Calling all TNs

Good news, ScotBird! Congrats on the clear scan, and good luck with your surgery. Can I ask what part of Scotland you're from?

I'm doing okay but honestly, the quarantine is wearing on me and my mood is pretty variable. From everyone I've heard, this is how we're all dealing with the virus -- some days fine, some days not fine at all. Yep, that's me, in a nutshell.

Right now I'm pretty irritable, touchy. Lots of triggers. I live in east central Iowa, not in the worst hit town of the August 10 derecho, but bad enough for my taste. We have several trees down behind our house, a lot of roof damage from one that fell on the house. Just today I finally heard from the insurance claims adjuster and have an appointment for Aug 31. Can't do anything about repairs until after that, but probably wouldn't be able to anyway, because the reputable roofers already have long lists of customers. So that's been tiring, just dealing with the cleanup and so forth. Wah. Poor me, huh?

Also, in better but also tiring news, in June I discovered I have a younger sister, a half-sister, daughter of my dad. The tiring part is just some of the family dynamics that go along with this.

One thing that has come along with this unexpected bonus sibling is digging into information about my dad. He's been dead for many years having died after approx 10 years struggle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Last night I saw something he wrote after his first treatments. His first chemos were adriamycin and cytoxan. Exactly what I had last year, AC. That hit me kinda hard. I know it doesn't have anything to do with me, but does it? ugh.

Sorry for the little pity party. No response needed. I guess I needed the catharsis of writing it down.

Congrats Lyn and scotbird. It's so comforting to get past these milestones, isn't it? I'm coming up on one myself.

On the 29th of this month, the day between my birthday and my oldest daughter's birthday , it will be four years since I was diagnosed with five kinds of breast cancer. Triple negative in my right breast and four distinct hormone positive cancers in my right. Within two weeks I started my first chemo.

Even though getting to the four year mark does nothing to reduce my chances of recurrence of my ER/PR positive cancer, it's still a big milestone for me. I know firsthand how aggressive TNBC is. I lost my dear friend Marcela to this awful beast when she was just 45. My heart still hurts from her loss.

So, I'm glad to be here. Four years from diagnosis, three and a half years form my BMX and (mostly) finished with my recon.

Through it all this place has been my lifeline. I don't know how I would have made it without all the lovely, courageous, generous women and men who post here.

So I want to say thank you. To everyone who takes the time to help, to comfort, to sympathize. You are, quite literally , lifesavers.

Be well.

Trish

ScotBird, four years post‐treatment is an important milestone. Whew! The hip replacement will undoubtedly make a huge difference in your quality of life.

Lyn

Thank you notdefined!

Thanks, Scot. I'm trying to give myself a break.

I've probably asked you before about where you live. My apologies for not remembering. I've enjoyed traveling in Scotland a couple of times and would gladly go again (and again and again.) The landscape is beautiful and the people are friendly, helpful, and kind.

FC2020, congratulations on your one-year anniversary! The anxiety about every pain or bump being cancer is normal, albeit unwelcome. I hope that no problems were discovered during Thursday's appointment.

Lyn

katej128, I had partial mastectomy with reconstruction in Feb, I still get lot's of funny feelings in my breast. I asked my breast surgeon she said that is normal. Due for mammogram Oct 2nd, first one since surgery so I hope the feelings are normal. I feel fine but always worry it will come back

kate j,

Yep, me too. I have little tingles, zaps and twinges. I'm out nearly 2 years from Lx surgery. Some of my sensations may be rads related also.

Hello everyone!

Decided to join this thread, though I don’t have cancer but my mom does.

She had her first cancer back in 2004. It was slightly ER+(5%) PR+(10%) and HER-.

Tumor was pretty small 0.9 cm.

She had a lumpectomy, full breast radiation and took hormones for 3 months. By the end of 3rd month she developed severe vaginal bleeding and doctor told her to stop taking hormones. He said it’s not really hormonal anyways.

She did not have chemo back in the day.

Lived happily for 16 years and this May they found something suspicious on her mammogram.

Biopsy followed came back negative, oncologist said must be fibroadenoma. Offered her to watch it for 6 months, mom insisted on surgery.

So after surgery they discovered it was cancer, and triple negative on top of those news. 1.3 cm this time.

She had her node biopsy few weeks ago and thankfully nothing in the nodes.

She is starting chemo tomorrow.

I am so worried about chemo and all side effects that come with it. Also worried about her being triple negative, the stats don’t look so promising even with 1st stage.

hoping to find some needed support in this group.

Kate

Thanks VLH!

Mom had her first round of chemo today, she is doing taxol + carboplatin. She said she feels fine just tired yet. We will see how she feels tomorrow, I read the real reaction starts on day 2 or even 3. Fingers crossed.

She said they brought her food during chemo( EU hospital, she also has her own room for this) and she was embarrassed to eat( like who eats during chemo:)) then couldn’t resist and ate everything they brought her. Said did not lose her appetite yet.

I am praying she still feels good tomorrow.

Kate

hi MountainMia!

Mom felt fine today. Did not lose her appetite, said just more sleepy than normal in the evening.

Her doctor warned her usually it will hit day 3. So fingers crossed it’s easy for her tomorrow!

Kate

That's great, Kate! Please keep us posted.

Lyn

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of my last radiation treatment. I know that NO ONE knows this but me, or how each of these anniversaries plays in my head -- a year ago was my surgery; a year ago was my first chemo; a year ago was my last chemo; a year ago my legs were buckling under me; a year ago... ALL of those. No one knows how I think about these, not even my husband. I know it only plays in my head. I know it is only important to me. I know he (and he was with me through ALL of it, and listened well through all of it) doesn't still have it all in his head. I know he doesn't quite get it when I say, I read an interesting article today about a targeted therapy for tnbc mets, approved this year... I know he doesn't quite get the catch in my voice when I ponder about whether "we" will still be living here 10 years from now.

I know you all get it.

Tomorrow is the first anniversary of my last radiation treatment. I had a lumpectomy, then chemo, then rads, then a reduction on my healthy breast. But the CANCER treatment, that ended a year ago tomorrow.

I wonder how to celebrate the occasion. I wonder who to tell.

I get it Mia - I keep it to myself when I reach these milestones. I did announce one of them to my family at dinner a while back. They all said they didn’t want to be reminded, just want to forget all about it and never think of it again. I think about it quite a lot. Not every day but a lot and I mostly keep the thoughts to myself because it seems to embarrass or upset people to mention it and so it seems impolite. Congratulations 1 year is a great milestone - I am quietly celebrating with you. X.

Mountain Mia, please tell me about your reduction on your healthy breast. It's something I've thought about, to even myself out. Did it cause the same pains after surgery as your cancer surgery(did you have a lumpectomy or mastectomy). I know a second cancer on the opposite side is rare, but I worry about that too.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-08-17/delayed-surgery-for-early-breast-cancer-wont-harm-survival-study