Breast Cancer Survivor....Needs Advice

sunnyskye

Hello. I am a 1.5 yr breast cancer survivor. My cancer was small .9 mm but very aggressive in nature and found as a microcalcification in a routine mamo. Had a lumpectomy and a resection with 6 weeks of radiation. 3 nodes were checked and were negative. I was not a candidate for tomixfen. I have recently been having some problems with pain in my right side (the side of the breast cancer). More like achiness from under my right shoulder blade in the back and down the front from the rib cage to the right front side. I had a CT with contrast done and they found I had a 2.9 cm cyst on my left ovary. (opposite side than where most of the annoying cramping pains are). My question to anyone who may know anything about this is ... could this somehow be related to the breast cancer? And, how do they know when a cyst is benign ... is it very obvious in a CT scan? Thank you, D.

jeancmici

As an old member of this forum - in length of participation AND age, I think you should not get worried yet. You may unknowingly have used your right arm more than it wanted to be used. radiation i think leaves lingering pain too. My breast was feeling much better BEFORE the radiation - often I wished I had skipped it - and some of this pain was delayed - not during the time of treatment.

Depending on your age you could consider having a hysterectomy and getting rid of the ovaries - not such a drastic measure really.

Sometimes spots/lesions are not known for sure unless they change but that is usually when one has established mets somewhere - then those mysterious spots either increase - probably cancer- or stay the same - probably benign.

Talking to your doctor with all your questions on paper so you don't forget any is the best way to start. Forgive my wordiness this a.m. - blame it on the Ativan which gets me going lately. It helps me with my worries which are lots of mets.

Ask questions also from
www.google.com
Almost everyone here uses it for some good info.
Hang in there and - simple as it sounds - relaxing does help pain too. We can get ourselves all tied in painful knots from worry.

Good Luck,
Jean

Westside

Hello. I also had a lumpectomy in May 2003. I also had all negative nodes. I do take Tamoxifen and will for five years. I also have had pain. I was told it was nerve damage from surgery and scar tissue healing. Will both resolve and it has gotten better. I did have a hysterectomy about 8 years ago. Since I had all the kids I wanted and ovarian cancer was a worry of mine - I eliminated that risk with surgery. Plus other problems with the female parts.That is a huge decision and not one that is good for everyone.
Always follow your gut feeling. If you are not 100% satisfied with what you are being told, take your CT films and go for another opinion. It is not anything against your doctor, our lives are in their hands. You just need to be sure and feel as comfortable as possible with the medical advice you are given. I think we all question stuff and are afraid. I did radiation and chemo. Next week I have my first mammogram since the surgery. That makes my stomach hurt. However, hang in there. Educate yourself as much as possible. There are alot of women out there like ourselves and by sharing info with each other, we stay an active part in our healing. Hope this helps a little.

sunnyskye

jeancmici said:

As an old member of this forum - in length of participation AND age, I think you should not get worried yet. You may unknowingly have used your right arm more than it wanted to be used. radiation i think leaves lingering pain too. My breast was feeling much better BEFORE the radiation - often I wished I had skipped it - and some of this pain was delayed - not during the time of treatment.

Depending on your age you could consider having a hysterectomy and getting rid of the ovaries - not such a drastic measure really.

Sometimes spots/lesions are not known for sure unless they change but that is usually when one has established mets somewhere - then those mysterious spots either increase - probably cancer- or stay the same - probably benign.

Talking to your doctor with all your questions on paper so you don't forget any is the best way to start. Forgive my wordiness this a.m. - blame it on the Ativan which gets me going lately. It helps me with my worries which are lots of mets.

Ask questions also from
www.google.com
Almost everyone here uses it for some good info.
Hang in there and - simple as it sounds - relaxing does help pain too. We can get ourselves all tied in painful knots from worry.

Good Luck,
Jean

Thank you, I am 47 and had a partial hysterectomy 10 years ago...they left the ovaries. I begged them to take the ovaries but he wouldn't do it because he did not want to institute menopause at that age. I made him give me the blood test at that time to test for ovarian cancer. I'm sorry to hear of your mets .... another worry and yet another test i will be having is a bone scan. i never had any tests of anything, only the mamo's and one blood test prior to the surgeries 1.5 yrs ago. My oncology doc does not believe in testing unless there is a problem. Now tho, my GP is concerned about symptoms I've been having and wants these tests done. Im glad and relieved to be having them and am praying what they are calling a cyst is really only a cyst.

sunnyskye

Westside said:

Hello. I also had a lumpectomy in May 2003. I also had all negative nodes. I do take Tamoxifen and will for five years. I also have had pain. I was told it was nerve damage from surgery and scar tissue healing. Will both resolve and it has gotten better. I did have a hysterectomy about 8 years ago. Since I had all the kids I wanted and ovarian cancer was a worry of mine - I eliminated that risk with surgery. Plus other problems with the female parts.That is a huge decision and not one that is good for everyone.
Always follow your gut feeling. If you are not 100% satisfied with what you are being told, take your CT films and go for another opinion. It is not anything against your doctor, our lives are in their hands. You just need to be sure and feel as comfortable as possible with the medical advice you are given. I think we all question stuff and are afraid. I did radiation and chemo. Next week I have my first mammogram since the surgery. That makes my stomach hurt. However, hang in there. Educate yourself as much as possible. There are alot of women out there like ourselves and by sharing info with each other, we stay an active part in our healing. Hope this helps a little.

Thanks it does help. I know all too well that gut feelings mean everything! When the calc first showed up on the mammogram 1.5 yrs ago the radiogist told me "it looked benign and to come back in 6 months." After looking up just what the heck a calc was I became educated and that education scared me enough to know they cannot tell if it is benign or malignant unless they biopsy it....my gut told me at that time to get another opinion...within 2 weeks I had been re-evaluated and was scheduled for surgery...i had an aggressive form of breast cancer, but very small. had i listened to the first radiology laboratory, my prognosis would have been much worse, if not deadly if i had waited 6 months. So, I don't care how many tests I may have to have that come up negative for something...if it doesn't feel right and if I have a doubt, I'm going thru the tests. You live and learn.

KimInBeirut

I'm going to get back with you with a better answer as soon as time permits, but I think I may have gone/am going through the aches you describe. I found out that I was breaking ribs by trying to exercise too soon - the broken ribs were coming from weakened ligaments between the rib cage. (I, too, had lumpectomy, lymph node surgery, and radiation). I was a candidate for Tamoxifen, but opted out of taking it.