Starting Chemo December 2015

also don't get generic Claritin. I did the first time and it doesn't work as well as the real deal

It seems like I'm the "mother" of the group lol. I was 53 with my first dx of triple positive and now am 58 with triple negative.

I had my neulasta shot two days ago and now have a headache and lower back pain. It's not too bad, just constant. I'd much rather put up with that than nausea.

Trisha Anne, if you don't mind me asking what type of treatment did you receive 5 years ago? I guess that is the fear in the back of all of our minds, will this come back

Did you have your second treatment today chinacat? Congrats on the good wbc count!!

I guess I am the old lady here at 53! Never had annual mammograms but did stay rather regular for many years as I have dense breasts. Mammograms don't do much for me and I end up having an ultrasound anyway. I don't know why we can't all get ultrasounds or thermography as mammograms don't pick up until a tumor is already established. Kinda makes me mad. Always did self exams which is how I found my lump. And here I am

Wow! So many of us in our 40's. I am 45....anticipate I'll be bald by my 46th birthday next week. Getting a short cut tomorrow until I shave off the rest. Not what I'd expected, but well worth it to get rid of this nasty cancer once and hopefully for all time! Thankfully, I found the lump accidentally/providentially while putting on lotion over Labor Day week-end. Since I'm small breasted and the medical community keeps changing the guidelines for your 1st mastectomy, I had procrastinated and didn't have my first one until I found the lump. Genetic testing all came back negative. Only risk factor was that I wasn't ever able to get pregnant, so obviously didn't breast feed by age 30. My doctor said I'm just one of the unlucky 1 out of 8 women. Hate that we all have BC and are going through all of this, but I do appreciate everyone's comments, feedback and support in our group! We can do this!

love the shirt karenbo!

Dang you girls are all so cute - I need to pick up my game !

Took 8 inches off a couple weeks ago. Today did the shave. Not as traumatizing as i imagined.

Ladies, we are looking great without hair. Our inner beauty is shining through!!

ohh the pity parties - they should have prepared me better for those events

I finally took the leap today as well Nebraska. I started shaving my head by myself. Got it as short as a buzz cut then I had to call my husband to help clean it up. I didn't cry until he walked in. All in all it wasn't as bad as I imagined. Tried my wig on afterwards and it felt really itchy. Hopefully it was just because I had just shaved. I dontknow if I can stand to wear it all day if it's that itchy.

That looks really cool. I don't have any artists in my family though ha.

Hey Twirp, that artwork is beautiful. I also some amazing artwork on mastectomy scars.

Mvspaulding - my treatment five years ago was three rounds of FEC at 21 day intervals and then was supposed to do three rounds of Taxotere, but only did two as it almost killed me. So you can understand I'm a little terrified of the weekly Taxols I'll be doing this time. I also did twelve months of Herceptin. Perjeta wasn't around then. I seem to have come through the triple positive part of it really well - five years on and it's not returned, so I'm thankful for that. I'm in Australia so our regimes are slightly different than the USA.

I should actually be doing four AC treatments for the triple negative, but you can only have a lifetime dose of 6 treatments of an anthracycline (the E in FEC and the A in AC). But I'm not complaining lol.

We are all terrified that it will come back, this time is a completely new primary - it's not a recurrence, and for that I'm grateful. We do learn to live with the cancer sword hanging over our heads. Three months ago I was hardly thinking about cancer at all and living a full and happy life. It's comforting to know that most of us will never have a recurrence or even have a new primary - hang on to that.

Trish

xoxo