Hope your chemo went as well as it could. I know I was scared stiff sitting in the chair waiting, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. No walk in the park, but I got through it. You will too. Just go with the flow, and before you know it, it’ll be over.
Just listen to your body and drink plenty.
Hi Ladies
Quick post - I was diagnosed 2005 - 15./20 nodes+, 8cm tumour, ER+,PR+,HER2+.
I am still here despite terrible path report and 6.5 yrs NED, know the feelings very well of seeing the hooray node clear posts. I felt doomed and a no hoper from the start from 1st meeting with ONC. Had special funding for Tax and Herceptin as still prior to NICE approval (still the days when woman were taking health auth to court) + 5 years tam and now about to embark on 5 years letrozole as confirmed post men at age 44.
It is a hard pill to swallow and beleive me I spent many a night crying and planning on what if’s, I know and read the posts on node- v node+ and would still rather be node-, but I am here and there are others we just dont return to the site too much.
Good luck
Debs
HI everyone - just jumping on briefly as my node + part of my diagnosis, 2 years,3 months ago was the scariest part …just to say please please don’t google - there is a load of old nonsense on the net and there are scientific papers that are written for doctors and not written in a kind nor balancing possibilities kind of tone cos no one wrote them thinking patients would read them …
I live with an onc and the best advice I got was down the pub with all the other oncs -
there are general pathways that generally a majority of women follow with each type of diagnosis, BUT there are so so so so many different versions of pathway through this that nothing matters but how you are today and tomorrow and the day after…
I found that really helpful,
cheers
N
Aww… once again ladies,thank you so much for all your responses, all your posts make me feel so much better.It’s nice to know that i’m not alone with the nodes issue. And i had 25nodes involved too which makes me feel very scared and frightened.
My onc didn’t make me feel positive at all. i felt as though he had written me off.I dont know if im making any sense here. i was much happier with my surgeon as he gave me positive feedback.
I have had a horrible day so far. I can’t stop reading stuff on the internet about breast cancer .I am having crazy, negative thoughts and worrying about anything related to the disease…I have been like this since the day i had my first chemo session. whilst sitting in the waiting area this lady started chatting to me. She started telling me that she had BC way back in 2000 and now had a recurrance and was told it was terminal… the really did scare me and now all i can think about is terminal cancer. I couldnt understand how come she was told this as she was really well.It really is a scary disease but i have got to overcome these fears and try and get on in my life.
I really also should be really thankfull that i have had my first chemo session and feeling really well so far.
The point is that i have never ever being a ill person, ive always being healthy. Never been one for going to dr’s or hospitals really because ive never needed to, but when you get something like this you are never away from the damn place.
Anyway i need to get my positive head back on and stop being silly…i know i will get through this…xxx
Hi KB - you will meet every range of cancer in the chemo and radio suites - when I was having my treatment i had to get transferred to main county hospital and always neighbours with a terminal lady - due to both our treatment plans - we spent a good 6 hours in beds and used to have great chats as wanted no relatives and found we could talk freely - she was a good 40 yrs + on me but we had a good common ground and talk was always really interesting - I would suggest not reading too much into internet data - at the end of the day it is data on general population and stats - it doesn’t know your body and neither do Onc’s.
Debs x
Hiay, well im not going to be chatting to anyone this time i will just get on with my chemo. I will concentrate on me and not listen to too many stories…x
Hi KB,
Just try to remember we are all differennt, and our experiences of BC are not the same except being binded by a common thread.
Stay strong. Your treatment will soon be over, and life will get backto a new ‘normal’. There are many women still going strong with node involvement - they may not post very often.
Take Care
Dotty2x
Thank you Dotty2,
It would be nice to hear from the positive nodes ladies, where are they hiding? lol…
And yes, treatment will be over before i know it. I’m one down 5 to go. 5th day after 1st chemo and i’m feeling pretty well at the moment.No doubt it might hit me like a ton of bricks, fairly shortly, but who knows, we all react to it differently.
K x
Hi I’m node positive and half way through my chemo had an ultrasound and told my cancer in my node has gone, and tumours have reduced by half! Just keep thinking another half to go and the bloody tumours will hopefully be gone. Obviously you do worrying as to whether it has spread, but you do have a ct scan which sort on sets your mind and ease. I’m also on the Artemis trial so had a bone scan. Also bc nurse seems to think I’ve caught it early enough. Like somebody said on this tread your lymph nodes where just doing there job.
I’ve just had chemo number 4, just mark the dates on a calendar and cross off as you go. I’m dealing with mine in bits, chemo, surgery then rads. Just concentrate on one bit at a time.drink lots of water, get a digital thermometer, eat little and often, this helping stop feeling sick, and whatever you do listen to your body and always contact the helpline if you feel unwell or temp goes up. I ended up netrupenic on my first chem, count went down to 0.1 and had n infection, spent Easter in hospital receiving antibiotics nd now have injections to help my bloods to stay over 1.
This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it can happen around day 8 to 10. It is important to contact helpline and don’t feel like you are being paranoid that’s what they are there for.
I also got a wig and nobody can tell the difference. I cut my hair short and then when it started to fall out I took the plunge and got my husband to shave it off…and actually it was a huge relief to not be continually worrying about when it would all go. I do look a bit like a baby bird now, but it is still growing a little. At the end of the day as long as they get the cancer cleared I can live with no hair for a short while.
Good luck with your journey, stay positive.
Kat x
Wow Katsteer, Well i had all my nodes taken out. Did you not have a ANC? they took some out then they took the lot out.
I have been doing OK on chemo at the moment. I am day 5 and so far i feel ok…no side affects at present. My appetite as increased because of the steroids. i need to stop eating or I’ll end up like a ten ton bessie…lol.
I am also going to get my hair cut short. My hair is really long but i dont think ill be able to shave it off, i think that ill struggle to do that.
K xx
Btw kat, sorry you got a infection. xx
Hi my hair was long too and honestly I thought I would struggle, but it really is more stressful feeling your lovely locks become crunchy straw texture and wondering if or when it drops and whether you will be left patchy. But it is each to their own and how you feel. Not sure where you live, but l also bought some fab headwear, really funky ones from a local hairdresser who stocks a range called ‘Christine headwear’ worth looking on their site to see who stocks them.
I’m having 6 lots of chem then boob off and all nodes out then 3 weeks rads 5 days a week. They only scanned one and biopsy one node at the time, but as my bc is invasive they have decided to get rid of all of them, which I’m ok with if it decreases my chances of recurrence. I put myself in their hands, they know what their doing.
Hi KB
Another one here with heavy lymphnodes envolvement. Was diagosed almost 2 years ago, grade 3 cancer, 3.5 cm plus a vast area of DCIS of 5 cm … I was shocked and petrified (and annoyed by everyone saying on this site “thank God its not in the nodes” aaarrghh) when they told me it was quite advanced, but still I went with the flow and had lots of chemo (4 EC+ 4 Tax), rads and am now on Tamoxifen. If it’s of any consolation to yourself my Oncologist was a bit gloomy too when she read my path report, but the surgeon was very otimistic and up lifting.
Anyway, 2 years have passed by, returned to work full time while on Rads, still NED, and I’m now waiting for recon which should happen in 3 weeks time 
and sod the cancer I’ve even just bought a new car!
You’re are the very beginnng of your journey, just wanted to wish you all the best!!!
Deborah xx
My bc nurse and ultrasound lady mentioned that the calcification is precancerous cells not get fully changed and this part is not actually invasive as its not changed yet and that its only the tumours that are invasive! Has anyone else been told this?
Lazycat,Wow… your diagnosis sounds identical to mine only i cant have Tamoxifen because i am ER - so that dsnt respond to hormonal therapy but i can have Herceptin because I’m her2 +. It just proves that even if us ladies are node positive it isnt a death sentence.You are living proof… 
.
I was also told it was more advanced because the cancer was in the lympths.They told me they are throwing in the kitchen sink. I guess by that term they are just giving me the whole works. But when i got told the reults I started to think i had terminal cancer because they told me it wasnt a prefect result. In fact i started to think alsorts.At least im now having treatment so im getting somewhere with it.
I am still wondering if the breast cancer has spread to nodes is it classed as secondary cancer?..does anyone know?
K xx
Hi K
Another one with lots of nodes involved 16/18 diagnosed in February 2010, such a worrying time for you, can remember it only too well!!
A lady l know on here was diagnosed with 27 nodes and she was diagnosed about the same time as me and is fine, as l am!
My friend was diagnosed with grade 3 and 26 nodes she also is fine and she was diagnosed over 11 years ago!
So chin up! the worrying doesn’t go away, but does get easier!
xxx
Thank you, very much, Sanda 4… . It’s really fantastic to hear from you nodes positive ladies. I thought it was rare to have so many involved tbh. Clearly it isnt as so many of you ladies are coming forward, so thank you ever so much. Stories like this make me feel lifted and im sure anyone who’s just been diagnosed with bc and have been told the same, will feel the same and so much better when they read this thread…
K xxx
Hi ladies,
im still having a bad time over this nodes issue. People seem so shocked when i tell them i had so many nodes involved. I am beginning to feel that it really is very uncommon to have a lot of nodes involved… My surgoen didnt seem that concerned because he said he was happy theyd got all the cancer out and that it was good news but hows it good news if its spread to the nodes?? he did also say it was good news that my bloods were all normal…that was the second piece of hgood news.Guess what he was saying was that nothing in my blood, showing any abnormalities ie like tumor markers…i am just so worried about it all, yes there are ladies out there who had extensive node involvement and are still going strong and i id love to hear from more of them
.one minute im ok then the next i start worrying about it all again…sorry if im going on and on about nodes thing but it keeps entering my head…
K xxx
K xxx
Hi K,
I was diagnosed with 27/28 nodes in March 2010 and was devastated- remember my oncologist saying that they were going to throw everything they could at it. I had FEC-T, radiotherapy and am now on Tamoxifen and have just had a clear mammogram and ultrasound so am feeling good at the moment.
This year I have been getting my life back together and everything is much more positive than it was.
Good luck with the treatment, it’s tough at the time but you’ll get through it.
Take care,
xxx
Hi KB - I am another who was dx back in December 2008, with all my nodes involved (17/17). I too had the ‘works’ re treatment and here I am still NED - it’ll be 4 years at Xmas 