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TiffanyS · 10-17-2016, 05:51 AM

Hi valleygirl, I am going through the same thing as you right now, so I know exactly how you feel. When I was first diagnosed, I was only stage 3, and was very positive that treatment would work, and that I would beat cancer! That changed once I was told that I had a recurrence and that it had spread to my lungs! Now, I live with constant anxiety. I worry non-stop that it has spread to my brain (I’m still waiting for a brain MRI) and that the new medication I’m taking will not work. I also wonder if I should continue to save for retirement, or just cash out now and go on a trip of a life-time, as I probably won’t be around for much longer. I love travelling and had to cancel a trip to Europe after I found out about my recurrence. I’m already planning two trips to Europe for next year, but I keep wondering if I’ll still be around to go on them. I spoke to my family doctor about this, and he advised that he will prescribe me Ativan if the anxiety doesn’t get better. Until then, I just try and stay busy in order to keep my mind off of my health situation. At least I feel good, which means I can continue to work and live life like I normally would. I don’t feel sick at all, and if I didn’t know I had cancer, I wouldn’t know there was anything wrong with me! I think the worst part about cancer is the not knowing, and I just keep reminding myself that there are people out there with stage 4 cancer who are still alive after 10 years. At least that gives me hope that I could still be alive in 10 years from now too!

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
12/15 – First mammogram
01/16 – Second mammogram and ultrasound.
01/16 – Meet surgeon and go for third mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. Surgeon confirms cancer in left breast and lymph nodes and sets surgery date.
01/16 – Chest scan and bone scan done– all looks good
02/16 – Surgery - left breast mastectomy and 16 lymph nodes removed (8 had cancer)
02/16 – CT scan done – small nodules on lung but Doctor advises it’s normal. They will continue to monitor just in case.
03/16 – Meet radiation oncologist and find out results of Pathology Report. I’m told that I have locally advanced breast cancer, based on the size of my tumour (7 cm!) and the fact that they found cancer cells in eight lymph nodes. Also told that I’m HER 2 positive, and that my cancer is stage 3, grade 2.
03/16 – Meet oncologist and told that my cancer is actually grade 3, and that I should have done chemo before surgery. Too late now!
03/16 – Start first of six doses of chemo (Carboplatin and Docetaxal) and Herceptin (for one year).
04/16 – Have port put in.
04/16 – Get second dose of chemo, but Docetaxal is left out due to liver enzymes being high. I was unable to get a full dose of Docetaxal after my first treatment.
06/16 – Finished chemo! One month off and then I start radiation.
07/16 – First radiation treatment – 24 more to go!
08/16 – Radiation oncologist biopsies “scar tissue” on my scar.
08/16 – I am told that I have a “local reoccurrence” and need to have rush surgery.
09/16 – Meet surgeon who advises that I need to meet with a plastic surgeon, as they will need to do a skin graft to close me up after surgery.
09/16 – Go for rush ultrasound, bone scan, breast MRI and CT scan.
09/16 – Meet plastic surgeon and all looks good. A surgery date is set for October.
09/16 – Meet oncologist who advises that ultrasound and bone scan look good, and that MRI shows three small masses at surgery site, but lymph nodes are clear. Still awaiting the results of the CT scan, but we are positive it will look good.
09/16 – Get a call from my oncologist, who advises that CT scan shows small spots on my lungs, and a large lymph node in the middle of my chest. This means the cancer has spread! She looks into getting me funded for TDM1 and cancels my surgery.
10/16 – Meet oncologist, who advises that I have to take Perjeta before I can take TDM1. I start Perjeta/Herceptin every three weeks for an indefinite amount of time, and Taxol, which I will take two weeks on, one off for 8-16 treatments.
10/16 – Take first CEA blood test to determine Tumour markers. Asked for PET scan, but am told I don’t qualify.
10/16 – Meet surgeon, who reviews my CT scan and advises that the spots on my lungs may not be cancerous, and that he doesn’t see a lymph node in my chest. He thinks it’s a spot on my lung. I’m feeling very confused! He advises that my oncologist doesn’t want me to have surgery to remove the three small masses on my scare line, as she wants to use them as a way to determine if the treatment is working. He advises that if they have not shrunk in 6 months, he will revisit surgery.
10/16 – Waiting for brain MRI to confirm that cancer has not spread to brain!

10-17-2016, 05:51 AM	#7
TiffanyS Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 459	Re: Stage IV and totally stressed Hi valleygirl, I am going through the same thing as you right now, so I know exactly how you feel. When I was first diagnosed, I was only stage 3, and was very positive that treatment would work, and that I would beat cancer! That changed once I was told that I had a recurrence and that it had spread to my lungs! Now, I live with constant anxiety. I worry non-stop that it has spread to my brain (I’m still waiting for a brain MRI) and that the new medication I’m taking will not work. I also wonder if I should continue to save for retirement, or just cash out now and go on a trip of a life-time, as I probably won’t be around for much longer. I love travelling and had to cancel a trip to Europe after I found out about my recurrence. I’m already planning two trips to Europe for next year, but I keep wondering if I’ll still be around to go on them. I spoke to my family doctor about this, and he advised that he will prescribe me Ativan if the anxiety doesn’t get better. Until then, I just try and stay busy in order to keep my mind off of my health situation. At least I feel good, which means I can continue to work and live life like I normally would. I don’t feel sick at all, and if I didn’t know I had cancer, I wouldn’t know there was anything wrong with me! I think the worst part about cancer is the not knowing, and I just keep reminding myself that there are people out there with stage 4 cancer who are still alive after 10 years. At least that gives me hope that I could still be alive in 10 years from now too! ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ 12/15 – First mammogram 01/16 – Second mammogram and ultrasound. 01/16 – Meet surgeon and go for third mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. Surgeon confirms cancer in left breast and lymph nodes and sets surgery date. 01/16 – Chest scan and bone scan done– all looks good 02/16 – Surgery - left breast mastectomy and 16 lymph nodes removed (8 had cancer) 02/16 – CT scan done – small nodules on lung but Doctor advises it’s normal. They will continue to monitor just in case. 03/16 – Meet radiation oncologist and find out results of Pathology Report. I’m told that I have locally advanced breast cancer, based on the size of my tumour (7 cm!) and the fact that they found cancer cells in eight lymph nodes. Also told that I’m HER 2 positive, and that my cancer is stage 3, grade 2. 03/16 – Meet oncologist and told that my cancer is actually grade 3, and that I should have done chemo before surgery. Too late now! 03/16 – Start first of six doses of chemo (Carboplatin and Docetaxal) and Herceptin (for one year). 04/16 – Have port put in. 04/16 – Get second dose of chemo, but Docetaxal is left out due to liver enzymes being high. I was unable to get a full dose of Docetaxal after my first treatment. 06/16 – Finished chemo! One month off and then I start radiation. 07/16 – First radiation treatment – 24 more to go! 08/16 – Radiation oncologist biopsies “scar tissue” on my scar. 08/16 – I am told that I have a “local reoccurrence” and need to have rush surgery. 09/16 – Meet surgeon who advises that I need to meet with a plastic surgeon, as they will need to do a skin graft to close me up after surgery. 09/16 – Go for rush ultrasound, bone scan, breast MRI and CT scan. 09/16 – Meet plastic surgeon and all looks good. A surgery date is set for October. 09/16 – Meet oncologist who advises that ultrasound and bone scan look good, and that MRI shows three small masses at surgery site, but lymph nodes are clear. Still awaiting the results of the CT scan, but we are positive it will look good. 09/16 – Get a call from my oncologist, who advises that CT scan shows small spots on my lungs, and a large lymph node in the middle of my chest. This means the cancer has spread! She looks into getting me funded for TDM1 and cancels my surgery. 10/16 – Meet oncologist, who advises that I have to take Perjeta before I can take TDM1. I start Perjeta/Herceptin every three weeks for an indefinite amount of time, and Taxol, which I will take two weeks on, one off for 8-16 treatments. 10/16 – Take first CEA blood test to determine Tumour markers. Asked for PET scan, but am told I don’t qualify. 10/16 – Meet surgeon, who reviews my CT scan and advises that the spots on my lungs may not be cancerous, and that he doesn’t see a lymph node in my chest. He thinks it’s a spot on my lung. I’m feeling very confused! He advises that my oncologist doesn’t want me to have surgery to remove the three small masses on my scare line, as she wants to use them as a way to determine if the treatment is working. He advises that if they have not shrunk in 6 months, he will revisit surgery. 10/16 – Waiting for brain MRI to confirm that cancer has not spread to brain!