3 week update

rene9
rene9 Member Posts: 214
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
It has been 3 weeks since I had my surgery. I am feeling better. Some days I still take meds for pain, but not often. The drains came out after 15 days. I finally put on a sports bra that opens in the front today. I'll need a pain pill when I take it off. I've had 2 fills in my expander and my doctor says I won'y need but 1 or 2 more. I also got my pathology report yesterday. I posted wrong. She said she removed 16 lymph nodes and found traces of cancer in 2 of them. She recommends chemo. Now, I'm wondering how strong of chemo I'll have to have and would I have to get a port. I heard there is oral chemo and I hope I possibly have that option. I'll meet with my medical oncologist on monday. I'm scheduled to return to work on jan. 25, but with treatments, I wonder...

rene9

Comments

  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #2
    Hi Rene9
    Glad your surgery is over and your on the road to recover from that. I had 2 of 22 nodes positive.I did have to go through Chemo. I had to do 16 rounds of chemo. There is very good anti nausea meds out there so you won't get sick like that. For me, not that I would care to do this again, but it was not as horrible as I thought it was going to be. I did get a port. You will not feel them put the port in. It really works good for chemo. Nothing we do is a walk in the park, but you know we have to do it all if we are going to live through this. You have to trust in your doctors. I also have to do radiation, which I just started today. 6 weeks of it. You have a very good support group here and you will get through this.
    Kathy
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #3
    Good Luck.......
    Take the recommendations of your physicians.....I know, trust me I do, that chemo is a scary thought....But as Kat said, it is very doable......not a day at the beach but doable....All of us that have gone through chemo know that feeling, well. As for your chemo "cocktail" that depends on what your oncologist derives from your pathology report. I had clean lymph nodes and clean, clear margins so I had 4 chemo infusions, Taxotere/Cytoxan 3 weeks apart, no port. I was considered stage I until the pathology report came back and I was a stage II due to the size of my tumor.......2.2cm which is less than one inch. I don't know of anyone with bc that has had oral chemo.....
    I know you're scared.....know that's very normal........there's a lot of good support on this board from those who have gone through this......You can do it....Don't hesitate to ask questions!
    Best wishes and Peace be with you....
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #4
    MAJW said:

    Good Luck.......
    Take the recommendations of your physicians.....I know, trust me I do, that chemo is a scary thought....But as Kat said, it is very doable......not a day at the beach but doable....All of us that have gone through chemo know that feeling, well. As for your chemo "cocktail" that depends on what your oncologist derives from your pathology report. I had clean lymph nodes and clean, clear margins so I had 4 chemo infusions, Taxotere/Cytoxan 3 weeks apart, no port. I was considered stage I until the pathology report came back and I was a stage II due to the size of my tumor.......2.2cm which is less than one inch. I don't know of anyone with bc that has had oral chemo.....
    I know you're scared.....know that's very normal........there's a lot of good support on this board from those who have gone through this......You can do it....Don't hesitate to ask questions!
    Best wishes and Peace be with you....

    Wishing you good luck with
    Wishing you good luck with your chemo Rene.

    Leeza
  • blackroze1000
    blackroze1000 Member Posts: 50
    #5
    Hi, Rene!
    I'm brand new to this site, but just wanted to share something with you. I have not started any kind of chemo yet, but my doctor just told me that since I have Stage I with no trace of cancer in my lymphnodes, instead of regular chemo, I may be a candidate for a pill called Arimidex. I was thrilled, until I started to read about the side effects from people who are actually on it. Also, from what I've read so far, you need to take the pill for about 5 years. I'm not trying to be a "doom-sayer," I'm just saying to try to find out as much as you can about your options. I'm now seriously considering my other option, which is Taxotere and Cytoxan. I, too, am scared. But it looks like this site is going to be a great support system for both of us. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Rene. Hang in there!
  • rene9
    rene9 Member Posts: 214
    #6
    blackroze1000 said:

    Hi, Rene!
    I'm brand new to this site, but just wanted to share something with you. I have not started any kind of chemo yet, but my doctor just told me that since I have Stage I with no trace of cancer in my lymphnodes, instead of regular chemo, I may be a candidate for a pill called Arimidex. I was thrilled, until I started to read about the side effects from people who are actually on it. Also, from what I've read so far, you need to take the pill for about 5 years. I'm not trying to be a "doom-sayer," I'm just saying to try to find out as much as you can about your options. I'm now seriously considering my other option, which is Taxotere and Cytoxan. I, too, am scared. But it looks like this site is going to be a great support system for both of us. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Rene. Hang in there!

    Great Support from everyone!
    Hi. I will definitely update everyone after my appt. on Monday. I guess I had wishful thinking with the oral chemo. Just the thought of a port kind of scares me, but I'll do whatever I need to. I was just so curious with the types of chemo because my uncle's girlfriend had an agressive bc where she had to have a mastectomy after they just found the spot on her mammo and ultrasound and she had chemo for a year, but a little before last summer her hair grew back pretty and now its even thicker with more curls, but she just finished chemo De.9. Anyway, I told them I just turned 39 so I need at least ummmm 50 more years!


    rene9
  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441
    #7
    blackroze1000 said:

    Hi, Rene!
    I'm brand new to this site, but just wanted to share something with you. I have not started any kind of chemo yet, but my doctor just told me that since I have Stage I with no trace of cancer in my lymphnodes, instead of regular chemo, I may be a candidate for a pill called Arimidex. I was thrilled, until I started to read about the side effects from people who are actually on it. Also, from what I've read so far, you need to take the pill for about 5 years. I'm not trying to be a "doom-sayer," I'm just saying to try to find out as much as you can about your options. I'm now seriously considering my other option, which is Taxotere and Cytoxan. I, too, am scared. But it looks like this site is going to be a great support system for both of us. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Rene. Hang in there!

    side effects
    Try typing in "Taxol side effects" or "Cytoxan side effects" into the subject box and read some old posts on the side effects of THOSE!

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