IF YOU ARE DOWN, OR A NEWBIE...READ THIS

meena1

I posted this under a different heading, but here it goes again:

WOW! There are so many new woman to this board, it is hard to reply to everyone. I have been here for awhile and I wanted to share my story. On July 7, 2008, I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, stage 4. I was scared just like you are right now. I had 12 weekly treatment of Taxol along with Herceptin, I had my right breast removed with an expander put in, I then had 25 radiation treatments. You will get through this. You will be stronger, braver, and more beautiful than you ever were. You will love harder than you ever thought possible. Your hair will grow back thick and curly, you will love it. When you are done chemo, the air will smell so fresh and clean. I want to give you hope because you will get through it. You will meet wonderful people and make lifelong memories. So, take a deep breath and hang on. My mantra is "i fought cancer, you don't scare me". I am in remission right now, there is no evidence of active disease, and I feel good. But before you get here, you are going to have diarrehea, be constipated, throw up, be exhaused. You will lose your hair, your eyebrows, your lashes. You will cry at night, and sob in the shower so no one hears you. When anyone asks, you will say
"i am fine" even though your very soul is being torn to bits... but i promise--you will survive.

ppurdin

Thank you.
I have felt every single thing you have wrotte here.Even crying in the shower so no one could hear me.I am not alone nor are any of our sisters in pink.Thank you.Love and Prayers.(Pat).

Lynda53

meena1 thanks so much
I
meena1 thanks so much

I really needed that. I too have ibc. Everything you said is right on track for me
Peace

roseann4

Lynda53 said:

meena1 thanks so much
I
meena1 thanks so much

I really needed that. I too have ibc. Everything you said is right on track for me
Peace

Thanks for sharing.
Meena,

Thanks for giving our new BC sisters hope. It is a long journey but it does pass. It seems so much easier when we look back on it. God bless.

Roseann

Mama G

roseann4 said:

Thanks for sharing.
Meena,

Thanks for giving our new BC sisters hope. It is a long journey but it does pass. It seems so much easier when we look back on it. God bless.

Roseann

THANK YOU!!! Very well written
and VERY VERY inspiring. God bless you, girl! IT means a lot to us to read that and know you're out the other side doing well. WE will get there SOON!!!! Right now it seems like an eternity.

LC815

Dear Meena,
Thank you for
Dear Meena,

Thank you for your words. I read them this morning when I got to work, and I'm sure I will return to them before the day is done.

Thank you for giving me some desperately needed hope. I, too, am stage IV, and scared out of my mind.

I've never been an overly spiritual person, but I am turning to God and I thank him for you today.

Peace.
Linda

meena1

LC815 said:

Dear Meena,
Thank you for
Dear Meena,

Thank you for your words. I read them this morning when I got to work, and I'm sure I will return to them before the day is done.

Thank you for giving me some desperately needed hope. I, too, am stage IV, and scared out of my mind.

I've never been an overly spiritual person, but I am turning to God and I thank him for you today.

Peace.
Linda

I am so glad that you have
I am so glad that you have read this. I know it seems like it will never end, but it will. I also found that i turned to God at this time, so many people prayed for me. I will keep all of you in my prayers.

Marlene_K

Very beautifully written,
Very beautifully written, Meena! Thank you... this is ever so inspiring! We all have moments when we feel this beast is taking over our body & soul and it's extremely frightening! We all like to remain strong because we're told over & over again by friends and family that it's what is going to help us beat this, but we ARE human and do have weak moments. I, too, cry in the shower or on my pillow silently at night and I pray not only for me and my recovery but for my kids, that they be given the strength to cope with what I'm going through and the possible outcome of this. Your story is very encouraging and I'm so grateful that you wrote it and I read it!

Sincerely... thank you! Marlene

m_azingrace

meena1 said:

I am so glad that you have
I am so glad that you have read this. I know it seems like it will never end, but it will. I also found that i turned to God at this time, so many people prayed for me. I will keep all of you in my prayers.

Thank you so much
Some posts should always be at the top of the first page. This is one of them. God Bless you. Gracie

kckhud

Thank you
Meena,

Thanks for sharing about the journey....the where one has to go in order to get to a new place with this breast cancer.....the being strong and yet having times of tears - it is good to know that what we go through we do not go through alone but with our sisters in pink...I've found this video to bring me to tears and yet to raise my spirits for the day when I can raise my arms above my head and dance -- maybe I can trade in the tears in the shower for a dance to beat the beast we know as breast cancer --- may everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving this week! Give this one a try and share it with someone who needs a smile.

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw (cut and paste into your browser)

shortscake

thank you
Thank you for reposting this its something that we all need to read to know we will surive all that we will go though.Thank you

meena1

shortscake said:

thank you
Thank you for reposting this its something that we all need to read to know we will surive all that we will go though.Thank you

We have all had the same
We have all had the same emotions. I wish you well with your treatments

mrty

hi
My name is marty and I just joined because I had a question about my 133MX expanders 400cc. Will that be my breast size ? Will they leave them in and add implants or take them out? Will the implants be larger than 400cc? I know this is alot of questions but I don't want to go thru all this torture to have small breast and I am on the insurance bcbs of florida and I don't know if they control sizes or what can you help me?

catnj

Thank you so much..I am a
Thank you so much..I am a newbie just had surgery in Oct double mastectomy going to get my chemo beginning in dec so knowing what to expect I thank you I know I will make it thru the tears and the pain...the fight is on.. what a wonderful website for support for us all who are either alone in the battle or just needs some warm arms around them to help them up thanks for the information and the love that comes with it

e_hope

thanks meena... having a bad
thanks meena... having a bad day today... needed that... :-)

rene9

Thx Meena1!
This is very special and I will keep it close! Thank you for sharing!

rene9-

jolenew

Thank You
Thank you for what you wrote, I agree with everything you said, its like looking insid my own life. You are a beautifeul person. Keep up the good work.
Hugs

cajun54

thanks for sharing
I know the feelings you are talking about. I just finished my chemo treatments 3 weeks ago and can't wait to meet with dr to see where I go from here. I experienced the crying in the shower and telling people at work everything is fine. I did not havve vey many symptoms but mouth soreness and fourth treatment had aches all all over and a low temp. It lasted only for two days and I was back at work. I think being at work helped me tremendously not to think of what my body was going through. Thanks for sharing your story.