It’s almost exactly a year to the day: the mammo that caught something wrong. I was happily chatting with the radiographer about digital imaging (something I have to know about for work), and she said “These are really good images…”
And then stopped. I knew straight away something was up, and she knew that I knew etc. And the cancer rollercoaster started at that moment.
What were you doing a year ago? Were you already on that rollercoaster, or wondering if something was wrong, or facing the end of treatment? And how are you now, looking back on the last 12 months?
October last year I’d just come back from a manic week in Florida (5 theme parks in one week?!) including swimming with dolphins. It was absolutely brilliant. About this time last year I’d just found the lump in my breast, actually it was a “ridge”, it was huge and I didn’t want to know, so I put it to the back of my mind and got on with everything else for a few months.
The last 9 months have been something else! At the end of February it turned out within the “ridge” there was a lump 45mm (yeah, that’s huge too huh?!). I knew I was in trouble after the mammogram when the radiographer wished me good luck!
After the first op, Mother’s Day was really bad, as I had to tell my teenage children and my parents the day before that I had grade 3 cancer. My birthday present this year was my last taxotere. I don’t want anybody to give me THAT again thanks! I’ve made friends through this website, both locally and further afield, which is an unexpected bonus. I used loads of information I got on here to ensure I got the right tamoxifen - and I’m actually LOSING weight (not a lot, just a few pounds) rather than gaining it!
Really interesting idea this thread Lanterna - it’s quite a thought to look back over the last year.and realise how quickly it has passed, even though it seemed to go on forever whilst in the midst of it.
A year ago I was feeling discouraged because a bone scan had shown some progression of my hip met (I have bone mets but no other secondary spread) and I had been put on IV Zometa, the strongest “bishbosh” for bones. This year’s bone scans have been better news and I am now on tablets (Bondronat) instead of the IV.
A bit discouraged tho, because I’ve regained some weight, after losing 2 stone after dx in 2006. Can’t put all the blame on my Femara, it’s up to me what I eat… aarrgghh!
And looking forward to a better family Christmas than the previous two.
Best wishes to all!
This time last year I was packing my hopsital bag in preparation for an operation …on my foot (which had been broken in 2005 and operated on in 2006 but failed) I was feeling sorry for myself having to go through it all again.And dreading another Christmas in Plaster up to my knee and not able to weightbear.
Still, I thought once it was fixed I could get back to normal,Ha ha! I returned to work fulltime mid June after a phased return and had my Breast Clinic appt on 30th June.
Swiftly followed by Mastectomy and recon and now just Tamoxifen and depression!
At least I can cook Christmas dinner this year,it was impossible on crutches/wheelchair!
Lets hope next year is better (although I am bit scared to hope!)
I had been diagnosed on November 2nd and was waiting for my mastectomy on December 5th. Also I was trying together with my mum to sort through my brother’s estate as he had died suddenly that July. Looking back I don’t know how I got through it! But you do at the time…now after chemo and rads I’ve not had the best couple of months, it all seemed to hit me, but feeling better in myself this month. My birthday present in March was losing my hair! On Christmas Day I walked my dog, with difficulty, as arm was still weak, to my brother’s grave and sobbed, and hoped I wouldn’t be in there this year…but I am doing well.
Cannot remember. It seems so long ago. In blissful ignorance and thought I had a future. Dont know anything anymore. Fearful of the future and just finished taxotere. Never again!
Ayear ago I was one year from op and had just had first NED followups.I was still very tired and hadnt much hair but there was a glimmer of light at the end of me tunnel.xx
A year ago I was having treatment for breast cancer. I am still having treatment for breast cancer. In a year’s time there won’t be any treatments left but I’ll still have breast cancer, or maybe I’ll be dead. It doesn’t get better…it gets worse…!
This time last year I was celebrating my daughter’s second birthday, and my three month old son’s Christening.
I had no idea that my life would be now on this hideous rollercoaster, that is breast cancer.
In Feb, I was diagnosed with advanced (15cm x 10cm) IBC, and have since had 2 x FEC, 4 x tax, 11 x Her, a mastectomy & 20 rads … roll on 2009, as I don’t want a repeat of 2008, & what do I wish for … lots more birthdays to share with my children.
A year ago I was tired, and had an itchy nipple!!! I lost my Mum suddenly in january my boss resigned I took on the section - still felt tired and was diagnosed in march - triple neg with local node involvement (stage 3C). I have been through chemo and radio - not operable so no surgery. I am not as tired as I was prior to diagnosis, and i am overwhelmed by the amount of wonderful people you find when going through this type of c**p, at the hosiptal and on sites such as this. A year ago i did not expect to be a Granny - especially at the age of 44 but my son is due to become a father on or about 11th December he comes back from Afghanistan for three weeks on 4 December in time for the happy event. There are always things to make us feel sad but i have learnt that you appreciate the positives and the special moments so much more - not something I really did a year ago. It has been a long year and one in which I feel I have aged a hundred years but somehow I have got through it
Helen
This time last year i was so happy that the breast lumps i was feeling were fibrocystic changes. Wanted to get on with my life as had been really low since my husband left me and my 3 boys the previous year. One of my sons started going off the rails and was in lots of trouble with police just got his court case past thot was time for things to start looking up for us all. Went for my Mammogram after his court case was recalled 2 weeks later now i am waiting for the results of my core biopsy because my mammogram showed a shadow which turned out to be a small lump (that i cannot feel) and fna showed abdormal cells. My doc chasing up resullts am at the waiting game stage just hope that 2009 is a better year and no BC hanging over me!!
This time last year I was in blissful ignorance - Bc was diagnosed in February. My dad was still alive and I had spiky hair and still had a figure. Maybe the cancer was there already as certain warning signs appeared before diagnosis if look back on it. I am less tired now and this time last year i think the bc was probably brewing or about to appear.
Like many of you, a year ago I had just started on the bc rollercoaster.
The cyst I had found turned out to be just that but the ultrasound on 31st October showed up two suspicious areas, then the usual array of tests with results on 7th November being inconclusive and results on 14th showing the need for a lumpectomy on 27th (my birthday) and finally a mastectomy on Dec 14th.
This time last year I hadn’t discovered this site as we were in the middle of changing from dial up to broadband and were without a connection for several weeks. When I did log on early in Dec. I saw the word cancer, closed it down and didn’t venture on until after the mastectomy. Finally at the end of December I once again logged on and am so glad I did. The information and support on here has been amazing, as have the people and the friends I have made.
M x
A year ago I was living the Expat life, out in the Middle East with my husband and three children (then 13, 10 and 8). We had a tough January, as my father collapsed and died totally unexpectedly from a massive heart attack, and then 12 days later my father-in-law died from a brain tumour. After all the turmoil and upheaval, we treated the family to a holiday in South Africa, and began to come to terms with what had happened - little did we know…
In June this year I felt a strange hardness in my breast, a bit like mastitis, but as you’ve guessed was actually 2.5cm of lobular tumour. What I hadn’t felt was the other 6cm one hiding in there too. I’ve been back in the UK since 1st July, living alone in our “holiday” home whilst undergoing treatment - 4 cycles EC and 2 (out of 4) taxotere, with mastectomy planned for January. My husband is coping manfully with breadwinning and being a single parent nearly 4,000 miles away, but thankfully they will all be back for 4 weeks at Christmas - can’t wait.
I was deep in chemo I was on EC at the time and not doing too bad on it, if I say so myself. No hair, of course but a very good wig. The general good responses you get at the outset had faded a bit, but people where kind enough to remember me and from September to Christmas there where flowers of some sort in the house. I did do some internet research but like you Magsi I wasn’t brave enough to write something myself until after Christmas. I was beginning to realise who really were going to be good friends to me.
This time last year I was half way through 30 rads and about to start Herceptin. A rota of people from my village were taking me into hospital each day (and not all the ones that I might have expected to be helpful, I must say). After chemo I was bald but had a lovely wig.
Now I finish herceptin tomorrow and I have hair longer than I did before. I am trying a new style now that it is curly but as it came back grey, it is now a rather nice strawberry blonde courtesy of my brilliant hairdresser! I have a very different lifestyle, having decided to reduce from full time to part time work so that I can spend more time doing exercise as I was told to lose weight. I have lost nearly 2 stones and feel much better for it but need to lose as much again. I have also taken up watercolour painting and I love it.
Arimidex makes me ache dreadfully so that is a constant reminder of what I have experienced since diagnosis on Friday 13 April last year and I also have osteoporosis, but I feel so much better than this time last year. I am realistic about what the future may hold, but at the moment, things are pretty good.
This time last year…had found lump in left breast on 6th November but was in the middle of my period so waited a month just in case in was hormonal-it wasn’t! Then developed swelling under left arm and knew I had cancer.Went to see GP on 21st December…and the rest is history!
Alli.
This time last year I was on holiday in Fuerteventura we had a super time.
I didn`t know what an oncologist was …yes really!!..chemotherapy and radiotherapy I heard other people talking about but knew very little about and lymphoedema …whats that?
Two months later I felt a huge lump in my breast and went my G.P who told me not to worry it was nothing and gave me a10 day course of antibiotics, my lump was still there 10 days later and guess what, she told me not to worry it was nothing serious and gave me anther 10 days antibiotics!!!.
As we were going on holiday I went to see her before we went and got more antibiotics to take with me!!! when we got home I went to see her again and guess what. she gave me more antibiotics, but finally referred me to the breast clinic telling me not to worry they would drain it!!
I have, as we all have, learned so much over the last nine months, I am off to Tenerife on Thursday and hope to goodness next year will be a better one but have learned to take just one day at a time!!
By the way now my treatment is over we have finally put a letter of complaint to the surgery manager and feel better for it!
Take care,
Janx
This time last year I was in Viet Nam, having travelled through Thailand and Cambodia. Life was good, celebrated my son’s second Birthday in December, and cancer was something that happened to other people. July this year I found a lump while I was on a family vacation, and whammy, two weeks later it’s a mastectomy and sorry love, your prognosis is poor. Life, however, goes on, currently having chemo and looking forward to rads and Herceptin.