Calling all TNs

sweetpickle

Ban- Yes, I had the neulasta shot after the first four AC treatments. I did have bone pain for a day or two from that but the vicodin helped with that. I did one round of taxol and then three rounds of taxotere with no neulasta shots and did ok.  My surgery was about a month after I finished chemo and there was no sign of cancer at that time. I didnt have to do radiation because my pathology came back clean for both breast tissue and nodes.

simplelife4real

Hl All,

Just checking in.  I'm sleeping a lot from the secound round of AC and a UTI I picked up. I know this is temporary.

Titan

Waving hi to you Navy mom!

jcolford

BanR I had my last treatment of Taxol reduced due to severe neuropathy in my hands and feet.

Gwenie56

From Lori1020 ~ "I was also informed that the surgeon who did the mastectomy "cut below the fold" which means I will have to have a ryans suture for semetry. I was wondering if you are anyone with expanders can relate to any of this?"

Lori, I sent you a message about my expanders but wanted to know what is a "ryans suture"?  My radiated breast that the implant was taken out of looks terrible. I think PS left what he could of extra skin so he could work with it in the future surgery.  Going to get second opinion because when I lift my right arm up it creates a BIG divot in the muscle, it becomes uncomfortable and I am afraid of what more surgery will do to it.  Ugh...and everybody, except my husband, thinks since chemo is over and my hair is back then all is well and over with.  I don't want to bother my famiy and friends because the last 2 years I've been enough with all the attention and just want to be normal.   I never ever have given this much attention and tenderness/pain to my breasts.  I took them for granted.  Pooh! 

Thanks for listening to my rant. I am glad to be here!  

xoxo, gwen 

BanR

jcolford:: even your last dose was reduced.. lets hope all this doesnt negatively effect recurrence etc. the cancer cells are smart and quick to develop resistence.

Jianchi: you and me are almost in the same schedule with the same diagnosis!

sweetpicke: what a relief to hear that all your tumor cells got killed and the report came all clear!

get it checked somehow Nettie.. breast cancer has this tendency to metastise to bones first. once my chemo and all is done..i will insist my onco to get the bone scan done. somehow scared, specially about bones, lungs, brain, ovaries, fallopian tubes etc... got a disease unfortunately where our own cells are our enemies.

my cancer got diagnosed only after me insisting.. i showed my lump and post the mammogram and the ultrasound, they sent me home saying it is benign fibroedenoma. i was almost after his life insisting for an fnac and post fnac and core biopsy... lo behold...the benign fibroedenoma turns out to be an aggressive triple negative cancer!!

a big hello to Navymom and everybody here too....

love!

tekwriter

Hello everyone, I got my PET scan back and all was clear.  Finally some good news.  My HER2 was borderline, so I am not a true triple neg. He is kind of dancing around it right now. I have my porta cath and am starting chemo in January.

Jianchi

BanR - I know!  Only I was diagnosed 1 month later than you!  (1.9cm tumor, 0/3 nodes, TN, lumpectomy, DD AC+T).

Girls,  this is kinda embarrassing but I have to talk to you all.  3 days ago I start to have some pain when I poop, and then there was some blood when wiping.  I thought it was hemorrhoids which I had before.  My husband was very alarmed when I told him yesterday and insist that I should let my doctor know.  I am now very worried. :-(. I will call the doctor's office tomorrow and see what they say.  Hope it is nothing serious.

BanR

jianchi:piles and hemorrhoids ...could be! heard a lot of co patients go through this.

have laxatives throughout chemo without fail...wounds dont heal easily while chemo is on. 

tekwriter: good news ..good news, that ur scans are all clear

Jianchi

Thank you BanR.  I called the doctor's office, and they took my info saying an on-call doctor would be back to me shortly.  I heard nothing after an hour and called back.  The lady answered my call said that she couldn't find the record of my previous call.  I was very upset and emotional and couldn't help to cry as I told the first lady it was urgent as I have blood in my stool.  The second lady was not sympathetic and told me she didn't know who took my call. If I can't calm down, she will hang up on me.  Why are those people who answers patient calls on a Sunday so irresponsible?  We reply on them to help us, but why is my call lost?  Why couldn't the second lady just be a little nicer and comfort me a little?  Is it so hard for them to be a little more patient with people struggling from cancer?

Good thing is that I got to talk to the doctor. He was very nice and comforting.  He told me from what I explained, it seems to be the reaction of the medicine, but not related to my breast cancer or other cancer (colon cancer was what I worry about).  He suggests me to continue taking stool softner.

Thank you all to hear my complain.  I am sorry.

simplelife4real

Tekwriter, congratulations on the clean test results.

I'm still feeling weak from my second round of AC, but starting to come back to life.   I'm thinking that by Christmas, I'll be feeling up to getting together with my family.

Happy Sunday, All.

Titan

Jianchi..obviously they don't want to be there ..but they are...dang it...this ticks me off..report her...don't want to be mean but you deserve better than that...

and your onc is right....not to be gross but chemo can cause diarrhea...nasty diarrhea...and that could cause your bleeding.....with me it was diarrhea or constipation.....and I think the constipation was worse..........but still...they need to be there for you....no matter what day or time it is.

LanaM

Jianchi hang in there! Sending healing thoughts and prayers to everyone tonight - hugs all around! Hoping this Christmas we all have faith, family and friends and the new year brings us all good health! Lana

Stupidboob

tekwriter.................woo hoo...........CONGRATS!!!    I am so hoping for the same thing.   I had mine done Friday.

Do any of you still eat sugar?      Titan I know you said you thought it was a myth but do you eat sugar?

adagio

stupid noob - I still eat sugar - in the main I try to stay away from it, but I don't deny myself  either - in fact I just ate 6 very sweet chocolates from a gift box - I could tell they were  loaded with sugar, but I am a firm believer in all things in moderation. Tomorrow will be a better day - life is short!

JJ62

Stupidboob- I have reduced my refined sugar consumption to nearly 0 and feel better for it.... but don't give myself grief if I indulge!  I enjoy lots of fruit, and use honey for a sweetener when needed.

Simpleforlife- yes we used condoms too, I think it is a good idea. 

Jianchi Titan is right- from diarrhea to constipation- we don't talk about it much, but it can be so extreme-  wishing you all the best!  

tekwriter

I eat sugar.  I do have a sweet tooth and I am a diabetic.  I try to stay away from it.  I got to the point though that I try to stay away from all the chemicals and refuse to drink diet  soda's  or lo cal sweeteners. Woo hoo now I am going to get get pumped in my veins twice a month.  But it beats the alternative.  Life is strange.

Jianchi

Titan:  thank you so very much!  I was really really worried.  I feel very vulnerable these days. The doctor also suggest that I take some anti-anxiety medicine.  Sigh, I feel like I am going crazy.

Thank you LanaM and JJ62.

Wish everybody a Merry Christmas!

TifJ

Jianchi- I had the extreme diarrhea as well. I had to cancel my first appt. with the genetic doctor because I was afraid to leave the house! So sorry you are having a rough time. Keep repeating to yourself... it will get better!

mags20487

I eat sugar...granted not in the quantity I did before my diagnosis.  I do try to fit in more fruits and veggies too.  Since May I have lost about 25 lbs and am feeling super

Maggie

jenjenl

SUGAR addict right here.  So hard for me I love chocolate.  I've conquered a lot and have some good areas to focus on for 2014. 

Jianchi

Tif:  thank you for your encouragement!  I was just so scared.  Never got the fears off cancer spreading, I guess.  I need to learn to enjoy the life day by day, I guess.  

Merry Christmas!

simplelife4real

Jianchi, I hope you are feeling calmer about the blood in your stool and feel like you know what is causing it now.  I know how symptoms can be scary.  I developed a wierd bump on my back during my Taxol chemo and I was checking yesterday to see what pictures of skin mets look like.  I have an appointment with a dermatologist about it, but it's not until March.  I haven't seen my MO yet since this bump appeared but her nurse practicioner thought it was a plantar wart (I've never had one before).  I see my MO on Dec. 31 when I get my next AC infusion and I'm going to get her to take a look at it, just to see if she is okay with me not seeing the dermatologist until March.

I can't even imagine how freaked out I will get the first time I have a chest cold.....I'm sure I will be positive I have mets to the lungs.  Learning to live with TNBC is really a process.

I was having real bad steroid crashes with each chemo and I finally asked for some Ativan to help take the edge off.  It has helped with my crashes and I can also take one for nausea.  Before breast cancer, I wasn't on any prescription medication, but I just think going through treatment is rough enough as it is without the stress of stress being thrown on top of it.  I figure this is not a time for me to try to tough things out.  

If it wasn't for these boards, I would have never thought to ask for something to help ease the emotional hell I was going through with those steroid crashes.  

Thank you to everyone here for helping me see that I can get through my worst chemo days and that I'm unusual  when I worry that   the bump on my back might be a skin met.

Jianchi

simplelife4real:  thank you for your nice words.  I feel better today.  I sure hope the bump is not skin met for you.  We all live and learn.  

By the way, if you haven't seen the movie "American Hustle", you should go!  I watched it last night, and enjoyed it!

Stupidboob

After the year from hell, I finally got some good news........thank you Lord.  The doctor called and No Cancer..............yay.   She said I have radiation changes, and my thyroid has probably inflammation but as far as cancer it looked good.    YAY.......thank the Lord

simplelife4real

Stupidboob, Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!!!!

jenjenl

Yay...so happy to hear that fabulous news!!! Celebrate tonight

tekwriter

That is wonderful news!!!

tekwriter

This  is not a serious problem but I could use some advice. My supervisor is an idiot. I  have tried to explain my diagnosis to her and convey the seriousness without going into a pity party for myself. I had explained I might be in chemotherapy for a year.  I did give her permission to tell the team about my condition at the team meeting this month. (I had been on leave on an un-related issue when I found the lump).  At the meeting she told them then told them I might be back at the end of January.  When one of my friends called me she first asked how my head aches were.  Then asked a couple of questions.  She said she had no idea how serious it was because of the way she told them.  They all thought it would be told big deal.  She was absolutely floored when I explained to her. I guess I could use some advice on how to get through to this woman.  Thanks

Jianchi

stupidboob: congratulations!  Best Christmas gift!