Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hi Margery and welcome to the group. You are very lucky that you can get your chemo at home. I will keep you in my prayers that the tumor shrinks. Hugs nne > > Hi, ladies - > > I've been reading this list for a couple of weeks and would like to say > hello. > > My name's Margery, I'm 63, and I live in the UK. And I have breast cancer. > > I have had regular " free " (National Health Service so paid for by my taxes) > mammograms - one every 3 years. In June 2001 I was called back for a second > look, but it was only a faulty film - I was clear. In June 2004 - no > problem, I was clear. Then in May 2005 I found this lump. A 10cm lump in > my left breast. I swear I didn't know about it before - my first reaction > was to take it to my doctor, and I'd have done that if I'd known about it > any sooner. > > My Dr sent me to see the BC surgeon the next day, and wrote me a letter to > take with me - he described the lump as " huge " . The surgeon got me to have > a mammogram (ouch) and did a needle biopsy (pressure, no pain). A week > later I took my lovely husband with me to hear the results - bad news. Then > referral to an oncologist, who has had me on chemo ever since. > > I had chemo once every 3 weeks to start with - 4 times, it was Caelyx > (liposomal doxorubicin) and cyclophosphamide (side effects - peeling skin); > then 4 times it was Taxol (Paclitaxel) (side effects - pain in legs, and > baldness). Then I had a month off over Christmas, and was just beginning to > feel normal again. But the lump hasn't shrunk enough, so now I'm on a > 4-week cycle of Navelbine (Vinorelbine) which gives me dreadful constipation > but I take stuff for that. All of these have made me really, really tired. > I'm due to spend another 5 months on the chemo, to try to shrink the lump, > before surgery. Then we'll decide whether it's to be a lumpectomy or a > mastectomy. I don't care which, as long as the cancer is all gone. > > I'm lucky we have health insurance, although the Dr did say " same treatment, > nicer surroundings " . But one thing I am getting which I don't imagine the > NHS would provide is that the chemo nurse comes to my house and does the > drip thing here. I don't get the sisterhood I read about in the treatment > room, but it is comfortable and relaxing. > > Sorry to ramble on - once I'd started, I couldn't stop. > > Thanks for listening, > Margery. > > ============================================ > margery@b... in North Herts, UK > ============================================ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Welcome Margery. I don't understand why they don't remove the lump? When I found my lump that was the first thing they wanted to do was get it out, that was the first thing I wanted to do too. HUGS LICS June "The best protection any woman can have...is courage." Cady Stanton Secular Breast Cancer Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SecularBCSupport/ -----Original Message-----From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ]On Behalf Of Margery AllcockSent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 10:00 AMTo: breastcancer2 Subject: New here ...Hi, ladies -I've been reading this list for a couple of weeks and would like to sayhello.My name's Margery, I'm 63, and I live in the UK. And I have breast cancer.I have had regular "free" (National Health Service so paid for by my taxes)mammograms - one every 3 years. In June 2001 I was called back for a secondlook, but it was only a faulty film - I was clear. In June 2004 - noproblem, I was clear. Then in May 2005 I found this lump. A 10cm lump inmy left breast. I swear I didn't know about it before - my first reactionwas to take it to my doctor, and I'd have done that if I'd known about itany sooner.My Dr sent me to see the BC surgeon the next day, and wrote me a letter totake with me - he described the lump as "huge". The surgeon got me to havea mammogram (ouch) and did a needle biopsy (pressure, no pain). A weeklater I took my lovely husband with me to hear the results - bad news. Thenreferral to an oncologist, who has had me on chemo ever since.I had chemo once every 3 weeks to start with - 4 times, it was Caelyx(liposomal doxorubicin) and cyclophosphamide (side effects - peeling skin);then 4 times it was Taxol (Paclitaxel) (side effects - pain in legs, andbaldness). Then I had a month off over Christmas, and was just beginning tofeel normal again. But the lump hasn't shrunk enough, so now I'm on a4-week cycle of Navelbine (Vinorelbine) which gives me dreadful constipationbut I take stuff for that. All of these have made me really, really tired.I'm due to spend another 5 months on the chemo, to try to shrink the lump,before surgery. Then we'll decide whether it's to be a lumpectomy or amastectomy. I don't care which, as long as the cancer is all gone.I'm lucky we have health insurance, although the Dr did say "same treatment,nicer surroundings". But one thing I am getting which I don't imagine theNHS would provide is that the chemo nurse comes to my house and does thedrip thing here. I don't get the sisterhood I read about in the treatmentroom, but it is comfortable and relaxing.Sorry to ramble on - once I'd started, I couldn't stop.Thanks for listening,Margery.============================================margery@... in North Herts, UK ============================================ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Margery, welcome to the list. I had a similar sort of experience 17 years ago; I found my own lump at age 42, and it was almost 7cm wide. Fast-growing, like yours. When I had BC back then, they did surgery first and then chemo. Doctors know more about different cancer types and how each responds to chemotherapy now. I think it's wonderful that you can get your treatments at home. Please keep posting and let us know how things go for you. hugs, Nan --- Margery Allcock wrote: > Hi, ladies - > > I've been reading this list for a couple of weeks > and would like to say > hello. > > My name's Margery, I'm 63, and I live in the UK. > And I have breast cancer. > > I have had regular " free " (National Health Service > so paid for by my taxes) > mammograms - one every 3 years. In June 2001 I was > called back for a second > look, but it was only a faulty film - I was clear. > In June 2004 - no > problem, I was clear. Then in May 2005 I found this > lump. A 10cm lump in > my left breast. I swear I didn't know about it > before - my first reaction > was to take it to my doctor, and I'd have done that > if I'd known about it > any sooner. > > My Dr sent me to see the BC surgeon the next day, > and wrote me a letter to > take with me - he described the lump as " huge " . The > surgeon got me to have > a mammogram (ouch) and did a needle biopsy > (pressure, no pain). A week > later I took my lovely husband with me to hear the > results - bad news. Then > referral to an oncologist, who has had me on chemo > ever since. > > I had chemo once every 3 weeks to start with - 4 > times, it was Caelyx > (liposomal doxorubicin) and cyclophosphamide (side > effects - peeling skin); > then 4 times it was Taxol (Paclitaxel) (side effects > - pain in legs, and > baldness). Then I had a month off over Christmas, > and was just beginning to > feel normal again. But the lump hasn't shrunk > enough, so now I'm on a > 4-week cycle of Navelbine (Vinorelbine) which gives > me dreadful constipation > but I take stuff for that. All of these have made > me really, really tired. > I'm due to spend another 5 months on the chemo, to > try to shrink the lump, > before surgery. Then we'll decide whether it's to > be a lumpectomy or a > mastectomy. I don't care which, as long as the > cancer is all gone. > > I'm lucky we have health insurance, although the Dr > did say " same treatment, > nicer surroundings " . But one thing I am getting > which I don't imagine the > NHS would provide is that the chemo nurse comes to > my house and does the > drip thing here. I don't get the sisterhood I read > about in the treatment > room, but it is comfortable and relaxing. > > Sorry to ramble on - once I'd started, I couldn't > stop. > > Thanks for listening, > Margery. > > ============================================ > margery@... in North Herts, UK > ============================================ > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Hi, June, & thanks for the welcome. I just wanted the cancer removed, too, but they say there's a better prognosis, the smaller the lump is when they do the surgery. And this team is getting 95% five-year survival rate, so I'm going along with it. It was 10cms, now it's about 8cms, and it's taking such a long time ... but I'm going to be one of the 95%! Love, Margery. ============================================ margery@... in North Herts, UK ============================================ > > Welcome Margery. > > I don't understand why they don't remove the lump? When I found my lump > that was the first thing they wanted to do was get it out, that was the > first thing I wanted to do too. > > HUGS > LICS > June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Margery, They are doing chemo first on me too…mine was 3.8 cm and also in the lymphnodes and has shrunk to 1.5 cm. I have 3 more chemo treatments and then will have a lumpectomy followed by radiation. Good luck to you! Karla From: breastcancer2 [mailto:breastcancer2 ] On Behalf Of margeryallcock Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:33 PM To: breastcancer2 Subject: Re: New here ... Hi, June, & thanks for the welcome. I just wanted the cancer removed, too, but they say there's a better prognosis, the smaller the lump is when they do the surgery. And this team is getting 95% five-year survival rate, so I'm going along with it. It was 10cms, now it's about 8cms, and it's taking such a long time ... but I'm going to be one of the 95%! Love, Margery. ============================================ margery@... in North Herts, UK ============================================ > > Welcome Margery. > > I don't understand why they don't remove the lump? When I found my lump > that was the first thing they wanted to do was get it out, that was the > first thing I wanted to do too. > > HUGS > LICS > June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2006 Report Share Posted January 28, 2006 Me, too... first chemo, then a lumpectomy, then radiation. My tumor is 2.5cm and I have a positive lymph node. The chemo team decided on this approach because of the positive lymph node, they said it was more important to stop the cancer cells from moving around. And once you are in chemo, there really seems to be no harm in having your lump there, it is not going to grow bigger or do anything; on the contrary, it is going to shrink, which makes surgery easier and less invasive. Plus the additional advantage of actually being able to see and measure how your tumor reacts to the chemo cocktail they are giving you. Anyway, this is how the onc team explained the approach, and it made a lot of sense to me. Just as the reverse approach (getting the tumor out as soon as possible) also makes a lot of sense. My conclusion is that good oncologists do know what they are doing, and we hopefully trust our teams and are willing to let them follow the approach they feel fits our unique situation best. I am perfectly happy to trust them. Love and hope, Iza in land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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