Stage I: Invasive ductal carcinoma

Roxi1
Roxi1 Member Posts: 39
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had a limited nodal dissection on 1/25/05, and the results were negative. I am so very fortunate. I feel like a miracle has happened, and will forever more give thanks.

So, I am now officially stage I with Histology Grade 2 (E/P positive, but Her-2/neu negative).
I anticipated at each step of the diagnostic process, that there would be pain almost too much to bear.

However, with local anesthesia the wire localization was painless; the lumpectomy on 1/5 was painless (thanx to the surgeon who filled my wound with local anesthetic before he closed); the SNB and radioactive tracer was painless (thanks to the new process of diluting the tracer); and the nodal dissection was painless thanx to Lortab q 4 hrs after surgery and a terrific anesthesiologist who was 'into' pre-emptive analgesia; and the axillary drains after surgery, while not the greatest thing, are certainly not painful (and what would happen with all that fluid, if I didn't have any drains? daily trips to the surgeon for aspiration sure don't sound very appealing)

The interminable wait between procedures and/or interim path reports to obtain the final path reports were what caused the most anguish. Time has never gone so slow.

The friend I made from this forum, and close friends/family at home, made all the difference in the world. Without them, my emotions would not have been as stable nor as positive.

Just wanted to provide an update, and maybe a hopeful note to others who are still undergoing the diagnostic process........

Now...........onto treatment...............

Roxanne

Comments

  • throbinson
    throbinson Member Posts: 14
    #2
    Hi Roxi,
    It's so great to hear of your happy results. It's also very good to hear something positive about the procedures you've had. Sometimes I think we tend to post only about the negative or painful things, and it can be very scary to someone newly diagnosed to read all the "horror stories" and dread what's about to happen to her. I hope you will be able to get your drains out soon -- you're right, they're not horrible, just not a lot of fun.
    I've also had a pretty easy road of it through two lumpectomies and then a mastectomy, all since August. I was fortunate that my doctor did SNB at the time of my mastectomy, so I had the peace of mind knowing that node was negative, as well as the easier recovery vs. a full axillary dissection. Thank goodness for new technology and doctors who are willing to keep learning!

    Best of luck to you,
    Tracey
  • SusanAnne
    SusanAnne Member Posts: 245
    #3
    Hi Roxanne,

    Glad to hear your good news! Your prognosis is certainly bright. Do you know what treatment you will be getting and when you begin? One step at a time is the way to go and it sounds like you are handling things great. I know what you mean about friends and family making all the difference. I told those around me that I literally felt like they carried me through every phase. I guess that is the silver lining in all this, since it makes you feel so loved by everyone.

    Let us know when you start treatment and how it goes. I'm sure your drains will come out this week. Best wishes.
    Susan
  • Roxi1
    Roxi1 Member Posts: 39
    #4
    SusanAnne said:

    Hi Roxanne,

    Glad to hear your good news! Your prognosis is certainly bright. Do you know what treatment you will be getting and when you begin? One step at a time is the way to go and it sounds like you are handling things great. I know what you mean about friends and family making all the difference. I told those around me that I literally felt like they carried me through every phase. I guess that is the silver lining in all this, since it makes you feel so loved by everyone.

    Let us know when you start treatment and how it goes. I'm sure your drains will come out this week. Best wishes.
    Susan

    Hi Susan
    I had the drains out today (thank goodness, I know I will be able to finally get a good nights sleep, without having to worry about those drains getting caught in the sheets).
    My appt with the Oncology Radiologist is on 2/23, and the Oncologist on 2/24.
    I don't know what type of treatment yet (well, I know part of it is the Radiation Therapy or otherwise, why would I be going to the Onc Radiologist?). I am hoping that I do not have chemotherapy (I go back and forth on whether the oncologist will offer this or not?; I wish all of us could afford one of those oncotype DX labs, so a better decision about chemo could be made). Probably will be offered either Tamoxifen or Arimidex (I have osteoporosis, so don't know if Arimidex, even though more effective than Tamoxifen, will be an option.....
    So, there you go, no answers yet......as always since I started this BC adventure, waiting..........
    Roxanne
  • SusanAnne
    SusanAnne Member Posts: 245
    #5
    Roxi1 said:

    Hi Susan
    I had the drains out today (thank goodness, I know I will be able to finally get a good nights sleep, without having to worry about those drains getting caught in the sheets).
    My appt with the Oncology Radiologist is on 2/23, and the Oncologist on 2/24.
    I don't know what type of treatment yet (well, I know part of it is the Radiation Therapy or otherwise, why would I be going to the Onc Radiologist?). I am hoping that I do not have chemotherapy (I go back and forth on whether the oncologist will offer this or not?; I wish all of us could afford one of those oncotype DX labs, so a better decision about chemo could be made). Probably will be offered either Tamoxifen or Arimidex (I have osteoporosis, so don't know if Arimidex, even though more effective than Tamoxifen, will be an option.....
    So, there you go, no answers yet......as always since I started this BC adventure, waiting..........
    Roxanne

    Hi Roxanne,

    I guess you are on the borderline of receiving chemo. My advice is no matter how much you like your oncologist, get a second and perhaps even a third opinion. You will feel so much more informed and be able to make your decision with full knowledge and confidence. Please don't think your doctor will be offended (he actually doesn't even have to know).

    I have osteoporosis and am on Arimidex. Are you taking Fosamax or something similar? It should be fine.

    Enjoy being drainless! Take care,
    Susan
  • Roxi1
    Roxi1 Member Posts: 39
    #6
    SusanAnne said:

    Hi Roxanne,

    I guess you are on the borderline of receiving chemo. My advice is no matter how much you like your oncologist, get a second and perhaps even a third opinion. You will feel so much more informed and be able to make your decision with full knowledge and confidence. Please don't think your doctor will be offended (he actually doesn't even have to know).

    I have osteoporosis and am on Arimidex. Are you taking Fosamax or something similar? It should be fine.

    Enjoy being drainless! Take care,
    Susan

    Hi Susan
    Yes, I am on something similar to Fosamax (i.e. Actonel). Yes, I had heard that if you are between .8 mm, and 1.4 cm, that it was a gray area re: chemotherapy.
    I guess the best chemo for early stage BC would be one of the anthracyclines like Adriamycin or Epirubicin. My concern would be that they have a high rate of heart disease associated with them, and I already have valve disease, and arrhthmias.
    I suppose, if it came to the chemo, and one of the Anthracyclines, I would definitely want my cardiologist involved. And, I wonder how much she would know about the potential for Heart Disease and this medication.
    So, perhaps a 2nd/3rd opinion would be something to consider. I don't even know my oncologist, as the first visit is still sometime in the future, so wouldn't worry about hurting their feelings.
    Or, perhaps I should consider paying for the OncoType Dx test; as that would provide a definitive answer as to whether to take chemo or not.
    Am I rambling?
    Roxanne
  • SusanAnne
    SusanAnne Member Posts: 245
    #7
    Roxi1 said:

    Hi Susan
    Yes, I am on something similar to Fosamax (i.e. Actonel). Yes, I had heard that if you are between .8 mm, and 1.4 cm, that it was a gray area re: chemotherapy.
    I guess the best chemo for early stage BC would be one of the anthracyclines like Adriamycin or Epirubicin. My concern would be that they have a high rate of heart disease associated with them, and I already have valve disease, and arrhthmias.
    I suppose, if it came to the chemo, and one of the Anthracyclines, I would definitely want my cardiologist involved. And, I wonder how much she would know about the potential for Heart Disease and this medication.
    So, perhaps a 2nd/3rd opinion would be something to consider. I don't even know my oncologist, as the first visit is still sometime in the future, so wouldn't worry about hurting their feelings.
    Or, perhaps I should consider paying for the OncoType Dx test; as that would provide a definitive answer as to whether to take chemo or not.
    Am I rambling?
    Roxanne

    Hi Roxanne,

    Getting your cardiologist involved is a very smart thing to do, in fact the oncologist will probably want to consult her anyway. I never needed one before but after my chemo (AC then Taxol & Herceptin-for HER2+) I needed some help in keeping my ejection fraction above 50% inorder to continue the Herceptin. The AC only knocked it down 1%. It wasn't until I started the Herceptin that it fell to 51%. Perhaps because of your disease they might adjust dosages or space treatments every three weeks rather than every two.

    I'm not too familiar with the OncoType test. Is that similar to chemosensitivity? How much would that cost on your own? Do you have bc in your family? Have you had the genetic testing for BRACA1&2? All things to consider I suppose.

    Susan
  • DanaS
    DanaS Member Posts: 6
    #8
    I'm glad your nodes were negative. It also sounds like the surgery wasn't as bad as you expected, which is good.
    Let us know what the drs. recommend. I have one more A/C treatment next week, and then I start Taxol. Next week I also go to the radiation oncologist to get set up for treatment (which will start 3 weeks after Taxol is over).
    Whatever treatment you need, you will get through it.
    Keep your spirits up.

    Dana

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