I'm really new here... hope I get replies

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  • Afraid4
    Afraid4 Member Posts: 4
    edited September 2010

    keep the faith, so scary when 1st diagnosed for you and entire family.   love yourself and let others around you love you.. my prayers are with you

  • cc4npg
    cc4npg Member Posts: 764
    edited September 2010

    Well I got a bit more news today.  FISH test came back negative.  I was not expecting that.  I had been looking at triple negative studies and reading up on it just in case, but I really expected to be Her2.  It hit me kind of hard.  I could use a lift.

    My tentative surgery date is Oct 7.  That seems like a very long time to me.  My initial abnormal mammo was early August.  The cancer care coordinator at the breast clinic tells me that typically breast cancer is slow growing.  I'm very down.  Mine was labeled grade 2, again I thought that indicated Her2 instead of triple negative.

    I'm going to post something on the triple negative group.  It's not a very good day... but God knows what I'm feeling and He must be carrying me because I can't take one step without Him right now.

  • Twinmom77
    Twinmom77 Member Posts: 303
    edited September 2010

    CC, I wish I had more words of advice for you, but I know nothing about TN.  Grade 2 is a good thing though, right? - not super aggressive.  From what I've learned it seems like Her2+ is usually more aggressive, grade 3 (and I'd love not to be grade 3!), but I can totally understand how you'd be wishing for something different.  I think all of us at one point, whether TN or TP or some combination, have wished for something to be different about our diagnosis and obviously wish to not have been diagnosed at all!

    Two months does seem like a long time to wait for surgery but it will be here before you know it.  It was a good 6 wks from my diagnosis to the start of chemo and I remember I just wanted that darn thing out of me.  The cancer has been growing for years, so a couple months probably is not going to make a difference, although I totally get wanting this to be over and done with.

    Hopefully, someone TN can help you out more.  Hang in there, hugs to you!

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited September 2010

    My official diagnosis (path came back from biopsy) was mid July but my Mammogram/ultrasound was way back in mid June! BMX wasn't till August 31st and I had a very fast growing aggressive grade 3 HER2+ tumor. They told me my cancer had been there for 4 years. Yes fast growing but in general even fast cancer grows slower than we think.

    Triple - / Triple + everything had is good and bad.  Triple - tend to respond to chemo really well. Keep focusing on the postive. You will get through this.

  • ebarnes48
    ebarnes48 Member Posts: 37
    edited September 2010

    Hi I was dx in 2008. Her2 +  I lost one breast and 16 lymthnodes,  have now thank god finnished all my treatments.  last cat scan no cancer cells could be found so there is light at the end of the tunnel.   just keep a possitive mind try not to let it drag you down it will try its hardest to drag you down but keep fighting it. 

  • cc4npg
    cc4npg Member Posts: 764
    edited September 2010

    What should I expect in terms of treatment after a mastectomy for triple negative?  I'm personally praying no node involvement, so would I still get rads?  I mean, hey, throw it to me if it'll help kill this stuff.  And I've read there are different chemo's offered, which I know nothing about!  I feel like I'm going at warp speed to try to educate myself on everything. 

    Also, what food to/not to eat?  What vitamins to/not to take?  I've heard low fat, no sugar, gluten free, raw veggies, fruits, etc.

    This seems to be the most knowledgeable group online.  Thank you for everything...

  • Twinmom77
    Twinmom77 Member Posts: 303
    edited September 2010

    CC, I hope you're getting lots of answers to your TN questions with some of the TN ladies, I wish I knew more and could help in that area.

    As far as food and supplements, you might want to check out the Alternative/complementary threads.  There's lots of us over there that focused on nutrition and supplements during chemo and lots of knowledgable laides there too.  I don't want to bore anyone with what I did during tx so feel free to pm me if you're interested.  One great book is Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber.  Hope that helps!

  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited September 2010

    CC, I've never seen anything indicating that the rads decision should depend on the type of cancer cell. Rads is always recommended after a lumpectomy if there is an invasive component, e.g. IDC. I think that f there is only in situ cancer, e.g. DCIS, it is more of a grey area whether there should be rads. With a mastectomy, the rads decision depends on other factors - if the cancer was close to the chest wall or if it is found in more than 3 nodes, they will recommend rads. If cancer is found in between 1 and 3 nodes, that is more of a grey area for rads.

    Personally, I had a pretty easy time with rads and I'm glad that I didn't do a mastectomy to avoid it. Of course this is a very individual decision. I preferred to have the lumpectomy to keep the feeling in my breast. Also I considered that the less invasive proceedure with shorter recovery time was worth going through rads. Having large breasts also entered into the choice - pro for lumpectomy because the tumor was small compared to my breast volume so it didn't imbalance me - and negative for mastectomy since a mastectomy would probably mean getting at least a breast reduction on the other side for balance since a prostetic or reconstruction to match the current size would be too heavy.

  • shadow2356
    shadow2356 Member Posts: 393
    edited September 2010

    I know you are worried about waiting for your surgery. I really get that because I was petrified waiting myself. I was certain it would spread. I was diagnosed 8/14/09. I had my surgery 10/09/09. I was node negative. It did not spread in that time.

    I know we all read that it is very slow growing but it doesn't help when you just want it out. I had to wait two months and mine was grade 3. Still no nodes. Your wait is one month. I hear that is about average.

    I wish you strength in your fight.

  • Fearless_One
    Fearless_One Member Posts: 3,300
    edited September 2010

    I was one year older than you at time of my diagnosis.   I can honestly say treatment was easier than I had anticipated.   I pretty much worked full time through chemo and sailed through radiation.   Not saying everyone does - I was lucky.   Just saying you are going to get through this....hopefully you will do as great as I did during treatment! 

  • Firni
    Firni Member Posts: 1,519
    edited September 2010

    CC4, don't worry about the long wait.  I found my tiny lump in June of 08.  Didn't have a biopsy until early Sept.  Had a bunch of mammos in between.  I didn't have Mx until the end of Oct. 08.  My BS said my cancer was probably there for 10 years.  Mine was grade 2.  It is hard to wait.  Crazy thoughts get into your head after you go to bed and can't sleep.  Hang in there.

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