Calling all TNs

Luah

Completely agree with you on the benefits of short hair. I've grown mine out to a chin-length bob (which is still a LOT shorter than I have ever worn it), but next summer, I may just cut it pixie short again.

Just an update: I've been suffering from scan anxiety lately, but received some excellent news yesterday. My annual mammo was clear. And the bone scan I had due to some recent back pain came back NORMAL. What a relief. (To celebrate, DH and I are going to get a jump on winter and do a little early-season skiing out west for a few days.)  

mccrimmon324

Congrats Luah!  Enjoy your trip, never been sking before but it's on my list of things to do. 

TifJ

YAY Luah!!! What a relief for you!!! Have a great trip!

denjak

Hello Ladies:

Its been a while since my last visit. Thank you all for the big PUSH you all gave me to get my surgery date. The doctors indeed (as you all predicted) needed some serious movitvation to get me an earlier surgery date and their schedulers...well.... they were just filling spaces on a page. I got my oncologist involved, my navigator joined the effort and they now have me scheduled for November 30. I was originally set for December. I am in south Florida and getting the surgeon and the reconstruction guy together is like aligning Jupiter and Mars. Anyway.

Kymn saw your picture you are FAB!!

I am getting a double mastectomy. I have enough real estate so I will get implants right then...Any tips/advice/cautions will be deeply appreciated. So far ladies, you have helped me find my way!! much love and prayers to you all.

kathyrnn

Gator, sorry you have to join us but welcome to the group. I had shingles about a year and a half before my chemo and had no outbreak during chemo.



Luah, Congrats!



Denjak, good job on advocating for yourself!

mitymuffin

Yay Luah! Great news all around.

susan

Kymn

I have to admitt I do like the ease of short hair. Maybe I will keep it short who knows

ksmatthews

Had my ct scan today, and my dr just called and said "all clear"!  Yeah!!!!  I have been sick all day worrying about it.

Luah good news! 

lwarstler

Kathrynn: Thanks for the info about Aloxi and constipation that explains why it took just short of a stick of dynamite to get things moving (took 6 days) They give me IV Aloxi and Emmend. I have always had some stomach and digestive trouble. I think this is why my stomach gets it so bad regardless of the meds.

KS and Luah: Yay...good news!

GatorL sorry you had to join us but really glad you found us! Wow, sometimes it seems like things hit us all at once doesn't it? Sorry to hear that! 

michelleo13

Luah, great news on the clear mammo and scan. Enjoy your ski trip.

Had my last Taxol tx today and no reaction. I am now officially PFC!!!! I expect to start RADs in 4 weeks and will continue to see me ONC once a month because of the clinical trial I'm in (Denosumab).

Luah

KS, back at ya - that is great turnaround on great results!

michelleo13: Congrats on being finished with chemo! That is a great milestone, you'll probably find rads MUCH easier.  What's denosumab? It's great you'll be followed so closely.

Sugar77

Luah and KSmatthews - such good news!  It's time to celebrate.

LeannaClem

I will be 40 in December.  I have a 15 yr old son.  I was diagnosed with Triple Negative at the end of September.  I wasted 5 weeks at one clinic who's doctors drug their feet and did absolutely nothing.  I am now going to Vanderbilt in Nashville and already scheduled for a kidney biopsy for Thursday and hopefully will start my first chemo tx next week.   I am super nervous.  I do pretty good until I get on the internet and read up on TN,  and watch YouTube videos of chemo patients.       Encouraging words, anyone????   lol

ksmatthews

Leanna my dr told me to stay off  the internet except this site and the american cancer site, so I do.  Anybody can put anything on the internet and it doesn't have to be real or true.

Also I am TN and my dr said it is neither good or bad, just has to be treated differently, so I hold on to that, do what they tell me and I am doing just fine.  You will too.

Just stay off those sites, you will make yourself sick. And I hate to say it, but there are somethings on this site I have to avoid to keep myself at ease.

Good luck and God Bless! 

LeannaClem

Thank you ks....  I appreciate it.  It just feels like a death sentence to be triple negative. I've read very few positive things.  I am VERY nervous about starting chemo next week.  I don't have my port or anything yet.   

Thanks again....  

TifJ

Congrats to you to KS!!

YAY Michelle!! It's nice to say I'm PFC isn't it?!!

Welcome Leanna! You will get alot of help and support here!

Teka

LeannaClem,

The BC threads can be emotionally charged during Christmas.  

mags20487

Hi Leanna..and welcome to the TN family.  I was diagnosed in August and started my chemo in Sept.  Had a bmx first.  So far so good with the chemo.  There is a website dedicated to Tn's too it is www.tnbcfoundation.org  Also full of great ladies fighting tnbc.  Lots of healthy and GOOD info on this site and that for us TN's  Hang in there...it is tougher in the beginning.

Maggie

bak94

Congrat KS and Luah on clean scans! I have good new to add to that, my bone scan and breast mri were clean! BMX is on for Nov. 30th.

Denjak, we have the same surgery date! I am not having immediate reconstruction though, they won't let me but I am ok with delayed reconstruction now.

Leanna-thinking of you! Many triple negs can respond to chemo very well, so hang in there. Once you start chemo the fear will ease up a bit, if you have any side effects let your doctor know immediately and they can usually give you something to help.

christina1961

Leanna, I'm sorry you had to join this group but you will find a lot of great support here. The triple negative thread here is very active and a great group of women! I am  in TN - in Chattanooga (also went up to Vanderbilt for 2nd opinion) and also a fellow pit bull fan! I was diagnosed in Feb with triple neg - after my surgery in June, they analyzed the remaining tumor and found 5-10% ER receptors. I went through TAC (taxotere, adriamycin, and cytoxan) chemo - it was hard, but I worked through it - but not during the 5-8 days after infusion. It was helpful to me to also join one of the chemo threads on this board - in my case, it was the February 2011 chemo pals.  Everyone going through it posts their experiences and helpful hints, etc. 

ksmatthews

bak94 yeah!

Leanna Tn responds very good to chemo, that is a plus for us! I did TAC after chemo did a lumpectomy cause there was no tumor left!  Path report was all clear!

Good luck, chemo isn't too bad, but if you do have any problems let your dr know, they can help you.

Just drink lots of water. 

Titan

Luah and Kris!  YES YES YES!  Happy for you...the anxiety sucks doesn't it...and once you do hear the good news it's like..ok..what do I do now..oh yeah move on..emotional roller coaster for sure!

Hey Gator..your Gators and my Buckeyes are duking it out right now on TV...assuming you are a Florida Gator fan from your screen name...I love watching college sports and not upset the NBA is on hold for awhile...too much $$$ and egos for me there....

Leanna  Yes..chemo certainly isn't fun...but..it is doable...everyone on here has lots of tips and ways to handle it...read them and go with the tips that work for you!   We will be with you the whole way and before you know it you will be posting words of encouragement to other women..really, you will...now...back to the basketball game..ha ha

Titan

Riley..never had a sis but do work with some people that are from "controlled" churches so I understand  where you are coming from.

My brother had the monk look going so he shaves his head..when I was bald we had a pic taken and I gave it to him at Christmas..I was laughing and crying at the same time... My SIL thought it was sad...yes maybe it was...but dang...it was actually a pretty good pic

michelleo13

Luah, Denosumab is a bone-building drug that is used for Osteoporosis patients. The clinical trial I'm in is a study on its effectiveness in preventing or delaying the spread of B/C to the bone. I get a shot of the drug (or placebo...not sure which) once a month for 6 months and then I think it's every 3 months for 5 years. As A TN, when they offered me a chance to be in the trial, I thought "why not"...there's a 50/50 chance I'll get the actual drug and the extra follow-up and scans will hopefully provide some reassurance once I'm done my regular treatments.

Leeanna, welcome! When I first googled TNBC and started reading, I totally freaked out. Then I talked to my ONC who reassured me that a lot of the information on the internet is old and we know a LOT more about TNBC now than we did even 5 years ago. I learned from that to take everything I read with a grain of salt. As for chemo, everyone is different but I found it to be very doable! Did I have bad days? For sure....but the good days definitely outweighed the bad for me.

Bak94, YEAH....great news!

inmate4232010

Kym... you look great 

Christina...  hang in there.....hoping for less fatigue and more whities!

Suze...  here's to an enriching family visit.  

Leeanna...  it is very scary to be diagnosed with TNBC.  Most of what you find on the internet is outdated.  This forum is a great place to ask questions and get up to date information from a community that understands.  Chemo is definitely doable.  I even found myself having a bit of fun.  I know, hard to believe!  You will get through this and may end up stronger because of it.

Hello to everyone.  I have been very busy with my birthday week.  My sister surprised me with a concert, my women's group made 200 hats and scarves for the Union Gospel Mission, I went to ladies night at the local hardware store and dinner with the girls, planned and executed a 70's themed 40th birthday party with costumes, black light, lava lamp and disco ball, last but not least, threw a baby shower for my BFF's niece.  Whew, did I sleep all day yesterday?!

What a great distraction from the previous week!  Today I started my new chemo.  This round consists of 4 drugs, Methotrexate, Navelbine, 5-FU and Leucovorin.  My MO says these have pretty minor side effects.  Yeah for that!  Infusing 2 on, one off, then repeat for 9 weeks.  Now lets hope that these drugs work!  

Luah...by my calculations I should be done with treatment on January 3rd.  the rest of my winter will be spent ON THE SLOPES!  Night skiing is one of my favorites, because it is so quiet and relaxing.  I am hoping to get an actual trip in.  Nothing like ski in ski out accommodations to maximize your time on the hill.  Sorry to go on and on....can you tell I'm excited?

inmate4232010

Has anyone heard from LauraJane?

mitymuffin

Leanna, Vanderbilt is a great hospital, as is the U. of Birmingham hospital.  Its good you are going to where the doctors are top notch, and its easier to have confidence in them knowing they are top doctors. 

As everyone has said, the chemo is not fun, but you will get through it and its not as bad as you might imagine. 

Inmate, night skiing sounds outrageously beautiful.  I think its a great idea to plan a trip, or some treat, after treatment. Do be aware that you may not have your full strength back for a while. I was eager to get back to my sport after treatment, and I had continued to work out and be active during treatment, but lo and behold...my body did not react like I wanted it to. My muscles were strangly stiff and creaky, and I was very tired for months. You don't want to cause a muscle or tendon injury that would set you back in your sport. It was a full six months after treatment before my muscles starting behaving close to normal, and a year before I felt totally normal. Everyone is differnt, but be aware...

Fighter_34

Dropping in to say hello everyone. Pray all is well with everyone. Hang in there newbies it does get better.

Anonymous

Night skiing *is* beautiful!

Having to report son's stolen Acura (last Tuesday) isn't.

Bought another pairs harness yesterday. Today I'm by the fire cleaning three sets of harness while it rains outside. I love the smell of leather.

mccrimmon324

Leanna, I just finished TAC about 7 weeks ago and I can tell you before starting I was absolutely terrified.  I cried everyday, walked around like a zombie and had no idea what to expect.  Thought I was going to spend the next several months in bed sick every day. 

Turns out it wasn't a horrific as I thought, not pleasant but doable, I only really felt bad days 3-6 then I would start to like my old self again.  Each treatment I seemed to have different side effects as well, I would suggest that if your going to be getting the neulasta shot to help your WBC, take a claritin the day of the shot and the following 2 days after.  Everyone says it causes extreme bone pain, I did the claritin everytime and had no bone pain whatsoever.  Can't promise it was the claritin but it couldn't hurt. 

Lost all my hair too, thought I would be devastated, while I wish it didn't happen I was able to find a good wig and that hasn't been as traumatic as I thought it would either. 

I think the best thing was after my last treatment I couldn't believe how quickly the time went.  Everyone had said it would be over before I knew it and they were right. 

Also, I'm 41, so just about your age, my doc said that because I'm so young he thought I would handle it pretty well. 

I've also learned to stay away from the internet, this is pretty much the only site I'll come too anymore in regards to Cancer. 

Wishing you luck starting your treatments, the waiting is really the hardest part.