new diagnosis

clv · 06-12-2006, 07:48 AM

I got a diagnosis last week of invasive ductal cancer, my path report shows angiolymphatic invasion - er 90% - PR 25% HER2 3+positive - KI-67 40% unfavorable, I'm going into surgery on wednesday, but after reading some of these stories, I'm so scared about living throught the treatments afterwards.

John21 · 06-12-2006, 08:05 AM

I am sorry to hear of your results, but try and stay strong! There are many therapies out there that can help. When my wife cancer was discovered, it pretty much killed us. I thought it's all over. She was stage IV immediately and they tell us it's aggressive. Just believe in yourself and your doctor. Get educated. Eat healthy. You can get through this. My wife is going on 5 years now.There will be ups and downs( believe you me), but you can make it. Being Her2+ is funny. It's more aggressive, but there are more working available drugs out there that work well. Just read the great messages on this site!

Prayers

John

MJo · 06-12-2006, 08:10 AM

In the beginning I was so scared that I couldn't read this Board. As I got used to my diagnosis I started to lose some of my fear. Some of us have had bad times in treatment, some of us have gotten through treatment without too much trouble. We've all gotten through it. I always wondered what a soldier felt like. Going into treatment was the closest I'll ever get. I a rough time with adriamycin, but the taxol/herceptin was relatively easy and I was able to work part-time. Please take very good care of yourself. Some of us have so many demands on us that it's hard, but if there is ever a time to put yourself first, this is it. Wishing you all the very best. Mary Jo (MJO)

JackieC · 06-12-2006, 08:11 AM

You will do just fine! Read a lot, knowledge takes away the fear. This website will help quite a bit - all of us have been through some sort of treatment, or are currently in treatment. I was fearful of how my body would react, but it held up pretty good! I am still taking Herceptin. I am very active (running, weigh lifting), work full time and have two kids that have very active social lives. My best advice is to read, have a support group (family, friends or outside group), keep moving (walking is great!) and drink tons of water. It's also fun to "treat" yourself after each chemo treatment. I found "retail therapy" really helped after chemotherapy. Take care!

Patricia · 06-13-2006, 09:09 PM

clv,

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and am glad that you found this site. Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. Take 1 day at a time. It took me a long time to even get my head around my dx and treatments and many months before this board didn't scare me. I come here now for support and info and find it one of the few places where everyone knows what its like to walk in my shoes. Be patient with yourself. It truly is a process and you just have to allow yourself time to go through it.

Thinking of you.
Patricia

Sherryg683 · 06-14-2006, 10:41 AM

John, I am glad to hear of your wifes success. I like hearing positive stories. I was diagnosed stage IV from the beginning also with 2 small lung mets. I am now in remission but am terrified of it coming back. Would you please share some of your wifes experiences with us, if it's not too much to ask. ..sherryg683

rinaina · 06-14-2006, 05:40 PM

to clv, hang in there. everything is so overwhelming and scary in the beginning. i believe in becoming as educated as possible on everything to do with Her2 so that you can become your own best advocate and know the everythng that should be done is being done. i was diagnosed back in march and know will be taking my second chemo treatment with A/C tomorrow and while i can say it is no picnic i have to admit i have felt sicker with a bad upper respiratory infection or a bad flu. i just remind myself when things get a little rough due to treatment that it is the medicine working and killing this breast cancer off. read everything you possibly can on here and focus on all the good stories and positive outcomes and believe that you too will be a positive outcome. your positive attitude and thnking is what will make help you also to get well. without a good outlook you will be sicker i truly believe. write to us as often as you need...there is always someone who can help you on here. i would have been lost without this site. good luck and think positively.

G. Ann · 06-14-2006, 06:04 PM

Hi CLV,

I think all of us were overwhelmed in the beginning. Some breeze through chemo, surgery, and radiation. Others struggle a little more with the treatment. We share a disease but side effects vary. A helpful phrase I read from a cancer book written by Vickie Girard, a cancer survivor: "I learned very early to look at what surgery, chemo, or radiation was going to do FOR me instead of TO me. That made all the difference."

This little shift from the word "TO" to the sord "FOR" helped me make a shift mentally and gave me a sense that chemo was helping to fight breast cancer.

Be gentle with yourself during treatment.
G. Ann

Berta · 06-14-2006, 06:11 PM

I was so scared I couldn't even say the word "Cancer" for a while after the diagnosis. Remember the thing about treatment is , you may not have some of the things you read about on this board. Chemo is what scared me so much (right after the fear of dying). Chemo wasn't easy by any means but its not as bad as you they make it out to be in movies. At least it wasn't for me. And if you have chemo, remember, its only temporary. It helped me to count down the days and weeks until the end of treatment. There are some scary things you read about on this board but it helps you to stay educated. To me the scariest things are the things I don't know. If I can read about how other people are doing and coping, it helps me to understand and to cope. Welcome to the board. Any questions you have, and you'll probably have a lot, someone on this board can usually help. Berta

Sherryg683 · 06-14-2006, 07:42 PM

Actually, the chemo was not all that bad. I was on a pretty strong regime of Taxotere, Xeloda and Herceptin. Aside from losing my hair, terrible rib pains, hot flashes, and the hand foot thing with Xeloda, it was bearable. Always had pain medicine to take if it got too bad. I hated the extra weight I put on with the Decodron and was mostly aggrivated that I couldn't continue to play tennis and work out like I use to to. I still managed to get a game in when my hands and feet weren't too bad. You will survive it, they have come a long way. I am not in any hurry to get back on it again, I am finally getting a little energy back and my hair is growing...sherryg683

Jean · 06-15-2006, 04:37 AM

Clv,
I wish you well and I am happy for you that you have discovered this beautiful site - I can't even imagine what Iwould have done without it? It helped through many a difficult decsion and assisted to find information in order to receive the "Best and Correct" treatment for me. Don't be shy, jump into the site it will serve you. Just keep in mind, as one wonderul member of this site said to me,
"It is a double edge sword" some of the information will scare you and other information will empower you...learn all you can to protect yourself. You have many friends on this site - all of which are always ready willing and more than able to help you. Be kind to yourself...

Warmly,
Jean

Christine MH-UK · 06-15-2006, 06:51 AM

I think, too, that it is good to keep in mind that people generally write in when they are having a problem with their treatment, so postings may not accurately represent the average experience of chemo.

I found parts of chemo rough and parts of chemo o.k., but I got through it in the end. The treatment is a long one, especially with the year of herceptin, but the nice thing is that the treatments have gotten alot more effective in recent years.

bobbiw · 06-16-2006, 05:00 AM

clv
Sorry to hear that you have to be here on this board but glad you found it. I really like what G. Ann said, think of what the chemo is doing for you rather than what it is doing to you. I know that I personally have forgotten that from time to time but then I reel myself back in and realize how fortunate I/we are (if we can call ourselves such!) to have all of the available treatments that we do.
Good luck and take a day at a time.
Bobbi