Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer

Tanya732

My brain is soooo fried from all of the research and reading I have been doing online. At this point I am confused and frustrated.

38 years old, I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma on 12/21/05, lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy later (2.5 cm tumor w/negative margins and 1 lymph node involved, ER and HER2neu+) I am facing my first chemo treatment. I'm terrified. My Oncologist was unable to give me a prognosis at this time. Is this normal? And why is everyone telling me it will be ok when I am feeling like I am dying and I haven't even gotten sick yet??? My friend is making me go wig shopping (bless her) and I just want to scream at everyone. ARGH!!!!!!! How in the heck do you guys do this????

Susan956

I know it probably doesn't feel like it now... but you will be fine. Your diagnoisis sounds a lot like mine, only I had more lymph nodes involved. My doctor did give me a prognosis early on... but I found that I was having such a hard time grasping all of the information, that I had to get her to go back through it once I had finished chemo... I wasn't sure I had understood it properly.

I found that the worst time mentally for me was before I started chemo. So it is very normal to be scared. I felt so alone and I had not found this site at the time. Once you start chemo, you will meet a lot more people who are going through the same treatments or worse. You will probably get to know people who may be at the end of there treatments and you will see them making it through it and you will decide that you can do it too. I know that in our room, once you have gotten well into your treatment you kind of take on the new women who come in for treatments. I know I had a lady that was ahead of me that I would ask questions about what to expect... and now the shoe is on the other foot and I share similar information with a lady is several months behind me in treatment. And how we do it is simply we have no choice.... Well we do have one choice... whether we will try to do this with a good attitude... which makes it so much easier or not. I found that in our chemo room it was hard not to have a good attitude because of the people who you met and get to know. If almost becomes like a family. It will really turn out better than you believe it will now. Have faith... and take care of yourself.

ClaudiaAnn

Hi I'm not pre-menopausal and I did not have any lymph node involvement. I got very lucky because my tumor was 4.5cm. To be totally honest, I thought chemo was going to be a lot worse than it was. You should get pills for nausea that really do a good job. You will feel bad, but I told my self every day that what I was going through was temporary and it would have an end. I also told myself that the alternative was far worse. I will do whatever I can to fight this disease with whatever tools I have. It is not easy and you may have days that it seems not worth it, you may cry and wallow at times, but it will have an end and you can keep going. This disease has a way of finding our strength and giving us just a little bit more. You will find yours. Hang in there, hugs XOXOX

ClaudiaAnn

I have another thought for you. Find the local ACS chapter in your area and ask them if they have any counsellors or groups who can help you through. Someone close to talk to that has already been through it may provide you some comfort.

ninavincenza

I was diagnosed with the very same breast cancer as you, nov.'04. I finished treatment of chemo april '05 and rad.june'05. You will live through it, no it is not easy. We all react differently, but with the meds that are available you will be o.k. Yes, treatments can be terrifying. I can remember tearing up when going to chemo. Keep your chin up, you will be irritable and angry at times. This is normal considering your situation.

SusanO43

Your story sounds very similar to mine. I was diagnosed Nov. of 04 just after I turned 42. I had the same cancer as you with an additional in-situ cancer. I had a mast. of the left breast and 6 round of chemo and I am on Tamoxafin. I know your scared. The more I read & studied about it the more nervous I got. But I still wanted to know. I guess thats kinda weird! But my chemo wasnt as bad in reality as it was in my mind. I got sicker on my way to treatments than I did after them! this sounds crazy but it goes by so fast, even tho I had some bad days, it all has went by in a blur, and yours will too. If I can do it, anybody can. There are LOTS of good nausea meds. out there. I even got a mild nerve pill to settle me down. If you need something dont be ashamed or afraid to ask.......You can do it!! Love, & Prayers.....SusanO43

MACDLOW

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME EXACT CANCER IN 11/05.I AM 43. I HAD A MASTECTOMY WITH RECONSTRUCTION ON 12/28/05. I AM GETTING READY TO START THE 1RST OF 8 CHEMO SESSIONS. I CAN TOTALLY RELATE TO THE WAY YOU ARE FEELING. I AM ALSO GOING WIG SHOPPING THIS WEEK. I DONT KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS EITHER BUT, I DO HAVE A GREAT HUSBAND AND ALOT OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY BEHIND ME.MY ONCOLOGIST TOLD ME AFTER SURGERY AND CHEMO MY PROGNOSIS IS GOOD. I WISH YOU LUCK AND STRENGTH, GOD BLESS

Siekmann

I am only 3 chemo's ahead of you. Sounds like you have the EXACT breast cancer I have/had. Okay you have one node---- alright! The wig ideal is great. Go to tlcdirect.org and order some neat things 1/2 the price too! The first treatment was hard, you don't know what to expect. Well you will feel fine until the next day. Drink alot of water before and after if you can. Get meds for nausea, Zofran worked great for me, take it every 8 hours around the clock!!! I got my first treatment on a Thursday and got sick feeling on the Friday night and Saturday. Sunday felt good, back to work on Monday. It really helps me to know that the chemo is insurance just to make sure there are NO cancer cells floating around in my body. Hey, they removed the lump, and there was only one lymph node involved right! Keep telling your self this was an option (chemo) and you can do it, it is worth living! I also pray alot that I find out why God chose me to go this storm. My prayer is that I become a happier, my appreciative person! I did not chose to have a mast, I often wonder if that was a good decision.

geral

Hi Tanya!

I am a 5yr.7mo. survivor!!!

This is the 1st time I've been on this board in a really long time. I hadn't planned on 'participating'. I'm actually on this site to do some research for another survivor, but your message caught my eye and 'hit home' with me. I was so frightened after my diagnosis and also tried to get all the info possible. I called ACS as soon as i walked through my front door after rec'g my dx!

The first thing I would like to share with you is 'Each of us is unique!' We cannot help but compare our progress to others. 'No 2 cases are alike'. It is very helpful to share experiences so that others may gain info from you and vice-versa. Just keep in mind that YOU are the only person who truly knows how you feel and what you are going through. i.e., 'Cut yourself some slack!' Pat yourself on the back right now because by reading this message board, you are taking a big step in helping yourself recover!

My 'stats': Stage IIA Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, 3 out of 16 positive lymph nodes; 8 Chemos [4 Adryamicin/Cytoxin(AC)+ 4 Taxol]; 32 Radiation Treatments.

My first chemo, I did vomit. The rest of the time,I did not, but was nauseated. There are many nausea medications if you need them. Just keep trying different ones until you find one that works for you.

I had a hard time getting use to the 'idea'of wearing a wig. Lost my hair in the month of August, 13 days after 1st chemo. Wore scarves, hats, 'do-rags' until it started getting cold in the Fall. A friend gave me alot of the 'head-gear'. I ordered a couple of very comfortable (soft) ones from the ACS catalog.

In retrospect, these are a few of the things I would have done differently:
1)Joined this ACS message board immediately (which you are doing early on!)
2)Taken pain meds from the onset of pain for several months. Maybe that would have prevented my chronic breast pain due to the lumpectomy. The pain meds made me nauseated, so i discontinued them soon after my lumpectomy. Then, re-started them a couple of months later. Took them for about a year (still nauseated) and chose to stop. Now, I use ice packs and rest.
3)Tried wearing my wig as soon as I lost my hair instead of putting it off.

I hope this helps.

Take care and good luck with your treatments,
Geral

geral

geral said:

Hi Tanya!

I am a 5yr.7mo. survivor!!!

This is the 1st time I've been on this board in a really long time. I hadn't planned on 'participating'. I'm actually on this site to do some research for another survivor, but your message caught my eye and 'hit home' with me. I was so frightened after my diagnosis and also tried to get all the info possible. I called ACS as soon as i walked through my front door after rec'g my dx!

The first thing I would like to share with you is 'Each of us is unique!' We cannot help but compare our progress to others. 'No 2 cases are alike'. It is very helpful to share experiences so that others may gain info from you and vice-versa. Just keep in mind that YOU are the only person who truly knows how you feel and what you are going through. i.e., 'Cut yourself some slack!' Pat yourself on the back right now because by reading this message board, you are taking a big step in helping yourself recover!

My 'stats': Stage IIA Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, 3 out of 16 positive lymph nodes; 8 Chemos [4 Adryamicin/Cytoxin(AC)+ 4 Taxol]; 32 Radiation Treatments.

My first chemo, I did vomit. The rest of the time,I did not, but was nauseated. There are many nausea medications if you need them. Just keep trying different ones until you find one that works for you.

I had a hard time getting use to the 'idea'of wearing a wig. Lost my hair in the month of August, 13 days after 1st chemo. Wore scarves, hats, 'do-rags' until it started getting cold in the Fall. A friend gave me alot of the 'head-gear'. I ordered a couple of very comfortable (soft) ones from the ACS catalog.

In retrospect, these are a few of the things I would have done differently:
1)Joined this ACS message board immediately (which you are doing early on!)
2)Taken pain meds from the onset of pain for several months. Maybe that would have prevented my chronic breast pain due to the lumpectomy. The pain meds made me nauseated, so i discontinued them soon after my lumpectomy. Then, re-started them a couple of months later. Took them for about a year (still nauseated) and chose to stop. Now, I use ice packs and rest.
3)Tried wearing my wig as soon as I lost my hair instead of putting it off.

I hope this helps.

Take care and good luck with your treatments,
Geral

I forgot to mention that I was also pre-menopausal at the time of dx at the age of 43. I stopped having periods after starting chemo.

-Geral

SweetSue

Sometimes, people don't know what to say. One person said to me that breast cancer isn't so bad. Well, I was furious....not bad until it happens to them.
I am a 3 year survivor. Invasive lobular bc (4cm) and no node involvement. I went through A/C chemo.
When we are first diagnosed, we don't know if we are going to live or die. I got through it by living in the NOW. Before I would go to sleep, I would say..I am okay right now. NOW is all we really have.
Days I didn't feel okay, I dealt with it at the time.
I still try to live in the NOW, but I do have fearful days.
Take care, try to stay positive, and STAY away from the negative friends or relatives or people who just seem to say the wrong thing. You do not need to be upset by others' words. You have enough on your plate.
Believe it or not , but some day u will be able to get through a day without thinking about cancer.