TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

ang - just use the largest single measurement

runningcello,

It is good to hear that your oncologist says it is just your period returning to normal - hurray for normal!!

It is good to have an OB/GYN - perhaps your oncologist could recommend a female one to you? I feel more comfortable with female GYNs and it would be nice to have one that works well with your oncologist.

I find the transvaginal ultrasound and pelvic exams uncomfortable and a little awkward, but doable. Definitely not painful (and if anything hurts, let them know! They don't want to cause pain). They use warm lubricants and that helps tremendously.

In regards to the spotting, it is just a little bit of light blood when I wipe after peeing. Nothing in my panties. It comes and goes and I'm wondering if it is my period trying to return. I'm going to start tracking it to see if there is a pattern. Right now it just seems random to me.

Hope this helps!

Chocomousee I can relates to what your questions and thoughts are. My scheduled plan of treatment was lumpectomy and radiation. My tumor was under 1 cm no node involvement clear margins invasive Ductal carcinoma ER PR positive THEN after lumpectomy and cleared to start radiation I went to see radiologist found out I was HER2 positive and BAM! Everything changed! Was sent to MO and chemo was added. I was devastated and shocked. I was told due to HER2 that chemo was necessary because IF there was a stray cancer floating around and HER2 attached it would cause rapid spreading. It is still hard for me to do the chemo cause part of my head keeps saying IF there are no cells floating anywhere you are going through this for nothing and Herceptin kills HER2 not chemo BUT the other part of my head says suck it up girl and do not take the chance!! I will do treatment 4 next week and am scheduled for 6. I do want to ask is there a huge statistical difference in effectiveness of 4 vs 6 treatments n my case. I will do herceptin for a full year and maybe longer and wil be doing tamaoxin after chemo. I will be asking MO about the number of treatments. Your MO can guide you but ask your questions til you feel comfortable with your treatment plan.

Suladog was mastectomy personal choice or recommended? I had lumpectomy before HER2 diagnosis and am trying to decide if I want to do mastectomy after treatment. MO and surgeon saying in my case it doesn't matter.

Hi all-

I'm 3 years out from Dx. I was wondering what kind of followup appointments people do at this point. I would like as few appointments as possible first because I'm 2 hours away and second because I want to forget about bc dx as much as possible. Third, I love my MO but don't care as much about my BS or RO.

I was on a study for perjeta (affinity) which has a pretty heavy followup protocol. For 3 years out I meet with MO and Echo every 6 months, in addition to mammo/MRI which I think is just once a year. In addition, my breast surgeon also wants to have an appointment with me. And i'm sure the RO does too. But since my MO will do a physical exam when I see her, I don't see any benefit of seeing the BS and the RO in addition to the MO.

I'd love to know what others do at different points post-treatment.

Today I acknowledge 5 years since diagnosis. I first wanted to type "celebrate" but somehow that doesn't seem right. My MO still considers me high risk and continues to want to see me every 6 months. I still have a mammo each 6 months followed 6 months later by an MRI, still on Anastrazole and have been in 2 trials for its use. Anastrazole is now 4 years for me, side effects have waned but I know I have another 6 years on it to make 10. My diastolic BP has never gone back up to over 60 but with rare exception. I stopped seeing the RO about a year ago. Lymphedema still persists and I wear a sleeve from time to time when it's bad. I'm supposed to be wearing it daily but it's just too hot. Altogether, I think I've come through this pretty good but lymphedema never lets you forget. Well, that and wearing a prosthesis.

I don't come on this website much but just wanted everyone to know I think of them and for those of you just starting out, there is hope. I haven't stuck with any particular way of diet change other than never eating sushi or sprouts, need to lose weight and get more exercise but that's been a lifelong problem. Next I'm looking forward to the 5 year mark when I will have gone through surgery (I had neoadjuvent with lots of problems so everything was delayed a couple of months more for me to get through the surgery) and that should be the beginning of May 2016.

We all have something to remember our BC by, some different side effects for each of us, some worse than others, and this site is great for helping us cope with the day to day questions we have and just to know there are others out there who share our experience. Thank you all!

Congrats Fitz!! I truly appreciate those that come back or stay on to help those of us that are newer. It's encouraging to see women that are five plus years out. Makes me feel like I could make it too

Thank you Specalk and Lago for your info .

Hi-

I wanted to repost and share RuthBru's tips for Resilience--

Expert Tips For Resilience

1. Develop a core set of beliefs that nothing can shake

2. Try to find meaning in whatever stressful or traumatic thing that has happened

3. Try to maintain a positive outlook

4. Take cues from someone who is especially resilient

5. Don't run from things that scare you: face them

6. Be quick to reach out for support when things go haywire

7. Learn new things as often as you can

8. Find an exercise regimen you'll stick to

9. Don't beat yourself up or dwell in the past

10. Recognize what makes you uniquely strong-and own it

interesting mommato was that as a precaution or because you were having issues I'm going for my 3rd ultrasound next month I'm just nervous I don't want anything to keep me from getting this drug that will save my life!

I have been following all going on in here. Congrats on Anniversaries, treatment successes, treatment ending, etc.

My rheumatologist has concluded that my arthritis is completely tamoxifen related. No inflammation issues.

My ooph is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 5th. Today is my US to check on those Titans. They have not stopped cycling and that is beginning to make my MO nervous I think. Hence the phone call after hours to double check our plan and my compliance.

I am back on the tamoxifen and all the SE's came slamming back. Cannot wait for surgery and the ability to try other medications. I know it is a crap shoot, and I will most likely have to get treatment for my osteoporosis. It is currently mild and stable. I also am aware that I am opening the door to new and different SE's, but I truly cannot function on tamoxifen. I had to stop all pain meds prior to surgery, and the 8 pounds I lost is creeping back on. I literally hurt in pretty much any position. A trip to the grocery store takes the rest of the day to recover. I have not made it to the gym and pretty much want to cry when I think about it. I love going to the gym, but my hands and feet are so stiff and painful that even driving there hurts. Then getting out of the car....just call me the tin man waiting on Dorothy and that damned can of oil

What I actually came here for was the following: have any of you seen this study? My chemo brain is not registering that I have read it. Just found it interesting... It is about the relationship between reproductive history, ER/PR/HER2 status and DFS.

Click here for article

Yes, there is that, but it is a mixed bag of information. There is also this:

"Patients with HR+HER2+ breast cancer were 44% more likely to survive those with HR- tumors. Those with HR- tumors were more than twice as likely to develop cancer recurrence as those with HR+."

RobinLK I don't think that article draws the correct conclusion. Chances are the further you are from your last pregnancy the older you may be. We already know that younger survivors have a higher risk of recurrence.

Not tipping apple cart. I just wanted to point that out. Younger patients don't fare as well because they usually get more aggressive cancers. Older patients may possibly not recur also because they pass of something else before the cancer comes back.

As we know… it's complicated

wrong time for this younger patient to read the thread. gonna go try not to fall down a rabbit hole into crazy town.

The article did not specify age, just time between giving birth and DX. Since the two lengths mentioned were 20+ years or under 5 years it appears age is a factor. Yet someone who had children in their teens would still be considered young for a breast cancer DX. (35-39)

I deleted my post as it appears to be causing distress and that was not my intention.