Hi lovelies;
I’m 14 months out from left mastectomy (multi centric 4 tiny tumours under 1cm (mix lobular and ductal) grade 1 stage 1 no nodes, and just wondered how people are doing? and if their ride has been plain sailing or bumpy like mine…
I think in the big picture all is okay.
I’ve had issues with tamoxifen - a lovely polyp grew (no bleeding but it was found incidentally) but as i’m post menopausal my cervix under general decided it wasn’t going to open so they are just monitoring via mri. they said minuscule chance of anything being nasty so I can live with that just now as other option was hysterectomy.
Throw in mum dying last week.
Changing to letrozole.
MRI picked up diverticular disease (severe) nice word… but ive had no symptoms and im 61 so long may that continue they weren’t in the least bit worried about this - picked up incidentally (wish they hadn’t told me!)
due to start Letrozole soon (just having a break between medications and going for a dexa soon so hoping all okay there!! ( hate scans as they seem to pick up things that we don’t want to know about!)
I may stop letrozole after I get to 2 years on hormone therapy - not sure (as most benefit in first 2 years but we will wait and see… if bones ok BP cholesterol etc and im not crippled then maybe not.
Do I worry about recurrence - a little but trying hard to live my life as i’ve been given a good chance it will be a reasonably long one and worrying about something that may not happen is not really living is it?. Do I still have a glass of wine? yes (moderately) I do…and I exercise , not overweight and have a good diet.
So yes it’s been a bit bumpy with the usual seromas, frozen shoulders, bereavement and tears along the way but I think i’m okay in the big picture.
Thanks for sharing your journey. Mine was similar with everything low grade, no node involvement and I’m 3 years on from it after mastectomy. Also been on hormone therapy for 3 years and despite worries about it being unbearable, it’s been okay for me, so I hope it hasn’t been too bad for you.
I think despite what we’ve all been through with BC which is a journey in itself, life just goes on doesn’t it. I’m 57 and whilst I still have my mother, she is now in a care home. I’m sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. I suppose at our age we are all caring for elderly parents or losing them sadly .
You’re right, despite life throwing curve balls as it always would, we can’t spend our lives worrying about recurrence. I found it very hard initially but I’m getting there now. Life goes on and despite ups and downs, it’s still good.
Thank you @joyousjen
For sharing your experience and sorry for the loss of your mum , certainly been bumpy ride for you , similar to my self it’s so nice to read other people’s stories when I’m down it puts things in prospective for me onwards and upwards we all get there in the end
Take care Xxx
That’s good to read Charlotte hope all well with you it would be lovely to hear about your bumps In the road and I agree it makes us feel we are not alone on our journeys xxxx
I’m sorry to hear that you lost your mum . That must have been tough .
I lost mine just before the pandemic to
Pancreatic cancer . When I was diagnosed last March , my first thought was watching her suffer .
“ Luckily” mine was early stage BC .
I’m 10 months into Anastrazole and counting down to 5 years !
X
Hi JoyousJen,
Thank you so much for sharing, I lost my dad to dementia 3 months before my diagnosis which was hellish as he was my world!
I too had a bumpy ride 6 months after diagnosis and 2 months after left mastectomy with 3 1cm ductal tumours. I’m 49 and started on Letrozole in Sept but I’m now on tamoxifen so I hope I get to where you are with the mindset of not worrying I’m so sorry about the loss of your mum but as my dad used to say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Let’s keep the strength x
It’s bumpy for sure but we get there in the end. I wish I could have stayed on tamoxifen as it was okay for me but it was too oestrogenic for my uterus and grew a lovely polyp! (which they can’t take out cos of my cervix) about to start letrozole after a break and hoping I tolerate it okay as I did tamoxifen. Hang in there lovely!! xxx Nothing else for it! xxx
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I’m so sorry about the loss of your mum but as my dad used to say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”