shakes fist at sky

[sunqueen]

Well, I was all ready to finally get my new hips next week. My employer brought in a mammovan the week before last to make it easier for us to get screened. Got it done. The next day I got a call that it was abnormal so I went to the breast center for more tests. Then I was sent for a biopsy on Tuesday. Friday I learned that I have breast cancer - infiltrarting ductal carcinoma grade two. YaY me!  I see the surgeon next week but I'm probably going to lose the girls and then maybe treatment. No new hips for now.

I figure I survived tx so I can probably deal with anything they throw at me.  

[GoofyDad]

Well, doesn't that just suck? I guess we can only take solice in the fact that these treatments are available and have such high success rates. But it still *****. Very sorry for you.

Be well.

[eureka254]

Wishing you well at this most difficult time.  Diagnosis is the first step to cure, and I hope it is so for you.  You wacked the hep c beast into submission, and you surely are someone who has the strength to beat this as well.  Best of luck moving forward, and godspeed.  Take care.  ~eureka

[Proactive]

Gosh Sunqueen, I really don't know what to say,but with the new technologies and your positve attitude, I'm sure you'll do fine. You will beat this as well. This is one of the times where it is difficult to put ones self in another persons shoes. I suspect this will be as much a physcological battle as a physical one. Know that we are here for you if you need us.

Sending positive thoughts your way, and wishing you the best outcome

Pro

[paen53]

A difficult pill to swallow, that's for sure. The lessons learned and knowledge gained from fighting HCV will certainly help you decifer all the incoming info, but I'm sure right now it's all overwhelming and discouraging , to say the least. I am sorry you have to face another battle like this. Sending prayers and positive thoughts your way for the Dr's visit next week and the healing that will follow.

Pam

[Bill1954]

You probably learned more than you give yourself credit for from managing HCV. Reach back, grab some of those techniques and lessons, and move forward aggressively; many women are now successful winning over breast cancer. A gal I know well had it in 1999, and has now been CA free for 11 years; so go get a piece of it.

I’m sorry to hear this; there will no doubt be ups and downs involved along the way. Take care of yourself, and let us know how things go—

--Bill

[Willy50]

All I can say is that you are in my thoughts and that I wish you success.  One doesn't often know what to say in such cases, but I know that many people here are pulling for you.

Willy

[Trish77]

That's really tough news.  I don't know anything about this and found this really good article.

http://www.*************.com/breast-cancer/types-36003-5.html

I'm hoping this is containable to lump removal and wishing you the best prognosis possible.   You've always showed remarkable spirit and I can imagine you'll tackle this with your usual fight on....just wish you didn't have to but know you can and will.  Sorry for this news and keeping hopes high for you.

Trish

[babs824]

gosh that is a hard diagnosis. i know how stunned you must feel as i was there nearly 12 years ago. i had stage 2 and underwent a mastectomy and chemo followed by radiation. i have been cancer free since then. i am in my 5th week treating hcv. the cancer treatment was great training. the similarities are striking as far as how the drugs make u feel. sooo if u do need chemo you will probably do well as u did in hcv treatment. you need the same types of resources; good medical team, good family support, and a positive attitude will all help you get through this recent challenge. we live in a time when this disease is very treatable in most cases and the resources to help u are a click away. if i can answer any questions feel free to send them. i wish you strength and courage to rise to yet another challenge, hugs, babs

[frijole]

That hurts.  I am sure you were looking forward to the new hips, but this does take priority.  Take care of yourself.  I am sure your treatment for C will help with this new challege.

Good luck, frijole

[Marcia2202]

Oh no! I'm so so sorry to hear this. I wish you the strength to go through this. I can only imagine how you must be feeling.

I'm sending lots of love and positive thoughts your way.

Hugs, Marcia

[HectorSF]

I am very sorry for your diagnoses. You must be terribly shocked. Just hearing the word cancer is shocking in itself. There are so many bad connotations we all have when we just think of that word.

I am so very glad that you caught it early, that is crucial and that treatment success for breast cancers have vastly improved in recent years.

Yes, having gone through HCV treatment will help you to get through the ups and downs of dealing with cancer. Not that we would want anyone to have suffered previously, but the tough lessons we learn in the past can help us to face future challenges knowing that we have overcome previous medical crisis. Remember you are stronger then you know.

Keep us informed as things develop.
All the best to you.

Hectorsf

[sunqueen]

Thanks everyone for your warm supportive comments and to everyone who has sent an email or a message. Sorry I dropped this bit of a bomb and then then poofed. My phone, email and texts have gone off the charts and I can't keep up.

Anyway, I have to get a PET scan and a bone scan to see if there are any mets. Surgery is scheduled for Nov 8 - bilateral mastectomy. Don't know what the tx will be after that.
We'll see .....

[Trinity4]

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow sunqueen.  My thoughts are with you and I hope your recovery goes well.  Please keep us posted.

Trinity

[Isobella]

So sorry to hear of this new battle you are facing.

I'm just want to wish you all the best for the days to come.  Sending positive thoughts and love your way.

Wishing you all the best, always!!!!!

Isobella

[meakea]

I am so sorry to hear this...I am at a complete loss of words. You must feel like a punching bag about now.  I'm praying for added strength for you to get through this trying time...and I know you will.  Please keep us posted.  Sending you a huge cyber huggggggg.

[Willy50]

Thinking of you today

Willy

[fretboard]

I hope everything works out well for you!  Good luck and God Bless

[sunqueen]

Thank you all!  I made it through the surgery fine. It took about 4 hours to remove my worn out old milk sacks. I had my laptop and tried to write to friends Monday night. They said they received messages in Martian from me. Oh yeah. Gotta love dilaudid. Te he.

I got home yesterday afternoon.So happy to be here!  What a burden was lifted from my chest! They're having a fundraiser at work to guess the weight of my boobs and the surgeon happily complied by tossing them on the scale before they went off to pathology. So the crazy nurses are collecting 10 bux per bet and the winner gets $25 to Victoria's Secret (seriously, they're sick people). Me, I get all of the frogskins. Mmmwahahaha. I achieve a lifelong goal to finally be flat-chested AND I get paid for it too. Who knew??

I'll start chemo in about three weeks. I hope I can have the same humor that got me through tx and everything else. I get the impression that the lymph node involvement was more extensive than they thought prior to surgery and they're tenatively calling it Stage 3 until the pathology report comes back. Early indicators are 12-20 weeks of chemo and possibly radiation.

I made it through HCV TX. I can do anything. For those of you treating now, fight on my friends. You will come through with strengths you never knew you had and much less fear about things that life will throw in your path. We slay dragons. Everything else after that is small.

[Willy50]

Well hon.... I started to post to you right after yours....and then deleted it cause....  I was afraid to joke in kind, afraid to offend in any way and I (and perhaps many of us) end up stuck for words.

All I can say is that the thing that makes you....YOU is your spirit, and that it looks as if you have come through this in a big way.

When I was first diagnosed w/ HCV I thought it was about the worst thing that had happened in my life.  Over the years I've seen that it was actually just small bump in the road.

I've met so many people who have faced far tougher deals than mine with poise, humor and dignity.

People like you end up serving as models for us.  None of us know how to do this thing 100% and end up learning from example.  

Thank you.

And I look forward to hearing that you beat this latest issue.

Willy

[mikesimon]

I wish you all the best.
Be well,
Mike

[Trinity4]

Take good care of yourself sunqueen.  Hope things go well.

Trinity  -  The original jackwagon caller -  tissue thrower

[Proactive]

Great to see your post sunqueen, wishing you the very best. You're a trooper, give'm hell.

Pro

[nygirl7]

Wow I honestly dont know what to say and I am seldom at a loss for words this much.

You have had some rough road but your sense of humor has never failed you. Many people think they have it so rough on treatment but look at all that you have had happen in such a brief time yet dont whine or complain, you just soldier onwards.

I pray the best for you Sunqueen.  You are one tough cookie and I have no doubt that you will succeed at this next mission in life. No doubt at all.

I wish you health and happiness Sunqueen. We're here if you need us (or if you'd just like to entertain us with your wit - that too ;)

Deb

[merryBe]

wow, I've been gone all summer and a lot of new people have joined, so I don't know you, but it's really tough when life keeps giving us lemons. ouch!!!

But keep your chin up, they are light years ahead and survivors are the rule not the exception anymore.  I hope you'll take advantage of the breast cancer forum in here, I'm sure that group can get you caught up to speed on the low down faster than you can say jimminy christmas.  I mean, stick with the support in here too...but do that as well...the group most familiar with the disease will know things we won't...
My best to you Sunqueen, looks like you've made lots of good friends in here...I'd check out second opinions and lumpectomies before deciding which way to go on all of this.