My sister has breast cancer

I am sorry about your sister. Mine was too, over a year ago. I do not know about the chemo with triple negative. My sister was estrogen/progesterone positive. She did not want chemo, even though it was recommended( she was grade 3). She made the decision herself, and I have supported it, even though I don't know if I would have made the same decision. It is her body, she would have to deal with the treatment. I remember my sister telling me that she was in such a fog just dealing with the diagnosis that it was difficult to even think about what her options might be. She took some time and came here and learned a lot and made the decision that she felt was best for her in her situation. I was proud of her resolve in such a difficult time. I worry more about her now, then I did then because she has other things going on that although were probably not caused by her cancer, were really made worse because of it. Good luck to you, sorry I could not be more help with the technical stuff.

grade 2 goes on a scale of grade 1, 2, or 3.  It looks at the cells uder the micrscope and grade 1 the nucleus is still in tact-- think back to 10th grade bio- when you have the circle with the clearly defined center.  Grade three is poorly defined, and tends to be a faster growing cancer. 

I agree with everyone here, that a second opinion is worthwhile.  If she's triple negative, depending on her age and the size of the tumor, chemo may be a good safeguard.

Please let us know what happens.

My sister was diagnosed with bc last month.  Following a lumpectomy, the margins did not look good and the sentinel node biopsy came back positive.  She will now be having a mastectomy with reconstruction (in mid-June).  She will then have 5 months of chemotherapy, with treatments every two weeks.  I need advice on how best to help her and prepare for what lies ahead.  What can my other sister and I do to provide the best support? help? assistance?  She is a single mom with four kids (ages 6-16).

Thanks for any input, wisdom and advice you can provide.   

Hello, My sister was diagnosed in January with bc and had a lumpectomy. Now it has gone to her bones. She is taking Zometa. Sometimes I can't breathe in and out and I feel like I'm choking. Morbid thoughts come in to my mind and I try to shake them out. I ask everyone I meet to pray for her. I try to be very upbeat when I am around her. She has small children and I go every night after work and help with what I can and just sit with her and live her life. At times I wish I wasn't alive so I wouldn't have to be dealing with this and then I think how she must feel. Is this my purpose in life to help her through this. Is there a place where I can talk to people on the drug Zometa? thanks, Robin

Hello everyone.  I just registered at this site although I have visited it a number of times over the past 18 months.  My sister was diagnosed with breast cancern in January 2007 and has had several ups and downs along the way.  Right now she is returning to a new normal in her life; she's returned to work and has resumed all activities she loved prior to diagnosis.  Her tumor marker was up last week, so a PET scan was performed and we will learn the results tomorrow.

It is so difficult to watch my sister, who is a year younger than I am, go through this journey.  Yet she has done so with optimism and grace and peace.  I love her so very much.  I'm sure that is true for all of you as well.

My best wishes to you all.  ~Arleen

Breast cancer is a baffling disease in that no two are truly alike. Things like age, background, size, grade, hormone receptors, her2 positive or neg...btw what was the fish results, environmental factors, margins clear or close, lymph node status. Then the bottom line comes down to a woman's choice.

I am reading with interest the feelinghelpless writing on what you can do for your sister. My sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at age 37 and lived 6 months. I moved her in with me as she was not married and her son lived with her ex. One of the things that she appreciated was touch...massage her feet, her hands....feel her energy and allow her to feel yours. This reciprical energy exchange is powerful. Mindful walks and really enjoying each other. We did not have a lot of money, but the laughter was priceless. Additionally, she slept a lot and I got her 800 thread comforter and sheets. She said it felt like heaven

This past april, I was diagnosed with Invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3, 6mm, estrogen 90%positive, progesterone 20% positive, her 2 neg....although fish came back positive which puts me in line for chemo along with that grade 3 knee slapper of aggressiveness...lymph node negative. The way I understand it through the folks at MOFFITT cancer center in Tampa, is that sometimes the grade and the Her2 status can be predictors of recurrence. 

my sister has breast cancer she fell and broke her hip do to a tumor . She has had radiation therapy and two bouts of chemo . its stage 4 its all over her body

Hi--I just stumbled onto this thread--it has given me a new persepctive on how MY sisters may be feeling about MY cancer.

Robin--I have been on zometa for almost 5 years---I have had no side effects after the first infusion--what else do you want to know about bone mets??? Some say-IF you have to have bc mets bone mets is the one to choose---of course---no one WANTS any of this-but I have learned from my case & others' that bone mets tend to be easily managed if dx'd early. 

nmcortland----give your sister what she needs---love support & laughter! and the truth if she asks----part of WHO you are IS a nurse & you both know that--we are all different, but I tend to be pragmatic & call a spade a spade---like sabrina's sister---I tell jokes about my cancer & often say things about being the adult poster child for make-a-wish & how they need to give me MY way-----do what feels right--there is no recipe for this---it sux, but love carries us thru.

Hollyann---it just never seems to end for some families------ wish there was a quota for the bad stuff we have to endure----I keep you in my prayers!

Misskriss---a second opinion is NEVER a bad idea------I strongly suggest it so you can all feel comfortable with the choices she has to make

HUGE hugs to all you wonderful sisters--- I have 4 & recently had the good fortune to inform them (& my dd) that, tho our mom also had bc, I am NOT braca positive---that made me SO happy to be able to tell them that.

Be well & stay strong 

my sister has bc. she is going into surgery to remove the lump.

i really dont know what to do best for her. I am considering to be with her to help her - but i am not sure this is the right move. She is in australia and i am in malaysia. She has a wonderful husband and 2 kids - 16 and 10 years of age.

Its hard on her, cos she could not even talk to me. Has been crying and trying to keep herself up and going and be brave to face it.

What should i do? Show support - but how?? We never had breast cancer in our family line, not that we know of - so this is really hard - i wished it was me, instead of her.

 anyone has any suggestion on how i can best be of help and be supportive - and how i can best handle this 

My sister was diagnosed with BC in July. She had a modified masectomy . Now she is doing chemo and her hair is coming out. She's devastated. I'm going to visit her this weekend what do I say to comfort her. Her hair has been the hardest on her.

thank you, my beautiful sister, your post was very encouraging. My sister and I haven't always been real close no big problems just distance mostly, but her cancer has brought us so much closer. It is really hard to see her go through this but she hasn't complained much . She went back to work about 2 wks. after her surgery, which we were there for, and she misses work the day of her chemo and the next day, she says she has her good days and bad. She lives in NC and I live in WV. Her cancer was stage 2 because of its size but it was totally encased in itself and had not tried to travel outside of that, so that was good. She has felt really good most of the time, her first chemo , she called me that night and she had been sick several times. The day after too, then it was more just nauseous for a few days. After her second treatment she was just nauseous for a day or too but then came the hair. She had long hair. But I know she'll get through this it just takes a lot of prayer and faith. Can I ask you a question? Does your sister's cancer scare you for yourself? I feel so selfish when I think about it. But I know that her having it has increased my risk also. Does that sound selfish or what?  Thank you for listening.

Hugs Hatti & My, Try to laugh with them as much as you can, but cry with them as much as they need. IF you don't cry too it leaves them ALONE in this. Show them your true feelings---never much problem with honesty or the truth!

I feel priveledged to share your thoughts & feelings. My sisters have TRIED to help, but I truly think this scares them so much they are too afraid to just let it all be what it is. They need to believe I will OK--so I let them......Your fear is not selfish!! I suggest your sisters get the BRACA test. It is a genetic test that will show if she has the gene for bc. IF she is positive you can be tested, too. Odds are that she is negative, but my mom had bc & I know my sibs & dd were scared. When my test came back negative it was like a special gift I could give my daughter & sisters.

Hugs-----you care & that should help them more than you know. 

Be well & stay strong 

Saint, Thanks for your post. Im not sure if she had the BRACA test but I will ask her. I'm going down to visit this weekend. Crying with her is no problem, i seem to do that a lot. I'm an emotional person anyway, my son says I cry when I'm happy, cry when I;m sad, mad and everything in between, lol.This has been hard on my son too, who's 12, my sister and him have always been close and he hates to see her sick. Kids have to grow up so fast now. Any way take care and never give up hope. I am a Christian are you? I came across something the other day that said Faith is not hoping God will hear you but Faith is knowing that He will. Many prayers are sent your way. Thank you

Dear Saint, Hello how are you. The visit went well with my sister but bad news has happened ever since. On Monday Nov. 3 when we got home my cousin called and his daughter has a brain tumor. she's 11. On tues. Nov. 4 my sister called and they think her husband has throat cancer, my friend called me on wed. and her sister has BC and on thursday my husbands cousin died. So its been a bad week. How are you doing? Sometimes things are harder than you think you can bear but you get the strength to get through anything.  Take Care