Calling all TNs

Anne, I saw my surgeon today. I think I needed reassurance about the swelling in the breast and the cording. He said I had a seroma but didn't want to drain it yet. Told me to use heat and do exercises, like finger walking up the wall facing it and perpendicular to it, and to bend over and do "churning" like rotations with my arm. Ten of each, finger walking up and churning clockwise and counter clockwise. He also told me to massage my breast firmly. That smarts!!. Getting my port placed tomorrow so I will be a bit gimpy on both sides now. Not feeling to bad today, yesterday was an emotional rollercoaster. Take care, Sheryl

hello all

my tumor started at 2 cm, grew to 6cm when commenced chemo, finished chemo  tumor 9cm, path report after mastectomy was 10cm.

tumor became chemo resistant on 4th dose.

breast surgeon went ahead with mastectomy.

Anita - I love you for posting this, as I just finished crying about this.  This gives me hope and encouragement.  xoxo

Jenjenl, hang in there. Time does heal all. My boys were 3, 8, and 10 that first year. Treatment was hard but we made it through and you will too. My baby is graduating high school this year and I feared I would never see it, but here I am. You can do it too. God bless!

Thank you Anita! Are you BRCA positive?

Hey fellow TNBC folks,

Had my port placed today, my anesthesiologist very conservative and actually intubated me and put me out. No problems at all. Arm kinda achy but I know as a nurse they put you in some weird positions when they do procedures. Still numb from the surgery at the site so more to come I am sure. I was really nervous even more so than the lumpectomy and SLNB but all well. More to come, start chemo 1/10, anxious to see what kind of SE's I have.

Hang tough.

Sheryl

Thanks Anita for posting this. I was 33 when diagnosed last yearand i fear that i will not see my boys graduate or marry or anything like that. I needed to read this today. All the best to you, you give me hope

Sheryl: you will be so glad you got a port. So easy! Mine has never bothered me!

Annie - I am thinking of you and hope you are having a lovely holiday. I miss your humor!

Oh, Anita, first of all congratulations on your 14 year anniversary!  Also, thank you so much for sharing that with us.  I have been wallowing in self-pity, fear, denial -- well you get it.  My thoughts when anything about the future is mentioned are "if I'm still around", if I see an ad for something that I like, my thoughts are why bother - I won't be around to enjoy/use "it".  I know that I have to shake these feelings/thoughts but until I read your post, I just didn't know how.  You truly don't know how much your post means to me, I have c/p'd it so that I can refer to it when I am down.  Thank you!  Thank you!!  Thank you!!! 

Anita - very powerful and inspirational post for all of us! Congrats on surviving BC for 14 years and living a normal and carefree life surrounded by a loving family. I especially like the healthy lifestyle without the restrictive diets, supplements, and excessive exercise! You're living your life to the fullest! Enjoy it all and happy new year!

Just another note about follow up - after the 3 year mark and to date I see my MO once a year for blood work, tumor marker and clinical exam. Also do the breast ultra sound once a year. That might change to MRI due to the DIEP reconstruction I did this year. Not certain about that yet. I always get my follow up over with in January too so I can spend the new year worry free.

Very happy you are not BRCA +, I wish those were my results   That tells you you have less risk of ovarian/fallopian cancer and less risk of the other breast getting cancer.  I would have to dig up my booklet about it.  Enjoy being negative!

hello all you Trip Neg luvlies XXxxXX

here we are the end of 2012, what a whirlwind, there i was in january overseas getting silicone implants put in, there i was april same year getting them taken out and diagnosed with bc.  overall so far, touch wood  it sorta been ok this horrid journey, well as ok as anything to do with cancer can be.

dont know whats next and to be honest im not a fool to kid myself that "the bum" will come back and have another go at me, its all a matter of keeping "the bum" at bay and me keep running so fast he cant catch me and hopefully in the near future they find something for us Trip Negs to give us a little more confidence.

the best part of the journey is that i converse with you all and i cant thank you enough for all your words and support.

my goals for 2012 last day is to go out tonight with a blast and drink and be merry to welcome the New year 2013 in with joy and love.

my goals for 2013 are

1) to be alive into 2014

2) to love my family even more than i do, blessed still have mum and dad with me and couldnt have asked for better parents.

3)  to get fitter and fitter as the chemo will take a lot away, i reckon if i get as fit as possible that will make the chemo not as destructable as it could be to my body.

4) yoga, budihism and pilates.

5) light weight training every day.

6) beach beach and more beach.

7) smile, laugh. love. music.

8)  im alive today, get on with it and give "the bum" a run for its money.

9)  Breast reconstruction

10)  my ultimate 2013 dream would be, to be in love.

11) cant do no.10 unless i do all the others

sisters wishing you all the best new year and hopefully for anyone doing it really tough wishing that 2013 brings you some peace and happiness and sisters lets keep writing anything that you feel or has helped you in any way even if its not considered standard treatment...keep talking.

lets face it if the professionals knew it all there would be a lot more of us around.

love to you all

XXxxXX

Happy New Year everyone!  Thank you all for the support, comfort and encouragement you have provided me over the last several months.  It's been a lifeline for me.  Wishing you all good health and happiness in the year ahead.

Now, the real question is what colour shoes should I wear with my little black dress this evening?  Red or nude?