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• stressmagnet

  

  • 1 posts
  October 29, 2011 9:31:41 AM WATime

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  Hi, I'm Louise. I'm 49 with two daughters, 11 and 8. I first was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer in my left breast July '08. I had the usual run of chemo for about 6 weeks, then had a portacath put in - which turned septic. I woke up in Gosford Hospital's Intensive Care unit a month later. I was moved down to the cancer ward where I remained, learning to walk and recovering from the many infections that were throughout my body. I finished my first round of chemo and then decided to have a double mastecomy, due to the high  recurrence rate of IBC. During the procedure, Triple Negative Breast Cancer was found in the same breast, so I was back on for another year of chemo. I finally finished chemo last September, found myself a stellar job, and my eyebrows and eyelashes and HAIR grew back (w00t!).

  This past week, they have found cancer in my left supraclavicular node (the one above your collarbone). Its probably Stage 3. Theres also a lesion on my pancreatic tail. I'm having surgery on the 14 and then a PET/CT on the 15th to see if there is cancer anywhere but the lymph node.

  I'm devastated and so are my kids. They have had such a rough time of it over the past three years - I've been in and out of hospitals due to infections and blood clots.

  I don't know how I am going to do this all over again. I'd love to hear from those of your with younger families about how you kept your sanity!

  49 YO Mother of 2 daughters DX JULY 08, 9MM IBC left breast Stage 2, Chemo, DBL Mastectomy SEPT09, Triple Neg same Breast DX SEPT 09, recurrence left supraclavicular node DX OCT 11. THIS SUCKS.

• Cynthia

  

  • 124 posts
  October 29, 2011 9:45:20 AM WATime

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  You have really had a dreadful time Louise. You might like to friend melrom see her posts and then go to your page and click on add friends put her name in and it will ask her to be your friend. See Ibisue as well although she hasnt got young children she is going through a similar process to you with secondary BC. With regard to the husband issue we had a great discussion on the Click Chat about how other people deal with your BC so you might like to join and bring this up. Check out the home page for details.

  This post was edited by Cynthia at October 29, 2011 9:45:20 AM WATime"

  the Click Researcher
  

• Ness

  

  • 81 posts
  November 2, 2011 11:16:07 AM WATime

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  Hi Louise - sorry to hear you have had such a tough time. I can only imagine what it is like for yourself and your family....
  Whilst I haven't had bc myself, I have been in a family that supported my mother-in-law and watched each individual deal with things in their own way. I have also had my own chronic and ongoing illness to manage and my daughter is particularly challenging as she just doesn't know what to do, say or how to feel.
  I find when I am particularly unwell that I meditate and keep my mind active by reading and writing journals etc. A good laugh with friends or a funny movie or TV program also helps me!
  For my daughter, I try to keep her on top of things with facts etc but some days she would rather bury her head... so I let her!
  Don't know if that helps at all?? Would love to chat more with you in group chat next Wednesday evening if you are available???
  Ness x

  The Click Project Coordinator
  

  Daughter-in-law and niece of breast cancer "thrivers"!