74 and newly diagnosed

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Comments

  • Cath62
    Cath62 Member Posts: 1,459 ✭
    Hi @Beb46,

    You have a good sense of humour which is great. Glad things are progressing for you and have your surgeon appointment. This is great as the treatment plan will progress now.

    I had an invasive cancer as well. I was lucky no lymph. They tested my lymph mid surgery. I had a wide local incision, chemo x 13 rounds and 19 rounds of radium. My cells were aggressive grade 3 but my cancer was stage one.

    It was great to have my surgery as I felt then my cancer was gone. It also felt like progress and each part of my treatment was another step to being cancer free. My surgery was in may, chemo June to September and radium in October. I am now taking tamoxifen for 5 years. So far so good. 

    I hope things move along quickly for you and any treatment you have goes well.  Good luck with the appointment on Friday. 

    Big hug to you. 💐
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,122 ✭
    edited January 2021
    That’s awesome news @Beb46 ... almost a mirror image of my own treatment, 3 years ago this week ..... tho mine was missed by BreastScreening and found ‘by accident’ by my GP, 4 months after a clear mammogram!

    You sound in good spirits, which is terrific.  Keep it up! Lots of funnies on our Friday Funnies page to give you a giggle, too ... feel free to add any of your favourites!  I hope you’ve been able to get back to your hobbies again - and not been badly affected by the cyclone!

    all the best for your Rads .... many of us find it almost ‘easy’ compared to what we think it will be like .. tho I got a bit emotional on my last treatment!

    take care xx
  • Beb46
    Beb46 Member Posts: 17 ✭
    Thanks Arpie.  I have heard a few women say breast screen failed to pick up their BC . My  surgeon said they did a good job picking it up as it was so small . I am in very good spirits and am back doing most things apart from lifting anything too heavy. My grandsons came and mowed and whipper snipped for me on the weekend before the expected arrival of cyclone Kimi which in the end didn’t eventuate. I have a very good friend network, plus great neighbours who are much younger and also my daughter and son and their families are here as well. I have put my volunteering on hold until after my radiation treatment and also was advised to give agua aerobics a miss  until then as well. 
    Are you on hormone blockers and if so do you have any side effects from them?. I haven’t asked too much about that as yet...just dealing with one thing at a time as the process unfolds. 
    Thanks for the reply and all the best .

    Hugs 🤗🤗
  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,441 ✭
    Hi @Beb46

    Good to hear you are travelling well. I’ve been on hormone blockers (Letrozole) for eight years. The two side effects I get (no aches or joint pain at all) are vaginal atrophy and bone thinning. As both can naturally occur as one gets older, it’s worth a) getting a bone scan before you start so you know what you are dealing with and monitoring any decline - I get a yearly scan (so far so good, but my bone density was very good to start with at 68, so I can afford to lose a bit) and b) don’t let anyone tell you that vaginal dryness occurring suddenly is normal! It may be accentuated by ageing but mine started because of Letrozole! Good news is that oestrogen cream can help - it took me a long time to accept, as it sounds completely nuts, but tiny doses, particularly when your natural oestrogen is declining anyway, can improve things significantly and safely. I’ll be delighted to stop Letrozole but happy that I have done everything I can to not have cancer again. Otherwise, I live perfectly normally and actively (finally retired at 75). Best wishes. 
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,122 ✭
    edited January 2021
     Hi @Beb46 ... I am so pleased you weren’t impacted by the cyclone and that you have good family and friend support!

    yes, I am on AIs .... I am currently on Arimidex (2 years now) with relatively few side effects, but definitely notice that my whole body is stiffer and that I am a lot slower (I am 68) ... so am taking some “magic oil” that is helping remove the “edge”!  Prior to that, I started on Letrozole for a short while and had bad side effects, so swapped to Exemestane, lasting 6 months on it.  Not everyone gets bad side effects tho, so it is well worth giving it a go with an open mind, and fingers crossed you don’t get them!!

    Yep, one day at a time, that’s the best way to go!  Take care, all the best xx
  • Beb46
    Beb46 Member Posts: 17 ✭
    8 months after finishing my treatment for Invasive lobular cancer and everything going well and on exemestane with no real side effects then yesterday my 51 year old daughter is diagnosed with metaplastic breast cancer grade 3 . Such a kick in the guts as this is a very rare breast cancer …less than 2% apparently.. and very aggressive, and doesn’t respond well to chemo, quick to metastasise . Has to see surgeon this week and probable mastectomy.   Can’t find any information on bcna about this and most Australian websites have limited information if any.  Is there anyone on this site that has this type of cancer and can ease my concerns on survival etc. thanks 
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,122 ✭
    edited September 2021
    OMG .... I was just thinking WELL DONE on being on Exemestane with no real side effects, then I read the next bit. :(

    I am SO sorry to hear of your daughter's diagnosis.  Has Immunotherapy been raised as a form of treatment?  It is cutting edge, personalised treatment. 

    There have been some posts on BCNA Metaplastic Breast Cancer ... @Michelle_R - can you help @Beb46

    Please check this link:

    https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/search?Search=Metaplastic+Breast+Cancer

    Personally, I've not heard of that particular Breast Cancer before, but below is a link to An Qld researcher in Metaplastic Breast Cancer. 

    Research related to breast cancer classification and implications for clinical practice

    Researcher: Dr. Sunil Lakhani, University of Queensland

    Dr Lakhani recently published practice-changing findings that contributed to a new classification of a rare breast cancer, called Metaplastic Breast Cancer.

    https://nbcf.org.au/news/new-guidelines-for-pathologists-to-identify-the-most-aggressive-forms-of-breast-cancer/

    And an overseas link to 

    Metaplastic Breast Cancer:

    https://www.mpbcalliance.org/metaplastic-breast-cancer/

    I hope you can get some answers that helps xx

    Wishing you and your daughter all the best xxx 


  • Beb46
    Beb46 Member Posts: 17 ✭
    thanks so much for those links Arpie . I will check them out. Daughter has yet to see surgeon and oncologist so immunotherapy or other treatment hasn’t been discussed as yet . Hopefully we will have more answers this week .
    thanks🤗
  • Cath62
    Cath62 Member Posts: 1,459 ✭
    Hi @Beb46, glad to hear you are going well. That's awesome. I am really sorry to hear about your daughter. Such a shock for you, not to mention how terrible for your daughter.  Just wanted to send a big virtual hug and say I will send some positive thoughts your way. I hope they work something out for her. 🌷
  • Beb46
    Beb46 Member Posts: 17 ✭
    edited September 2021
    Thanks @Afraser

  • Beb46
    Beb46 Member Posts: 17 ✭
    thanks cath62. 🤗

  • Mez_BCNA
    Mez_BCNA Administrator, Staff, Member, Moderator Posts: 1,123 ✭
    edited September 2021
    EDITED 01/10/2021

    Apologies @Beb46 re below response, my colleague has kindly pointed out that I have misread metaplastic as metastatic. I will reach out to my team in the meantime to see if I can find helpful resources in relation to metaplastic breast cancer. 

    Hi @Beb46 You have had some wonderful support and feedback from members already regarding your daughter's diagnosis. I also wanted to share with you the link to the private group Living with metastatic breast cancer  https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/members/2-living-with-metastatic-breast-cancer   . If you request to join one of our moderators will approve for you. Yourself and your daughter can connect with others and ask questions in a private setting.
    I would encourage you to call our Member Support Team 1800 500 258 to discuss the support and resources specific to your daughter's needs. Also below are a few links that relate to BCNA information on metastatic breast cancer (Which you may have already accessed):
    BCNA Website metastatic breast cancer https://www.bcna.org.au/metastatic-breast-cancer/
    Peer Support https://www.bcna.org.au/metastatic-breast-cancer/peer-support/
    Hope & Hurdles (Information guides/booklets) https://www.bcna.org.au/resource/kits/hope-hurdles/
    Living with metastatic breast cancer (Webcast) https://www.bcna.org.au/webcasts-new/living-well-with-metastatic-breast-cancer/
    Hope this information helps and once again, please do not hesitate to call us.

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