Breast cancer fear

So sorry, people don't realize we have to cry. Losing breast to cancer is a terrible loss. I was diagnosed Nov 24 2024.. Just had surgery Feb 7 2025.. They are gone nothing can fix that feeling. I remember when I finally got to cry. We will make it.

Solo piensa que todo va a ir bien. Es importante. Un inmenso abrazo.

Did anyone have small lobular 1cm and 1mm sentinel lymphnode have anestrozole instead of chemo?
I did not have chemo and worry about it. They took out 25 lymph nodes all clear. I have been trying to find out if the small lymphnode could send cancer thru the body. and also how long the Anestrozole works for. any one know.

Hi @mnina

I am sorry for your diagnosis.

I was diagnosed September 27, 2024. Mastectomy October 23, 2024. And reconstruction March 5, 2025.

I have cried a lot, too. Especially the day I had to clean out my bra drawer and make room for all the new items with pockets for drains, etc.

For me, crying is an important part of life. And I am okay with crying and being sad. Having cancer is scary and hard. Having any part of your body removed is next level. And, honestly, it’s worth crying about.

I think of the patients (adults and children) in hospitals. And it makes me feel like I can deal with my own situation, because people face all kinds of suffering. And they cry. And the people who love them cry.

You are not alone. Crying is part of being alive. In fact, the sign of a healthy baby at birth, is that they cry.

I literally just signed up for an account here, this is the first thread I start to read. I’m finding all of the comments so open and vulnerable, but here comes my negative self-talk, and right on time too, to have me feeling like I am not “affected enough” to even reply here (no personal cancer diagnosis, lost my mom to breast cancer 12 years ago this summer, negative genetic test for myself but still getting nervous since I’m due to start early detection/preventative mammograms this year at 35 - definitely not on the same level of life struggles as the majority of the absolute warriors present here though!)

But! I still at least wanted to jump in and thank you for posting this here. I may not have been your particular target audience, but I have had oodles of trouble trying to “shelf” intense emotions and anxiety over the years and finding a very practical way to do so, actually spelled out in front of me is just astronomically helpful.

TLDR: Hey thanks!

Welcome to connect! I was so very sorry to read about your mom, and yet glad to hear you weren’t carrying any known genetics.
I read somewhere that there are two kinds of women in the world, those who have breast cancer, and those who are terrified of getting breast cancer. All to say you are in exactly the right place if this is where you feel you are getting the education, and support that you need to get through the transition into this new screening time.
I am glad you are here, and we are all here anytime you need us.
Have you wandered “the halls” here at connect yet, and checked out other area that might be interesting or helpful?

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in November '24 and had a lumpectomy in January '25. The Cancer hasn't scared me nearly as much as the potential side effects of the medication and treatment. Since the surgery my hormones have been a complete mess and I can cry at any time. It finally dawned on me that somehow the surgery has had a similar effect as kicking a hornets nest. In recognizing that it's all hormones I have been better able to choose to allow myself to indulge in tearfulness or recognize what it is and move on. I am not scheduled to start the Anastrazole until I finish my radiation treatments in April. Women who have had breast cancer seem to be the only people who recognize that whether you have stage 1 or stage 4 it's scary.

Barb, your fears are familiar and totally normal. It takes time to adjust to the fact that you have or had cancer. Whether it’s stage one or stage four it’s still cancer. It’s still scary. I was diagnosed almost 5 years ago and I can tell you in the last five years Many things in the literature have changed and I mean in a positive way for people like us who have breast cancer. The current treatments are proving to be more effective and the outcomes from many of us are much brighter than they would’ve been five years ago. I would say in my case it took me almost a year after chemo and radiation ended until I could ease into a new normal. The new normal isn’t my ideal choice of where to be, but all things considered. It’s not that bad. I continue to take anastrazole and will continue to do so even after the five-year mark but five years ago was supposed to be the ideal ending point. The new research is suggesting that if you can tolerate it for longer, your chance of recurrence is even less. I was post menopausal, so I think the side effects from the medication were less for me than they are for some people. So my plan is to continue taking the anastrozole for as long as I can, at this point, my risk of a recurrence is not that far off of what the normal risk of contracting any kind of cancer is for most people my age out there. I will say it took me a really long time to not be continuously, worried about the fact that I had, have, cancer floating around my system. I am doing everything I can to keep it at bay and so far so good. I try to focus a lot more on doing things in my life that are good for me, including directing my mind to more positive subjects than continual cancer worry. in time, it has been an effective strategy, but there are still times that my thoughts can be quite dark. Just my opinion, but I think it takes a much longer time for cancer patients to mentally adjust to the new normal and to accept that none of us, cancer patients, and those who have never had cancer, all have a risk. Cancer patient just think about it more!

I am a newly diagnosed 66-year-old woman. I have IDC 8mm found by a twice-a-year check - one is a mammogram, and the other is an ultrasound (because I can't tolerate MRIs).
It was picked up by ultrasound. My lumpectomy surgery is scheduled for next week. New research shows that women 65 and older with IDC ER+ PR+ Her- and have an axilla ultrasound to look at nodes and all clear there, don't need to have sentinel nodes biopsied during surgery. Here is the original SOUND research and the follow-up done by Dana Faber, Mass General, and Brigham and Women's - with the same results.

I am not having my sentinel nodes biopsied as the type of cancer I have fits with. I am having the onctoype test done on the tumor/tissue. This will decide the best course of treatment.

Has anyone else decided against sentinel biopsy because of this study?

Research:

1. Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy vs No Axillary Surgery in Patients With Small Breast Cancer and Negative Results on Ultrasonography of Axillary Lymph Nodes
The SOUND Randomized Clinical Trial

2. Applying SOUND Trial Results in the Real World: New Study Identifies Appropriate Patients in a Multi-Disciplinary Clinical Practice Abstract: Real World Implications of the SOUND Trial Orlando, FL, April 11, 2024
"Given the similarity of our population to SOUND trial patients, our findings support thoughtful integration of these results into clinical practice,” states Dr. Giannakou. “Working closely with our multidisciplinary colleagues in medical and radiation oncology, we have started to implement this data into practice for select postmenopausal patients with HR+HER2- breast cancer who would have met eligibility criteria for the SOUND trial.”
1 Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 2 Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

You are not alone. Hearing the "C" word changed me and you do not have to minimize by saying, "it was small". I felt as though, no matter the type, stage, or size, if it is a "C" diagnosis, this is a major and life changing event. However, ceasing the worrying is hard despite surgical procedures, chemo, radiation, or medication...you just had a life altering event.
I have taken a holistic approach to healing (refused 4 rounds of chemo and not prescribed medication post double mastectomy). I have changed my diet, added natural supplement medication, increased exercise, meditate, and find ways to relieve stress to the best of my ability. This approach also assisted with weight loss and decreased inflammation, leading to me feeling better physically.
Nonetheless, the worry is there whether overtly or hidden, I must admit. However, redirecting my thoughts on the positive things is what I continue to do.
Blessings to Barb @amberpep, and all those on this platform for continued health and overall well-being!