Re: New at breast cancer -- surgery date soon

[Guest guest]

Could you tell me if you had other chemotherapy besides the tamoxifen? What was it? Thanks if you can answer. Thanks for what you shared.

Janie

[Guest guest]

Could you tell me if you had other chemotherapy besides the tamoxifen? What was it? Thanks if you can answer. Thanks for what you shared.

Janie

[Guest guest]

My aunt who is now 91 and still living had lymphatic cancer twice (2 bouts of chemo years apart in her 60's and/or 70's). She lost her hair. But now has a perfectly lovely head of hair, exactly as it should be, which, because of hereditary factors, is always charcoal with gray in elderly people of our family. It is exactly as it was before.

Janie

[Guest guest]

-- The Tamoxifen is a anti-hormone drug that keeps you from producing

esterogen. It is give as a preventive to getting BC again. Mine was

esterogen positive. Thats why I took it for 5 years. I'm not

sure...but I think they usually have you take this after you are thru

with Chemo treatment.

In breastcancer2 , jojane500@a... wrote:

> Could you tell me if you had other chemotherapy besides the

tamoxifen? What

> was it? Thanks if you can answer. Thanks for what you shared.

> Janie

[Guest guest]

-- The Tamoxifen is a anti-hormone drug that keeps you from producing

esterogen. It is give as a preventive to getting BC again. Mine was

esterogen positive. Thats why I took it for 5 years. I'm not

sure...but I think they usually have you take this after you are thru

with Chemo treatment.

In breastcancer2 , jojane500@a... wrote:

> Could you tell me if you had other chemotherapy besides the

tamoxifen? What

> was it? Thanks if you can answer. Thanks for what you shared.

> Janie

[Guest guest]

Janie, tamoxifen is not a chemo, it is a hormonal theraphy. I had A/C and then taxol. Taxol is probably what you are talking about.

Jeana

[Guest guest]

Janie, tamoxifen is not a chemo, it is a hormonal theraphy. I had A/C and then taxol. Taxol is probably what you are talking about.

Jeana

[Guest guest]

Janie I meant a anti hormal theraphy. Your email was the first one I read this morning, got to kick in the senses, was way to sleeping.

Jeana

[Guest guest]

Janie I meant a anti hormal theraphy. Your email was the first one I read this morning, got to kick in the senses, was way to sleeping.

Jeana

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn:

<<My hair didn't grow back quite as nice as it was. But its not too

noticeable. I think if I need chemo again sometime I might just go ahead and

shave my head. Its just thinner right on the top.>>

==>Thank you for your answer; this is what I have suspected - it does *not*

grow back in. I haven't been able to get a definitive answer from my oncos

or thru web searches, just bs. I'm losing gobs of hair from the top too.

My mom had CMF and her hair is very, very thin on top now ten years later

:-(

~Amber

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn:

<<My hair didn't grow back quite as nice as it was. But its not too

noticeable. I think if I need chemo again sometime I might just go ahead and

shave my head. Its just thinner right on the top.>>

==>Thank you for your answer; this is what I have suspected - it does *not*

grow back in. I haven't been able to get a definitive answer from my oncos

or thru web searches, just bs. I'm losing gobs of hair from the top too.

My mom had CMF and her hair is very, very thin on top now ten years later

:-(

~Amber

[Guest guest]

well that's the exact same tumor size that I had and I didn't have any lymph node involvement, and I'm shocked that a doctor would tell you that before even having surgery!

Cjojane500@... wrote:

Well maybe they're not. I should find out soon -- they are going to do a sentinel node biopsy Wed. evening if I can get in -- then the breast surgery the next morning. I don't know, except it is constantly in the doctor's talk. I guess invasive ductal carcinoma 2.5 cm (about an inch or larger) often does. (????)

Janie"there are only 2 tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." Wilde__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

well that's the exact same tumor size that I had and I didn't have any lymph node involvement, and I'm shocked that a doctor would tell you that before even having surgery!

Cjojane500@... wrote:

Well maybe they're not. I should find out soon -- they are going to do a sentinel node biopsy Wed. evening if I can get in -- then the breast surgery the next morning. I don't know, except it is constantly in the doctor's talk. I guess invasive ductal carcinoma 2.5 cm (about an inch or larger) often does. (????)

Janie"there are only 2 tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." Wilde__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

>Thank you for your answer; this is what I have suspected - it does *not*grow back in.

Not necessarily so for all people. My hair has grown completely back. I had long, long straight spindly blond hair. The new growth is still growing - only about 2 inches long so far. This time it is a really nice gray color (OK at my age :-) ) and has some natural wave in it that will actually make it look fuller than my original.

Everybody is different, I guess.

Debbie

[Guest guest]

>Thank you for your answer; this is what I have suspected - it does *not*grow back in.

Not necessarily so for all people. My hair has grown completely back. I had long, long straight spindly blond hair. The new growth is still growing - only about 2 inches long so far. This time it is a really nice gray color (OK at my age :-) ) and has some natural wave in it that will actually make it look fuller than my original.

Everybody is different, I guess.

Debbie

[Guest guest]

I had a mastectomy, lift & reduction on the other breast, hernia

repair (old hernia from my c-section 4.5 years earlier), lymph node

disection (~15-20 nodes removed) & TRAM reconstruction on Aug 10th. I

had diffuse DCIS with an invasive cancer ~1.5 cm and 1 positive lymph

node (btw- the sentinel node was negative). I will start a dense dose

(every other week) Chemotherapy schedule next week with A/C first and

Taxol following. My cancer was receptor negative so I will not have

any hormone treatments. My mastectomy had good margins so I will not

have any radiation.

I was under anestesia for 15 hours during my surgery (and you would

think I could learn to spell it). I was most afraid of the intubation

but it wasn't bad at all for me, the anesteseologist game me a light

sedative or something going in to the operating room at 7am(to relax

me, he said - but i was happy to have it!) so I didn't remember

anything from that point until I woke up 15 hours

later at 10pm. I was surprised that I only had a slight dryness in my

throat but it was never even sore. I sucked on a lot of ice chips all

night after my surgery and the next day until I could start drinking

lots of water. I lost a lot of blood during my surgery because of a

bleeding artery so I required 2 units of blood over the next 2 days

but improved very rapidly after that.

My surgery was on a Tuesday, I felt like Hell on Wednesday (asking

myself what did I agree to wiht all the reconstruction and wondering

if I was going to even survive the ordeal?) but by Thursday morning I

felt much better and I was demanding that they move me OUT of ICU and

into a regular private room where I could get some rest. I got them

to take me off the IV on Thursday and by Friday (the swelling in my

legs and feet went right down after they removed the IV fluids) I

could get in and out of bed pretty well by myself and I would get

up and walk around the nurses station every 4-5 hours when I couldn't

sleep during the night. The most pain I had was the headaches from

laying in bed because my neck and back was so sore and it flet like

the spinal fluid just pooled up in my neck and back. I felt better

after I stopped taking the morphine in ICU, it gave me halucinations

and made my headaches worse I think. Walking helped my headaches and

they gave me an IV motrin a couple times during the night to help

them so I could sleep. Otherwise I took tylenol mostly for discomfort

but I didn't have much other pain. My appetite was back by Friday and

I was discharged Saturday evening with 5 drains. (advice-take the

stool softeners!)

I got my last drain out last friday and feel pretty good overall now.

Trying not to OVERDO it is the hardest for me! My kids are 2 & 4

years old and I have lots of other things I am involved in which are

demanding of my time. My in-laws came and stayed with us for a couple

weeks and that was a life saver! I start Chemo next week and they are

coming back to help again next week.

The best advise I can give you is make sure you have doctors that you

feel confident in and that you trust. If they don't talk to you and

answer all your questions completely, get another opinion! You do

need to do some research so that you can understand them and so that

you know what questions to ask. This group can be a great source of

info but also check out the www.cancer.org and some of the breast

cancer info on reliable sites and buy a book like breast cancer for

dummies if you need to start from ground zero and then you can try

another book with more info like Dr. Love's Breast Book.

Hope this info helps you!

is

millera04@c... <mailto:millera04@c...>

> Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different back

in the

> 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

her but it

> was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

Yesterday was

> my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

with

> information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> Janie

[Guest guest]

I had a mastectomy, lift & reduction on the other breast, hernia

repair (old hernia from my c-section 4.5 years earlier), lymph node

disection (~15-20 nodes removed) & TRAM reconstruction on Aug 10th. I

had diffuse DCIS with an invasive cancer ~1.5 cm and 1 positive lymph

node (btw- the sentinel node was negative). I will start a dense dose

(every other week) Chemotherapy schedule next week with A/C first and

Taxol following. My cancer was receptor negative so I will not have

any hormone treatments. My mastectomy had good margins so I will not

have any radiation.

I was under anestesia for 15 hours during my surgery (and you would

think I could learn to spell it). I was most afraid of the intubation

but it wasn't bad at all for me, the anesteseologist game me a light

sedative or something going in to the operating room at 7am(to relax

me, he said - but i was happy to have it!) so I didn't remember

anything from that point until I woke up 15 hours

later at 10pm. I was surprised that I only had a slight dryness in my

throat but it was never even sore. I sucked on a lot of ice chips all

night after my surgery and the next day until I could start drinking

lots of water. I lost a lot of blood during my surgery because of a

bleeding artery so I required 2 units of blood over the next 2 days

but improved very rapidly after that.

My surgery was on a Tuesday, I felt like Hell on Wednesday (asking

myself what did I agree to wiht all the reconstruction and wondering

if I was going to even survive the ordeal?) but by Thursday morning I

felt much better and I was demanding that they move me OUT of ICU and

into a regular private room where I could get some rest. I got them

to take me off the IV on Thursday and by Friday (the swelling in my

legs and feet went right down after they removed the IV fluids) I

could get in and out of bed pretty well by myself and I would get

up and walk around the nurses station every 4-5 hours when I couldn't

sleep during the night. The most pain I had was the headaches from

laying in bed because my neck and back was so sore and it flet like

the spinal fluid just pooled up in my neck and back. I felt better

after I stopped taking the morphine in ICU, it gave me halucinations

and made my headaches worse I think. Walking helped my headaches and

they gave me an IV motrin a couple times during the night to help

them so I could sleep. Otherwise I took tylenol mostly for discomfort

but I didn't have much other pain. My appetite was back by Friday and

I was discharged Saturday evening with 5 drains. (advice-take the

stool softeners!)

I got my last drain out last friday and feel pretty good overall now.

Trying not to OVERDO it is the hardest for me! My kids are 2 & 4

years old and I have lots of other things I am involved in which are

demanding of my time. My in-laws came and stayed with us for a couple

weeks and that was a life saver! I start Chemo next week and they are

coming back to help again next week.

The best advise I can give you is make sure you have doctors that you

feel confident in and that you trust. If they don't talk to you and

answer all your questions completely, get another opinion! You do

need to do some research so that you can understand them and so that

you know what questions to ask. This group can be a great source of

info but also check out the www.cancer.org and some of the breast

cancer info on reliable sites and buy a book like breast cancer for

dummies if you need to start from ground zero and then you can try

another book with more info like Dr. Love's Breast Book.

Hope this info helps you!

is

millera04@c... <mailto:millera04@c...>

> Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different back

in the

> 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

her but it

> was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

Yesterday was

> my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

with

> information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> Janie

[Guest guest]

I had a mastectomy, lift & reduction on the other breast, hernia

repair (old hernia from my c-section 4.5 years earlier), lymph node

disection (~15-20 nodes removed) & TRAM reconstruction on Aug 10th. I

had diffuse DCIS with an invasive cancer ~1.5 cm and 1 positive lymph

node (btw- the sentinel node was negative). I will start a dense dose

(every other week) Chemotherapy schedule next week with A/C first and

Taxol following. My cancer was receptor negative so I will not have

any hormone treatments. My mastectomy had good margins so I will not

have any radiation.

I was under anestesia for 15 hours during my surgery (and you would

think I could learn to spell it). I was most afraid of the intubation

but it wasn't bad at all for me, the anesteseologist game me a light

sedative or something going in to the operating room at 7am(to relax

me, he said - but i was happy to have it!) so I didn't remember

anything from that point until I woke up 15 hours

later at 10pm. I was surprised that I only had a slight dryness in my

throat but it was never even sore. I sucked on a lot of ice chips all

night after my surgery and the next day until I could start drinking

lots of water. I lost a lot of blood during my surgery because of a

bleeding artery so I required 2 units of blood over the next 2 days

but improved very rapidly after that.

My surgery was on a Tuesday, I felt like Hell on Wednesday (asking

myself what did I agree to wiht all the reconstruction and wondering

if I was going to even survive the ordeal?) but by Thursday morning I

felt much better and I was demanding that they move me OUT of ICU and

into a regular private room where I could get some rest. I got them

to take me off the IV on Thursday and by Friday (the swelling in my

legs and feet went right down after they removed the IV fluids) I

could get in and out of bed pretty well by myself and I would get

up and walk around the nurses station every 4-5 hours when I couldn't

sleep during the night. The most pain I had was the headaches from

laying in bed because my neck and back was so sore and it flet like

the spinal fluid just pooled up in my neck and back. I felt better

after I stopped taking the morphine in ICU, it gave me halucinations

and made my headaches worse I think. Walking helped my headaches and

they gave me an IV motrin a couple times during the night to help

them so I could sleep. Otherwise I took tylenol mostly for discomfort

but I didn't have much other pain. My appetite was back by Friday and

I was discharged Saturday evening with 5 drains. (advice-take the

stool softeners!)

I got my last drain out last friday and feel pretty good overall now.

Trying not to OVERDO it is the hardest for me! My kids are 2 & 4

years old and I have lots of other things I am involved in which are

demanding of my time. My in-laws came and stayed with us for a couple

weeks and that was a life saver! I start Chemo next week and they are

coming back to help again next week.

The best advise I can give you is make sure you have doctors that you

feel confident in and that you trust. If they don't talk to you and

answer all your questions completely, get another opinion! You do

need to do some research so that you can understand them and so that

you know what questions to ask. This group can be a great source of

info but also check out the www.cancer.org and some of the breast

cancer info on reliable sites and buy a book like breast cancer for

dummies if you need to start from ground zero and then you can try

another book with more info like Dr. Love's Breast Book.

Hope this info helps you!

is

millera04@c... <mailto:millera04@c...>

> Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different back

in the

> 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

her but it

> was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

Yesterday was

> my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

with

> information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> Janie

[Guest guest]

is,

Glad that everything went well.

I will be talking to my surgeon about a reconstruction in Now

when I go to see him.

I was wondering if we always have the mascetomy scar or what

do they do?

Sorry but I have been wondering

> > Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different

back

> in the

> > 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

> her but it

> > was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

> Yesterday was

> > my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

> with

> > information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

> EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> > TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> > Janie

[Guest guest]

is,

Glad that everything went well.

I will be talking to my surgeon about a reconstruction in Now

when I go to see him.

I was wondering if we always have the mascetomy scar or what

do they do?

Sorry but I have been wondering

> > Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different

back

> in the

> > 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

> her but it

> > was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

> Yesterday was

> > my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

> with

> > information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

> EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> > TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> > Janie

[Guest guest]

is,

Glad that everything went well.

I will be talking to my surgeon about a reconstruction in Now

when I go to see him.

I was wondering if we always have the mascetomy scar or what

do they do?

Sorry but I have been wondering

> > Thanks for your response, Moochie. I can see it was different

back

> in the

> > 90's (my mother died of metastic cancer in '95 and I took care of

> her but it

> > was lung primary, then brain. So, I won't go into that here.

> Yesterday was

> > my first day on this site and am getting all kinds of responses

> with

> > information. So, am going around thanking everyone. THANK YOU

> EVERYONE. THIS SEEMS

> > TO BE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO COME TO.

> > Janie

[Guest guest]

One of our string teachers survivied uterine cancer. Later tumors were found on her brain. She believes she is alive today because of her macrobiotic diet. The nutritionist told my husband he was not a candidate for the diet because he was too frail and thin. Very under weight. So the nutritionist thought it was a good plan for those who did not need extra calories...georgiabpizzuto2002 <no_reply > wrote:

--Hi,Just wanted to ask if anyone is familiar with the macrobiotic diet. My sister had breast cancer, she was in remission for five years, and cancer was reently found in her bones. It was a small tumor and, she just finished 2 weeks of radiation. She is looking into the diet. Does anyone know anyone on it? If so, what are your results/opinion?Bernadette- In breastcancer2 , <moochie@i...> wrote:> Hi Amber,> My hair didn't grow back quite as nice as it was. But its not too> noticeable. I think if I need chemo again sometime I might just go ahead and> shave my head. Its just thinner right on the top.> Hugs> nne> Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life> http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html> > Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:> http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html> also check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:> http://www.cancerclub.com> Re: New at breast cancer -- surgery date soon> > > > Hi nne:> >> > <<I had 6 mo of chemo. The first two Tues of the month I had 5fu and> > methotrexate in an IV push. The third week I took Cytoxan pills and the> > fourth week I

rested.>>> >> > ==>I'm on the same CMF chemo, but I get the 5FU and methotrex every week> and> > take the cytoxan pills every day, and this will be for 6 months. My> > question is did your hair grow back in or is it permanently thin?> >> > ~Amber> >> >> >> >> >> >> >

[Guest guest]

One of our string teachers survivied uterine cancer. Later tumors were found on her brain. She believes she is alive today because of her macrobiotic diet. The nutritionist told my husband he was not a candidate for the diet because he was too frail and thin. Very under weight. So the nutritionist thought it was a good plan for those who did not need extra calories...georgiabpizzuto2002 <no_reply > wrote:

--Hi,Just wanted to ask if anyone is familiar with the macrobiotic diet. My sister had breast cancer, she was in remission for five years, and cancer was reently found in her bones. It was a small tumor and, she just finished 2 weeks of radiation. She is looking into the diet. Does anyone know anyone on it? If so, what are your results/opinion?Bernadette- In breastcancer2 , <moochie@i...> wrote:> Hi Amber,> My hair didn't grow back quite as nice as it was. But its not too> noticeable. I think if I need chemo again sometime I might just go ahead and> shave my head. Its just thinner right on the top.> Hugs> nne> Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life> http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html> > Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:> http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html> also check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:> http://www.cancerclub.com> Re: New at breast cancer -- surgery date soon> > > > Hi nne:> >> > <<I had 6 mo of chemo. The first two Tues of the month I had 5fu and> > methotrexate in an IV push. The third week I took Cytoxan pills and the> > fourth week I

rested.>>> >> > ==>I'm on the same CMF chemo, but I get the 5FU and methotrex every week> and> > take the cytoxan pills every day, and this will be for 6 months. My> > question is did your hair grow back in or is it permanently thin?> >> > ~Amber> >> >> >> >> >> >> >

[Guest guest]

Dandelion fluff Georgia? I like that description :-) Hopefully it will keep coming back, more and more profusely, faster and faster, just like the dandelions in my yard! ~Amber

I did not have CMF. I had A/C and taxol, but when my hair first came back in it was fluff like dandelions. Then it turn into normal.....I just kept getting the fluff trimmed of until I had hair like I used to have...georgia

[Guest guest]

Dandelion fluff Georgia? I like that description :-) Hopefully it will keep coming back, more and more profusely, faster and faster, just like the dandelions in my yard! ~Amber

I did not have CMF. I had A/C and taxol, but when my hair first came back in it was fluff like dandelions. Then it turn into normal.....I just kept getting the fluff trimmed of until I had hair like I used to have...georgia