TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Nicky, so glad they are offering you something that will give you relief!

moon, great poem. Definitely some talented women here!

Moon!  Gorgeous jewelry!!  Get a better camera and get on Etsy!!!

Vette, I'm the queen of eye twitching.  I've always been told it is stress and deep exhaustion.  When I had to do my qualifying exams for grad school, I twitched for months.  During my oral exam it looked like I was winking at my professors...

Q for everyone.  My Mom has to have a stereotactic biopsy for calcifications behind the nipple.  Anyone have one and do they hurt?

Now I get to find out what they went through with worry about me...sucks....

Okay thank you-I just wanted o make sure it was normal and not some sign of brain mets or something.

I am one week out of my second chemo treatment.  Finally starting to feel more human.  Lots of nausea and D this time, but have meds this time so was able to remedy quickly.  Hope to have a good second and third week like on last cycle.  Had the pepper taste in mouth all week again, mouth feels burnt.  Living off of chicken noodle soup and crackers, bananas, and ice cream.  I keep losing weight the first week-probably due to D but also do not feel hungry.  I seem to balance it back out though after the first week.  Lost all my hair now on head, but still have brows and eye lashes-have thinned but not gone, thank goodness-doctor said they may not disappear completely.  Nose is a mess-been bleeding some too-using vaseline on a Q tip at night.

vette ~ I also had the eye twitching and then also some twitching in other muscle groups. It went away when chemo was over. Like you, my mind jumped right to the "worst case scenario". Glad you have medicines in order for your side effects and are starting to feel more "normal". Hang in there, YOU ARE DOING THIS!!!!

Jane ~ Sorry to hear that your mama has to endure what is likely to be a not so fun procedure. I will say a prayer for her right now, that it's nothing to actually worry about and for you that you can have peace and not worry until there is a real reason for it. Take care.

Hi my BC sisters   I have a question for all of you who have gone through treatment.  I just finished chemo and will be having BMX surgery on January 29th.  You can see my initial diagnoses and treatment thus far below.  I have recently had a consult with a RO who has said that there is no clear cut definitive reason why I should or shouldn't have chemo, however she would recommend it because my tumor was Grade 3, I am under 45 years etc.  I later met with 2 surgeons who disagree with radiation for me.  Now they want to discuss me ...again....at tumor board.  I think I am throwing everyone for a loop with the whole neoadjuvant chemo route.  One thing that the surgeons said that makes sense, is to not make a decision until after surgery to see the final path report.  How was it decided for others on this board to have rads?   

Girlstrong ~ I was kind of in your situation, except I had 2 known nodes prior to surgery {and ultimately after surgery}. If I were 50, with my same post-neo-chemo/ post-surgery stats, I would not be getting radiation, but because I am 35 ~ I am starting rads next week. The recommendation for older women is usually more than 3 positive nodes = rads, but for some reason, no matter the stage/ grade/ etc women under 40 have a higher local recurrence rate when they don't get rads. I really really wish I didn't have to get rads, but I suppose I will feel a bit better with that extra layer of insurance. I did NOT have close margins or anything like that, so for me, this recommendation is based mostly on my age.

Girlstrong it sounds like u'r question got covered--se how much everyone knows, cuz I couldn't help u, they explained it so well too.

PBrain, u'r right watching u'r mom go thru any of this is worse on us, I think-cuz when we go thru it we just keep on going--but that's u'r mom.

pbrain, i did one last year, actually nine! right behind the nipple last july, but i was already on a pain med, and i did also take a small (1/2) a 0.5 klonopin, next to nothing, i know, but did seem to help. i think i was experiencing more anxiety than anything. i barely did bruise, and i just tried hard to think of other things, and breathed deeply and slowly. sorry your mother has to experience this, though, hopefully it is benign microcalcifications, will keep my fingers and eyes crossed for you and her.

  moonflower,i love that you wrote that poem for camillegal. she is just wonderful in my book, too, so happy you did that! i dabble in poetry, and jewelry, too, and am trying to get back to it. adieu!

Thanks everyone.  It is funny that I'm so freaked and my Mom isn't.  She gets a shot of Avastin in her eye every month for macular degeneration so she's a tough one.  She loves telling people that and seeing them squirm.

Her recent mammo shows no change in the calcifications when compared to her mammo 6 months ago.  I honestly think they might be being cautious because of me (primary family member with a hx of BC).  Her radiologist told her she didn't have to do the biopsy, but that he would like her to.  I am hoping my sister in law or sister go with her since they live in Philly and can easily be there.  And maybe they can slip the xanax into her coffee?  I'm one of those people that tucks a 0.5 mg into my purse on the mammogram days.  It helps me stay calm when I want to spontaneously combust with fear and anxiety!!

Ok Pbrain. I too admit to squirming! LOL.  Kathe we really are a lot a like!  LOL.  Show us the some pics of your jewlery. 

Pbrain I had the stereotypical biopsy. They took 4 samples out of me and my first inkling that this was going to be an issue when the surgeon was upset he didn't get all the DCIS during the biopsy. It wasn't too bad, but have whoever is with your Mom make sure they take the time to let the anesthetic WORK!!!! WHEN THEY TOOK THE FIRST PUNCH I REALLY FELT IT. BUT I DID NOT FEEL THE OTHER 3. Also the hardest part was lying down with the boob in the hole in the table and NOT moving. Make sure they pad the bony parts for her. IE: her hip, shoulder, rib cage, etc. They used towels for me.  You are kind of contorted on the table to get the boob far enough in the hole. My calcifications were about an inch above the nip and 1 inch towards the center of my body. So she may not have it as bad. But the scary part is in the mind. Ask your Mom is she remember her Lamaze breathing! Hey, it was 26 years since I needed it but I still use it when needed! LOL. I hope for good news for her though!

Vette, yeah twitching eyes are one of those SEs. But it didn't bother me as much as the big D. Hope you feel better soon. 

Much love to all. 

Susan like u'r meds. hahaha

Pbrain I think we all squirmed with the needle in the eye--to me that needle sounds the worse. My dad use to get those because (as he put it, he was serious) he had guacamole and my Mom and I took him I'd be shaking the whole time and he was fine but the thought of it is horrible. So I'm sure u;r mom will be fine, she sounds like she's very strong. And if she can get a needle in her eye, believe me she'll be fine.

Jane, I hope everything turns out ok for your mom. It's true that it is easier to go through it ourselves that seeing a loved one go through it. I agree, maybe you need that xanax the day of your mom's biopsy

I had my 3D tattoos yesterday. This is the third time in 14 years and hopefully the last! The first two times were done with cosmetic tattoo ink which fades. (I did not know that at the time) This time I made sure it was done with real tattoo ink, so hopefully they will still  be looking good when I am 80!

Hi Chickie I hope at least things are going well.

ChickaD, sorry to hear that. Hope they can help. Much love. 

Chick, take all the vitamin B6 you can!  It worked for me with the taxol neuropathy.  I feel your pain, but stay positive.  It will resolve :-)  Did your doctor order a BNP or proBNP test?