Oestrogen Receptor Positive - treatment question
Comments
-
Just adding my reply from the previous post ....
Hi @4Coco - Welcome to the forum - sadly, that one club you never thought you'd have to join! But we are here to help smooth out some of the bumps - and answer any questions that you may have along the way (if we can.) xx
It's all a bit of a shock for you at this point in time ..... Rely on your Medical Team for accurate information. Your surgeon should have a Breast Care Nurse (if you aren't introduced to one on your first appt, ask about it, as they are often the 'go between' with your ongoing care.)
In the mean time ... that's an interesting question! I am not sure I've heard that one asked before - a good one to ask your surgeon & Onc for a definite answer! If you still have your ovaries & haven't gone thru menopause yet .... they should still be producing oestrogen .... so it could be a yes - but you definitely need to raise that one next week.
Write down ANY question you have - I even printed my questions off & gave it to my surgeon to go thru with me (I had a copy too) as I knew I'd be too emotional to read them out myself!
But I am a real sook! LOL ....
Tick them off as you go - that way, you know they've all be answered too. It is easy to forget some, even if you've got them in front of you, if you get side tracked to another issue!
Try & keep busy in the lead up to your surgeon's appt next week - as a busy body keeps the mind busy too. Otherwise, the brain can go into overdrive. This disease mucks with the brain as much as it does with the body.
Have you decided whether you want to go private or public yet? I went private for surgery (but it can leave you with quite a bit out of pocket expenses), then public for radiation, which was free .... You can ask your surgeon if they work in the private system as well as public - just make sure you ask what the fees are for private - or it can be a bit of a shock! Everyone wants it done as soon as possible .... Do you have a surgery date yet? I was lucky & had my surgery 2 weeks after my diagnosis, but some have longer waits ... .
When you have a few minutes, check out these links for a bit more info on the forum .... yes, we even have a giggle too.Make sure you avoid Dr Google as every BC case is different & a lot of info there is irrelevant to your condition. Also, try & keep your sense of humour 'up there' as it will help you get through any tough days - we have a really good 'funnies page' (called Friday Funnies, but we add them every day!!) Just click on the link to add pics and posts ...
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19116/friday-funnies#latest
If you are into arts & crafts, we have a 'Creative Corner'
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/14979/creative-corner#latest
and if into your garden, a Gardening post as well!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/comment/186078
And we now have a Fishing post, as that is one of my passions!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19494/fishing-brag-picsIf you have 'fur kids' - put their pic here & describe their funny antics ... https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/comment/92526
We even have a funny Xmas page .... feel free to add any that you’ve seen - it is not that far til Xmas!!!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/20086/christmas-funnies-put-them-up-here-for-a-laugh#latestWhen you have some time ... check out the blog by a female British Breast Surgeon who went on to develop Breast Cancer, with recurrence. She was amazed at just how much it changed her life, both mentally and physically ... and validates all our own ‘aches and pains’ ... if your Onc doesn’t believe you when you discuss side effects - get THEM to read this too!
As you haven't had your surgery yet, we have some posts here on what you may like to take with you to hospital, to make it 'easier' on you - I definitely recommend ear plugs & eye masks, as hospitals are lit up 24/7 and are noisy places!
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/16442/prep-for-surgery/p1
And for your post op check up & annual checkups, here are some ‘tick sheets’ to help you put your questions together for your medical team. (Make sure you click on the documents at the BOTTOM of the post, as the others are only sample pages.)
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21973/questions-to-ask-post-surgery-of-yourself-to-your-specialists-tick-sheets-self-assessment/p1Take care, and all the best for your upcoming appointments re surgery!
1 -
Hi @4Coco,
I was oestrogen positive, Her2- bc. My cancer was early, 2 cm and no lymph. I had a lumpectomy with size of an orange taken out of me. My cancer was a grade 3 so aggressive cells. After surgery I had 4 months chemo and 1 month radium and now I am on tamoxifen.
I queried my oncologist and surgeon about whether I needed hormones suppression treatment given my surgery etc. My oncologist explained my treatment plan. If I skipped the hormone suppression part of my treatment I would miss 60% of my plan. Wow that was a shock so guess what I am continuing my hormone suppression treatment.
I guess I didn't understand what each aspect of my treatment provided until I asked. I kept asking during each treatment as well and that's ok to check in to understand the risks and benefits of each treatment as they all provide added layers of treatment depending on your pathology.
Check with your team what each aspect of your treatment is doing and the risks and benefits. It's your choice what you do but it helps to get the full understanding of the treatment plan.
Good luck with your treatment.1 -
No worries @4Coco.
I see you are in Brisbane as I am. Where is your surgeon? I was treated privately at the Wesley and they were fantastic but there are other great hospitals here too. My chemo was at Icon and radium at Genesis. I'd you need any one in Brisbane to chat to you can always send me a private message.
This network helped me enormously during my treatment last year. I could not have got through without all the great people on here. You can ask anything, say anything and there is no judgement but lots of support and help.
Its hard at the diagnosis stage. It's overwhelming but getting the treatment plan and starting treatment is something that helps settle that overwhelming feeling. My only other advice is to stay in the moment and don't get too far ahead of yourself. Get your support network around you. Ask for help and accept help. Be kind to yourself. We have good days and bad and that's ok too.
Keep us informed on how you go and what you decide to do. Best care and a big hug x2 -
"Hormone therapy | Breast Cancer Network Australia" https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/treatment/hormone-therapy/1
-
@iserbrown Thank you for the link1
