Just found out I'm triple negative, so scared

Hi Kathy,

You will find great support on these boards.  You will get through this.  I found that just taking one day at a time and congratulating myself at the end of each day for getting through was very helpful.  Chemo wasn't fun, but not as bad as I had thought it might be.  You will find inner strength you didn't know you had, and there are many here who can help you along the way. 

I am 2 1/2 years out from my TN dx and very, very grateful.  The only regret I have was spending so much of my waning energy worrying. During treatment, all seem to coddle you and allow you to feel however you feel.  While this is supportive, I feel being inspirational, optimistic, and putting things in perspective is also quite beneficial.  So, remember this will be one year of rock-your world scary sh_t, where you (and your loved ones) will learn more about cancer and your options than you ever cared to know.  Just know that you and the doctors are doing all they can to beat it, and soon it will be over so you can embrace the rest of your life!     

Good luck, be strong, hang in there.

Wow Rena!  You are such an inspiration!! 

Kathy you and I have very similar stats.  We will do this together.  Being scared is normal.  However, I will tell you to stay away from sad stories and negative posts.  You need to be positive and feel like you can beat this thing. 

I am having some minor complications from lumpectomy, so chemo might be delayed for a just a little while.  But I am ready to tackle this thing head on.

Please PM me anytime you want to talk.

Anita

Hi Kathy,

These are a great bunch of ladies.  It took only about 3 weeks for my hair to fall out.  Before my second chemo infusion I was bald.  I hated my wig and resorted to wearing mostly turbins they were much softer.  My last chemo infusion was the end of April.  I just had my first hair cut to shape the back up a little.  My hair is getting close to an inch long in places, I have eyebrows and eyelashes again.  It's a tough year, but, It's a tough year to get cured.  There is life after cancer.  God be with you.

Kathy - keep us posted on what the onc says.  My hair came out after my second treatment.  I, too, had my last treatment in mid-April, and my hair is now an inch long.  I bought two wigs and wore them mostly to work, but once the weather got hot I ended up wearing bandannas and scarves.  You can get all sorts of colors of bandannas at your local craft store, such as Hobby Lobby, for about $1 each.  I have tons of them in all sorts of colors and patterns.

Hi Girls

Trying to keep busy and have other interests if possible during treatment helps keep the worrywarts away. 

In triple negs it may also be worth considering dose dense chemo (hitting it hard)- usually meaning having it every 2 weeks instead of 3. There may be problems getting white blood cells back up in time for the next hit, but neulasta is a help. The bonus is chemo is over quicker!! 

I lost the hair on week 3 too, but once I shaved the rest off I felt liberated and wish I'd done it sooner. After that with a good wig I felt good and it was amazing the amount of people who unwittingly complimented me on my hair. Whoops!

I took a week off for surgery, another beacuse of cellulitis and another when I had a bad reaction to first chemo. I then continued to work 3 days a week through chemo - I'm a health carer with my own business. Noone knows how each individual will react to chemo but after a rough start I actually got less sick with each one! 

Radiation was a breeze.

Good Luck Sisters 

Keep up the positivity!  go in for surgery on monday and get my port placement put in. then i go get bone scan and CT scan on tuesday.  MORE WAITING.  argh!   i just want some goals to put in place rather than waiting for what they did or did not find.  i already know i have TN breast cancer, now i want to deal with it and move on.  THE CANCER WILL NOT WIN!  you all are inspirations.   

I'm three years out of tx this month!  I have lived more and enjoyed life more the last three years than I ever thought possible.  You will get through this all you gals.  My friend who has bc told me there is always a silver lining in every cloud.  I believe that's true.  Focus on that if you can and you will start to see changes in your life you never thought possible. 

i LOVE hearing survivor stories and hope i can post that i'm a survivor in a year from now and it continues that way. todays a better day than yesterday and can only be honest with my feelings as they come. my family knows i can beat this and i know i can too but the support of you ladies will help me in a way they can't.  i'm 30 and angry that i'm facing a difficult cancer but honestly what type of cancer is easy???  i can only be good to my body from now on and not even give this cancer a chance.  i have undetermined goals as to chemo dates as of now but that's one goal i know i can set- that i gave cancer a home but now its about time it be evicted.  YOU WITH ME??

well you're not alone mandolin because i get my port placement on monday too.  my surgeon says the port placement is to our benefit so we save our veins and from being a poked with needle all the time.  i've heard its weird at first but you get used to it.  easier said than done but you just have to do it. don't get consumed in all of what you read, there are many survivor stories and any cancer is an "invasive" cancer because it still invades your life and thoughts.  the best we can do is stick together as women and beat it.  good energy is the only energy to have right now because cancer only feeds on the negative.  don't give in and we are all in this together. BREATHE....IT WILL BE OK.

Is there anything "bad" about being triple negative which I also am

 other than of course, you're stuck with chemotherapy.  I always seem to be in that small "exceptional" group.  Apparently 80% of breast cancer is est, prog positive.  I'm envious.

just trying to get thru every day-having problems with febrile neutropenia-hospitalized last week

am staying at home because I'm so afraid of contracting something-exceedingly boring, but don't have much energy to do much anyway.

I know I can get over this hump ..& "nobody promised me a rose garden"-except of course my mom, who felt if I could find Prince Charming, all would be well in my life.  She was a wonderful but very naive person!

Hope things are going for all of you

Hi there

I had a port put in and it became my 'best friend'.  I kept it for a year.  I am so glad I did.  I never had any problems with it. It saves my veins and I didn't have to get 'stuck' all the time .  All the lab draws were from the line. Just make sure your nurses practice good technique, wash their hands and do all the necessary steps such as flushing your port after use.  

I'm three years out and still rub my port scar thoughtfully, remembering where I've been and where I'm going. You will get through this, yes it's a difficult path to walk but there will be so many discoveries along the way.  Deep cleansing breaths help too  

I had a port put in as well and I never regretted it.  I had it done because when I was in the recovery room following a lumpectomy, I remembered a nurse telling me I had lousy veins and should get a port if chemo was part of the treatment.  It made treatment and lab work so much easier to bare.  So you can cross that worry off your list.  And that's how this whole thing goes...one step at a time. 

Hi there,

Just to encourage those who are getting their ports tomorrow.  I have had mine in since xmas eve and am very glad that I have it!  It made chemo, labs, etc so much easier.  I didn't even have to use the special cream they give you to numb the area before they access it.  I had 5 months of chemo and now am doing radiation, all after a double mastectomy.  I didn't think I could make it, certainly didn't think I was strong enough.  Some days were bad and others good!  You can make it through this, one step at a time.  I try real hard to not think about reoccurance and concentrate on plans for a long, long life.  I even splurged with a real greasy pizza and beer tonight, knowing that I just blew the low fat diet all to heck...but my 13 yr old dd and I are home alone and it was just such a special time.  (except that I just found out she had her first kiss not so long ago....life goes on!)  Best wishes to you all who are starting your journey!

OK got my port in and a little sore but on my way!  surgery went well and more tests tomorrow but one more step to kicking this beast!