I had my Gastric Bypass Surgery in April of 2003, I lost a tremendous amount of weight and wow did I look good and felt good. The in December of 2004, my husband found a lump in my right breast. I had been ignoring because when all the weight is gone you have bones in places that you didn't know that existed. My cancer turned out to be stage I and grade 3. My lymph nodes were clear. I went through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and a because I was her2 positive, a years worth of Herceptin. I became post menopausal I am now taking Arimedex, for approximately 1 year. Grade 3 is the most aggressive and fast growing cancer. It not only travels through your lymphatic system, but also your blood stream. It is not the breast cancer that kills you its the metastasis into vital organs that take lives. Because it is a Grade 3 cancer, there was not choice for me. I will do whatever it takes to stay alive, I have 2 young boys. I lost all my hair, I was very sick, weak, and struggled with white blood cell count, red blood cell count. I developed a blood clot in my first portacath, then developed an infection in my second. It has been the worst journey of my life. But just think I had 3 different doctors say that if I had not lost the weight, I would not have found that lump in time. That is just a scary thought. Breast cancer does not run in my family. It is something I never dreamed that could happen to me, but it did. I am a survivor. They say I am in remission and when I pass the 5 year post, than I will be considered cancer free, for whatever that means. With you posting and asking for feedback tells me that you love your wife and you are afraid for her. Just give her the support. There will be times that she will be as hostile as anybody can get. It is terrible. I am know suffering from severe depression that I hear is normal for 30% of breast cancer patients after treatment. My husband had to learn to be patient and supportive. My husband had to learn how all this treatment will affect me. I highly recommend the website from Susan G Komen for more treatment information.

Congratulations for the all clear!! I am still waiting to have another mammogram. The VA scheduled me for an appointment, but didn't notify me that they had one scheduled. The oncologist told me that I only needed them 1x a year. I thought that was odd, but ok. After I get through this whole WLS thing, I will return for another one and hopefully get the all clear. Thanks for telling me your story, it is nice to know that I am not the only one out there with pain left over from the surgery/radiation. I am just tired of getting told that it is just inflamation though. I feel that as small of an area that they "should" have taken out, shouldn't make me sore all over that side. The discoloration doesn't bother me too bad, it just looks like I laid out in the sun with only that side exposed. LOL I was also told that the radiation keeps on working for months after you stop. That is strange. Keep me informed on your surgery. I go in on Monday for the LAP RNY. For me, that was the better choice. I couldn't keep taking off work 2 days everytime that I needed a fill (because I have to drive from NM). I am looking forward to our race - we definitely can beat this!!!

My husband of 7 years decided to end our marriage and the summer of same year I was diagnosed with calcifications in my right breast. At that time, the hospitals here locally thought that I should just keep getting mammograms every 6 months to see if it gets bigger. ?? What the heck??? But, when I went to the VA for my 6 month checkup, they saw the calcifications and thought that it would be in my best interest to have it biopsied. Well, it showed cancer in the ducts. I had also found a lump in which they biopsied and found no cancer ~ it was just a lymph node that was swollen. At that point they decided I should have the cancerous calcifications removed. I had that done 2 months later, March 2006. After the surgery, my breast was VERY sore. I was told that was normal. They also suggested that I have radiation to ensure that there were no remaining cancerous cells. After 6 weeks of radiation, my breast was REALLY sore and I was exhausted!! It has discolored my breast & my breast is mishapen. My calcifications were very small (we caught it very early). I figured as small as it was, that it would be a simple surgery & that would be the end of it. The scar that I have is approximately 2 inches long, but has a bunch of scar tissue underneath it. The inside of my breast (not the surgery site) is hard. I have talked about this with the docs and was told that the pain & the shape & the discoloration & the hardness would all go away. It has been 8 months and it has not changed. I know they said that it takes a long time, but geez! how long? I, too, am having WLS on the 18th of this month in hopes to reduce my weight and my chances of reoccurence of the cancer. I am also on tamoxifen for the next 5 years. I don't always remember to take it, but I try. I am looking forward to living a long life. I, too, am a single mom now & I live for my 11-year old son.

Thanks for the information. I'm going to have another bloodtest in 3 months (instead of 6) to find out what's happened to the CA-125 number.

I had ovarian cancer in 2000 with surgery and chemo following. I just had lap-band surgery on Sept. 15. My last CA-125 test went from 5 to 12. It's been 5 and below for 5 years. My oncologist things it might be due to the abdominal truama of the lap-band surgery. Did your CA-125 go up after surgery or do you know of anybody's that did?