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Hi Kari2006, welcome!!

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Breast Cancer
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Posted 7/2/2006 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there...sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis. It really must have taken you by surprise at 34. I was diagnosed a week before turning 31 in 1999 and it was quite a shock. Take one day at a time, one minute at a time,...this will be a frightening and emotional time for you. Know that you may have ups and downs and it is ok....you'll run the gammit of emotions. There is a lot of information to gather for the doctors and for you...reading and researching what you can. For me, knowledge is power, and I needed to learn what I could so that i could converse with the doctors and control those things I had control of.

I also had to have a re-excision to get cleaner margins. I do not think being 'double negative' lowers your life expectancy...but each one may increase your chance of recurrance. Statistics are just numbers....even for the person who is told she has a 20% chance to survive, SOMEONE has to be in that 20%....so they may tell you your chances for recurrance, which does not mean death. It tells you a way to predict whether you might get cancer again...and even if you do, a recurrance can still be local. And a recurrance that is metastatic does not mean all gloom and doom either, many people are long term survivors.

Being negative for Her 2 neu is a better prognostic indicator, but that means that Herceptin can't be used for treatment, sort of a double edged sword.

Chemo is doable! I missed 2 full and 2 half days of work each chemo cycle and worked right through rads. I had no kids to take car of or family duties, but I took care of myself and my home and never missed a beat.

You can do this! Where do you live? Someone here may be near you.

Take care and stick around...
Lori
Posted 7/2/2006 2:20 PM (GMT 0)

Hello Kari! I also would like to welcome you. Sorry that you have had to join this elite club but glad that you found us to ask questions and receive lots of support.

Lori gave you excellent info. Statistics are just that..statistics. A statistic can't tell how much fight a woman has or how much will she has to beat this disease. And, trust me, that is half of the battle right there. I have now beat it twice! There are others that have beat it more times than that. The most important things are to, as Lori told you, learn as much as you can. Knowledge is power. Keep a notebook w/ you and write down any question you might have, no matter how insignificant or silly it may be. Then when you go to your onco appt, take that list w/ you and get the answers. If you don't feel comfortable w/ the answers that you are given, then seek a 2nd opinion. Even a 3rd or 4th if necessary.

I am presently taking Herceptin as a preventive measure 1x a month. There are new drugs being announced...2 this past month alone.

Please remember that bc is NOT a death sentence today. It is a managable disease and one that many of us live w/ and live a "normal" life. (whatever normal is..lol)

Keep a positive attitude. Laugh lots (great medicine and healer) Surround yourself w/ only positive people.

Sending you lots of hugs, prayers and strength.

Deb

Posted 7/7/2006 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Kari! Good luck...We're all here for you
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