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jwood1176
jwood1176 Member Posts: 16
in Breast Cancer #1
Hello, I wanted to say hello. I really wish i had found this site sooner! I am 35 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer er/pr+ and her2+ , on October 19, 2011. I've had a bilateral mastectomy, a port place and then had to have it rerouted 2 weeks later because i developed a blood clot. I then started chemotherapy for 6 cycles every 3 weeks and herceptin every week and neulasta every 3 weeks. i finished chemo on March 22, 2012 and now i am taking the herceptin infusion every 3 weeks until december. I was going to start tamoxifen, but since i have had a bloodclot my dr doesn't want me to take it. so i am waiting to see when i can have a hysterectomy and the will be on an aromatase inhibitor. does anyone have a simiular story? any advice? kind of nervous about all of this. i am scared of reccurance, which is something i am having trouble of letting go... Through this experience my faith has grown stronger than it has every been. Any advice would be grately appreciated. God Bless! :)

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  • ksf56
    ksf56 Member Posts: 202
    #2
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    Welcome jwood!
    I also found this site late. I didn't know it existed till I had finished treatment. My treatment and experience is different but I can identify with the chaos and fears you're going through. It sounds like you have been through tons of changes in you life. Wow! It does seem like our lives kind of become "cancer" doesn't it?

    Welcome to this group of wonderful supporters! I'm so sorry that you're in the circumstance to need to be here. I hope that we can all be of help to you!

    Prayers and hugs!
    Karen
  • Stacy7676
    Stacy7676 Member Posts: 17
    #3
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    Hi!
    I just found this site
    Hi!
    I just found this site also about a week ago. I am also 35. I was diagnosed unfortunately for the second time on March 30 of this year. I am estrogen positive. I had a left mastectomy almost 2 months ago and had a port put in a week ago.I will be having my second chemo out of 6 tomorrow. My doctor has also told me to think about getting my ovaries taken out. I'm not sure how much help I can be but I am here if you need someone to talk to.

    Stacy
  • Stacy7676
    Stacy7676 Member Posts: 17
    #4
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    Hi!
    I just found this site
    Hi!
    I just found this site also about a week ago. I am also 35. I was diagnosed unfortunately for the second time on March 30 of this year. I am estrogen positive. I had a left mastectomy almost 2 months ago and had a port put in a week ago.I will be having my second chemo out of 6 tomorrow. My doctor has also told me to think about getting my ovaries taken out. I'm not sure how much help I can be but I am here if you need someone to talk to.

    Stacy
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #5
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    Welcome
    The best advice I can give you is to go easy on yourself as you already have had quite a ride with the addition of the blood clot isssue. This is a good place to come for support and some of the others with similarities to you will be more apt to comment.
  • Penny67
    Penny67 Member Posts: 65
    #6
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    laughs_a_lot said:

    Welcome
    The best advice I can give you is to go easy on yourself as you already have had quite a ride with the addition of the blood clot isssue. This is a good place to come for support and some of the others with similarities to you will be more apt to comment.

    I know how you are feeling
    Welcome jwood. First a little background on myself. I was diagnosed last July at age 44 during a routine mammogram. I had gone back to school to get my Master's degree and had gotten caught up in the busyness of life and skipped a yearly mammogram. Thank goodness I didn't skip 2! I had a 2 cm tumor in my left side with traces in 2 of 9 lymph nodes on that side. I opted for a double mastectomy because I didn't want to have the constant worry about it coming back on the other side. I had 5 rounds of chemo beginning in September and ending on December 14 (taxotere and cytoxan) followed by 33 rounds of radiation to my left breast, underarm, collarbone and nodes in the center of my chest just in case a cell or 2 slipped through. Since I was er/pr+ I am also taking tamoxifen and so far have not had any side effects other than hot flashes which are nothing compared to what I was experiencing during chemo.

    During treatment, I had a PET scan and had a glowing nodule on my thyroid, 3 glowing lymph nodes under my right arm, and glowing nodules in my liver. I was terrified that these were cancer also. Had the thyroid biopsied to find it was benign, had a ct scan twice to check the liver and they turned out to be cysts, and the surgeon felt that the nodes under my arm were glowing from being disturbed during the mastectomy. About 2 weeks ago I found a lump under my right armpit and freaked out. They did an ultrasound and nothing suspicious showed up. Like you I cannot shake the feeling that sooner or later the cancer is going to rest its ugly head again and that will be it. I try to think positive, but I find myself thinking about the cancer throughout the day and also wondering about the lump I found under my armpit wondering if maybe they didn't scan in the right place. I lost my first husband to cancer at age 35 and was left with 3 very young children. I lived through watching cancer take my husband in 13 months so maybe that's why I keep feeling that it is going to come back and get me. I am hoping once I go back teaching in the Fall my mind will be on other things so I won't obsess about this. It is not to the point that I can't function in my daily life-it is just where I am scared that the same thing might happen to me and my kids will have to go through the death another parent. No child should have to experience cancer in one parent and certainly not in both parents before they get out of high school!
  • Texasgirl10
    Texasgirl10 Member Posts: 668
    #7
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    Penny67 said:

    I know how you are feeling
    Welcome jwood. First a little background on myself. I was diagnosed last July at age 44 during a routine mammogram. I had gone back to school to get my Master's degree and had gotten caught up in the busyness of life and skipped a yearly mammogram. Thank goodness I didn't skip 2! I had a 2 cm tumor in my left side with traces in 2 of 9 lymph nodes on that side. I opted for a double mastectomy because I didn't want to have the constant worry about it coming back on the other side. I had 5 rounds of chemo beginning in September and ending on December 14 (taxotere and cytoxan) followed by 33 rounds of radiation to my left breast, underarm, collarbone and nodes in the center of my chest just in case a cell or 2 slipped through. Since I was er/pr+ I am also taking tamoxifen and so far have not had any side effects other than hot flashes which are nothing compared to what I was experiencing during chemo.

    During treatment, I had a PET scan and had a glowing nodule on my thyroid, 3 glowing lymph nodes under my right arm, and glowing nodules in my liver. I was terrified that these were cancer also. Had the thyroid biopsied to find it was benign, had a ct scan twice to check the liver and they turned out to be cysts, and the surgeon felt that the nodes under my arm were glowing from being disturbed during the mastectomy. About 2 weeks ago I found a lump under my right armpit and freaked out. They did an ultrasound and nothing suspicious showed up. Like you I cannot shake the feeling that sooner or later the cancer is going to rest its ugly head again and that will be it. I try to think positive, but I find myself thinking about the cancer throughout the day and also wondering about the lump I found under my armpit wondering if maybe they didn't scan in the right place. I lost my first husband to cancer at age 35 and was left with 3 very young children. I lived through watching cancer take my husband in 13 months so maybe that's why I keep feeling that it is going to come back and get me. I am hoping once I go back teaching in the Fall my mind will be on other things so I won't obsess about this. It is not to the point that I can't function in my daily life-it is just where I am scared that the same thing might happen to me and my kids will have to go through the death another parent. No child should have to experience cancer in one parent and certainly not in both parents before they get out of high school!

    Welcome
    Welcome to the pink sisterhood. It's a club no one wants to be in and I'm so sorry that you've had to join but I'm glad you found this site, it's full of knowledgable people who are always ready to help. please make sure that you get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

    Hugs and God Bless,

    Dawne
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #8
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    laughs_a_lot said:

    Welcome
    The best advice I can give you is to go easy on yourself as you already have had quite a ride with the addition of the blood clot isssue. This is a good place to come for support and some of the others with similarities to you will be more apt to comment.

    Welcome jwood. We are here
    Welcome jwood. We are here to support, help and give you our own personal advice on treatments and surgery. I will be praying for you.

    Hugs, Kylez
  • rallendorfer
    rallendorfer Member Posts: 244
    #9
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    Hi JWood
    You are going to find a lot of knowledge and hugs here. And your faith is shared by many, because so many will pray for you that you will feel it. It seems that with kindness and concerned people around us we can face the dragons of our lives. I will pray for you with my sisters!
  • jwood1176
    jwood1176 Member Posts: 16
    #10
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    Penny67 said:

    I know how you are feeling
    Welcome jwood. First a little background on myself. I was diagnosed last July at age 44 during a routine mammogram. I had gone back to school to get my Master's degree and had gotten caught up in the busyness of life and skipped a yearly mammogram. Thank goodness I didn't skip 2! I had a 2 cm tumor in my left side with traces in 2 of 9 lymph nodes on that side. I opted for a double mastectomy because I didn't want to have the constant worry about it coming back on the other side. I had 5 rounds of chemo beginning in September and ending on December 14 (taxotere and cytoxan) followed by 33 rounds of radiation to my left breast, underarm, collarbone and nodes in the center of my chest just in case a cell or 2 slipped through. Since I was er/pr+ I am also taking tamoxifen and so far have not had any side effects other than hot flashes which are nothing compared to what I was experiencing during chemo.

    During treatment, I had a PET scan and had a glowing nodule on my thyroid, 3 glowing lymph nodes under my right arm, and glowing nodules in my liver. I was terrified that these were cancer also. Had the thyroid biopsied to find it was benign, had a ct scan twice to check the liver and they turned out to be cysts, and the surgeon felt that the nodes under my arm were glowing from being disturbed during the mastectomy. About 2 weeks ago I found a lump under my right armpit and freaked out. They did an ultrasound and nothing suspicious showed up. Like you I cannot shake the feeling that sooner or later the cancer is going to rest its ugly head again and that will be it. I try to think positive, but I find myself thinking about the cancer throughout the day and also wondering about the lump I found under my armpit wondering if maybe they didn't scan in the right place. I lost my first husband to cancer at age 35 and was left with 3 very young children. I lived through watching cancer take my husband in 13 months so maybe that's why I keep feeling that it is going to come back and get me. I am hoping once I go back teaching in the Fall my mind will be on other things so I won't obsess about this. It is not to the point that I can't function in my daily life-it is just where I am scared that the same thing might happen to me and my kids will have to go through the death another parent. No child should have to experience cancer in one parent and certainly not in both parents before they get out of high school!

    thank you for sharing, and i
    thank you for sharing, and i am so sorry that you are having to go through this, but at the same time i am thankful to have people that really understand my worries and i understand yours....my family is so supportive and i am very blessed to have them and my husband has been wonderful too...but there is only so much they can say..because they don't understand it all...

    well, i had my herceptin treatment on thursday....they are a breeze compared to chemo, only have sore joints..i am concerned though..on saturday i was reaching up to get one my husbands hats (with left arm) and i have some very sore areas on my side where my rib cage is...i can feel something...hoping its just a muscle...but has me worried again....anything new i seem to worry about now days...i will keep you and everyone on here in my prayers...
  • jwood1176
    jwood1176 Member Posts: 16
    #11
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    Kylez said:

    Welcome jwood. We are here
    Welcome jwood. We are here to support, help and give you our own personal advice on treatments and surgery. I will be praying for you.

    Hugs, Kylez

    thank you so much, i will be
    thank you so much, i will be praying for all of you as well..
  • jwood1176
    jwood1176 Member Posts: 16
    #12
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    Kylez said:

    Welcome jwood. We are here
    Welcome jwood. We are here to support, help and give you our own personal advice on treatments and surgery. I will be praying for you.

    Hugs, Kylez

    thank you so much, i will be
    thank you so much, i will be praying for all of you as well..
  • jwood1176
    jwood1176 Member Posts: 16
    #13
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    Kylez said:

    Welcome jwood. We are here
    Welcome jwood. We are here to support, help and give you our own personal advice on treatments and surgery. I will be praying for you.

    Hugs, Kylez

    thank you so much, i will be
    thank you so much, i will be praying for all of you as well..
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #14
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    ksf56 said:

    Welcome jwood!
    I also found this site late. I didn't know it existed till I had finished treatment. My treatment and experience is different but I can identify with the chaos and fears you're going through. It sounds like you have been through tons of changes in you life. Wow! It does seem like our lives kind of become "cancer" doesn't it?

    Welcome to this group of wonderful supporters! I'm so sorry that you're in the circumstance to need to be here. I hope that we can all be of help to you!

    Prayers and hugs!
    Karen

    Hey jwood! We are all in
    Hey jwood! We are all in this together so please keep posting and sharing your feelings, problems or anything you want with us. We do understand.


    Hugs, Jan

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