Eleven years ago I had a lumpectomy followed by 33 radiation treatments.
In March 2009 my regular mammogram showed a calcification in my other breast. After further testing, I had a partial mastectomy followed by 16 radiation treatments which I will complete shortly. Both of these cancers turned out to be Stage 1. Neither of these two situations were detected by self-examination. I believe that mammograms saved my life. Thank goodness for mammograms!
Twenty eight years ago, I had breast cancer. I was young, 27, and had a three year old and a six year old, therefore giving me the want-to to get well. I am very blessed to now be cancer free and loving the life I have been given. My son is now 35, married, and has a four year old daughter. My daughter is now 32, has two sons, and is one of the strongest advocates for breast cancer there is. She encourages me to always believe that someone else can benefit knowing that I have survived the worse. You see, 32 years ago, when I had her, I had ovarian cancer - back then, it was not common to look for this, but I had a persistent doctor that would not give up. I had to have a hysterectomy at the age of 23. The next year, I had thyroid cancer. Again, I had alert doctors, and they were able to get all of it. I then had the breast cancer at 27, and now I am here to enjoy the grandchildren and life I love because I had doctors that went the extra mile. I feel that God put me in their hands, or I would not be here. I don't know what tomorrow holds, because each day is another possibility for me, but I am forever thankful that God gave my doctors the drive to keep looking. My mother had breast cancer six years ago and has made a remarkable recovery. Thanks for taking time to read this.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer December 14, 2004. The cancer was Stage 1 DCIS, but there were 2 sites on my left breast, one at about 5 o'clock and one at about 10 o'clock, so it was decided that I should have a modified radical mastectomy. Less than a week after the drains were removed, I had to have emergency surgery to remove my gall bladder. After the chemotherapy was complete, I had to have a hysterectomy because my OB-GYN found abnormal cells on the lining of my uterus; the post-surgical biopsy revealed that they were cancer.
The good news: It's been over 4 years since all that happened, and I'm cancer-free and have gotten a much better job than I had before it all began!
To make getting a mammogram done less painful, a group of us go together and have it done in one afternoon. After all of us are finished, we go out for dinner and pick a different place each year.
I make the appointment for all 8 of us in the spring for a fall squishing. By one person making the call, that eliminates 7 people phoning in or procrastinating about phoning in. Also by going out for dinner after, we can concentrate on that part of the day, not the squishing. The screening clinic has been very co-operative in booking us all together.
My doctor thinks I am crazy for thinking about this but he does admit it is a good plan.
Thx for listening.
Phyllis
My mom found out she had breast cancer and had a lumpectomy earlier this year, then started chemo. Shortly after the surgery she had pain, swelling and redness in her breast. She called the doctor a few times and he kept reassuring her that it was normal. Then part of her almost healed breast burst and out flowed enough fluid to soak 4 bath towels. She was in the hospital for a few days for the mass infection, and put on antibiotics. She came back home for a while, having nurses and family members tend to the breast; cleaning it with a q-tip (it was a small hole) and putting gauze on the outside of the wound. She had to go to the emergency room again because of high fever, low blood pressure, heart problems, and weakness. The infection had not been getting better, but worse. Then they transferred her to a place which is a cross between a hospital and a nursing home. The fevers, heart and blood pressure quickly got worse and the infection was getting worse, so they transferred her to a hospital where they treat infectious diseases. They had gone to remove more of the infection from her breast and they found a piece of gauze, which had been left in her breast when they did the lumpectomy. She now has sepsis. She has not gotten better, but now is very critical. She had a tracheotomy and has been going down hill ever since. Earlier this week we had a meeting on whether or not to keep up treatment. We were glad to hear that they are going to continue try to keep her alive for another week or two. Please help me pray for her. Thank you.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 1 year and 9 months ago through a routine mammogram. I caught a glimpse of the image on a moniter and knew that there was something there that had not been previously. I immediately had an ultra sound and fine needle biopsy and a week later a stereotactic biopsy. The results came back as stage one breast cancer and being estrogen, progesterone, and HER-2 negative. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy, followed by 4 rounds of chemo, and 7 weeks of radiation treatments. I am thrilled to say that my follow-up mammograms and tests have been clear. I can truly say that if it were not for my skillful and compasionate doctors and medical teams and the prayers and concerns of my family and friends that I would not have the positive outcome that I have experienced. The love and support of family and friends means everything!
I found out I had breast cancer stage 0 at age 32 in June 2008 because I felt a lump in a self examination and I had a mammogram right after, and it was no doubt, it was bc, or as I called it, the factor C. My world collapsed for some time but you have to fight so I never let myself feel like a victim because, unfortunetly, I know it can happen to any person. In this process my family and friends were the greatest!
Until now everything is OK, it's been a tought, but in some ways, good year. I had my lump removed in August and, after surgery, had to choose between radiotherapy and breast removal. A very hard decision that I had to make in minutes... I choosed radiotherapy (35 sessions all) and still hope it was the right one. In some ways I felt and still feel lucky because I saw women with much difficult situations than mine and they gave me hope, women are fighters!!
Because of breast cancer I give up smoking, something I thought it was impossible, but I did it with no help and it's been a year and it was the best decision I ever made.
From my experience I can only say, make self examination, talk to your doctor, the precoce diagnosis is very importante. From another perspective, be positive and believe in the power of a smile that comes from the inside!
I was 38 years old when I was diagnosed. Having a family history, my doctor suggested I should do self exams starting at age 33. About 5 years later, I found the dreaded "lump" which turned out to be nothing on my mammogram. However, they did find another "spot" which was biopsied and turned out to be malignant. I had the tumor removed and went for radiation. After examining my slides, my radiation oncologist determined that I had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in my right breast and sent me back to my doctor. At that point, he recommended a double mastectomy because of my family history. I agreed, and after the surgery they informed me that they had found cancer on the other side as well! In situ is too small to feel, and can only be detected by a mammogram. Please always make sure you have your slides read by more than one doctor. This is what saved my life!
I am extremely blessed to still be living. I am a 2-time Breast Cancer survivor. In January 1994 at the age of 52 and in November 2005 at the age of 64. I had radical mastectomies and chemo both times. I found the lump in 1994 myself but in 2005 it was discovered by my mammogram. You may read my complete story at http://users.blogforacure.com/joyce
I have been a widow since May 2006. I have a deceased son that died at the age of 39 in 2003. I have 32-year old twin daughters, 4 grandsons (ages 27, 13, 11, 9), 1 granddaughter (age 3), a step grandson (age 23) and a step granddaughter (age 21). My daughter, Shirley, is expecting and I will have my 5th grandson around September 25.
I couldn't even put on my seat belt without pain!! I didn't think much of it at first so I just ignored it. But a few weeks after feeling pain in my breast when I touched it wrong made me talk to a surgeon that I knew. He immediately did a mammogram and then an ultrasound because they saw something but weren't quite sure what. They did a biopsy and sure enough it was cancer. I opted for a lumpectomy. After that I had chemotherapy and then radiation for quite a few weeks. I'm cancer free for six years now and it's great to be alive!!
