I have been a widow since May 2006 when I lost my beloved husband and best friend when he was almost 71. I have a deceased son, Carl, who died at the age of 39 from a massive heart attack in 2003, a deceased son-in-law, Murray, who also died from a heart attack at the age of 40 in 2002 and a deceased 12 year old Boston Terrier dog, Trixie, who died in 2006 just 18 days after my husband died. I have twin daughters, Cheryl and Shirley (age 33), 5 grandsons (ages 27, 13, 11, 9 and 4 months), 1 granddaughter (ages 3), 1 step-grandson (age 24) and 1 step-granddaughter (age 22). I live with my daughter, Shirley, her husband, John, my grandson, Shawn (age 11), and my new baby grandson, Tyler Carl, in the northeastern corner of North Carolina.
I had Breast Cancer in January 1994 at the age of 52 and then again November 2005 at the age of 64. I had a modified radical mastectomy both times and no reconstruction. I also had Chemo both times. The Chemo drug, Adriamycin, in 1994 damaged my heart muscle. I went back to work but I had to file for disability after 11 months of trying to work. At that time in 1994, my husband was disabled because of a severe heart attack in 1988 and my twin daughters were juniors in high school. I did not know if I would ever see them graduate. However, THANK GOD, I have made it for 16 years this January 2010.
All of my family members had cancer except for one sister. My oldest sister died in 1958 at the age of 35 from breast cancer that spread to the brain, my father had colon cancer, my brother had throat/voice box cancer and my Mom had myeloma cancer. Because of all this cancer in my family I am especially oncerned for my 2 daughters and my grandchildren. This makes me very interested in all new cancer treatments.
Cancer Symptoms
h1>I really had no symptoms that I noticed. I accidentally found the first lump in 1994 myself. The second one in 2005 was detected during my annual mammogram. I would never have found this one because it was in the center of the breast at the back wall.
Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects
January 1994 – Stage 2 – Lump was 2.4 cm. – A second 0.3 cm lump found in breast after surgery. Left modified radical mastectomy with removal of 9 lymph nodes…1 (3cm) lymph node positive. ER/PR both positive.
November 2005 – Stage 1 – Lump was 1.6 cm. Right modified radical mastectomy with lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy. 2 lymph nodes removed…both clear of cancer. ER negative(1%) and PR positive(7%).
Radiation Description, Dates & Side Effects
None either time.
Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects
6 treatments from March 3, 1994 to June 29, 1994. Started with Taxol Study. Received high-dose Cytoxan 3980 mg and Adriamycin 74.6 mg for 2 cycles. Except for the 1st and the last, blood transfusions were required after every treatment due to low hemoglobin. I developed a blood clot in my right arm shortly after the first blood transfusion in April and had to be hospitalized and put on coumadin for 3 months. Had to be taken off Taxol Study because I could not take high-dose Cytoxan/Adriamycin and Coumadin. I was given Cytoxan 995 mg, 5-FU 995 mg and Adriamycin 99.5 mg for the next 4 treatments. The Adriamycin damaged my heart muscle. Other side effects were nausea, some vomiting, sores in mouth, diarrhea, heartburn, fatigue and complete loss of all hair.
6 treatments from January 20, 2006, to June 2, 2006. I was given a CMF combination of 1200 mg of Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide), 80 mg of Methotrexate and 1200 mg of Fluorouracil (5-FU). This bout with chemo was much easier than the first. I also had a blood clot in my lung in February, 2006, and was hospitalized for 7 days and put on coumadin for 18 months. Other side effects were minor nausea, fatigue, sore mouth, minor diarrhea and only thinning of my hair. I don’t know which one but one of the chemo drugs damaged my right eye and I am still having problems with it.
The worst thing to happen was the death of my husband and my boston terrier dog in May during this bout of chemo.
Hormone Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects
Tamoxifen – July 1994 through July 1999
Hot flashes were the only side effect I remember.
Arimidex – June 2006 through January 2007
No side effects that I noticed. I was taken off Arimidex because my oncologist was concerned with damage to my bones. I was diagnosed with low bone mass or osteopenia on 02/20/06
Bone Marrow Transplant Description, Dates & Side Effects
None
Immune Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects
Injections of G-CSF 10 mcg/kg until my ANC recovered. No side effects that I remember.
Comments:
Joyce, thanks for your post. I will be staying ‘a couple of days’ the surgeon said. I think I’ll get to come home on Sunday probably. I did buy the camisole…I didn’t realize the hospital will give me any. I will be having the surgery at Moses Cone here in Greensboro. Thank you for your prayers! Hope you are feeling better.
That’s the main reason I decided to have them both removed. Hopefully, it will lessen the chances of me going thru this again. Thanks for your continued support.
Yes, Joyce this is my first grandchild! Amanda got nauseous Sunday so I think that’s a good sign, huh!
Joyce, thanks so much for your support. Yes, I figured I would get rid of both of them at once. The surgeon said lots more women are doing that now. Hopefully it will help insure a full recovery. Will keep you posted.
Thanks Joyce,
It’s nice and comforting to know a little about our doctors since they have our life in their hands.
Ron
Joyce,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I can’t believe all you have been through & you still have enough kindness left over for a stranger. It amazes me how people I don’t know have more kindness & empathy than supposed friends & family. I guess you have to go through it to understand. I do appreciate your comment. You remind me of a lady I was in the hospital with when I got my diagnosis. She was in for hip surgery but she had gone through the whole breast cancer thing lumpectomy & radiation. She was nice enough to let me ask all kinds of questions. I got more answers from her than the Dr.s. It’s nice to have someone to chat with who understands. Everyone I know gets uncomfortable & looks at me like i’m going to drop dead on the spot. (my mother)for 1. If you need someone to talk to I will do my best to be there. Thank you.
Joyce –
When you go to post a comment on the weblog post look for a check box “Make comment private (will only shows up to owner and you, if you are a registered user.)”. If you check that only the owner will be able to see the private comment, not the rest of us. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Jill
Hi Joyce; In all my upsetness over Gaile, I forgot to tell you about Pete. He did his stress test, to find that he has an extra beat in there. so he is on some kind of heart pill, but you know, I have to hand him the pill box every day, like a little kid. I think he feels somehow less than a man if he has to take any kind of pill. That’s not good since in that little container is, a diabetic pill, a cholestorol pill, a blood pressure pill and the heart pill. You see what I mean? A walking man wanting trouble. Well you know us women, we won’t have it, so I stand and watch him take those suckers. You know I had to do some work for the accountant, our end of year is April 30th unlike your 15th. Anyway, I got the drugstore to give me last year’s printout of my drugs. Close to $6,000 for me alone. I really don’t know what would have happened without insurance, although they get paid heftily too. How do people without insurance make it down there? It is with the grace of god that Peter and I took this package in Oct. 2006, and I found the breat cancer the following January. That was cutting it close.
So Peter is fine and I am fine and we just cross our fingers everyday. I always get a kick out of Lisa and Paul D.’s posts. Have you read her? She is the most positive, religiously devoted person I have ever met. Now that is a real gal.
Hope you had a great weekend and that you are feeling a little better than last week. Those moments come but thank the lord they do pass. Otherwise it would be too painful to live.
On a brighter note: We are finally getting some wonderful weather. Tomorrow it’s going to be mid teens (celcius). I can’t wait to put on the shorts. I have taken up giving a morning of my time to the hospital (day surgery). I’m kind of nervous about tomorrow with this swine flu business. It seems to moving quickly. I will wear gloves and if they tell me to wear a mask, I will.
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Thanks for your support - Jill, Founder, Cancer Survivor
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jmhinnant41
Thanks for your support - 
Joyce, thanks for your post. I will be staying ‘a couple of days’ the surgeon said. I think I’ll get to come home on Sunday probably. I did buy the camisole…I didn’t realize the hospital will give me any. I will be having the surgery at Moses Cone here in Greensboro. Thank you for your prayers! Hope you are feeling better.
That’s the main reason I decided to have them both removed. Hopefully, it will lessen the chances of me going thru this again. Thanks for your continued support.
Yes, Joyce this is my first grandchild! Amanda got nauseous Sunday so I think that’s a good sign, huh!
Joyce, thanks so much for your support. Yes, I figured I would get rid of both of them at once. The surgeon said lots more women are doing that now. Hopefully it will help insure a full recovery. Will keep you posted.
Thanks Joyce,
It’s nice and comforting to know a little about our doctors since they have our life in their hands.
Ron
Joyce,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I can’t believe all you have been through & you still have enough kindness left over for a stranger. It amazes me how people I don’t know have more kindness & empathy than supposed friends & family. I guess you have to go through it to understand. I do appreciate your comment. You remind me of a lady I was in the hospital with when I got my diagnosis. She was in for hip surgery but she had gone through the whole breast cancer thing lumpectomy & radiation. She was nice enough to let me ask all kinds of questions. I got more answers from her than the Dr.s. It’s nice to have someone to chat with who understands. Everyone I know gets uncomfortable & looks at me like i’m going to drop dead on the spot. (my mother)for 1. If you need someone to talk to I will do my best to be there. Thank you.
Joyce –
When you go to post a comment on the weblog post look for a check box “Make comment private (will only shows up to owner and you, if you are a registered user.)”. If you check that only the owner will be able to see the private comment, not the rest of us. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Jill
Hi Joyce; In all my upsetness over Gaile, I forgot to tell you about Pete. He did his stress test, to find that he has an extra beat in there. so he is on some kind of heart pill, but you know, I have to hand him the pill box every day, like a little kid. I think he feels somehow less than a man if he has to take any kind of pill. That’s not good since in that little container is, a diabetic pill, a cholestorol pill, a blood pressure pill and the heart pill. You see what I mean? A walking man wanting trouble. Well you know us women, we won’t have it, so I stand and watch him take those suckers. You know I had to do some work for the accountant, our end of year is April 30th unlike your 15th. Anyway, I got the drugstore to give me last year’s printout of my drugs. Close to $6,000 for me alone. I really don’t know what would have happened without insurance, although they get paid heftily too. How do people without insurance make it down there? It is with the grace of god that Peter and I took this package in Oct. 2006, and I found the breat cancer the following January. That was cutting it close.
So Peter is fine and I am fine and we just cross our fingers everyday. I always get a kick out of Lisa and Paul D.’s posts. Have you read her? She is the most positive, religiously devoted person I have ever met. Now that is a real gal.
Hope you had a great weekend and that you are feeling a little better than last week. Those moments come but thank the lord they do pass. Otherwise it would be too painful to live.
On a brighter note: We are finally getting some wonderful weather. Tomorrow it’s going to be mid teens (celcius). I can’t wait to put on the shorts. I have taken up giving a morning of my time to the hospital (day surgery). I’m kind of nervous about tomorrow with this swine flu business. It seems to moving quickly. I will wear gloves and if they tell me to wear a mask, I will.
Till next time Joyce,
adieu.
Weezie