Calling all TNs

tumornamedclyde, thank you for your kinds words. Are you going to have a SNB?

To TumorNamedClyde:

The first thing you have to remember is that the majority of TNBC women will not have a recurrence. I have literature, if you would like to PM me your e-mail address, I will forward that on to you - it's a PDF and I can't attach that here. The literature is from the Triple Negative Foundation and in it on page 33 it states that the majority of TNBC women will not have a recurrence.

Side note: I would like to ask all of us to please reread our posts before we hit submit - to help provide more encouragement, hope and inspiration, that we all need.

Clyde - PM me and I'm going to give you some literature that will make you feel very hopeful. Remember everyone, that the majority of women will not have a recurrence, and I urge all of you to focus on this.

I know and understand when we have setbacks as a group it is hard and challenges us - but let's also remember to celebrate the triumphs and the milestones.

I encourage everyone to remember all their blessings, stay positive and motivated, and look to a long-term survivor for additional strength and support. If you can align your thoughts to think of that long-term survivor, it might help you with moving forward a bit or at the very least making the day so that you can enjoy it more with less fear.

Clyde, I was 43 at dx and yes the thought of dying had immediately entered my mind. But only until I met my breast surgeon. Once he walked through the door, and I saw his face, I immediately felt different. It's a tough long process and thoughts do come and go, but the main thing is to remember that the majority of TNBC women will not have a recurrence.

Oh Jianchi, I just read your post. The waiting is so hard to do. Have you started treatment? Where are you with everything? When will you get to speak to someone about your MRI report?

StupidBoob - you're right! I went back through my PMs and nothing there. Well, know that my heart was heavy with your news and that I wished you lots of happy days and many more with Skittles. We were told we had about 2 months with our cat (skin cancer of the nose) and we got 9 months. We also consulted with a cancer medical team for him and they formulated a special compound to give him (liquid) every 72 hours to keep things stabilized as long as possible.

I hope everyone gets to enjoy the day and has a break from their worries today.

jianchi,

During my waiting periods the only thing that helped were distractions--a movie, shopping, mall walking, playing games on the computer...whatever can get you distracted until you get more definitive info. Research before that info will probably only lead to darker places you don't need to be. Easier said than done, I know.

Your feelings in this case seem perfectly normal, though very hard to deal with. I think all of us would have our own versions of the same reactions in your shoes.

I don't know you but would like to know how things go for you when you know. In the meantime,

Hugs,

Peggy

I agree with Gilly- I have come in here to rant, share my tears and fears. We can't sugar coat how we are feeling. Having been a part of this board for a little over 2 years (since diagnosis), I have come to know what caring and sharing is about. This place has been my go to when I am terrified, and in a dark place. I know for myself, I am here for each and every gal that has and is a part of this board. I don't mean to come of aggressive, but, cancer does not have a filter, and neither do I.

I agree with Gilly and Lory. We can encourage and sympathize and write about similar things that have happened to us and how we deal/dealt with them and offer advice, subject to our doctors ok, and we are all here for the people that are feeling down but we can't sugar coat anything. We have the right to say what we are feeling at the time without censor and of course without malice. I have also ranted and cried in the past as have many but these ladies have listened regardless of how they are feeling at the time and made me feel better. We also used to laugh ourselves silly and I am a great believer of that because it has helped me so many times.

Lory you lucky sod lol I now feel positively ancient!!.

Titan hope you didn't work too hard today lol It's back to work for me tomorrow until Thursday and then I am flying to the South Island for this years cake conference with Mandy. Those ladies are so wonderfully clever and its a delight to see what cakes are on show each year.

Have a great day ladies.

Jianchi, what day is your SNB next week? Could your rib pain be from something, such as over vacuuming, laying in bed the wrong way or lifting something without using the leg muscles properly? I'll be thinking of you on your SNB day -- let me know what day it is! PS - I agree with what you said on the research. Take a break for a while and sit outside and enjoy some fresh air. Until you have all the information in from the SNB you might be reading things that won't or don't apply to you ... so until you find out more about your exact case, maybe just keep the research to a minimum. Also some sites out there on the internet may have some older material, so consider the sites also when you read information. Please post your update when you find out more!

Three year mammo today,  Grateful to be having it, but boy the mind just doesn't shut off at times of testing. Just wondering if anyone had any additional scans at this time?   Hope you are all having a great day!

Jianchi I just want to say that my wife initially had pain in the rib area. It turned out to be from the biopsy (of her lump)! It was nothing. I hope the same or similar for you and will be praying.

peggy, alhusband and debra, thank you for your comforting words. I think the thing that freak me out was the MRI saying a enlarged low right axillary node is concerning for metastatic disease...

I feel better now. Will meet my surgical oncologist today soon. Thank you all for letting me vent, I really needed it.

Please report back Jianchi, we are on the edge of our seats and praying for a good update from you! You made it through the weekend ... and that's so hard!

AlHusband - It depends what the 5 year mark is symbolic of? Is it symbolic of when someone found out they had cancer, and from that minute they count themselves as a survivor? Or is the 5 year symbolic of being cancer-free and so they count it from a surgery date or a treatment date? It could be that you find people count from different points in time, because of treatment and surgery schedules. For instance, someone who had chemo first, might count their 5 year from surgery date. For me, my Onc told me it was from my surgery date, of when the tumor was removed, so I go by that date. I too have seen it vary like you mentioned, so likely it depends on each person's specific case.

AL- My oncologist counts from when I was suppose to be "cancer free", meaning from the time he removed what was left of my cancer at surgery, after I did neoadjuvent chemo. So I say I'll be 3 years out next february.

Wow, your post gives me goose bumps Nance, about meeting an 18yr survivor! That's awesome. I've posted before that there are some 25 year survivors who post about once a year just to keep us all encouraged!

ALHusband, - congrats to your wife and in just a short time we will being celebrating your wife's 1 year with you! With all the dates that are feasible for us to use for the tracking to the 5 year, it was important for me to me to choose the one that reflected the most positive note for me in my continued health and well-being - and that for me was when the tumor was out. When I asked my Onc what date I should reference for that and he said the surgery date, I was in total agreement with him.

Ladies, do you know what the term animal protein is in reference to ... does it also include fish items? I'm asking because much literature that I have been reading lately has recommended limited animal protein, but I don't know if fish is included in that. Then I came across a nutritional article last week that recommended fish 4 times a week. So if fish was part of the term animal protein, where is everyone supposed to be getting their protein from .... in the same literature it recommends little to no dairy. Of course peanuts and beans have protein, but it really leaves a limited amount of low in fat items.

For those of you who asked for the info.. I just emailed 16 of you... I went through the PMs and hope I got caught up with all the requests. If I missed you please PM me which info you wanted. I created a new email account not on yahoo so I'm able to organize and send the information easier. No emails have gotten kicked back either so I think I got them all right.