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4/12/13 8:23 A

Thank you for the update Lisa. I'm not sure what all of those numbers mean except for the stage 2 part. Please keep us up to date.

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4/11/13 11:03 P

OK official diagnosis is stage 2 grade 3 triple negative. I have more tests to do. I will have surgery just need to figure out what to decide. I have to have chemotherapy for at least 4-6 months. May needs radiation depends on how the sea tests go and what my decision is with surgery. Many more appointments and doctors visits to go. But that's the scoop on me right now

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4/11/13 10:17 P

I too was diagnosed in January of this year with stage 1 breast cancer.. It was found on my routine mammogram. It was only the size of grains of salt. something I would not have found on self exam. my oncologist told me had i postponed the mammogram by as little as 3-4 months I would be looking at a much different diagnoses. I have had 3 surgeries and am only having to do radiation.. I have a total of 30 treatments and am down to the last 6 treatments with very minimal side effects. I just started getting pink at the end of last week. It mainly itches. the cream they gave me helps. I do not have to take meds after radiation just lots of mammograms over the next 5 years.

I have for the most part maintained my exercise regime. I have had to work back into running and am still planning on running a 1/2 marathon at the end of September. Until the dr said I could start running again I walked everyday. I have maintained my weight which is what my goal was. I had already lost my weight through weight watchers and had just become a lifetime member when this nightmare started. To maintain my lifetime membership and not have to pay I have to be within 2 pounds of my goal which I have done.



Edited by: SWINKIE57 at: 4/11/2013 (22:21)

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4/9/13 8:02 A

Lisa-Sorry you have to go thru this. The waiting is what's hard. I waited extra time but I was confident that it wasn't cancer. My Dr. didn't think it was either. My slides were sent to Mayo for a 2nd opinion and they kept requesting more slides. Finally the Dr. called and told me it was Cancer. Didn't see that one coming. Mine was a stage 1 so I was very fortunate. What helped me thru the waiting was walking. I would take long walks. I'd start out crying and halfway thru my walk, I'd start feeling better. I hope you find out the results real soon. Please keep us posted.

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4/8/13 2:35 P

I know it is freaky, but just calm down while you wait to see what the pathology actually shows. No reason to freak out yet. Even if it shows cancer, they may be able to get it all out when they do surgery. Take a deep breath and do what you need to to hold it together. I am sorry that you have to go through this. Have you had surgery to remove it? They will look at the lymphnodes. After seeing the surgeon, if it is cancer, you will probably see and oncologist to see what the course of treatment should be. Different factors will determine if you need chemo or possibly just radiation. They do not do mastectomies as often anymore. They try to save the breast and lumpectomies with radiation are seen to be just as effect to not have recurrence of breast cancer.



Faith

Edited by: LIVINMYDREAMS at: 4/8/2013 (14:39)

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4/7/13 12:03 P

Hi my name is Lisa... I just found a lump in my left breast it is at least 4cm with positive margins (like last week) have had the core biopsy done and the breast surgeon I saw pretty much told me it was cancer. Then she saw that my lymph nodes look abnormal too. I am still waiting for an actual diagnosis. But I am not going to lie I am freaking out! I am only 28.. and sitting here waiting for this call is driving me crazy. I am trying to find out as much information as I can. It is driving my boyfriend crazy though. But I want to be informed I want to know what I should expect. Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated.

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4/6/13 12:02 P

Thanks I am sure I will get good input.

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4/6/13 2:01 A

Hi Faith!

I didn't have to do radiation, but I started with Tamoxifen and had no weight gain, but have since switched to Arimadex and have found that to be diff. I'm sure others here can give you great advice about the radiation treatments. Good Luck!

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4/5/13 5:53 P

Hi, my name is Faith. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in January of this year I had 3 surgeries within in 2 weeks time. I believe there is no more cancer in me. I am doing radiation treatments now and I guess I came here to see how others are doing with it all and what side effects if any etc.
I did not need chemo, which I am very happy about and need only 20 treatments. I only have 7 more. Then I will be taking a pill a day for 5 years. I big question I have is if any of you who are having radiation only are having trouble progressing with your weight loss? That is one thing that is bothering me the most as I have had significant weight loss in the last 18 months but now seem stuck.

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3/23/13 10:08 A

Thank you Beckyanne1! I was getting a little anxious, but I think I'm up to it. We'll see on Tuesday. I know what you mean about looking in the mirror. My breasts seem to have moved to the sides. I do want to see how they look when filled out even a little. I hope this is all worth it. Time will tell.

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3/23/13 9:05 A

I just went thru this. I had someone with me the first couple of times, but didn't really need them. You may feel a pin prick when they stick the needle in, but that's about it. The filling is painless. You may have a bit of pain afterwards from your skin stretching, but that also goes away after a bit. I had more pain after the expanders were put in than when they were filling them up. You may have some pain from your skin and I think muscle stretching after every filling, but it goes away after a bit. My Dr. offered me pain meds but I still had leftovers from my surgery. To me it was just awkward going and having them filled. My Dr. would say they are starting to look like breasts and I would say to myself, are you kidding? They don't look anything like breasts. Under a shirt yes, but looking in the mirror no. I have scars and I haven't had nipples added yet and I'm not sure if I really care. I just wanted something to fill my clothes out and to look more normal.

Good luck and you'll do just fine.

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3/23/13 1:49 A

Stay strong. You beautiful ladies are my inspiration.

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3/19/13 6:25 A

Next week my doctor will begin to fill the inserts that he placed after my bilateral mastectomy. I am increasingly anxious about this and will call his office today with some questions, but thought I would ask you all some of them as well since I am having strange dreams and can't sleep which has been happening for the past three nights. I know that pain is subjective and different for all of us, but can anyone describe the pain sensation when filling begins? Do you think I can drive myself to and from this appointment? If I take Tylenol before the appointment will it be enough? It's kind of just for moral support anyway. It's kind of my "fear of the unknown" which cancer brings to all of us that has me worried. After this first filling appointment I will know what to expect and can prepare my mind for having these procedures done. Can someone share their story with me or help me prepare a little bit, ahead of time? Thanks for listening as I get this off of what is left of my chest!

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3/11/13 10:46 A

Welcome to the team!

Glad to hear things are going well for you. That diagnosis is very scary, but afterwards I found myself a much stronger and determined person.

Good Luck on your journey!

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3/10/13 11:21 P

to a great team. I am glad that you are doing better.
I wish you the very best health!

I also want to get a few pounds off this spring. I bought a Nutri-
Bullet and have started making lots of green smoothies. I am
not sure if I will lose weight, but I know it is healthy for me. They
make a terrific meal.

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3/9/13 11:28 A

I wish you the best!

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3/9/13 11:25 A

Hi, I'm Taunnya. I'm 43, married and the mother of 3 children who are 6, 9, and 16. I felt a lump in my left breast in the spring of 2012, immediately feared cancer, but put off doing anything about it. A classic burying my head in the sand approach. We had another traumatic event happen in our family at that time, and I was dealing with that, so it was easy for me to put it on the back burner. I finally went to see my OBGYN in July. He felt the lump, but wasn't concerned. However, he sent me for my first ever mammogram. The mammogram showed not one, but two masses in my left breast. I then had another mammogram, a couple ultrasounds, and core biopsies. Though I had originally suspected cancer, I guess I had convinced myself that they were just cysts. I was shocked when the radiologist said she was very concerned and suspected cancer. My OBGYN called me on my oldest son's 16th birthday to confirm my worst fears.
I went to see a surgeon who went over the results of the biopsies and explained to me that I had 2 tumors, about 3 cm each, and at least 4 smaller nodules, all located near each other. One of the tumors was pressing against my chest wall. He strongly suggested a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy. My tests came back ER+/PR+, Her2-neu -. The cancer was a mucinous kind, which is more rare, and typically has a decent prognosis. Because of the size of the tumors and the broad areas affected, the clinical staging was IIIB.
I had a mastectomy and had lymph nodes removed, 5 of which were positive for cancer cells, though a couple had just microscopic amounts. I recovered well from the surgeries ( I had only had sentinel nodes removed first, then went back to have more removed when the sentinel nodes showed micro-metastases). I had a PET and CAT after the mastectomy that showed no other suspicious areas, so that was encouraging.
My oncologist recommended 4 cycles of AC, which I've finished. I just completed my 4th out of 12 weekly cycles of Taxol. Then, I will move on to radiation. I've done very well with the treatments, with mild symptoms and no problems keeping food down. I haven't been nauseous at all. I did lose 9 pounds over a couple of weeks, but that was because I had a bad cold, and it affected my appetite for a while. Once I felt better, I gained back 7 over the course of a few weeks.
I pretty much put any thought of dieting on hold once I was diagnosed and started treatment. In a way, I think I gave myself license to just eat whatever I wanted. I know I hear the doctors and nurses at my treatment center recommend that to patients, but I think that is more for those who have trouble keeping their calorie intake UP. I don't have that problem
I've been a member of SP for awhile, though I'm sporadic at using the website. I'd really like to rein in my eating... the steroids make me hungrier, but I know I need to choose healthier foods. That's why I'm back, hoping to get some insight from others who are or have been there.

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2/1/13 10:41 A

Lauren, wishing you continued health!

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1/13/13 4:28 P

Hello :o). My name is Lauren, I am 27, and I am proud to say that I am a breast cancer survivor of almost 1 year! Last year, I decided to do a self-exam which I had never really done before. I found a lump in my left breast and decided to have it checked out. Glad I did because after having a biopsy...turns out it was cancer. I felt like my world stopped when I received the phone call the confirmed my worst fears. I was 26 and busy planning my son's 1st birthday. BUT...I caught it early. I had a lumpectomy on February 21, 2012. My lymph nodes and margins were clear. I was stage 1 with triple negative. Because of my age and the aggressive nature of my cancer, my doctors decided to hit me with the heavy artillery. I received chemotherapy and radiation. It was not fun but I was determined to stay positive and be open about what I was going through. My journey has made me stronger and I love my new outlook on life.

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1/7/13 9:00 A

Welcome to the team!

Rhonda-I had stage 1 BC in my left breast. I decided to have a double mastectomy because I had calcifications in the right breast that they biopsied years ago. Turned out, they found a 1cm BC in the right breast also. Because of my mastectomies, I didn't need radiation or chemo either and I'm on Tamoxifen right now and will be possibly switching over to Arimidex in a couple of weeks. I will be on that for at least 5 yrs. I consider myself extremely lucky that I have the Dr. that I have.

Posts: 48
1/4/13 3:58 P

hello, I am also a 12 year survivor (February). I just got back on sparkpeople after 3 years not following any plan. Found out back then I had RA also and had to make adjustments for that in my mind. Back today for the first day.

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1/4/13 2:43 P

Thanks Celeste! I think I did too. Jeannie wishing you all the best!

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1/4/13 12:52 P

Rhonda - considering your family history, I say you made a good decision.

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1/4/13 12:51 P

Jeannie - wishing you all the best!!

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1/4/13 12:49 P

I posted this on a different topic yesterday. Maybe this is where I should have come?

Good morning. I can't find a topic for 'new members' and this one had the most recent activity, so I'll start here

As you see in my signature area, I am a 12+ year BC survivor. Had lumpectomy (left breast), 18 lymph nodes removed, 4 months of chemo, 35 radiation treatments, 5 years tamoxifen, 2 1/2 years femara. No problems with the Tamox -- but the Femara was a killer!!! Joints hurt sooooooooooo bad. I finally told the doc "no more!!!" And since things were going so well, they had no objections. Took about a month, but after getting off the Femara, I was actually able to squat down again I really feel for those going through that now - but we do what we have to do to survive!!!!!

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1/4/13 9:27 A

I am not sure if this is where I am supposed to introduce myself, but thought I'd give it a try. My name is Jeannie. I am 66 years young and live in SE Florida. Right around the time to have my yearly mammogram in October I felt a lump in my right breast. Sure enough it was suspicious and I had a needle biopsy done in November. That was followed up with a lumpectomy and lymph node dissection on 12/10. Thank God the lymph node came back negative. I am seeing my surgeon today for a follow and will find out the definite course of action, but they have been saying 6 weeks of radiation with 5 years of meds. I'm glad I found this team. I know it will be very supportive and informative. Thanks !

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11/8/12 7:44 P

My story starts with a very conscientious doctor. 4 and 1/2 yrs ago I went in for my yearly mammogram. My doctor saw some spot on the mammo that he didn't like so he sent me back for another mammogram of higher resolution. He still didn't like what he saw so he sent me to have a needle biopsy (this was not fun). The test came back positive, however I was lucky and it hadn't even started to form a lump. I then went to the oncologist. I had DCIS stage 0. I then met with the surgeon who gave me several options. However since I have a strong family history of not only breast cancer on both my mom and dad's sides of the family but other cancers as well I knew what my decision was going to be. This is where my story has a neat (if you can call it that) sort of twist. On April 7, 2008 I had a double mastectomy, 13 yrs to the day and by the same surgeon that my mother had her single mastectomy with. She has not had any reoccurrance of her breast cancer. I took that as a good omen. Since my cancer was caught so early and I chose to have both breasts removed, I did not have to go through any chemo or radiation. I know some may think my decision was a drastic measure, but I do not regret it. I have been very lucky to have both a very supportive husband and family.

Edited by: RHONDAJB80 at: 11/8/2012 (19:46)

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10/1/12 3:39 P

Can I ask a question? I am a 2 1/2 yr stage 2A triple negative breast cancer survivor. I was stage 2A because of the size. There was no node involvement and no attachment of any kind. But because the tumor was 3.5 cm it was stage 2. My oncologist told me anything between 2-5 cm is stage 2 automatically. And all the research I have done verifies that. Here is my question. On 5/22/12 Druidprincess said she was a stage 1 and that she had 2 tumors. One was a size 4 cm and the other was a 5 cm. How can that be? Isnt that automatically a stage 2? Very confused! Thank you in advance for any feedback.

Posts: 399
9/28/12 1:49 P

Thinking of all of you are new to this b.c. stuff.. 7 years ago this week I had the surgery that helped begin the healing of the "invasion" of cancer. I am thankful for this website so I can see how others are dealing with or have dealt with their own stories.
Who knew that just a casual exam Aug of 2005 would find me hear feeling grateful for the journey and other interesting things I have learned since that time.
I hope each of you find a moment of peace in your day today as you reflect on your inner strength.
GRADE 3 /15 POSITIVE NODES. LEFT SIDE . LUMPECTOMY/ CHEMO/ RADIATION/ AND NOW homonal therapy to keep me well.
later and much love and hope to all .

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9/2/12 10:08 P

Nancy, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I am so glad
that all things seem to have worked out well for you. I know none of it
was easy at the time, but I believe women who have BC, have so
much strength and we do what we must do for ourselves.

You are a brave woman, and we are happy that you have joined us.
You will find many good friends on our team. Continue to enjoy the
happier days ahead.

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9/2/12 7:50 P

Good evening,

I am so glad I found you all! I am a breast cancer survivor and here is my story...

In January of 2009, I decided being obese was no longer an option and joined WW and a gym. Eleven months later, I had lost 50 pounds and dropped from a 22/24 to a 16W! I was feeling great and going strong.

Right before Thanksgiving, I went for my annual mammogram. A week later, they called me back and determined there was something (a small calcification of about 3mm) in my left breast...I could wait 6 months and return or get it biopsied right away. I chose the biopsy...December 22 was the day of my diagnosis...DCIS...some might say...What a Christmas present! but I consider it a blessing. You can't fix what you don't know is broken!

I met with a doctor at Dana Farber in January, had a lumpectomy in February. It was to be followed by radiation, but the edges did not come back clean. Another needle biopsy was done and determined the area was too large for another lumpectomy - a mastectomy was in my future.

Oddly enough, when I asked about my right breast, he didn't think it needed to be looked at. This just did not feel right to me, so I went for a second opinion at Mass General. The doctor I met there did not hesitate to send me for an MRI within the week and guess what, there was a mass lurking behind my right nipple the mammogram did not detect! I chose not to have another biopsy. ALWAYS trust your gut, ladies!

On June 21, 2010, I had a bi-lateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. The entire surgery was 14 hours! After my surgical oncologist removed my breasts and tested the lymph nodes (thank God they were clean!), my reconstructive surgeon moved my belly tissue and some ab muscle to my breasts by disconnecting and reconnecting the blood vessels (DIEP flap and a Tram flap). Sort of a boob job and tummy tuck in one! ;) It turned out it was cancer in the right breast as well, so it was a great decision to do both at the same time. And because I had been working out, but was still heavy, there was plenty of tissue/fat to move and I was healthy and strong enough to bounce back after that surgery with no complications. Since my lymph nodes were clean, I did not need chemo or radiation.

This was a wake up call for me in many ways. I had been moving through life, not really living, just surviving. I was unhappy in my marriage for a long time, and breast cancer actually gave me the courage to tell him our marriage was over (had been for many years). After my lumpectomy, I told him he had to leave by the end of March. My youngest got confirmed in April, my oldest graduated high school in late May and then I was ready for my surgery.

Eight weeks later I returned to work. I have seen first hand the power of faith and prayer. Family, friends and coworkers all stepped up to help is ways large and small. Life is beautiful!

Now it is time to get back on the weight loss and exercise track again. It has been over 2 years since I have been cancer-free, the last remnant of my divorce was completed at the end of July (we sold the house and split the stuff and proceeds), and now it is time for me to refocus on a long, healthy and happy life. Someday, when my boys have a family of their own, I want to be around to experience that with them.

Thanks for reading and letting me pour it all out...closing with a prayer for all of you..

May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you ride the waves of your life.
May you find Peace, where ever your life takes you. --Aruni Nan Futuronsky

I, too, am looking forward to our journey together!
Nancy

Posts: 33
9/2/12 1:07 P

Good morning my fellow warriors,

I want to introduce myself and say that I am so happy that there is a cancer group available to share and encourage.

I have used Sparkpeople before and have had some success but this time is different. After being diagnosed with DCIS, high grade with necrosis last March, Something that started as a lumpectomy with a lymph node removed ended up as a mastectomy because after two surgeries they could not get a clear margin.

Looking back I feel so blessed to have had a mastectomy because when the pathology came back it showed more DCIS without markers (dead cells) in other areas and a lumpectomy would not have included them. The only concern I still have is for my other breast and in that I can be more proactive in incorporating what I have learned from various books on the Nutrition for preventing cancer in my current diet along with more exercise and hydration.

I recently found a great plastic surgeon who has been voted the Best in Seattle. I had done research on the different procedures, none being too easy, and had gone to support groups to ask questions and talk to others who have made different choices and their outcomes. When I went to see the surgeon I had made a decision on doing the TRAM where they take skin and fat from the abdomen and make the breast. My reasons were two fold, one is because If I got an implant instead, it would mean that in about 15 years I would have to have it replaced which meant more surgery, and second, I liked the idea that my breast would be all me and that I would get a tummy tuck which would take care of the extra skin along with the fat I have as a side benefit to the reconstruction of my breast. The doctor said something that I had not thought of and that was at my weight right now, if they took the skin and fat from my tummy and I continued to loosed weight, the abdomen fat would shrink down faster than my other breast that is breast tissue. So my choice was I could wait until I lost the weight or I could give it my best effort and loose as much as I can while I have an expander placed, along with the reduction of my other breast, and then when it is the desired size I will have the option of either an implant or the TRAM. I liked this idea so the surgery is scheduled for November 14 which is the soonest I could get in and at that point at least I can get all of this started.

This comes to why I am back at Sparkpeople. I know that if I check in every day and take advantage of the tools and the information and the support from others who are trying to accomplish the same thing, that I would get the best possible outcome.

I am so blessed to have my faith, to have the support of a wonderful husband , grown children, and wonderful friends who have been there for me this year during this challenge. I feel stronger than ever and feel confident to handle anything life throws me and hope to be of some value to others who need encouragement.

So here I am ready to give it my best to loose the weight and be as healthy as possible for this reconstruction planned and I am excited to be having surgery that is a choice rather than a necessity.

Thank you for sharing your stories and I am looking forward to sharing our journeys together.

Edited by: DAWNCHARRISE at: 9/3/2012 (03:26)

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7/17/12 8:20 P

Nancy, I wish you weren't qualified to join this team but since you do, then WELCOME! You will find a lot of support and understanding here.

Best Wishes

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7/17/12 7:08 A

Welcome Back to SP!

Sorry to hear about your BC and other issues you have going on. Good Luck!

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7/16/12 11:01 P

Nancy, so sorry to hear all about your BC and other problems. Best Wishes
in losing your 40 pounds.

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7/16/12 12:47 P

Hi All,

I joined SP 7 years ago. At that time I was sick and obese from a thyroid disease that had gone undiagnosed for quite some time. I finally got that under control and lost over 100 lbs. I maintained a healthy weight for about 4 years and then was diagnosed with cancer. Between forced inactivity, medications, and quitting smoking, I am back to needing to lose about 40 lbs.

So far I've been through chemo, multiple surgeries, and radiation for inflammatory breast cancer. I am still on herceptin infusions and just started long term use of an aromatase inhibitor. Some where along the way I also developed a bum knee (osteo arthritis) that had really put a major crimp in exercise and functional activity, but I got a cortizone injection lasst week and am tentatively testing out how much I can get away with before it starts screaming at me again.

So here I am again, surviving but not yet thriving, but ready to get on with it.

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6/12/12 8:52 P

back to SP! I am sorry to hear that you have been through
so much since you left. BC Is really tough in so many ways. But what a
blessing that most of the members here, are BC survivors!

Like you, I had gotten my notice to get a mammogram, but I kept putting
it off. After a few weeks, I decided I'd better go and get it over with. I too,
had BC in one breast in 2010. I chose to have bilateral mastectomies.

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6/12/12 12:47 P

Welcome back to Spark, Donna. I am sorry you have been through so much but maybe now you are on your way to a new healthier lifestyle. You will find many teammates here who understand and they can be very supportive.

Good luck.

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6/11/12 11:27 P

I have just joined Sp....for the second time and much has happened in that time. May 18th of last year I had surgery for breast cancer. I can rember when I went for my regualarl mamogram....I was actually not going to go as they had always been negative. Anyway, I got a letter a couple of weeks later requesting that I come in for a diagnostic mamogram. Once that was done it was immediately read and I was told that I would need a follow up Ultra sound. Now I was scared. The day came for the Ultra Sound and there it was....in plain sight. I was an ICU RN and it didn't take rocket science to know what I was seeing. There was no surprise when my doctor immediately referred me to a surgeon who ordered the biopsy.

That was done quickly in less than a week....it turned out to be positive. My hubby and I decided that if possible we would have a lumpecomy done. Luckily, It was less than .5 cm and stage one. The lumpectomy was preformed. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy to the blue dye used to show which lymp nodes were affected. There was only two! Again good news. I was on IV therapy for the next two weeks to conteract the infection caused by the dye.

The surgery was followed by six weeks of radiation. I found that very had to deal with towards the end as I was blistered and uncomfortable. The hot sweats that followed were no fun either. I have just completed my first year. I have four years of tomoxifen left. I hate the drug and the hot sweats but that is minor compared to what alot of women have to put up with.

Luckily I have a wonderful husband who stood stead fast beside me and a supportive family I am so blessed. I forgot to mention that I am 63 years old.

Donna

Edited by: NORTHERNHOPE at: 6/11/2012 (23:30)

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6/11/12 11:09 P

To Druid Princess

I just read your post and couldn't help but be moved. I wish I was there to sit and talk the hours away with you or atleast give you a hug. I can't make what you have gone through any better but atleast you will know that you are not alone.

Donna

Edited by: NORTHERNHOPE at: 6/11/2012 (23:13)

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6/9/12 10:16 A

I was diagnosed with DCIS, Stage 0, right breast on June 16, 2011. I had a lumpectomy with removal 2 lymph nodes.ea on July 25th. Prognosis is good. My surgeon said it was larger than they thought, but they did get all. I developed an infection at the surgery site, so it took longer to heal than normal. I went thru 6 weeks of radiation treatment. Last day of radiation was 10/31/11. I am taking evista for the next 5 years. I went for a followup mammogram in March, 2012 and they saw something suspicious on my left breast. Went thru another biopsy -THANK GOD it was benign. I still get pain in my radiated breast every now and then, but for the most part I am feeling good. Right now I am having problems keeping my blood sugar levels normal. I have type 2 diabetes,on medication, no insulin. I wonder if it has anything to do with my medication for breast cancer.

Posts: 2,178
5/22/12 7:05 P

DP, I wish I could reach out and give you a hug. But since I can't hug you in person, please accept this one --

Please don't give up on finding a loving partner who will accept you for who YOU are, I too am alone but I still have hope. My mother was born with a birthmark on her face and during her early 30s the doctors convinced her there were medical reasons for surgery followed by plastic surgery to remove the strawberry covered mark which covered the left side of her face. She had 17 operations in less than two years before she called it quits. She was left with many scars on her face and a ruined nose. I tell you this as a preliminary to telling you how much she was loved. At her 40th birthday in another town, she was surprised by 100 people showing up for a birthday party; these weren't relatives but many which she thought were casual acquaintances and many others sent gifts and cards to tell her how she had influenced them. She found a man who loved her very much in spite of her face and they married and were together until his death more than 20 years later. I know how much he loved her because after her death in December, I found the many letters he wrote to her during their marriage. They were almost like poetry. We never know when love will come to us. Even in her 70s, she had more male friends than I did at any time in my life; she just knew how to attract people of both sexes, friends who looked beyond her physical body to see her inner spirit.

On Spark, you are one of my inspirations. I always watch for your posts. I understand being brave for your sisters and children because I do the same with my family but here on Spark, I feel I can tell the truth sometimes and know that there are those who will understand, at least on this team. And this is the place you can come to be honest also. There is nothing to be humiliated about; your scars are a symbol of your courage.

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5/22/12 6:10 P

Hi everyone, I hope the new day finds everyone well!

I was diagnosed 8 years ago at age 41, stage 1, a 4cm and a 5cm in one breast, hormone receptive. As a single mum of 4, I opted for the most treatment they could hit me with, so I had a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation. At the end of my treatment they said the clearance from the ribs was .2 of a mm (ie sweet FA) and they said it would probably come back within 5 years and not be operable. (!!)

I started reconstruction of both breasts a year later, but because I had gone to the gym nearly every day through my treatment and was fairly slim, there was not enough tummy fat for two new boobs, so they decided on implants. What followed was four years of trouble, with the surgery site opening up and getting infected constantly, and repeated insertion then removal of the implants. Finally they left one implant in, and reconstructed one from my tummy.

The result is grotesque. A year ago, I said enough was enough. I was sick of having my life on hold because they wanted to have another go at making it look better.

In one way I guess I am very lucky that the first cancer is all gone, and none has come back. I have been on Tamoxifen and then Arimidex for 7 years, way over the usual time, but due to my exercise routine I have the bone density of a 25 year old! (And I am 50 next month!)

In another way I live under the shadow of the sadness, disgust and humiliation that I look like a mutant. I know you will say that people will love you no matter what your boobs look like, but I can't get past that, and have resigned myself to knowing that I will never have a loving relationship with a partner again.

I know I shouldn't waste even a moment thinking about what I have lost, but I am very sad and lonely and hate this horrible disease and what it has done to me.

When I am around my three children and my three sisters, I act super positive, to show them that (God forbid) if they were ever diagnosed with cancer, then they can still have an awesome life.

But I don't feel very awesome. I feel ugly and alone.

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4/26/12 1:30 P

The prospect is daunting but it can be done. I found that attitude and determination were key factors. It is natural to feel down at times and no one will fault you for that but just hold on to the thought that it will pass. There is daylight ahead in the tunnel. Keep us posted on how things go.

Posts: 104
4/26/12 11:54 A

Hi all. I was diagnosed with a grade 8 IDC of roughly 2 cm. in August, 2011. Fortunately, the MRI indicated that it was still stage I, and I had a lumpectomy roughly two weeks later. Fall and early winter were devoted to chemo - cytoxan and taxotere, and then radiation started at the end of December.

Where I'm at now... I finished the radiation mid-February, and am past the worst of the side effects of that. Unfortunately, I have lymphedema issues in my arm because of the number of nodes removed, and had to go through a couple of months of compression bandaging on my legs as part of physical therapy. My doctors think that the chemo must have exacerbated or triggered an underlying condition.

Physical therapy has been hard, having gotten very debilitated. My other chronic health problems, including fibromyalgia, an auto-immune disorder, and low back pain have all contributed to it being an uphill struggle.

I'm currently on tamoxifen, and not loving it, but I see it as a necessary evil.

On the plus side, I've been attending a small group for women who have finished treatment, and it's been helpful. We've covered a pretty wide range of topics so far, with a couple more weeks to go.

Mostly, I'm pretty positive and optomistic. I was fortunate to have wonderful support from friends and family, which made a huge difference during treatment. I think it's mostly the prospect of the work required to regain my independence that has me down at the moment.

Posts: 2,178
4/19/12 9:16 A

The worst is over; now it is recovery all the way!!

Posts: 12
4/19/12 12:07 A

Update: I have finished all my treatments. My oncologist had me do my survivor training, Yay! This weekend marks my Birthday and Cancerversary. I'm celebrating by doing a Komen 5k. One seroma turned into a hematoma, oh well! PS will take care of that in a year went I have the boobs in my belly lifted up to their new home.

Posts: 2,178
4/2/12 2:38 A

HelenMC, I was reading the older post and I saw your story. It similar to my daughter's. She was diagnosed at age 32 just a month after getting married. She went to the doctor for a checkup because she wanted to have a child. She had a lumpectomy followed by six weeks of daily radiation and will be 10-year survivor this summer. She was never able to have a child because as soon as she finished with the Tamoxifen and was ready to try again, she had to have a hysterectomy.

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2/14/12 2:44 P

The end of this month will be my 3 year anniversary of diagnoses of BC. I opted for a double mastectomy and had six months of chemotherapy. I feel fortunate that I felt well enough and worked full time through all the chemo!

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10/29/11 12:03 A

Welcome Fujimama to a very supportive team. We are sorry that
you have had a very difficult time. But that is what all of us go
through when we get breast cancer. Praying that God will
bless you as you continue with your treatment and healing.

104,795 SparkPoints

Posts: 2,445
10/28/11 9:21 A

Welcome Jen and Fujimama! So sorry that you both "qualify" to join this group, but it is a group filled with strong and supportive people! A lot of us have "been there, done that" so we can certainly empathize with what you're going through! Just makes your head spin sometimes, it can get very overwhelming!

Jen, as far as when you are considered a survivory, we just had a discussion on this very same topic (you might have seen that one) and my favorite theory was submitted by a member of this team:

"If you didn't drop dead when you heard the cancer diagnosis, then you're a survivor!"

I personally count from the date of my surgery, but any time in that first month works for me.....

Fujimama, you certainly have your hands full! Please post and vent, or ask, or whatever you need to do, we are all here for you!! Both of you!!

Looking forward to seeing lots of posts from you guys!

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10/27/11 8:48 P

New to this group not SP. I've loved reading prior posts, especially from those of you who have years behind the beast. I found out in the spring (My biopsy was on my 37 b-day) that I had BC. No family history of BC. I was nursing my 5 month old at the time and had a bad case of mastitis. I had two kids already and new this was a bigger problem. I'd had an ultra-sound done in Jan. because I thought things just weren't right. The Jan. radiologist didn't want to do a biopsy because I was nursing and young. The April one said "I don't see anything conclusive, but a biopsy will tell us for sure." I am so glad he listened to me. I was dx with IDC 3cm stage II/III lymph involvement with a DCIS 7-10cm. They weren't sure on the DCIS since it didn't like to show up on imagining and lactation made it even harder to see. Now to today. I've gone through 6 rounds of chemo taxotere/carboplatin/herceptin August 24th was my last t/c. I had my bi-lateral done September 22, 2011. My breast tissue is very dense and they wanted me on 6 month mammogram for my "good" side. I said no thanks just take 'em all if you take one. Got my path back. right "naughty" side had scar tissue from the DCIS yep it was there. The IDC was multi-focal (only one was seen on mammogram and digital MRI) both spots were down to less than.1cm. 14 nodes taken only 2 tested positive for cancer. Now I'm just trying to heal from seromas. Tomorrow, I get to put drains back in (yuck) But with an almost 1 year old, 4 year old, and 7 year old, take it easy doesn't exists. My left side was cancer free, but the fat had a grainy texture. A part of me wonders if the other side was going to follow. I'll be doing rads as soon as the seromas are gone. This feels so good to vent with people who understand.

I gained 35 lbs. going through this. Much of it due to steroid induced feeding frenzies. I wasn't happy about this since I had just lost the baby weight.

I have lost 10 lbs. since my post surgery even though I'm stuck on my bottom. Recording my nutrition has done two things. #1 distracted from all of the cancer related issues #2 shown me where some of my pitfalls have been.

Edited by: FUJIIMAMA at: 10/27/2011 (21:14)

Posts: 262
10/10/11 9:16 A

Hi,
I'm going to post this to another thread as well. Forgive my redundancy.

My name is Jen and I was diagnosed with DCIS--stage 0 breast cancer--on Sep. 7. The confirmed DCIS is 6mm in diameter. The other breast, which is not confirmed DCIS, has a suspicious area 7 x 2 x 8 CENTIMETERS. I'm going in for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction on Nov. 8. My prognosis is good. The cancer has been caught early and is non-invasive. They're doing a sentinel lymph node biopsy to confirm.

My prayer is to glorify God in my reaction to this experience and to encourage everyone I know to get their health screenings. My cancer was caught through a mammogram. They had been monitoring "suspicious" activity for a while and this time it changed.

At what point do I get to go from "breast cancer patient" to "breast cancer survivor"?

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9/12/11 9:15 P

Helen, to a great team. Thanks so much for sharing
your cancer story with us. We hope that you come back to post often,
so that we can get to know you better.

104,795 SparkPoints

Posts: 399
9/3/11 3:21 P

Welcome to the group.. Even though you may feel a little like your story is somewhat different than ours. We are sisters. Sisters with hearts of hope for each other as well as hope & health for the future of our daughters and our sons.
We welcome you and I hope we can help you as much as possible.
Lore


Edited by: HOPEISINTHEAIR at: 9/3/2011 (15:24)

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9/3/11 2:44 P

Hi and welcome to the team! Congrats on being finished with treatment and moving on with your life, and on you road being more active and fit, lots of us join you on that road!!

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9/2/11 12:25 P

Hi everyone!
I am new to sparkpeople.com but I just can't get enough of it. It is the balance I need to focus on nutrition, fitness, and inspiration! I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 in June of 2009, just weeks after getting married in Vegas! It was been quite the struggle for our little family, but my husband, my 7 year old son, and myself are now all happy and healthy. And we want to stay that way! I finished treatment over a year ago, but finally feel I am back to my full energy and am able to manage a few lingering side effects of my tamoxifen, such as peripheral neuropathy and leg cramps. I am ready to lose some weight and start being more active.

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8/23/11 9:22 A

Wow, let's see if I can address all these, lol!! I worked in the field for over 20 years before I was diagnosed, but with seeing how many women were coming in for breast cancer treatment, I was not all that shocked when I was diagnosed.....always figured it would happen at some point, not that I was being pessimistic, just realistic, after all, 1 in 8, right?

As far as additional radiation, it is not necessarily true that you can never have radiation again. First of all, it depends on the normal structures that are also irradiated due to being close to the area of treatment (not like chemo, where it affects your entire body, radiation is limited to the immediate area) If you had breast treatment and then, heaven forbid, you needed to have treatment to your pelvis, it would certainly be possible, because the pelvis area has never received any dose. Also, we have repeated treatment to an area because of recurrence, it just requires even more careful planning and attention to the critical structures. Usually with breast treatment, it is the lung and heart (if a left sided cancer, heart would not be a factor in treatment to the right unless your anatomy was backwards!) Some structures have a definite limit of the radiation that they can receive (ie spinal cord, but this is not an issue with breast treatment) and others it's more of a percentage of the dose and/or percentage of the organ receiving treatment (hoep this makes sense!!)

Different doctors have different opinions on radiation after lumpectomy, but when I was diagnosed, my opinion was that I wanted to hit it hard with everything we could initially, didn't want to be in a position years from now to be thinking, wow, I wish I had done that before.....but see what your doctor has to say. Some people cannot have radiation, there is a team member who cannot due to the location of a device in her chest, but when I am asked by friends, I would say to have the radiation, but a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Again, see what your doctor suggests

The only test I can think of that they do while you're on the table, is either to check lymph nodes (to see if they need to remove more than they already have, if it is suspicious for being in the lymph nodes) or to see if they have clean margins. If there are cancer cells too close to their surgical margin, they would want to remove more, to make sure thy have it all, and better to do it while you're still under anesthsia!! So yes, you are right about the clean margins. If they already have the diagnosis (from the biopsy), that part would not be an issue. The part that they send out to the lab would be to see whether you would benefit from chemo, depending on the resulfts of the oncotype test. (hormone receptors and her2 hopefully were determined at the biopsy also)

Hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else that I can offer some information on!!

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8/22/11 9:52 P

Suzanne~
Thanks for the info. Did you work in Radiation Oncology before your dx, or is it a result of it? I have read that if you have radiation, you cannot have it again if let's say the cancer returns. Is that just where you had the radiation before, or is it in the one breast, the chest or anywhere on your body?
And what would qualify someone to safely not need radiation? The breast surgeon told me that treatment usually involves both a lumpectomy and radiation, but there is always a chance. Other than my refusal, are there certain parameters in which they would support no radiation at the present time.
And when they do the lumpectomy, I know they need to have some pathology results from the lab, but don't they also do some kind of a test while the surgeon has me on the table? To see what kind of cancer it is? Or, if because the biopsy has already determined the malignancy of the cells, is it just a matter of getting all of what they suspect, plus some clean margins surrounding it?
Or do I have too many questions (probably) many of which I have written down for both the surgeon and the radonc.,

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8/22/11 9:28 A

Hey Maureen, welcome! I am an "almost" 4 year survivor, and sorry that you qualify to join this team, but you will find that it is an amazing group of strong, supportive women, and I'm sure you'll feel right at home.

I work in a Radiation Oncology Center, (Medical Dosimetrist, I do the treatment planning for patients receiving radiation) and went through 7 1/2 weeks of radiation, training for my first degree black belt in karate during it......so although exercise is not out, always good to check with the Rad Onc, and also, take it one day at a time and see how you feel. For me, chemo was by far the worst of the two, especially in side effects (I was training for a black belt in weapons and was very discouraged by how easily tired and out of breath I got.....but managed to get through it. Radiation didn't tire me out as easily, it seems that if you are already busy, ie working and have a regular daily schedule, it's just another appointment in your day......actually I found that after my treatments were completed, that I missed my 10 minute "rest" on the table!! But you'll have to see how it affects you.

Any specific questions about radiation, please feel free to ask, and I'll tell you what I can, many, many others have been through it as well and have personnal opinions and experiences to draw from as well......

Hope to see you post often!!

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8/21/11 7:50 A

My intro:
Hi! My name is Maureen and a couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with DCIS. I read some of the threads and was overwhelmed by some of the obstacles many of the women on this team have had to overcome and felt that I was "fortunate" with my diagnosis and not at the same level that many of you were. Can you believe I was feeling guilty for my diagnosis not being that bad? Anyway, I have since become more desensitized to the diagnosis, have become more informed and have become more empowered as I am becoming more educated about it.
My treatment is at the UVA Breast Care Center, a place which benefits from The Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler annually~ a race I have run for the last 6 years. This year we registered on 6/25/11 and it was on 07/29/11 that I received my diagnosis.
I have seen the breast surgeon once and will follow up with him after I see the radonc at the end of the month.
Presently I have a lumpectomy scheduled for September 15th. ( He wanted to schedule it on 09/01, but the race is on 09/03, so I asked for an alternative.) There is a high likelihood I will follow up with radiation therapy, about 4-6 weeks post surgery and of course depending upon the pathology. I am estrogen positive, so I guess there is also the chance of meds following, probably for the rest of my life.
I have a very loving and supportive husband. I have three teenage children, one of whom just went off to college last Saturday. I work part time, although it seems closer to full time despite the fact I have Fridays off.
Of course there are flurries of emotions which make there way in and out of my head many times a day. Right now I am upset with the lack of control I may have during the radiation treatment in terms of my current exercise.
I generally exercise 6-7 days a week and running is one of my "therapies". With radiation, from what I have read thus far, I may not be wearing tight fitting clothes, which means no running bra, which means no running.
I realize more of my questions will be answered when I see the radonc, and some of my concerns will be addressed so I am not in that ????? phase as much.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Some of you may be thinking I have only a glimpse of what I will be experiencing over the next couple of weeks and months. So, if there is one thing you wish you would have known before it all began, but after Dx, maybe you could let me know.

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6/8/11 6:24 P

Call that doctor's office - they owe you an explanation! We as patients have to be stay on top of what is happening in our own body.

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6/8/11 5:58 P

I had my 4th round of chemo this past Friday!!
Before I was done my doctors nurse calls me and tells me that my calcium level is high and my pth blood work is low. It's my parathyroid. The normal calcium is 8-10.6 mine is 11.4 and the normal pth is 15-65 and mine is 12. I need some help, has this happened to anybody else??
I don't have an appt with the specialist until June 30th, I don't want to wait that long!

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10/17/10 5:06 P

My therapist measured me on Fri and I am down quite a lot. Her plan is for therapy everyday again this week followed by wrapping my arm. The I should be ok with a sleeve & glove. I was lucky to get into therapy so quickly but I knew from before what I needed to do. It will be great to get my left hand back as it is awkward to type one handed.

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10/17/10 10:24 A

It truly is a challenge facing lymphadema, I hope the treatments can get the swelling down and keep it there.

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10/9/10 9:59 A

I have learned that after breast cancer nothing stays the same. I've been going along fine but the past few days thought my left arm was getting bigger then Thurs morning I woke up with a swollen left arm - I can't wear my watch and it has been loose. Lymphedema has struck again (2 1/2 yrs ago the first time). The therapist who helped me before will squeeze me in early Mon morning to check me out and get me started back on a program again. I will be back to wrapping my arm with a compression dressing and then using my sleeve and glove - at least we are going away from 100' days. I was told after surgery that i would be at risk to developing lymphedema for the rest of my life.

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4/10/10 8:38 A

Welcome back Homebody! (although you've been here longer than I, so that sounds a little odd....) Congrats at being 2 years out and done with your reconstruction. I agree, it is hard to stay active after those surgeries, and by keeping "honest" on SP, hopefully you can find a happy medium and get rid of those extra pounds. I'm still working on getting rid of mine, reached my "goal weight" just about the time that I was diagnosed, but slowly it has crept back on me! Hopefully we can all encourage each other!!

Suzanne

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4/9/10 11:25 P

I am a team member but have not been active in a while. I wanted to welcome Kate. I have been on Sparkpeople for more than 5 years and it works when you are faithful to it. I have lost weight when I am active on SP and started to gain it back when I get lax with keeping up with what I eat.
I have just started over again this past week, and hope to lose about 30 pounds. I found out 2 years ago Mother's Day weekend that I had breast cancer in my left breast and had a mastectomy 2 years ago in July, then had my final reconstructive surgery a year ago in June.
It's hard on your body and hard to stay active with just the surgeries. I was blessed not to have had chemo or radiation, but the surgeries seemed to take an awful lot out of me. I have arthritis that has become almost excruciating.
I also have fairly young children - 11 and 6, and work full-time, so I know how hard it is to take care of yourself and your family while you try to recover.
Welcome, Kate. Maybe we can help each other, and hello to all of you that I don't know yet.

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3/30/10 3:57 P

Thanks for sharing your story. It is so wonderful to meet you, and I wish you all the best here at Spark People and as Breast cancer survivor. May good health be yours from now on. God Bless.

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3/30/10 12:21 A

Suzanne is correct --there is somehting heree for everyone and you will surely find it. Can't wait to check out your blog at the other web site.

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3/27/10 5:07 P

Welcome to the team, Kate! You have certainly come to the right place for encouragement and support, we have a fantastic team that is just full of it!! (ha, ha, I couldn't resist that one....) And this website is an excellent place to start, just search around and find all the tools that are available to help you reach your goal, and be sure to post frequently so we can get to know you and cheer you on!!

Suzanne

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3/27/10 12:58 P

Here's my introduction.

My name is Kate and I am a breast cancer survivor.

Almost exactly four years ago I found a lump in my left breast. I attributed it to my pending menstrual cycle and left it alone. Well the period came and went and the lump was still there. I called my gyn and the process began. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and within 10 days of seeing my ob/gyn I was started on chemo therapy.

I was 38 years old, a wife, full time employee and the mother of two children age 5 and 17 months.

I had 12 rounds of chemotherapy, bilateral mastectomy, oophorectomy, and 38 rounds of radiation. I was stage III. I am on Femara which has caused its own share of side effects.

The year after I finished treatment was incredibly difficult with the development of bilateral plantar fasciitis as well as tendonitis in both wrists. Any movement at all was painful and walking for more than a few feet at a time was excruciating.

I always said that when I was finished with cancer I was going to be a size 8 and have perky boobs. I have neither of those things.

One year ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I requested that my vitamin D levels be checked. Vitamin D is fine but blood sugar, not so much.

I have considered surgery for my weight as well as reconstruction but at this time I can't imagine putting my family through any more images of me as a patient or in pain.

I joined Spark people about a week and a half ago and am hoping that is helps keep me motivated. I should lose about 100 pounds (to fit the weight chart numbers) but my goal at this around 60. Since I've never been successful at both losing weight AND keeping it off that seems like enough of a challenge. Now that I am both post menopausal and diabetic the challenge is even greater.

I'm a blogger as well and you can read my work at After Cancer, Now What?

So now the kids are 9 and 5. I've just celebrated my third year post treatment of clean scans.

www.aftercancernowwhat.com

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3/1/10 10:24 P

Yes, sure am! I had been doing weight watchers (unofficially, just using their rules) when I was diagnosed, and reached my goal weight while on chemo. But then once food tasted good again.....I started to put the weight back on. And I used to train in karate several times a week, but due to arthritis issues, it was hurting more than helping, and the break from that vigorous exercise certainly didn't help! So now I am working out at the Y while my daughters have volleyball practice, and starting to feel like I'm making some progress. Long, long slow road, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Talk to you soon!
Suzanne

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3/1/10 11:35 A

We are sisters in Christ and on the road to healing, take care and lets talk again about how we are doing on the health journey, are you trying to lose weight also?

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2/28/10 8:16 A

Harper, I recently started taking the low dose aspirin as well, had an appointment with my oncologist and we both agreed that with minimal negative side effects, it was worth the try! And I also have upped my Vitamin D intake, one of the doctors that I work with suggested this and my oncologist also agreed to that. So it sounds like we are on the same path! I figure that I hit it hard when I was diagnosed, and there's no reason to back off now, I plan on doing everything that I can to see if I can avoid a recurrence, and leave the rest to God!!

Suzanne

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2/27/10 11:35 A

for sharing that with us!All the to you!

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2/27/10 11:26 A

I am a 4 year BC survivor, had mastectomy on 8/2006, followed by 6 rounds of chemo. Took Tamoxifen for 3 years, stopped d/t side effects of power surges:) and the weight gain, my oncologist would never admit that the medication caused weight gain. Now I am vegetarian and doin Vegan also, my ex-husband and my cousin heard about the new study, linking aspirin use with a decrease in reoccurence, so I take one aspirin a day along with Vitamin D, I did have the vitamin D defiency, which also may have a impact on BC, would like others comments on my choices.

Edited by: HARPER52 at: 2/27/2010 (11:29)

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2/21/10 12:55 P

May God Bless all of you and for the courage in sharing your amazing stories. May good health and a lifetime of being cancer-free be yours. With all my love.

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1/28/10 1:39 P

Amy, congratulations on the clean mammo and being done with treatments! And welcome to the team!! I was diagnosed in Nov 07 and had lumpectomy, chemo, radiation and herceptin. No Tamoxifen as I was hormone negative....but had a hysterectomy and I can certainly sympathize with you on the hot flashes!!

Congrats also on quitting smoking, that's great! And now it's just losing some weight? In the grand scheme of things, no problem!!

Talk to you soon-
Suzanne

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1/28/10 11:06 A

Hello,

I was diagnosed in Jan. 08. I opted for a lumpectomy and then they had to remove all the lymphnodes under my right arm. Then had 6 chemo treatments and 7 weeks of radiation. I'm feeling pretty good now, just still a little of fatigue, hoping that will go away with the weight loss. The chemo treatment sent me into early menopause, so now the hot flashes can be horrible, and the Tamoxifen doesn't help.

I am trying to get healthy, as I have been overweight most of my adult life, and was also a smoker, until Oct 2007 (cheers for Chantix) it did wonders for me.

Just had my mammogram 2 weeks ago and they saw nothing but scar tissue. Yeah!!!

Amy

Posts: 2,445
1/10/10 8:56 A

Johannah-

All I can say is WOW!! You have been through so much and I am so impressed by the progress that you have made, one step at a time!! Thanks for encouraging the rest of us, that no matter what our situation, we can accomplish anything with baby steps. Glad to hear you're going back to church as well, for me, that was at the core of how I got through my battle (though it hasn't been as long or as complicated as yours, that's for sure!!) Besides the chemo and such, the only other thing (besides weight loss of course) that we have in common is the port infection, I went through that also, after only 2 treatments out of 52, oh well! But my veins held up just fine.

Welcome to the team and hope to hear more from you soon!

Suzanne

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1/9/10 6:20 P

Hello Everyone,

I hope y'all enjoy reading because this post is going to be long. . .

My first diagnosis of breast cancer was on December 3, 1999. My left mastectomy was on December 9, 1999. I've had 3 recurrences of the primary cancer since with the most recent one being on September 25, 2008.

I need to kind of begin at the beginning and you'll wonder, initially, why I'm wandering off-topic. Well, it only seems that way. All this (in my mind) is truly interrelated to where I find myself today.

Around the time of my first cancer diagnosis, I'd been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, as well. Up until March 2007, I pretty much ignored that, too. I ignored a lot of things regarding my health. My cholesterol was way too high and my blood pressure was too high as well. I was 210 lbs in March 07 and wore a size 22. My waistline was over 47". I felt lousy all the time. My blood sugar was completely out of control and on top of all that I had struggled with bipolar disorder for over 30 years. Oh, and did I mention that I'd been a 1.5 to 2 pack a day smoker for almost 30 years as well?

My doctor had had many serious talks with me and they all just pretty much went ignored by me. I'm still not sure what got me to begin to turn my life around but I think her statement that she didn't think I'd live another 10 years really made an impact on me. I was 52 years old when she told me that bit of news. I'm 55 now.

The first thing I did was to get on the American Diabetes Association Website and began doing research on T2 diabetes. I read books and articles every chance I got. I began to make little changes in my diet. My doctor wanted me to start walking for 30 minutes 5 days a week. I told her she was out of her mind but I'd give her 3 days, instead. I hated every exercise step I took but I stuck with my commitment to her.

I'd pretty much decided that if I was going to stick to any kind of life changing program, I'd have to be making little, tiny, baby steps. If I made a dietary change, it was a small change and I'd stick with that for a week before changing something else. My doctor and I talked about diets and stuff and I'd done enough research on my own and felt most comfortable with the old exchange style "diet." I was careful about portion control and weighed and measured everything that went into my mouth. I began to learn how to cook. I found diabetic recipe groups on yahoo and began collecting easy, tasty diabetic friendly recipes that wouldn't bust our budget and that my husband could also eat and enjoy.

Eventually, I added more days and time to my exercise schedule as I became healthier and stronger. At the end of June 2007 I joined Weight Watchers and adjusted their Flex Points system to my diabetic needs. I tested my blood sugar often and kept lists of different foods that would cause a spike in my blood sugar levels and avoided those foods. Day in and day out, I did what I had to do. I stuck with it. I hung out on the ADA message boards and read and read and read and asked a gazillion questions. Most of those on the ADA forums were kind and very helpful and I learned a lot but there were also a few cold hearted mean people who discouraged me at times, too. Still, I stuck with my program even if I didn't hang out on the boards as often as I'd have liked (at the very least, I didn't announce my presence so often anymore).

Now here it is almost 3 years later and I have not had a cigarette since March 27, 2007 at approximately 11:00 AM. At my lowest sustained weight, I came in at 120 pounds. I'm no longer on diabetic meds, or statin drugs, or high blood pressure medication. I went from a size 22 to a size 3-4. The lady who at one time couldn't stand to walk across the parking lot to check the mail was, by August 2008, running 6 miles a day, 6 days a week and competing in races. I also made Lifetime Membership at Weight Watchers.

Probably the absolute worst thing I went through while trying to return to a healthy state of being was quitting smoking. I did not want to quit smoking. Ciggs were about the only "true" friends I had on earth and I just didn't want to give them up. Yet at the same time I hated the addiction. Right before I finally did put out that last cigarette, there had been an article that came out in our local paper. It reported that the tobacco companies had increased the nicotine content of their tobacco products by a whopping 11%! What that meant to me was that my addiction was made even worse by the fact that without smoking any more cigarettes, I was getting more nicotine anyway which increased my addiction making it all that much harder to quit.

Quite frankly, I got completely p*ss*d off and did what I had to in order to quit. I went on the generic nicotine patches. I bought a one week supply of max strength patches and wore one a day for 3 days and then just left the last one on until it fell off. We didn't have a whole lot of money and seven patches ran around $20. I'm still not sure why I didn't use the rest of those patches. I mean I could easily have used the entire week's worth before going "cold turkey." There were times when I wanted a cigg so badly I'd just cry and cry and cry. Sometimes I'd start on my way to the store to buy a pack only to turn around halfway there and return home without them. I read a lot. I spent a great deal of time taking baths and reading in the tub. I slept a lot, too. I prayed. I read my scriptures. It was not easy and it certainly wasn't fun but eventually I made it through one whole day maybe 12 weeks later where I never thought once about smoking a cigarette even once. I think it was at that point that I really began to heal from my addiction to nicotine.

At the same time I was going through all that, I was making small efforts to get my bs under control. My fasting sugars were always high (the highest they ever were was in the mid 250s). Then I discovered that depending on what I had to eat the night before had a dramatic impact on my fasting bg the following morning. More and more adjustments were made to my diet as I went along.

My numbers continue to be good. My A1Cs are all in the 5 range these days and my usual fbg in the mornings is usually in the mid 70s. An couple hours after eating my sugar is rarely above 110.

The other amazing thing that happened to me was that as I got healthy my need for medications decreased. I am bipolar and suffered miserably from severe mental illness with psychotic symptoms for the vast majority of my adult life. Even those medications were subsequently decreased to the point where I take no drugs today except for Depakote and that is required because I have seizures. I did further research and found there is a significant connection between brain chemistry, diet, and daily aerobic exercise. I've not been in a mental hospital in 4 years.

My journey to health is significant in that I was sure that with all my huge improvements in health that any further nightmares with cancer were long past.

In August 2008 I finally enrolled in college for the first time in my life. I finally healthy enough, both physically and mentally, to pursue my lifelong dream of graduating from college. I enrolled full-time and declared English Creative Writing as my major and planned on a minor in Journalism.

On September 25, I found a lump on one of my left ribs. Panic-stricken, I went in to see my oncologist on the following Monday (I discovered the lump on a Friday night). Tests later, I learned the cancer had returned and spread to the lymph nodes beneath my breast bone. The cancer previous to this one had been diagnosed in April 2004. In 2004 they said I wouldn't live to see my 50th birthday in December.

Another 6 months of weekly chemo with different drugs (new and improved!) was started in early October 2008. I was sicker from chemo than I could ever remember being in past treatments.

Completely shocked that the cancer had returned even after changing my life-habits, I began to study as much as I could on dietary means to enhance my ability to once again beat death at his own game. I found one book to be of invaluable assistance called, "Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients" by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. The book showed me how to, with diet, minimize the side effects of chemo and radiation treatments, how to increase the benefits of my conventional treatment program, how to fortify through diet, my immune system, and how to maintain my strength and vitality throughout my treatment program.

I was declared in full remission as of March 2009.

I had enrolled in college, once again, for the spring 2009 semester (I'd had to drop classes in the Fall 2008 semester due to treatment) because my intense nausea was, by then, under really good control.

I also enrolled in summer classes and again this past Fall 2009. I'm an honor student with a 3.9 GPA.

I don't know what my future holds these days. I know I'm healthy currently and I consider life to be a truly wonderful prospect for me. I have spent the majority of my adult life in and out of psych hospitals for depression, mania, and/or psychosis. I've been on disability for many many years. Can you all just imagine how tickled I am now, at the age of 55, to finally have a chance to re-join and become a productive member of society contributing something of myself that is worthwhile and valuable? I tell you all: It is like being born again.

I realize that not everyone can do what I did. If I had done things differently, I may not have been able to either. For example, at 210 pounds I knew my knees would never have survived jogging let alone running at 6+ mph and sustaining that speed for 60 or more minutes at a time. I walked. I walked 3 days a week for weeks and then for months. I increased my walking speed and walking times. I walked as often as I could. And then when my weight got down to around 150 pounds I began to train my joints to handle the pounding of jogging and running by jogging for 1 minute and then walking swiftly for 5 minutes. I just kept it up and went really really slow.

I'm proud of myself and what I have done. My doctors are proud of me, too. I feel like I'm lucky. I feel like I turned my life around just in time. I hope my story inspires some of you who read this. Stick with your program no matter what.

In recent months, I'm once again finding myself spiritually and have started going to church. And I can honestly say, today, that I'm grateful for having cancer and diabetes in my life.

It took diabetes for me to discover that I could truly live life the way G-d intended life to be lived - fully alive and full of vigor. I can outrun most people half my age (unless they've been training for distance running) and I love to tell people that.

Most importantly, though, was that cancer has taught me to never take life for granted. It has taught me that I only have today in which to live and make a difference for just one other person in the world. Just today. I can't count on tomorrow anymore.

It is my daily goal to bring a smile to just one person in my daily walk. And I've found that making people smile is pretty easy. All I have to do really, is to genuinely smile at them and ask them about their day.

I apologize for the length of this post. I like to write (that's why I'm majoring in Creative Writing) and I hope I haven't worn y'all out too much by reading my novel-length post.

I had my port removed on Thursday because it was infected. I'm doing okay today. I go in for a PET scan in February to see if the cancer has showed up anywhere else. I'm just a wee bit nervous about that one. . .

I am here for all you women struggling with breast cancer. I ended up getting divorced last year and cancer was a big reason why. I'm living on my own now with 3 lovely (and lively) kitty cats named, Shadow, Millie, and Katie. I'm happy. I'm making friends at church. And I will continue with school at the end of this month.

Take care.
Johannah

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Posts: 3
1/7/10 9:05 A

Hi All,
Sorry I haven't been on for a while. Happy New Year to everyone.
Started logging on again Monday since it is the new year.
Have a good day.

Posts: 2,445
12/24/09 12:10 P

Merry Christmas to you and wishes for a healthier new year!! I was in your situation 2 years ago, lumpectomy in November, started chemo in December.....but now I am cancer free and have a new and cool hairstyle (aka Jamie Lee Curtis). Just take it one day at a time, cut yourself a lot of slack, and you can do this! I found that by napping when I needed to, and keeping active I was able to keep up some energy. (I worked full time through treatments but it was computer work, not very physically taxing!)

Lots of love to you from a fellow breast cancer survivor!!

Suzanne

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12/24/09 11:45 A

I was diagnosed two months ago with breast cancer after a biopsy. I had a lumpectomy in November, and started chemo last week. I have three more rounds to go, and then 33 days of radiation. I have energy to walk the dogs, cook, and do some stuff around the house. The steroids keep adding weight, but at least I am still intact physically, and mostly have good days! If anyone has any suggestions to get more energy, let me know!

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12/4/09 9:40 P

Hey Maya, welcome to the team!! Thanks for sharing your story, you sound like a very strong women, but aren't we all? Have to be to fight as hard as we do!!

Suzanne

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12/4/09 5:52 P

Hello Maya and welcome. Thanks for your courageous story, so nice to have you on the team!

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12/4/09 1:58 P

I'm a 8 year breast cancer survivor. I joined SP just a little over two weeks ago.

Having a routine mammogram Jan. 31, 2001 my very clever, wonderful technician informed me that she had messed up and needed to redo my left breast. She laughed about how this time she would make sure she got the best picture and made sure she had as much breast as she could and even wanted the pectoral muscle to show. I laughed with her and said no problem go for it! Little did I know that she wanted the 'best picture' so they could really really see what she saw! The next day I got 'the call' to come to my doc's, he needed to talk. He suggested that this star like (clustered pleomorphis calcifications) looking stuff in my breast ( I'm looking at the photo as I write this)may be worth checking on and sent me to another doc. Had the Stereotactic needle biopsy but it could not be completed because the site was so close to the pectoral muscle and not adequately imaged. A couple of days later a surgical breast biopsy found I- TlaNOMO infirtrating ductal adenocarcinoma with associated DCSI. Doc told me I would be a good candidate for the University of Louisville Breast Cancer Sentinal Lymph Node Registry trial and I accepted. Best decision I made. It wasn't long after I was in the trial it became common to use the Sentinal lymph node. I also went for a second opinion that concured with the first opinion. Just before the second sugery they injected me with radioactive dye to tract the nodes. A segmental mastectomy was preformed and lymph nodes removed. After a time of recovery I had 38 radiation treatments ending Jun 14 2001 (my husbands 53rd birthday) I had driven myself 90 miles round trip to get treatments alone all those 37 treatments, on this last day we went together. There was severe burning of course and bouts of edema of the left breast. I have since had some slight lymphodemia in the left arm but I am fortunate not to have on going swelling.I am fortunate for excellent care from technicians, nurses, doctors and all other staff, a supportive family and co-workers (went to work every day) who made me laugh after every treatment to get me through the ordeal. Now I have to help myself to become healthier than I am and practice a lifestyle to keep me that way!

Edited by: NEVIS2013 at: 12/4/2009 (13:59)

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11/14/09 3:46 P

Hi Kimmie, nice to meet you, welcome and all the best as a strong and beautiful survivor! You won the battle, now be healthy and enjoy life!

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11/7/09 1:19 A

Hey Kimmie!! Congrat on being a survivor!! You have made it through the hard part now it is time to move on, heal, and get healthy! We are here to help you along on your journey. We have "been there... done that" so we know what you are going through. Good luck on your journey and I am looking forward to getting to know you. I am a 10 yr survivor! My story is on my page if you want to read it.
HUGS, Kathy

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11/2/09 10:51 P

Welcome to the team Kimmie! Sounds like you're past the toughest part, and now on to the healing and recuperating! I'm sure you'll find that this is a very friendly, supportive and encouraging team, we have so much more in common than just the weight loss, we are in a much more crucial battle!

I was diagnosed in Nov. 07, chemo, radiation, lumpectomy and herceptin, also no family history, but since breast cancer effects 1 in 8 women, guess just being a woman is risk factor enough!

Hope to chat again soon!

Suzanne

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