TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    Ok - first pic was taken just prior to diagnosis

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    Next pic was taken two days after TCH #4, and I have had 5 surgeries and lost my left expander, so I am half flat. I am at a wedding, had to buy a new outfit the day before because of swelling and I am wearing a wig.

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    This was within the first 90 days after last chemo, still on Herceptin.

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    This one is a couple of months later, I look less swollen and brows and lashes are making a comeback.

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    This one is a couple months after last Herceptin

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    End of that same year

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    2014, two years after last Herceptin, on Femara. To my eye, looking very close to the pre-treatment pic

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    hap - thanks, I have a lot to be happy about!

    This is from a month ago. I will be 62, and I have been on Femara for 7 years, and I have had 17 surgeries, the most recent was a year ago. I posted these pictures so you all can see that things will get better, it is a process and it takes some time.

    image

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    hap - thanks, you are sweet! This is exactly the reason I put the pics up - you will recover, don't judge your current look as what you will be permanently. Look carefully at these pics - you can see the wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes, and the puffy face - you can see the strain of treatment, but then you see it fade away too. I see a big difference between the one with the pink and orange scarf, and the one following in the black top with the round necklace, and there are only a few months between them. I know it is hard to be patient, and I was worried about the treatment impact - yes, I am vain I freely admit - but things did improve. I think getting out and doing things that make you happy is important too, and surrounding yourself with people who care about you helps a lot!

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  • FaithHopeLove84
    FaithHopeLove84 Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2018

    Hi All,

    I am new to the group as I was recently diagnosed in August 2017. After my diagnosis, I craved to learn as much as I could about this vicious disease which brought me to this group. Thank you for all the informational, positive, and inspirational posts! This group has helped me navigate through my cancer journey thus far. My final chemo treatment is this Friday! I am looking forward to completing chemo treatment and heading to surgery 2/28. My question for the group is how many of you had a PCR in tumor and/or lymph node with neoadjuvant chemotherapy? Those with a PCR, was your HER2 expression and KI 67 % high?

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  • coachvicky
    coachvicky Member Posts: 1,057
    edited January 2018

    Welcome FaithHopeLove. I am happy that you found us and this site was helpful. Best wishes on Friday. I always ate a good protein meal the night before and took little snacks while at chemo. I did not like the carb snacks at the Center I went to. Remember to move after your chemo. Walk as much as you can.

    Dang SpecialK ... you are gorgeous! What great pictures. Thanks for posting them.

    Vicky


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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2018

    KB870 - thanks, I am glad you found the photos useful - I did hesitate, but thought they may provide some help/hope for those much closer to recent treatment.

    coach - thanks!

    faith - welcome! I had adjuvant treatment as Perjeta had not yet been approved when I was diagnosed and treated, so can't address your question, but there are a number of folks on this thread who had neoadjuvent - I am sure they will be along to answer your question about Ki67% and Her2+ level with pcr results.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited January 2018

    Hi FaithLoveHope!

    I did neoadjuvant chemo and it got rid of all the active cancer in my breast and compromised node. However, the surgeon did find a tiny pocket of DCIS, which was surgically removed. Yes, my cancer was highly HER2+ and my Ki67% was high. Hope the rest of your treatment and surgery go well!

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited January 2018

    SpecialK, great pictures and I do agree you do not look sad on any of them and Inwonder whether my eyes will have the same expression they have right now. And you got your long hair back, I swear, if I ever will get back my long caramel-colored wavy hair.. ok, they are like salt&pepper/caramel-colored but I intend to dye it to my light brown caramel)

    FaithHopeLove, I have high score for overexpression of Her2 which usually means high KI67.

    Stayed in bed the whole day today with a throbbing pain in my back, this EC just wouldn’t let me be

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  • tld2017
    tld2017 Member Posts: 102
    edited January 2018

    Hello, I was just diagnosed with HER2 positive and estrogen/progesterone positive breast cancer. No staging yet. They said it was grade 1. I posted elsewhere on the forum and got no responses so I am thinking I posted in the wrong place. Can anyone give me hope? It sounds like a very bad thing online.... The mass is 8 mm. Going in to meet with breast surgeon for the first time tomorrow.

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  • moodyblues
    moodyblues Member Posts: 470
    edited January 2018

    SpecialK.  Thanks for posting the pictures, it sure does show that there is a great possibility of looking ourselves again after chemo.  You are beautiful and I love that smile.  I never would have guessed your age by the pic's you posted.  Sorry to hear about you MIL, times like these are difficult to navigate.  Thinking of you and your family.

    Melanie


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  • moodyblues
    moodyblues Member Posts: 470
    edited January 2018

    Has anyone seen this?

    https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/cancer-staging-system-changes


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  • Magari
    Magari Member Posts: 354
    edited January 2018

    SpecialK - Thank you so much for sharing your pics; they are indeed encouraging. You look great throughout. But are right that these show how well you "bounced back" after treatment both in terms of puffiness and your gorgeous hair! I cannot believe you are 62!

    I myself am 54 - diagnosed 10 days before my birthday. Neither young nor old in the BC world. I used to be able to "pass" for at least 5 years younger, but feel like the chemo and surgery have aged me a lot in the past few months. Looking forward to finishing chemo and moving forward. Meanwhile, I'm attending a Look Good Feel Better workshop later this week and hope to pick up a few tips.

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  • KimCee
    KimCee Member Posts: 178
    edited January 2018

    SpecialK...absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. It is truly an amazing transformation from treatment to post treatment. Don't get me wrong, you did not look bad at all, but you rebounded back to pretreatment. You have given me hope. I am also very sorry for the loss of your mother in law. Sending prayers up.

    Welcome newcomers. You will always get a response here, this group is wonderful. We will all be with you on this journey.

    Hap...look good, feel better....you got this ❤️

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  • coachvicky
    coachvicky Member Posts: 1,057
    edited January 2018

    tld2017

    Welcome.

    Take someone with you to make notes when you meet with your breast surgeon.

    Go prepared with questions.

    As KB870 said it is scary now but it will get better.

    Ask us anything ... you will be supported here.

    Vicky



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  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 868
    edited January 2018

    hap b comedo necrosis is when your cancer multiplies so rapidly, the cells starve and die. Myduct was full of it, which my mo said meant it was multiplying like crazy....

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  • shelabela
    shelabela Member Posts: 584
    edited January 2018

    hi Tld,

    As someone posted, take notes. Lots of notes. Ask questions, i kept a small notebook in my purses so if something came up i could write it down. I found my memory went fast with everything they give you.

    Another big piece of advice. You are in charge. If you don't agree wth your Dr say something

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  • FaithHopeLove84
    FaithHopeLove84 Member Posts: 5
    edited January 2018

    moodyblues - I read the link you posted and am very encouraged by the new staging process. It looks like I might go from Stage 2A to 1B (T1N1 HER2+). I will make sure to ask my Onc about the new staging process at my next appointment. Very interesting read!

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  • red332
    red332 Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2018

    Special K, so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother in law. And thank you so much for your photo/posts. Still in the thick of things here (just had 11 of 12 weekly T/H, with another surgery still ahead of me). I thought i would feel better after chemo was over but I am still so stressed out about the decisions ahead and I know it shows as much as physical changes I am going through.

    I also wanted to thank for all of your informative, well-researched responses. I just posted for the first time recently but have been reading your posts for a while. And thanks also to Vicky for her positive attitude and helpful posts in getting through the process. And to all of you for sharing your stories, and your hopes and fears. May we all have a healthier (and happier) 2018.

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  • Suburbs
    Suburbs Member Posts: 429
    edited January 2018

    Specialk, thank you for sharing your recovery progress in pictures during this difficult time. You look great. I was feeling sorry for myself about my hair and aging and now will look forward to bouncing back.

    FaithHopeLove, I had a PCR after neoadjuvant treatment. A PCR is less likely when one is highly HR positive. Also, a PCR may not be a predictor of long term outcome for a triple positive. So a PCR is good thing. And lack of a PCR is not necessarily a bad thing when one is triple positive.

    See "The ASCO Post" 10/15/14 article "Pathological Complete Response: Understanding the Subtleties".

    I wonder what new staging will mean for adding perjeta in early BC or the whole surgery or chemo first question


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  • Gudrun
    Gudrun Member Posts: 140
    edited January 2018

    thank you ladies,

    everything you write is so encouraging: the new staging as well as putting into perspective not having obtained a pcr with TP. Thank you moodyblues, thank you suburbs. Love Gudrun

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  • meg2016
    meg2016 Member Posts: 287
    edited January 2018

    HapB- I also hid my cancer from my employer. I think it was a good decision for me. I managed to advance my career and get a promotion right after treatment ended, if they had known my situation I doubt that would have happened. If it were me, I would be tempted to tell them you are in the middle of a critical project (you are) :) and that you'd love to talk to them but the timing isn't right. Ask them if it would be reasonable to reach out when you feel like you could make a transition. I would love to think that employers are super understanding of health needs and it doesn't impact the way they view us at all, but I don't think thats true.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited January 2018

    HapB,

    Everyone in my immediate professional network knew that I had cancer, thanks to my department chair (who is a serious gossip). At first, I was kind-of annoyed, but I got over it. I don't think my career prospects have been damaged by my cancer history, and this history helps explain a gap in my publication record. My career output was never going to be professionally fashionable or set the world on fire because I've been marching to my own drummer for too long.

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  • coachvicky
    coachvicky Member Posts: 1,057
    edited January 2018

    Hap ...

    I usually say tell the "whole truth" but I don't know about your field or the people there. In the case of being a cancer patient, I would not share the information that you had breast cancer or any other cancers. I am assuming that the offer was not contingent on being 100% healthy (or being young or being able to.run XX miles a day ...). I would be upfront that you are in the middle of a project (good call meg2016) and may need XX hours per week to finish it.

    It may be that getting back to work would be helpful emotionally. Again, I don't know. If me, I would go for it and give it a try.

    Vicky


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  • kae_md99
    kae_md99 Member Posts: 621
    edited January 2018

    you look great specialK. sorry ive been MIA for a while ladies.. thanks for posting specialK. i have been mistaken to be the mother of my husband TWICE during this cancer treatment. that is how much i aged.lo

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