Calling all TNs
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BAN don't hurry life too quick, you have a long way to go yet with that beautiful girl of yours. My surgeon said when you hit three years with TN you start going down the other side. I hope he is right because the receptor positive ladies do have the options that help them make it to five years if they are put on the hormone tabs (give or take one or two). I envied those ladies when I was first diagnosed because we didn't have those options and I wanted all of us TN's to have them so that we had the same chances. But there is hope for us. We need to hang on tightly together, recognise bad days and what they may mean and enjoy every other day that we are here as friends even though we may never meet. Look at all of our friends on here that have made it well past five years, its very encouraging. I don't mind getting to 70 at the end of this year but I do hate the flaming wrinkles that go with it. It seems like a new one pops up each week, still I am still here to see them lol.
So I am older than Looking but younger than you. It's hard being the middle child lol.
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Oh and Meadow, The Voice is on the TV at the moment but I have an excellent book that I am coming to the end of so I have one eye on each.
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carolinaAmy- best of luck hugs from Michigan!
Heading in for 3rd AC in an hour... My son is skipping school and coming so maybe he can see it's ok and talk to my chemo nurse. He thinks because I am not that sick from the chemo that it isn't working
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Cocker
Haus, I'm glad your son is with you for chemo. I think it takes the fear away. He may want a career in the medical field, inspired by your fight.
I feel achy today.... My Taxol toes are hurting, we have a weather change and they think they need to shout about it I guess. Plus just dragging this week. I blame it on the time change. Hoping every one feels good this weekend.
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Wow Cocker, I am 2 days older than you! We need an online party on October 21st! October seems to be a good month!! In Florida it is slightly cooling down from our hot summers. Maybe low 90's to high 80's. Not as humid normally. I do miss Autumn leaves. Originally from Ohio. Take care all. I am going for Pet Scan on 30th as MO says maybe concerns. Blood marker tests up also. Trying to keep from over thinking. Just hate waiting for tests & then results. Oh well, one day at a time.
Marsha
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well said cocker!
yep.. an october online party for the october borns...Lookingfwd on 21st Cocker on 22nd and me on 25th!! Anyone else?!!!
Marsha..all the best for your PET. Pls let us know how it went. You and me are in 2 extremes...warm in florida and back to winter after a short 2 day spring in wisconsin!
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Marsha I'll be praying for you for your upcoming PET. I'm sorry you even have to have one. Like you say, one day at a time. (((((HUGS)))))
CarolinaAmy, hoping your surgery went well today. Hope you can check in soon!
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Tell you what our Mike has been a long time in Florida. I bet he doesn't want to leave the sunshine.
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cocker you are so well spoken. Your words warm and comfort me.
Haus hang in there with your infusions. Take them one at a time.
Meadow I agree with you about dragging this week esp with the time change.
Cathytoo you rock! I would have put you as in your 40's. Age is just a number. We are as young as our spirit is.
CarolinaAmy my fellow sept chemo gal my prayers are with you for an easy recovery.
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Shopgal2...I do agree with you..,age is definitely a number. I am thrilled to be 70 and hope to be 80‼️ I don't have one gray hair. I was wondering if it now would grow in gray, but I see brown hairs popping up.
Cocker...I agree with Shopgal. Your words are so wise and comforting. Love to read your posts.
Carolina...we're all thinking of you and hoping for the very best.
It's weekend party time. Hope it's great for everyone. Kick those negative thoughts to the curb and have fun‼️
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I had my 6th Taxol treatment today. I AM HALF WAY TRHOUGH CHEMOTHERAPY!!!! I feel pretty good tonight. Last week I was very tired just about all week. Tonight I do not feel quite as lightheaded as I usually do but my hands are pretty shaky. I have lost more than half my hair. I have a wig but I have not worn it yet. I just wear a hat.
I want to run something by you ladies and ask for your opinion. About 3 weeks after my surgery I had an appointment with a RO. At that point no mention had been made of chemo. My surgeon had said prior to surgery that if margins and nodes were clean I would probably not need chemo. A couple of days before this appointment, I was given an appointment to see a MO. I was told to go talk to him and see what he had to say. My RO was the first appointment. She was very nice, answered all my questions , explained every thing, etc. I mentioned that I had an appointment with a MO. She said that if I had to do chemo, it would come before radiation. She then said that looking at my lab reports with a 7mm tumor , clean margins, and clean Sentinel nodes, she was pretty positive chemo would not be recommended. She went ahead and scheduled appointment for simulation for radiation. Then I went to talk to the MO. He recommended chemo because my mass was TN with aggressive score 3. We discussed, he answered all my questions, gave me info to read about Taxol and its SE , and sent me home make up my mind : chemo/no chemo. I decided to do chemo. At this point I had not seen my BS since surgery(just his PA) because he had been out of the country since right after my surgery. I had no complications following the surgery, no pain at all, healed fine .Well when I see to him for post op he tells me how surprised he is that they want to do chemo. He gives me the same reason as the RO. Of course now I am second guessing my decision to do chemo. I had to wait a whole week for my appointment with the MO. So when I walk in to see him, I dumped it all on his lap ,,,you said....., he said..., she said... He listened, restated the facts that my cancer was TN and on aggr know why ssive scale a 3. He also said that when my case came up in front of the board( oncology) everyone there agreed that this cancer warranted chemo. He said the only disagreement whether to do chemo or not was because of my age. I will be 75 in about 3 months. He said he then decided to meet me before making up his mind. My really feel that I made the right decision.
I was mad! I can deal with friends and other people who ask, " If you had ... ... ..., why do you have to do chemo?" But shouldn't both BS and RO know why chemo was recommended. I like my BS, he is very nice, he does great surgery . I would pick him again to do my surgery. Now the RO ... my first reaction was to drop her and go with someone else. Now that I have cooled off, I am not sure. I talked with a lady who had brain cancer and she was her RO. She did really well and she loved her. Do I ask to switch over to someone else or do I stay with her? Any thoughts ... reactions... from all you wise ladies out there. I probably need to make up my mind soon
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Praline, congrats on being half done with chemo! Thanks for the background on your situation. These are my thoughts ....I think your MO is wise, and from what you said, has the backing of the chemo board in his treatment of you. This makes me happy for you. As to the RO, Do you feel confident in her specialty, I mean do you feel confident in her ability to treat you with radiation? If so, based on the above post alone, I would not switch. It is always best if our team is on the same page, and it appears they aren't totally, but you are being treated aggressively, and with TNBC I would want that for you. To err on the aggressive side doesn't bother me as if they were not being aggressive enough. ...does that make sense? If she doesn't have chemo expertise, but it a good RO, I would be ok. I hope to hear others' views soon. And again, so glad you are doing we in treatment. Hugs !
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but that is just my own opinion, and I am not medical by profession.
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I'll hold down the front of the month - Oct 6th.
@Praline - I agree with Meadow. The MO is the one who knows the most about chemo, the RO about radiation and the BS about the surgery. While it would be nice if they all said the same thing, if you trust them in their specialties, I would stay with them and take their advice on other specialties with a big dose of skepticism. FWIW, I think that it's a good idea to treat TN very aggressively right off the bat. Only you can decide if you feel your age is a factor in how much treatment you are ready for
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Wow, this is an active board! I haven't checked in for a few months, but was happy to see some familiar names, even some from the old Moving On board. Cocker, I am sorry for the loss of your dear Tessa. I am sure you are somewhat comforted that she didn't have to suffer long. I don't remember which member asked which questions, so I am going to summarize my answers here and hope those interested will catch the part that relates to them. I had the typical AC/T neoadjuvant chemo for my 2.3 cm tumor. After the A/C regimen, I had an ultrasound that showed it hadn't shrunk at all (devastating). I then requested just a sentinel node biopsy to see if it was in my nodes, but it was negative, so I chose not to do radiation. I never even consulted with a RO. I had BMX with immediate DIEP/SGAP reconstruction five weeks following chemo. I did not have pCR, and my tumor was .5cm at surgery. Recovery was not bad, not really painful at all, just uncomfortable. Revision surgery four months later. Love my soft, warm, newly-lifted breasts! Just passed the three year mark from diagnosis in February - yay! I had acupuncture the day before each chemo treatment, which I believe helped my symptoms somewhat. I also would fast for 24 hours prior to, and 48 hours after my chemo treatments, although I didn't begin doing this until sometime during the Taxol regimen because I read that fasting causes your normal cells to shut down, but not the cancer cells, so the theory is the chemo attacks just the cancer cells. By the end of Taxol treatments, I just had the slightest numbness in my toes on one foot. Wish I had read that sooner, but my tumor did shrink from 3.2cm to .5cm somewhere along the Taxol route, so I like to believe it worked. My focus now is to stay as stress-free as possible. I quit my SUPER stressful job and took a different job within the company, began meditating each morning, exercise daily (yoga when I can) and eat as healthy as I can (but still love ice cream once a week. LOL). But most importantly, having a good support system is essential, and that's what this group of ladies (and men) provide each other here. The positive vibe is contagious!
Hugs and love to all the ladies just going through treatment and all those offering support. You ladies are the best!
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Praline...I found your post very interesting. My own experience has been that doctors are not in the same page, even those within the same speciality. My breast surgeon said no Chemo, even though my tumor was 2.5cm and grade 3. The four oncologists I saw all had varying opinions about the type of Chemo. I had done a lot of research (not Googling) and knew that I had to be as aggressive as I could handle. I am close to your age and very healthy with no other health problems. I chose, however, NOT to go the ACT route because of the small risk for heart damage. I wanted to come out from chemo as healthy as I went in. I decided to do TCx4. Now that I have completed 3 with virtually no side effects, I will do one more and decide about a 6th. You are so lucky that your tumor was so small. But, it's still a TN situation. The MO I chose and the RO both said the same thing to me. "We want to give you the maximum treatment that will cause the minimum damage." Those words made the most sense to me. As far as being 75...so what? If you are healthy, you could have 20 years ahead of you. One of the women who sits next to me in the treatment room is 82. She gets chemo for IV BC. She's been going strong with treatment for many years. After treatment she goes to the gym‼️ I chose to hit this TN with all I could handle. I hope you do the same.
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Meadow-- actually my son (and hubby) is the squeamish kiddo! But it made him feel better to go and realize that it wasn't scary or bad. Then he talked to my MO nurse and she was great to answer his question! Even gave him her card so he could call anytime.
I'm feeling so blah after this AC tx. My daughter went home sick on Friday throwing up. Went to urgent care and they thought flu. I thought strep. Haven't heard back on test results but she had an important field trip on Monday to an 1850's style school house little house on the Prairie style. All the kids dress up! She's on Tamiflu&antibiotic
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lou52, so glad you are close to finishing your chemo. Have you tolerated it ok? I know you are ready, and ready to begin the next phase of regaining your health. Hang in there!.
Haus, did your daughter get to go on the field trip? I think by your post she did. She looks darling! Laura Ingalls Wilder lived and wrote her works, about 30 min from my home. There is a museum there, just a modest place, and her humble home. She and her husband lived out their lives there, and we have taken many visitors to the museum. If you have read the books you know about Pa's fiddle. ...it is there. Your daughter's pic made me think of her!
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HFM, your daughter looks adorable!
Meadow, I read all of those books when I was 8-9, and Loved Them. Still do. Waiting for snow in NY on second day of spring. Hope all are having a good weekend!
Hugs
Arlene
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Haus your daughters photo makes me smile. Yes I agree very little house on the prairie. I loved the books and the series. Sorry to hear your latest ac has you feeling blah. I remember being at my 3rd and having that same yuk feeling. Hang tough and just take them one at a time. Hugs to you.
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Sydney has her field trip on Monday! So far she is still good. That picture is when I had her bring home the costume to make sure it fit. She is borrowing it from the class and they are keeping it at school. None of us feel perky this weekend. Hubby says he is having sympathy blahs
. I hate that I will miss the parents lunch visit but I'd be surprised if I feel up to it tomorrow. Hubby Is supposed to go and take pictures for me0 -
Hi Praline,
I was diagnosed TN in October. age 60. Had 12 weekly taxol with carboplatin each 3 weeks (4cycles). The grade 3 lump was originally about 3 x 4 cm with at least 2 nodes involved. The lump reduced significantly during chemo. Surgery 4th Feb (lumpectomy) and sentinel node biopsy. Pathology showed pathological complete response in both remaining tumour and many (about 19) lymph nodes. Oncologist recommended standard treatment of 4 x AC and suggested I could do 2 more cycles of the carboplatin/taxol. I opted to do dose dense AC only and have now had 2/4. It seems to be much harder than my first chemo rounds. After this radium. Seems to be that TN is treated as aggressively as possible so I'm hoping I have made all the right decisions. I'm in Singapore and the care here is not the team approach that might be available in Australia so I feel I need to do a lot of my own research. best wishes on your journey
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Haus your daughter looks so cute! Hope you're feeling better today.
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Haus, - your daughter is a cutie pie! I remember when my daughter was that age and she insisted to go to school one day when she wasnt feeling 100% because her class was putting on a play. She came to breakfast dressed in her costume and I let her go to school but later found out that she had strep.
It's 20 years later and I still feel badly that she may have gotten rest of the class sick!I am glad that your son spoke to the nurse and feels better about your treatments!
Meadow, - my girls loved those books, too!
Hope everyone undergoing treatment is having a good week! Keep drinking those fluids and eat carefully!
Think SPRING!
Hugs to all from slightly snowy NYC!
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Oh yes Another, ready for Spring!
Koala, good to hear from you!
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This is for the parents who have kids on Spring break - eventually the kids will say how bored they are and that they have NOTHING to do... My silly fur baby:
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Curly, soadorable! It that baby a Manchester Terrier?
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Meadow, he is a Miniature Pinscher... my post cancer gift to myself
He helped me thru the post-treatment blues... And is my baby!!!0 -
curly....cute picture!! Spring is technically here although we still have flurries on and off in spring followed by a full fledged snow fall tomorrow and day after.
for everybody..
Sharing in short, an information, that I came across...
Light pollution triggers breast cancer! The need to stay more and more under natural light. Even the light from laptops, televisions and smart phones can trigger breast cancer..this is because of a link established between hormone melatonin and artificial light and how lack of melatonin is one of the agents to trigger breast cancer. While i was reading more and more about this, I just came to know that just yesterday Apple announced a new technology which will enable reduction of blue light from its devices and if you all do more reading on this, you will find out that blue light is the most harmful of all artificial lights and all these electronic devices use blue light.
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To all of you wonderful ladies and Mike have a wonderful Easter, stay well and eat as many chocolate eggs as you can.
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