yay for a clear MRI, spinning wheels for a clear mammogram in 6 weeks, surgery avoided is also good. Good luck with the radiation and take good care of your skin.
marni
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yay for a clear MRI, spinning wheels for a clear mammogram in 6 weeks, surgery avoided is also good. Good luck with the radiation and take good care of your skin.
marni
Awesome news, Red! So happy for you. Merry, merry Christmas!
So glad to hear you got such good news.
Christmas on Cloud 9!
What great news!
Excellent!
Starting radiation on Tuesday! Yay! That means, no more surgery!!!!!!!
The radiologist went over all the statistics of getting a larger margin. The evidence boiled down to a few percentage points better for staying cancer free with additional surgery (in which I would lose my nipple), but no difference in survival rates if I chose to move on with the too-close margin. Survival rates are the same, close to 100%, for either choice. More surgery would also mean for both breasts for cosmetic reasons, and additional reconstruction procedures. It wasn't a hard decision for me. I know a lot of women choose mastectomy for an even better chance of no recurrence (and I can understand that; it's often the best decision), but I'll still have that option if I need it later. In fact, it will be my only option, so I'm taking the chance to spare my breast while I can.
Oh, and I had another mammogram today, thinking back to the title of this thread. It's really no big deal! Actually, none of this has been that bad, so I hope I've inspired some of you to start doing self exams. If I hadn't found this so early, I'd be looking at a lot more effort in staying well than I am right now. This is a piece of cake. Okay, some of it was scary, but nothing has hurt, and I don't need chemo. I hope this hasn't scared anyone away from mammograms. I feel very, very lucky. The latest test came back clear.
For your info, radiation doesn't hurt, make you nauseous, or make you lose your hair. There are some risks, but most of them are minor, related to skin, and feeling tired. It's a few minute procedure 5 days a week for 6 weeks.
I'm also probably going to take Tamoxifen, since my cancer was Estrogen+. I'll let you know about that later. ;)
Hey Red, this is such great news. I've seen women go through radiation in my support group and they all did fabulously. You'll want something soothing and aloe-like to use after treatments, but get instructions from your radiation oncologist, there are specifics dos and don'ts with the topicals.
*Happy dance for you* !!!
I'm in year two on Tamoxifen so I can chat with you about that if you like. The side effects I have had have been manageable.
:) :) :)
Good news!
I was sweating for you as I had to have re-surgeries because of a very aggressive grade cancer and too close margins...
Yeah it all looks better in retrospect...bit like life, really
How many rads are you in for?
Early Christmas prezzie!
Red - I am so happy for you, and relieved as well :D
That could be my fate as well, so I'm hoping they got it all. My cancer was stage 0, grade 2, and there's nothing else viewable on either MRI or mammo, so my fingers are crossed that microscopically, everything is out!Quote:
Originally Posted by margo49
30 rads coming to me! That could be part of that song. :D Happy Christmas!
Yay, Red! I hope radiation goes smoothly. Here's hoping for a very bright and cancer-free future!
Everybody sing!
2 mammogaaams
1 ultra-sound
1 excisional biopsy
1 MRI
2 months of worrying
and 30 rads-a-comin' my way :p
Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
Really great numbers!
Amazing news, Red. Happy holidays!
I cannot believe I have missed this thread for so long!!! Wow you have been through so much (I just read through all 12 pages) and your attitude has been amazing. I am so glad things have taken a more positive turn. I will be reading this thread more regularly now. Good luck with the radiation - huge hug to you!!
Keep riding, Red.
Oh I'm planning to! I'm probably even going to ride to my rads. 10 easy miles from the park and ride, on days I don't work.
I'm going to need new bras. I love my Ibex ones, but I'm probably going to be too sensitive for wool. The best thing after the surgery was cotton camis with a shelf bra, so I may just get more of those. It's funny, I never thought I'd be able to wear just a cami out, since I've always been too modest, but this has changed that.
I just caught up as well, not realizing this thread wasn't only about getting a mammogram. A positive attitude has never hurt anyone when kicking cancer's butt, seems like you have one. (((HUGS)))
Today's appt ended up being just a CAT scan and set-up for the rads, no treatment, yet. I did get the 3 tiny tattoos (one needle prick each) for guiding the machine, since you have to be placed in the exact position every time. Rads start next Thurs.
Christmas was great, easy, and with the 3 people I love most. We watched the latest Woody Allen movie "Midnight in Paris" which was fun. I got nicer presents than I gave, which is not supposed to be a good thing, but it didn't seem to hurt. :D I've given myself a lot of breaks during this. I'm getting totally spoiled.
You're doing this right!Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
Christmas does give you perspective (on the occasions it doesn't disturb your equilibrium)
I started radiation! It's going really well. You don't feel a thing. The hardest part for me is not laughing. I got the giggles the first day, because on my way in, there was an xray on a monitor and I said "Is that me? Oh, I look so thin." :D Snort. Anything can set me off.
I've also decided to take tamoxifen, which will start right after radiation is finished. Hoping to be able to handle the side effects. I know a lot of women have problems. I really hope I can last long enough to get the benefits.
I think I've had more drs appts these last 2 months than my whole life. :rolleyes:
Oh, and I did commute there by bike yesterday. That was fun. I'll be doing that a few times per week. Makes the whole thing better.
I wonder if you are the only person to commute to radiation? This must earn you some serious brownie points, somewhere.
Great attitude, Red.
Now go out and ride tomorrow, when it's 50 out!
Oh, man, I did ride today, and it was one of the scariest rides ever. We were fooled by that gorgeous forecast and not prepared for the black ice. I actually walked down some hills, a first for me. We had 2 crashes in the group. ( I didn't fall). Commuting to rads was way less stressful.
I know I'm handling this okay, but icy hills are too much. I know my limits.
Yikes, Red! That sounds really scary. It must have been"fun" trying to walk down hills with your cleats and a bike in tow.
I'm glad radiation is going well. It sounds like the worst of this process is over.
Tamoxifen is cool...worst thing is the weight gain. I took it for 5 years (1997 -2002 and was well for 13 years.
I am on aromasin now and it has needed a bit of tweaking. I hate taking pills against other pills but it's not got to ridiculous levels yet and I'm feeling fine.
Way to go, Red; rads do tend to get a bit "cumulative" so keep an eye on yourself.
I don't think my mother had a problem with weight gain from tamoxifen. She did have hot flashes.
She's doing great 14 years later.
I had weight gain from Tamoxifen and am now getting it off. It's slow going. But, I am in this trial http://energytrial.ucsd.edu/ which is definitely helping. So, I feel like I am having little to no side effects now with the 1 hour (at least) of exercise a day.
The main issue these days is feeling like I am having PMS for weeks at a time. I was getting my period at first and then I stopped, and then it started and then stopped again. Before my DX in 2010 I was not at all menopausal.
Was on tamoxifen for three years, off now due to another primary (not spread) cancer and experiencing the chemo coaster (ugh). Won't need any more mammograms moving forward now.
Didn't have any issues with weight gain from tamoxefin. Mostly menopausal symptoms which weren't too bad. Stayed pretty active during '09 rads, running and biking. Think that being active and exercising helps overall with the symptoms.
Eating a healthy diet and being active are a real help.
One week down! Rode to rads 3 times this week. We had pretty intense wind and rain at the end of the week, so I drove those days. Still no problems, knocking on wood. Using lots of aloe vera.
Way to rock it. Staying active seems to help.Quote:
Originally Posted by redrhodie
What a woman!!
One third done! Managed another 3 commutes, which I'm pretty proud of since it was 18° one of those days, and snow/ice the other two. Of course that makes me appear very badazz to the rest of the kids in the waiting room (who are all retirees). They always ask about my ride, and one of the ladies has a motorized trike she rides in summer, so they don't seem to think I'm that weird. I'm working on getting the receptionist to commute. I can tell she's thinking about it. :)
I still have no skin issues, and although I did need a long nap yesterday, I'm not sure that wasn't just normal sleep deprivation, along with the extra effort of riding on studs.
Wow, it's cold out there... good job on riding to treatment. I hope you're not riding today. Of course, I know those of you with studded tires keep right on going.
It's great that you can be a good role model for the retirees and the receptionist. Hopefully, you'll inspire one of them.
No riding for me today! My lbs even canceled today's ride. Studs aren't great in this kind of heavy snow, so I've been lounging with gusto. I did walk to to get supplies earlier, and that was fun, but now I'm hunkering down with the kitties. Life is good.
redrhodie-
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - you attitude is such an inspiration:) You really are amazing! I hope that your enthusiasm encourages those you encounter through this process to change their lives for the better.
There are a few people on TE (you included) who routinely inspire me - and I very much appreciate it!
+1,000! Red is one of my TE heroes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueberry
Indeed! Reading of your commuting adventures during the winter is causing me to think about trying it when the weather warms...you are indeed one of my heroes!Quote:
Originally Posted by indysteel
Aw, thanks, but I still stand firmly a slacker, and part of that is living by Maillot Pois' tagline, which I think is something like "if it's easy make it easier, and if it's hard, don't do it." :D I got that right? ;)
Luckily it's not hard; not like learning to ride a bike at 50. But if you get anything from this, I hope it's that it is so easy because I caught it early. If I had to go through more surgery and chemo, I wouldn't be so glib.
Oh, and the commute is shorter than my regular one to work, so even there I'm slacking off. I usually ride more than this.
What a slacker!