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Old 06-06-2011, 08:20 AM   #1
ginnyg898
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 64
How to start over...

Hi All:

I am sure this has been posted many times before, but posting now in hopes that others will have some insight.

As you can see by my sig I have been in active treatment since last August. I am looking forward to my last rad this Wednesday. When I was diagnosed I had a good job, three beautiful toddlers and my life was set. Since diagnosis I have lost my job (see previous postings for details on the evil boss from hell ), my body is wrecked from treatment, and my disposition is less than cheery.

I am struggling with the issue of transitioning from active treatment to rebuilding my life. One thing that keeps popping up is my Oncologist's comment that even though my nodes were clear, in his experience the cancer had probably spread. I plan to request a PET scan soon just for my own peice of mind, and I will be on Herceptin until September then Tamoxifen.

Quite simply, I am absolutely terrifed of starting over and not sure how to put all this in its proper place...in the past! I still have some pretty dibilitating side effects from chemo and my dr said it will be a while before I return to work.

I would love to hear from all of you that have moved on and started over...I thought chemo was the hardest part...but I am finding that the mental part is proving to be just as hard...

Ginny
__________________
41 Years Old
Dx w/IDC in August '10
No family history
ER+/PR-/HER2+
2.2cm tumor/Stage 2A
No node involvement
Tested negative for BRCA 1/2
Participated in a UCLA clinical trial testing TCH and/or Lapatinib in stage 1/2/3 bc patients that can be removed by surgery.
Underwent neo-adjuvant therapy to shrink tumor prior to surgery.
1st Surgery date: 2/16/11
Pathology report indicated ADH/DCIS in margin.
2nd Surgery: 3/21/11
Clean margins!
Started radiation: 4/11/11
Completed radiation: 7/8/11
1st post-surgical mammogram: 8/16/11 - CLEAR!
6 Weeks of Tamoxifen - Failure to Respond
Started Lupron/Arimidex: 8/29/11
Herceptin until September '11

Recurrence - August 2018
Same profile - ER+/PR-/HER2+
Undergoing neo-adjuvant therapy prior to surgery;
Gemzar, Carboplatin, Herceptin & Perjeta
Chemo through the end of 2018...
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