Chemo starting

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Stages
Stages Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was diagnosed in Jan/10 with IDC breast cancer and had a lumpectomy 2cm with node removal of 8 which were neg. Feb 3rd. DX was stage 1c 0 nodes and stage 3. My reoccurance rate was at 31 percent before meds and with that was brought down to 15.If I have chemo it will lower it by another 5. I was first told I was triple neg but after retesting I am now er-/pr+ her2 neg.I have only posted here a couple of times but follow this site everyday.
Now that chemo is bearing down on me this week I am having 2nd thoughts on my decision to do it.Did I made the right decision? I am questioning myself as it nears or is this just fear of chemo. My initial thought was I am in good health at 53 now versus if I have to face other problems down the road at some time so why not do all I can and throw everything at it now. Then you hear of the possibilities of things that can happen from the chemo.I know there are those here that said chemo is doable but I keep going with the what if's but I do the same what if's if I don't do it. You all seem to care so much for each other and support is great. Please help me decide am I doing the right thing? I turned down the onco testing because I had made up my mind to do chemo so I didn't see any reason to do it. My insurance won't pay for the Brca testing so clueless there. We have never had BC in the family but my mothers side of family have all had some form of cancer and died with ovarian, colon, prostrate, gasto intestinal sarcoma which is why I did decide to do chemo because of cancer history. Sorry I am so long winded here but I am worrying all the time on decisions. Thanks Cyn

Comments

  • jbug
    jbug Member Posts: 285
    #2
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    Cyn
    First let me welcome you...this is a great place for questions and support. When i first got my diagnosis in Nov of last year, I was told that the oncs would probably recommend chemo. My prognostic numbers were all very good, ER/PR +, Her2 neg, neg nodes and Stage 1/grade1...nevertheless, i discussed the potential of chemo w/my husband and we decided that we would engage the battle w/everthing in the arsenal...so was fully prepared to ahve to go thru chemo. Ultimately, chemo was not recommended, so i didn't have to to thru that (thank God).

    You will here from women who chose chemo and those that didn't...ultimately, each of them reached their decision based on what was right for them. If you don't feel ready to begin, ask for a bit more time and weigh all the information so that you can make a decision that is truly right for you.

    Good luck w/your treatment decisions...God Bless...
    Julie
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #3
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    You won't know the "what ifs" unless you try it
    I've learned from this site, as well as from many women I meet, that the effects of chemo are different with each person. Hopefully you will be one who can tolerate it well and won't have many side effects. At least you can say you tried it! If you don't and it comes back you'll blame yourself for not giving it a shot. The nice part is you can always back out if it's really hard for you to do! 5% is a pretty big number when it involves your LIFE! Good luck. Let us know what you decide. God bless.
  • bjmom1
    bjmom1 Member Posts: 152
    #4
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    done chemo
    I feel you should always follow your first mind. If you feel that chemo will help up the odds then go for it. Remember everybody experiences with chemo is different. I had some of the sign effect but not all and some people have very little sign effect. Remember this treatment is to help heal your body and increase your odds. Just like you I a have family history of cancer on my father side and I wanted to beat the odds.

    Good Luck and God Bless
    bjmom1
  • AmandaMarie29
    AmandaMarie29 Member Posts: 55
    #5
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    Facing chemo is a scary
    Facing chemo is a scary process. It's hard not to second guess yourself...I had a 1.5cm tumor er+ pr+ her2-...no lymph node involvment. I also had a bi-lateral mastectomy w/ reconstruction. Because of my age I decided on doing it. Before my first treatment, I kept wondering if I had made the right choice too. I looked at it as...if I had been so lucky to catch it as early as I did...then I needed to hit it with all I had to get rid of it. It's never as treatable as when you first catch it! I had my first treatmen last Monday...believe me when I say I thought it was going to be soooooooooo much worse than it was. Even on my worst day, it was completely tolerable. It's not fun, but it's a bump in the road...and before you know it it's behind you. Then your left knowing that you did EVERYTHING you could...and you won't be worrying the rest of your life about not doing it. You will do great and you will get through it, just like some many of us have or are doing so now. Good luck to you :)

    Mandi
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #6
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    AmandaMarie29 said:

    Facing chemo is a scary
    Facing chemo is a scary process. It's hard not to second guess yourself...I had a 1.5cm tumor er+ pr+ her2-...no lymph node involvment. I also had a bi-lateral mastectomy w/ reconstruction. Because of my age I decided on doing it. Before my first treatment, I kept wondering if I had made the right choice too. I looked at it as...if I had been so lucky to catch it as early as I did...then I needed to hit it with all I had to get rid of it. It's never as treatable as when you first catch it! I had my first treatmen last Monday...believe me when I say I thought it was going to be soooooooooo much worse than it was. Even on my worst day, it was completely tolerable. It's not fun, but it's a bump in the road...and before you know it it's behind you. Then your left knowing that you did EVERYTHING you could...and you won't be worrying the rest of your life about not doing it. You will do great and you will get through it, just like some many of us have or are doing so now. Good luck to you :)

    Mandi

    The decision for chemo was easy for me..
    For me there was no decision, I wanted everything there is available to help me dance with NED and to make sure I didn't have to hear the words "It's back". There is always that chance, but if I skipped something that was recommended, I can't imagine how I would feel. I hope I only have to fight this battle once. Chemo was not fun, but it's over and I'm still here to talk about it. When you read the possible side effects, it's hard to believe anyone can survive this, but no one has all of them. I kept telling myself that the big side effect of cancer was by far worse than anything chemo could throw at me.

    Good luck with your decision, perhaps a second opinion would be helpful to you. Absolute trust in your onc and a good relationship with him/her is a must.

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #7
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    Welcome
    Just wanted to welcome you to the site. You are right. We do support and love each other here. It does help you get through the journey.

    Unfortuantely, you are the only one who can decide what to do. I decided to go through with the chemo because I wanted to do everything I could to fight the cancer and to keep it from coming back. There have been times when I second guessed myself. Like when the chemo side effects are really rough and lasting longer than a week. Or when it takes me 15 minutes to get up from a chair, the bed, etc. because the Femera is making my bones ache. But I got to go on. I got to do everything to beat this thing.

    Whatever you decide, I support your decision.

    Good Luck,

    P
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #8
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    Mama G said:

    You won't know the "what ifs" unless you try it
    I've learned from this site, as well as from many women I meet, that the effects of chemo are different with each person. Hopefully you will be one who can tolerate it well and won't have many side effects. At least you can say you tried it! If you don't and it comes back you'll blame yourself for not giving it a shot. The nice part is you can always back out if it's really hard for you to do! 5% is a pretty big number when it involves your LIFE! Good luck. Let us know what you decide. God bless.

    Wishing you luck with your
    Wishing you luck with your chemo. I know it won't be easy, but, you should do everything possible to fight the beast. And, you don't want the "what if"s, if something should happen further down the road.

    Sue :)
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #9
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    AmandaMarie29 said:

    Facing chemo is a scary
    Facing chemo is a scary process. It's hard not to second guess yourself...I had a 1.5cm tumor er+ pr+ her2-...no lymph node involvment. I also had a bi-lateral mastectomy w/ reconstruction. Because of my age I decided on doing it. Before my first treatment, I kept wondering if I had made the right choice too. I looked at it as...if I had been so lucky to catch it as early as I did...then I needed to hit it with all I had to get rid of it. It's never as treatable as when you first catch it! I had my first treatmen last Monday...believe me when I say I thought it was going to be soooooooooo much worse than it was. Even on my worst day, it was completely tolerable. It's not fun, but it's a bump in the road...and before you know it it's behind you. Then your left knowing that you did EVERYTHING you could...and you won't be worrying the rest of your life about not doing it. You will do great and you will get through it, just like some many of us have or are doing so now. Good luck to you :)

    Mandi

    Good luck with chemo! Hugs,
    Good luck with chemo!

    Hugs, Megan
  • Stages
    Stages Member Posts: 8
    #10
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    aztec45 said:

    Welcome
    Just wanted to welcome you to the site. You are right. We do support and love each other here. It does help you get through the journey.

    Unfortuantely, you are the only one who can decide what to do. I decided to go through with the chemo because I wanted to do everything I could to fight the cancer and to keep it from coming back. There have been times when I second guessed myself. Like when the chemo side effects are really rough and lasting longer than a week. Or when it takes me 15 minutes to get up from a chair, the bed, etc. because the Femera is making my bones ache. But I got to go on. I got to do everything to beat this thing.

    Whatever you decide, I support your decision.

    Good Luck,

    P

    My decision
    Thanks to all of you as your advice and your support it means a lot. Who better to go to than you.I will go with the chemo and put my fears to rest and be at peace with that but may still worry. lol That seems to go hand in hand with this ugly monster.So Thurs March the 4th it is a go.I only have to do 4 treatments 3 weeks apart.Will I lose my hair? That is the first thing they told me but was hoping not. I would rather lose my breast. They have been a pain all my adult years with cyst and fibroids and getting the right size tops especially button ups to fit.One size is to small or the next would be to big. I suffered so much when my periods came because my breast was always so tender. I have had to to have about 4 needle biopsies in the past and 25 years ago had a lump removed. They took them out years ago and did the biopsy that way. I hated the needle ones they do now. It seemed I always had 3 at a time to do and always stingy with lidocain. This time they were generous and made sure I felt little. Any way thank you for making me feel better today. Cyn
  • AmandaMarie29
    AmandaMarie29 Member Posts: 55
    #11
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    Stages said:

    My decision
    Thanks to all of you as your advice and your support it means a lot. Who better to go to than you.I will go with the chemo and put my fears to rest and be at peace with that but may still worry. lol That seems to go hand in hand with this ugly monster.So Thurs March the 4th it is a go.I only have to do 4 treatments 3 weeks apart.Will I lose my hair? That is the first thing they told me but was hoping not. I would rather lose my breast. They have been a pain all my adult years with cyst and fibroids and getting the right size tops especially button ups to fit.One size is to small or the next would be to big. I suffered so much when my periods came because my breast was always so tender. I have had to to have about 4 needle biopsies in the past and 25 years ago had a lump removed. They took them out years ago and did the biopsy that way. I hated the needle ones they do now. It seemed I always had 3 at a time to do and always stingy with lidocain. This time they were generous and made sure I felt little. Any way thank you for making me feel better today. Cyn

    Yeah....I have
    Yeah....I have Taxotere/Cytoxan....4 treatments once every 3 weeks. I haven't lost my hair yet...but I was told around day day 12 it will fall out. I am at day 7 after my first treatment and my scalp is sore, which means the hair is about to go. I think that this is the hardest part of all of it for me. It did help a lot to go out and get wigs first. I had gotten 2 of them...one looks like my hair now, and the other is really long and sexy! I thought well hell, I minas well play while I have the chance. They both look great, and if you didn't know me personally you could never tell they were fake. I also got some really pretty head wraps...it's no fun losing the hair...but it will be back, and there are options out there for you. I actually wore my wig out today and a few times before that just to get use to it. If you are planning on getting one...do it before it falls out, and try to have a little fun with it. It's always good to take a crappy situation and try to find the light in it :) Good Luck with everything.....My thoughts are with you

    Mandi
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #12
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    Stages said:

    My decision
    Thanks to all of you as your advice and your support it means a lot. Who better to go to than you.I will go with the chemo and put my fears to rest and be at peace with that but may still worry. lol That seems to go hand in hand with this ugly monster.So Thurs March the 4th it is a go.I only have to do 4 treatments 3 weeks apart.Will I lose my hair? That is the first thing they told me but was hoping not. I would rather lose my breast. They have been a pain all my adult years with cyst and fibroids and getting the right size tops especially button ups to fit.One size is to small or the next would be to big. I suffered so much when my periods came because my breast was always so tender. I have had to to have about 4 needle biopsies in the past and 25 years ago had a lump removed. They took them out years ago and did the biopsy that way. I hated the needle ones they do now. It seemed I always had 3 at a time to do and always stingy with lidocain. This time they were generous and made sure I felt little. Any way thank you for making me feel better today. Cyn

    Wishing you good luck!

    Wishing you good luck!
  • Chrispea
    Chrispea Member Posts: 123 Member
    #13
    Options
    Chemo
    I never questioned chemo, I just did it. I want to do everything possible to get rid of this cancer.

    I'm triple neg and did the BRAC which came back neg. as well.

    I haven't had surgery yet, but it will most likely be a mastectomy because of the size of the lump and my smallness. If I was a D cup, it might be just a lumpectomy.

    At any rate, I think chemo is doable. If you have the right attitude and the right anti-nausea meds and also, what helped me tremendously with taxotere is the steroids, you can get thru it.

    Good luck to you.
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #14
    Options
    Stages said:

    My decision
    Thanks to all of you as your advice and your support it means a lot. Who better to go to than you.I will go with the chemo and put my fears to rest and be at peace with that but may still worry. lol That seems to go hand in hand with this ugly monster.So Thurs March the 4th it is a go.I only have to do 4 treatments 3 weeks apart.Will I lose my hair? That is the first thing they told me but was hoping not. I would rather lose my breast. They have been a pain all my adult years with cyst and fibroids and getting the right size tops especially button ups to fit.One size is to small or the next would be to big. I suffered so much when my periods came because my breast was always so tender. I have had to to have about 4 needle biopsies in the past and 25 years ago had a lump removed. They took them out years ago and did the biopsy that way. I hated the needle ones they do now. It seemed I always had 3 at a time to do and always stingy with lidocain. This time they were generous and made sure I felt little. Any way thank you for making me feel better today. Cyn

    Cyn, I wanted to welcome you
    Cyn, I wanted to welcome you and let you know that you will probably lose your hair but that's not the end of the world. I lost mine back in August of last year and about 2 weeks ago was able to go without hats and scarves. So, my point is, it is only a temporary situation. Your hair will grow back. We'll also be here to help you through these trying times. Losing our hair is a very big deal but a temporary one!! Remember that and I hope it helps you on your journey. Keep posting and good luck to you. Wishing minimal or no side effects from the chemo. Take care!!
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #15
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    MyTurnNow said:

    Cyn, I wanted to welcome you
    Cyn, I wanted to welcome you and let you know that you will probably lose your hair but that's not the end of the world. I lost mine back in August of last year and about 2 weeks ago was able to go without hats and scarves. So, my point is, it is only a temporary situation. Your hair will grow back. We'll also be here to help you through these trying times. Losing our hair is a very big deal but a temporary one!! Remember that and I hope it helps you on your journey. Keep posting and good luck to you. Wishing minimal or no side effects from the chemo. Take care!!

    Welcome and good luck with
    Welcome and good luck with chemo! Take care!
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181 Member
    #16
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    Chemo
    I remember just a few months ago thinking the same thing.I am also 53yrs. young,ha.I have never been one that would take meds. unless I really had two.i decided I was going to do everything possible to fight this beast.I owed that to myself and my family.If I didn,t do it and it would come back.I would feel guilty.Good luck to you.Keep us posted.Prayers are with you. Pat.
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    #17
    Options
    Chemo
    As others have said, and you've already figured out for yourself, chemo isn't a walk in the park, but it is doable.

    My thought process was very much like yours. I was 50 at the time of my diagnosis and felt like doing chemo now would be easier that having to face it later if it recurred. I just finished my 4th and final round of Cytoxan/Taxotere on 2/17, and I was one of the fortunate ones with very few side effects, but of course one of them was the hair loss. Losing my hair actually ended up bothering me a lot less than I had anticipated. I've actually enjoyed doing a little "retail therapy" for hats and scarves. I did buy one wig, but seldom wear it. I find the hats and scarves much more comfortable, and found a lot of cute ones on the TLC website. Whenever I wear them I get compliments when I wear them. Some people don't even realize I don't have any hair under the hat!

    I do want to wish you the best in your journey to the ultimate goal - a dance with NED!

    Take care,
    Cindy

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