Hi

i am slightly hijacking this thread, off topic...,just wondering if any of you ladies who have been on tamoxifen for 10 years started out as node positive, grade 3 diagnoses? I am recently diagnosed and it feels almost impossible I will be here in 10 years so guess I'm looking for some hope from long-term survivors. (HER2 neg/eR positive) 

thanks 

Hi

i am slightly hijacking this thread, off topic...,just wondering if any of you ladies who have been on tamoxifen for 10 years started out as node positive, grade 3 diagnoses? I am recently diagnosed and it feels almost impossible I will be here in 10 years so guess I'm looking for some hope from long-term survivors. (HER2 neg/eR positive) 

thanks 

I was just wondering about these side-effects as I will be reaching my 10 year anniversary on Tamoxifen in about a month's time, but I wanted to reply to your post hel39. I was diagnosed with node+ ER+ HER2- BC (grade 3) in May 2011 and I'm still here. I'm sure you're feeling overwhelmed right now, but long-term survivorship is increasingly common, thanks in part to Tamoxifen.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, so overwhelmed- pre-menopause, high grade and still awaiting for node-clearance this Thursday to see how many are positive. Just so frightened I won't see my children grow up. 
 

congrats on your ten year anniversary (if that's the right word). It is nice to know people respond that well to the hormone therapy. 
 

thank you again. 

Dear Hel39

I had that diagnosis in 2008 aged 44, I was told that most pre menopausal tumours are grade 3, so try not to worry. I had the full range of surgery/ chemo/ radio/ tamoxifen and am now fit and well, saw my children grow up and now have a granddaughter. 
Wishing you all the best for the future xx

Thank you so much. It gives me so much hope to read these posts. It was in four nodes after clearance - 2 micromets and 2 macro. Had a bit of a spiral after reading this and terms like 'lympho-vascular invasion' and 'extra-capsular spread' on my pathology report but trying to stay positive still. Start chemo in a couple of weeks.

thabk you again. Means a lot.

xx

I had 3 nodes and the lymphovascular invasion, don't remember any more details. It's a rough 9 months but you'll be good by Christmas :)

Thank you so much; it reassuring to hear x

I'm still here! Same diagnosis as you, in 2012, at the age of 36. Just coming off tamoxifen now, hence why I found this chat...

It's all hugely overwhelming at first - one day at a time, OK?

This was just what i needed this morning. On day 5 of first chemo and in a complete black hole of feeling it can't be worth it.

thank you so much xxx

The first chemo is hideous - the body is in shock! They get a bit easier after the first one. Eat little and often, keep taking your anti sickness meds - metaclopramide is rubbish so ask your team for something better if you're still feeling rotten. It will pass, I promise x
 

Plan something nice to do for the end of next week - always good to have something to look forward to, when you come out the other end of the cycle. We always had a nice meal out when I was feeling at my best, at the end of each cycle. Gives you something to head for...
 

hang on in there, OK? It is most definitely worth it, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. One day done is one day closer to the end of treatment. 

It is hideous. 
 So you had grade three and positive nodes? I just feel so scared I'm going through this and it'll just come back anyway.

thank you for your message. It's really kind xx