If you fancy sharing …
I am having 28 sessions and 5 “boosters” immediately afterwards i.e. 33 in total
For what it’s worth (I can’t remember all of it as I try not to dwell on it but this is more of less right) … I can check if anyone wants me to
I had the cancer removed in November and now speak about it in the past tense I am proud to announce!
It WAS :
triple negative
Meduallary (rare - looked like a brain when they cut it open - have they removed my brain I wonder some days…there you go!!)
between 4-5 cm
12 nodes removed - clear but one very large
on the agressive scale it was a 2 or 3. It had doubled in size in 10 months - when I first found it it was the size of a small egg and they told me there was nothing wrong with it - on the basis of a mamogram - an ultrasound was deemed unnecessary … that’s life heh?
They removed a quarter of the breast in November 07 (and did a good job considering) and now I’m having the 33 sessions after 4 Epi and 3 Tax (they canelled the 4th due to atrocious ability to produce bone marrow … apart form that the only exciting medical bulletin is the abcess under my toth which is being re-assessed on Monday following antibiotics and anti-inflamatories.
*** updated 24/8**** I forgot to say I found the lump 10 months before but they said it was OK!! *** so it had not only been there for quite a while but also grown quickly as they had the previous measurements. Perhaps that’s why I am having such a ot of radio???
**************
Apart from that I can report that having had a fab mouth throughput chemo - continued to use hard toothbrushes throughout, my mouth is now vile - think due to abcess or anti-biotics and I have 2 lovely ulcers!
Also STILL in closet and working (have business with OH) so I HAVE to blab a lot on here as so very few people know anything and I would prefer to keep it that way.
Apologies for long post - all about me - would love to hear all about you!
Anyone else …
big fat kiss (in a good mood - it’s the weekend tomorrow)
lots of love FB xx
I am 9 down from 20 rads and only just a little pink - but will try your cammomile trick (when I have bought some).
My tumour was unusual too - papillary (fern like apparently) 19mm stage 2/surrounded by intermediate DCIS (33mm total) WLE & 17 nodes (all clear).
Sorry your 1st one made you feel bad. I didn’t have to have chemo - I have heard that makes it worse sometimes.
My gripe is that they are radiating my node area when they were all OK and have been told on here that lymphoedema is more likely when they do that, so am going to ask onc if they can change the area.
15mm in size but had 3 small 1.7mm areas of cancer within it.
Triple negative
1/12 nodes affected
lumpectomy done to remove
3 FEC and 3 Taxotere done (finished 29th July)
20 sessions of rads (4 done) not having under arm or collar bone zapped. Boob feeling ok but have read on another thread the bigger the boob to ‘sorer’ it gets. I am an F cup and not looking forward to it getting sore. I have some emolient cream which am slapping on 2 to 3 times daily.
looking forward to finishing rads on 16th Sept then going on holiday 19th fo a rest!
Hi i am currently having radiotherapy to the breast area, had 7 so far, due to have 13 and 3 boosters.
Had chemo, FEC from jan-may ugh not pleasant but doable,nodes negative , lumpectomy in june scar still not 100% healed got an infection in it and the plaster strips holding the one part came off straight away, therefore skin was not held together properly to heal.Moan moan, Luckily area is under the breast so not really visible.
Rads are ok skin just starting to go pink. Will finish on sept 12th yippee
Looking forward to going to Spain as soon as poss to visit my Dad who now lives out there, had to cancel the planned trip for last march !! we all need a holiday. I can’t wait.
I will be starting rads on 28.8.08. I will be having 20 sessions, 5 of which are boosters. Not looking forward to it but i know it is not as bad as chemo. Finish on 24.9.08 and go on holiday to wales 27.9.08. Cannot wait for a break from all this treatment.
Dx with grade 2, 4cm tumour, no lymph nodes involvement. Had chemo first 4 x ac & 4 x tax then surgery.
Hello all, sounds like I am a little behind you all (in time I mean). First I must ask where did you all get all the info about grades, types of receptors etc?Was it your onc’s? I have had WLE and SNB. Have been told that margin and nodes clear. Tumour was 7mm and tubular. Am anticipating when I visit the onc on 1st september fthat I will have to have 5 weeks RADS - dont know about boosters (sorry what exactly do they entail as opposed to ‘normal’ rads) and some oral stuff had hormone receptive tumour - dont know whether e or p. I was dx on 8th July and had my op on 24th July. I read somewhere that in cases like mine (ie without initial chemo before RADS) that Rads are supposed to start NO LATER than 12 weeks after op??? Anybody know anything about this? I have been delayed cos results were delayed as histology on hols and onc works mondays and next monday is BH. Does not sound like I know much does it??? Arimdex and Tamoxifan - can anyone enlighten me ? Anybody help sort me out? Thanks and take care all.
Trolleydolly xx
I was 45 mm, grade 3 wle, snb (2 out of 5 affected) so then full clearance (4 out of 13 affected). Dx end Feb. Have had 4xFEC and 3xTax. I have found the tax so hard to take I begged my onc to stop killing me last week…and she agreed. I am 41 yrs old.
I am to have 20 rads & 5 boosters (which I am given to understand are the same as normal rads…anybody enlighten me & trolleydolly?) next. I am currently on a 4 week holiday from treatment (last chemo should have been on Thursday coming), but I need to have my hickman line removed after a couple of weeks (not well enough for them to do it just now).
Interesting thread - my onc has admitted it’s her own idiocynacrity (go phonetic on that one!) that leads her to do 4 fec 4 tax - I have seen many only get 3 of each. I know it’s my decision not to have the last tax, but I’m on morphine for the pain afterwards etc and still don’t feel well since the last one on 7th Aug! Family not best pleased - but, it’s my decision and the onc said if it made a great deal of difference she’d be trying to persuade me to carry on, but instead we talked about rads!
Hi all,
I too, am a bit behind you.I have just had 4xA.C. and 3x Taxotere, Tax stopped working ( boob now covered in horrible red itchy rash) so they are going to do a mastectomy on Tuesday followed by rads. and then herceptin, certainly feels like one hell of a rollercoaster!! Just can`t wait to get it over with now!
Sue, I was half relieved they had to cut the last tax, I was having a miserable time on it as well. They brought in the whole team to examine me last Monday, ( scary) when I asked about having just three tax they said most trials were between 6 and 8 so one less shouldn`t make any difference. I think whats happening to me happened to Emily Jane. Hope you are feeling better now …it only (only??) affected me for the first two weeks of the cycle and the third week I felt really well, it was so wierd!!
I have the same as you only my lump was 6mm,and having same treatment,I was told they don’t start rads till 6wks after WLE
as they have to be sure you have healed I wa dx on the 9th july,Wle 23rd july going to be marked up with tattoos on 25thaug.
,already seen onc at local hospital, now having rads at christies in manchester.started taking rads on tuesday just gone,
I will more than likely get every side effects except the loss of appetite which is the one I could do with,
I’m one of these that eat my feels,lol
So sorry tax isn’t working for you - - are you, like EJ, having surgery now? At first the tax made me feel terrible for a week, half human for a week and human for a week before they hit me again, but it’s just 4 days to due date for last tax and I still feel terrible! They aren’t joking when they talk about a cumulative effect!
You take care of yourself - - pop into DDI2 for a laugh if you like sometime!
Love Sue xx
Toronto
Many hugs and all the best to you as you go into surgery tomorrow
My prayers will be with you sweetie.
I wish my surgeon would have allowed a full mastectomy, but she refused to remove the healthy breast. It may take a bit longer to recover, depending on how many lymph nodes they need to take. I found that the removal of nodes was the more irritating of the two. It is not really painful, but very uncomfortable and takes time to adjust. No one told me, so I will tell you, that the anestetic they give you opens up all your emotions. When I got into recovery, I spent much of the time crying but thought it was cause I was sad. It was because all of those emotions were allowed to come to the surface. I know that sounds depressing, but it should help you understand yourself. All in all, I was just so relieved that the tumor was gone; it trumped any feelings I had about losing my right breast!!
Your attitude does help you get through this, and I think your family is supportive. Just take it easy and give yourself TIME to heal.
Have you read through the surgery thread? I found the marsupial pouches invaluable; if you make them up, make up two sets. Then when you finally take a shower, one can go into the wash and the other can be used without interruption. Send me a pm if you have any last minute thoughts…
Hi Ladies, will be joining you all soon. I am having 20 rads and some booster rads too. Starts 3 Sept. A bit nervous but got to be better than chemo!
Rach
Mast Jan 2008 as has multiple tumours - they came on very fast and everyone thought it was a blocked milk duct as I breast feeding at the time (even the breast surgeon) Lymphnodes were infected
Did 3x FEC (very tough but doable) and 3x DOC (again tough but slightly easier)
Then another op to remove the lymphnodes in chest wall as were also infected
now undergoing rads, have in total 25.
and I’m also on Herceptin
If there is anything I need to do or take to beat this, please advise.
Sorry, I still have a lot to learn, I thought a full mastectomy was just one breast and that is all that I am having. Having said that I would love to get rid of both!! Just about had enough.
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, I read your posts regularly and hope my recovery is as good as yours. Great news about your hair, I am really looking forward to that!!
Roll on Wednesday!! I willl pop in to DDI2 as soon as I get home and have a much needed drink with you!!!