Just Diagnosed with breast cancer could use some insight

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  • Larbara
    Larbara Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2019 #22
    HRT & Hormone Positive Breast Cancer Dx in June 2019

    I've always been very diligent about my yearly mammos. When digital came out I did those. When 3D came out I did those. 20 yrs ago I had an MRI on my left with nothing conclusive. I had very dense fibrous tissue all my life. I have had depression as a disease most of my adult life and have been on medication and in therapy off & on depending on the depth of the episodes. In my 50s I started taking HRT because of very bad "change" symptoms. Soon after I realized my depression had changed...it wasn't so severe...and then I realized when I did start to "slide" it wasn't as bad. I talked to my therapist and she said they recently had been taking hormone imbalance seriously as a cause for depression and other mental illness. After 3 years my GYN recommended I stop the HRT but I told him what an amazing change taking it had made in my life. I never knew what it was like not to have that looming "next episode" on the horizon. My whole life had changed. I didn't have the nagging fear and anxiety all the time. I never knew what it was like not to have it. I said I wanted to continue taking it and he agreed to keep me on the lowest dose and monitor me. As time went on and I moved around, I told my current MD  I wanted to continue the HRT because of this. I have no family history of any female cancers and only one Hx of colon cancer in a maternal great-grandmother. Flash forward 15 years and (finally) a positive breast cancer Dx (estrogen & progesterone positive). I stopped the HRT immediately and now am going through an accelerated menopause. I've thought about it a lot, wondering if I brought "this" on myself...could be. Would I change knowing what I know now? I am scared for all the realistic reasons. BUT my life the last 13 years has been so different than all the previous ones. I've done things, felt things, gone through bad things and good things...all without even a minor depressive episode. So for that reason, I figure I made my decision with my eyes wide open for the right reasons and would not change my past if I could. Could I have quit sooner? Maybe, but I was also terrified of the depression coming back. So far it has not. I am still on an anti-depressant that has worked for me for a long time. I also haven't had a drink or a drug in 25 years and am in a 12 Step program which helps immensely in not beating myself up over the past and gives me strength in the now and faith in the future.  I've had my bilateral mastectomy and go tomorrow to the oncologist to find out their treatment recommendations based on the pathology and genetive testing of the tumor.  Am I scared? Anxious? Shaking? Nauseous? Heck yeah! Will keep ya'll posted.

  • nehagill
    nehagill Member Posts: 24
    edited November 2019 #23

    Take one Step at a Time

    I am 62 and found out I have triple negative, a rare form. I found out in Nov. I finished one round of chemo., surgery and now in radiation. After that a pill form of chemo. then a trial. I consired getting a maastectomy, but was told it was a last resort if it came back to have it done. I would talk to the plastic surgeon and see what they recommend from their point of view. I had/have very honset doctors. 

    Mine was a Stage 2B, I had three lymph nodes infected. The wait is the hardest. I wanted to get started ASAP as in yesterday, but it did and still is all falling into place. Just breathe and take it one moment at a time. The chatroom here is a great place to go to as well. I wish I had found this site when I first got start. Blessings

    an year since your diagnosis

    Its been an year since your diagnosis. I hope now you are as healthy as possible and living life to its fullest. Do share your story with us we would like to know about your battle with this dreaded disease and how you emerged victrious even after adversities. May God bless you with all the love and blessings :)