Pathology result

Hi Peta,

Thanks for your encouraging message....almost finished your treatment by the sounds? That's wonderful and great that the time will pass quickly.

It was good to hear you're able to get on with things despite chemo...my husband and I are self employed and I do the office side of our business - I had been stressing how I was going to keep up with this but I now feel this will be achieveable!

As for the oncologist review, this is all new to me and will find out what the situation is tomorrow. We unfortunately live 2 hours away from the regional hospital doing the treatment so perhaps I may have to come up inbetween cycles? Oh well, again, just have to go with the flow of things I guess.

Good luck with your treatment and recovery - Jenny x

Hi Lana

Snap! We exactly the same.....and yes, it seems that chemo may not be as bad as we all fear! Just have to go with the flow I guess and its a relatively small amount of time to suffer with rather than not have it.

I will find out tomorrow what the recommendation is...so check out my next post and you will possibly have the same (I am 50 but no menopause yet...) - Dr last week said I wouldn't need radiation treatment however as no lymph node involvement.

Good luck for next Thursday...will follow your journey as we be going through at the same time!

Jenny x

Wow Tonya,

I got nothing to complain about....2 x per week for 5 weeks syringes??? You are def brave and strong....again, a real inspiration to us!

xxx

Hi Jodie

Defo take this insurance policy out hey? We got too much living to do....

xx

Thanks Janey, always great to hear from you!

Still living "One day at a time".....xx

(Give your Dad a smile next time you walk past your beautiful portrait of him!)

Hi Jenpen,

I had a mastectomy after an invasive ER/PR+, HER- diagnosis and I’m currently on a 3 x FEC plus 3 x Taxotere regime. (I had 2 cancerous nodes; your plan may differ).

I was terrified of chemo and cried through the first meeting with my oncologist as we went through the horrid and lengthy list of possible side effects. I thought I’d write to you because I’ve since learned not to automatically assume the worst but to instead take things as they come.

I’ve now completed 3 FEC and one Taxotere. My side effects have been surprisingly mild and after the first 4 or five days, I feel pretty normal. I am working full-time (office work) other than 4 work days off for each cycle plus a weekend (six days recuperation in total). So my advice would be to prepare for a tough time just in case, but try not to fixate about things before they happen, because they might not happen. If you search this site for Shazinoz, you’ll find a long series of posts about what other members found helpful during chemo. I found it extremely useful.

One thing that helped me a little was to visit the day chemo facility for a quick look-see a few days before my first treatment. I was still very anxious at the first treatment but at least I was already familiar with the lay-out, facilities and briefly met the head nurse. Best you phone them in advance to arrange this if you want to do it.

Another suggestion prior to starting chemo is to ask the oncologist where he/she conducts their check-up and review for each cycle. I mention this because there is an oncologist (not mine thankfully!!) treating breast and ovarian cancer patients at the hospital I attend who conducts reviews chair-side in the chemo facility while his patients are on the drip. Those of us in the surrounding chairs can hear the entire discussion. His patients don’t seem to mind but I find it an appalling breach of patient privacy. I’m sure it’s not common practice and I’d never work with oncologist who did this.

You sound positive. The next few months will pass very quickly and I’ll keep an eye out to see how you’re travelling.

Peta xx

Hi Jenpen,

I had a mastectomy after an invasive ER/PR+, HER- diagnosis and I’m currently on a 3 x FEC plus 3 x Taxotere regime. (I had 2 cancerous nodes; your plan may differ).

I was terrified of chemo and cried through the first meeting with my oncologist as we went through the horrid and lengthy list of possible side effects. I thought I’d write to you because I’ve since learned not to automatically assume the worst but to instead take things as they come.

I’ve now completed 3 FEC and one Taxotere. My side effects have been surprisingly mild and after the first 4 or five days, I feel pretty normal. I am working full-time (office work) other than 4 work days off for each cycle plus a weekend (six days recuperation in total). So my advice would be to prepare for a tough time just in case, but try not to fixate about things before they happen, because they might not happen. If you search this site for Shazinoz, you’ll find a long series of posts about what other members found helpful during chemo. I found it extremely useful.

One thing that helped me a little was to visit the day chemo facility for a quick look-see a few days before my first treatment. I was still very anxious at the first treatment but at least I was already familiar with the lay-out, facilities and briefly met the head nurse. Best you phone them in advance to arrange this if you want to do it.

Another suggestion prior to starting chemo is to ask the oncologist where he/she conducts their check-up and review for each cycle. I mention this because there is an oncologist (not mine thankfully!!) treating breast and ovarian cancer patients at the hospital I attend who conducts reviews chair-side in the chemo facility while his patients are on the drip. Those of us in the surrounding chairs can hear the entire discussion. His patients don’t seem to mind but I find it an appalling breach of patient privacy. I’m sure it’s not common practice and I’d never work with oncologist who did this.

You sound positive. The next few months will pass very quickly and I’ll keep an eye out to see how you’re travelling.

Peta xx

Yes,so many different pathologies-breast cancer is not just one disease but many.If you have to have breast cancer then you've got the"better"type and good news that it's not in your lymph nodes-well worth doing the happy dance for that news.Do you have the hercepton test back yet?Now if that's negative then you've really won the triffecta.Weird how we feel lucky in the cancer world- like being in some parallel universe.Seromas are common.I had one on my scarline that needed syringing twice aweek for 5 weeks after my mastectomy. I got fitted for a prosthesis at about 6 weeks post op.Best wishes for a speedy recovery and no more seromas! Tonya xx

Yes,so many different pathologies-breast cancer is not just one disease but many.If you have to have breast cancer then you've got the"better"type and good news that it's not in your lymph nodes-well worth doing the happy dance for that news.Do you have the hercepton test back yet?Now if that's negative then you've really won the triffecta.Weird how we feel lucky in the cancer world- like being in some parallel universe.Seromas are common.I had one on my scarline that needed syringing twice aweek for 5 weeks after my mastectomy. I got fitted for a prosthesis at about 6 weeks post op.Best wishes for a speedy recovery and no more seromas! Tonya xx