Calling all TNs

LillieRose

thanks alhusband! I'm so happy I made it to this one! I'll celebrate them all 💛 I hope you and your wife are well!

Twaz, I'm so sorry! The beginning in the worse part. It does get better. This is a good place for info. Stay off the web... It's scary overwhelming and outdated! Good luck

Valstim52

Twaz, so sorry you have to be here, but welcome. Be sure to put your specifics in your signature line once you know it (tumor type, stage type of chemo if any surgery ) that will help you to see who else is walking in your similiar shoes. They can give you tips.

I agree, google is not your friend. A lot of the information is years old, and very discouraging. This board and others will give you so much support, hope and strength. Lots of us are new, and some have been in the struggle (it's real) for years. Some like me are 24 year survivors of a different breast cancer and find ourselves back here.

My advice: Is cry, scream, rant and vent. Whatever helps. Once your treatment plan is in place and you start, it does get better. But shock and anger are part of the entire process. In my humble opinion.

Val

StefLove

twaz, this is definitely a great bunch of ladies (and men!). welcome to our little club feel free to vent, scream, cry with us.

Lillie, congrats on one year!

and just like Lillie, I also hit my 1 year at the end of march. Kind of surreal and terrifying all at the same time. Honestly not sure how to feel about everything. I have more 'normal' days than not lately, which I'm thankful for. Now only every other pain or ache makes me think of recurrence, so that's progress. I see my MO for another checkup in two weeks, honestly dn't even know what I'll be doing at that appointment. New scans? Mammo? Honestly no idea.

Twaz

Thank you all for being so welcoming. All my life I've heard "cancer sucks" and agreed, but now I KNOW. My fear now is my PET scan. I have a terrible feeling. I don't see a surgeon until Monday because I am changing hospitals and they have to do all of the paperwork transfers and such. My head hurts and I'm scared as hell.

Sorry for being a whiny noob. Survivors I have talked to say that once I start treatment, things will be more positive because at least I won't be waiting.

kellychameleon

Twaz, the beginning when you're waiting and trying to process everything is the worst. All of the unanswered questions, looming scans, not having a treatment plan in place - it's all terrifying. And it seems to take so long (when usually in the grand scheme of things, it's a relatively short time that seems like an eternity). Once you get past that and know what you're working with and have a plan in place, a huge weight is lifted. At least it was for me.

I'm still new to all of this - I think this is actually my first post on this thread - but I am excited to say that I only have one more chemo left. It really does seem like just yesterday that I got that horrifying phone call, but it's been 3.5 months, and I'm in a much, much better head space.

shiny

hi Twaz!

I so agree with Kellychamel, it is so the unknown and the waiting in the early days that is the very worse.

The plan, the action, the ticking those actions of your ' whoop cancer's a.. List' does really help.

I never personally feel any anger but other do. What ever you feel, dont feel bad about it. It is all a shock and a proccess to go through and everyone does this differently.

I remember in the years following my dx having several ' scares' as bones became sermingly more painfull or other health issues had me having further ' checks' but, if helpful to you or the others here, just recently I had chest shmptoms being treated by a thoracis physician and had extra meds prescribes as improvement was not fulky satisfactory. I called my cancer hospital as I seemed to recall my tupe of chemo might cause very late onset issues with lung. The bc nurse was rather disbeleiving.. Thinking I should have been in touch last summer, but both my specialist and I thought we were dealing with something else! I have had scan now and waiting on results but just wanted to say that Cancer never occured to me in this instance at all.

Edited to clarify that the ' if helpful bit' of my post was to express the fact that this latest test, did not have me in a state as i feel calm and reasonably satisfied that the issues are much more likely going to be due to something else then bc mets, and that I feel it is good to reflect that the bc is not something I am always waiting to see if it comes back, that that initial adjustment to knowing the risks and possibilities does not stay this way forever often. Oh hard to put in words but hoping this makes sense! Am feeling positive but of course still aware of the posibilities but not living in the 'what if' mode which is natural early on. Hug to all

Wishing you well. Hope you know there are so many here to listen and support you. Always.

Hug

Shiny

Meadow

Hi ladies, my internet was down for several days so I am behind here. Twaz and Kellychameleon, we are so glad you are here with us. Not the reason behind it of course, but together we are so much stronger.

Lookingforward66

Ladies & Gents,

Thanks for your congrats. I agree arthritis is a good thing. My MO said keep up my yoga. She also said water exercise is good. My girl friend just redid her pool. Picture below. I plan on using it soon. I have carte blanche on using it whenever I want. It has gotten real bad. Knees & feet the worst right now. Spine some but not near as bad as the other areas.

Waiting for summer!!!!!

My last class I had a friend take this photo at the Curtiss Mansion in Miami Springs ( where my class is held)

Have a great day

Marsha

bluedog

Marsha, beautiful shoulder stand!

Cathytoo

Lookingforward66....that photo is a work of art‼️

Lookingforward66

Thank you Cathytoo & Bluedog. I did same pose a year ago. It has become my " can still do it" pose! Not bad for 69!! Have to keep moving to keep the arthritis joints going. Truly enjoy my yoga.

Namaste,

Marsha

ALHusband

Very proud to report that tomorrow, 4/8/16, is my wife's 3 year "cancerversary" and she is thriving! New folks, 3 years ago on 4/8/2013 we were terrified. I am posting this to let you know there are definitely better days ahead! Our wishes for good health to everyone!!!!

greenae

YAY for Three Years! That's the real deal according to my MO. Congratulations to you and your wife, Alhusband! Many, many more healthy years ahead. Thank you for giving us strength !

Arlene

greenae

Lookingforward, you are LOOKINGOOD!!

Twaz

congrats on three years!!! That gives me hope!

Today I felt like myself most of the day. I was actually hungry! I've talked to so many people & the support is overwhelming.

I am soooo sleepy though. Did anyone else experience that in the very beginning? I haven't even seen a doctor yet! Tonight I have a headache. Ugh.

Meadow

Lookingforward, I agree with Arlene,Bluedog and Cathy, wow, that photo and you are beautiful!

Al, so very happy for you and the sweet lady love.

Twaz, yes, I was so tired before my diagnosis and early in treatment. I quess my body was trying to tell me something. Hugs to you.

BanR

Congrats for 3 years ALhusband ...wishing many more happy and healthy years for her!! 3 years is the first milestone..right!

Lookingforw.... Happy for clear scans!! It is after all " only" arthritis!! Piece of cake as compared to tnbc!!

Funny thing ,,not sure how many have faced this....The amount of hair which has come up after chemo is 1/2 the amount of hair which I had before. Surely chemo has permanently destroyed 50 percent of my hair follicles. ...from dense hair to extremely sparse hair!

LoveMyVizsla

BanR, do you take biotin, or have you tried anything like rogaine

Shopgal2

Looking forward gorgeous photo! That's amazing about the head stands.

Alhusband congrats to you and your wife on the 3 year milestone.

4everStrong

Congrats on the three years!! Fantastic to read stories like those. Keep posting them in.. it's giving us hope and strengh..

phaila

hi Cathytoo, I was just at my MO yesterday for facial flushing. I looked like I had wicked sunburn. It was Also on my chest and slight flushing on my arms. He said it is a reaction from steroids. He said it would go away in 2-3 days and I could take benedryl if I wished but he wouldn't think I should unless it was itchy or burning. But it was up to me.

Cathytoo

Phaila...it's funny the different opinions given out. When I got that on my face my MO prescribed a steroid med pack. Just as I was about to start it, the flushing and burning went away. I only had it that one time. It was very painful.

Valstim52

Same here, I had flushing then after a couple of days and some benydryl it went away. My MO immediately said it was the steroids when she saw it. I knew that as well, from a previous experience with steroids.

SA8PG

Alhusband- so happy for you & your wife. Three years. Woooohooooo.

My hair is at least 50% thinner than it was. I take Biotin as well. I'm not sure there is anything that can be done. Just part of the changes.

Have a blessed weekend everyone.

Twaz

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Friday & yesterday, I felt like myself. Almost forgot about the cancer. Today, ugh. Super tired, sore throat, headache. My daughter has softball today. Hoping to make a game.

LoveMyVizsla

My MIL arrives tomorrow for a few days. I'm halfway through chemo, done with AC. I've been cleaning all morning, but have to stop and rest between tasks. I haven't been doing much cleaning since January. I let my husband take the dog for a hike today instead of going with them. I still have more laundry to do and need to mop the wood and cork floors. Taxol starts next Thursday and I'm NOT looking forward to it.

lawyer180

Hi everyone! I'm 41, diagnosed 11/19/15, IDC, left, 2.5 cm, grade 3, stage IIb, ki67 90%, BRCA neg, but with a family history on father's side, I won't know about node involvement until after surgery, but I had a biopsy of one node and it was clear. AC + T, I'm done with AC and am on #6 of 12 Taxol. Surgery will come in June or July. At this point, I haven't decided on a bi- mx or lx with rads. My gut tells me to do the mx, but my surgeon and oncologist seemed surprised when I said that's the way I was leaning..."why remove healthy breast, etc" I want to do everything now to reduce the risk of having to deal with this again in the future! I'm done having children and crave the peace of mind not having mammos/biopsies/MRI every six months and constantly worrying about a recurrence or new cancer forming.

For those of you with similar stats, what were your main reasons for selecting the surgical option you did? Thanks!

LoveMyVizsla

Lawyer 180, I wanted the least amount of surgery, so I had a lumpectomy. But, my ki67 was only 20%. I was contemplating a reduction on the non-cancer side, but right now I'm thinking I won't even do that.

SA8PG

Hi Lawyer

My ki67 was 89%, my tumor was large at almost 5 cm. I chose bmx because like you I didn't want the scans and tests all the time. I am a busy mom and have to take my children with me to the Dr. all the time since I homeschool. I would tell you to be prepared if you do reconstruction that when it goes well it's wonderful and when there are issues it takes awhile to address them but in the end it all comes together. Just do your research and in the end you must trust that you will make the right choice. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Please let us know if you need anything. We are here for you.

Hugs

G

Meadow

Lawyer, Welcome! I didn't have a choice on surgery, so I cannot help to answer your question, except to offer encouragement. I know you will get more responses soon. My best to you and again, glad you found us.

Viszla I am glad your mil is coming, if she is like mine, what a blessing. I get how you are doing extra cleaning.....ugh. we are having company this weekend...an old college friend who visited once after 30 years, while he was a bachelor. This was last year. He has remarried, and I guess we showed him such a great time that he wants to bring his new wife to meet us. I am happy to have them here, but him as a bachelor was different! Lots of spring cleaning going on!