TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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dannajae - you are right that nail issues occur less with Taxol, I had 6 infusions of Taxotere, so I iced. You can roll the dice, but I approached it with the thought that it was easy to ice and possibly prevent a problem, than to deal with it afterward if I was one of those who experienced issues. I had 9 perfect fingernails after chemo, no lines/grooves/darkening, but did have one lift - my wedding ring fingernail. It finally had to be cut off completely by the dermatologist long after chemo was over, while I was still on Herceptin. It took six months to grow back so that it covered my whole nail bed. I also lost my pinky toenail, but it grew back much more quickly. This is why I warned to use a bag of peas large enough to get good freezing on the baby toes. The light sensitivity is to your nail bed, not to the drug. See the following:
"Authors have suggested that chemotherapeutic agents increase sensitivity of the nail apparatus to ultraviolet light. Hussain and colleagues found that onycholysis secondary to paclitaxel treatment for breast carcinoma increases by exposure of the hyponychium to sunlight.16 The researchers additionally found that protecting the nails from sunlight prevented nail loss in a large percentage of patients despite continued chemotherapy treatment. The hypothesis is that the hyponychium may be more sensitive to UV light following chemotherapy treatment and that UV light may induce nail changes by rupturing the bond between the nail plate and the hyponychium directly or by inhibiting cellular maturation in this area.16 In addition to increased sensitivity to UV light, the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs can make nail plates thin, brittle and more prone to mechanical trauma."
Here is some info from Memorial Sloan Kettering regarding nails and chemo:
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/nail-changes-during-treatment-taxanes
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SpecialK -- Thank you. Ironically, I just finished reading the article you shared as I looked it up while I was waiting for responses. I've been planning on icing, but with two hours of treatments, I would really like the use of my hands. Not 100% sure what I'm going to do yet. I appreciate your experience.
Kind regards,
Danna
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dannajae - just to clarify, I only iced during the taxane, not Herceptin. They may run your initial Taxol longer to make sure you don't have a reaction, but after that it may go faster.
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Danna, some of us have reaction on taxol such as me, so my taxol last about three hours long. That make it hard for icing. I only could ice for two hours long, I have ice socks with couple pack ices,
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Do ice gloves and ice socks work? Where do you get them? Surprisingly hard to find, even on Amazon.
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Vicky and Suburbs, Congrats on progress: ditching drains and new nipples! Better than chocolate!
Kim and Danna, Good luck gearing up for the start of chemo. The anticipation was intense for me and I felt better once we got going. Come back to these boards for support, we are rooting for you!
Cherry, this is such a tough time, be gentle on yourself. Your hobby right now is getting good nutrition, hydrating, sleeping, and walking. Find bits of happiness wherever you can: the leaves, your child's laughter. I can tell you that I feel so much stronger and more hopeful every week I move away from final chemo.
Hugs from Colorado!
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Thanks SpecialK. I will do the peas. Wow, knew none of this when I did taxotere. My nails are really strong and grow long. I get compliments all the time. However, I would prefer lousy nails if I could only have nice hair! Lol
Thanks T-Sue...I start the same day as Danna. Thanks for rooting for us
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Danna - I got my ice socks from Amazon, I need to get ready for bed tonight so I can do my infusion, will send you the picture tomorrow after my infusion.
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coachvicky, that’s a great news! I hope you are satisfied with them
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SpecialK, I did not think of the hormonal aspect back to my oncologist office but my daughter wondered about the same thing, she said but you have hormonal receptors too. So I will bring it up during our next meeting.
About my mental state, I am low most of the time and can get really scared once in awhile when it all feels unbearable, like all I am doing is in vain and it is just the beginning of the end. I read some blogs online, I will have to stop because some of them do not end good and my anxiety hits the sky. Women in these blogs are so positive and determined and I cannot pep myself into being this optimistic. How can one be optimistic if you read all this and then later bump into an article about them dying a year after.
I so appreciate you al being supportive, I so want to find my new normal because where I am right now it cannot be it, if it is I want another one because my state right now is not a good place to be in.
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You, guys, are all the best, I do not know what I would have done without you. I just keep on going with the flow trying to make some hard decisions, trying to work, but the life like completely list its taste. Tonight
I dreamt about drinking some drinks and reaching for a slim white cigarette, I did not even smoke those before, I smoke sometimes the most light sort and before I wokeup I remember just thinking oh, no, I cannot drink I am in treatment, I promised myself now I did it, so I actually woke up relieved. And I cannot enjoy anything from my family because every time it is like a knife in my heart think if I lose all that. I just cannot stay any positive even though I am on an anti-depressive and have additional anxiety meds to reach for if needed. I am a mess. You all are great.
Cherry
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For those who had questions about Taxol, I had 9 infusions so far and it went well. I get mittens and socks from the nurse but they told me that weekly Taxol does not affect the nails. I have been sucking on ice until the 8th infusion and I did not get any mouth sores, I am just drinking water during the infusion now. I also was rinsing my mouth with baking soda and salt but then got lazy and did not do it for a couple of days. My taste is not affected, I eat what I want, probably unhealthy sometimes but I attribute my increased appetite to the anti-depressives. I had mild neuropathy in the beginning but not anymore. According to my nurse icing cannot prevent neuropathy, nothing can prevent neuropathy but stopping the infusions, or cutting on doses. This what I have been told. I also learn to stay from any type of cuts because it won't heal. I had a small cut on my finger, not a cut, I pulled a cuticle and got a bleeding sore that got into a lasting ulcer, I had alcohol and desinfections compressions for a week now but it is not getting better and today I will see a nurse about it.
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Thank you everyone for the support and warm wishes!
Cherry, my psychiatrist never talks to me about getting to normal or a new normal.
He told me that I was trying to "play the same note." He said I must "find a new note."
Vicky
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Good morning! This is my first post here and I'm trying to navigate through all the topics. I was diagnosed with IDC in May 2017, had a bilateral mastectomy in June; started chemo in July and I'm wrapping up my 6th round Nov. 3. I guess I've felt like I've proactively been doing "something" to beat my cancer and now I have this overwhelming feeling of Now What??? I am triple positive and will be doing Herceptin for a year. I've managed to stay active lifting weights, walking 4 miles a day 2-3 days a week envisioning killing my cancer cells while I'm doing it.... but still left with the doom and gloom feeling of being shadowed by my breast cancer indefinitely. Side effects have tried like hell to sideline me; but I'm trying to manage it. I started reading After Breast Cancer to help me start to navigate this new phase of my life. How to move on? I guess that's the overwhelming question I have, which probably has no real answer to it.
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Coach , Did you have both nipples removed at time of surgery? I had 1 removed and kept 1. Looks funny right now but my PS is going to use part of the 1 left to make the new one. I am excited for this when the time comes. I have seen his work when doing this and it turns out great. They will then tattoo some darkening around the nipple. I told them I wanted them to tattoo little ribbons. LOL.
Good luck and send pictures if you would or want to.
Have a wonderful weekend ladies!
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Hi ginger1969, welcome to this thread, sorry you had to join the community. You will find a lot of support here, besides we were just talking about how to move on, well at least me, I do it very often, having hard time to accept the diagnosis. I am very impressed by the fact that you were staying active through chemo. What kind of regimen was it? I am in the middle of the treatment and last week I tried to run 200-300 m, not because I wanted to, because I had to, I was on the bridge and it was too windy, my bald head got cold even I was wearing the hat, it was hard, afterwards I breathed like I run a mile and I used to run two miles three times a week before my diagnosis in June. Nowadays I can only walk in the forest. trying a new normal is hard but ladies here who has been around longer claim it is possible.
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coachvicky, now I start to understand the meaning of bc survivor, it takes years and it changes you completely. I am so tired of all this, I burst into tears several times a day, I feel like I am very old and constantly tired.
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Cherry, I responded to you on another thread yesterday, but I wanted to reply again today. I read all of your posts and send you good vibes. I hear you and I commiserate.
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My cancers were too close to both nipples to save the nipples.
My PS used existing skin to form the new nipples.
If you use medical tattooing, you will have repeated because it fads. I am planning on permanent tattoos.
I have seen work where one nipple was used for the other and it looked awesome!
Best wishes for yours.
Vicky
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Thank you T-Sue, I really appreciate it. On the bright side I learnt a new word, had to Google comisserate. This site is good for me
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HapB, you are absolutely right, but I cannot pull myself together, I feel like I am either awaiting some bad news or preparing for them. I mean there ate positive bc patients, really, I red another blog and the woman was praised by her husband that she never cried from the day she got diagnosed. And I was like what does she have instead of nerves? The strains of steel? Maybe it is not normal to be paranoid, but not to worry is not normal to me
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Cherry-sw,
We have been dealt a rotten hand. The diagnosis is frightening and the treatments are harsh. No wonder we're a wreck. But we're here. There are worse situations to be in. There are much, much worse diseases to have. Our cancer is likely curable, if not curable at least treatable and we can be around for a long time.
When I was diagnosed, my friend told me that the way to get past the emotional stuff was to not only accept the situation, but be thankful for it. "What, be thankful I got breast cancer?!?!?!?"
But I now understand what she meant. I have found many things to be thankful for. Bad things happen to good people everyday. I'm no exception, but I'm thankful I have cancer and not one of my children. I am more appreciative of wonderful husband who took amazing care of me when I was at my worst. I saw a side in him I may have never seen had I have not gone through this. I'm grateful that I only had breasts amputated, soldiers lose limbs everyday. I even like my job better since cancer. As much as I may complain about my employer (like we all do), they provided me with good insurance and sick days and my co-workers were awesome. I am learning to be more grateful and focus on the good rather than the suffering and worry.
If worry about your future robs you of today, then cancer wins. I still get dark thoughts from time to time, but remind myself to not let cancer win.
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What a wonderful, uplifting post, debiann.
I cried when I read what you posted and they were tears of happiness. Cancer has opened my eyes to so many things that I took for granted. I, too, am in a better place and I got a really nice rack out of the deal.
Thank you.
Vicky
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debiann - what a great uplifting post! Gotta figure out how to copy and save it.
HapB - Thank God you are all right! Angels watching over you for sure.
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Debian - you got such a wonderful post and point of view of life. Yes we should start count our blessings and I will try to learn appreciate more surroundings family and friends especially to my husband, I pray every day and ask Zhou to give me strength to fight and get through this journey. I will use my experience to help other when I feel well, will try to live a more meanful life because every day is God have been given to me,
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Hap, so glad you are ok. Did you get checked out by a doctor? You may feel ok right now, but whiplash would be common for an accident like this and you want things documented for insurance purposes.
We never know what our future holds. Heart issues run in my dad's side of the family. Before my BC dx I was concerned that I would have heart issues too. I was having palpitations, likely related to menopause. I was so worried about my heart, then I was blindsided by BC. Kind of funny, but it distracted me from worrying about my heart. Now I'm working on just not worrying at all. What will be will be, no sense wasting time trying to predict the future.
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It's amazing how banged up you feel after a crash. Get checked out tomorrow for documentation purposes. I had a similar accident and had lingering effects of whiplash for a long time. I didn't pursue a lawsuit, but insurance covered all my medical expenses.
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Hapb, wow that accident had to be scary - I'm glad you didn't have any serious injuries. God is watching over you.
Debiann and Hapb thanks for the uplifting posts. I completely agree. I know it sounds weird but cancer has changed me for the better. Yes I complain about the SEs and lately I've been in a funk (I'm much better these last 2 weeks, hormones out of whack I guess) but I start each day thanking God for so many blessings to remind myself of all the good in my life. I'm grateful I got cancer instead of my children and grandchildren. The scars on my body remind me that God gave me another chance at life. I am much healthier than I was before this all started, even with the SEs, lost 40 pounds and kept it off for the first time in 25 years of trying. I walk 3 miles a day to enjoy all of God's beauty and that really helps lift my mood. Reciting my grateful list keeps me focused on the positive more than the negative. I too don't want to spend whatever time I have left being a sour puss. I want to be a good example for my kids and grandkids. You all really provide much needed support and I thank God for this wonderful community. You are all on my grateful list and in my daily prayers. I have never felt more connected than I do with all of the cancer warriors I have met on this journey!
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Ginger1969, sorry you have to join us but you will find wonderful support and information in this community. You are doing so many positive things through your cancer journey and I think that is key to keep moving forward. The shadow of cancer will follow us all indefinitely but I think there is a great future ahead for us. I think it takes time and determination to find our "new normal". I'm still working on it myself and each day is better. Sometimes I have down days but I'm really trying to keep those to a minimum.
Hugs to you
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Oh, HapB, I really hope you are all right! Did you sustain any injury? This is truly awful. I am afraid of those trucks all the time, always trying to stay away from them on the road, I am just looking at those thinking how huge they are and that there is no chance to survive a collision with any of these monsters. Please let your physician check you.
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