Calling all TNs

MicheleS

hi everyone!!

jenn3

Sugar - My rheumatologist wanted to get a baseline - I suffer with Anklosing Spondylitis and I guess she wanted to get a baseline for later.  However, it turns out that I'm already there.  I started going through menopause early in life (late 30's), then I am lactose intolerate and apparently wasn't getting enough calcium.  So....now I am on calcium, fosomax and continuing with my vit d - and I need to get my butt into the gym and start lifting weights.

Titan - Honestly, like BC I just didn't think about it and didn't really worry about getting enough calcium.  I really need to start thinking about this stuff, I'm not 18 anymore.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

JenC

Hello all.  Hope you are doing well.  Just had my first taxol treatment yesterday and feeling pretty good today.  Very surprised and hoping it lasts.  I am doing weekly T x12.  Hope you are all having a great day and have a great weekend:)

Luah

JenC:  Glad to hear the taxol treatment went okay. I did the same regimen and had very minor SEs. Fingers crossed, the same for you!

kittycat

MBJ - thanks for posting the link to the Food Freedom article.  I've been drinking organic milk the last few years.  It tastes better and has a longer expiration - strange!!!  The corn fed beef thing is interesting.  I don't have much of a taste for beef lately and I think I've OD'd on chicken. 

Just finished my last round of AC on Wednesday.  Now I'll be on 4 rounds of Taxol.  Wish me luck!!!

JenC

Kittycate - Congrats on finishing AC and best of luck with the Taxol.  Hope you have minimal SE's. 

jenn3

KittyKat - Congrats on finishing AC!!!!

Pamelajo

took #5 of 12 of abraxane today.  gosh i'll be glad when it's like 8 of 12 or 12 of 12

JenC

Pamelajo - Just think you are almost 1/2 way there.  Hang in there.  I am done 1 of 12 taxol and hoping it goes by fast.  Just want to be done with it all as I am sure you do. 

JannyM

Hi ... I'm 54 and a brand spanking new TN Gal, and I just this very moment realized that the abbreviation for "Triple Negative" also stands for the great State of Tennessee, which is where my Hubby and I are originally from!  Quite bizarre!  Anyway, I felt a very thick, hard, large mass in my left breast back in May.  It literally appeared out of no where.  I had the script for my Mammo in my purse, so I made the appt.  I wasn't one bit surprised when it came back w/"suspicious" w/the recommendation for an MRI.  After fighting w/Ins Company (Aunt died from BC), I had the MRI, and it suggested a possible DCIS ... also mentioned "enhancement of axillary nodes."  I was led to a Breast Specialist, who is absolutely wonderful.   The Stereoactic Biopsy was done 7-7-10 and I was diagnosed w/"Invasive Lobular Carcinoma" w/multiple tumors the following afternoon.   Then tests galore started ... "nuclear breast scan, chest x-ray, cat scan of abdomen and chest."  Lumpectomy was 7/21/10 ... SNBiopsy done at the same time, which tested positive, so "axillary dissection" was also performed.   The final result is:  Invasive "Ductal" Carcinoma with "Lobular" tendencies.  Lymphovascular Invasion and 3 out of 6 nodes positive ... and of course, the Triple Negative, which really thru me for a loop.  As of yesterday, I knew absolutely nothing about TN, but have been engrossed in research ever since.  Not overly fond of what I have learned so far.  I meet with my new Oncologists on Monday and am praying that I like him as well as I did my Breast Specialists.  "Compassion" and "understanding" is a must for me.  His expertise is, of course, of the utmost importance; but I have been dealing w/Doctors for years and years now.  We lost our only Child (Michelle) to Crohn's Disease 3 years ago and my Husband has been disabled from "severe multi-level spinal stenosis" for 5 years; and I have had my fill of unkind Doctors.  My heart can't tolerate that type of behavior anymore.  It's so strange, cuz in our family, I was always the "healthy" one.  It's been a hard thing to mentally digest.  I am quite anxious to get the ball rolling!!!    Oh and Breast Specialists feels we are dealing w/a Stage III ... I guess the Oncologists will make the final determination on that.  

gillyone

Janny - so sorry we are welcoming you amongst us. But you will get lots of support here. As you read through posts, you will find that many of us TNs found a lump almost overnight - quite out of the blue. TN tumors tend to be pretty aggressive. Let us know what your treatment plan is and we'll be with you all the way.

Pamelajo

Janny, if I can give you one piece of advice, it would  be......don't believe everything you read.  TN is not a death sentence.  TN is not the worst thing that can happen to you.  TN is just an aggressive cancer, but it can be tamed  

Welcome.  You've been through enough already, but hang in there.......  we'll get your through this too

JenC

Janny - So sorry you have to go through this.  These boards can be life savers so please stay in touch.  I have learned so much and as Pamelajo said TN IS NOT a death sentance.   I have been told by my onc to expect many many years to come and when I asked him if I would be around for another 50 years (pending no other issues) he said most definately.  Keep your chin up and keep us posted.

Jen

Meece

Janny  (((hugs))).  Mine showed up in what seemed like overnight as well.  But look...in a little less than four months I will be a seven year survivor.  It's possible.  I guess one of my saving graces is that I didn't know anything about TN, and the onc didn't tell me anything either, so I plugged along and got through it.  I had a lot of tough stuff going on in my life at the time, and if I had believed all the super negative stuff on TN that's out there, I might have succombed.  A positive attitude is a definite plus.  Easy for me to say now, but you can do it!

JannyM

Thank you so much girls ... I so appreciate your kind and encouraging words.  I have always believed that God gives us the strength we need to get thru life's trials and tribulations ... His strength for my BC is definitely found here amongst all you wonderful gals   May He bless us each and every one and I look so forward to talking with you all thru out the months to come   I'll try not to get too grouchy (LOL).  Hugs!  Jan

jenn3

Jan - Ditto to what the others have said - TN is not the death sentence it is potrayed.  The women on these boards are wonderful and I know I wouldn't have been able to get through chemo without these boards.  It helped me to realize that there are other women going through the same thing that I was -  both emotionally and physically. 

Jenn

MBJ

(((Janny))):  Sorry you have to join us here, but I do agree with the others:  TN is NOT a death sentence and I do plan to be around for a long time!

Meece:  I don't know how I missed the fact that you are coming up seven years--congratulations!

Pamelajo:  You are halfway there--You can do it!  We are all here for you!

KittyCat:  Wahoo!  I hear that is the hardest part.  May the Taxol be much less difficult to deal with!  I had weird cravings on chemo--I know they tell you to eat lots of protein but I craved it.  You could have fed me eggs 5 times a day LOL!  I hear if you are going to eat meat during chemo to have it roasted or in a crock pot so that the food is mostly broken down for you.  Much gentler on your body so that it can heal faster!  I am now doing the Perricone 28 day challenge.  It's a high antioxidant, high protein diet and I am hoping that this, plus the WII my husband purchased yesterday, will get me back into great shape.  BTW:  the Perricone diet is no coffee, no sugar, no potatoes, breads, or any type of carbs that I crave like crazy and it is difficult!  My blood tests came back really high for sugar, so no more chocolate for me:(.  The diet is supposed to be great if you have cancer, though I am not sure I would do it during chemo--it makes me too hungry!  You do get to eat 5 x a day, which seems excessive, but you will want to because you are ravenous!

swiftbird

JannyM, amen to what jenn3 said above - these boards are great.  They were my lifeline.  Especially when I wanted to vent but didn't want to scare or freak out my family - it's a safe place here.  It also gave me a gauge to see how I was responding to chemotherapy -- sometimes we go into lurid detail  about side effects from everything but it's so helpful to get it straight from other women who are going through exactly the same thing.  It's so complicated and overwhelming when you're speaking to medical professionals -- but I like these boards because you can check things out at your own pace.  I peeked at other sites before, but I find this one to be by far the best in terms of useful content and women who keep it real, and positive. 

JenC

Speaking of dieting and food.  I just ate an entire container of Ben and Jerry's.  It was my friend tonight:) Now I feel like I am going to keel over.  But it was sssssooooooo good..

MBJ

KittyCat:  Anything fed with corn is going to make ya fat including all the corn syrup in just about everything!  Grass fed just tastes better.  As for organic lasting longer--it's true with everything.  If I buy blueberries that are organic I can forget about them for a week and they are still fresh in the fridge where I lost them:)

MBJ

Jenn3:  I think I have had ice cream once since my diagnosis, and it was green tea ice cream (sort of healthy).  After seeing how high my sugar was on my blood test, I figured I better cut it out since cancer is supposed to love it.  Ben & Jerry's no more:(

jenn3

MBJ - we have two Jenn's typing here - JenC and Jenn3 - that can be confusing.  JenC had the ice cream, which sounds wonderful, especially in this heat.  I can't eat dairy, but do enjoy Soy and Rice Dream icecream.  Oh....better yet after the day I spent in the heat I'm thinking a snoball would be even better.  I've never heard of green tea icecream.  How is it made?  And...where do you get it?

MBJ

Jenn3:  Oops!  I didn't notice--so sorry.  I live in Korea Town just outside of downtown Los Angeles where there are several, large Asian markets that carry it.  It's really good, but, the sugar is bad:(   If I were able to limit myself to just once in a blue moon, it would be ok, but once I have sugar I have to have more right now LOL!

Titan

Hi Michele and everyone else..hope you guys had/are having a great weekend! 

After my DD and my "bonding" tomorrow I'm going to start getting ready for a weekend away...can't wait...!   See the onc next Tuesday for the 3 month check... going to bloodwork tomorrow to check my D3 level..you know..when they took blood b-4 every chemo I didn't mind a bit..but now it HURTS.....I know..whine, whine, whine...you would think after being through surgery, chemo (especially chemo) and rads I would be brave..but I'm not..deep down I'm a sissy.

jenn3

Titan - maybe it's not that it hurts more now, but after all you've been through you feel strong enough to say it hurts.  Anyone that goes through what we go through is no sissy!  Enjoy your bonding time!

Titan

Jenn..my dd and I are having pap tests done...some bonding wouldn't you say.

gillyone

Titan - I only have boys so can't do that particular kind of bonding. I have blood work tomorrow too - and see the onc on Tuesday.

Meece

Gilly, I only have boys, but one DIL and one FDIL, so there is hope for us. I rather bond with DILS than have a prostate exam with the boys.

MBJ

 Hi everyone!  Well, I have an appointment (3 month) with my onc next Tuesday, so I guess I will find out then what is going on.  I don't have boys or girls--I have cats!  Only kind of bonding we do is sleep, eat, pet and sleep and eat some more.  Have a great week!

kittycat

MBJ - I have cats and dogs as my kids, too.  After being on chemo, I am turning into a cat, where I sleep all day and night!  LOL! 

Janny - welcome to our TN club.  Sorry to hear about losing your daughter and your husband having medical issues, as well.  Best of luck to you and keep us posted.  The onco should be very compassionate.  This is really important!!!