kickasscowgirl's Journey with Breast Cancer
- 1 Procedure or Surgery Icon Procedure or Surgery
- 2 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 3 Procedure or Surgery Icon Procedure or Surgery
- 4 Procedure or Surgery Icon Procedure or Surgery
- 5 Other Care Icon Other Care
- 6 Other Care Icon Other Care
- 7 Loss Icon Loss
- 8 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 9 Celebration Icon Celebration
- 10 Celebration Icon Celebration
- 11 Radiation Icon Radiation
Patient: Breast Cancer
Patient Info: Currently in active treatment (initial surgery, receiving chemo rounds/radiation), Diagnosed: over 8 years ago, Female, Age: 61, Stage IIIB, HER2 Positive: No, ER Positive: Yes, PR Positive: Yes
Get Full Access Today It’s EASY and FREE!
Things you can do
More Questions
Find us on Facebook
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).
Loading...
Implant chemotherapy port
Procedure or Surgery
This person has yet to add any details about this experience.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Aggressive chemo, A/C chemotherapy has a big impact on daily life, I can't return to work during chemo because my workplace has a higher risk of contracting infectious disease. I have minimal side effects due to being healthy (no other medical issues) when diagnosed, and having a very high positive attitude. I am concerned about the long term side effects of such strong chemicals being used. Next up is a modified radical mastectomy, then more chemo and radiation.
PET Scan - 2nd time for comparison study after round of chemo, prior to breast surgery.
Procedure or Surgery
My first PET Scan was in January, at the beginning of my first 4 chemo treatments. So this "interval' report was to make a comparison of the effectiveness of treatment so far. That first round of chemo was to reduce the size of the tumors in both breasts in order to have a better outcome in surgery, getting clean margins in removing the tumors. This is good news, called "Dramatic interval improvement" in my PET scan comparison study.
Double Mastectomy
Procedure or Surgery
Wednesday 4/24/13 I had my double mastectomy; radical mastectomy including affected lymph nodes and modified radical on the right side, with 4 sentinel nodes removed. Two day hospital stay, and normal recovery so far, slightly less pain meds each day. Dr. feels confident he got all visible cancer out and even feels need for more chemo was lessened if needed as first thought. I hope that's true. Waiting on the pathology report. Felt very confident that my surgeon did all he could to give me the best possible outcome, for no reconstruction or later reconstruction if I choose. I'm happy to wait on that or may not do reconstruction. I'm happy no muscle tissue or chest wall taken out. Day 5 and I can lift my arms above my head.
Surgical Pathology Report/Surgery follow up appt.
Other Care
This was good news and difficult news. I had double mastectomy with lymph nodes removed from underneath both arms. One of the right sentinel lymph nodes under the right arm came back with "positive for isolated tumor cells present within lymphatics." On the left side where I knew from previous biopsy there was metastasis to lymph nodes. So, 4 out of 17 removed were positive, even after 4 heavy rounds of chemo to shrink the breast tumors and enlarged lymph nodes, which it did. These are said to have "micrometastasis" and "isolated tumor cells" So, I have an appt. with my chemo dr. on Monday to discuss more chemo after recovering from surgery.
Fitting for Post Surgery Camisole
Other Care
Really appreciative that dr. prescribed post surgery camisole, it's soft, snug over the incisions and has removable pockets inside to hold the drainage bulbs. Pockets for 'softies' ...small pads with polyester stuffing that fit into the cami to give the look of breasts. So I walked out looking like before surgery! Prescription also included (for later) a fitting for a post surgery bras, and silicone forms (prosthesis's). All paid by insurance, yay!
Lost loved one
Loss
My brother had made it through a ' widow maker' heart attack 5 weeks ago. A second Attack, or heart failure from the first took his life yesterday. My heart goes out to my mom, having to deal with the loss and be concerned for my health at the same time.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Started back on chemotherapy on May 31st. just 5 weeks and 2 days following double mastectomy. Taxol this time, 4 doses scheduled every/other week. (Two more to go...) Started arm stretches by third week after surgery and have full range of motion in right arm, not so much on the left side where cancer had been more aggressive and more tissue and lymph nodes removed. Still have numbness in armpits but getting some feeling back under my arms. Feeling pretty beat up third day after the last two chemo tx. mostly due to the Neulastin given the day after... causing my bones to ache.
Thankful for FREE gym membership...prescribed by oncologist if requested
Celebration
So grateful to my awesome team of doctors and nurses. I'd heard that my area has a gym/medical fitness center and if requested from the oncologist I could be given a 10 week membership or 20 weeks if he writes a 2nd prescription (which i will also request!) I got the order and went and signed up, it's awesome, has everything and includes a prescreening for a fitness profile & program design. 1 1/2 hour with trainer working with me on achieving my fitness goals. It's located next to the Sequoia Regional Cancer Center where i get chemo treatment, both about 12 minutes drive from home. So Happy!!!
Finished treatment
Celebration
Finished 2nd round of chemo (Taxol) a month ago. More a relief than a celebration. Bones really ached for a few weeks after and numbness in fingers and toes is still there. Exercise helps a lot!!
External radiation
Radiation
Started Radiation this week and will be going 6 1/2 weeks every Mon - Fri. Radiologist decided to only zap the left side which had the more aggressive cancer and more lymph nodes removed. Right side had only 4 lymph nodes removed and only (?!) micro cancer cells... assumed to have been killed off by the Taxol. Also, every Tuesday along with radiation is dr. visit, every other Tuesday is blood test. Gym is next door to the Breast Cancer Treatment center, so I'm going to the gym after radiation. Without boobs, no bra to rub the tender and or numb skin on my chest... a plus? :)