Women under 40

[yanyan]

Thanks for sharing, Ruth. Your story is really encouraging. We have very similar diagnosis and i really hope i can be NED with no progression. I read on the breastcancer.org website, that for ER/PR-, her2+ girls, 7 years NED is considered cured. My daughter's name is Emma too. It is hard to explain to a 5 year old what is going on. I am scared i won't be there for her should i die from this diseases.

[Ruth]

The fear you feel is totally normal and follows us as we pray for our children to grow up so we can be part of it. I remember rocking her to sleep when I was first diagnosed over 8 years ago crying and begging to live long enough that she would remember me. Not just remember a familiar smell or some flickering in her mind of deja vu but a concrete memory of me loving her, holding her and her remembering what it was like to have me around. I know I am so blessed to be here having these moments. I honestly had a sigh of relief when Emma turned 9. I know she knows me and no matter what happens now I feel that it is OK. You will be here too with your Emma and she will have these special memories with you. Treatments have improved so much the last 20 years that I fully expect many, many stage 4 ladies being around over 10 years and NED. Having so many positive lymph nodes is scary...ugh the looks I got from people when I told them...like "oh my she needs to plan for the end" it was terrifying. I got to the point where I wouldn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I told myself I was going to survive this no matter what I had to do, how my life needed to change or what terrible nasty foods (seaweed soup...that was the nastiest of all nasty I ate LOL). Of course the MAJOR help was Herceptin. Saved my life. When I started on it, we didn't know it was that great. I wasn't even on a trial but my oncologist treated me aggressively and had a feeling this was some good stuff. The buzz was there in oncology circles just not out in public yet.
Please message me anytime if your scared or have questions. It's all normal to feel this way. To some extent you always will have worries and fears. I still hate going to any Dr and my blood pressure rises along with the visit. It gets better and you will make it!!!
Hugs ~ Ruth

Hi,
I'm 34, married and have a son who is turning two next week. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 ER+/PR+/Her2+ BC on 7/18/11. I have no family history. My son kicked me during a diaper change and it brought my attention to a sore spot on my breast.
I had a double mastectomy with immediate DIEP recon on 9/6. 7 nodes were removed, all were clear. I meet with my onc next week to discuss further treatment.

[Pray]

Hi Mayzee,

I'm so sorry you had to join our club but.....

Welcome! You have come to the right site! lots of support, Friendship and tons and tons of info.

This post will bump you to the top again and more people will see your post. You might want to fill out your signature (history) so everyone will be prepared to help you with any questions, fears, or celebrate big or small milestones!

Gods blessings to you and your family. Please know you are in my pragers!

Your friend,

Nancy

[Survivor2be]

I have been fighting BC for a year now and am stage IV with brain mets. I am 34 and my children are 10, 6, 4. I did chemo, then surgery, then rads before it went to the brain. Up to that point, I think my age helped keep life "normal" for everyone. I worked, took care of the kids, house, husband. Now, I had TONS of support! I live with my mother-in-law, and brother/sister live like next door. They all helped tremendously keeping my girls lives unchanged. But I think being young and focused on our families is both good and bad.
Good: keeps you focused on recovery and moving forward becmause you do things fur them. Helped me stay positive to be a good example.
Bad: I didn't have tone to focus on me. Like eat right, rest, exercise, destress. I just keep going and working and refusing to slow down.

Now that I'm facing an "uncurable but treatable" disease, things have changed. I have more surgery and chemo to face. I'm tired and I can't do the things I did just last year. But we will have a new normal. A mom with less distractions. I may not get all their things packed and ready for school, but I will present for them. That's the main lesson im learning right nuw: stop multi-tasking and focus!!! Was always hard!!

The other issue for us spring chickens is survivorship. I'm not talking 5-10 years like all cancer studies talk about, we are looking at 30+!!! Right!!! I wanna see info about that, and what makes us special!!

Good luck Kristin with your treatments and decisions about kids. I struggle with the guilt of putting my 3 girls through the future stress of BC. I mean, if I had it at 33, do they need to be worried at 23???? But they have kept me strong!!

[Profbee]

I was dx in March of this year at 39. My son is five. It was a total shock--no family history at all (but then, as we NOW know that's a small percentage of bc). From talking to other people who did chemo for other reasons, I think I managed chemo better as a young person. Still handled the house, the boy, etc. Thankfully, hubby works nights, so he was there with me through it all. But then, I wonder how much of that is being young or is it just moms don't GET to be sick?

Speaking of....gotta run...time to shampoo the boy in the tub here!