I'm sorry, stinky-g. Your sister has you and other good people around her to help her through this, but supporters like you need help, too. Cancer is an awful thing, but I'm betting Peggy will go on to live a long, happy life.

My best to you, Peggy, and the rest of your family.

Sherry

Sherry, thank you. You are very kind. I appreciate your empathy. I agree, these days treatment for BC has made incredibly great strides. Dh & have talked about that often, since he's been on the front lines for almost 25 years. His profession has changed dramatically in this regard. He has had to learn so many new treatment modalities, because they are always coming up with new & better ways to treat this disease. That is great & comforting news. I just hate that Peggy must go through all this. It's always hard to see our loved ones suffer. She went through so much with the brain tumor just a few years ago. But she has a great attitude, & will do what she needs to do.

I really wanted to spread the word about how she found her BC, as this dry patch is not something I have ever heard of or read about. I wouldn't want others to overlook it.

As a "former" (I hope - it's been five years this month!) kidney cancer pt myself - I thank your husband and people like him with my whole heart.

And thank you for posting about the dry scaly patch. That was new to me, too.

Stinkygardener, is it Paget's Disease you're talking about? I went to my doctor last June because of a similar itchy dry patch on my breast. Doc thought it was just a skin thing but left the room and brought back a book and showed me some info on Paget's. He said to rule it out, he wanted me to have an MRI, which I did the next day.

If it IS Paget's disease, it doesn't look like much of anything on your skin but it nearly always involves cancer inside the breast. My MRI was clean. (Just a FYI, the bi-lateral MRI cost over $5,000.00 and $2,400 of that was our co-pay. This is why you don't see a thread from me entitled "Look at my new Kitchen cupboards!".) After the MRI results came back clean, the surgeon cut out the scaly skin bit and had it tested and it came back negative for cancer as well.

I'm so sorry your sister is going through this awful thing, and I hope she has excellent treatment and results. Please keep us updated on her condition.

Sherry, congratulations on five cancer-free years this month! Thanks for sharing your outstanding results...so glad you have enjoyed such a great outcome!

Folkvictorian, thanks so much for your reply. While the term Paget's Disease has not been used by a pro, it sure sounds like that to me. She had to have a mammogram the following day to confirm that there was indeed cancer inside of the breast. I did some internet sleuthing on reputable medical sites, & discovered PD. I even told my sister about it, as it said on the places I visited that it's highly treatable (when caught early, which I *think* hers was). Evidently, if left alone, the scaly, dry skin would start to ooze & so forth. She has not gotten into that stage. Still, until she is operated on, we won't know the staging & other valuable info. I really do wonder if it's Paget's. It sure sounds like it.

I'm SO glad you chose to have the MRI & forgo the kitchen cabinets for a while (love your sense of humor!) Even more glad that your results were benign.

Thank you again for your response & your interest. Will keep you posted.

stinky- I had a mastectomy and reconstruction 12 years ago. woo hoo, 12. Remember, the surgery is all on the outside of the body,which makes a difference in recovery time. Is she having reconstruction at the same time?
Once the cancer was out, it was a bit easier to wait to find out about the stage. Wow I cant believe they have home health nurses for this now. I am glad for her and hope for the best.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Cooper! I'm SO happy to hear how well you have done. No, she will not be having reconstruction done at all.

The nurse, who has been treating my sister's dh, who has diabetes & an infected wound on his foot, will come back & help my sister for a while. They are very fond of this nurse, & sis's doc has said this nurse can be the one on her case too, which is very comforting to me.

I would think that she would have some mobility issues for a while. Especially if they find cancer in the lymph nodes & need to remove those too. How long did it take for the major soreness to wear off for you? How long did it take for you to resume your normal activities? Thanks.

If she doesnt have reconstruction, then it is not a big deal. the mastectomy didnt hurt at all to me- it was the reconstruction that was so hard to recover from- They did a tram flap reconstruction which involves using a muscle muscle from the abdomen. I think she will come home with one or maybe two drains( I forget the real name but we called them holy hand grenades after Monty Python and the Holy Grail). I had 4 drains they are no deal. They will not pull out- even though they look like they can they won't those suckers are really in there.
Because of my reconstruction, I had a six week recovery time. A few friends had just mastectomies and they bounced back quickly. Back then they routinely took all of the lymph nodes under the arm and I had to do arm exercises to get my range of motion back. But it was like having a very sore muscle- not excruciating. Now they just do the sentinel node- which doesnt effect the arm as much. I still have numbness under my arm and on my shoulder blade- but a small price to pay.And I got the full range of motion back within two weeks( remember I had pretty extensive reconstruction- involving an abdominal muscle.
Since the wound is on the outside of the body and they don't muck about inside- I would think it would be just like any surgical wound to heal- there are no muscles to knit back together, just skin. I would imagine she should be up and about right away.
It is more an emotional blow than physical.I dont think the pain meds would be very strong or needed very long in her case.
Don;t let the term invasive scare you unduly- there is in situ and then invasive breast cancer. I had the invasive sort. the other just sits.
Let me know if you need more info- I dont mind. Dr. Susan Love has a book that my surgeon lent to me- the surgical procedures are different today( well 12 years ago) but it was very educational. My Dad bought the book and read it so he would understand when we talked about it. That way I didnt have to explain everything. I am sure there is an updated one. I have lent mine out to many people when they were first diagnosed. and they have found it helpful too. There are support groups that can be helpful to bc patients. Nothing like talking to a survivor when you are scared to death.The hospital will have a listing. BC survivors often volunteer to come to the hospital and visit BC patients.

Hugs to you, SG. Wishing the best for you and your sister. I think the kindness you show on these boards will come back to you in good karma :)
Jen

Ditto the hugs. I recently lost a dear Aunt to a long, long struggle with BC. She was in her early 80's but still, it was a loss. She was brave to the end, and fiesty as all get out. She didn't let it get to her.

I hope all turns out well for your DSis. Thank you for this additional bit of awareness. We MUST be diligent about our health!

Wow, thanks Cooper! I really appreciate you sharing more details of your recovery process. I must say, I am very surprised (& delighted) to learn that your healing process was so quick & a relatively pain-free experience. Sorry that the reconstruction added some difficulties. You make so many good points & I'm very comforted by them. So, in essence, I'm feeling like her recovery from the actual surgical process may not be so daunting. Now, the crucial issue rests in what they find during surgery in terms of staging. Thanks so much for SO generously sharing your story. I'm sure others benefitted from it as well.

Jlc712, I got the air hug! Your very kind remark brought tears to my eyes. I feel your support through cyber space. Thanks!

Pesky, ditto the hugs back to you!

Your aunt sounds like such a fighter. She must have been a great lady & an inspiration for your whole family. Thanks for sharing her story, & I so appreciate the good wishes for my sister. Thanks.

Cooperbailey- thanks so much for helping stinky's fears. I look forward to being in your shoes one day, helping others get through this.

I only had the lumpectomy with the first three sentinal nodes removed back in Feb. I was sore but nothing that could not be handled. Now the placement of my chemo port was more painful. But that is because they actually go under the skin and attach it to the chest wall. That felt like I was recovering from a gunshot wound. Again, only for a while though.

Stinky- Talk to those who comfort you so you can comfort your daughter. I avoid negative websites myself. This is a difficult time for you as a mom and you need to find a place of peace so that you can be there for your daughter. My dh has taken days off to be with me in case I get really sick after my chemo. Now he sees that I am not going to fall apart without him and has decided to not take the extra days off, just the day of my treatment. He calls each morning to see how I am still, which I like. But he has come to a point where he now knows I will be ok, which helps me in the long run. I pray daily for each and every one of us who are living this life and continuing to do so.

My very best wishes for your sister and all of your family. Peggy sounds like a wonderful person and sister, and I can tell she is much loved by her family.

Think positive, there are so many breast cancer survivors. I will keep your sister in my prayers. Please keep us updated!

tina

Shannon, thanks for sharing your experience. I wish you continued success with your recovery. I'm glad you have a supportive dh & I admire your inner strength & determination. Keep up the good work! I appreciate your reply & treasure your prayers.

I also want to say that, yes, you are right. Cooper's replies really helped to comfort me a lot. At least until my sister has her surgery & I get more info about staging, I can breathe a little easier regarding her surgical procedure. I'm not riddled with worry or wallowing in sad feelings now as I was when I first posted this thread.

My dh tried to tell me that my sister's brain surgery was far riskier & potentially more troublesome than the mastectomy will be. I just couldn't hear that until Cooper shared her story. When I read her reply it was a huge eye opener which lead me to consider some other positive points on my own, including the thought that thousands of mastectomies are probably performed daily. My sister's particular brain surgery had only been done a few times ever, & only 2 docs in the country are qualified to do it! In other words, there's a wealth of wisdom, experience & skill out there when it comes to breast cancer treatment. People are equipped to deal with this. Also, if Peggy could deal with the brain surgery like a champ, she can deal with this procedure like a champ. See...I'm thinking more positively due to the support I've gotten here! One positive thought leads to another.

Tina, it's so nice to hear from you! Thanks for your very kind words, your support, and your prayers. You really seem to "get" how much Peggy means to me & to the entire family. I appreciate that.

Will continue to think positively and will update y'all when I know more. Each of you will be held in my prayers, as I thank God for your comfort & support.

stinky and shannon- glad to help. there are thousands and thousands and thousands of us BC survivors out there.

Stinky- please forgive my chemo brain, I thought this was your daughter but realize this is your sister. I have a sister who has not been part of the family for a long time due to issues with our mom and her and our mom insisting we cut her off (really long stupid reasons on mom's part). One of our sister's has restarted a friendship with her and I asked that she tell her about me. She is my sister and has a daughter, they both need to know and I know she would especially want to know. She is the type that worries horribly about everything so my other sister is careful to give her basic details and assures her that I am fine and will be fine. I have recently started emailing her and she is thrilled to hear from me. I filled her in on some more details and she said it was comforting to her to know I was truly doing well.

I am the youngest in family of 4girls and 1boy and being only 43 this has been a real shock to the older girls as they are 49-53 and none have really entered menopause yet. They all have kids in their mid 20s and I have 13 & 9yr kids. I am the most active and youthful of the group so it has really caught me off guard. But the one thing is that if they ever do get this they will have me as their support person and my ability to deal with this should help them alot.

One thing that really helps me is that my sis calls me often to ask me how I am feeling. She listens and actually wants to know so I literally tell her how I feel. My SIL calls me now, specifically me when usually she asks for my dh. She sends me prayer cards and that means so much to me. Having people close who actually want to know how I feel is what comforts me. Your sis will truly appreciate your being there for her. It is never easy watching someone you love go through something like this. But being there, listening, caring will help both of you.

Stinky, wishing the very best for your sister. I'm so sorry she (and your family) must go through this, but hope and pray that her treatment and recovery go as smoothly as they possibly can. (((((Hugs)))))

Stinky,

I am so sorry to hear about your sister's cancer, and how frightening this is for all of you. You and your family are in my prayers.

(((Stinky and Peggy)))

Shannon, thanks for responding again & sharing more about yourself and family. I feel you really understand both sides of the coin; being the one with the diagnosis and being the loved one of that person. You are a very compassionate person who can put yourself in others' shoes.

Auntjen...thanks for the hugs and good wishes. I appreciated your support!

Texanjana, thanks so very much for your empathy & for your prayers.

There has been a new development. Day before yesterday when my sister went to get her chest x-ray for pre-admission/pre-surgery, they found "something" on her lung. Today she had a CT done. Just talked to Peggy and all they determined via the CT was that there is a "mass" on her lung. The details still remain sketchy. They want to do a "fine needle aspiration" & a PET scan next week. She needs to call Monday to schedule those tests as no one was around this afternoon to do that. They have cancelled the surgery for Tuesday.
She's hanging in there! I think she's looking forward to having a quiet day at home tomorrow (no tests) to "chill out!" Then we'll all be over to bug her on Sunday!
Hopefully by the end of next week we'll have a better idea of exactly what she has & how it should be treated.

Again, thanks to each of you for your interest, support and prayers.

Oh Stinky, hugs to you and your sister. Just take one day at a time, and remember to breathe.

Sending good luck for the next round of tests. I hope the mass in her lung is benign...
Hang in there-- I think not knowing what you're up against is so difficult. Keep us posted and take care of yourself too!
Hugs,
Jen

Cooper & Jlc, you two are so sweet. Thanks for your continued support. I bet y'all have no idea how your caring words lift my spirits. Just know that even one lovely sentence conveying caring thoughts really does make a difference. Blessings to you both.

Enjoy bugging Peggy today, stinky. You all need to laugh and play with each other. I hope the end of the week brings good news.

Sherry

Go out to eat. a lot! stand outside and feel the breeze on your face listen to the wind and hear the birds(even if they are just starlings or crows). I knew that if I could do those things- I was alive! Live in the moment.
That's what I did when I got anxious and afraid.

Stinky, I am so sorry that Peggy has to be going through this. She is lucky to have such a wonderful support system during this time. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

To everyone who posts about their past and current cancer journeys, I just want to thank you. At 62 and being in a very high risk group (I'm the only woman who has not had breast cancer yet in my extended family...many benign biopsies)...hearing your experiences helps make me not so afraid of the thought of one day perhaps hearing it's malignant. I know if and when I do, I will deal with it as you've done.

Cooper, you are a hero to me in so many ways. No wonder your daughter is such a successful human being!

Stinky, thinking of you & Peggy.

I am so sorry you and your sister are going through this. I can't even imagine. You are both in my thoughts and my prayers.