<p>Just to let everyone know- my suspicious node turned out to be normal! At the last minute,
“on the table”, the doctor was doing a sonogram to prepare to do the biopsy, and said
<p>congratualtions.</p>
<p>That’s wonderful news.</p>
<p>well my news not getting better-looking at chemo and radiation etc,stunned,thougt part not all. will not be a great weekend</p>
<p>wrapping my brain around this</p>
<p>Having a bilateral mastectomy and natural reconstruction less than a month from now. Am tired of worrying whether unusual spots are just scar tissue from previous surgical procedures or something growing.</p>
<p>more than likely just superfocused on everything. tell your doc if you are worried, but with illness. it is like suddenly, everything you never noticed before comes to your attention.</p>
<p>DTE, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I find myself thinking of you each day and when I do I say a prayer for you to get through this.</p>
<p>thanks, iwish i could say i don’t need them but I do!</p>
<p>Survivor, are you doing this preventively or have you had a recurrence?</p>
<p>DTE, you know we all have your back here.</p>
<p>To Down to earth, Sixties, Ellebud and all the other ladies on this thread that shared their stories and spread positive thoughts, THANK YOU. </p>
<p>I was diagnosed with breast cancer last week (although time is going so slowly it could just have well be last year). I have had a core biopsy, ultrasound, an MRI and of course a mammogram. My husband and I are currently “shopping” for a cancer team (surgeon, oncologist, pathologist, plastic surgeon). As far as the treatment, it looks like surgery and chemo. We liked one team and had second thoughts about another. We will be going to Sloan-Kettering on Monday. </p>
<p>I have twins that will be starting college late August. My third child is at camp for two more weeks and doesn’t know yet. I figured I would tell her when we have a treatment plan. How did your kids react? Ladies is there any advise you can give to keep the lines of communication open with the kids without burdening them. My college-bound teens are out with their friends constantly. I am guessing they would rather not talk about it. So far, I am taking their lead.</p>
<p>Hang in their down to earth. I hope you are not hurting too much.</p>
<p>I am doing very well physically actually remarkably. Of course I am floored by what is going on with me not expecting to do so much. I told my kids the truth, what I have and that the kind I have requires this treatment. It will be no fun, and I am sorry but I am crying because I am so very sad about it. Mine don’t show much so I wonder, and yes i take their lead.</p>
<p>Hang in there, friends/ladies/moms…
I think our children are probably more concerned with us than they might let on. There’s probably a balance somewhere between not wanting to worry them, and giving yourself the OK to soak up all the love and support and assistance you need. I try to remind my kids to not be afraid to ask for help when they need it. Their mothers can use the same advice! Hope you get some comfort here. Wishing you love and support to get through the coming days with strength, resilience and resolve. Be strong!</p>
<p>My kids were 10 & 11 when I was diagnosed. We told them upfront what was going on (about a week after dx when confirming tests came back and we knew about staging, genetic markers, etc.), answered their questions, and have kept them up to date ever since. One of my kids asked a lot of questions and has excellent radar about when I’m not feeling well; the other didn’t ask many questions, but listened to every word I said when the other one asked, and is the first to come to my assistance if I need something taken care of.</p>
<p>We have tried really hard not to have my illness affect their lives and activities (including college choices) and they have responded wonderfully. No regrets about how we dealt with it at all.</p>
<p>I had a bone marrow biopsy yesterday; have been having a lot of hip and bone pain and my other docs want to make sure the leukemia is under control before they touch me (grrrr). Good news is that general blood counts are fine, but now we wait two weeks for the cytogenetic results.</p>
<p>the resilience and stength here amazes and comforts me. You ladies are wonderful. My kids were quite young the first time. 8 months and 3 years. In some ways it was easier to say mommy has a boo boo type thing. They are wondeful girls who I get lots of compliments on and I feel that at least we have done that. however i do worry as they are older and what I have heard here and in pm’s have been encouraging. nothing hurts more or makes me cry harder than my kids NOTHING. anyway counting down it’s always hard to consider the cancer in everything, but good to be careful. I was wishing the other day they had a simpler way of telling us results waiting is so hard. I hope your pain is just getting older stuff, or overuse, and the cytogenic results are good.</p>
<p>Its been being able to show up for important events in my kids live’s that has made a difference, and being able to show up for the every day stuff has made me feel lucky.
Last night I fell asleep with a smile. I thought of my son and his new wife just returned from their honeymoon, and my daughter in London with friends she’s had literally from birth.an e-mail and phone call shifted that.
Cancer attacks, nothing is the same again. Eaxh moment I get with my S and D is a gift.
Thank you all for sharing. I don’t post often, but do read and appreciate what is shared.</p>
<p>Earlier I was dealing with anxiety re upcoming PET/</p>
<p>when I was going through chemo I had two in high school and two in college. It was very hard on the two in high school. Harder than I knew at the time. They are just sharing with me a year later how it was so hard to see me in pain and not feeling well. My third son told me recently, “without you at the controls mom, our family falls apart” Their grades suffered and my third son had a bout with depression. I was trying to hide things from them and they were trying to hide things from me. My husband’s company was failing and he was worried about losing his job. He kept that from me until one day he let something slip.
About two months into chemo I finally called a family meeting and said we have to be honest with each other and realize we can all still support each other and we can look to others too. It improved after that. My sons in college, while concerned didn’t see the day to day stresses and I was fine with keeping it that way.
My prayers to all of you. Remember you are strong women, have faith.
Peace</p>
<p>Sometimes it is hard to give into the anxiety and say I am anxious, there is a good reason. I am having a test and I am afraid. It is normal. yesshecan- yes youcan- heres praying an end to sh…y results and Good news!! A collective hug aand prayer to all.</p>
<p>kids i wish we could protect them. I know my kids are trying to support me and not be sad. But I know they worry. I want them to be kids and not have this stress. sometimes I feel very guilty. i also want to try to be an example on how to handle adversitity. In a way even with them older it is harder to break down and give in</p>
<p>“I was trying to hide things from them and they were trying to hide things from me.”</p>
<p>keymom - I can really see how that could happen. It is so hard to share feelings as well as listen to others feelings when they are painful. Calling a family meeting must of been excruciating, necessary and healing. How brave of you.</p>
<p>down to earth - Nothing makes me cry more than problems with my kids.</p>
<p>I really want to get my twins ready for their freshman year and be as positive as possible. The natural thing for me would be to hide it all or just not talk about it. I wonder if that would be worse in the long run.</p>