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Re: Side effects from 1st chemo
You're getting good advice from the brave folks here. I heartily agree: take the anti nausea and pain drugs! This is too hard and we get too tired and weak otherwise. Tell her to eat what she when she can. I can't drink water (gut too raw?). I've "discovered" coconut water, an old reliable resource in the tropics for re-hydrating. I add a little apricot nectar (not acidic) for flavor. I am sorry you sister needs this treatment. She is lucky to have you two. Keep coming back for advice; we want to know how you guys are doing.
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First occurrence: found lump in my left breast in 2002. 1.4 cm Stage I Grade I Node neg ER+ PR+ HER2 neg (didn't even know what HER2 meant). Lumpectomy, radiation, 5 years Arimedex.
Second occurrence: Oct. 2013 I found a lump in my right breast 3 months after a clear mammo.
1.5 IDC Stage I, node neg, Grade III.
Lumpectomy in November.
First path report ER+ 10% PR- HER2 neg. two margins not clear. Sample sent for Oncotype Dx test. After much delay and confusion, it turned out there are two cell lines. The ER+ tissue has an RS score of 37. The second cell type is ER-PR- HER2 +++. This double tissue type has only been found by the Oncotype lab 3 times for the entire US since they started doing the test. I'd like to be unique some other way!
October 2013 double mastectomy without reconstruction.
Treatment plan: 6 infusions of TCH then the rest of the year Herceptin, and Arimidex forever. After all this, my chance of dying from cancer in the next 10 years is probably less than dying from something else!
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