TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Well, the NP did a thorough breast exam on her, as did a doc. Said it's the size of a pea, and just under the skin, so they think it is nothing. They told her it couldn't hurt to have an ultrasound just to make sure. And resourceful person that she is, she sent a text picture of the lump to my NP practitioner friend that she sees who told her she didn't think based on location and look that it was anything other than a cyst also, but suggested she see a dermatologist to rule out a skin cancer.

I think she is going to do both.

I told we she could come home to see my BS, but she is going to do the ultrasound I. NYC I honk.

Thanks for all the great support. 

My rib area is really painful. Nothing showed on the X-ray a few months a go, but it is getting worse, especially when I exercise. Hurts to touch also. A lot. And my armpit on that same side feels weird. Not painful but like there is just something there. I don't feel anything different. Emailed the PS who has offered to do an MRI. He does them at three years (when implants were placed) routinely, and I am 8 months away from that. I was hoping to hold off but might have to take him up on it. Going to mention it to my ONC at yoga tomorrow night, and get his thoughts.

And I am over winter, the cold, snow, hot flashes, and weight gain. Feeling cranky.

I'm glad I weaned myself off Effexor, as they say now that it too interacts with tamoxifen, but I could use a good anti anxiety pill about now! 

Pbrain, I'm happy that your mom is okay. I know what you mean about worrying more about others than yourself, my sister's cancer terrified me in a totally different way than my own. But she's a six-year survivor now and I'm at 1.5 years... 

I finished Herceptin five weeks ago and I am already feeling the difference in my fatigue level. I've been training for a triathlon and even though I'm really fit, just climbing a flight of stairs would cause an intense burn in my legs like I was doing interval training or something. And every workout required a lot more warm up time to get my blood flowing to my muscles but now that is gone - yay! 

It's crazy the detail you all get on your pathology reports - mine said "strongly positive" for ER/PR and HER2++. And no oncotype scores here either, just cell grade in order to assess aggressiveness and make the determination about whether to proceed with chemo. I wonder how much difference all the information makes in ultimate treatment decision. More Canadians having unnecessary chemo?

I'm just checking in, I read often but not much to add. Oh, my daughter started walking on the weekend! That's how far we've come.

Here is what the doc wrote. I'm trying to convince her to come home for the ultrasound. It is a pain in the butt to try to help her coordinate it in NYC when she has no docs there and all I can do is try to cross reference our insurance with the doc and ob gyn. For the 250 it would cost for her to fly round trip and see my BS with the ultrasound, it would be worth it!

Marlene she is adorable! I am taking my almost three years old great niece to see Frozen tomorrow. Her first movie. Should be interesting!

Special K I would love to come. I was just there in January and have to head to Winston Salem around the first of April again. I need to sell some houses!

PBrain Good news.

Marlene she's beautiful.

Fluff just get it done.

Marlene, she is a doll baby!  Adorable!

fluff - sell some houses and then come on down!  I hate that our daughters have to have that last line about family history now - ours are about the same age.

marlene - what a beautiful baby - I miss having little ones!

Marlene, your daughter is such a cutie!  I am so glad you mentioned the "burn" you were feeling in your legs when climbing a flight of stairs - good to know I'm not the only one!  I finished Herceptin in mid-September, but I'm still feeling that "burn".  I'm a lot older than you and not in such good shape, although I do go to the gym 3 times a week and do moderate exercise.  But I don't seem to be getting any better as far as stamina.  I saw my MO yesterday and we discussed it.  He says it could still be residual effects of the chemo, but really didn't know.  He suggested trying acupuncture, so I'm going to do that.  Anyone else have acupuncture?  Did it help whatever you were getting it for?

kathec, I actually took a 1 month break from Tamoxifen to see if that would help - but nothing changed, so I went back on it.  However, when I saw the MO yesterday he suggested that I stop Tamoxifen because he doesn't think it's doing anything for me.  My tumor was 5mm, my ER+ was only 26%, and I was very highly HER2+.  He thinks that the Herceptin did the trick for any stray cancer cells that might have been roaming around.  Last October when I saw him we had a discussion about Tamoxifen for me, and he showed me some research analyzing its effectiveness by ER+ percentages.  People in the bottom quartile of ER+ (i.e. me) got little if any benefit.  However, they did find LCIS during my lumpectomy (although not in the biopsy) and supposedly Tamoxifen helps with that, so I decided at that time to keep taking it.  I forgot to bring up the LCIS issue yesterday.  I see him again in 4 months and will remember to bring that up.  Also, my fingernails are a mess (splitting, cracking, peeling) and he and the NP think that might be the Tamoxifen.  So we'll see how it goes for the next 4 months.

ARae you can try it and quit but if you don't try it you'll never know if the SE are not as bad. A friend of mine was diagnosed with ER+ PR+ DCIS. Because she was concerned with blood clots and other stuff she didn't try it. 2 years later she had IDC. This time (didn't have to do chemo) they had her do Luprin shots to suppress her ovaries so she could take Anastrozole. You might also ask your onc if that's an option for you. 

Given that you're 30 there is a chance that your ovaries will repair unless they were removed.

patin, oh, yeah! really my nails are such a mess right now, too. wow. i didnt even equate that with the tamox, but you are right. they were all right during the six months of arimidex, which was the first one that i tried, then a month off, then tamox, then two months off, now femara. i will make it as  long as i can!

fluff - keeping my fingers crossed for both of you!  My DH already has my Dx in her medical records too - she will be 25 this summer.

cypher remember that % positive is also dependent on the size of the tumor. My tumor was only 30% ER+ but 30% of 5.5cm (that's only the invasive part) is 1.6cm. That's bigger than some tumors that are 100% positive.

I miss Nicky, I hope she's doing all right.

formydaughter - how old are you?  The impact of early menopause can be more significant the younger you are, IMO.   

For those who are still premenopausal, some docs will shut down the ovaries with injections and then give AI's.  Some will suggest ovary removal and then AI's.  I would suggest fully investigating the side effects of ovarian removal before doing that.  You can't go back once you do it.  It can cause significant sexual dysfunction for some, and if you are young the damage from bone loss is also not to be underestimated.  PM TonLee if you want to know more about ovarian removal and the side effects associated with it.  She also did a ton of research on the topic. 

Although I could not stay on Tamoxifen due to developing multiple polyps, it was my first choice due to being younger and not wanting to risk the side effects above.  I would have preferred to stay on Tamoxifen if I could have.  I did well on it otherwise.  Now I am waiting for my system to clear of all the drug effects and will be tested to see if I perhaps have become menopausal and could do an AI without needing the shots to shut down my ovaries. 

formydaughter a friend of mine is doing the Luprin shots with Anastrozole. She can't take the Tamoxifen due to blood clots. She seems to be doing fine on it.