TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Hello Everyone,

I was diagnosed with Her2 Neu Positive the day before my 49th birthday just a few weeks ago. I'm 49yrs old. I have not had my surgery yet or started Chemo. I'm so confused! One oncologist says do the mastectomy now and do chemo after (TCH followed by a year of herceptin followed by 5-10 yrs hormone blockers) my second opinion doctor says I'm the perfect candidate for a new drug cocktail of chemo that includes (Pertuzumab+Trastuzumab+Docetaxel) this combo would be given in advance of having my mastecectomy. The new drug was approved by the FDA in Sept. Has anyone out there had this drug? Or were involved in any of it's studies prior to approval? I'm so confused and don't know which way to go. I have had all scans and the cancer is has not been found anywhere except the one tumor in my left breast. At this point they feel pretty certain it is not in my lymphys yet. They will be taking a few random nodes once I go to surgery. I'm a very upbeat person and have been trying to stay positive. My biggest fear is the chemo (I don't do sick well) and the hair loss. I haven't broken down yet, but know I will when I shave my head. I'm trying to be proactive. I'm trying to stay positive...it's lying in bed with my thoughts that are making this rough. I do well during the day when I am busy. I don't have any friends to help me and my family through this. We are airline people and our greatest friends are spread around the country. My husband doesn't cook (I got lucky and found the only Italian man that doesn't know how to boil water) my son is 17 1/2 (graduating in June) what is a girl supposed to do?

Hi Lago,

I saw the article on Amy Robach. Was surprised she is having BMX. Is she triple+?

Welcome JKo and bebe. Sorry too. I was one of the scenic detour specialists. LOL. But today is my 2 year cancerversary. I was diagnosed 11-11-11(biopsy-DCIS grade 3) . My surgery was 12-8-11. I too wanted it out. I chose BMX. My invasive was found then. And +++ was what I had to learn about. Go with your feelings. If you think you like the idea of seeing the tumor shrink go with the chemo first. If you want it out chose the surgery first. Either sucks! But it is what it is. We deal with it in our way using the best info and tx (treatment) we have at the time. Lago is right some of the newer people have the triple tx with the new drug. I just missed it. I just have to hope what I did was enough. I want to live my life, not just survive so I will assume it's enough until it's proven not to be if ever! So there! LOL. Feel like I should stick out my tongue and blow a raspberry here! LOL

I would recommend you both find a thread starting chemo the same month or having surgery the same month. It helps. Then go to a specific tx thread when you know for sure what tx you're having so people who have gone through it can offer specific help on SEs. (Side effects)

Much love to all.

Welcome JK and bebe........sorry you had to join our little group, but we ROCK with hugs, info, venting and support....and much much more! 

wonderful news Eileen! Just wonderful!:))

Yay Miss Eileen. Happy Dance

Dear God,

I have developed a disease which I have often feared. I am afraid. I am lonely. Questions crowd my mind: Will I be cured?  Will there be pain?  How long will I live?  How will my family handle this?  I ask with all my heart that I be healed.  But, if my healing is not in Your great plan, I trust You to be with me through it all. I trust You to give me peace, to let me live with hope, to relieve any pain, and to let me know Your presence. 

Amen.

It seems like a lot of details are missing. Even my doctors said they were doing my biopsy to prove their diagnosis of breast cancer.

Awesome Miss Karen.....woohoo  doesnt it feel good....xoxo

Wonderful Eileen and Karen--such a good feeling.yyyyaaaaayyyyy

Welcome BeBe and JK there is a wealth of info for you here (not from me) I just hang around and post but these ladies know and find out so much to help everyone and so caring I think u'll be comfortable here too.

And I do think the first of all this is just plain confusing no matter what but remember u can't make any wrong decisions, whatever u'r insides tell u just do it and don't google things it's just more confusing now. But everyone is here to help u along so feel good about that part.

Awesome news Eileen and Karen!!!

Cami, thank you!!! You help me so much...all of youse guys do...sob...sniff....

JK, ask about Perjeta (Pertuzamab)! Just FDA cleared in early breast cancer and I hear the side effects are minimal, no hair loss. It's a drug made by the same company that makes Herceptin and they dose them together. Two targeted therapies instead of one systemic and one targeted (TCH goes everywhere and in my case, one dose did me in!)

BeBe, you are funny! I was diagnosed a little over a year ago. You'll get through this year and be just fine, it just might seem like a long one. The new drug your doctor wants to try is Perjeta, which I believe is a good one. It is like super herceptin! The Doxo will make you lose your hair, so maybe see if you can do the Perjeta/Herceptin combo without the systemic chemo?

There is one woman on here that is doing this treatment now, but I'm still so chemo brained I can't remember who it is...Oh, and they don't take random nodes during your surgery. They take the exact ones that the area of the breast where the tumor is drains to. You'll get an injection of radioactive dye the night before (or in my case, the day of) surgery. It is blue. They'll see what nodes light up and those are the ones they take. First they use a geiger counter to locate the radioactivity and then they go in and look for blue. You'll be fine, sound asleep and won't even know they are doing it. Some of the women on this board say the injection hurts, but it didn't bother me at all. If they do it the morning of, like me, you have to wait around so the dye can go to the node or nodes (we usually have 1-4 that the tumor could drain to). So in my case, my surgery was scheduled for 1:30 and I had to be at the hospital by 8:00 for my injection. Then I sat around with my best friend (I called her my breast friend that day) and we chatted and read magazines.

And Lee A super, duper hugs to you ((((((HUGS)))))))! This is for you:

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/9-insights-on-dealing-with-change-challenges-pain/

Duh, Girlstrong, I just read your post (I'm behind on the board, can you tell?)

Hi, it's Bridget from Maine. Congratulations to Eileen & Karen!!!!!!!!! Ain't No Stopping You Now lalala!!

I am on the weekly Abraxane and 21 day perjeta & herceptin cocktail for early bc, actually post lumpectomy with micro and no clear margins....they decided rather than try and chase down what they couldn't see, let's just start the chemo. I was very lucky because someone I met on this board hooked me up with a Dr that is a HER2 specialist in Chicago, she was able to recommend this course of therapy for early bc and get insurance approved. I will go for my 7th of 11 treatments on Friday. So far so good...I mean run of the mill complaints but nothing serious. I still have my hair....And a bevy of hats in anticipation of having lost it weeks ago, go figure....knock wood. Please anyone feel free to message me if you want more specific info, happy to answer any and all questions related to this new treatment.

Hi ladies! I have been reading and keeping up with all of the GREAT news here, people finishing treatments, etc etc. I am so thankful that I can come here and read such a positive board, even if I don't post regularly. Also, thank you to those of you who weighed in on my post re: mastectomy v. lumpectomy and my confusion at what to choose/ how to make that decision, your thoughts and reasons for why you chose what you chose were really helpful. Ultimately, I chose to go with my original thought of having a double mastectomy with TEs placed at surgery time. I know I could keep the "good" breast, but I am concerned that I because I have such dense breasts and am so young something else might pop up. It's also concerning to me that no one can feel my tumor anymore, but it still shows up as something on ultrasound. The fact that even the BS can't feel it, but something is still there is worrisome to me as far as future exams go.

So anyway, I am having BMX with right axillary dissection on Friday. To say I am scared, angry, sad, all the things...would be an understatement. I WISH I could be one of those women who go into the mastectomy dancing with joy that the cancer will soon be gone, but I just can't. Part of me thinks it's b/c I did chemo first, I already feel like I have done SOOOOOOOO much and this is just another crap thing that has to be done. :~( I am trying to change my mindset from "I am having body parts chopped off" to "I am having cancer removed", but it's hard. I just really hope there are no surprises at surgery time and that I do well in surgery and during recovery. I am really worried about what recovery will be like. So if you can send me some thoughts on Friday, that would be great. Also, please send some peaceful thoughts to my family and friends who will be waiting and worrying.