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"I decided that chemo was going to be my friend and that it was going to save me."
In April of 2001, Linnea was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Her treatment regimen included chemotherapy and radiation, but she soon discovered that her best medicine was a motherly instinct to survive.
In this poignant video, Linnea talks about how her 10 year old daughter gave her the strength and motivation to move beyond the shock of breast cancer.
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer
I have lots of side effects I believe are associated with the Arimidex but memory loss is not among them.
Comment 1
Oh wow! I've been on Arimidex for a week now...just starting yo get bone pain in my knees. Kinda like when i was on chemo. I also started to notice my hot flashes are back. I had a "break" from them when i finished chemo. Any other side effects that i may or may not experience?
Comment 0
Asked by anonymous
Survivor since 2007
Thanks Sharon for stepping forward and contacting the board ... Praying she gets the help she needs.
Comment 1
It's not that bad really! The only thing is that my parents think it is highly unlikely for a 16 year old to have breast cancer so they aren't really worried. They're in no hurry or anything that's all. It's just I had to wait quite sometime to tell them and almost only a week or two for the...
It's not that bad really! The only thing is that my parents think it is highly unlikely for a 16 year old to have breast cancer so they aren't really worried. They're in no hurry or anything that's all. It's just I had to wait quite sometime to tell them and almost only a week or two for the ultra sound. They even felt like there was something wrong with the appointment so they made me another one with a different doctor. It's not their fault that there isn't much hospitals for this here. There is a really big hospital that specializes with cancer which they made the new appointment with. I don't have any symptoms or anything much so... That's the only reason they're not in a hurry. I did talk to my school counselor and I felt much better! The only reason 'I'm dying' is because I'm thinking too much because of the waiting. I posted that question when my mind was in the dark side. Please don't take it that way. I'm having the ultrasound in 3 or 4 days. That's all there is to that post. Thank you all for caring so much! But really my mind will be set at ease in a couple of days!
Asked by anonymous
Learning About Breast Cancer
My onco score was 29 and I decided not to have chemo or radiation. My oncologist wanted me to go through both. She said that it would only increase my chances of cancer returning by 5 percent, and that was not enough for me. I had a mastectomy in Jan. of this year and am doing fine. My cancer...
My onco score was 29 and I decided not to have chemo or radiation. My oncologist wanted me to go through both. She said that it would only increase my chances of cancer returning by 5 percent, and that was not enough for me. I had a mastectomy in Jan. of this year and am doing fine. My cancer was fed by hormones. I had a lump that was 5 cm with negative lymph nodes. I would talk to my oncologist to see how likely your cancer would return without the chemo or radiation. This was my choice. I am on hormone blockers for 5 years, and I felt that if that is what was feeding the cancer, it should be enough as they removed everything! Good luck with whatever you decide and go through!
Nicole,
Your Oncologist will give you the long list of side effects from chemotherapy. You are literally take a type of poison which kills both cancer cells and other fast dividing good cells. It's a tough call. After having been through chemo, I would look long and hard at all sides of this. ...
Nicole,
Your Oncologist will give you the long list of side effects from chemotherapy. You are literally take a type of poison which kills both cancer cells and other fast dividing good cells. It's a tough call. After having been through chemo, I would look long and hard at all sides of this. You can't tell if you are going to be the one the chemotherapy does irreparable harm and damage to your body. I came out of it with severe osteoporosis. Other women come out with heart damage that can't be repaired. A woman I worked with and my mother-in-law both died of the heart complication..... not their cancer's. There is no way to advise or describe how you will feel going through chemotherapy. It is a very tough struggle in which you have to depend on others to help get you through it. If you have a job, you may not be able to continue until you are through treatment. If you have children, they are going to be seeing a pretty sick Mommy. On top of that.... you will lose your hair, possibly eyelashes, eyebrows, too..... the worst of all....ugh.
Women need to choose the treatment options and be as aggressive as will make them feel they have done what is possible. Despite a low onco score, you really want to feel you have done every treatment available to you. If so, then it is really only up to you. My Onc and I discussed women who, no matter if a treatment is only going to be of 1% benefit to them, they still wanted it. This is your body, your choice, your life and if choosing to go ahead with a more aggressive treatment then it doesn't matter what anybody else advises.
I hope more weigh in on your question.... it's a tough one.
Take care, and good luck, Sharon
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Beyond The Shock is a comprehensive online guide to understanding breast cancer.
It is a resource for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, a place for loved ones to gain a better understanding of the disease, and a tool for doctors to share information.
Beyond The Shock is a collaborative breast cancer guide created by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF) with the support of the finest medical experts, doctors, and researchers in the world. NBCF utilized ground-breaking technology and the resources of the global medical community to create an accessible platform for understanding a diagnosis of breast cancer.
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