Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Jinny. My tumour was 2.4cm not 5...with involvement in 3 nodes. Josie x ... View more

Just before Christmas '03 I was dx with a very aggressive 5cm TN tumour with spead to my nodes and with so much vascular invasion it was off the richter scale. Had a lumpectomy, 4 FEC and 4 Taxol then 6wks of rads..wasnt expected to get through chemo without it returning yet it didnt and Im still very much here. ... View more

I should mention it was a grade 3+ Which had nearly tripled in size in the three weeks between the biopsy and op. I had a lumpectomy 4xtaxol 4xEMC and six weeks rads. ... View more

I had a 2.4cm tumour which had spread to my nodes and was also full of vascular invasion.. they didn't think I'd get through chemo (taxol trial) without it returning. That was in '04 and I'm still very much here. ... View more

I'd keep away from all animal fats organic or not and definately anything with milk in it. Reading Jane Plant's 'Your Liife In Your Hands' during chemo started me off dairy free and its probably the best thing I've ever done! I was ridiculed by a few girls on here but knowing I was doing everything I could kept me going. I think being dairy free was my crutch in the early days. I've only ate organic when I've grown it myself and have never given up alchohol, I was drinking my usual pint of guinness all through chemo. My end of chemo blood tests showed my liver count very high so I had to embarrassingly tell them that chemo hadn't affected my social life down the pub! It was an allergic reaction to the taxol so I should have kept my mouth shut! Josie xx ... View more

When I was discharged from follow ups my lovely consultant gave me a big hug and said she never thought she'd see that day, and now recommends her TN patients to do as I did - a very low fat diet, keep as slim as possible and take up exercise - power walking being about the best!. When I first met her and asked her advice about keeping mets at bay I was told to just get out there and enjoy each day (might as well have said write your will) Being a life long vegetarian I gave up all dairy produce and took up power walking. I was like Fforest Gump out in all weather. Every time things got to me I'd grab my coat and off...the more worries I had the faster I walked!.. My first year after diagnosis was horrific. I was attacked by a lunatic and had my ribs broken half way through chemo, then just after my last rad my bro in law in Ireland came out of the closet and took a massive overdose, I had to rush over with the moral support. Then my beautiful little grandson was born dead at full term, I was with my daughter and held him in my arms. A few weeks later my 20yr old fit as a fiddle son had a suspected heart attack, a few wks after that my other son was nearly killed in an horific car crash and is now badly handicapped, My best friend Bruce the rottie who wouldn't leave my side throughout chemo died unexpectedly outside my bedrm door one morning...it went on and on and on.We are just ordinary folk but in the end I was afraid to pick up the phone and my consutant sent me to a stress councilor. She told me she wouldn't be able to handle my situation any better herself...and gave me her number if ever I needed a chat (I never did). I'm telling you all this for you not to worry about stress bringing cancer back because if it did I wouldn't have made two years let alone nine! Josie xx ... View more

Forgot to say mine was 2.4cm but just 1cm when I had the biopsy 3+wks befre the op! ... View more

Hi, I was diagnosed with TN just before xmas 2003. It had spread to my nodes and had so much vascular invasion it was off the Ricther scale and expected to come back during chemo. That was nine long years ago and it has never come back I had 4xFEC. 4xTAX and 6wks of rads. I let them throw what they could at me and it worked. May my luck rub off on you all. Josie xxx ... View more

It's 10yrs tomorrow to the day when I went to my GP after discovering a lump in my breast. I was dx with a grade 3 TN with spread to nodes and so much vascular invasion they didn't expect me to get through chemo without it returning. I was given a 35% chance of 5yr surivival and a 45% of 10 yrs........I think I've just done it! may my luck rub off on you all, Josie xx ... View more

I also took Arnica before my op and had very little bruising and I healed well. However my surgeon seemed to put it down to luck rather than the Arnica!! Josie x ... View more

I worked more or less throughout my 4FEC,4xTax. The FEC wasn't a problem for me apart from the night of the very first one when I could hardly make it to the bathroom. No one was more surprised than me when I woke up next morning feeling ok! However on the Tax I felt more and more tired and by the fourth one just felt like curling up under the duvet and hibernating. I took a month off and soon regained my strength. I lost my hair half way through and got by with a really good wig I bought on E-Bay for £40 - nobody noticed the difference, and no one knew except my immediate family and my partner whom I worked for as an electrican's mate. It can be done. It was my way of getting through it and it worked for me. By far the worst part of my treatment was loseing my beautiful waist length hair - but hey I'm still here, still ned after 8yrs and eternally greatful. Josie x ... View more

I've just turned eight yrs down the line and still have pain where I had the rads!...still have peripheral neuraphy in my toes as well but hardly notice it these days. ... View more

Hi butterfly, I've been using Herbatint since my hair came back and would recommend it to anyone. Not only has it kept my hair in good condition and covered all the greys, but it looks very natural.I use the light ash brown which comes out mid/dark brown. Josie x ... View more

Hi Sharon, I went dairy free after reading Jane Plants 'Your Life in your Hands' while on chemo. I know it's a controversial book(on here at least) and I had many an argument with others about my diet as in those days I was in the minority. But at least here was someone recommending a lifestyle she believed would help me survive - my own doctors just told me to go out there and enjoy my life. When they signed me off after 6yrs I had a big hug and was told I'd done all the right things and that when someone in the same situation asks now they're recommended a very low fat diet ( dairy free being ideal) to keep their weight down and to excercise - power walking being one of the best! I didn't find going dairy free difficult,in the early days it was my crutch and believing I was doing all I could kept me going. I knew if it did return I'd done my best. The only thing I've missed is cheese as being vegitarian I did eat a lot of it - the vegan variety is awful, but Swedish Glace ice cream is delicious...my grand children prefere it! Josie xx ... View more

I was diagnosed TN 8yrs ago on the 17th Nov. My tumour was 2.4cm with lymph and vascular invasion. The latter was particularly nasty and I wasn't expected to get through chemo (4xTax,4xFec) without it returning. After treatment I was told I had a 35% chance of 5yr survival. I remember thinking 35% is still an awful lot of women and I've got as much chance as any one of them of doing it. I did change my diet, I've always been vegetarian but I went dairy free as well, and I took up power walking. Everytime the bc was getting to me I'd get out there in all weathers and plod along as fast as I could.... and if I felt I'd overdone it on getting back I'd treat myself to a can of guinness. And this Christmas to celebrate 8yrs ned I'm going to treat myself to a nice piece of stilton cheese! My lifes been full of catastrophy and stress - even my doctors have said if stress brought it back I wouldn't have made 2yrs. I've never had any luck.... must have been saving it all up for this! Josie xx ... View more

....and I'll be eight years clear of my tn diagnosis just before Christmas.I found the lump on 17th nov and went straight to my gp - then had to wait a month for my mammo and biopsy and almost another month for the op! I was told they'd caught it in the nick of time due to the massive amount of vascular invasion, infact I wasn't expected to get through chemo without it returning!!... then I was told I had a 35% chance of 5yr survival. Well I'm not only surviving but still ned! A lifetime vegitarian,I went dairy free and took up walking. I don't know if thats the reason I'm still here but it sure gave me peace of mind especially in the early days to know I was doing my bit as the only advice I had at the time was to eat well and to go out there and enjoy my life. May my luck rub off on all you ladies out there. Josie x ... View more

It's obviously not as bad as it was but I still get the odd stitch like twinge after seven years! ... View more

I had spread to my nodes when diagnosed but there was more conscern about the amount of vascular invasion ( and there was a lot!!). However I am almost eight years down the line, still ned and feeling fine. The lymph nodes tend to mop up any cancer cells before they spread further afield. Josie x ... View more

Hi Raemarie, I was diagnosed with a 2.4cm tn tumour.From what I gather breastcancer spreads via the lymph nodes and/or vascular invasion. I had both and was given 4xfec,4xtax and 6wks rads after a lumpectomy. I'm nearly 8yrs clear. Triple neg tumours have a very good response to chemo else I wouldn't be here!! Josie x ... View more

Hi Livia, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive grade 3 triple neg 2.4cm tumour. It had gone to one node and was so full of vascular invasion it was off the ricther scale. I had chemo and rads and am nearly 8yrs clear - and there was nobody more surprised than me when I sailed through my chemo! Big hugs - with all the treatments we have nowadays a breastcancer diagnosis is not all doom and gloom. Josie x ... View more