bizybee's Journey with Breast Cancer
Survivor: Breast Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment less than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: over 9 years ago, Female, Age: 69, Stage II, HER2 Positive: No, ER Positive: Don't Know, PR Positive: Don't Know
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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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What type of treatment.
Decision Point
I had choice of mastectomy or breast preservation - which is the one I chose. Weighed the percentages of success for both proceedures and discussed both at tlength with the surgeon.
Diagnosed
Oh No
I found the lump during self-check - felt like a thick spot - not necessarily a lump - but still experienced the sinking feeling in my stomach - and panic.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
Side effects were minimal, due to the expert care and advise of my doctor & nurses at the clinic. Impact was dastardly three days after infusion, and lasted 2-3 days, then I was back to normal activities.
Lumpectomy
Procedure or Surgery
Surgery to remove the residual of the tumor went as expected; I also had a few lymph nodes removed. What was not expected was the news from my surgeon that the tumor had COMPLETELY disappeared with the chemo. First time that situation had occured at the clinic.
External radiation
Radiation
It was rather annoying to have to go every day (except weekends) and it was as the nurse told me; "you will spend more time getting here and changing your clothes than it will for the treatment." However, I scheduled my treatments for the end of the day, I left work and drove 10 minutes to the center and then got to go home after treatment.
I have been cancer free since May 2009. Mammograms have been clear and blood work is clean with no markers.
Celebration
Thankful to God and grateful to my caregivers and amazed that my Oncologist knew what treatments to use to achieve success. The fear never goes away, but I am encouraged each time I get a good report from my tests.