I'm devastated that I have breast cancer again have masectomy next month not a candidate for reconstruction. To high risk I am 60 now last had it roughly 14years ago I am so scared and frightened of the operation I just wish everyone we'll.I'd be welcome of any feedback I'm not sleeping either I am so stressed.
Ladies I wrote a short story regarding my experience and now I'm trying to condense it into 350 words. The best thing I can say to all of you is to keep your sense of humor. It's only a boob or two boobs, if you are fortunate enough to have caught the cancer early, as in my case. I can say that my father-in-law that fought stage four colon cancer for five years and kept his humor through to the end. So it is possible.
Sure, I was mad when the doctor old me. Sure I asked, "Why me?" Then I made the decision that this was my fight and I would face it my way. Not the way others thought I should fight. In so, I did it with my sense of humor. I planned and held a Boob Von Voyage party, with silly hats, noise makers and strings of beads. We all said good by to the girl in style.
My daughter, in the military was able to come home and my husband that was working out of the country was able to make it home the day before the surgery. They had supported my decisions and silliness from day one. When I called my husband and told him I was going to have reconstruction I asked him, "You want regular or porn star size boobs?" He laughed and said, "I don't care baby, I just want you alive and well."
So here I am, into my sixth year of cancer free living and sporting two new tattoos to tell my story. Oh, I had to go with regular size because I have just one implant. I had some very hard days trying to look into the mirror but decided being alive was much more important than how my chest looks. I'm too old to walk around on a nude beach and just looking at me in my clothes, you would never guess what's under my shirt.
Stay well, keep having regular mammograms, and if you get the bad news, keep your sense of humor!
Im glad to introduce my wife naomi(survivor) with our daughter, Aniyah, celebrating her first birthday. In 2009, my wife was met with a challenge. Stage 3, aggressing 4 breast cancer. Needless to say, she beet that junk! Gave birth to my first and most precious baby girl. Doctors said there could be no chance in conceiving, none the less delivering a full term healthy beautiful child. Living proof miracles do happen. Today we have been met again with another challenge, that junk is back... Only this time it came with a shut off notice. So much pain, so much hope, so much confusion and exhaustion. Please pray if you do, cause i cant do this much longer. Believe and hope for a cure for this crap. ¿?¿ Good day to you and your loved ones
My story isn't inspirational at all.
I skipped my mammogram one year and I found a lump while I was in the shower. I really didn't think it was anything, I had no family history of cancer, so I made an appointment with the OBGYN and got in right away. My doctor didn't say anything but scheduled me for a mammogram and gave me some pamphlets on cancer. Had the mammogram and biopsy the next day and the breast doctor called me the following day and told me it was cancer, type 2A.
I never got upset. I just asked what we do next. I had a lumpectomy, chemo, radiation and I am on Tamoxifen. The doctors are so used to women being upset that I shook everyone up when I had a great attitude. I am not saying that it was easy because it was not. By the third round of chemo I was bald, sick, couldn't taste or smell anything and hurt everywhere. My husband never saw me bald. My kids, one was 19 and the other was 22, did see me bald but only because my daughter shaved my head and ran to the store to get me a knit cap.
I just had my third mammogram and it's all clear. The scars are almost all gone, my much thinner hair is back and I still can't smell anything. I know how hard it is but a lot of us just get through it and go on living our normal lives.
In January of 2014 I found a lump in my breast so of course I had it checked. On Tuesday my doctor said yes something is there but it's not hard and with no family history its probably nothing but let's get it checked any way. I called the local women's mammography center and they had an opening on Wednesday. After a mammogram and sonogram I was put back in a holding area. They took me to a room with 7-8 monitors all with my breast pictures on them. The doctor said "well you can see something is there but you can survive this. There are walks and all sorts of support. Good luck" I walked out stunned. What just happened? My doctor called and said she wanted a needle biopsy. I was able to get in on Friday. The breast surgeon said after reviewing my file she was going to do a tissue biopsy. Ouch. I still thought that with no family history this can't happen to me. The following Friday I got the news. Triple negative BC. February 4th I had a lumpectomy and 3 lymph nodes removed. Stage 2A and nodes were clean. I've completed 4 A/C and 4 Taxol chemo treatments and 7 of 33 radiations.
I'm feeling great and know I can beat this. The love and prayers of coworkers, friends and family were truly felt when I walked into every chemo treatment. I was blessed to not miss a day of work during treatment and I know I can survive this horrible disease. I realize that if it can happen to me at 61 it can happen to anyone. Please talk to all your women friends about self exams and mammograms. Even though I'd had my annual exam 6 months earlier my self exam saved my life.
Starting a new life in July 2009 when my family and I moved from Germany to Texas. We moved in with my in laws, my kids (16 and 10) just started school when I found a lump in my right breast. Not really thinking about it, I waited a little but it didn't go away. I made an appointment with my obgyn and she told me not to worry it's only hard tissue but she sent me to get a mammogram because I was almost 40. Made an appointment and the lump was benign just like my doc said but next to it was something what the radiologist called "unnormal". Had to get a biopsy and the results were shocking. Breast cancer early stage DCIS 2mm grade 0 - the surgeon called it the easiest breast cancer to cure :( I was shocked ... why me?? Nobody had breast cancer in my family? Whats happened - I felt like I got hit by a train. I had a lumpectomy followed by a 6 week radiation treatment and 3 years on tamoxifen. I'm cancer free since February 2010 and I thank my lord every day for it. My family was and is my rock. I became a grandma with 43 and little Rocklynn is our pride and joy. I love my life and enjoy every second. My pink sisters, supporters, family and friends, keep on fighting, supporting and believing. Your German friend and survivor Annette
Hi . My name is Mom or Grammy. Some call me Kathy . My journey started April 7th 2014 . I found my lump . I've hidden it from everyone. so much is going on in everyone's lives I don't want to be a burden. My 12 year old granddaughter was still in school. her summer was going to start. Things went so quickly , the dr. appointments, work, remember to keep a happy face. I remember being at work when I got the call. I know my body and knew what they were going to say, we've been together for 53 years now.I remember the tone in the lady's voice and remember wanting to some how make this easier for her, I felt bad for her as I heard her say "you have stage 2 Breast cancer and my lymph nodes were involved {3 out of 15} . as I heard this I wondered how many of these calls she must have to make. Time seemed to stand still even though it was speeding by . you now have two personality's You and now the cancer you. I had my surgery July 2nd and thank goodness Jackson Pratt came out July 16th. The nerve damage is so bad I can't stand my skin.But it will get better or I'll get used to it. I'm afraid of the extra pain of chemo and radiation but I'm sure this too will pass. I pray for my sisters and brothers in pink . I just never knew what you went through. donate, feel a little better, go on , Whatever! so much more needs to be done.I'm sorry but I don't want anymore sisters in pink , how about just healthy friends I haven't met yet.God bless you all :)
I am a five time cancer survivor. Breast cancer hit in 2010 as number five at age 55. Number four was thyroid cancer at age 50. Number three was osteosarcoma in my right hip at age 48. Number two was lung cancer at age 16. Number one was a lymphoma which appeared as a tumor in my spine at age 15. I am a survivor! Life has not always been easy, but it has been good! I want to let people know that there truly is life after cancer. I want them to know that there is hope in the midst of cancer. I want them to know that cancer does not rule your life, even when the fear seems to suffocate you. I am an educator in the public school system, teaching music to grades Pre-k to 12. I believe that I have taught the kids much more than music just by showing them that life goes on, with a smile on my face. I have a zeal for LIFE! Every day is a gift!
In 2004 at the age of 31 while breast feeding my youngest child a lump appeared and I was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer requiring a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. I travelled 5 hours to Sydney with my mum every Monday returning Friday without my husband or 2 sons for 8 weeks. I grew incredibly depressed & overweight as I hated what I saw in the mirror which was only the illness & the scars I bore as a result of the surgery. Then while undergoing tests for my 5 year clearance a rare aggressive reoccurrence in the same breast was found & I was diagnosed with secondary localized breast cancer again. This resulted in a single mascetomy & more aggressive chemotherapy. With no health insurance or the ability to pay for surgery my oncologist spoke to one of the best surgeons in the country who agreed to operate free of charge performing a double mascetomy complete with a double breast & nipple reconstruction using the tram flap muscles. The kindness & generosity of people made me realise that my life was worth fighting for & I needed to play a part in my survival so with the help of my brother & husband we walked 7km everyday for a year while waiting for the operation. I ate only fresh produce and I lost 30 kilos in total stripping away the depression, anger & self hate that once consumed me. The operation took 18 hours and about 3 months of recovery but I now have my life back. I make the most of every minute of everyday with family & friends & I have lost 45 kilo in total. I am part of a strong close knit crossfit community that is a daily part of my life. The number one thing I make sure that I do everyday is tell those close to me how much I love & care for them 💜💜💜💜
Life hasn't exactly been easy, for me, for us - my 4 children and my husband. A series of unfortunate events, just kept us on an ongoing roller coaster ride. It was before my 40th birthday, last November, that I discovered a lump in my breast. Not wanting to alarm anyone, I simply made an appointment with my gynecologist, for the end of January and forgot about it. If it was to be cancer, it was just another bump in the road, which we would have to face, like all others we've endured.
The New Year came along, plans of making it the best year ever, were in the works. 2014 was going to be the year our lives would turn around for the better, so we thought. My gynecologist sent me right away to get a mammogram. Initially, my mammogram didn't show anything suspicious. The surgeon was ready to let me go home, but I insisted that he look beyond the mammogram images. He performed an ultrasound and found the mass. A biopsy confirmed it all ... it was cancer and a very aggressive one, but fortunately, it was caught on time and had not spread further.
The surgeon immediately put me in touch with an oncologist. Surgery came first, to remove the tumor, then I started chemo. Doesn't matter what stage of breast cancer you have, everyone gets the same dose, same treatment. It was horrible! Do not wish it upon my worst enemy!
Once chemo was done, I discovered yet another suspicious mass. I thought, is this what my life was going to be like, from now on? Always worrying if the cancer will return? I wasn't going to live this way. A decision needed to be made and so I made it.
In the next few weeks, I will be prepping for a double mastectomy and forever say goodbye to cancer and my 36 C - long boobies! lol
Life has never been easy for me, but I will be damned if cancer controls it!
This latest bump will soon be over!
I am so blessed!
