kat in dthe delta, I have a woman oncologist by my choice. I am Stage IIA, she told me right up front that my breast cancer would most likely come back at sometime and I would never be "cured", since I was her2pos. Says we have to treat it like a chronic disease. She has always been up front about the side effects. Is particularly watchful of my heart as I was on adramycin/cytoxin first and now herceptin. I have gotten alot of joint pain from the arimidex which is bad for me as I am very active. Walk alot. We have changed this to aromasin but the joint pain is back. I have a hard time defining the new me, but it is a work in progress. I have never felt embarrassed because I have mastctomy scars and I don't feel any less attractive, after all we have the right to chose whether or not we want a particular treatment. For now I chose to live each and every day.
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Debbie in North Carolina
Diag 10/2006-high grade invasive ductal carcinoma- mastectomy L breast
2.5 cm tumor ER/PR pos-Her2+++
4 rounds A/C, 4 rounds Taxol
Herceptin every 3 weeks until Jan. 2008
6/18/07 prophylatic mastectomy R breast
8/2007 started aromasin/stopped arimidex (side effects)
12/07 stopped aromasin due to side effects (now what?)
Finished herceptin 1/8/08
started tamoxifen for 2 years then will switch to femera
allergic to tamoxifen started femera 4/2008
June 20, 2008 portacath removed
Learnig to live life to the fullest!
Stopped Femera due to side effects
July 28, 2008 start trial for breast cancer vaccine
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