The Colon Club

SugarBubbie wrote:I have had breast cancer in both....one triple negative, the other 10% positive for hormones. I had lumpectomy for each...chemo...radiation. Md Anderson is where I go. All the Drs agreed lumpectomy was better than taking both off for me. Both were caught early with no lymph node involvement. The first was in 2012 and the triple negative this year....so I guess I will be a continuing patient for a few years for checkups I could have insisted on complete mastectomy but I read a lot of info on the problems it can bring. I figured I have enough side effects to deal with already. So I will just try to watch my sugar intake...watch my stress... And watch my weight. The three biggies MD Anderson has cautioned me about.

Good luck to you.
Rhonda

Thank you for sharing your experience.

I have been diagnosed with breast cancer recently, only 18 months after CRC dx. I chose mastectomy and reconstruction because of my diagnosis stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Had it been in situ I think I would have agreed to lumpectomy, even though the thought of more radiation gave me the shivers. "Invasive" was a very scary word for me and made my personal choice easier. I've begun the reconstruction process and it's moderately uncomfortable. I had much worse discomfort with CRC. I'm upping a cup size to help "tent" my clothing more over the colostomy appliance, so in that sense it might help body image. At least when I'm dressed. Being this skinny with a Frankenstein boob looming over a tummy poop bag is a mirror sight I'm not adjusted to yet. I'm getting there, tho. Whatever it takes. Next week I'm getting oncotype dx and lynch testing. Very interesting how vastly different the protocols ect are between the two cancers. And that breast cancer grew, thrived and survived 8 rounds of IV Folfox and 6wks of xeloda!!. Here's my Mic drop for everyone in lala land who think big pharma is hiding The Cure for all cancers.

Deborah614 wrote:I have been diagnosed with breast cancer recently, only 18 months after CRC dx. I chose mastectomy and reconstruction because of my diagnosis stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Had it been in situ I think I would have agreed to lumpectomy, even though the thought of more radiation gave me the shivers. "Invasive" was a very scary word for me and made my personal choice easier. I've begun the reconstruction process and it's moderately uncomfortable. I had much worse discomfort with CRC. I'm upping a cup size to help "tent" my clothing more over the colostomy appliance, so in that sense it might help body image. At least when I'm dressed. Being this skinny with a Frankenstein boob looming over a tummy poop bag is a mirror sight I'm not adjusted to yet. I'm getting there, tho. Whatever it takes. Next week I'm getting oncotype dx and lynch testing. Very interesting how vastly different the protocols ect are between the two cancers. And that breast cancer grew, thrived and survived 8 rounds of IV Folfox and 6wks of xeloda!!. Here's my Mic drop for everyone in lala land who think big pharma is hiding The Cure for all cancers.

Thank you for sharing your story, Deborah! You say reconstruction is only moderately uncomfortable?

Yes, "moderate" being a personal definition. I don't consider myself a wenie, especially since surviving CRC; so you know what page I'm on because you are there, too. You can get through it easiest with good preparation. And pain pills. And most importantly, a good recliner. My surgery with reconstruction was 8/3 and my tissue expander has expanded as far as I wanted it to, so now we let it rest a few weeks and then I'll get the implants done. Since I'm going up a cup size I'll need to have the right side done to match. (btw it's a law requiring insurance to pay for symmetry, period, no argument.)
I know it's hard to willingly choose to amputate your breast if that is your gut choice to do. Don't relate your breast cancer experiences with your CRC because they're unrelated and the experience will be completely different. To the point of mind boggling how different. I had friends and family with strong opinions having to do with the cancers being only 18 months apart and a lot of a lot of everyone's advice. I had people say it was "just a boob" and I wasn't using it anymore, so why not? Because it's my boob and I'm attached to it and I'm sorry for ever not appreciating my glorious itty bitty titty enough. People. I tell ya. It's easy to make these decisions and speculations when it's not your breast or rectum, am I right? -d-

Deborah614 wrote:Yes, "moderate" being a personal definition. I don't consider myself a wenie, especially since surviving CRC; so you know what page I'm on because you are there, too. You can get through it easiest with good preparation. And pain pills. And most importantly, a good recliner. My surgery with reconstruction was 8/3 and my tissue expander has expanded as far as I wanted it to, so now we let it rest a few weeks and then I'll get the implants done. Since I'm going up a cup size I'll need to have the right side done to match. (btw it's a law requiring insurance to pay for symmetry, period, no argument.)
I know it's hard to willingly choose to amputate your breast if that is your gut choice to do. Don't relate your breast cancer experiences with your CRC because they're unrelated and the experience will be completely different. To the point of mind boggling how different. I had friends and family with strong opinions having to do with the cancers being only 18 months apart and a lot of a lot of everyone's advice. I had people say it was "just a boob" and I wasn't using it anymore, so why not? Because it's my boob and I'm attached to it and I'm sorry for ever not appreciating my glorious itty bitty titty enough. People. I tell ya. It's easy to make these decisions and speculations when it's not your breast or rectum, am I right? -d-

One of the worst aspects of cancer is the people around us!!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks before my CRC diagnosis, so the suggestion from my surgeon was to do both at once. Since that was the case I had lumpectomy, ovaries and tubes removed and sigmoid resection. The abdominal incision was much worse than the lumpectomy. Good luck to you! This stuff is just awful all the way around.

I'm so sorry you are going through this!*hugs* A really tough decision. I would do what is best for you.*hugs*

wmcswain wrote:I was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks before my CRC diagnosis, so the suggestion from my surgeon was to do both at once. Since that was the case I had lumpectomy, ovaries and tubes removed and sigmoid resection. The abdominal incision was much worse than the lumpectomy. Good luck to you! This stuff is just awful all the way around.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad to see you are ok.

My mother had stage 1 and a radical lumpectomy with radiation. You have to do what's best for you. Hang in there.