Lost a dear friend to cancer

[maxaroni]

This hits hard. A friend had breast cancer 11 years ago, from my recollection, it was adenocarcinoma, but don’t remember much else but it was Her2+. She had a double mastectomy by choice. Her oncologist said that that is not a guarantee that cancer won’t come back, but she still chose this. Ironically, a couple of years later the oncologist herself was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. At any rate, my friend had chemo and radiation as well. One of the drugs used was hard on the heart and she needed repeated MUGA scans. I believe I have that right. She launched into a healthy life style of exercising, eating healthy, losing weight etc. She was a huge diet coke fan and her oncologist told her to cut it out forever. No more artificial sweetener. She cut it out and it was hard as that was her caffeine, no coffee or tea.

Fast forward 10 years and she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Almost one year later, she passed away. 63 years old. It took my breath away when finding out she passed.

Cancer sucks.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Heather07438]

This hits hard. A friend had breast cancer 11 years ago, from my recollection, it was adenocarcinoma, but don’t remember much else but it was Her2+. She had a double mastectomy by choice. Her oncologist said that that is not a guarantee that cancer won’t come back, but she still chose this. Ironically, a couple of years later the oncologist herself was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. At any rate, my friend had chemo and radiation as well. One of the drugs used was hard on the heart and she needed repeated MUGA scans. I believe I have that right. She launched into a healthy life style of exercising, eating healthy, losing weight etc. She was a huge diet coke fan and her oncologist told her to cut it out forever. No more artificial sweetener. She cut it out and it was hard as that was her caffeine, no coffee or tea.

Fast forward 10 years and she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Almost one year later, she passed away. 63 years old. It took my breath away when finding out she passed.

Cancer sucks.

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That is a very sad, and familiar story to me. (Survivor of 16 yrs.) Since you brought up the lifestyle changes, just wondering out of curiosity if she drank alcohol. So sorry for your loss.

 

[Meriweather]

So sorry for you loss.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very sorry to read this, Max. Very sad. 's

God speed for your friend, prayers and good wishes for you, her family and other friends. 's

 

[maxaroni]

Thanks everyone. Her daughter is my sons age (26) and her son is 28, so both off on their own and not living nearby, not even in state. Fortunately, both were able to be home during the last week. My DS said it hit him hard as he is now remembering various things from his childhood.

@Pea-n-Me No, she stopped drinking alcohol 11 years ago. She was never a big drinker but had the occasional beer or glass of wine. When going through treatments 11 years ago, she started seeing an oncology dietician, Her fear was having the cancer return and she did all in her power to do the right thing for her body.

My mom was a 12 year breast cancer survivor when it reared its ugly head once again. First time she had a lumpectomy, chemo & radiation. Second time, she had a mastectomy.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm so sorry you lost your friend.

 

[lynxstch]

Condolences to you and your friends family on the loss. May she RIP

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks everyone. Her daughter is my sons age (26) and her son is 28, so both off on their own and not living nearby, not even in state. Fortunately, both were able to be home during the last week. My DS said it hit him hard as he is now remembering various things from his childhood.

@Pea-n-Me No, she stopped drinking alcohol 11 years ago. She was never a big drinker but had the occasional beer or glass of wine. When going through treatments 11 years ago, she started seeing an oncology dietician, Her fear was having the cancer return and she did all in her power to do the right thing for her body.

My mom was a 12 year breast cancer survivor when it reared its ugly head once again. First time she had a lumpectomy, chemo & radiation. Second time, she had a mastectomy.

That’s so sad. Thanks for answering. It sounds like she did all the right things. That’s why they call it The Beast.

 

[quandrea]

This hits home. I too have a friend with breast cancer. She was diagnosed last Friday. I saw her yesterday and we cried together. She sees a surgeon on Tuesday and will know more then. I’m scared for her. She is a mother of an eleven year old boy—my twins’ close friend. He doesn’t know yet and I shudder to imagine how hard that conversation will be. Hoping and praying she will be okay.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I'm so sorry to read your post. My grandmother died of cancer twenty years after thinking she beat it, it was the same cancer she had before, just appeared in her spine. It's terribly rattling to see someone you love do all they can to stay healthy after a diagnosis and treatment, only to have it rear its ugly head again, so I'm sending you and her family all the good vibes I can muster.

 

[maxaroni]

This hits home. I too have a friend with breast cancer. She was diagnosed last Friday. I saw her yesterday and we cried tog. She sees a surgeon on Tuesday and will know more then. I’m scared for her. She is a mother of an eleven year old boy—my twins’ close friend. He doesn’t know yet and I shudder to imagine how hard that conversation will be. Hoping and praying she will be okay.

Sending prayers and good thoughts to your friend and her family. The one thing that I felt, as a friend, was the shear helplessness that I felt. I was in lock step with her through it and yet, felt at though it wasn’t enough. She saw it differently, of course. I would say to be there for her and support her In anyway you can.

 

[Feralpeg]

As a person currently going through my third bout of breast cancer treatment, this hits very close to home. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to really beat this beast. I went for 30 years from my first breast cancer diagnosis to my second. It has been only 6 years since my last go around and I'm back at it. I know that cancer will probably be what finally ends me, but I won't give up. I just try to live every day to the best of my ability.

My sincere condolences on your loss.

 

[maxaroni]

As a person currently going through my third bout of breast cancer treatment, this hits very close to home. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to really beat this beast. I went for 30 years from my first breast cancer diagnosis to my second. It has been only 6 years since my last go around and I'm back at it. I know that cancer will probably be what finally ends me, but I won't give up. I just try to live every day to the best of my ability.

My sincere condolences on your loss.

Thank you.

You certainly have the right outlook and attitude. You are now going through this fight for the 3rd time and not giving up. Prayers and good thoughts to you that you beat it for the 3rd time.

My GYN wants me to go for a breast consult as my mom had breast cancer. He said insurance probably wouldn’t pay for an MRI but going to a specialist for a risk assessment would be good. He told me that I have a 31% chance based on his assessment, which is higher than normal due to my moms cancer.

 

[HsvTeacher]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

My mom recently passed away from metastatic breast cancer. She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She opted to have a double mastectomy, along with chemo.

In November 2018, the breast cancer metastasized in her colon. She had a successful surgery to remove the tumor and began taking preventative medicine. She had an excellent prognosis, but the cancer had another idea. She passed away at the end of July 2019 after undergoing surgery to remove another bowel obstruction. The cancer had recurred again and was covering her intestines. This was found after a clean PET scan two weeks earlier. I absolutely despise cancer!

 

[Micca]

I'm so sorry to hear of this, take care & try to hang in there.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I’m so very sorry OP and to everyone else.. that shared their stories.

 

[Feralpeg]

My GYN wants me to go for a breast consult as my mom had breast cancer. He said insurance probably wouldn’t pay for an MRI but going to a specialist for a risk assessment would be good. He told me that I have a 31% chance based on his assessment, which is higher than normal due to my moms cancer.

You might be surprised. My daughter is only 31 and she has had several mammograms and a sonogram. The insurance paid for all because of my history of early onset breast cancer. I was first diagnosed at age 31. Have your doctor submit to your insurance company that the MRI is medically necessary due to a close family relation with breast cancer.

Oddly, no one in my family, on either side, has been diagnosed with breast cancer for as far back as anyone can remember, except me. Sometimes, it just happens. It doesn't have to mean there is a familial predisposition. My daughter was tested for the BRCA gene and she doesn't have it. Hopefully, you'll find out that you have no more chance than the general population.

 

[low-key]

hey