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Financials of being sick
I'm unable to work and social security benefits will take 5 months or more to kick in. Anyone else dealing with financial diffuculties while going thru cancer treatment? Does anyone know of any organizations out there that can help with more than wigs, etc., like rent?
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Excessive swelling after bi-lateral mascetomy and reconstruction
Hi, I had my surgery on March 29th-the drains from my breast are out, only one abdominal drain is left in. My breast's are engorged, feel rock hard and x'ly painful. Any suggestions on how to help reduce the swelling and pain.
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HAPPY EASTER!
Hi All! Just wanted to wish everybody a Happy and Healthy Easter! ENJOY!! HUGS!! Cathy
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In a hurry
I finished treatment one yr ago. I was recently divorced shortly before diagnosis. While undergoing treatment, I was presented with the opportunity to buy the house I was renting. To make a long story short, I did it. I love fixing and changing something that is mine. Recently, a friend diagnosed several yrs before me had…
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Dissapoted
hi all just to usdate everyone i had brest cancer in 03 had mastecomy and chemo.WEll then jan of 04 my cacncer has came back in the lung an rib cage I have done 6 rounds of chemo and was thinking i was done went in for test yesterday and the doc said it is about 50% better but not gone so he wants more chemo done.I was…
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Fluid intake
What types of drinks besides water and Gatorade are best to take during chemo? I am a 33yr woman dx with breast cancer currently doing aggressive chemo. 8 treatments - every other week - 4 Adriamycin & Cytoxan followed by 4 Taxol. Just finished AC. I'm tired of drinking just water and Gatorade.
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Going NUTS! Am I expecting too much?
I got a DCIS DX 2 month's ago and still do not know what my treatment plan is. My new surgeon says the NYC system is overloaded... small consolation when I want to know if I'm losing my breast. Anyway.... today's nutty inspiring event is I'm waiting for my MRI results and the doc is off for the holiday (and thus the…
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I am afraid it's spreading
I was diagnosed last April, had a 3.5 lump removed, all the margins were clear as well as the 15 lymph nodes. Did the chemo and radiation and finished up with that at the end of September. I went in for my 6 month with the radiation onc. and she did a routine x-ray and I didn't think anything of it. The next week I got a…
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My Father is Dead
Don't know of any nicer way to put it. Police officer came to my door today and told me he committed suicide yesterday...shot himself. I haven't seen him in 34 years but the news of his suicide brought back many old memories. Thought I didn't care about him anymore...now I know I loved him, he was my father. At this point,…
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Depression /no appetite & no sleep
Hello. Im writing because Im having some trouble with the depression part of this treatment. I have a family that is around always and Im still pretty active & was pretty positive but that's not helping. Im finding myself looking into the death aspect of this B/C. I am diagnosed with advanced B/C and Im on a clinical trial…
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Helping Children Cope w/ BC
Hi, everyone: I've posted before. To recap, I was diagnosed in Oct. 2003 with invasive ductal carcinoma. 1.2 cm. stage 3 very aggressive. Lumpectomy Nov. 2003. Just finished chemo [4 A/C, 4 Taxol]. I'm about to start rads. I'm looking for suggestions on helping my 7 yr old daughter cope. In a parent/teacher conference last…
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Hot Flashes
Help! I am on tamoxifen and the hotflashes are wicked. I'm sure many of you can relate. I'm lucky if I can sleep two hours at a stretch. I'm exhausted. Has anyone tried Evening Primrose or acupunture. Would appreciate any advice you can give. I have to stay away from all estrogen related products.
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tight ligament
I was wondering if anyone had this problem. During my chemo, I noticed a pulling sensation in the arm that chemo was given in. Now there is a tendon that pops up ,when I stretch my arm to reach for something and is very tight like a guitarr string.At first it looks like my vein but it isn`t.The nurse at the radiation area…
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Joys of Lymphedema
Would like to talk with anyone who is doing manual massage and compression sleeve, bandaging, etc. etc. this is very difficult to manage and never seems to get any better even though I am faithful to my treatment and never go without sleeve or bandaging except to shower. My husband has started to help with the massage part…
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Celebrate
I finished my chemo on 3/17 and had my Pet Scan and MRI on 3/31 got my results on 4/1 and all is clear I am so excited. After 30 rounds of chemo and the waiting on the scan results (thats tough)I am doing great. I'm just curious why they still want me to do 5 weeks of radiation. I had a mastectomy I start radiation on…
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raw food
Anyone using the raw food lifestyle to combat cancer?
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Nutrition as a means to forestall cancer reoccurance
Last July I was diagnosed with metaplastic carcinoma. During two surgeries Doc's removed a 9cm tumor from my chest wall and found scattered cancer cells in four of 16 lymph nodes. I just completed chemo and radiation and I am doing well, with the exception of crying jags which are gradually getting better. I've benefited…
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Bones Mets-How do they present?
Hi again-I am so thankful for this forum-you Ladies are so great about communicating your experiences and knowledge-I'd feel very much alone in all this if I didn't have this venue and you Ladies to bounce things off of :) Question - bone mets, I know, usually present themselves with ever increasing pain - can this pain be…
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New Treatment???
This is driving me CRAZY for feedback! A couple of days ago BJaye wrote: "I have another question. My oncologist is suggesting I get on a stage 3 drug trial that uses dose-dense treatments every 2 weeks and has a 50/50 chance of patient getting either A/C or Taxol only. No other chemo meds, but support for low blood…
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Dense Breast-MRI vs. Mammogram
Hi All-I had my first 3 month checkup post chemotherapy this past week-my Oncologist scheduled a mammogram of my left breast(my last one was taken last May when I was diagnosed) and a bone scan (because I am experiencing intermittant pain in the small of my back). He said that my mammogram came back okay, but that due to…
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No Followup Consequences
Dear Group, Last night I attended my monthly Reach to Recovery meeting and was told, by a good friend, a 45 year old 3 year survivor, that her cancer is back and currently at stage IV. She originally had a 5cm mass with 3 positive lymph nodes. She was ER+ and Her2Nu+ and has been taking Tamoxifen. The doctors think that…
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Arm trouble
I have a question about my arm that I hope someone can answer. I am still having trouble raising my arm up fully since I had a mastectomy and some of my lymph nodes taken out back in May of 2003. I exercise 5 days a week. It is a lot better now. But I was wondering if this is as good as it is going to get?
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TAC chemotherapy
Has anyone had experience taking adriamycin, cytoxen and taxotere together? This is the treatment my Dr recommends as best for me; I'm 42 yrs w/invasive ductal w/lobular features, 1.6 cm tumor w/2 nodes microscopic affected, estrogen +, progestrone -, her2 -, grade 3, agressive. Would be 6 rounds, 3 weeks apart, no…
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2nd generation
Received my diagnosis on 12/31. Busy finding info and doctors, had mastectomy 2/9. Now I find I'm dealing with the emotions I'd "put on the back burner". I am having a lot of difficulty dealing with the memory my mother's hellish Halstead & her problems. It's like I'm dealing with my cancer & reliving hers too. She died 3…
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Exercises- post-radiation
I just completed a lumpectomy with a sentinel node biopsy (1 node) and 33 radiation treatments. I was told to exercise the arm (and I do lift weights) but not specific exercises. Does someone have suggestions?
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Celebrate
I wanted to let mom62 know that Im not stage 3 or 4 I am stage 2, that is why I'm confused on why so much treatment. My Dr did say that my tumor was grade 3 (aggressive) er/pr and her2 - plus a mastectomy, i just did not know if anyone else had or has similar treatment (tumor size 2cm) and 1/2 mm in 1 node?
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Does anyone Take CURE Magizine?
I just got my spring issue of Cure Magizine. Is anyone else getting it? Is anyone else going to the 1st annual Patient & Survivor forum? I would love to go, and meet some of you ladies I have been chatting with. PERFECT opportunity. They are having it at the Dallas Marriott on May 22, and 23rd. The Agenda LOOKS VERY…
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Bi lateral / Reconstruction
HI, I am writing on behalf of my mother. She had her reconstruction this Monday and it lasted 9.5 hours and she was d/c'd home yesterday evening. She is currently doing well. I wanted to personally thank ya'll for being so helpful to my mother in helping with her apprenhension and helping her anticipate what she would need…
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Anyone had a liver biopsy?
I am not comfortable with having a liver biopsy. This is for something new, unrelated to my 2X breast cancers. I heard it's painful, and there could be complications. Please be truthful.
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Question re FISH
After a year, I finally got a copy of my pathology report (I don't understand most of it, but at least I got it). I have a question re the FISH test. I notice on the report that my HER2 was +, however, a FISH was never done because there was "not enough tissue left on the block". Isn't this standard procedure? I am worried…