The longest month of my life

Charusa-

welcome to our world. we are so glad you found us. I think the increase in your panic and anxiety are justified given you have such a great deal of information to process and decisions to make. Lets say its temporary while you adjust to this new place you are in. Being scared is normal- I wonder who is not scared when faced with all this.

There are going to be people here that will be able to share their experiences with chemo and cardiac conditions and your care team will want to know every little thing about your health history so tell it all.

There are forums on here for triple negative ladies and hundreds of years of experience dealing with the roller-coaster that is breast cancer. This is the best place for information, support and just being with people who are also dealing with breast cancer.

charusa,

i am so sorry and i hope your team of specialists will come up with a plan that fits your health condition. hugs to you....

I just wanted to make clear that I don't think that any doctor should tell anybody they are 'cured' - because they can't ever know that, anybody could have cancer cells that remain after treatment that can't be picked up on scans. What we do know is that many more people who are treated never have a recurrence, live normal life spans and do not die of breast cancer than if they were diagnosed and not treated. That to me means the treatments cure the disease in many instances.

ziggypop - don't agree about using the term "cured" and apparently neither does my doctor/oncologist. While it is rare cancer does come back despite everything that can be done is done even in early stage cancers so how can they be cured then? Just saying. I would like to believe I am cured since I had early stage BC with Grade 1, lumpectomy and 33 RADS treatments. Currently on tamoxifen. The doctors own admissions are they cant be 100% sure there isn't a stray cell around. I know you didn't say everyone because they wouldn't be true I just don't think of myself as cured; is there a timetable when you can safely say that?

Hi Charusa,

I had a triple negative diagnosis also. But the point I feel about the term "triple negative" is that it is not an absolute. It simply describes the absence of hormone and her_2 receptors in the tumour, i.e. it tells you what you DON'T have.

There are subtypes of triple negative being discovered, but many (most??) have been found to be highly responsive to chemotherapy, which is the mainstay of treatment as well as surgery +/- radiation therapy. You will find many examples of ladies who have NOT had a recurrence or spread of their "triple negative" cancer, even after many years, and the risk of it happening drops sharply after the initial 3-5 years.

If you are having chemo (especially Adriamycin/Doxyrubicin), I think the routine is to have MUGA or echo heart scan to make sure there is no underlying issue, and you are carefully monitored.

As for recon .... its a personal decision ..... but as you suffer anxiety issues you might find it easier to have an immediate recon if being breastless is likely to be a huge issue for you. It's a toughie, but talk to your doctors. I know most women are reported to be very happy that they had immediate reconstruction.

I didn't have that option, and in fact I think I don't mind too much the flat side ..... It's the other big boob upsets me!!! I'm seeing a PS I'm January to see if autologous recon is an option, otherwise I'm pretty determined to just have a prophylactic Mx and be symmetrical at least!

Sorry, wondered off there!

Anyway, as others have said. You will almost certainly feel 100% better when you have a plan in place and start treatment.

Good luck!!

Hi charusa,

So sorry you are going through this, but wanted to let you know you can do it! I too had a 2cm tumor which was triple neg, and I was 60 at the time. Doctors were surprised, as this type tends to be diagnosed more often in younger women.  I did not have nodes involved, but one oncologist staged me as  a three, and the second opinion doc staged me at 2. I had surgery first, followed by the same chemo drugs planned for you. Four doses of a/c, and then twelve weekly doses of taxol.Lastly, I had seven weeks of radiation, and here I am almost 8 years later NED. {no evedence of disease}

Your doctor can substitute another drug for the adriamycin if your muga shows you shouldn't have it. Your onc seems to be on top of the problem, and you are in good hands. I know how it feels in the beginning, but once you get started on treatment, you will feel more in control.

Hugs!

Hi charusa,

I'm busy running around like a chicken with it's head cut off...trying to get ready to leave Sunday for vacation. There is a lot of life after cancer treatment! Though my car and furnace broke down this week, so I am being tried.

If you cannot tolerate the MRI, they will have to do without it. Maybe they could try a different medication? I haven't had breast MRI, as it was too new at my dx. I have had lumbar spine though, and I kept my eyes closed. Pretty claustrophobic for me, but I really wanted to know the source of my back pain.

Be assured that you did not do anything to cause this cancer. Don't beat yourself up, just move forward with treatment. I just reasoned that everyone gets something, so this is what I got.

There are a lot of tips on this site to help you get through tx, and there is almost always someone who will come on and tell you how they handled a specific problem. I have made many friends here, and some of us in Illinois have gotten to know each other in person. We meet for lunch or dinner, and have a great time. You'll get there in time.

Keep in touch, there are many caring women here.

Not to worry, everything is taken care of! Though I think my 99 taurus is on its way out.

I hope you made it through your tests, and now you're having a nice Saturday out treating yourself. You will be helping someone else through this before you know it.

I'm leaving for South Africa tomorrow, and probably wont be able to check in here while I'm gone, but I will be thinking of you. I just kept thinking about so many, even little children who get through it, and that gave me the courage i needed. I don't like to be outdone!

Gentle hugs to you from your also triple negative sister.

I'm so glad you got through th pet/ct scan so well. Your tree sounds beautiful! I will have the chance this year to help decorate the tree in SA. Wonder if they have any different traditions.

I wish you the best of luck with your first chemo, and trust I will be thinking of you. just don't know about the computer situation in Kruger national Park, which is where I'll be then. There are many helpful hints to get through chemo on some of the other threads. 

Do enjoy your days ahead, and then plan on a few days of rest after your chemo. I don't know if you plan to go to work, but many people I know did that. I wasn't working anymore, so it wasn't an issue for me. I'll think of you, and I return on dec. 27th, and I'll check in then.