Calling all TNs
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I love all of the dog stories and the pictures-I never could figure out how to post here but my cats are glued to my side since my diagnosis.
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Thanks MBJ! LJ's soup must have done the trick- I am feeling better! Hope you are feeling better too after your accident!
The kids are starting to bug us for a new dog. Our sweet golden retreiver passed away June 2010. It is kind of nice not having any pet responsibilities, but I miss the companionship of a pet. Any suggestions on a medium sized, not too hairy dog that's good with kids?
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Hey everyone...just wanted to share a story with you that a friend of mine (that I haven't seen for a long time told me at a wedding last night).
FIFTEEN YEARS ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 triple negative breast cancer...not a typo..FIFTEEN YEARS AGO....She had 4 AC's 3 times per week...had a unilateral masectomy.....at her one year check up they told her that they honestly did not expect her to live more than 3 months...her lymph nodes were filled with cancer at diagnosis (not sure where her mets were).
They didn't call her tn back then..she was called estrogen negative...
Anyway...FIFTEEN YEARS AGO......she was probably around early 40's when diagnosed...she is perfectly absolutely fine now...
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LJ - I've been in and out of the hospital with "unexplained" fever. The fever starts low for about a day and has gone as high as 103.5, then settles down around 101 for a while before going away. Each visit they ran test after test, but couldn't find the source of infection. This time they decided to take my port out, as it was the only thing they could think of that would cause fever like this. I had the port removed Thurs, came home that same day and (knock on wood) so far, so good. I seemed to do well with chemo (Navelbine), but really don't know if I have SE's from chemo or what I dealt with was from the fever. I'll keep y'all posted.
Titan - thanks for the upbeat story of a TN survivor - it's always good to hear.
I feel terrible that I haven't been here to support you while I've been feeling so bad, yet you continue to send me well wishes. Thank you. Hopefully I can stay out of the hospital for a while. Although I now know where the good views are on the hem-onc floor...........:)
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Jenn: I hope that does the trick!!!
Fifteen years!!!??? Hallelujah!!!
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Thanks for the great story about your friend--15yrs is exciting! Any idea how they treated her--which meds for chemo?
Maggie
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Mags..she had AC..that's all...taxol wasn't in the picture then....when she was telling me her story I just burst into tears and thanked her for sharing with me...
At our table at the wedding reception there were 3 of us that have/had BC...a table of 8, 4 of them men...my other non-cancer friend was probably freaking
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Since my diagnosis everyone I talk to says my friend just had or my sister just had...it amazes me how many women have or are being diagnosed with BC. I will find out my chemo plan on Tuesday. Excited to move on but nervous as well. Mind wanders to will I get sick--gain weight--lose weight--and even to what I call the "dark side" of will I survive...
Your friend's story makes me believe that anything is possible
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Titan thank you so much for the awesome story! One day that will be us telling our story!
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POSTING PICTURES:
1. Upload your picture, in JPEG format (most pics are either jpeg or giff files by default) from your computer's hard drive to an online photo storage site such as Snapfish, PhotoBucket, Phanfare, etc.
2. Locate the URL (web address i.e. www.myimage.com) for the image. Somewhere on your online photosite there is a place to find this, and locating it is the key to your success for posting the photo in BC.org. Sometimes it's located directly under the displayed photo. Sometimes you might have to right click on the image itself and highlight the properties function. You may be able to verify you have the right URL if you see the name you assigned your picture in this image URL.
3. Copy/Paste this image URL into BC.org by clicking on the "tree" icon in the "Post a Reply" window and then pasting it into the Image section.
4. Then click "Insert" (located In the lower left corner of the above referenced window). Your image should now appear in the body of your message (where you are reading this note).
Anyone still having difficulty posting photos can PM me and I'll try to walk you through it further.
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My cats are also glued to my side. I have three wonderful feline companions who really seem to sense that I am going through a challenging time. What a great comfort they are. I do not have to answer any questions or make any excuses for not being my normal self!
Sher
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My bichon-poodle Brandie was my little buddy when I was going through treatment. It was like he knew. He was always snuggled up with me and provided the best company, which I will never forget. He also used to steal my wigs....and I'll never forget that either...lol
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Jenn3, I hope you continue fever free, and I hope you feel better each day. Infection on top of SE's is "too much sugar for a dime". No fair.0
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My dear, kind adult daughter has lent me her sweet cat until Christmas when my chemo will be about over. She wants me to feel less lonely. My dear MIL and FIL will be with me until mid Sept and then my DH will come for my chemo weekend (Th-S) the next day and then every 3 weeks. Having DD cat will help me. The support from all of you helps, too. I'm on day 11 of my #1 T/C of 6. Best.
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Without going into details (I hate to ruin our current upbeat tone), please say a prayer for the family of a dear TN friend that has passed.
I am getting my new rescue dog tomorrow (I'm a foster) and its a JackRussell/Lhasa being treated for heartworms before his adoption....so we'll be chillin' on the sofa for the next 2 weeks. Send him some prayers too
:)Love you all!
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Heidi's instructions worked! Here's Eddie!
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Oh Ruth, sorry to hear the news. My prayers go out to you, your friend and her family.
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I too am sorry to hear the news about your friend Ruth!..wasn't she your bestie from grade school?
And..I have a cat named Eddie...I'll try to get his pic here sometime..he kinda looks like Heidi's Butt...her cat..I mean...
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Eddie is adorable! BernieEllen, love your pic too! Looks like my house, dogs everywhere!
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I've been checking out this thread for a few days, but finally decided to post. I guess I've been rather slow at processing the nature of being triple negative. And the lack of urgency on my BS' part probably added to that. If it wasn't for my parents (a nurse and retired ob/gyn) softly but continuously stressing the word 'aggressive' and urging me to seek a second opinion, I might still be completely oblivious.
I was diagnosed Aug 16. That was after finding a lump on July 12, barely a week after my gyn appointment, where I know he found nothing and I found nothing a day prior. Had my mammo/us July 19, then had to wait 2 weeks to see the bs (I wish I had asked for a second option from my gyn who could have seen me sooner). Her suggestion was to take the BRCA test and wait for the results, which came back Friday as positive (BRCA2). Now she's on vacation, but I'm headed to another surgeon tomorrow. I want this thing OUT!
I guess I could use some moral support at this point. I'm a strong woman, and I've been so buoyed by reading stories and hearing from women who beat it and are living full lives. Yet the idea that this will always hang over me, even if I go ahead with a bmx (my current expectation) is enough to pull me back down. Any advice on handling TN status? I've only read a few pages of this thread, but I'll go back and read some more. Thanks, and good luck to everyone. You've got my good wishes coming your way from here on in.
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Eddie! Someone's a Frazier fan!
Titan- my "Butt" explained...lol!
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Ruth, I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.
Your foster looks like a wonderful dog-very happy face!! I do rescue work, too - it is very rewarding. One of the times I don't think anything about cancer is when I'm caring for my cats and dogs.
Bernie, you have some sweet looking companions! I loved the picture of your Mastiff/pit mix - he has such a soulful face.
Rachel, I'm sorry you have been diagnosed - it looks like you caught it very early. Only advice I can give is to be gentle with yourself, rest when you can, and expect to have good days and bad days. It sounds really simplistic - but it is true. I try to practice more self love than I used to - don't beat myself up by second guessing decisions, rest when I'm tired, say no a lot more than I used to.
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Rachel, the only TN-specific advice I can give you is what someone here told me - we only get one chance to whack this effing cancer, so whack it hard. We can't rely on anti-hormonals, Herceptin, etc. We have chemo, surgery and radiation. And TNBC is usually aggressive (bad), which makes it usually very susceptible to chemo (good). Good luck!0
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Ruth: I am so sorry to hear about your friend! Hugs!! Very cute dog.
Rachelvk: Sorry you have to be here but you found a great, strong group of supportive women to help you through this difficult time. Know that you have caught this very early, and that is the best news possible. Getting 3 opinions is key to getting the best dr's available. Make sure they are very knowledgeable when it comes to TN status because it is very aggressive. Come here to do your research but stay away from other on line stuff that will just scare you. Most of us have been through chemo, surgery, radiation and are doing fine and I am betting at your early stage you will be fine, too. Being BRCA positive requires more info then I have and I am sure others will help you with this. Take the advice given above-be gentle to yourself, learn to say no, and come here to kick, scream, or just share whatever it is you would like to share. Hugs.
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Thanks to you all for the support. I guess today was my first 'scream' day, though in a rather muffled, sobbed-filled approach. I'm glad I've kept my wits about me so that I don't just decompensate to the point where I can't do anything, but I need to find a way to shut the brain off every once in a while and let the primal scream (and kicking and punching) work its way out.
Riley - the good thing is, I'm a fencer, and a damn aggressive one at that - whacking comes naturally, and you DON'T want to be on the other end of my foil or sabre!
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That's the spirit!
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Hello from the soggy south. My ca1890 home, flooded for the first time
in Hurricane Irene. My heat/AC units were submerged, so no AC. Can't even get on Hatteras island to check the beach house.
I go for genetic counseling Friday. Wondering... Has anyone had their ovaries removed as a precaution? If so, what could I expect.
Hope everyone is high and dry!0 -
OBXK - Good luck with the counseling. I had my session a week and a half ago, and the ovaries part was the big shock for me. Not that I hadn't heard of the risks, but it was tough to realize I might have to consider it as a real option. But I found the counseling helpful overall. Now that I know I'm positive, I've been able to think a little more clearly about why I might want to make certain decisions.
I hope your homes dry out with no long-term damage. Hoping Lee isn't more than just wet and soggy, and that Katia decides to stay well off shore. Earthquake, huge hurricane and bc dx within 4 weeks of each other... I think I've had enough drama for two lifetimes.
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Dear Rachelvick -welcome to our group. Good for you to seek another opinion while your oncologist is out of town. It seems that current therapy for triple Neg tumor is surgery first or after chemo, depending on the size of the tumor. Since you are BRAC positive please go for bilateral mastectomies. According to my PCP, "watchful waiting" does not work. Even though going through implants means a lot of surgeries and procedures that you might not realize at first, when I woke up from my surgeries I psychologically didn't feel that I had lost my breasts. We are all here for you!
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