Hi All Thanks so much for all the kind words this morning. Can I please have some more. Very bad news today Large, HER + Hormone + Fast growing+. Have to have chemo first and see oncologist Friday. Would much rather have it out! Had CT today and bone scan on Wednesday. Surgeon did say she was confident it hasn't spread and apparently she is not known for saying things she doesn't really mean.(no lymph node evidence) She was very straight forward and did try to explain the whole chemo first thing but I didn't get it. Another waiting game. Seriously anxious and completely losing it. Single parent to a teenager doing year 12 to add more sorrow to the mix. I read all of the brave stories and encouraging messages on here and hope I will get to be more like that soon. Thanks for being there. xx

I definitely understand wanting to just have it out (I'm waiting on my surgery date and every day it's a mixture of dreading the surgery and yelling 'get out get out get out' like a long overdue pregnancy). I want to pipe in that if you don't understand something your oncologist or surgeon are telling you; Ask them. Tell them it's confusing. They know you're under a lot of pressure and stress, and probably even have information print-outs on stand by. There are no stupid questions. <3 I was initially lined up for a chemo first approach to treatment as part of a research study that aimed to observe the effects on tumor shrinkage which would also test the area (because I have a lot of surrounding calcification) for responsiveness to the treatment. It may have been something like that? It's probably worth calling your surgeon to talk about it again, I hope you get your answers.

I can see the upside to that. When you have the op first and chemo later, the surgery part hasn't completely healed and the chemo does mess with it a bit. I am having lymphedema and cording in my arm and my oncology said its the chemo fiddling with it so you having chemo first to halt that rampaging cancer straight up is a good thing. It might also grab any stray cells floating around weeks earlier too, right when they aren't assembled ready to do something nasty. Hormone positive is also a good thing believe it or not as you can take tabs for years which will stop the cancer cells bonding and starve them of the proteins they need to grow. Not so great as you get menopausal troubles but hey we are all going to get those in life anyways. You will need someone to get you to all the appointments, and do major shopping so if you don't have family or neighbours, ask the cancer council and they will figure something out. One good thing about you doing a lot of sleeping in chemo recovering, just think how much quiet homework the grade 12 will get done! Its early in the year so hopefully you will be back into things by graduation. That's a very nice goal to look forward to.

Hi Helen, Remember to breathe, stop and catch your breath. Get a friend to sit with you over a cuppa and breathe....There is so much information being thrown at you at the moment on top of the diagnosis! . I have had two surgeries and am waiting for chemo.. I asked the same question about my impending mastectomy, why not now? Have faith that your team know whats best for you! If you have surgery first it would delay the start of chemo, because of healing time from surgery etc.. they want to get in there and zap that bitch into oblivion! There are many resources out there for family support, so many resources to help family members as well as yourself cope with all of this. ASK for help It's all so overwhelming at times, but if you don't understand ANYTHING, ASK ASK ASK ASK! You need to make sure you fully understand everything that's going to be happening to you! Write questions down, write the answers down....ASK ASK ASK! You CAN do this! We got your back Helen.....Take care, good luck with all of your treatment and remember to breeeeeeeathe! really breathe.... Love and light for easy recovery and beautiful days. -Tracy stay strong|breathe|believe

Hi Helen, Scary at first, but once you get past the news about 'big' tumour, all I'm seeing is great news! It hasn't spread! No lymph involvement. Wow! How fantastic. That means so many good things for you. Hang in there because you're going to work out that you can take this on. I had a similar diagnosis with heavy lymph involvement and I'm still here and feeling better and better.

Hi Helen, the beginning of this ordeal is tough, particularly the tests, pathology results, the waiting and the information overload, it can all feel too much. Hopefully you have a copy of the My Journey kit, I found it to be a really useful resource and helped me to understand a lot of the new medical terms I was currently hearing. It also helped me to work out what questions to ask my surgeon and oncologists. Taking someone with you to appointments can be really helpful too as I'm sure I often only heard the headlines and very little of the full story! I was also triple positive (both hormones & HER2 positive), with 3 invasive tumours and 1 lymph node affected. While scary, it was ultimately very treatable and I am almost 4 yrs on from that initial diagnosis. My treatment included a mastectomy, 5 months of chemo, 12 months of Herceptin (for the HER2 + tumour), radiotherapy and am now on Tamoxifen (anti-hormone tablets). I finished active treatment in July 2013 and have since gone on to have reconstruction. I also had 2 school aged children, and it was a tough year for both me and the kids, but both their schools were fantastic supports and hopefully this will be the case for you too. Because there is so much to get your head around and it can all seem overwhelming, it is useful to try and take it one day / one step at a time - frustrating for we organisers / control freaks - but ultimately a good strategy to riding the BC roller coaster. Best wishes, Jane xx

Diagnosis - not so good | BCNA Online Network

Brenda5
Member
10 years ago
I can see the upside to that. When you have the op first and chemo later, the surgery part hasn't completely healed and the chemo does mess with it a bit. I am having lymphedema and cording in my arm and my oncology said its the chemo fiddling with it so you having chemo first to halt that rampaging cancer straight up is a good thing. It might also grab any stray cells floating around weeks earlier too, right when they aren't assembled ready to do something nasty.

Hormone positive is also a good thing believe it or not as you can take tabs for years which will stop the cancer cells bonding and starve them of the proteins they need to grow. Not so great as you get menopausal troubles but hey we are all going to get those in life anyways.

You will need someone to get you to all the appointments, and do major shopping so if you don't have family or neighbours, ask the cancer council and they will figure something out.

One good thing about you doing a lot of sleeping in chemo recovering, just think how much quiet homework the grade 12 will get done! Its early in the year so hopefully you will be back into things by graduation. That's a very nice goal to look forward to.
InkPetal
Member
10 years ago
I definitely understand wanting to just have it out (I'm waiting on my surgery date and every day it's a mixture of dreading the surgery and yelling 'get out get out get out' like a long overdue pregnancy).

I want to pipe in that if you don't understand something your oncologist or surgeon are telling you; Ask them. Tell them it's confusing. They know you're under a lot of pressure and stress, and probably even have information print-outs on stand by. There are no stupid questions. <3

I was initially lined up for a chemo first approach to treatment as part of a research study that aimed to observe the effects on tumor shrinkage which would also test the area (because I have a lot of surrounding calcification) for responsiveness to the treatment. It may have been something like that?

It's probably worth calling your surgeon to talk about it again, I hope you get your answers.

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