TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Thank you for your replies. I am going for treatment tomorrow and will bring up the issue of the pressure on my chest and shortness of breath to my nurse. I am also having a mammogram in the morning before the taxol treatment to see if the tumor has shrunk or grown or if it still remains the same. I thought perhaps the pressure in my chest is just due to nerves but of course I will bring it up after reading your advice here. Thank you!

Of course I am worried my body will not be able to take the planned treatment. Each week I am happy as a clam when the medication has entered my body and I am on my way home, especially with the cortison that keeps me "high" a couple of days. I am now only getting my 5th infusion of taxol of the planned 9. I am beginning to feel very fatigued on the 3rd day and like to stay in bed for a couple of days watching meaningless shows on television. I should be out walking every day but just seem to push that walk of to tomorrow.

I have decided to join a bc group for encouragement. I live alone so I do not have kids that keeps me going nor a caring husband for support.

JenPem & ElaineThere --- A Port is supposed to be flushed every 4 weeks according to the manufacture. See this website. http://www.bardaccess.com/products/ports/powerport ... If yours is a different manufacturer, verify the directions on their website.

Thank you again for your replies. It is so very helpful.

I have a port and they have flushed it out twice already before treatment to be able to get it going. Nothing major with that. So if you are keeping it but not using it makes sense that it needs to be flushed out regularly. The reason I have a port is that they did not managed to put a so called "pick line" in my arm due to small veins, a pick line needs to be flushed every week. I am happy with my port, it has a lot of advantages but hear it sometimes can get infected in rare cases so that is something to watch out for.

My nurse also said my shortness of breath is normal and might become worse as we go along. If I have shortness of breath while laying down and resting I should let them know asap. The mammogram and ultrasound today of my tumor shows no shrinkage but they will analyse it and let me know more in detail in a few days. I understand it might show up very late in treatment so patience, patience and taking an anxiety pill for a couple of days.

I have a friend suffering from lung cancer whom is so scared she refused treatment at first. I have managed to help her out of the fear and she is going to the doctors tomorrow. She lives in Las Vegas far from me. I am so happy I can support her and feel this is very awarding in the midst of all of this. Love is what it is all about.

BeachBabyK!

Welcome! Congrats on making it through three infusions! Soon, you'll be more than half-way done. Yes, it is a marathon. I just saw my OB/GYN today -- he can't even feel my ovaries because after all the Zoladex/Aromasin I've taken, they've shrunk.

Kattis, my OB/GYN insists I keep my ovaries. he won't even discuss having them removed. says they provide too many other benefits.

I still don't have my MRI results. I even called MOs office this afternoon. no answer. not posted on the portal. I just want my results. I'm sure no news is good news but come on people! Waiting is torture...

Tresjoli,

Totally relate. The "waiting game" is pure agony. I take anxiety pills to get threw it.

I hope you get good results...keeping fingers and toes crossed...

I got the all clear!! woo hoo!

Yay! Trejoli! Cheers!!

Congrats Trejoli!!! Fantastic!!!

My appt is in 2 hours, nerves are starting.

That's great Tres!

Seriously this conversation about keeping vs. not keeping ovaries is really interesting, because I have spoken to my midwives (super conservative), a very good friend who heads the OB GYN division at a local teaching hospital, my MO AND the gynecological surgical oncologist at Dana-Farber and they all said go right ahead and remove those ovaries if I want to. They are so suppressed at this point (or should be anyway) that it doesn't matter.

I'm interested in hearing the benefits of keeping them vs. not keeping them?

Thanks ladies. It was ok. Still have the catheter in my wrist for them to come hydrate me for the next few days, so that's a pain, but otherwise, I'm pretty good so far. Asked a bunch of questions during it, understood the answers, stuck around and did the pre-chemo workshop. Didn't really learn anything new from it, but it did clarify a few things so I guess it was worth it even if it did make for a long day. Going to stay up to take my other med, then going to to hit the hay and hope that tomorrow I feel just as good!

Need to go back to the hospital for my neulasta shot, and hope that the nurse shows up for the hydration at a reasonable time so I can get some stuff done while I'm feeling ok. Other than that, the next few days are about relaxing, hopefully wig shopping, hydration and waiting for side effects!

Oh...my appt was booked for 3 hours, but it only took about 2!! Will be thrilled if that continues.

Trying to catch up, so much has been going on, but I wanted to read up how everyone was doing.

Do you know, what's with the 2 weeks vs 3 weeks Herceptin infusion?Onco just changed the protocol to every 2 weeks.

And7894 my 2 cents for you, it's a good idea if it's only once a year, you should still have a relationship with Onco. If any questions arise, you are still a patient, and you won't be a total stranger. This is my take on any kind of chronic illness.

Rozem , fightergrl My daughter was in her late 20's when the mets showed up, she then was told to have a total HX, oophorectomy. She did it laparoscopically, it went very well. Of course, I wonder if it would have been beneficial to do it before the mets, she was on Lupron, but we will never know.

DeniseG how did you ever manage? BRCA is at play here? How is everyone doing now?

Ashla my daughter is on Xgeva. Every 4 weeks, some people do it every 3 mos. There are cons and pros from what I understand, most ladies with bone mets will tell you they take some form of this. Yes, it's a good idea to take care of your dental work prior to starting this program.

Tresjoli I think pity parties are great. It's very tough to go through such life upheaval. Just remember to recharge again. Fantastic news.

Fell well everyone.

@fitergirl - the younger you are and the the farther away you are from natural menopause, the greater the potential for negative long term effects from having the ovaries removed (bone health, cardiovascular and neurological health, etc). Even post menopause, the ovaries continue to produce androgens/testosterone. The adrenals do as well, but once you have your ovaries removed the adrenals don't pick up the slack, so your body will have lost ~40 to 50% of it's supply of post menopausal androgens. All of these things have the potential for negative effects on our body, so you really have to weigh the pros and cons before removing any organ from the body. I just had my ovaries removed this past April and don't regret it. But I was 54, perimenopausal for a number of years, and hadn't had a period for 18 months due to the chemo. So I felt pretty confident in my case, that the pros probably outweighed any cons.

ladies, pardon the personal question, but I was wondering if any of you are taking antidepressants? if so, which one? I had heard that some of them interfere with tamoxifen? I have had depression in the past, and the sneaky devil is worming it's way back in, and I'm thinking about seeing my doctor, but want to make sure we pick the right medicine that won't interfere with the tamoxifan? thx...

Wondering if someone can tell me how docs decide who gets the Oncotype test. I was never offered it but I was highly ER+, PR+ and Her2+. Is that why? Thanks!