Reading about TN online makes me feel hopeless, is this the end?

I don't post often but I read these boards EVERY night!  I had my 1 year cancerversary last month and was feeling fabulous but tonight doubt made it's way in and I was feeling very depressed.  The doom and gloom set in and I felt overwhelmed...then I found this tread!  Thank you to every one of you that posted here for the newbie, in the process you made this 'survivor' feel so much better!!  I love this board, without it I think I would have gone insaine all those months ago!  This disease seems so hopless some days then I come here and there all of you are, living life to the fullest.  Love and health to you all!! xoxo, Angi

Guys,

I'm with those of you who say, stay away from the scary stuff on the Internet. I had myself diagnosed as six feet under using the Internet. But there are decent websites out there - you just have to stay away from some of it. Triple Negative Foundation's website can be a little scary, but overall just informative, I think.

I started a site for us cancer survivors that I refuse to post the negative on. Not that I'm trying to  deceive anyone, but there's so much positive to read and write about with cancer- things you can do to improve your health and stave off recurrence, survivors and organizations doing incredible things, new medicince, and a bunch of other stuff. If you guys get a chance, will you check out my site? www.1UpOnCancer.com

Happy Valentines Day and have a great week!

Rachel

LowRider, would like to see your brochure when you're done. We can't  get enough of the positive.

MSe, I have to say, you are the first person your age I've heard say she has triple negative. Bless you! Have you called the triple negative foundation to ask who might have answers to your questions? Also to ALL YOU TN LADIES: CancerOrg has a Triple Negative helpline staffed with social workers who can answer a lot of your questions or find answers to them. They actually partner with the Triple Negative Foundation. I'm working on a story on their help line now.

Rachel

Thanks for the compliment, Eileen. And thanks for info on the blueberries. So being in a can does not affect them in anyway other than to preserve them when they are ripest as long as they were picked when they were ripest?

Also, while we're on the subject of blueberries, did you ladies know that they are in the top dozen produce suggested to buy organic if you are going to buy anything organic? If you google Dirty Dozen, you'll find the list and info on the environmental organization that puts it out. I  also have the list on my website on the front page along with little more related info.

Hmmm... I could only remember her surgical oncologist and that was David Byrd. I don't know who she used for medical oncology. I can try to email her and find out if you are interested.

Hi Triple Negative Ladies,

I just read what sounds like may turn out to be good news for those of you with a BRCA mutation. Here's the article so you can check it out for yourself. If you google BRCA and TN you'll find a  couple of other articles that shed a little more light on this research too. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedaily.com%2Freleases%2F2010%2F09%2F100929191314.htm&h=933a1

And I thought not having the BRCA gene was a good thing....

I hate seeing those 5-year survival rates of 52% in non BRCA TNS!! Wondering what chemo they got. I will console myself that the study dates back up to 25 years and the numbers are small, all while hoping it's good news for the BRCA carriers.  

Luah - I will be 6 years out in April... knock on wood. Do not lose hope. My treatment was neoadjuvant: Taxol weekly x 12, AC dose dense every other week x 4, mastectomy, rads x 30 with boost x 5 to chest wall, axilla and supraclavicular nodes. Yes, they were very aggressive. Yes, I got lymphedema... but the goal was to stay alive and cancer free... and so far, that goal has been met. Hang in there.

Nordy, I love that you and other women who are 3, 5 or more years out keep posting here. It truly makes a difference. For the most part, I am optimistic, I really believe I will be okay... but now and then, some stats come up that bring the fears back.   

I was dx with TN in November 2004. Did lumpectomy, chemo, rads. So that is just over 6 years. Unfortunately I developed a new primary in my other breast in January 2009 but it was not TN. At that time I did bmx and there was no evidence of the TN in the path report.

Hi all.

Just got a clean PET/CT for my 2.5 year anniversary.  I did the Happy Dance.  Everyone here should know that if you do all you can for yourself, your chances to live Happily Ever After are quite good.  At least far better than the initial stats say.  And statistics say nothing at all about a person.  You can't be 60% dead or 30% dead or 10% dead.  You are alive, so just aim to stay there!  

Luah, I don't advocate being an ostrich with my head in the sand, but self diagnosing is a grave mistake.  We are not physicians.  I have done research, but I don't get hung up on what other people say.  With all due respect, unless you have been to medical school, you don't know any more than I do.  It is really easy to take things on these boards out of context.  The people who sail through chemo and rads and never have a recurrence aren't who is posting.  Your 'research' is skewed.  So unless you are compiling results from actual studies, and who has the time for that, what are you really learning?  It's like saying how many conservative Republicans like Sarah Palin....you have a captive audience here.  It is meaningless, statistically.  OK, maybe not *meaningless* but certainly suspect.

I just wanted to hit and run to say I'm an eight year survivor and had no reoccurances. I was diagnosed Stage II B. Three small tumors (largest was 2.5 centimenters) and it had spread to three nodes. I had uni mast and six treatments of the cocktail three weeks apart.No radiation.

What's interesting is after it was all over my doctor told me "I see no reason why it should re-occur' and it didn't. I've often wondered about that.

Wow, you ladies are so wonderful to respond to her so quickly and with such love and determination

LOVING MOTHER,.

HELL NO, DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!  I know 2 stage 4 bc survivors, I'm talking 12 years out!!!

Listen to what your fellow triple negative sisters are telling you, and as for the rest of us, we will hug and kiss you thru cyber space. You will survive this!!!

xoxoxxox

Luah, sorry I misinterpreted your previous post.  On some of the boards I frequent there are really some holier than thou people, and one even went so far to tell a newbie to ask so-and-so on these boards rather than take her Dr's advice.  

I personally don't read the negative things if I can help it.  I believe attitude and state of mind are half of this battle.  I don't need self doubt.

As for Sarah, yes, I agree with you, her 15 minutes should have been up 20 minutes ago.  The point I was trying to make, which maybe had nothing to do with your post, is the people who post here, by and large, are people with (very justifiable) complaints.  You only get half of the story on these boards because you aren't hearing from the whole population.  Those with good experiences aren't gloating about it.