Every Victory is Worth a Celebration!

missrenee
missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Okay, so I'm 10 months post lumpectomy and axillary node dissection, 5 months post-chemo, 3 months post rads. Have a seroma, pain and swelling on the "bad" side. Had a mammo and ultrasound today of the good side. The great news is--totally normal study. I see my surgeon next week to determine when we re-examine the "bad" side. I'm thinking since I can't do a mammo on that side yet (nor do I trust them anymore since my mammo was "normal" even though I had Stage 3 invasive carcinoma) should I demand an MRI???? This would also confirm the "normal" report for the "good" side.

Will I ever feel safe again? Advice please.

Hugs to all, Renee

Comments

  • Scotch Freckles
    Scotch Freckles Member Posts: 273 Member
    #2
    Go for it
    Renee

    Go for what ever makes you comfortable with the final results. It is your body, your doc is like your car mechanic. You know there is something wrong, the mechanic can't find it if you don't describe specific enough. Tell your doc you want the works.

    Will you ever feel safe again. I can't answer that question because I ask myself the same thing ever day. After reading the new post today about recurrance after 17 years put me back on my heels. I ask my self if my current doc really does enough to check each year for anything abnormal, not just mamo's. I have an appointment next week with a new internalist who specalizes in rheumotology and understand I will be in for a 2 to 4 hour work up. Yes, I also have arthritis (Gout) and am wondering if new pains are in the same family as arthritis, not the big C again.

    Just smile, dance when ever the mood hits, laugh often, and don't let bad memories drag your life down.

    Kathryn
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #3
    Scotch Freckles said:

    Go for it
    Renee

    Go for what ever makes you comfortable with the final results. It is your body, your doc is like your car mechanic. You know there is something wrong, the mechanic can't find it if you don't describe specific enough. Tell your doc you want the works.

    Will you ever feel safe again. I can't answer that question because I ask myself the same thing ever day. After reading the new post today about recurrance after 17 years put me back on my heels. I ask my self if my current doc really does enough to check each year for anything abnormal, not just mamo's. I have an appointment next week with a new internalist who specalizes in rheumotology and understand I will be in for a 2 to 4 hour work up. Yes, I also have arthritis (Gout) and am wondering if new pains are in the same family as arthritis, not the big C again.

    Just smile, dance when ever the mood hits, laugh often, and don't let bad memories drag your life down.

    Kathryn

    Renee,
    Ask for the tests that you feel will give you the most piece of mind. An MRI does not sound unreasonable to me. I don't know about others and ever feeling safe again. I try to look at it that my cancers are gone and until I hear they are back I am going to live my life as cancer free. It doesn't mean I won't go for my tests, worry a little before each one and breathe a big sigh of relief when I am told I am NED. But for me, I refuse to let cancer take one more thing from me. It invaded my uterus, bladder, breast and skin, each with a different cancer and different treatments to defeat it and different follow ups to stay vigilant that it doesn't return. I found through genetic testing that I am at a sixty to eighty percent chance of developing colon cancer and a higher than average risk for stomach, esophogeal and several other cancers and that it is likely I will have other skin cancers show up. Does it frighten me, sometimes? I just choose not to let worry about tomorrow rob me of today. Does it always work, no? But most of the time I go through life as I always have and I enjoy my life with NED and cancer free. If that changes, I will worry then and then I will get damn angry and fight with every ounce of my being to become NED again. It's not easy and it's taken me several years to reach this level of comfort but it's what works for me.
    Kathryn said it very well, to smile, dance, laugh and to not let the bad memories drag your life down. Things do get brighter but it takes time. Prayers and good thoughts that your journey becomes easier each day.
    Stef
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #4
    fauxma said:

    Renee,
    Ask for the tests that you feel will give you the most piece of mind. An MRI does not sound unreasonable to me. I don't know about others and ever feeling safe again. I try to look at it that my cancers are gone and until I hear they are back I am going to live my life as cancer free. It doesn't mean I won't go for my tests, worry a little before each one and breathe a big sigh of relief when I am told I am NED. But for me, I refuse to let cancer take one more thing from me. It invaded my uterus, bladder, breast and skin, each with a different cancer and different treatments to defeat it and different follow ups to stay vigilant that it doesn't return. I found through genetic testing that I am at a sixty to eighty percent chance of developing colon cancer and a higher than average risk for stomach, esophogeal and several other cancers and that it is likely I will have other skin cancers show up. Does it frighten me, sometimes? I just choose not to let worry about tomorrow rob me of today. Does it always work, no? But most of the time I go through life as I always have and I enjoy my life with NED and cancer free. If that changes, I will worry then and then I will get damn angry and fight with every ounce of my being to become NED again. It's not easy and it's taken me several years to reach this level of comfort but it's what works for me.
    Kathryn said it very well, to smile, dance, laugh and to not let the bad memories drag your life down. Things do get brighter but it takes time. Prayers and good thoughts that your journey becomes easier each day.
    Stef

    Stef-
    Just had to add that I love your attitude. You are a true warrior and an inspiration.
    *hugs*
    Heather
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #5
    Heatherbelle said:

    Stef-
    Just had to add that I love your attitude. You are a true warrior and an inspiration.
    *hugs*
    Heather

    Thank you Stef, Kathryn and Heather
    I love that attitude too. I guess that's all we can do is celebrate the good days and take the bad days as they come and cope as best we can. I don't want to squander the good days by worrying about what may or may not be. But it's just doggone hard sometimes.

    Thank you all for the encouraging words. Hope everyone has a peaceful day.

    Hugs, Renee
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #6
    missrenee said:

    Thank you Stef, Kathryn and Heather
    I love that attitude too. I guess that's all we can do is celebrate the good days and take the bad days as they come and cope as best we can. I don't want to squander the good days by worrying about what may or may not be. But it's just doggone hard sometimes.

    Thank you all for the encouraging words. Hope everyone has a peaceful day.

    Hugs, Renee

    Renee,
    I like the phrase you used about not squandering the good days. That is a very good way to look at it. I know that it is hard for anyone not to worry and some worry more than others. It's not wrong to worry, to be fearful, to vent, to rant, to cry. In fact, there are times when that is the best thing we can do. There needs to be balance in this battle as with everything in life. I actually worried at one time that I wasn't "normal" because I seemed so less upset than my family and friends. I asked my doctor about it and he said I was fine. I wasn't falsely cheerful or in denial that this was serious but I also wasn't letting this consume me with fear. Acknowledge your fearful moments, and celebrate the moments when you feel great and strong. It's all a balancing act. The man on the tightrope uses a pole to balance himself. My friends here are part of my balancing pole. See now you are milk and a balancing pole. Oh, how many silly analogies can I eventually come up with, we shall see. I am pleased if anyone thinks that I have a good attitude or am brave or whatever, but honestly I think that everyone who faces this and faces each new day is inspiring. This isn't easy and the journey has so many twists and turns that everyone who runs, skips, plods or even crawls along the path is to be admired. We all have something of value to give to each other.
    Stef
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #7
    since I had bilateral mastectomy my surgeon said I'll have an xray next May. No more mammos for me! Yah! I would ask for the MRI on the bad side. It is an expensive and long test but if it puts your mind at ease it's worth it. Hopefully insurance would pay for it. It certainly doesn't hurt to let your dr know this is what you want.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #8
    Scotch Freckles said:

    Go for it
    Renee

    Go for what ever makes you comfortable with the final results. It is your body, your doc is like your car mechanic. You know there is something wrong, the mechanic can't find it if you don't describe specific enough. Tell your doc you want the works.

    Will you ever feel safe again. I can't answer that question because I ask myself the same thing ever day. After reading the new post today about recurrance after 17 years put me back on my heels. I ask my self if my current doc really does enough to check each year for anything abnormal, not just mamo's. I have an appointment next week with a new internalist who specalizes in rheumotology and understand I will be in for a 2 to 4 hour work up. Yes, I also have arthritis (Gout) and am wondering if new pains are in the same family as arthritis, not the big C again.

    Just smile, dance when ever the mood hits, laugh often, and don't let bad memories drag your life down.

    Kathryn

    I agree with Kathryn. If a
    I agree with Kathryn. If a MRI would make you feel better and safer, then tell your doctor that you want one. Good luck!
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #9
    cahjah75 said:

    since I had bilateral mastectomy my surgeon said I'll have an xray next May. No more mammos for me! Yah! I would ask for the MRI on the bad side. It is an expensive and long test but if it puts your mind at ease it's worth it. Hopefully insurance would pay for it. It certainly doesn't hurt to let your dr know this is what you want.
    {{hugs}} Char

    Taxol & Taxotere / Carbo 18 consective weeks completed 12/20/09
    Bi lateral, tissue expanders/ Staph infection right expander - emergency surgery
    replacement (righty) ..exchange surgery .. right lift 9/29/10 -- 8 surgeries in 13 months
    Finished 1 year of herceptin 8/20/10 --

    Now is it time to go on and live my life .. I seem just to be sitting still, holding my breath ..

    so .. everyday - 1 put 1 foot in front of the other, and take a new step into 'my new
    normal' life.


    MRI is a great ... suggestion - hoping and praying that insurance companies will see that this is necessary, and agree to pay.

    Vicki Sam☺ ☺
  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #10
    congrats
    Congrats on all you've done and been thru. Yes, if an MRI will make you feel better, ask for one. Will you feel safe again, probably not totally cause I think that would take a guarantee from God that it won't come back and we don't get those. It will get better though. There will be more days that you won't think about it, and you'll get back to enjoying the things you used to be able to do and find new ones too. No one is guaranteed tomorrow, we here have just been made more aware of that than others.
    Do what you need to do and let us know how you're doing.

    marge

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