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Newbie

EmpressSammi
EmpressSammi CSN Member Posts: 19 Member
edited November 2023 in Breast Cancer #1

Hello to all, i am new here. I had toyed with joining a chat group before now, but never really did. I am facing radiation soon, after everything I've been through already, and for whatever reason I felt like i just wanted to reach out. I have tried very hard to focus on the good, the people I have met along the way, and keep some kind of humor about all of it. I was dx on Feb. 13, 2023 IDC stage 2A, while standing in my living room. I only shed two tears and then informed my family. I knew i would be dx'd with cancer, I don't know how i knew but i did. I have had my chemo, my surgery, and now i await radiation. i will have 6.5 weeks of treatment, Monday i go in for a CT so they can begin the treatment planning. I should start soon enough, about the middle of the month. I am already figuring my radiation look..lol. I look forward to chatting here.

Comments

  • LovesPrimes
    LovesPrimes CSN Member Posts: 109

    Hello and welcome, EmpressSammi!

    You were diagnosed about a month before I was. They initially told me stage 2A but then 1B because ER/PR +. If I had chosen lumpectomy, I would have done radiation but I chose mastectomy and didn't have to do it. I can't offer any advice there but the people on these boards are amazing.

    I hope you'll continue to share as your journey unfolds. God bless!

  • RocDocVic
    RocDocVic CSN Member Posts: 164 Member

    That seems like a lot of radiation, 6.5 weeks. I've read 3, maybe 4 weeks but who knows the logic behind this. Did the chemo shrink the tumor so you could have a lumpectomy? Just curious since I'm a 2A grade IDC. I'm doing chemo now. Surgeon thought the drugs I'm on should shrink mine. Fingers crossed since it hasn't spread into the lymph nodes yet

  • EmpressSammi
    EmpressSammi CSN Member Posts: 19 Member

    Thank you so much, I wish you the best of luck in your journey. Lol I told them that if they were going to have to take the whole breast that they would remove both. Anyways I started out as stage 2 then after another set of biopsies they found i had axillia lymphnode involvment so then it was stage 2A.

  • EmpressSammi
    EmpressSammi CSN Member Posts: 19 Member

    I was on ACT from May to Aug getting 4 rounds of each drug. The treatment was every 2 weeks with blood work on the off weeks. As for the radiation from the start i was told 4 weeks max. After surgery and before i meet my radio doc they said 4-6 weeks. At the time of surgery my tumors had decreased in size by about 50%. One thing that was noted, before chemo i was at T2 N1 i am not sure what that means or i've forgotten; anyways at the time of surgery that T2 N1 had not changed. i think that is why i am going through 33 treatments. 28 reg treatments and 5 extra. This past monday they put in the tattoos 3 on the right side and 1 on the left plus gave me some cream. On the 13th i'll be starting my first radiation. Nervous for it because of the things they told me. I know i will do well attitude is everything.... even if you feel like a chicken ----?