - only I don't look cute like newborns do). But the problem is that I'm always cold and my head is always cold. I have a wig, but it seems a hassle to put on every day so these caps are convenient, but is there some trick to…
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New contraption for CS simulation
hi Everyone, I had my Cs simulation today where they mark off the area that is to be radiated. And Before I went in, the doctor and nurses were extremely excited about a new device that allows a patient wot lay chest down and be marked. They asked me if I wanted to be the first person to try it, and of course, since I have…
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physical therapy/exercises/ease tightness with lat flap
Okay, several people replied to my question about tightness after breast reconstruction (I had the lat flap with an implant - actually, my procedure is supposed to be experimental in the sense that it was done in one step instead of the usual tissue expander thing with the implants - I now have a full breast and only have…
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Wowie
I sure missed some good posts. Took me a while to read. Had a wonderful visit with my family.