Just diagnosed with breast cancer

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Dec 2, 2007

Everyone else has really said it all, so I just want to add my support. I had a teacher once that used to say, "Nursing school looks pretty impossible when you first start, but always remember you can eat an elephant if you just take it one bite at a time."

Best wishes and keep us posted.

Wondergirl0905 · Dec 2, 2007

you can eat an elephant if you just take it one bite at a time.

I think that just might have to be my new life motto

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2007

rn2bntn. . .some of us are just "lucky". i have had cancer 3 times in my life and although i won't lie and say it wasn't a rocky road i try to see the positive aspects of what having these problems has brought to my life. i'm a spiritualist. we learn more from overcoming our problems than we ever learn from going through life without any.

in my fourth semester of nursing school i fainted while standing at the bedside of a patient. thank goodness there was another student standing next to me. after tests i was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. i had two thyroid surgeries four days apart during my spring break and went back to classes when the break was over. that was in april of 1975. by the time september rolled around i was ready for radiation treatments (i-131 cocktail) and i was working. this was not a problem although at the time i had to be hospitalized and in radiation isolation for 3 days--it was the practice at the time. it was repeated in january 4 months later. it really was a piece of cake. what was worse was the mental part of it all. in april i was finishing up nursing school. i had originally planned on moving to hawaii and ended up changing those plans in order to follow up with my physicians and trying to find my first job as an rn which ended up being the worst job on the face of the earth! let's also talk about how i was sure i was probably going to die from the cancer eventually as i just couldn't get anyone to give me a straight answer about the prognosis on this. and, as you will find, no one is going to step forward and give you any definitive prognosis--ever. so, that leaves a big ?that remains in the back of your mind for a long, long time. you just never know what your final prognosis is and i went to every follow up scan wringing my hands and worrying about the outcome for days. i also made and did some really dumb things thinking that i was going to check out of planet earth which, looking back, i probably wouldn't have done if i had never had the cancer. live and learn.

after 10 years, i was pretty comfortable that i was probably going to live. sometime after that i found out that the particular cancer that i had was a highly curable one. wish i'd known that back then or that someone had been brave enough to tell me that. however, the medical practitioners just won't commit themselves most of the time because on rare occasions they are wrong. it really helps to have an oncologist who is very sympathetic. even if they won't give you a prognosis, hugs and even an occasional kiss or two from them can give you a lot of comfort and let you know that they do understand what you are going through. when i go into my oncologists office in tears i get an immediate arm around me as i am blubbering away.

20 years later i found a lump at the angle of my jaw. turned out to be another cancer. i kept asking, "is it possible this is because of the radiation therapy 20 years ago?" no one would commit to an answer. this one was more serious though, required surgery and big time external beam radiation therapy. i fully intended to work (i was an iv therapist at the time), but after my 4th radiation therapy treatment, my tongue had gone numb and mucositis had already started to establish itself in my mouth. every time i spoke i was in pain. i ended up being off of work for 8 weeks. family leave had just been put into existence, thank goodness. the effects of the radiation therapy were rough. the inside of my mouth was torn up pretty badly, i couldn't taste anything salty or sweet which pretty much made eating anything a horrible experience. i lost some hair, my skin took a beating, i got something called trismus in my jaw which is causing a lot of problems even now, lost most of my hearing in the ear on that side and the affected outer ear turned black from radiation burn. it took about a month for things to correct themself after radiation was completed. this time i wasn't as paranoid about dying from the cancer. it might have been because i was 20 years older and had gone through it all before. i won't say i didn't do a lot of crying about it, but i did have a lot of things already in order in my life.

and, now, in march my doc had me do my yearly occult stool testing. can you imagine my shock when all three samples came back positive for blood? i thought it was just this old chronic gastritis that i've had for some time that just won't go away. we nurses do love to diagnose ourselves! had a colonoscopy in june where they found a 3cm cancerous lesion. the biopsy came back 2 days later that it was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. that is the worst kind you can have because these cancers grow incredibly fast and kill you in a couple of months. luckily (?) they found it early. had surgery 3 weeks later where they found the nasty little cancer cells in one lymph node. i was referred to an oncologist (the hugger!) for chemotherapy which i am currently doing.

now, my mother had bilateral breast tumors, bilateral mastectomies followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. i don't remember her having any of the problems with chemotherapy that i am having. she seemed to sail through her chemotherapy like it was nothing. she was living with me at the time and i took her to every treatment. the only thing i remember her having any trouble with was a little bit of soreness in her mouth.

however, my chemo has been a living nightmare since day 1. keep in mind that these drugs are designed to kill off the fastest growing cells in your body, both good ones and bad (cancerous) ones--they don't distinguish between the two. that means that mucous cells get picked off. those are the cells lining your entire gi and respiratory tracks. the resulting side effects of losing those cells are: stomatitis, dry mouth, nausea, sore throat, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, gi bleeding, cough, and shortness of breath. the symptoms appear within a few days of getting the chemo drug and go on for about a week before you have a recovery from them. i don't think i'd be able to work a full time job with what i have been going through for the past 7 cycles of chemo. i am on disability. i don't worry about dying. i dealt with that issue long ago. i meditated for years and played around with psychic stuff for ages long enough to be convinced that death is just another phase we go through. i've also seen enough people die during my career, including my own mother, to know that is it a peaceful thing, much like going to sleep. i worry more about finding homes for my 3 elderly cats if i find out that my colon cancer has metastasized.

however, everyone is different. you may get different medications than i am getting. i don't want to scare you, but one of the drugs i'm getting is one that is sometimes used for breast cancer. my mother had two different types of tumors. one of her tumors was a hormone responsive one that only required a pill she would have to take daily for the rest of her life to suppress a hormone. a lot will depend on what the histology of your cancer is.

did you go to the website of the national cancer institute to get information on breast cancer? they have a booklet on breast cancer there that you can read online and download if you like. http://www.cancer.gov/

one thing something like this does do, however, is send you to the doctor on a very regular basis. you get every ache or pain checked out. you become a spokesperson for regular screening. i am always reminding other women about the importance of getting regular mammograms. you see, my mother's breast cancer was found after i was able to finally convince her after 7 years of her refusing to have them done. she went through her double mastectomy like a breeze. having yours over your vacation should go smoothly too. unfortunately, it was too late for her. she did die from metastasis of the breast cancer to her lungs two years later. the combination of surgery, chemo and radiation therapy did extend her life for 2 years. she only became ill 6 weeks before her death with progressive shortness of breath, but she really got along very well until then.

if you want to discuss this more or find out more about the symptoms i am having with my chemo, pm me. i am receiving 5-fu (nasty stuff), oxaliplatin and leukovorin every two weeks for 12 cycles. i have a picc line that was inserted in july for this purpose which should tell you how nasty this stuff is on the veins and have home health nurses who come in once a week to change its dressing and also hook me up to a 44 hour home infusion of that nasty 5-fu. i call it my bag of poison or sometimes my bag of hell. if you follow any of my posts you can sometimes tell when i'm going through a rough patch with this stuff. my fingers also get red and sore from it as well making it hard to type and open up the cat's cans of cat food. i am also starting to feel more and more fatigued and taking a lot of naps. my blood counts, however, are doing great. i have blood work drawn the day before each cycle of chemo is started as well as have an appointment with the hugger (the oncologist). so, i spend a lot of time going to different appointments--so, you would have to work all that in to your schedule as well. my first day of chemo is at the doctor's office and takes 5 hours for the infusion and i have a portable iv pump attached to my picc line for 2 days after that which must go with me where ever i go. my second day of chemo is also at the doctor's office and takes 2 hours for the infusion. i have been working on an afghan that i have been crocheting since chemo started at the end of august. if they don't give me benadryl with the chemo i can stay pretty alert and keep my stitches even! with the benadryl i will sleep the remainder of the day when i get home. i asked them to stop giving me decadron as a pre-medication because i started feeling very angry and wanting to strangle anything for days afterward from it. but i do get aloxi (for nausea), calcium and magnesium along with the chemo drugs.

Sabby_NC · Dec 2, 2007

Here is one I have not seen before...I am going into my last semester (2 exams, 2 clinicals and 2 weeks to go this semester) of NS and have just been diagnosed with bilatereral breast cancer. I am having a double mastectomy over winter break and it is my intention to return in January. Yes, I am insane if you are asking yourself that question...I am also going through a divorce and have a teenager at home.
My question is...Have any of you heard of someone going through school and undergoing chemo? I know nurses are tough and I am determined. I am willing to give it my all and if I can't do it return next year. My health is number one. Any suggestions or histories to share would be great....Thanks.:uhoh21:

Bless your heart.

I pray all will work out for you I REALLY DO. Just remember to look after yourself first.

It may be hard trying to study and concentrate while taking Chemo.

I was tired all the time when on Chemo over a few years.

Do what your heart and prayers tell you to do.

You are a tough cookie and I wish you all the very best with your impeding surgery and recovery. *hgus*

LMRN10 · Dec 2, 2007

Just wanted to let you know I am sending prayers your way. I am so sorry to hear about the diagnosis and it sounds like you are very determined to move full steam ahead. Best of luck to you.

CRNA2BKY · Dec 3, 2007

I am so sorry to hear about your cancer. I am also amazed at your drive and courage. It is that kind of strength and spirit that will get you through all your these tough times. You are in my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. Good luck, and keep us posted.

babbz · Dec 3, 2007

You are one strong woman. Let me know if there's anything I can do even from as far away as NYC. Continue being strong and don't be afraid to show your emotions, happy or sad. All my love to you, kisses and hugs:kiss!! Hang in there!

Conrad283, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2007

Just wanted to wish you well. Your health comes first.

Good luck and God's speed.

survivor08 · Dec 9, 2007

Hello all,

The date has been set. Thursday (Dec. 13) at 11:00. I will have my sentinel node mapping started at about 8:30 then the bilateral mastectomy. We will follow with chemo then radiation.

My final exam is Monday at 9:00 and by 11:30 I will be in my LAST SEMESTER OF NURSING SCHOOL. I can not believe how quickly it has gone by. I plan on reading lots of trash during my recuperation, the only NS stuff I plan on doing is brushing up on the skills I will need to do for my check off in mid January! I think I deserve a break...

Best of luck to all of you taking your finals this week. I will keep you posted. Thank you all for your support and positive energy, it really does mean alot.

PINNING DATE.....MAY 2, 2008!!!!!:balloons:

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2007

Just wanted you to know that I will be thinking about you and hope that surgery goes well.

You have the determination and the mind set to get you through this. You are truly an inspiration.

:icon_hug:

User123456 · Dec 9, 2007

all i can say is you are an incredable woman. your strength and determination are remarkable. you are going to be a wonderful nurse with the positive attitude you have. please keep up the great mind set. im just finishing my first semester of school and i know that when i feel like school, classes, clinicals, and life are just to much to bear im going to think of you for inspiration. god bless you. :kiss

Sabby_NC · Dec 9, 2007

Hello all,
The date has been set. Thursday (Dec. 13) at 11:00. I will have my sentinel node mapping started at about 8:30 then the bilateral mastectomy. We will follow with chemo then radiation.
My final exam is Monday at 9:00 and by 11:30 I will be in my LAST SEMESTER OF NURSING SCHOOL. I can not believe how quickly it has gone by. I plan on reading lots of trash during my recuperation, the only NS stuff I plan on doing is brushing up on the skills I will need to do for my check off in mid January! I think I deserve a break...
Best of luck to all of you taking your finals this week. I will keep you posted. Thank you all for your support and positive energy, it really does mean alot.
PINNING DATE.....MAY 2, 2008!!!!!:balloons:

Bless your heart I thank you for keeping us updated.

You amaze me with your spirit, never EVER lose that.

I wish you a speedy recovery and a wonderful outcome to the surgery and treatment.

Prayers for you and your family.

What an inspiration you are.

What a time it is going to be for you at your pinning date eh? *hugs*