Calling all TNs

Stupidboob

I forgot to add that the American Cancer Society was awesome to me when I first got diagnosed.

Cocker_Spaniel

Ok ladies, do you know how cruel you are to me. No more talk please about your hot summer sun and raised temperatures while I freeze my butt off here in New Zealand. All I can say is 'my time will come'. lol.

Trying to catch up with everyone is a nightmare so I will comment on the ones I remember, taking in to account my fuzzy old brain.

Meadow my love I am so sorry to hear about your oncologist passing away. That would have been devastating for you and his family and also having to bury his grandson. What an awful thing to happen. Also sad is the fact that we put all of our hope and trust in our oncologist that we love and respect and can talk to and now he is gone. Even though it won't be the same I really hope you get another onco that you can trust as much as him.

I was so very sad to read about NotDoneYet. So hard when we lose someone but nobody knows what is around the corner for any one of us, so make sure you make the most of every day. My sincere condolences to all of her family and friends.

TN Potato my cancer also was Stage 3a with cancer in four nodes so I know just where you are coming from. You will get through this and that black tunnel is not so very long. Even now, over four years later, chemo seems like a bad dream to me. I try to find something good in every day (like summer is just around the corner lol) and I laugh as much as I can.

Curly rads!! I have written this before in a previous post so I will touch briefly on it. Here in New Zealand we have a facility that is two hours away by car. It is like a big beautiful motel where you go on a Monday morning, your rads start on the Monday afternoon and you have rads every day until Friday. After rads on Friday you go home for the weekend and then back again on Monday. My room was large, all to my self as was every ones, and it was modern and extremely comfortable. I had a big ensuite bathroom and couldn't have asked for anything better. All our meals were cooked for us and there was all sorts of things to do there. Get your nails done, your hair done, a library, physiotherapy, a massage, a facial, several TV rooms, a music room and more, everything we could possibly want. We went shopping every day and also to the lake for lunch and to a casino. We do not have to pay for anything, it is all free even our petrol money. A shuttle came every half hour to take us to whatever our appointment time was and to the hospital which was five minutes away, we would have our rads which took about 10 mins from getting undressed to getting dressed again and then we would take the shuttle back. It was truly wonderful. As for rads, I had no problems whatsoever. I lathered on cream liberally every night and showered it off in the morning. I was there for five weeks and it was only on week four that I went a little pink. I had no tiredness, no sickness and absolutely no problems. The Lodge was called the Daffodil Lodge as daffodils in NZ represent cancer. There were all kinds of people there with all kinds of different cancers. I drove myself there each Monday and then drove home on Friday. Although I had no problems as did most of us there, there was one lady who burnt very badly and had to have bandages changed every day. She hadn't been using very much cream which was $5 for a big pot and so it was very unpleasant for her. So my advice for anyone having rads is to lather, lather, lather that cream on but not before you go for rads or you will fry. There are several of these Lodges dotted around NZ and we are extremely lucky to have them. I'm so sorry you had such a rotten time with your radiation, it certainly isn't something you want to remember in a hurry but I think the norm is for an easier time with it than chemo.

LUV thinking of you with your onco appointment and in your pocket for good news. xxxx

Stupidboob so glad to hear from you and glad you are doing well.

Ally is anything happening with your surrogate. I really, really hope so. Still keeping my fingers crossed for you my love. xxxx

AL you are so right but I still believe that God does only give us what we can bear because we did do this and got through it and came out the other end of that dark tunnel. Thinking about the treatment is more than most of us can bear, at least it was for me because I have never felt so frightened in all my life, but somehow and with some help from above I found some courage that I didn't know I had and we all seem to be able to get through it.

Love to everyone I have missed and thinking of you all. xxxoooxxx

Cocker_Spaniel

As usual I have written a bloody book!!!!

anotherNYCGirl

Cocker, - Always so good to hear from you! I hope that you are healing and feel better and better!

Stay warm! (Hard to believe I'm saying that today!

Cocker_Spaniel

Another, my leg is slowly healing. It's been eight weeks now but the gashes are getting smaller bit by bit. So glad I can sit at my computer again without it hurting like mad. I will keep warm and you make sure you keep cool (if you can). xxooxx

sylviaexmouthuk

Hello Cocker Span,

I have just read your post about how you did your radiotherapy when you were going through treatment. I was so impressed with what you said about how a hotel was laid on and that you stayed their for the five days of treatment, meals laid on etc. I think we have a long way to go in the UK to get to those standards!!

I do hope all is well with you.

There are so many names on the TNs now that I cannot keep up with them. Most of the ones I knew, way back when, have disappeared, but yours and Meadows stand out in my mind.

Wishing you both all the very best. Is there any news on Titan?

Sylvia xxx.

Shopgal2

cocker sending you all the warmth from Phila with 90-100 degree temps.

Sylvia I think Titan posted just after page 1000 of this thread.

Valstim52

Hello Cocker, sending you warmth from racing towards the sun North Carolina. Glad you leg is on this side of healing.

Val

anotherNYCGirl

Cocker, - I am glad that you are improving, - i hope the healing hurries up!

TNpotato

Cocker - Thank you so much! May the winter pass quickly and summer 'spring' upon you! (And here's raising a virtual glass to a complete healing of your leg!)

blamoms - "We are going to get through this ladies. Life is tough but so are we" AMEN!!

Luvmydobies - Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way for Monday!

adarkadaptedi - Hang in there and good luck with the SSDI! My sister is on SSDI and it took my mother several tries until she was approved/enrolled. Don't give up! A lawyer is an excellent resource to help!

Hugs to all you wonderful people! xxxx

simplelife4real

Hi All,

Today is my three year cancerversary. I was stage 2b with lymph node involvement. After neoadjuvant therapy, I did not have a pCR. There was a small residual cancer in two lymph nodes (my residual cancer burden was RCB-I). I'm still NED today so there is hope for us non-pCR gals.

This thread was such a support for me during treatment; it makes me happy to be able to post some hopeful news. I was so sure that I was "a goner" in the beginning.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

Valstim52

Simplelife4 how wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration

anotherNYCGirl

Thanks for update Simplelife!! Wishing you continued good health for many decades to come!

Cathytoo

Simplelife...thanks so much for your post. CONGRATULATIONS on reaching three years. Keep going‼️

Scamp

Hi everyone! Yes, stupidboob, ACS was great to me too when I was first diagnosed.

I'm encouraged by all the stories but admit I'm anxious, now that I've just finished treatment.

My tumor was very aggressive...with spread to my lymph nodes. I had clear margins after surgery, did AC&T and rads with a boost but is that enough? I guess that's it for now with TN...I wonder if everything isgone? Trying not to stress but I find myself agonizing over every headache, memory lapse or exacerbation of my lymphedema.

Thanks for a safe space to vent...love you all! We are warriors!

Valstim52

I'm with you Shari. I will have my last rad thursday, and then it's Bye. But I will have lingering thoughts. Will try to move on.

Luvmydobies

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers! My Oncologist said he thinks I'm doing well. I don't have any new aches or worsening pains since I saw him last. He gave me a thorough checkup and said things looked and felt good. So I see him again in six months. Next Friday will be three years since finishing chemo for me. Hang in there everyone! That's all we can do! Simple, congrats on three years! XOXO!!

Scamp

Yay, Valstim52! Congrats on finishing🎉. Just responded to another message you posted. You inspire me to take one day at a time and live life to the fullest! Blessings to you

Allydp

Cocker - I'm so very happy to hear you're healing! And you're so sweet to ask about our surrogate. We have one more try coming in the next few months months. We're hoping and praying with everything we have 3rd time's the charm.

Luv - Hang in there girl. The follow-ups always bring a wave of anxiety, so you're not along in that. Just know that once you walk out of that appointment, you're one more follow-up clear!

Hi to everyone else! xo

anotherNYCGirl

Great update, Luv!

Congrats, too, to all those finishing treatments !

Ally, - I have fingers crossed for your 3rd try!

Hugs to everyone here!

TNpotato

simplelife4real - Congrats and THANK YOU for that post!! )

luvmydobies - Congrats to you too! woohoo! Keep on truckin'!

Scamp & Valstim52 - May good thoughts and prayers accompany you as you finish treatment! (and extra hugs )

Allydp - Sending good thoughts your way that third time is successful!!

ScotBird

Dobies and Simple Huzzah for the milestone! So inspiring, you have done so well, we're all cheering you on!

Scamp, Val, I'm just the same, worrying about everything now treatment is nearly done: I guess we have totrust that as time goes by we'll stop worrying so much and on good days, can forget all about stupid cancer and just enjoy life.

I've started my rads, have done 5/20 and so far so good. Love to you all. XX

Shopgal2

scamp and Val huzzah! I finished rads the end of February and it def was tougher after treatment. I had a hard time being out of my safety net of treatment and Drs appts. I was scared and depressed reading how everone in my sept chemo group was moving onto hormone treatment and I was left out as a tn. Then I kept coming to this board and everyone made me feel better knowing I was not alone. I still get anxious about having no more treatment, but time does heal all wounds both physical and mental. Take it one day at a time ladies.

Luv and simple 3 years is a pretty great milestone. Wednesday this week will be he anniversary of my reexcision lumpectomy. I guess I'm officially 1 year ned. It's nice to hang out with ned and here's hoping ned is around for everyone.

On the milestone front I started the process to buy a new house in the suburbs outside of Phila. It's new construction and really nice. I finally feel I can move forward from my cancer year and enjoy life. I am now waiting on a mortgage approval and then can submit a reserve on the house as it is still in construction. Scary to think about a 30 year mortgage but it's time to take a risk and as I say in my signature line be fearless again.

Eschindler

Hello,

I've been fortunate enough to be enrolled in a TNBC monitoring trial to detect recurrence earlier, perhaps before it metastasizes. This trial uses two tests, Liquid Biopsy and NKVue, to monitor circulating tumor cells and natural killer cells in the blood. It's being run by Cynvenio, and unfortunately, I think the enrollment has closed.

I am just looking for any other people who might also be participating in the trial, so that we can connect and share resources for travel. Looking forward to celebrating our good luck, which we could use.

Thanks!

BanR

Me out of the country and travelling during my daughters' summer holidays. Was walking around a shop today, spotted a child sobbing and moving around to and fro..surprisingly no one else took notice. Walked up to her and found out that the little one had lost her mother in the shop. Looking at her lost and terrified look, i was absolutely heart broken. Went up to the customer service and the lady started looking for the mom, while i went upstairs to hunt for any lady looking for her child. After a while came downstairs and they said that the mommy has been found. I wish to have met her....i get furious when i see such irresponsible acts.Also still wondering, how did the people around didnt notice or try and offer help..what if I had not reached out to the kid on time. I hope she is now happily at home with her family.

Congrats everyone for achieving the milestones... I will complete 3 years next mnth. The follow up this time revealed a tiny lump clinically, pointed out by me and painful if pressed but was not visible in any test. FNAC couldnt conclude anything either. Will have to repeat these tests once again this month end.

littleblueflowers

Howdy! Is anyone here taking metformin for preventing or reducing reoccurance? I just started it. My MOs opinion was that it couldn't hurt! I'm about a year PFC. Thanks and blessings!

Meadow

BanR, so glad you were aware of the child, and could help. What is wrong with people, that they could not see her?

Cocker_Spaniel

Seen a lot of little tots crying because they have lost their mummy and I always help. When mum eventually turns up they seem unconcerned and even have scolded the wee mites. I would be worried sick until I found my child. But yes, what the heck is wrong with people that they can turn a blind eye to a crying child. Hoping all turns out well with the lump and its fat necrosis or just a simple cyst.

Hi there Meadow hope all is well with you.

Ally I am praying with love and hope that this is the third time lucky. I just can't wait to see you post that great news.

Eschindler how lucky you are to be involved in that trial to detect early recurrence. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all do it.

LUV so glad all went well with your onco appointment and congrats on the coming up three years. Time to relax again now. How is your new house coming on.

Shopgal I like the "be fearless again". Hope you get your mortgage for your new house so you can really start living and hoping again.

Scamp I think we can all relate and confirm that we went through the "is everything gone" stage. I also had it in my nodes. As time goes on those worries get a little less and less and I'm not sure that feeling will ever leave us completely but take one day at a time and enjoy every minute of that day, you will make it.

JAN69

Little Blue, I take Metformin in the hopes that it prevents ca return. My PCP prescribed it, but when other doctors see why I take it, they scoff at the idea. PCP said that "they" are finding it isn't helping the cancer cause, but that it is helping the heart! I'd love to know what others are doing and what their PCP or MO says on the subject. Jan

Valstim52

I am on metformin already for metabolic syndrome. My MO says the jury is out and my PCP says the same thing, but it really does not apply as I was already on it and it didn't prevent it. I take a pretty high dose as they say in the studies but for a different reason.