Calling all TNs

MBJ

Suze:  Getting away for a few days and staying at the Ritz-how wonderful!  Enjoy your time there and tell us all about it when you get back.  I am hoping your CT comes back clean but like you said, radiation is there to clean up the rest.  Big hugs!!

Teka

Suze35,

My daughter loves NYC, and someday wants to take me back for a visit.   I was 18 on my senior class trip, and had a little to much booze.   You'll have such a good time.

Babs37

Kymn- I'm from Quebec and my doctor prescribed me Neupogen (same as Neulasta) from the get go for my AC chemo and I didn't have to pay for it. But I didn't need any Neupogen shots while on Taxol.

Suze- Aaaahhh... doesn't it feel good when the drains come out........ Sending you big hugs. Hang in there.

Luah

Kymn:  Neulasta and neupogen have side effects, and doctors in Canada do not routinely prescribe them if you are on a 3-week cycle, because most women's blood counts have enough time to come up by themselves. That said, if your WBCs are low and risk putting you off your  chemo schedule, it is definitely worth asking your doc about it.

I was put on neulasta because I was on a dose dense cycle (every 2 weeks) for AC and the cost (about $2500/round) was covered through a combination of my husband's private insurance and the drug company's Victory program.    

Sugar77

Suze - sounds like a wonderful trip you have coming up. Enjoy!

Kymn - sorry you're to hear about your counts. I'm in Ontario and I had Neulasta after each of my treatments ot Taxotere/Cytoxan.  It was covered 100% by my extended health benefits through work. I recall each shot was about $3,000. I know it wasn't covered under OHIP because it was administered outside of the hospital.  You might want to check with your Oncologist to see whether he/she recommends Neulasta or Neupogen.  I think the latter is a series of shots.

Anonymous

Suze- NYC-- what a wonderful distraction. Enjoy!

Titan

OMG Suze..you will have so much fun!  ..Still haven't been to NYC...

Ok.since the DC trip didn't work out what about NYC?  Not now..I still can't afford this because of my DD's wedding in October but maybe next spring?  I want to stay on Central Park..I want to go shopping..I want to eat a  NY hot dog..I want I want I want

karebear113

cc4npg - thanks for all the advice!  how long has it been since you stopped chemo? 

bak94

To my tiple negative sisters, I am confused! 8 years ago I was diagnosed as triple negative. Now I have a new cancer in my opposite breast. Path report back today, er 3%-positive pr 1%-negative her2-neg (or what ever it is called). So am I positive or negative? 3% seems so low? I don't know much about this, I will also check the postive thread for info.

pennylane

Hi BK...So sorry to hear this....Five years ago I was dx as triple negative even though I was 5% er positive (pr neg, Her2-neg)....I hear that standards have changed a bit and some Drs offer hormone therapy for very low expressions of er...most seem to adhere to fact that it would not do much good so why suffer thru all the potential rough side effects....I have always considered myself triple negative...I find there are so many long term survivors of triple neg and really feel you will still be one after treatment.  This must be so brutal for you and my heart goes out to you BK....Hang tough dear sister...best to you, P

mitymuffin

Yippee! I just got an all clear, normal mammogram at MSK on my one year anniversary. I also met with the surgeon who did my lumpectomy and all looked good. He said "come back in one year." The only other follow up will be  blood work with the oncologist back home.

Teka

mitymuffin,

Excellent news!

MBJ

mittymuffin:  That is such great news!  Congratulations!!

Huskerkkc

Congrats mity!

Kymn

Good Morning Ladies, thanks for all your advice, I will certainly mention this to my onc. I am sure he has a reason that I am not getting this shot and with all the SE I have been reading about it not sure that I would want it now lol, think maybe waiting an extra few days for chemo is the better route for me, I dont mind putting off that hell for a couple extra days

Suze I am so jelous i would love to go to NYC, one day, my DH cheers for the NYR so we would have to go when they are playing, that would be soooo exciting of course the best NHL team is the Vancouver Canucks but we wont pop his little bubble lol.

Mitty muffin congrats that is fabulous news, high five doing a happy dance for you.

BK I am so sorry to hear that BC has reared its ugly head again, we are all here for ya sista one more time then kick that crap to the curb!!!!! I beleive you would still be considered triple neg from what I have read anyhow.

Hope the rest of you lovely ladies are having a great day, any big plans for Easter ?

Hugs Kymn

JenC

Mittymuffin - Congratulations on the great news.  I just had my one year mamo about a month ago and the anxiety almost killed me.  So much releif when you hear the all clear:)

Fighter_34

mittymuffin: Wonderful NEWS!!!!

cmksocal

mitttymuffin -- Wonderful news!!! 

Kyman - I didn't either shot. My oncologist said if the bloodwork indicated a need for the shot, he would order it.  But he explained how the timing of the shot and the bodies natural ability to regenerate blood cells overlapped so that it was difficult to know how valuable it was (this is my simplistic recall of the explanation).  I didn't need the shot and from reading of other people's experiences I was glad I didn't get it.

Colleen

Sugar77

Mitty - congrats!!!

Kymn - my onc insisted on me having the Neulasta shot but that might have been because I had Taxotere every three weeks.  As I recall Taxotere mainly affects the neutrophils. I asked if I could forego for the last round but he stressed he wanted me to have it. You might want to check for the "T" portion of your treatment.

Anonymous

I had Cytoxan & Taxotere every three weeks and never had the shots. Never had a problem either.

cc4npg

mitymuffin:  Woohoo for clear mammo's!

karebear:  my last TC was 1/31/11.  It wasn't fun.  The whole ordeal of being dx with cancer... cancer, of all things! was unreal to me.  I remember I had to keep telling myself "you have cancer" for it to sink in.  No one on my mom's side had ever had BC or OV CA.  My dad's side was hugely unknown, but I know his mother never had BC.  My half sister (shared father) had BC, so I assumed it must come from his side.  Being BRCA+, I thought certainly my half sister would also test positive, but she tested negative!  So it's still a mystery.  The emotions your mom is facing are unlike anything I can describe, probably because until you go through something like this, you have nothing to compare it to.  I compare the emotions I went thru, and am still going thru, similar in nature to grief.  Fear, anxiety, sadness, terror, anger, and then moments of sheer joy when we get the slightest bit of good news!  It is truly something else.  Ask us whatever you need to as you try to help your mom... we're here for both of you. 

Anonymous

cc4npg-ditto!

SunnyCoconut

My critter inventory consists of 2 welcomed cats that are the real residents of the house and they allow us to live there.  The unwelcomed visitors have been a baby possom about the size of a kitten, he was trying to eat or nurse on an orange that fell out of our tree.  We had a baby snake in the pool.  Numerous frogs have gone swimming only to discover they cant get out.  One spring we had a duck couple try to claim the pool as their own oasis for about a week!  Poop everywhere!  We found a 12 inch diameter turtle swimming one morning.  A three-legged dog appeared one day.  But the only thing that ever makes in the house are lizards and we have to get them out before the cats discover the new toys!

I had the BRCA test too and the results were ready in a couple weeks (negative).  I have no kids but I wanted the test because I wanted to remove my ovaries if I was BRCA positive.  They approved the test and covered the expense.

I had a Neulasta shot the day after every chemo treatment.  4xAC dd and 4xTaxol

So great to hear about the good test results!

TifJ

Mitymufin- Wonderful News!!!

BK- I too am 3% ER. I was treated as triple negative. My onc. said Tamoxifen would not do me any good. Why have the side effects if the medication won't help you!

Titan

Way to go Mity!  I'm right behind you..May 9th I have mammo..May 11 I have the onc and bs..blah!

Oh and Sugar...did you know that there is a STOP SUGAR THREAD?  What in the heck did you do?

Heidi..how many animals do you have in your house?  

I'm meeting a co-worker after work tomorrow..we mapped out a 3.5 mile route to jog..Yikes..!

Sugar77

Titan - lol...

MBJ

Stop Sugar!  LOL!!!

cc4npg

Good one Titan...

swiftbird

Stop Sugar thread - that is funny  made me LOL!!! My hair looks likes your yours now, Sugar -- always had long straight hair, kinda enjoying this short sassy curly jazz !! 

 Mitymuffin - so exciting!! Happy Dance! 1 year - yessss!!!!  I had my 6 month all clear (well, minus the findings that I had a seroma along my scar - yay- but they aspirated it, and it has been resolving itself, thank goodness -- and the beginnings of truncal lymphedema -- kinda SUCKS, but better than the alternative...:) I am alive.  I have a crazy nutso new cool job.  I have a wonderful, handsome, cool friggin husband who hung in with me through the rough times.  Life is pretty good. 

G'nite ladies.  One year ago, I was mid way through chemo, working full time, and muddling through and you kept me going.  Seriously. Thanks to everyone.  You all ROCK. 

Anonymous

Titan- recent count:

1 sugar glider

2 flying squirrels

1 korean ground squirrel

1 prairie dog

2 boston terriers

3 cats

1 hog nose snake

Outside:

5 horses

2 pygmy goats

7 bantem cickens

2 "barn" cats living in a heated Pussy Palace complete with screened porch

Past inhabitants include:

richardson ground squirrels

prevost squirrels

13 lined ground squirrel

pygmy hedgehog

2 raccoons

6 pygmy mice

2 pygmy possums

4 rabbits (holland, dwarf, dutch, mini lop)

canary

lovebird

parakeet

assorted fox, possums, skunks, hawks, herons, vultures,ducks,  loons, swans, bald eagles, songbirds, lizards, turtles "you name it I've rescued it" animals

That's what comes to mind for the moment. Trust me... there's more.... it would just take too long to remember them all and I'm headed to bed.