Update - Good News and Next Stage
Here it is the first day of Sept and I am looking both forward and back.
After diagnosis early in the new year, I have had 6 months of chemo (AC and paclitaxil), some surgery (5 nodes removed and lumpectomy on affected boob) and I've just started my regimen of tamoxifen. Chemo was ok. I can't say it's enjoyable but I would do it again if I had to. It caused my tumor to shrink from 5cm to nothing in less than 6 months and the biopsies were all negative for cancer at the end of it. No spread detected at any time thank goodness and my genetic tests were clear for any of the known breast cancer genes. The worst part of it was actually coming down with shingles in the last month of chemo. Gotta tell you that sucker hurts big time!
In my future I have a ct scan next week, in order to prepare for about 4 weeks of daily radiation. Then hopefully I get my life back. I really hope tamoxifen isn't as horrible as people say, but in any case I will endure.
I am so thankful for the treatment. Peter Mac has been largely amazing, apart from a couple of examples of severe communication and organizational failures which meant over 4 hours of wait time for me in one instance and about the same for my surgical team on surgery day. They were very unimpressed.
So here I am technically cancer free. I feel very very lucky.
After diagnosis early in the new year, I have had 6 months of chemo (AC and paclitaxil), some surgery (5 nodes removed and lumpectomy on affected boob) and I've just started my regimen of tamoxifen. Chemo was ok. I can't say it's enjoyable but I would do it again if I had to. It caused my tumor to shrink from 5cm to nothing in less than 6 months and the biopsies were all negative for cancer at the end of it. No spread detected at any time thank goodness and my genetic tests were clear for any of the known breast cancer genes. The worst part of it was actually coming down with shingles in the last month of chemo. Gotta tell you that sucker hurts big time!
In my future I have a ct scan next week, in order to prepare for about 4 weeks of daily radiation. Then hopefully I get my life back. I really hope tamoxifen isn't as horrible as people say, but in any case I will endure.
I am so thankful for the treatment. Peter Mac has been largely amazing, apart from a couple of examples of severe communication and organizational failures which meant over 4 hours of wait time for me in one instance and about the same for my surgical team on surgery day. They were very unimpressed.
So here I am technically cancer free. I feel very very lucky.
