Guest guest Report post Posted January 9, 2006 Sorry, it's really hard for me, somewhat computer illiterate, to figure out, number one, how to enter this room and, secondly, how to respond: so, here it goes: > > Hi, > > > > When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph > nodes..they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before > surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. > So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere > and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. > I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or > early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. > > > > I'm 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. > > > > Karla Hook > > Texas > > hormone negative and HER2 positive > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 9, 2006 Sorry, it's really hard for me, somewhat computer illiterate, to figure out, number one, how to enter this room and, secondly, how to respond: so, here it goes: > > Hi, > > > > When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph > nodes..they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before > surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. > So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere > and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. > I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or > early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. > > > > I'm 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. > > > > Karla Hook > > Texas > > hormone negative and HER2 positive > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 9, 2006 Sorry, it's really hard for me, somewhat computer illiterate, to figure out, number one, how to enter this room and, secondly, how to respond: so, here it goes: > > Hi, > > > > When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph > nodes..they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before > surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. > So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere > and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. > I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or > early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. > > > > I'm 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. > > > > Karla Hook > > Texas > > hormone negative and HER2 positive > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 10, 2006 Karla, Glad to hear the tumor is shrinking. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com RE: Intro Hi, When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph nodes….they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. I’m 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. Karla Hook Texas hormone negative and HER2 positive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 10, 2006 Karla, Glad to hear the tumor is shrinking. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com RE: Intro Hi, When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph nodes….they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. I’m 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. Karla Hook Texas hormone negative and HER2 positive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 10, 2006 Karla, Glad to hear the tumor is shrinking. I will keep you in my prayers. Hugs nne Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Lifehttp://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.htmlalso check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:http://www.cancerclub.com RE: Intro Hi, When diagnosed I had Stage II, tumor was 3.8 cm and had spread to the lymph nodes….they recommended chemo before lumpectomy to shrink the tumor before surgery. I recently had an ultrasound and the tumor has shrunk to 1.5 cm. So far I have had 4 treatments of AC and will start 4 treatments of Taxotere and Herceptin next week and will continue to take Herceptin for a full year. I am halfway through chemo and should have lumpectomy at end of March or early April. I will then have radiation after the surgery. I’m 43, married with two children one 18 and one 14. Karla Hook Texas hormone negative and HER2 positive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 5, 2007 Hello everyone~ My name is Brittney, and I've recently become extremely concerned that I may have a thyroid problem, or somethign along those lines. I was really hoping I could find some answers here, as my doctor is clueless. I am switching doctors, and I actually see the new one tomorrow. I am not sure what to ask him, what to ask for, or anything, so I'm really hoping for help on that. Here is my story; alot of this story may be irrelevant, but I'm not sure what to make of all of this. I'm including everything so nothing gets overlooked: My whole life I have suffered from chronic UTI's and blood in my urine. No one can figure it out to this day. They just tell me it's " normal " for me. I've always had temperature issues.. As a kid and teen, I was always super hot.. and I would sweat alot. I don't know if my periods are irregular, as I've been on birth control since I've had them. I didn't get my first period until I was nearly 15. I was also told as a tween that I was " borderline diabetic " , though I have no idea what that means or if it is even significant. I've also suffered from severe anxiety and depression since I was a teenager. Then, I got sick with pertussis. Really sick. An x-ray (to see if I had pneumonia) showed that I had some " growth " in my chest/ lung area. They thought I had cancer. So I went to a larger hospital for some more testing. Said that it was my thymus, and it was enlarged. But that wasn't as worrisome as this weird protein that I had in my blood. (this is what I was told.. I know it is not very specific. I was very sick and had no idea what was going on). This protein signaled to them that I had cancer SOMEWHERE in my body. Most likely a lymphoma or myeloma. After I had recovered from the bad case of pertussis, I had to go in for more testing. The protein was still there, my thymus still enlarged (but not concerning?) , and eventually had a bone-marrow biopsy. That was completely normal. Then, I got pregnant. I went in for more testing after I foudn out I was pregnant. The protein had disappeared! Vanished, though they said I needed to be tested again after baby was born. I never went back. At least, not yet. I also had a doc tell me aroudn this time that my thyroid was enlarged. Nothing was ever done about that. Then, all of the sudden, I was no longer hot anymore, I was cold. Still am, and my dd is 15 months. Then, I started having really low blood pressure readings, like 90/40 most of the time. I sprouted horribly scarring acne on my face, chest and back. My temp was/ is very low as well (pre-O, 96.2 about, post-O, 97.5). Now, at 15 months PP, here are my other weird symptoms.. I have no idea if they are related or what, but here they all are: -Nodule on the right side of thyroid; .8cm big -Grossly enlarged right side of thyroid -Small cyst on left side of thyroid -Abnormal hair growth on my neck, side of face (even on my one cheek), upperlip, back, buttocks, belly, toes, and inner theigh. -Always really cold or really hot -CANNOT lose weight, or if I do, I gain back quickly no matter what I do. -I have a weird lump on the right side of my abdomen that is tender when poked at...and getting larger. again, no one knows what it may be. -Puffy face > -headaches > -extreme tiredness > -anxiety, depression > -joint and muscle pain > -face discoloration > -weird discoloration on the nape of my neck... it is also " swollen " > looking. Like a hump that sticks out really far. > -Heart palpatations > -Low blood pressure and temps > -High phosphorous levels > -dry skin > -bad facial acne that scars > -bad body odor/ sweat -blood in my urine ALWAYS -chronic bladder infections -extreme irritabilty > I can't think of anything else right now. I'm just so sick of feeling like I'm falling apart and no one knows why. I'm only 21 years old and I feel like I'm 80. These docs treat me like I'm a hypochondriac, and I'm sick of wondering if I really am. These symptoms are real, and from the minimal amount that I have read, may be related? The only time I have felt good in the last 10 years or so was when I was pregnant. Though my depression symptoms got worse for awhile, I felt great the last half of my pregnancy. I could finally keep my weight under control (though my acne got so much worse), though I was still really tired all the time. Just not constantly hungry. Please, someone help me out! Thanks > ~Brittney Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 5, 2007 Welcome! A lot of the things you talk about in your life history and right now sound like thyroid and/or adrenal issues to me, as well as maybe some imbalanced sex hormones. You are NOT a hypochondriac! You need to get a LOT of tests, especially with the enlarged thyroid possibility and blood in the urine, which could be something even more serious OR it could just be from a bladder infection. It also sounds like you have symptoms of HIGH cortisol, so you need to get that checked out pronto as well. You said you're going to a new doctor? Demand a full thyroid panel, including TSH, ft3, ft4 and reverse t3 plus cortisol tests, not just morning, but maybe even 24 hour urine, ACTH serum, stim test, the whole 9 yards, because it sounds like you have high cortisol and you need more than the AM reading IMO. If you have Cushings, you need to get that taken care of ASAP. The is not good, so make sure you tell the new doc EVERYTHING and demand tests to check for everything. They may want to test for thyroid or pit tumors, fine, just don't let them leave out the full thryoid panel and the full cortisol testing. You will have lots of support here. Kathleen > as a tween that I was " borderline diabetic " , though I have no idea what > that > means or if it is even significant. I've also suffered from severe > anxiety and depression since I was a teenager. > Then, I got sick with pertussis. Really sick. An x-ray (to see if I > had > pneumonia) showed that I had some " growth " in my chest/ lung area. > They > thought I had cancer. So I went to a larger hospital for some more > testing. Said that it was my thymus, and it was enlarged. But that > wasn't as worrisome as this weird protein that I had in my blood. > (this > is what I was told.. I know it is not very specific. I was very > sick > and had no idea what was going on). This protein signaled to them > that > I had cancer SOMEWHERE in my body. Most likely a lymphoma or > myeloma. > After I had recovered from the bad case of pertussis, I had to go > in > for more testing. The protein was still there, my thymus still > enlarged > (but not concerning?) , and eventually had a bone-marrow biopsy. > That was completely normal. > Then, I got pregnant. > I went in for more testing after I foudn out I was pregnant. The > protein had disappeared! Vanished, though they said I needed to be > tested again after baby was born. I never went back. At least, not > yet. > I also had a doc tell me aroudn this time that my thyroid was > enlarged. > Nothing was ever done about that. > Then, all of the sudden, I was no longer hot anymore, I was cold. > Still > am, and my dd is 15 months. Then, I started having really low blood > pressure readings, like 90/40 most of the time. I sprouted horribly > scarring acne on my face, chest and back. My temp was/ is very low > as > well (pre-O, 96.2 about, post-O, 97.5). > Now, at 15 months PP, here are my other weird symptoms.. I have no > idea > if they are related or what, but here they all are: > -Nodule on the right side of thyroid; .8cm big > -Grossly enlarged right side of thyroid > -Small cyst on left side of thyroid > -Abnormal hair growth on my neck, side of face (even on my one > cheek), > upperlip, back, buttocks, belly, toes, and inner theigh. > -Always really cold or really hot > -CANNOT lose weight, or if I do, I gain back quickly no matter what > I do. > -I have a weird lump on the right side of my abdomen that is tender > when poked at...and getting larger. again, no one knows what it may be. > -Puffy face > > -headaches > > -extreme tiredness > > -anxiety, depression > > -joint and muscle pain > > -face discoloration > > -weird discoloration on the nape of my neck... it is also " swollen " > > looking. Like a hump that sticks out really far. > > -Heart palpatations > > -Low blood pressure and temps > > -High phosphorous levels > > -dry skin > > -bad facial acne that scars > > -bad body odor/ sweat > -blood in my urine ALWAYS > -chronic bladder infections > -extreme irritabilty > > > > I can't think of anything else right now. > I'm just so sick of feeling like I'm falling apart and no one knows > why. I'm only 21 years old and I feel like I'm 80. These docs treat > me > like I'm a hypochondriac, and I'm sick of wondering if I really am. > These symptoms are real, and from the minimal amount that I have > read, > may be related? > > The only time I have felt good in the last 10 years or so was when I > was pregnant. Though my depression symptoms got worse for awhile, I > felt great the last half of my pregnancy. I could finally keep my > weight under control (though my acne got so much worse), though I was > still really tired all the time. Just not constantly hungry. > Please, someone help me out! > Thanks > > ~Brittney > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 5, 2007 Brittney, You sound like I was a few years ago. I think you are toxic and an herbal cleanse would help. I also think you have adrenal and thyroid issues. Below I added input on symptoms I had similar to yours and what it could be. Cheri Intro Hello everyone~ My name is Brittney -Nodule on the right side of thyroid; .8cm big -I had nodules off and on. At my worst, I had a constant choking sensation too. Kombu seaweed made the nodules go away. -Grossly enlarged right side of thyroid - could be nodule, need your thyroid treated -Small cyst on left side of thyroid - I still get lots of cysts. Cleansing and addressing thyroid issues can help. -Abnormal hair growth on my neck, side of face (even on my one cheek), upperlip, back, buttocks, belly, toes, and inner theigh. - I think this is adrenal related and also your sex hormones which will be thrown off when adrenal and thyroid are. I got weird hair growth in odd places, but my hair on the scalp, legs, pubic region I lost. -Always really cold or really hot - yes, temperature intolerance linked to adrenals and thyroid -CANNOT lose weight, or if I do, I gain back quickly no matter what I do. - At my worst I gained 30 lbs in a short amount of time and was down to 800 calories and could not lose. No meds helped. I finally did some cleanses, lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks and the meds started working. -I have a weird lump on the right side of my abdomen that is tender when poked at...and getting larger. again, no one knows what it may be. - Could this be your liver or gall bladder? Again, detoxing helps. I had bad gall bladder attacks but most of my tenderness and pain was the pancreas and colon which now has mostly been resolved. -Puffy face - yes, I had this since my teens off and on. Never could figure it out since I was really, really skinny but the face would balloon up for no reason. I am now positive it is thyroid and adrenal related. Since starting Isocort, interestingly, my facial swelling has gone down. > -headaches , extreme tiredness , anxiety, depression , joint and muscle pain , face discoloration , weird discoloration on the nape of my neck... it is also " swollen " looking. Like a hump that sticks out really far. I had all these. Adrenal caused most, thyroid some. The hump and some other symptoms sounds like cortisol excess. Do you carry more weight in the stomach area with thinner limbs like your arms? I used to have a tiny flat stomach until my most extreme adrenal state then got a big huge gut an stretch marks which I am still working on addressing with proper adrenal treatment. > -Heart palpatations - adrenal i n my case > -Low blood pressure and temps - adrenal > -High phosphorous levels > -dry skin - thyroid and adrenal > -bad facial acne that scars - adrenal- I had this bad for a few years, scarred up my entire left side. What helped the most was high doses of probiotics, then starting adrenal treatment. Mine was do to fungal infections that were impacting the adrenal. The fungus got under control more with the probiotics. Do you also have trouble healing like black and blue marks and sores that take very long to heal? > -bad body odor/ sweat - yup, had that. I think you have a systematic fungal infection and bacteria. Probiotics in high doses (Garden of life ultra primal defense) helped me the most with that. -blood in my urine ALWAYS - This sounds pretty serious. I never had that but definitely need to get that tested until you get an answer. -chronic bladder infections - bacterial and fungal infections can cause that -extreme irritabilty - yup, adrenal was my issue Hang in there, Brittney. I know you feel but you are so young and your body can more easily respond to treatment than we old folks so at least that is good news. You just need to get the right tests and a good doc to help, plus this list will help you sort it out as best we can. Cheri . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
