Newly diagnosed Triple neg

My dear,..... you have come to the right place.  I am very sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis of triple neg. BC...this must have been quite a shock to you.... The women here are devoted and knowledgeable, and will help carry you through this. I like to tell newbies here...you have just found yourself a couple hundred new sisters....I dont have enough info myself to help you, but just wanted to offer my love and support, and tell you that there will soon be a circle of BC sisters surrounding you to lift you up...offering all sorts of valuable advice and encouragement....hang in there...I'll keep you in my prayers (if it's ok).....

sending you hugs and well wishes....Anniee

Hi Vicka,

I glad you found are little group.  Have you started treatment? If so what are they wanting to do first? 

As noted by wetcoast you will want to read the thread "where are all the tri-negs" there are some great stories on this thread.  Let us know more about your treatment plan. Other will jump in with happening with their treatment.

Welcome and we are sorry you had to meet us through this site.

Living in Hope

Flalady

Vicka

Im sorry to have to meet and welcome you for these reasons.....but you are very welcome here!!!!!!!!

This a wonderful place to find information and support that you might need.....alot of us are out of treatment (as I am 17 months now) but continue to come here for the support and information as there is no better way to find these things than from others who have walked this path before you.....

You sound like a very stong and courageous woman!!!!!! This journey takes so many paths and such a very long time to get through the tunnel to the light at the other end but I know you will do great with things as your words are strong!!!!!

Hugs

Jule

Vicka

Yes so far, so good...I have my next 6 month follow up in May so hoping to breeze through it.

Take Care

Jule

Hi Vickan:  Sorry youv'e had to join our club, but glad you found us.  Triple Neg can be scary.  There is also another good site I go to occasionally, but I feel at home on this site alot more.  http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/2007tnbcsymposium.htm  here is the link to it, it will give you lots of info on triple neg. I was really frustrated when I first tried to find info on it mostly all that came up was info on pancreatic cancers.  Hope your treatment goes well.

Vickan

I had IDC(invasive ductal carcinoma), stage 2, 2.4 cm, 0/14 or 15 nodes, grade 1, er+/pr+, HER2-.....other than the size of my tumor everything indcated stage 1....I had the oncotypedx testing and came out with a score of 12 so didnt do any chemo as they said that with a low score, no nodes involved, and a grade 1 that chemo wouldnt help me much if any.....I had lumpectomy, snb (sentinal node biopsy), 37 radiation treatments, a complete hysterectomy and am currently taking tamoxifen.

I am doing wonderfully so now its time to get you fixed up!!!!!!!

Jule

Hello and welcome Victoria.  So sorry you had to find us but, as others have said, you couldn't have come to a better place for support.  One of the best choices I made was to join up with a group of women going through chemotherapy at the same time as I was (that was last year).  We helped each other get through those days and our friendships became very strong.  Nobody quite understands what you're going through like a woman on the same journey.  Despite our diagnostic differences we are still able to support each other.  You can check the chemotherapy area out (http://community.breastcancer.org/topic/69) for the group of women who started chemo in February (or January?).

Coming here, to the triple negative thread is especially helpful when you're looking for encouraging stories about survivors (of which there are many) or special information on treating this type of breast cancer or you just want to hang out with us.

The TNBC site isn't too bad as far as resources go and they've got a pretty good discussion board going there.  I find the site a little too depressing and prefer to hang out around this site.  Nosurrender's site (http://nosurrenderbreastcancerhelp.com/) also has good triple negative information.

I know the chemotherapy is tough but you sound like you're managing as well as can be expected. I think it's amazing that I can look back on my chemotherapy as a distant memory. This time last year I was most of the way through the neoadjuvant treatment -- AC (4 DD) and Taxotere (4 DD).  I had surgery to remove both breasts and immediately reconstruct new ones with silicone implants.  I went on to have more surgery (axillary nodes), chemotherapy (Carboplatin -- supposedly effective for triple negs) and radiation (33 Tx).  It was a long year.  At the time I couldn't imagine surviving and getting back to a semblance of normal.  But I have...survived and sort of back to normal.  You will get there too.

Hugs and hang in there Victoria.

t

Hey hey, Vickan!

Velkommen och stora knus! That was probably not very good Swedish, I haven't had the opportunity to speak the language since I was in 2nd grade (some years back!).

There's not much I can add to what the other women above have told you, except to say (and I learned this from one of our more informed sisters, AnnNYC) that women from island communities such as Sweden are more likely to have the BRCA mutations that can lead to triple negative breast cancer. Have you been genetically tested? If not, you might ask your physician if he doesn't think it's advisable.

Triple negative breast cancer also typically strikes younger women, and often out of the blue (at least it seems that way) -- an overwhelming majority of us discover a huge lump one fine day, often just months after a clear mammogram. As others point out, we do have the advantage of responding well and quickly to chemo, and our chances of recurrence quickly go down to almost nil when we make it past the three year mark.

Please feel free to ask all the questions you have, to scream and yell, to complain and whine and cry. We all do it, and it's nice that this is a place where that's possible and where everyone understands and sympathizes.

Kaerliga hilsen,

Annie

Vickan,

IBC means my bc spread to the skin (inflammatory bc)

My bc has came back in 7 different spots localized.  This is very rare for triple neg bc.

Flalady

Sorry I'm not clear.  Localized means it has returned in chest wall or breast area after treatments.  Mine has been in my other breast multiple, under my arms, front of shoulder multiple and now possible deep in my chest next to a rib.

My skin has been cleared for over a 1 1/2 years.  This is also rare that it has not returned. I used the herb curcumin that I believe help me.  You may want to tell your friend to research this and also for yourself.  You may also want to research the connection of low iodine in the body and breast cancer.

Flalady

Hi Victoria.

We have a lot in common -- I've also been recently diagnosed!

IDC, triple negative with lymph node(s) affected.

We are both going through the same battle, and we will win!

I am still in my "shocked and fearful" phase. 

Please take a look at my triple negative forum thread: "so scared, it hurts"

There you'll see how terrified I've been, and you'll see how wonderful the ladies here on these forums are.

You've come to right place.

We will beat this!

-- defeatbc 

Welcome, Vickan!

We're here for you

Marsha