New member- Card

[Guest guest]

Good morning, I am a new member and was diagnosed in late March 2006. This

is long, so don't feel obligated to read it, however it feels good to just

write about my story. Even though I have wonderful support of my loving

husband, family and friends, I still feel often alone. That feeling is

passing more and more each week. My heart goes out to you, Farida. Surely

we can gather contact resources to help you.

2005 was a terrible year for my parents - they had been perfectly healthy

and enjoying retirement. My father suffered two hemorrhagic strokes and my

mother had heart arrhythmias, blood clots and then diagnosed with ductal

carcinoma in situ. Between them both, they had 12 hospitalizations. They

live in Dallas and I live in Houston, so I became very familiar with the 4

hour drive up/down I45. Late December 2005, I started having this anxious

feeling in my left chest - kind of tight in my armpit. I chalked it up to

the stress of taking care of my parents and not swimming regularly in 2005

and then maybe it was anxiety attacks remembering my grandmother.

My maternal grandparents lived in East Texas and had a small farm. They

were hardworking farmers, kind and loving people. My grandfather did not

even finish high school because his parents made him drop out to work in

order to help pay for his older brother to attend medical school. My

grandmother's birthday was December 30 and the Christmas before her 65th

birthday, they were spending the holidays with us. I remember this imagine

as clear as it was 33 years ago. My mother, Maw and I were in my parent's

bedroom and Maw lifted up her left arm and showed us a mass about the size a

baseball. She said she thought it was bad but wanted to wait until her

birthday, so Medicare would cover the costs. It was breast cancer and my

mother or uncle would bring her often to MD for treatment. My

mother hated driving to Houston and would cry before having to take my

grandmother for treatments. I was in college by then and felt so bad that I

could not help my mother or grandmother more. Maw lived for 7 years with a

lot of suffering and it always stuck in the back of my mind, even though I

was young, that if she had only gone to the doctor early, she would have

lived longer and not suffered so much.

I had a physical in January 2006 from my family practitioner - every thing

clear, negative mammogram, but I still could not shake that anxious feeling

in my left chest - I never felt any lumps. I then went to my internist who

I have known for a long time and has helped me on many occasions. She said

I was stressing my heart because of all the family issues and recommended

Xanax. I took 2 Xanax during the next week and guess what? That anxious

feeling did not go away. I went back to my internist in 2 weeks and

complained that I thought my left nipple was turning out just a bit rather

than its usual headlights forward. She sent me for the ultrasound and needle

biopsy even though she could not palpate a mass. I got the report of breast

cancer on a Thursday and scheduled to see the surgeon that following Monday.

When Bob, my husband and I went to the surgeon, I fully expected to hear I

would need a lumpectomy and then radiation. In fact, I did not even think

it was necessary for Bob to come, but thank God, he insisted in coming with

me. The surgeon explained why I would need a mastectomy - cancer cells in

the nipple and just under the nipple. That is probably why the mammogram

was negative. A lumpectomy would be very deforming. Even though it was a

shock, I knew it had to be done. We scheduled the surgery and then walked

to the elevator. Standing at the elevator, I told Bob the anxious feeling

in my left chest and armpit was gone. I think my grandmother was telling me

to be diligent. And I was. That anxious feeling has never returned - even

after the mastectomy.

My nodes were clear and the tumor was under 1.2cm. I turned 48 yesterday,

married x 22 years, no children and am premenopausal. After interviewing 3

oncologists, I am electing to participate in a randomized study using

tamoxifen x 5 years, tamoxifen plus ovarian suppression x 5 years or

exemestane plus ovarian suppression for 5 years that is being performed at

44 institutions across the country. I am so happy I caught my tumor early

and hope the study will help future generations. If anyone is interested, I

will post the pdf file of the study.

Blessings to all and thank you for your postings and work on this chat

group,

Welcome to breastcancer2

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in the group. Please tell us a little about

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taken care of as soon as I receive the notice.

nne

cofounder