nancyjac's Journey:
- 1 Oh No Icon Oh No
- 2 Procedure or Surgery Icon Procedure or Surgery
- 3 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 4 Side Effects Icon Side Effects
- 5 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 6 Side Effects Icon Side Effects
- 7 Decision Point Icon Decision Point
- 8 Celebration Icon Celebration
- 9 Celebration Icon Celebration
- 10 Procedure or Surgery Icon Procedure or Surgery
- 11 Radiation Icon Radiation
- 12 Other Care Icon Other Care
- 13 Celebration Icon Celebration
Survivor: Breast Cancer > Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment less than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: about 8 years ago, Female, Age: 71, Stage IIIB, HER2 Positive: Yes, ER Positive: Yes, PR Positive: Yes
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Experience Icon Descriptions
Procedure: Drag this icon to show a procedure.
Radiation: Drag this icon to show a specific radiation therapy experience.
Drug Therapy: Drag this icon to show a specific drug therapy experience.
Clinical Trial: Drag this icon to show a clinical trial experience.
Side Effect: Drag this icon to show experience with a specific side effect.
Oh No: Drag this icon to show when something bad happened (e.g., cancer’s back, lost job).
Celebration: Drag this icon to show when something good happened (e.g., last treatment, hair is back).
Loss: Drag this icon to show a time of loss (e.g., lost hair, lost loved one).
Decision Point: Drag this icon to show a time when you had to make a tough decision.
Other Care: Draft this icon to show a time when you needed other care (e.g., hospice, psychotherapy).
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Oh No
Mamiogram showed some new calcification.
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Biopsy showed malignancy, estrogen and HER +
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
First chemo session.
Body aches
Side Effects
This person has yet to add any details about this experience.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Second full chemo on Dec 28. 2 down and 4 to go.
Other
Side Effects
Had pretty much same side effects this time, but they were a bit more compressed. Yesterday was the worst day with diarrhea and cramps but feeling better this morning.
Decision Point
I have one more chemo treatment to go. In a way, this feels almost like it did when I was first diagnosed. There will be more testing and scans, anxiously awaiting results, decisions about what is next (single vs bilateral mastectomy), how surgery will affect day to day stuff, impact on my schedule, etc. I know it is just wishful thinking, but I sure wish all of it could just be settled right now.
Last full chemo treatment
Celebration
Seems a bit odd to call this a celebration, but I had my last full chemo session yesterday. The side effects haven't kicked in yet but I know I will start feeling crappy by tomorrow and especially the weekend, but just knowing this is the last time I will feel that bad makes it more tolerable, even enjoyable in a perverse sort of way. I still have a long way to go...bilateral mastectomy, radiation, targeted therapy, but being done with the heavy duty chemo seems like a major step to me, and now I can really start healing and hopefully get some of my strength and energy back.
Cancer is shrinking
Celebration
Just got a call from my oncologist with the results of the repeat breast MRI and chest CT I had a couple of days ago. MRI shows improvement....i.e. chemo shrunk size of cancerous area. Original CT back in early December showed a spot on my lungs that is now completely gone. She said it was probably some sort of inflamation that eventually resolved itself. Have appointment with surgeon on Monday to plan the next phase.....bilateral mastectomy.
Double Mastectomy
Procedure or Surgery
Had bilateral mastectomy. In hospital one day, out the next. Couple of days later lab report indicated no clean margins at skin level. So back to the hospital for re-excision and removal of more skin. That resulted in not having enough skin left to close the wound, so also had to have plastic surgery to take a chunk of my abdomen to cover the wound. Was in the hospital for a full week that time, but finally got clean margins.
External radiation
Radiation
Started daily radiation, Monday through Friday for 29 treatments. First half with no side effects but then skin starting burning. Fortunately, only a couple more treatments to go. Biggest side effect is actually messing with my schedule since I have to go every day.
Other
Other Care
My radiation oncologist referred me to a lymphedema clinic. I don't have lymphedema but I am a high risk for it and have some saromas (fluid pockets) from surgery, so this is more preventative and auxiliary treatment. I go a couple times a week for lymphatic massage and some range of motions exercises.
Hair is back
Celebration
I had a little extra this 4th of July. I celebrated my independence from hats/scarves/wigs. First time without a head covering in public since I shaved my head back in December.