Asian or Asian American Women with BC?

PGK
PGK Member Posts: 48
edited June 2014 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

Hi all,

I'm wondering if there are any Asian or Asian American women on these discussion boards who might want to connect.  I'm curious about any similarities we might have with regard to SEs and hair regrowth, etc.

Cheers,

GK

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited January 2011

    Hi GK! Chiming in to say hi. I had a uni mx last Sept. I did dose dense EC and my last Taxol is this Thursday. Will have Herceptin for a while like you (I think?). I had some peach fuzz hair growth in the pits while on Taxol - nothing on the head though.

    Good idea for the thread. Tell me how much rice did you eat before your diagnosis??

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2011

    Hi Letlet,

    You're right.  I will have Herceptin only through September 2011.  I did TCH from 10/10-1/11.  I still have some of the original stubble on my head, so I can't really tell if there is anything new.  It seems like there might be a little fuzz coming in that is very light in color.

    Hmmm.  Thinking about the rice question.  I think I ate a good deal of rice, but certainly not with all of my meals.  Maybe 4-5 times/week?  And you? 

    I'm in CA.  Where are you from?

    GK

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  • dizzyakira
    dizzyakira Member Posts: 56
    edited February 2011

    Hi, I'm Asian American, 32, diagnosed 1/6/11 with IDC. I'm in NYC though. No history at all of cancer in family.  Is rice related in any way?? I always thought it was those darn BC pills.

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2011

    I'm sorry I should have put a smiley face after my rice question. My co-workers constantly tease me about my rice intake which to them is a lot but to my family is already quite scaled down.

    Dizzy, I am 31 and live in NJ but work in NY.  No one in my family either! Isn't it crazy. I have to throw in sometimes that I'm Asian to boot because it doesn't make any sense. I was on the Ortho Evra patch for years, not sure if that contributed because I'm estrogen negative.

    Well my next question is, what stuff has your family insisted that you take ? Well for me I was told to drink soursop tea/juice and lemongrass tea. I was told that I eat too much meat! I try to tell my mom that its not something that I ate. She wont say anything but will say it again the next week.

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2011

    Oh ladies,

    We're all too young to be here.  I was 37 when diagnosed.  Am 38 now.  I was also on bc pills forever.  Who knows what led us to this place. 

    @let - No one is pushing any particular food ... they just want to make sure that I'm eating period.  Before my BMX I was dropping pounds like crazy.  Now after 6xTCH, I am retaining a bunch of water and not exercising enough.  I think I added about 10 pounds and I dislike it SO much!  Oh yeah, mom does want me to take maitake mushroom supplements.  Not sure what that's about.  I'm thinking about taking biotin to try to help the hair growth along ...

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    Hi there ladies,

    I'm Asian American dx at 48, still 48.  I thought it was the darn BC pills too, I was on them for 28 years.   My late father had cancer and I'm the only girl in the family with BC. 

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  • BrilandGirl
    BrilandGirl Member Posts: 49
    edited February 2011

    I'm a bit older than the three of you--but still on the younger side at 47.  I feel like I'm the youngest one at the treatment center besides some of the staff.  My mother's biggest worry still is that I'm still single--cancer hasn't really phased her (as she says, we all have cancer cells but most of the time, they are taken care of by the healthy cells).  She's so rational about the cancer but still pretty irrational about my being single.  I've gained about 7 or 8 pounds (too chicken to step on a scale)--been eating like crazy since my surgery but I think it's the stress of living with my mother!  I used to live in Park Slope years ago--then in the Lyndhurst area and now moved back home to Westchester since the demise of my business.  What a year 2010 was--so glad that it's a new year!

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2011

    @brilandgirl



    I hear that! No more stepping on scales for me until I get this water retention under control!!

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  • mightymon
    mightymon Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2011

    Hi there,

     May I join in too! I'm half Thai half French and living in Auckland, New Zealand. I'm a runner and triathlete super fit training between 15-20 hours a week (swim, ride, run, weight training, boxing and yoga) Don't drink and not smoke and my favorite drink is green tea and yes I'm dx with BC at 30 with no family history. Do get wonder every now and then of why BC happen to me maybe bad luck. Undecided I'm also on the pills too for 5 years.  

    I'm on weekly Taxol at the moment. Having #4 today and got 5 to go! Can't wait.  

    (((((((((Hugs)))))))) to you all Laughing 

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2011

    Hi new friends!



    @mighty - Can't imagine being more fit than that! It's all so crazy and unpredictable. Who knows who will get an invite to this dreaded party. At least we can be here to support each other.


    Congrats on finishing #4!!! You're almost halfway there! Yay!!


    GK

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  • mightymon
    mightymon Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2011

    Thanks GK, I'm counting down on that too. Also my hair start to grow back, yippee!!!!

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2011

    @mighty

    That's great!  Is it growing back with the same color and texture?

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  • mightymon
    mightymon Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2011

    So far yes, the color are the same but hard to said on the texture, still quite short about 1cm, will keep you update. I'm still wearing wig and scarves hopefully to go wig less in March. 

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  • PGK
    PGK Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2011

    @mighty

    Congrats!   I'll probably be wearing a wig for most of the year, too.  Best case scenario, I can get some sort of cute cut for the end of the summer.  How long did it take for you to get 1 cm of growth?  I'm happy to have my wig but I SO miss my hair.

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    Congrats on #4 mighty mom! How long after surgery were you able to exercise/train again? My surgery was on 7/28/10 and the site is still sore.

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  • mightymon
    mightymon Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2011

    GK1 my hair start to grow back after my last FEC which were on 21st of Dec 10, really slow but I don't mine. I'm was quite surprise and happy because I though I had to wait until finish the taxol before the hair start to grow back. Yes I really miss my hair too, hang in there. Im use to have a very long hair but did cut them really short after DX and love it!

    Diamond Girl  I was having lumpectomy on 13th August 10, the node was positive so had to have another surgery on 10 of Sep 10. 

    I'm start walking the second day after the surgery. And then start to ride on the stationary bike at the gym on day 4th, yoga after the 1st week use the DVD and only do the post that I can to start with. I back to running 2 week after the surgery the next day after the drain was out. I ran my 4th marathon 6 weeks after surgery.

    I'm recommend exercise even just to get out there and walk! It had help me to deal with side effects and the stressful from this journey. Start really slow and listen to your body. 

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  • dizzyakira
    dizzyakira Member Posts: 56
    edited February 2011

    @letlet

    ok, lol, I eat a lot of rice.  At least twice a day lol

    I work in NYC too and getting treatment at Sloane Kettering, where are you getting treated (if you don;t mind me asking)? 

    Guys, I don;t know why we got the cancer either.  I don't drink, smoke, sit on public toilets (I know, totally irrelevant).  I had my first kid at 25, breastfed all my kids for a total of 5 years, eat healthy, hardly any meat (mostly veggies and seafood, limited processed food).  I was in the US Army from 2001 to 2005 so who knows what medicine I was injected with. But I exercise (used to run 10 miles every morning, hike for 25+ miles).  I'm very thin (97 lbs, 5 ft).  And the thing that pisses me off the most is that I barely have breasts lol.  I'm a size 32AA!  The BS told me it would be a real challenge to keep my breasts but he would try to save it.  I'm like why bother, the tumor, at 2cm, is like 1/5 of the breast already lol.  

    However, I'm glad I found this site, it's been so helpful as I'm getting ready for surgery. 

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2011

    Wow, it seems that none of us have any family history of BC.

    Dizzy, I get treated at MSK too. In fact I'm at the waiting room at 53rd St, waiting for my GYN appointment. I get my chemo at the NJ location but for everything else, my PS is Dr. Disa, my surgeon is Dr. Cody. They let you make an appointment for a regular GYN here if you're on treatment so you might want to make an appointment.

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  • dizzyakira
    dizzyakira Member Posts: 56
    edited February 2011

    Letlet:

    Thanks for the info, I do desperately need a new gyno (I'm still upset with mine for brushing off my breast lumps and early labour signs).  Do you have any you would recommend? I have an appt today too -  I spent all day waiting for time warner to come fix/replace my cable box. My appt was from 8-11am and he finally showed up at 2 :/  No work today:( But I have cable now!!!  

    I hope your appt went well:) 

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    I'm definitely a rice pot too! I eat rice at least once a day and I agree with Dizzy too, I have 2 kids and I breast fed them a total of 2 yrs My breast nurse practioner said that one would have to have at least breast fed 3 kids to have less chance of bc. I'm 108 lbs and slender, don't drink and quit smoking 20 yrs ago. I do eat meat and ate quite a bit of processed food the past few years ( no time to cook so went for the frozen deal at Costco). I was on another thread and this lady's m-I-l only ate processed foods and she was healthy as a horse.

    Mighty, thanks for your info, you are a true athlete, me on the other hand do not exercise and my DH is on my case. I gave him P90x for Xmas but I won't be joining him. I did borrow a DVD from library called Pilate for bc patients. I am intending to use 1 pound balls and start slow. I had a partial mastectomy because last minute the BS found 3 more satellite tumors. I had no node involvement and there was no pain post surgery, but it is awfully tight after radiation. I hope the stretching will ease the tightness soon.

    Dizzy, good luck with your upcoming surgery.

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2011

    Did you all grow up in the States? I came to the US 10 years ago. My hubby's theory is that maybe my body was used to growing up and living in my country and suddenly I'm eating Western food, (steak, fries, pizza etc.) living in the environment etc and that my body was just not used to it....

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    I've lived in Canada for 6 years and 22 yrs in the States. I really believe it is my diet that gave me BC :(

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  • mightymon
    mightymon Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2011

    Letlet,I'm agree with you and remember read about this some where too. I'm also move to NZ from Thailand 10 years ago. My diet had change a lots, but also having a very stressful few years too with relationship and careers. 

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  • BrilandGirl
    BrilandGirl Member Posts: 49
    edited February 2011

    I came to the US from Korea in 1972 at the age of 8 (39 years in NY on Feb. 8th).  There's no way of figuring out what caused the cancer--my doctor said never to blame yourself.   I think for me, a big factor was that my immune system was really weakened from years of stress of having my own business with the wrong partner/boyfriend.  Everything came to a head last year and by November, I was diagnosed.  I also read in Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book that an infection may cause it--but who knows? I was very sick last September with a virus for almost a month and feel like my immune system was so weak that it couldn't fight off the cancer cells any longer.  Then there's all the years of taking care of others that this is a sign to take care of myself--I'm looking at it that way and working on creating a life that I want--which for me means figuring out a way to live in the Bahamas most of the year.  I'm grateful that my doctors caught it early and that I have fantastic friends and family who have carried me through the worst year of my life. 

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  • dizzyakira
    dizzyakira Member Posts: 56
    edited February 2011

    diamond, Thank you for the well wishes

    Mighty, wow, you are an impressive lady.  I can't imagine exercising and going through this.

    I don't know what caused this, since I've been told cancer is rare for people of asian descent (who knows???).  I came from Cambodia 24 years ago at the age of 8.  But my family hardly ever eat american style food (burgers/steaks/processed food).  We still eat mostly the same thing - rice and veggies/soup for breakfast/lunch/dinner, with very little meat.  It could be stressed related.  I was very stressed the pass 6 years (job, kids, sick parents).  Then this pass April I had a 23 week preemie who lived for 8 days. Some believe it's the pollution/environment combined with all the processed food/food with all extra the hormones, second hand smoke, etc...I guess there are just too many factors...

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    Just came to mind... I had lactation mastitis during breast feeding of my first child. It was the left breast, my BC was on the left breast. I was on birth control pills for 28 yrs. Ate processed foods, increased consumption of dairy products.... formula for BC?

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2011

    I was eating stress for breakfast for the last 6 yrsi was the breatdwinner in the family and we have 2 small kids, i have vowed that things have 2 change.

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  • Teal3Pink1
    Teal3Pink1 Member Posts: 109
    edited February 2011

    FiliRican checking in. (Sounds better than PortoPino). Mom grew up in the Philippines and Dad grew up in Puerto Rico. I live in Westchester, NY, work in the City and treated at MSKCC. (Maybe we should meet up by the coffee machine if we're ever all at the breast center on the same day. I love the French Vanilla!) Born in Ohio and have a history of ovarian cancer (currently in 3rd remission). Maternal grandmother and maternal aunt both had breast cancer diagnosed in their 80's and 70's, but died of other causes. BRCA testing in 2004 was negative. My dad is the oldest of 10 and my mom is the youngest of 7 and that is the only cancer. I will be revisiting with genetic counselor after treatment to see what kind of surveillance my daughters should get.

    My parents haven't pushed any food cures on me, but were really against my prior surgeries for ovca and have sprinkled holy water all over the house and wanted me to sleep with saints pictures on my pillow case.  

    I used to beat myself up over diet, but over the years have met quite a few marathon-running, yoga practicing/meditating vegetarians with breast or ovarian cancer. So it seems like people can do all the "right" things and still get bit in the butt (or should I say boob?) by cancer.  

    It would be so wonderful to know exactly what caused the cancer so we could just avoid that and not have to worry about it ever again. Sigh... 

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2011

    Real3pink1, a warm welcome to you. Just want to say hi. I put up a thread called "starving cancer". I can add the link to it later when I get to a computer. Take a look.

    update:

    Link to Eat to Starve Cancer

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topic/757304?page=1#idx_3

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited February 2011

    Teal! We should all meet up one day in the city! My hubby loves the coffee machines there and Frebch Vanilla is my favorite. Btw, my daughter is YOU. I am Filipino and hubby is Puerto Rican.

    Did you have the genetic counseling at MSK? I canceled mine because I was feeling sick. THey told me it was a 2 hour appointment. Seriously? How did yours go? How soon did u get the BRCA results?

    I've been having major stomach issues and my mom has been feeding me "lugaw", soft, mushy rice for weeks. I haven't tasted real food because she's constantly on my case. SHe told me to stop my Lomotil and just eat the soft rice.......*sigh*

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