TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Not sure if this made the national news or not yet but was on the news here in Minnesota but is supposed to be a very significant find:

Breast cancer DNA Mutator Found

Thanks for posting that link, dechi.  That's one of the most interesting articles I've read in a long time.   Although the author doesn't mention Her2 positive, this caught my eye: 

although present in many Europeans and residents of sub-Saharan Africa, the gene for APOBEC3B is lacking in many Pacific Islanders and Asians, notably Japanese, who have a very low rate of breast cancer

Not long after I started posting someone on this thread mentioned a previous discussion about Her2 positive and women in a particular area of Africa (I'm not sure if it was mentioned by country or region). 

I confess to actually liking hot flashes.  Mine probably are not as severe as some get though.

Thanks for the link LeeA!

Thanks both of you for those articles. Very interesting indeed.

Dechi,

Thanks for the post. Read the summary of this article on www.sciencedaily.com website this morning(start my morning, every morning, by reviewing breast cancer articles, esp., but also all health-related articles).  Fascinating how an enzyme, special protein molecule, can cause so much trouble, but as I said in an earlier post, having studied protein synthesis in detail, I both understand its complexity and the role protein molecules play in either turning on or off genes, which in turn is the cause of a lot of illnesses/chronic diseases. I found this part from the article, especially, interesting:

But it (APOBEC3B) isn't essential for life; although present in many Europeans and residents of sub-Saharan Africa, the gene for APOBEC3B is lacking in many Pacific Islanders and Asians, notably Japanese, who have a very low rate of breast cancer.

I am of the mindset of so many of you ladies that it is wonderful to educate ourselves as much as possible about the possible causes of BC, and to ask our treatment team experts questions, especially if we do not understand well/fully/the content of some articles.  Hmmmmm. . . so why would some humans contain the enzyme and others not??? Diet? geographic location? evolutionary advantage? Of course, this question could be asked about a lot of enzymes linked to various illnesses, but this is where my mind is going right now. 

TonLee,

Sign me up!! Eradicating that cursed enzyme would be glorious!!

LeeA and lago, thanks so much for your two posts as well. Makes me REALLY regret that I ignored my biology prof's advice in the mid-80s to become a doctor. Actually, I would not even want to be a doctor, I so wish I pursued research. Fascinating times, and let's all be optimistic that brilliant, caring minds are going to provide us BC patients with better options in the VERY near future. Won't this thread explode with joyous entries when that day occurs. . . and I really, truly believe we are not far away from that day.

Anyone's husband ready to toss them out of the boudoir due to hot flashes. My poor hubby!! It's about 22 degrees F here in Toronto, Canada, and I HAVE to keep the bedroom window open slightly (to me it's "slightly," to him it's "wide open") because I find the moment I lie down at night the old hot flashes, in the first 90 minutes, are very intense.  There have been many humourous moments during this journey so far, tears too, of course, but we're just that much closer as a couple. . . a good thing. 

So do you ladies have some advice for this embarrassing situation? I only had left side mastectomy with tissue expander placement. My PS has filled the TE 4 or 5 times. Now on the left side, I have a decent size, very firm mound waaaaay up on on my chest. On the right, I have my 46 year old DD that has nursed 3 babies. No where near as firm, small or high as the left. No bra is going to hoist my right side up to the level of the left. My reconstruction to match is going to be a long way off after chemo, rads, etc. Any suggestions to help me look not quite so lopsided?

Thanks!

DiZZyMom You might be able to get a prosthesis to fix this. Ask your PS  for a script so your insurance will cover. Also there are bras that have that extra push up. You can remove push up from some of them.

LeeA I told my PS after the 4th expansion I was big enough. He said I needed a few more… ended up with 6 more! Went from a barely 34B to my current 34D. Like I said when your PS is male and you ask for "a little bigger and fuller"… is not the same as what a woman idea of "little bit" is.

Seriously just with the little bit I had put in at surgery I didn't think I looked so flat.

Right now, I'm in a soft sports bra (not sure why, just what I was instructed to wear when I finally was allowed to not be wrapped anymore) so there are no adjustable straps. I don't see why I need this though. I'll try a regular bra tomorrow and see what I can do by adjusting the right side.  The only reason I got so many fills is he was trying fill all the space left by the surgery to try to keep the fluid from building. After being top heavy my whole adult life, I always wanted a breast reduction. This just isn't what I had in mind

dizzy - I would go to a mastectomy fitter and see what they have to say - they have all kinds of shaped prostheses and inserts..  I had a lopsided situation for 7 months - lost my left TE and had to go through chemo without it - I wore a lot of ruffles and those long draped scarves - they help a lot!

A specialk hot flash means red ears (seriously very red!), whole face has a sheen of sweat, hair at the hairline is wet, I get a little lightheaded and feel like there is a clamp on my temples - all the other parts of me that normally get sweaty during exercise also do with a flash.  Other people can tell when I have one - my co-workers always knew!

Dizzymom

2 yrs ago I asked a plastic surgeon about Br reduction as well  and he told me not too. My husband didin't encourage it but said it  was up to me.

 I'm a 32 triple DDD. So really top heavy. I'm very thin as well so its alwyas so hard to find a decent bra.

never going strapless

I'm wondering if he would of seen something. didn't want to ask my drs.  since it never happened and here i am

Dizzymom I know a gal (met on these boards) that had a BMX but years ago she had a reduction. Ended up they couldn't do a SNB because of that and had to removed level I. She had no nodes involved. So far no LE but I do have LE from level I so you never know. At least that was my understanding.

Thanks LeeA