TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Thanks Lago and Blownaway - I guess I will go ahead and do the twilight. It is just that the surgery center uses an anesthetic group that isn't in my network and it always turns into a fight getting that bill paid. I am pushing everything forward to get everything done before March 31st when my current insurance runs out. I had a shock when my first treatment of Herceptin this year cost me $3000. That is my deductible so I have now met it and that insurance will end at the end of March due to the company closing. I never realized that they treated the infusions as "inpatient" rules and therefore are 100% after meeting your deductible. I met my deductible with my surgery prior to starting treatment so I was just paying copays since. Imagine my shock when I saw a $3000 bill when I was expecting $60. I had that money saved cause I was planning on getting my port out with whatever new insurance I end up with and was going to use that to pay the deductible on that insurance. But now I have no choice but to get the port out prior to March 31st. I will have to get my last herceptin another way as my last dose is supposed to be March 31st too. UGH - I have when finances drive medical decisions - but I just have no choice.

linda505 - I had my port taken out at the surgeon's office with just local anesthetic.  It was very easy - I felt nothing (after the pokes for the lidocaine or whatever they used), except I did feel a sensation when the surgeon was actually pulling out the tubing.  I chatted the whole time with the surgeon and nurse.  I was in and out in about 45 minutes or less. 

knm - CA 27/29, CA 15/3 and CEA.  Not all docs do them as they should be used for trending info, and can be unreliable due to a large number of things - medications, inflammation, etc.

Radiation is not used just for positive nodes, but also for close chest wall margins and close skin margins.

If you don't do tumor markers then what do they do  to check on you besides a mammo? scan's yearly ? Because that's all my doctor is doing.

I get once a year mammo and blood work done every 6 mo that's it.

Special K- thanks about the radiation. I couldn't figure out why my MO asked what my BS said about radiation, as I thought he was managing my cancer... but with neoadjuvant chemo, I guess they are trading back and forth... but I digress, since it has to do with close margins, and she was in there doing the surgery, she would have an idea. Fortunately, it was in the center, the only close margin might have been nipple, so it was removed during surgery, and the surgery was pCR

My last Herceptin treatment is on February 6th. How long after your last treatment did you ladies have your port removed? I'm a teacher and when we say the pledge of allegiance everyday, I put my hand right over it. It's slightly creepy and I'm ready to get rid of it!

Skoolgirljen Yup my MO preferred we kept ours in for 2 years because that is when most recurrences happen. My treatment center will not put the port back in the same location because of increased risk of blood clots. I had it flushed every 3 months. Most folks do it more often.

Skoolgirlie- I had my last Herceptin on a Wednesday and the port out two days later.

My MO told me to have mine removed about a month after my last herceptin treatment.

Hi, so my Mom is scheduled for her biopsies tomorrow.  I was able to find out a little more information from the doctor's office performing the biopsies.  As it turns out, they initially questioned the left breast (the good one) during the mammogram, which  prompted them to do the ultrasound.  The ultrasound was then performed on both breasts, since why not.  That is when they saw the other spot on her right breast near the lumpectomy.  The 3D mammogram never picked up the spot on her right breast, only during ultrasound was it found.  As far as I know, she has never had an ultrasound done since after her lumpectomy.  I guess my question is, could scar tissue easily show up on an ultrasound but not a mammogram?

Thanks in advance for keeping me sane during the waiting game......

Quick update - I called my Mom's breast surgeon's office and spoke with the nurse.  She said it is most likely scar tissue and not to worry.  She said she gets these calls all of the time.

blownway - sorry you are uncomfortable but the analogy of the stapled corsage is hilarious!

That is the right approach!  Hope your pain eases up soon!

Blownaway - know its not funny when you're going through it but you made me laugh as I wait for labs. Serious people all around me think I've lost it!

Is it possible to have a new thread for discussions on ports staying or going? My last Herceptin was in October 2014 so I figured they would want it out. Today at my first 3-month checkup, my MO said that keeping it for 2 or 3 years was a reasonable decision because the recurrence risk for "my type of cancer" is higher in that period. I don't believe I've heard that before. I'm seeing the surgeon tomorrow and listen to what she says. But I'm glad I just came upon these posts about ports. I guess I'm feeling like Mommato3, I don't  want to jinx myself, and it doesn't bother me.

GG2 - that is why lago and I both kept our ports - this is a MO philosophy thing - some want you to keep the port for a while and some don't worry about.  They just figure if you recur and need a port they will put another one in.

kaydee - my understanding of the way FISH is resulted is that it is either positive or negative - they either see amplification or a normal level of the gene expression.  I would imagine it is possible that your sample and/or testing process could have been flawed.  Are your docs sure this is not a new primary?  Also possible, that since tumors are not homogenous - your initial testing sample was correctly resulted but not from an area of your tumor that may have been Her2+.  I don't recall seeing anyone on the Triple Pos thread who discovered after the fact that they were TP - so I have not seen anyone who did not have Herceptin and/or Perjeta from the outset, if systemic treatment was required.  I don't know what the protocol would be - as Herceptin is normally given simultaneously with chemo - usually Adriamycin and Cytoxan followed by Taxol and Herceptin, or Taxotere and Carboplatin and Herceptin, with or without Perjeta, or for smaller Her2+ tumors, they also give Taxol and Herceptin together.  I don't know if they would give them without chemo agents even though you have already had them previously. So sorry you are facing this problem!