TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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The vast majority of breast cancer patients are diagnosed over the age of 50, so most are closer to menopause or postmenopausal. The level of testosterone (which is a major factor for muscle building and muscle maintenance) drops like a rock with being postmenopausal. So it takes a LOT more exercise as a postmenopausal person to build and maintain muscle than it does when one is not postmeno. Relatively more weight loss without doing considerably more exercise to lose weight than one has had to do in the past is an indicator that one still has more testosterone than a fully postmenopausal person has. Ditto for libido.
A.A.
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TonLee...
I think I found an exercise that helps tone the abs. I saw people doing it @ the gym but I never asked them because they seemed very serious about their workout.
You lay on the bench with one dumbell...I used 15 lb to start.
Hold it with both hands and lift it vertically to your body up, over and behind your head.
You can feel your abs pulling.
It actually helps my aching back a bit too.
Does this work the abs or is it wishful thinking.?0 -
Ashla that sounds similar to one of the exercises I do for upper body. I think it's more for the chest , ribcage stretch and back (latissimus dorsi).
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Thx Lago...
Makes sense about ribcage and It really soothes my back pain. Too bad it isn't good for the abs as well!
I joined a gym in Florida and you could have swung from the chandeliers and no one would tell you anything just so long as you paid the fees! I just watched and tried a few new ones that looked interesting.0 -
Moon, did your lashes and brows grow back after TC, while still doing H, or was it after you finished all three? I finished TC 13 days ago -- going to check the mirror right now!
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Hi guys,
Aaargh! Ok the screening MRI I had showed an "area of enhancement." They scheduled me for a follow up ultrasound. The area and another area taht I noticed lit up in colors, meaning that there was blood supply going to the area. Could be cancer, could be a fibroid adenoma, something like that. I said, if I did have cancer the worst part would be that this would mean that the treatments weren't working. They said, or, it could have been there all along and I guess not shown up on the prior MRI. (Though it would also seem to show that they have managed to get big enough to show up/be discernable in the meantime.) So I had a really fun afternoon getting needle biopsies of the two areas, then they put clips in, then they gave me a mammo, then they said they couldn't see one of the clips so it must not have "deployed," then they had to shoot another clip in, then they did another mammo, and now I get to wait until friday afternoon or monday morning to find out what the scoop is.
I don't have a clue what they would do if it did show up as something. I mean obviously at that point we say buh bye to right breast, but how could I do chemo when I just did it? trying.not.to.freak.out.
Could be nothing but I'm nervous b/c on the MRI my tumor was 3.4 cm and it was 4.8 when they removed it, so it either grew at lightening speed or there was a missing 1.4 cm or so that didn't show up on the equipment, i.e. enough to in itself put me at stage I. Also, I had a bit of discharge from my right nipple the last few years. Ob-gyn noted it but nothing showed up on the mammo and US, though obviously in retrospect I did have cancer. I noticed a little discharge a few weeks ago.... Also I feel like my right arm is inexplicably weak. I'm not gaining weight on tamox, on the other hand I have been really avoiding sugar and such and that always makes me lose weight. Worrisome. My lymph nodes showed totally clear on the MRI and there isn't a pile of dense breast tissue surrounding those, so they shoudl be able to get a good read.
Sorry for the novel. SpecialK, I know you are thinking "I told you so!" Or something like that.
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Cypher,
Just want to lend you moral support as you wait for the results, one of the WORST parts of the whole journey. FWIW, when they did my first biopsy to confirm that the lump was malignant, another lump was found in the opposite breast, so the radiologist asked if she could take a biopsy sample as well. Of course, I said yes, as I lay there thinking, "Holy crap, it never entered my mind that I could have another lump in either breast? When will this nightmare end?" The good news is that it did turn out to be a fibroid adenoma. Wishing you the same outcome.
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Gratitude, thank you for that. I have fibrocystic breasts but they said it wasn't a cyst -- what is a fibroid adenoma? Seeing it light up was a little unnerving. It does still seem kind of unlikely -- even if the MRI missed the "area of concern" last time, it seems like it would have had to actually grow to be discernable, and that would mean despite the poison and the radiation and the herceptin. The other lump didn't show up on the mri but I could feel it. I don't remember noticing it before, so that would also mean it was new. Anyway that's what I'm trying to tell myself until I have any news.
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cypher Hang in there. They will get what ever it is. As far as tumor size, It can end up being 1.5cm larger or smaller with scans. I know they said my tumor was 7cm. Ended up being 6.5cm but only 5.5cm was invasive (which is what they based the staging on). So your tumor probably didn't grow at lightening speed. It was just an imaging fluctuation. Our imaging techology still needs some work. I was told my tumor was very fast growing and it probably started about 4 years prior. Yes 6.5cm in 4 years is considered fast.
Keep us posted.
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Lago, why is it that YOU know that and none of my doctors could tell me that? They're all, duh, yes there was a 1.4 cm discrepancy and we don't know why.
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cypher - i had a fibroadenoma years before this BC - on imaging it looks like a solid mass, much like a tumor - the only way it can be determined to be b9 is through a biospsy so it may be a fibro
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thx rosem. I sure hope so!!!
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elkatho - will be thinking of you today. Let us know how it went when you have a moment.
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cypher, I've just read through your post twice. Didn't you recently have a PET Scan or some kind of scan within the last few months?
Also, is this area of enhancement close to the area of the original tumor? Is it possible it could be scar tissue and/or fat necrosis? Fat necrosis can mimic a tumor. (I was so hoping my tumor was fat necrosis as I had been in a car accident years before and the airbag had deployed and left my chest very bruised).
Could it be a hematoma leftover from the lumpectomy? I had a "blood product" after my initial biopsy that looked like a tail (?) on the ultrasound. It showed up as a blood product on the MRI.
Re: chemo - I always go back to Relda - whose tumor had turned into nothing more than scar tissue following chemotherapy. You've had chemotherapy and radiation. And Herceptin. And possibly even Perjeta.
I am hoping and praying it's something as innocuous as a fibroadenoma or fat necrosis.
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Adding:
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the varying appearances of fat necrosis on MRI.
CONCLUSION. Fat necrosis may mimic malignancy with varying appearances on MRI. Suspicious morphologic and kinetic features may be present, necessitating biopsy to exclude new or recurrent breast cancer.
Read More: http://www.ajronline.org/doi/full/10.2214/AJR.07.40510 -
One more thing:
Women with breast fat necrosis may experience fluid discharge from the nipple, and possibly breast pain. Sometimes there is discoloration, or dimpled skin on the surface of the breast. http://breast-cancer.ca/miscellaneous-breast-lesions/fat-necrosis.htm
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Lee, thank you! You're wonderful!
I didn't ahve a PET scan, I had a bone scan and a CT scan of my abdomen. I guess it didn't include my chest area. The two areas are not in the same area as my other tumor. Actually right boob has been hurting a bit, which I attributed to healing up from the radiation etc. Maybe fat necrosis! Yes it does seem like all that treatment should have whacked any remaining tumors down to nothing, so maybe the thing that i am telling myself to keep myself calm(ish) is in fact correct. I guess the lighting up thing freaked me out a bit, but hopefully this is nothing.
I should go to sleep! Will look in the morning. Thank you!
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Cypher..wishing you peace during this waiting time.
I am heading to the hospital shortly for my surgery. Praying for clean margins and nodes.
Is there a good link to look at to read more about the chemo options for her2+. Want to read up a bit more so i keep up with the MO when we meet.0 -
Cypher, I just went through this and mine was a fibroadenoma. Hope you get good news soon. Remember to be grateful that your medical team is so diligent! You are doing everything you can possibly do - I know how hard it is to be back in "waiting for answers" mode. Hugs. It's going to be okay.
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Elkatho
Best wishes to you today. My SNB and lumpectomy went smoothly. Didn't even need tylenol.
http://chemoregimen.com/Breast-Cancer-c-30-41.htmlDx 10/13/2011, IDC, 3cm, Stage II, 0/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2+Targeted Therapy 11/07/2011 HerceptinChemotherapy 11/07/2011 carboplatin, TaxolSurgery 03/22/2012 Lumpectomy (Left)Radiation Therapy 04/23/2012 ExternalHormonal Therapy 07/25/2012 Arimidex0 -
cypher it was the radiologist that did my biopsy that told me this. He said at the time based on the mammo/US that my tumor appeared to be 7cm but it could actually be smaller or larger. Even my PS knew that they could be smaller because when I told him it was he said that wasn't unusual. So it can go either way. My neighbor, MRI found one tumor but she had several others hiding behind it that they found in surgery. That's why the path after surgery is the final path.
I also agree with others. I know I've seen a lot of scares when it only was fat necrosis. Seems way too soon after treatment for a new tumor. It can happen but not as common.
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Hi, everyone. I'm new (triple positive). My surgery (lumpectomy) is scheduled for tomorrow. Wish me well.
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Karenrm - welcome and wishing you well tomorrow
Elkatho - thinking of you today0 -
elkatho and karen - good luck on your surgeries!
elkatho - here is the chemo breakdown from Genentech (the maker of Herceptin):
http://www.herceptin.com/breast/adjuvant
cypher - yikes! Here is my thought - after all the treatment you have received it does not seem likely that it is more cancer, but all that treatment would have zero effect on a fibroadenoma, a cyst, a fatty lipoma, fat necrosis, scar tissue, etc. - so that stuff would show up. I am going with that theory unless told otherwise. I am so sorry that you have to be worried about this though!
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karenrm, welcome and good luck tomorrow.
The great thing about tomorrow is that you'll be taking the first important step in eradicating cancer cells from your body!
elkatho, good luck to you today!
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Lago,
Well, I’m a Christ follower, Jew by adoption. So we get good food for Passover! Lol
Cypher,
Ugh. I hope it is fat necrosis. Please keep us updated.
About the protein:
http://www.vitacost.com/sunwarrior-classic-protein-raw-vegan-gluten-free
Yes I still like it. But I think whey protein is better to be honest. And I’ve read some things about whey having cancer fighting properties. So I switch off between this and whey.
Ashla,
That works several muscle groups…when you arm is all the way over your head and you pull upward..that works the back, the shoulders, the triceps, and as you go down slowly, your biceps and chest.
If you want it to work more of your abs…put your feet in the air and cross them at the ankles. Then engage your core as you lower the weight down below your head and when you pull it back up.
It’s a great exercise, but don’t go too heavy at first or you can injure your shoulders.
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Elkatho, Karen, good luck on your surgeries today. Cypher, Damn the waiting is hard. Hoping for good news for you.
I'll be missing from posting for a bit, my DFIL just passed. He was 90 and was ready to go after my DMIL passed in Dec. He went peacefully in his sleep.
Much love to all.0 -
Cypher- thinking of you hoping for good news.
Moon- Sorry of the passing of DFIL.
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Moonflwr, my condolences to you and your husband and the entire family.
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moon - sorry about your FIL - glad that it was peaceful though. Condolences to your family.
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