Help - SOOOO SCARED!

ESDC said:

Thanks
Many thanks JoAnn. I feel truly blessed to have found this site and had support from so many lovely people like you. All the love, prayers, and positive thinking has definitely worked and I've found a sense of peace. Your stories too have made me put things into perspective and realize that my fight is so much easier than many of yours; I should be grateful for the gifts I have.

Love and God bless

Eliza xxx

Just...
Just wanted to welcome you to this site....as you've already noticed, it's full of wonderful, informative women in every stage of breast cancer, recovery, and remission....I hate the reason you had to "find" us but glad you did......hoping you get the second opinion soon....

Keep us updated, we care...
Hugs, Nancy

ESDC said:

Radio' before chemo'?
Thanks AppraiserGirl. Hope you don't mind me asking, and just ignore my post if you do, but is it regular in states to have radiation before chemo'? I've been told that here in the UK they always give chemo' first. I have to be honest and didn't question why we do it this way round but to me it did seem to make sense to do the radiation first. I should learn that just because I'm not medically trained it doesn't mean that my questions are stupid.

Best of luck to you.

Eliza

Radio' before chemo'
Hey Eliza:

I'm not sure of the answer to your question, but I think it might depend on alot of factors with one's type of cancer, etc. I've heard of chemo and radiation used before surgery in order to shrink the tumor if it is too big. No questions are stupid when it comes to your health.

Hope this helps and that you are doing ok.

Take care,
Laura

salls41 said:

Sorry
So sorry you have to go through this but you are at the right board for help and advice. I was dx with triple negative bc in my right breast in Nov 2011. I received chemo for 5 months and had a bi lateral (double) mastectomy ( my choice)with immediate reconstruction. Well unfortunately at the end of my expander time shortly before exchange surgery I developed a infection and had to have my expanders removed and my recon is now on hold for quite awhilw. However through all of it, I never questioned any of my docs. If you are uncomfortable in any way and do not feel like you are getting the treatment you need, get another doc! This journey is way to hard as it is, but not being confident in your treatment is more stress than you need!. I urge you to have a heart to heart with your docs and if you still feel that there is concern, go find the right doc.
Good luck to you!
{{{Hugs}}}
Sandy

This board has been so
This board has been so helpful to so many of us, and, I hope that we can help you. I am just so sorry that you are here because of bc. I wish you good luck and know that you are with your pink sisters now, day or night.


Hugs, Jan

ESDC
I too, went to panic. I was diagnosed with invasive, agressive ductal cancer with 6cm tumor.
I have 1 more dose of Paclataxil (13 total) and they are switching me to FAC coctail. 4 of those 1 every 3 weeks. Then surgery. My surgeon could not get to clean tissue with the size of the tumor. They did a neck down body scan and it has not metastisized. So I have a shot at this...now, the decision to have a mastectomy or lumpectomy is coming up. Since my surgeon backed off and let the oncologist do his thing first I have a choice. If my surgeon had gone in first....there would have been no choice. They communicate every appointment. I have learned to trust them both...however...i educate myself on chemo..dosage..what is the latest...and they have nailed it on the head each time. What i know is that I don't want to do this again...FAC is going to probably kick my ****..i hope not but like I said...I don't want to do this again. I don't know your age...I am 60. My husband died last year of throat cancer and the last thing he took was FAC. Naturally, I equate it with a horrible event in my life. I have to let it go to go forward.
You are where you are. Start getting on line ...i have checked the stats on the success rates of my chemo..what are the absolute best results...etc. They got ahead of themselves or so it seems...i was not for waiting ...i pushed my surgeon but he didn't give in. I just wanted it out of my body. Did you have an oncologist at the time of surgery??
Slow down...take a deep breath...what can be done at this point? Find out what your options are and go from there....i have spoken with doctors from Mayo clinic, Shands, cancer centers of America, you name it ....i've been on their website. I do not know what I will decide, but my surgeon is doing another body scan before we decide on lumpectomy or mastectomy. I would like to stay in contact with you to see how you are doing. I love and trust that you will do well.
Penelope