Post by Mary on Dec 7, 2008 9:09:54 GMT -5
Hi Everyone My Name is Sue. I am 63 years old and have been married to my high school sweetheart for 44 years. We have three grown children and seven beautiful grandson's and one granddaughter. I am a Registered Nurse and retired in 1996.
In the fall of 1998 I felt a change in my right breast. It was more of a thickness of the tissue then a lump. I went to my physician (She is a 47 year old breast cancer survivor) She felt I should have a mammogram even though I was not due until February. I had the mammo on 12/16/98 I knew when I had it I was in trouble. They kept taking more & more pictures and the upbeat attitude of the technicians was changing. They did a sonogram that I watched - I could see that I had a solid mass and not a cyst. That was the night of my husbands office Holiday Party. I told him at the party of my feeling. By the time we got home there was a message from my doctor, the radiologist had called her and they wanted me to see a Surgeon ASAP. Two days later I saw a surgeon who told me I had breast cancer and I had a lot of decisions to make. I was frightened out of my mind and could not even think clearly. On 12/28/98 I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. The pathologist said the sentinel nodes were negative. When I went to the surgeon in January she was sorry to inform me that my sentinel node had a micrometasis. 1/21/99 I went back and had an axillary node dissection. This was followed by 4 treatments of AC and 4 treatment of taxol. I underwent 6 weeks of radiation and am now on tamoxifin for 5 years. I feel very good and extremely lucky to be alive. I have lost several very close friends to this horrible disease. The cancer has changed my life dramatically for the better. I have learned to say no. I no longer will do things I do not want to. I have truly learned to stop and smell the flowers.
Updated: 12/15/2008
Nickname: Sue-NY
Hobbies: gardening, reading, cooking
In the fall of 1998 I felt a change in my right breast. It was more of a thickness of the tissue then a lump. I went to my physician (She is a 47 year old breast cancer survivor) She felt I should have a mammogram even though I was not due until February. I had the mammo on 12/16/98 I knew when I had it I was in trouble. They kept taking more & more pictures and the upbeat attitude of the technicians was changing. They did a sonogram that I watched - I could see that I had a solid mass and not a cyst. That was the night of my husbands office Holiday Party. I told him at the party of my feeling. By the time we got home there was a message from my doctor, the radiologist had called her and they wanted me to see a Surgeon ASAP. Two days later I saw a surgeon who told me I had breast cancer and I had a lot of decisions to make. I was frightened out of my mind and could not even think clearly. On 12/28/98 I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. The pathologist said the sentinel nodes were negative. When I went to the surgeon in January she was sorry to inform me that my sentinel node had a micrometasis. 1/21/99 I went back and had an axillary node dissection. This was followed by 4 treatments of AC and 4 treatment of taxol. I underwent 6 weeks of radiation and am now on tamoxifin for 5 years. I feel very good and extremely lucky to be alive. I have lost several very close friends to this horrible disease. The cancer has changed my life dramatically for the better. I have learned to say no. I no longer will do things I do not want to. I have truly learned to stop and smell the flowers.
Updated: 12/15/2008
Nickname: Sue-NY
Hobbies: gardening, reading, cooking