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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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10-24-2005, 03:30 PM
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Posts: 30,771
Hysterectomy: February 4th, 2002
Surgery Type: TVH
Ovaries: Removed both
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Hi I just went for another half-yearly diagnostic mammogram last Friday, and I'm happy to say it was ALL CLEAR It's still a nerve wracking experience for me... probably always will be now... but such a huge relief to hear that I'm good for another six months now. And, if the next one is clear, they'll put me back on a once a year schedule.
I was at Curves this morning, and we were chatting about this subject because it's once again Breast Cancer Awareness Month... I was shocked at how many of the ladies, most in their 40s and 50s, had either never had a mammogram or admitted they had the order for one at home but hadn't made the call to schedule it. Goodness... it's a half hour or so out of our lives, really not all that uncomfortable, insurance usually picks up most of the cost, and it can save lives. Why NOT do it? Because they're all thinking like I used to... "It'll never happen to me". Amazing how quickly one can go from "It'll never happen to me" to "it happened to me and it could happen to me again any time".
The lesson I've learned from all this is, I can't predict what the future holds for me, and I can't totally prevent bad things from happening... but I need to do as much as I can to increase my odds of staying healthy. I recently read an article that concluded that ladies diagnosed with DCIS who begin an exercise program involving at least a half hour of cardio exercise several times a week have half the recurrence rate of those who don't. That alone is incentive enough to keep me moving. I've improved my eating habits and worked hard to balance my hormones (bio-identical) along with taking a good mixture of vitamins and supplements as recommended by my DRs. I see them all regularly and don't shy away from any tests they might request. I get regular mammograms and DEXA scans. It's a responsibility we all have to take care of our bodies, so we can stay around a long, long time.
-Linda
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10-24-2005, 04:26 PM
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HysterSister
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Posts: 109
Hysterectomy: September 22nd, 2005
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Removed both
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
I just had my mammogram today, and I am very happy to say, it is the first mammogram I have had that did not contain "something suspicious" and require surgery in over two years!
On my first mammogram in June 2003 they saw microcalcifications in my left breast and I went for a stereotactic biopsy which showed atypical ductal hyperplasia (pre-cancer), so then I went for an excisional biopsy in Sept 2003, which was so close to being cancer, they sent the slides to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion, which stated it "fell short of a definitive diagnosis of DCIS" and agreed it was atypical cells, that just fell short of being cancerous. I was put on Tamoxifen.
My next mammogram in March 2004 was deemed o.k., but I had a palpable lump in my right breast, which I found during self exam, so I needed to have another excisional biopsy, which showed only hyperplasia and not atypical cells (completely benign).
Then in Sept 2004 I had another mammogram, which was deemed o.k., but again I found a lump during my self exam that was a solid mass and required another excisional biopsy - this time it showed the atypical cells in my right breast.
This was my first mammogram after the breast surgery I had in Oct 2004, and they told me they didn't see anything suspicious! I am so relieved. I just couldn't face another breast surgery so close to my hysterectomy.
Just wanted to share my good news and the importance of yearly mammograms and monthly self exams.
It really makes me thankful for all the blessings I have. And my story really shows the importance of yearly mammograms, but also the importance of doing self exams each month, since two of the lumps I found were not seen on the mammograms.
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10-24-2005, 05:17 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 34
Hysterectomy: October 6th, 2005
Surgery Type: LAVH
Ovaries: Removed both
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Well ladies I am a living, breathing, walking testimonial to the importance of self exams. Last October (of course Breast cancer awareness month) I found a lump while doing my monthly exam. I do them religiously as I had a lump 10 years ago that was biopsied and was benign. That was enough to scare me into being vigilant about my breast health. I found this new lump 1 week after marrying the man of my dreams. We aren't spring chickens and have each been down that road before. I waited one month to see if the lump would go away after my next cycle and when it hadn't I told my DH. It took 2 months to get all the tests and appointments because the mammogram didn't detect this lump at all. I had to have an ultra-sound and the tech told me it looked like an inflamed lymph node. I didn't buy that crap since I examine my breasts regularly I could hardly imagine a lymph node was "inflamed".
Well sure enough 1 week after the biopsy my surgeon called me at home to tell me I had invasive lobular carcinoma. I was shocked since he had been convinced that what he found and removed was just a cyst. One week later I had a partial mastectomy and lymph node removal. I am VERY lucky to have found it when I did. The day I found it, it felt like a dried pea and by the time it was removed it was the size of a grape! In 3 months!
The partial mastectomy removed any remaining cancerous cells and the nodes were clean. I was lucky and blessed by The Lord to be a stage 1 and only have to have 7 weeks of radiation. I finished that in May and decided my periods were getting to be too much after I started taking the tamoxifen. I was diagnosed with an intracervical fibroid the summer before the cancer so I just decided to go ahead with the hyster since my tumor had been estrogen receptor positive it was good to get rid of the ovaries anyway.
So here I am over 2 weeks post op from the castle visit and I am feeling great.
But the point I want to make to everyone is DO NOT rely solely on your mammogram. Do monthly exams and learn your breasts so you can feel when something changes. I wouldn't have had another mammogram for 6 months or so and who knows what would have happened. Even if I had one earlier it was not detected on the mammogram.
I survived this for a reason and 1 of those I know for sure is to yell my head off to everyone who I can reach to do your monthly exams and have yearly mammograms!
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10-24-2005, 09:52 PM
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Guest
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Posts: 478
Hysterectomy: July 28th, 2005
Surgery Type: TAH
Ovaries: Kept 1 or both
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Just wanted to add. I have always done self exam sporadically. Never was I real faithful with it, but......
In February my God Sister found a lump. She was 43 years old. It was very small and the first OB/Gyn and then the surgeon really thought it was a benign lump. She had a lumpectomy in March. It was not and it had already spread. I have the exact name of it written down, anyway after her mastetomy and grading they put her at a stage 3, metastatic and very, very aggressive. She is now in her 17th week of Chemo. So far she is doing okay with that. And we are prayerful that she is going to beat this.
My sister's lump was small, even the oncologist believed that she had caught it early and that it had been confined to the lump or only in the breast tissue it's self. It had spread to her lymph's. She has always been very good about self-exam but was afraid to get a mammogram. I tell you ladies this, because breast self-exam is very important. As well as yearly mammograms once you reach 40. Mammogram can detect changes in the breast before they can be felt.
I had my first baseline in April of this year at 44. I too had put it off because I was afraid it was going to hurt. It didn't. Mine came back fine. My Gyn wanted it, but I could have delayed, I always have. My sister's panic is what made me go ahead and not keep putting it off. She was so worried because I hadn't done it and I'm a year older than she is.
Surferbabe is right, it is a good thing to do for yourself. If you've never done it and your 40 or older, get that baseline done. If you've had one before and your past due, then call and make an appointment. After all this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The peace of mind is wonderful.
Theresa
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