Breast lumps

hmm pissed off - mebbe politics?

I was always told that I couldn't knit when I was in school - however, my grandmother had already taught me how - I knit left-handed and European-style, so the teachers could never figger out what I was doing.

There was a time when I knit afghans for weddings, for babies, for any old reason - then sweaters for everyone - and matching mittens. I still pick up the needles and throw yarns together - just to see what will happen. Last year I knit a sort of poncho/shawl thing with knitted in pockets on the inside - looks good and is actually wildly practical.

I love to swim and really enjoyed dragon-boating when I had the time and opportunity to be on a team. The 5:30 a.m. meets were too much after a while.

I took up bellydancing a couple of years ago - I'm going to be in my second recital this year. I have to laugh when I tell people that I was in my first dance recital at age 50. I felt like I was in grade 3 again.

naw, politics don't interest me much. I'm just mad at my body.

Lucky you to have a grandma who taught you to knit. Wonderful thing to know. You'll never be without clothing anyway eh? Did you make up the pattern for the poncho? I've never been good with needle and thread as far as clothing. My mom made a lot of clothing and tried to teach me when I was a kid. We thought I had the idea, and I was stitching away on the sewing machine and proudly held up the finished product, only to find that I had sewn the arm-holes together...clever me.

Dragon boats...there's one in my town mostly for breast cancer survivors. Great idea. I'm not a morning person and could never do 5 a.m. paddles. You sound like a very active person.

I've heard that belly dancing is popular again. I think there's a class going on in town but I haven't checked it out. Great exercise. I remember the hoola hoop and was good at that back in the dark ages so I guess belly dancing is kinda the same moves? I'd love to take up tap dancing again, though that's been many years ago.

Were you nervous in your first belly dance recital? Bet you had a blast!
B

How are you today?

(I'm off to ride the ferris wheel and merry-go-round and the scrambler with my best friend of the last 35 years - I'll look for you when we get back)

I'm slowly losing my mind, not that I had much of one to begin with.

Hope you had a good time on those rides. Some of them are pretty wild eh?
Always a good idea to hold off eating cotton candy and hotdogs before you spin upside down. My hubby & I had an interesting ride in one of those ferris wheels years ago where you're in a cage-like thing, and it turns every which way....we got SO sick but the evil carny wouldn't stop the damn thing, just laughed at our green faces and made it go faster. We decided we were too old for such things and stick to bumper cars nowadays.

Nice you got to go with a such an old friend, ehbeth. I bet you were like two kids again,
B

Bathsheba - weren't you supposed to have you seen your doctor by now? What happened?

You still haven't heard anything?

hi littlek and boomerang,
My lab results aren't in yet so no purpose in seeing the surgeon today. I cancelled until they get the results. I have a tentative appt tomorrow a.m. with Mr. Surgeon. Today, my GP, who still possesses human feelings for his patients, said that in his experience they -lab- triage pathology and the longer it takes the better might be my results. In other words I would have heard sooner if they aren't good results. The waiting is still hell and I am not coping well. I know worry doesn't help but when it's your life in the balance...I've been through pure hell in the past two years and it shows no signs of letting up. If it is cancer I think I'll take a one way trip in my kayak.

So that's my cheery news of the day. Thanks for asking and I sure hope you guys are having a much better day than I am. It's been so long since I've felt joy, or peace, or happiness, I don't remember what it feels like anymore. I used to have a good sense of humour but it's long gone. So I will take my whining pathetic self somewhere else, because who wants to hear this?

Chin up bathsheba, I can imagine your feelings but do try to think positive, the news may be better than you expect. After two years of trauma its time your life changes for the better my friend, please don't take yourself somewhere else, vent your feelings here, we don't mind listening!

I'm with Dutchy in supporting you. Please feel free to vent here. We're here for support, we don't mind & we can handle it! Let us know what happens. We're here for you either way. & I really mean that.

Definitely here for you.

Ah, the old 'no news is good news' theory! I like it!

Just to let all you kind folks know I won't be posting for awhile.

Doctor says I have ductal carcinoma, invasive grade 3 (not stage 3) of right breast. Left breast is ok. We don't know yet if lymph nodes are involved and won't until a week after surgery.

So I am facing some bad stuff in the next few months. Surgery planned for Sept 9 if I decide I want a mastectomy. Radiation and/or chemo are on the list. Fun oh fun!

If anyone knows anything about this type of breast cancer, which is the most common, please let me know. I don't understand the difference between 'grades' and 'stages'.

Trying to keep positive!
Bathsheba

bathsheba,

First let me say that I know you are frantic with worry. That's ok and it's normal. Here's a link for ductal carcinoma in situ (which simply means it hasn't progressed elsewhere).

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional/page5

And, yes, I can try to explain the grades and stages.

Off to give you some real links that describe it clearly.

Post as you're willing and able. Hiding is understandable but not necessarily the best thing for you. Do you have friends and family nearby?

I dint wanna be first.

Hugs, and keep us posted, girl...

Hi, and hugs, Bathsheba. Hah, I'm also a mad knitter, or used to be.

Now then, I think this is all fairly positive relative to what I was afraid of for you.

I recommend two things, aside from any comfort comments, which I'm ready with.
But first, I've liked Susan Love's Breast book. Not sure of the title (the Breast?) and if there are new editions since I've read it, but it helped me get a grasp.
Second, I'd look at the Mayo Clinic website - might be useful info there, all pretty clinical. Plus maybe the Dana Farber site - when I was going through this I barely could get online and didn't look at websites.. but I'm sure there are good and helpful sites out there.

A fairly recent anecdote -- all these years later I signed up for a local university cancer clinic with an eye to getting my mammograms at lower expense. The md there was dismissive, saying mine was only ductal ca, even though it was invasive. (snarl..) But, his point of view gives me some perspective on my luck.

Hey Dianne,

Here's a pretty good link that describes the difference between stages and grades

http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Breast/Causesdiagnosis/Staginggrading

Your oncologist will recommend a treatment plan based on both the grading and the stage. The stage can't be determined until the results of the lymph node biopsy are in.

Big HUGS to you.

We're here for you when you want to talk.

Hi there bathsheba. Not good news, is it. I'm sending you a hug from Toronto.

~~~

Stick around - lurk if you don't feel like talking.

You can see that good folks have already checked in - with links and personal experience. It's all good.

Oddly enough, the only thing I really know about this comes from this Canajun site

http://www.titbits.ca/ (good support and references) and their famous/infamous knitted tits

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html


(of course until today I hadn't realized that a travel bit is different than a mmm regular bit)

Bathsheba,
Sorry you didn't get the news you were looking for. Now you know and it's time to kick this thing in the ass. Don't know much about stages and grades but have a lot of experience with iv ports for chemo if you ever need one or have questions about them.

Hi all,
Thanks for encouragement. I will check out links.

Osso, are you saying you also had ductal carcinoma grade 3, invasive? Can you tell me a little more about your case? My lump is 2 cm but the grade 3 means it has an invasive tendency which doc says is not aggressive. Didn't know there was a difference and am still confused.
Had yours gone into the lymph nodes? We won't know about that until after surgery. Hubby and I are a bit shell shocked tonight.
B

Hi JPB,
Frantic for sure and scared to death. I don't have ductal carcinoma in situ, which would have been better as it would have been localized. Mine is invasive. So, a 2 cm lump graded in this way (grade 3) is bad ****, I think. Unless that's what Osso had, and she sounds like she beat it.

I have my hubby and that is all. Friends of many years and my daughter are all 1000 miles away. The people I know here I have known for only a few years and don't feel too comfy talking with them.

Any info/links you have or explanations on grades would be appreciated. I know staging is different, but does the grade have any impact on the staging?