jskolnick'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 Other Care Icon Other Care
- 6 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 7 Radiation Icon Radiation
- 8 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 9 Loss Icon Loss
- 10 Drug or Chemo Therapy Icon Drug or Chemo Therapy
- 11 Side Effects Icon Side Effects
- 12 Celebration Icon Celebration
Survivor: Breast Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment more than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: over 19 years ago, Female, Age: 56, Stage III, HER2 Positive: Yes, ER Positive: No, 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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Diagnosed
Oh No
Wait - This can't be - I'm only 35!
Lumpectomy
Procedure or Surgery
Left breast lumpectomy & lymph node dissection
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Adriamyacin/Cytoxin
Hair loss (alopecia)
Side Effects
3 weeks to the day I started chemo, my hair starting falling out. I remember a friend calling me that morning and asking how I was and what I was doing. I told her I was frustrated and pulling my hair out...........literally........
Hospitalization
Other Care
Over the course of 3 chemo sessions (9 weeks), I became sicker and sicker. I was losing a lot of weight and had really bad diarrhea. I finally decided to go to ER because my heart was pounding so hard and so fast. They admitted me into the hospital. My temperature was 104.5, heart rate was 160+ and they couldn't get a blood pressure. I was told that if I wouldn't have come into ER that night, I could have died. I found out that I was extremely dehydrated and that I had ulcerative colitis. I was hospitalized for 19 days, placed on massive doses of prednisone and TPN - receiving my nutrients through my port. I wasn't allowed to eat solid food for 1 1/2 months.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Back to chemo to finish with Taxol.
External radiation
Radiation
Radiation every day for 4 weeks.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
1 year of Herceptin infusions.
Relationship
Loss
During this time, I ended up getting a divorce & filing for bankruptcy............that's all that needs to be said about that..........
Hormone therapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Many years of Lupron injections until decision was made to remove both of my overies.
Other
Side Effects
I continue to battle muscle/joint aches and other problems that I never had before chemo. I take medication for the body aches, depression, hot flashes/night sweats, osteoporosis, ulcerative colitis, and headaches.
Life!
Celebration
I see things in life so differently since my cancer diagnosis. My spirituality has deepened. My outer shell might not be so perfect, but my inner self is fabulous!