TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

goutlaw, you have mets?

Karen - yay!!

SpecialK - I'm sooooo sorry.  Healing prayers coming your way!

I'm finally awake enough to write after my exchange surgery this morning.   Those anti-nausea meds made me super sleepy.    

McK, welcome to the squishy side!

SK, HUGS. 

Special, I'm sending out a super Special K prayer for you.  You have been through enough!  Maybe burn some sage and blow it around with a feather like my favorite Long Island Medium to clear bad MoJo?  You so deserve to be done.  And you and Linda look so cute in your picture!  I need to have coffee with Fluff since she is just down the road from me here in Indiana.

Karen, I am so happy for you!  I kind of wonder if the gunk was caused by no nose hairs and Herceptin.  That stuff did a number on my nose, lots of bleeding and crud, and I suspect I went through a few cases of Kleenex over the year of treatment!!

Nunci, I had a severe reaction to taxol on my 4th weekly treatment.  Out of nowhere, short of breath, about to pass out, racing heart.  I kind of wonder if our bodies just say "ok, enough" and we mount an immune response.  Maybe, like Cypher suggested, see if you can be dose reduced for the last one?  I had 8 to go after my reaction (did I mention it was out of nowhere?) so they gave me a bigger, badder steroid and kept treating me.  I told them I'd've preferred more Benadryl.  Love the stuff.

Gout, my experience with arimidex--I was practically disabled last year at Christmas.  I'd been on it for a little over 6 months.  I struggled getting on the commuter trains in Philly when I was home visiting my family.  I limped because of aching toes.  My NP told me it would get worse before it gets better and to hang in there.  She was so right.  I now have no real aches at all from it.  So keep the faith.  I think we just kind of get used to it and other chemicals in our bodies upregulate to cover for the lack of estrogen somehow.

Linda, so glad you have your treatment plan!  That makes a world of difference.  Never look back and don't question your decisions. 

McKatherine, congrats on your success!  Now sleep and sleep and sleep.  and sleep some more...and more...it is good for you :-)

Bren, how's your Mom?

And my big news---I've lost 10 lbs on Weight Watchers.  Took me 5 weeks, but I'll take it!  After all of the chemo, chemopause, steroids, carb loading, eating what tasted good, Arimidex...yeah, I'm on my way!!

Pbrain! Congrats!! That's awesome!

Special K, I'm so sorry to read about your healing with recon... I have BMX  with recon June 6th. Scared to death, but totally ready to get rid of these girls.  Praying for healing!! 

SpecialK - sending healing energy your way.  Enough dang it!  BTW, I don't know if it would help, but my PS had me take 1000 mg of Vit C before and after surgery to help my immune system and with healing.  Something to consider maybe.???  If you aren't doing something like that already.  She also had me take arnica montana.  Big hugs to you (gentle though!).  You are such a great mentor and support on this site, I hate to see you having ongoing complications.  

dance - thanks!  Yes to the Vit. C, and zinc and eating pineapple for the bromelain.  Also because it is yummy.

lago - I am feeling very unspecial K right now, so I need those Ks - thanks!

Hope you're doing ok specialk! Hugs. 

Hello All!
Nice to be back! I've caught up on the thread and am so happy to read GOOD NEWS! Also hope that others are getting over SEs and that all are doing well!!  Sorry that I
haven’t posted for awhile! I can’t believe how fast the time has flown
over the past 2 weeks! So here is my update - Sat April 12th my DH and I
left by train from Toronto to Montreal - my birthplace. I traveled
there for business quite often but haven’t been back for personal
reasons in over 25 years!! We went to a hockey game Saturday night - my
New York Rangers vs Montreal (boo!!). The game didn’t mean anything to
either team - last game before the playoffs but it was nice to be there
and feel the energy! Of course, my team lost but it went to overtime
so it was exciting!! Sunday we walked the downtown core, visit Old
Montreal which used to be my stomping grounds growing up - had dinner
with a good friend and her husband - very nice!!

Monday we
traveled by train from Montreal to NYC. AWESOME! So relaxing! We
haven’t been on the train in close to 25 years as well and we just loved
it! Comfy seats - no rushing - nice scenery!

In NYC we
walked, got a tour of Madison Square Gardens, saw the firs playoff game
between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers - my Rangers won!
Woo-hoo! Saw a Yankees game - went to BB Kings Bar and Grill for a
Beatles Brunch and saw a Beatles Tribute band - very good! Had dinner
with my cousin and her husband - saw the Captain America in 3D which was
awesome! Then last Sunday, we took the train home.

The only
downside was that we both got colds! ARGH! I still have a few sniffles
but can’t complain! We really needed the getaway! It was lovely but
of course went by so fast! Hardly thought about the cancer stuff
although we did talk about it every so often. At the Ranger game I
cried a bit because I felt like I would never be back there and that I
was the only one dealing with a challenge. Silly I know - just an
emotion!!

Since being home, I’ve had appointments - slept because
of my cold, studied my chemo regimen, went grocery shopping, cleaned
the house - huh - I NEVER do this!!

Last Tuesday, I had my SYMA
(or MUGA) scan. Very bizarre. The tech explained that there would be
an IV so I asked where he would put it since my right arm has no veins
that you can find and the left should not be used due to the lymph nodes
being removed. He asked how my other tests have been done. I
responded that I have not had any since surgery. He then asked me what I
wanted him to do. What? Really? So for some stupid reason I started
to cry. He then changed completely and became very empathetic. He went
off to speak with a Dr. who said that he could use my left arm. I
wondered later how they do this test for people with no arms - where do
they put the IV then?

Anyhow - things proceeded well after that.

On
Wednesday I met with my Surgeon who is happy with my healing process.
He made it clear that he does not want me to lift any weights until
after my treatment is over. We shall see about that!! I miss my
weights and want to atleast try to do some light weights after 8 weeks
of recovery. I plan to speak with my MO next week.

Thursday
afternoon I too got a pixie cut. I also got in touch with Wellspring
and registered for a few sessions in May - Breast Cancer support group,
Nutrition for Breast Cancer and a Look Good Feel Better class. The
first class is on May 8 - the day I get my head shaved and have my wig
fitted. I hope that I will feel well enough to go!!

My nephew’s
wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy yesterday shortly after 4pm
named Aaron Michael Sandow - 10lbs 3 oz - can you say OUCH? Wife had a C
section - baby, Mom and Dad are doing fine!!

Today my hubby has arranged a pre chemo party so we are expecting approx 30 people tonight. Should be very nice!!

Tuesday
April 29th is when the fun starts! My port will be inserted at 8am,
then I plan to eat, then I have blood work then meet with my MO to talk
cancer - ugh!!!!

Wednesday April 30th at Noon is my first chemo
infusion. I am scared to death!!   This is really NOT something that I want to do and am
thinking that once the port is in, I am tied to this until the MO
decides that I am free! Having said that, my MO is the Head of Oncology
at Credit Valley Hospital and actually led the development and building
of the cancer centre at the hospital. The details of my tumour and
treatment are in my bio - I do know that my cancer was aggressive at
stage 3 and that the two nodes which were impacted with macro. I know
two people who have gone through similar treatment and they are fine
today; one is 5 years out, the other close to 8. Right now, I am very
healthy with the exception of the cancer which tried to kill me so
hoping that I will be okay as I work through this. I know that I will
be monitored very closely. I too was told that the chemo is
precautionary as my margins were clear as were my Bone and CT scans.

I
sometimes think - what if I did nothing? I suspect that the truth is -
no-one truly knows!! My thoughts are that I could possible have
microscopic cancer cells floating around just waiting to wake up. If I
do, chemo should wipe these out and prevent any new ones from growing.
But it can also increase the risk of other cancers or health issues. So
- it's only 6 rounds - FEC-D also known as FEC-T. 3 rounds of FEC
followed by 3 rounds of Taxtotere. Then the herceton and Tamoxifen. So
- do I walk away and say forget it - whatever happens happens? I don't
want to end up like a good friend of mine who had a rare form of skin
cancer - ignored it - then by the time it started to grow and ooze it
was too late! So, I'll give it a go I guess.

Funny - I have
reflux - very minor - and while we were in NYC, my chest began to hurt
while we were walking. This is the 2nd of 3rd time that this has
happened since feeling the lump in my armpit on Jan 27. So, I started
taking my Prevacid a few days ago. This morning I can still feel the
pressure a bit - funny - my hubby told me - don't even say that this is
lung cancer!! He reminded me that I have experienced this for years
especially when I am stressed! I find it off that I now feel somewhat
relaxed - more so than when this started.

Nice to be back!!!!

foorball, glad you have your plan and are getting to greet through it. I know for myself I chose to do everything I could. Whether or not it would work. I don't want to be a what if I would have tried it. My mom passed of BC as did 3 of her 5 sisters. I was doing everything I could. It's a hard decision to make but we all make our decision based on our feelings experience and knowledge at that time. It's never an easy call. You will get through it. 

Much love. 

hi there, has anybody with triple positive and not possible to get herceptin after 4AC treatment? 

Welcome back FBN!  Sounds like you had a blast these past few weeks and like you have a very wonderful husband.  You are very lucky.

I had heinous GERD on chemo.  Lago is right, find what works for you.  I didn't realize I could take it more often than I was taking it, but you can.  You'll be fine.  Chemo isn't fun and it can really drag you down, but it isn't for forever.  :-)  You'll like having a port, BTW.

BTW not just water. Soup counts too. Any liquid that doesn't have a lot of salt or caffeine (no alcohol though) counts. Bet to mix it up so you don't mess up  your electrolytes. 

Thanks Ladies for the information.  No heartburn this morning and hope it stays that way.  If it continues, I'll ask about that bottle of stuff