Wife just diagnosed ?!?!?

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sammo
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Postby sammo » Wed Feb 25, 2009 5:11 pm


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Janette
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Postby Janette » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:09 am

Sparkles,
In my experience, Surgeons will not suggest bilateral masts unless it is justified from a diagnosis. In fact I've heard of many who refuse to do a proph mast without diagnostic justification.

The Prof who suggested I have a bilat mast, refused to do a bilateral for another lady in my hosp room. :hugs:

Sammo,
Have faith in and be guided by your Medical team. :hugs:
Janette


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Postby cheryl » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:30 am

sammo, talk to your PS who will explain all that you need to know. it's a very overwhelming time for you both and there is so much to take in and decisions that will need to be made, so take it slowly and be guided by your medical team.
Cheryl

sparkles3001
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Postby sparkles3001 » Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:29 pm

Hi Sammo
I am 34, diagnosed last year and had a mastectomy for 180* spread of DCIS to a boundary of 8cm from the 9o'clock position to the 3 o'clock position - I had to have a full mastectomy.
I just want to ask has your wife told about/asked about having a prophylactic mastectomy of the other breast? I had no info or knowledge that it could be done, am now faced with waiting until my girls (5&6) are old enough to handle mum going through it all again. I hate that I wasn't told of the possibility. I would have done it - matching, perky boobs and no need for mammo's for me, nothing to check on!!! Instead i have mistmatched boobs which will require even more surgery to correct (GRRRR).
Good luck, hope your wife joins us, she will get much reassurance and understanding she won't get anywhere else...
SParkles

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Postby gallopinggranny » Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:12 pm

My best wishes to you and your wife Sammo. This really is the start of a difficult year for you both, but it won't be forever and you will make it through. Take advantage of any assistance that is offered to you. You will find that coming into the forum will be beneficial for both of you, so I hope that you will allow the members here to help you through this tough time in your lives.Image
Onward and Upward
GG.

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Hello there

Postby Doxiamonev » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:23 pm

Thanks for letting us know Sammo. I know this decision has been a difficult one.
Wishing your wife all the best with her "implant appointment" & for her upcomming surgery :hugs: My thoughts are with both of you :grouphug:
Yes I agree.....Knowledge is power
Hugs

Doxia
Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses." Alphonse Karr

Dx 27.12.07,Gr 3, IDC Lt breast 1cm (Prim Ca) & 2.5cm (L/Node)
Bilateral Mastectomy & tissue expanders inserted, Axc. clearance 1/17+, Triple Neg.Tx 4 AC chemo,12 wkly Taxol (28/7/08)2 yrs NED!

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jayem
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Postby jayem » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:37 pm

It's all good then Sammo... well relatively speaking. Is your wife able to have the chemo in Orange or will she need to travel elsewhere?

Once the dates are set it seems to make things a bit easier. The pathology will determine what chemo regime she has as well and it will be good to know that. Knowledge is power.
Jan

Dx 20 Sept 2006, 2 cm IDC + DCIS, 1/16+ node, ER+, PR+, HER2-, 4 AC, 4 Taxol, 33 rads
CFEM Trial 5 years Arimidex, 5 year SOLE trial Femara
Dx Aug 2016 neuroendocrine cancer in pancreas, mets to liver, abdominal nodes, hip, skull, scalp and breast.

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Postby schoolteacher » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:17 pm

Great to hear that you have a plan in place and an understanding employer!!!!! :clap: The dye injection is the sentinel node biopsy which I had done. If they are found to be clear at pathology no more needs to be done. My lymph nodes were clear but chemo was still recommended for any stray minute particles that may not have been detectable. This is also determined by the pathology of the tumour after surgery. I didnt realise they are all different! It is a huge learning curve. My tumour was an aggressive one so chemo recommended but mastectomy meant no rads needed.
Good luck with it all. Hugs to you both and my thoughts will be with you
:hugs: Chris

sammo
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Postby sammo » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:02 pm

Just met with the surgeon again and we have elected to go for the full mastectomy and chemo theropy. He is also intending to check the nodes during the same procedure, using an injected dye to detect the affected nodes (not sure of the medical name, sorry).

The surgeon is just a little concerned about the lump size and her 'young age' and also the position of the cancer (11 oclock), as for the reason for the mastectomy option.

We have been put in touch with a breast cancer nurse and also the local 'breast screen' centre, who were heaps of help.

Work has been great and I am now off for an indefinite period, thank heavens for that. One less thing to worry about.

My wife is travelling ok, just been picking out bandanas and head scarves for the dreaded hair loss period. She also has made an appointment relating to an implant, which has made her feel a little 'better', knowing that it is a viable option.

Agian, thanks for all your support.

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Postby warpgirl » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:26 pm

Just wondering if your surgeon talked about having a procedure known as a Sentinel Node Biopsy done with the lumpectomy option?

Others may have more info but it seems to be reasonably standard practice with lumpectomy. The procedure involves identifying the key or sentinal lymph nodes that drain the affected breast through injection of a dye, and removing them for analysis in the same operation. Certainly if there is concern about some possible active lymph nodes, a SNB would help to determine the situation. That in turn would help to determine treatment options. In my own case it was not until the SNB results were in that I was advised chemo wasn't necessary (I had lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, no node involvement).

I'd certainly be asking about it if it hasn't been mentioned - always good to get as much information as possible.

Regards
Helen

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Postby jayem » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:15 pm

Hi Sammo,

I had lumpectomy, chemo and rads. I asked the surgeon about a mastectomy but he was confident of getting clear margins with the less invasive surgery. I was okay with that. He also explained that having the treatment plan I did gave me the same prognostic outcome as a full mastectomy and no rads.

The problem is these days that the doctors want you to make the decision, which is all very fine, but we don't have the medical knowledge they do. I always say, if this were your wife, daughter or mother, what would you recommend. They feel happy offering a response to that and I am happy to accept that too.
Jan

Dx 20 Sept 2006, 2 cm IDC + DCIS, 1/16+ node, ER+, PR+, HER2-, 4 AC, 4 Taxol, 33 rads
CFEM Trial 5 years Arimidex, 5 year SOLE trial Femara
Dx Aug 2016 neuroendocrine cancer in pancreas, mets to liver, abdominal nodes, hip, skull, scalp and breast.

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Postby gallopinggranny » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:18 pm

Hi Sammo, yes like the others i too don't understand these options offered to you. Option one is the treatment for a non invasive, in situ ductal carcinoma with no lymph involvement. that is what i had and it was fully explained to me the differences in treatments and if there had been any lymph involvement i would have needed chemo and radiation. It is commonly believed that you don't need radiation if you have a mastectomey and that was my advice too. It is important to avoid radiation treatment if possible as it damages all the good cells as well as the sick cells and if surgery on that breast is required in the future then you have little chance of healing well. I think you need to ask for some more information and have these options explained to you fully before you make a decision. Good luck with it all. The reconstructive surgery is so good now, if you wife is able to withstand the procedure involved, it will be well worth it. Image
Onward and Upward

GG.

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Doxiamonev
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Postby Doxiamonev » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:55 am

Hugs

Doxia
Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses." Alphonse Karr

Dx 27.12.07,Gr 3, IDC Lt breast 1cm (Prim Ca) & 2.5cm (L/Node)
Bilateral Mastectomy & tissue expanders inserted, Axc. clearance 1/17+, Triple Neg.Tx 4 AC chemo,12 wkly Taxol (28/7/08)2 yrs NED!

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Gail
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Postby Gail » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:05 am

Sammo with the other girls regarding chemo. Once it goes to your lymph nodes I thought it was a must. I had a lumpectomy with clear margins and my onc explained that it would have been shooting out cancer cells throughout my body (!!!)and that's why the chemo, to kill stray cells. The radiologist explained his job was a tidy up, the main road to a cure is the chemo. Perhaps you have mis understood the treatment, if not I would be asking for a 2nd opinion.

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Postby TinaP » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:02 am

Hi Sammo -

I'm sorry to hear your wife and your family are going through the nightmare experience of bc. I'm glad you've found this forum though as I know from personal experience that it's the best place for others' wisdom and compassion... I hope we hear from your wife too...

I'm with Chris on the question of chemo over radiotherapy. If there are lymph nodes involved I would be very concerned that they're not recommending chemo as a first course of action. I'd even go so far as to recommend both chemo and radio...

In May 2007 I had a lumpectomy followed by further surgery to remove more tissue as there was insufficient clearance. I then had chemo and radiotherapy - and no nodes were involved. My cancer was high grade and already 2.5cms in diameter. Due to circumstances beyond my control I couldn't complete chemo, Herceptin or rads and will always wonder if that's why I had another dx within 12 months.

In April 2008 I felt the same pain I'd experienced the first time but mammo didn't find anything. Three months later I insisted on an ultrasound and this time they found another lump in the same breast. The very aggressive cancer had changed so that some specialists say it was a recurrence and others say it was a completely new primary. (I still don't know which it is!) I had no choice then but to have a mastectomy. I had already decided that if I ever got cancer in my breast again I would have both removed to minimise my chances of it going to the other breast and because I didn't want to be lopsided (have a girlfriend who had one breast removed and it is way smaller than the other one and she hates it).

I've just finished my second course of chemo and am still having Herceptin from the first dx.

If I could go back and do it all again, knowing what I know now, I would have had a bilateral mastectomy the first time but that's just me... It is not an easy decision to remove your breasts as they are such an integral part of how we feel about being a woman. I don't miss them at all - but I'm not in a relationship and don't plan to ever be again so it was an easier decision to make.

Your wife is very, very lucky to have a supportive and loving husband. You will play a critical role in her recovery - not just the physical aspects of helping out, etc. but the more important psychological and emotional support you will give her in reassuring her that she is still just as attractive and, yes, even sexy no matter what you both decide to do.

I think the fact that your wife is so young is another factor in thinking that it's best to hit this beast with as much as you can to ensure it doesn't recur.

I truly feel for you both and hope you can come to a decision that makes sense for you and is doable.

Warmest wishes,

Tina :wave:


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