breast cancer survivors

joliea

I was dx with breast cancer in October of last year, since then I've had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, 4 rounds of A/C chemo and am on my 2nd last round of Taxotere , I'll be starting 6 weeks of radiotherapy in a few weeks. I was just wondering if there was any one else who has gone through something similar, it might be nice to talk....let me know:D

Mental Mickey

joliea wrote: »

I was dx with breast cancer in October of last year, since then I've had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, 4 rounds of A/C chemo and am on my 2nd last round of Taxotere , I'll be starting 6 weeks of radiotherapy in a few weeks. I was just wondering if there was any one else who has gone through something similar, it might be nice to talk....let me know:D

Awwwww...........I cant begin to think what you're going thru. My mother was diagnosed with it 3 and a half years ago, and, thankfully is doing good. She was on Arimidex to start with, and now goes in to hospital every 2 months to get her medication thru a drip(I can't for the life of me think of the name of it, though?)

She also has osteoperosis(sp?), which actually gives her more bother than the cancer.

I hope things work out for you.

MM

joliea

thanks for the reply MM, Yeah a cancer diagnosis is really tough, but I actually think that its harder on the family as they feel so helpless. So I always look as the day I was diagnosed with cancer as the day my family were diagnosed with cancer because it effects every one of us . I'm probably the least effected by it as I have it, I'm dealing with it but with family they feel that it out of their hands what can they do to help. Its all about love and support though being there for the patient...regards j

londonlady

hi im a breast cancer surviver and i would like the input of others to see how they feel about their treatment .
and chat if they wish sometimes you feel on your own with this even though your family and friends are there they havent been where you are have they:)

muffler

I'll move this to the Long Term illness forum where it may get more replies.

joliea

Hi Londonlady, I am currently being treated for breast cancer I had a mastectomy last year and I am undergoing chemotherapy at the moment. I had 4 sessions of A/C and am now having four sessions of taxotere after which I'll be starting my radiotherpay everyday for 6 weeks. Its a long journey as you know all to well and there were time I really didn't think I would get through it or even wanted to get through it. Your right about family sometimes they are the last people you can talk to about your feelings, they are too involved. How was your treatment? Are you finished it yet?

tbh

threads merged, thanks muffler, welcome londonlady

londonlady

hi there joliea,
i have a masectomy 3 years ago but decided against reconstruction ,i felt i had been through enough by then .
I did 5 weeks chemo and 6 weeks radiotherapy but i did well ,my treatment was good ,radiotherapy was in dublin the nurses were brilliant .
im on arimadex .now
i feel fine at the moment, its when everything finished it seemed to hit me just what i had gone through ,that is when i felt alone .
Its the long term that worries me i dont know how old you are but im 55 my daughter never quite got over my diognosis shes 19 .so was at the time young to have to cope with this.
I know how lucky i have been that is why i say im a surviver because that is what we all are who have had breast cancer .
dont ever feel that you wouldnt want to get through it ,yes its a tough journey chemo makes you feel awful but there is light at the end of the tunnel you,ll see" and then you can just get on with your life ,this also gives you a different perspective on life doesnt it things that would have worried me before dont now .
I wish you all the best on your journey and if you wish to chat again im here .
BEST WISHES

joliea

hi londonlady,
I'm 31, mum of 3 young kids, & the last thing I or anyone expected when I went to the specialist with a 'cyst' on my breast was a diagnosis of cancer. When I got the diagnosis first I was shocked but 'gung ho' about it, I was going to take on the world. I think it really hit me when I was in hospital after the surgery. I had just had a few visitors and they had left it struck me I wish I could just get up and leave and go home to my kids but I couldn't I was stuck in a hospital bed with drains coming out of my chest after major surgery to remove 3 cancers in my breast. I never smoked , I don't drink alcohol and I have a fairly good diet, how the hell did I get cancer? I think when my hair fell out & I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes was the final straw that was when I felt sh** I am a cancer patient, up to then it was as if I was talking about someone else! I felt pruned of my femininity, on occasion on a bad day I still do think why me...but then why not me? I was really angry at the fact that cancer had invaded our lives, invaded my relationship with my husband, stolen time I should have been a mother to my kids but couldn't as I was sick from chemo, worried my eldest daughter so much, my youngest keeps clinging to me and asking me not to go back hospital. Who/what am I to be angry at though, sh** happens and you just have to pick yourself up and dust yourself down and get on with it. I have to channel that anger into getting better and looking at the positive, I'm here now, today, thats all any of us have really isn't it, today. A cancer diagnosis really zaps you into the present doesn't it? whatever happened in the past happened you can't change it and the future, well...as I said all we have is today so we have to live the best life that we know how in the present & not spendthat time being angry or bitter(sometimes easier said than done). I have to say I really appreciate time now, time with my husband and children, time appreciating what really matters. I am scared too about reoccurance but I have to put that to the back of my mind or I'd go insane, I suppose you wouldn't be human if these thoughts didn't enter your head. I do appreciate however how lucky I am, while going through treatment I met some amazing people who have a far worse prognosis yet remained positive and I have to say are an inspiration. Have you received any counceling? I think all cancer patients should be offered some sort of councelling, someone to talk to whos not family, someone you can say, hey yes I'm terrified about whats going on and they're not gong to freak out. I don't know if the cancer society provides such a service, I must check it out. Anyway its good to talk to you I'm so glad that you are well & hopefully we'll hear from more survivors to encourage us. Wishing you good health. J

joliea

I'm a week after my 8th chemo and I am sooooo low in energy, was just wondering if anyone had any ideas or tips on how I can increase same. Any natural remedies? I know there is no miracale cure & it takes time but I want to be able to get up the stairs without help! HELP!

CathyMoran

I used to find that having a massage really helped.

AckwelFoley

Im really sorry about what you are going through.

I do know a woman that had to have a breast removed over 10 years ago.

From what ive heard about it, some younger women do have problems with the trauma of having a breast removed in the lines of "sexual identity" similarly to men that have a testicle removed.

Any form of cancer is terrible and i wish you the very best and the strength to overcome this

Brian

kildarecailin

HI Joliea. Im 36 and was diagnosed in November last. Im on my 1st round of Taxol having just finished 4 rounds of A/C. PM if you want to chat...id love to talk to someone of my own age with this...

joliea

Hi kildarecailin,
I'm sorry that you are going through this, its really tough isn't it? There is light at the end of the tunnel though, I've finished my chemo thank god and went for my radiation simulation this week.
Were you sick with A/C? Some people are lucky & it doesn't really affect them, unfortunatly I wasn't 1 of them, I had my head down the toilet 4 the whole course! I couldn't tolerate Taxol, I had 1 session and the leg pain was so bad that they changed me to taxotere which was so much better, I got a lot of bone pain from the neulasta injections too. I am just so happy to be over the chemo & you will be over it soon too.
Went for a ct scan afterward, everything looks ok but I have an enlarged spleen that they want to ultrasound, not sure what that means. I was just so happy to hear that the cancer hadn't metastisized I didn't ask any questions DUH! Anyway, keep strong thru the rest of your treatment!

kildarecailin

Hi Joliea, thats great about your scan, Im sure its a huge relief. Hope the spleen issue is resolved, Its strange when they find these random things that we probably wouldn't ever have known about if we didnt have cancer. apparently I have polyps on my gall bladder which is also totally unrelated. Ive just started the first of 12 weekly taxols and so far so good. I found the A/C doable, I wasnt as sick as I expected but Im still glad that Im over it!
Have you being working throughout your treatment? I haven't and Im thinking I might be able to go back to work during radiation. Have you had your first radiation yet? Good luck with that, I hope after the dreaded A/C it'll be a cakewalk (well almost)

falacarnell

My wife had a mammogram less than a year ago. All was clear. recently She had to attend doctor for cert for flu and routinely told Doctor that there was a small lump in Breast. She was sent to hospital, had a biopsy, and less than week later received confirmation that she had Breast Cancer.
We were and still are devastated.
She had masectomy within 10 days.
She is on road to recovery and was told that all cancer was removed and no need for chemo/Radiotherapy.
Four weeks later a letter was sent to home from hospital, initialled by same consultant saying that the recent biopsy had shown she was free from any malignancy.
This was the Biopsy which had shown cancerous tissue.
To say that we were shocked is an understatement.
My wife showed the consultant the letter on her next visit and he just took the letter and did not offer any reason as to why this would have been sent out. I have kept a copy of letter but we are both extremely worried whether the letter was a true reflection of the state of her lump or whether some other poor individual has received a clear bill by mistake.
How can mistakes like this happen, I will be following this up next week and will look for an explanation. Of Course mistakes happen, but it should be explained how it happened. Has this been the experience of anyone else ?

Angpange

Hi all went to Bonsecure hospital in cork approx 5 months ago. Had a smallish lump had a mammogram done & ultra sound. Told by doc that it was a benign cyst if it had not gone away come back in 6 months. After 4 months still there & made an appt again & insisted on further tests big shock cancer. After lumpectomy & lymph node out yesterday I now wait for 10 days. I'm lost sore tired confused & v v v angry!!!:

Carpenter

This is my wife's story http://thestoryofmybreast.blogspot.com/

Angpange

No I'm not from the media just not been in this forum before still not too sure ow they work AngPange

Angpange

No I'm not from the media just not been in this forum before still not too sure ow they work AngPange