Just been diagnosed, BC - triple negative

Hi there,

I joined the group a couple of weeks ago after my scan and biopsy and found it useful and supportive reading what everyone is going through and their advice whilst we all face the C word!

I've now received my diagnosis and plucked up the courage to say 'HI!' :)  I'm still reading up on all the booklets i've received. A strange feeling really counting the days down to your appointment like a holiday without the excited feeling and now coming home with loads of booklets and not holiday brochures.  i feel strange that i have a sense of relief but a strange relief as I do have cancer and not the all clear.  Does anyone else have these mixed feelings?

I've been diagnosed with stage 2, grade 3 and triple negative.  Well from my understanding, i'm waiting for the confirmations to all come in the post.  I remember them saying 18 weeks chemo, 5cm tumour, lymph nodes, masectomy, radiotherapy....

I still feel very detached and like they are talking about someone else as i dont feel ill.  I was hoping to be pregnant :( so feel very sad tonight that is unlikely to happen now with my diagnosis and that i'm 42.

So mixed feelings all around tonight. 

Mich x

 

 

Parents
  • Hello ladies, hope you don't mind me gatecrashing your thread, but I've just read through it all and it's made me feel so much better, your all so nice and posative

    I was diagnosed with triple negative BC in June, I am on my 5 of 8 cycles of chemo, these last four being Carpoplatin and paxataxil, there breaking down the paxataxil to every week, i have my last chemo on 6th January and although we shouldn't wish our lives away, I can't wait, after that it will be surgery and radiotherapy, I have three lymph nodes under my arm and two lymphs under breast, but on last scan the two under breast have cleared, I'd like to ask if any of you on paxataxil oy carboplatin have had fuzzy head, I can't explain it but fuzzy slight dizzy head, I'm at day 10, my other cycle I felt so much better by day 10, it's not really bad but just annoying as I can't drive while feeling like this. Again lovely to read all your posts and really hoping your all feeling well, xxx

  • Hey Davia

    Of course not, welcome to our group that no ones want to join haha!  I was diagnosed in August so just had my 3rd course on Tuesday.  Not feeling too bad at the moment, fingers crossed it stays that way.  I have 1 more of EC then i go onto the carbo / paxo and paxo weekly.  Hope there are no major side affects of these.  How you doing on these drugs, just the dizzyness.  

    I have in my lymph nodes too so will have to have all of them out, little worried about the opp but one day at a time eh.  I'm also waiting on my brca test, guess they will send a letter confirming yay or nay.

    Yeah i could drive for a few days after my second one, felt like i was on drugs all week!

    I managed the cold cap on Tuesday, but hair is thinning quite a bit so not sure if I'll carry on .

    Hugs

    xx

  • Hi Ladies,

    I'm just back from my Oncology appointment and am feeling really gutted. I am having to have 4 months of Capecitabine (Xeloda) which is an oral chemo and will start in about 3 weeks. The side effects sound horrendous. I will still need 4 weeks of radiotheraphy after that. The reason is that althought they said I was clear of cancer, I didn't get a total response which means there is a 20 - 30 % chance of the cancer returning. I haven't stopped crying since I got the news.

    Davia, how did you get on at your Surgeon's appointment?

    Mich, Any date yet for Surgery?

    Claire, how are you recovering?

    Linda, hope you're doing OK.

    Love to you all,

    Sue xx

  • Oh Sue I'm so sorry, what a kick in the teeth, that absolutely sucks. It's good that they're making sure they reduce the risk of it returning but absolutely gutting to have so much more treatment ahead of you. Sending love and hugs and channeling strength your way xx

     

    im ok, thanks. Ended up going to a&e Sunday as I suspected, correctly, that my wounds had become infected. Now on a course of penicillin. Have to see the doctor again before starting radiotherapy which is due to start 23 March.

     

    Davia, hope the appointment went well. I've definitely been having very vivid dreams since starting treatment.

     

    Mich, fabulous that that's the last chemo! How're you feeling? First part of the move is done, I'm at my parents til May. They'll look after my son whilst I go into London each day for rt. I move back to my house in May. Loving being back despite the weather.

     

    Anastasia, hope the recovery is going well. For the most part I didn't find chemo too bad, the last 3 sessions were a bit rough but the first 13 not bad. I didn't bother trying to keep my hair, once it started falling out my boyfriend shaved my head, I also went the headscarf route. I felt quite emotional on the ec chemo and very nauseous. The taxol gave me no side effects at all.

     

    Love to you all x

     

     

  • Hello All, I've just been diagnosed with stage 1 TNBC.  I moved from the UK to The Netherlands recently as well so am completely numb and dealing with a different healthcare system.  Today has been a heart scan, MRI and bloods.  Meeting with oncologist on Thursday and genetic testing next week.  I can't stop googling and fearing the worst.  I'm 43 with an 11 month old baby.

  • Hey ladies, 

    Ah Sue, im sorry to hear that. I rely hope the side effects are non at all, just like when you read the side effects on paracetamol and think WTF should I be taking these! Like Claire said it seems its an extra precaution to eliminate reoccurrence.

    How u feeling today? 

    I saw the consultant yesterday Ana he seems to think I can actually have a lumpactomy! Something I was not expecting. The tumours have shrunk enough for them to operate. They are going to discuss my case again tomorrow with oncology and then give me a call and must decide. Theyll do the opp in about 3 weeks, subject to this virus! 

    So a little confused on what to have. I can't remember did u ladies all have lumpactomy? I'll still need a full node clearance. Apparently they rest the tissue aftrt removing to see if any active cancels cells which gives a percentage of reoccurrence. I wonder if this is how they decided you needed the tablets Sue? 

    I'm OK otherwise just tired. On way to meet up with my boss, don't think I want to go into the office, maybe meet at a coffee shop. 

    Aww sorry to hear that Claire, poor you! Hope it clears up soon. Must be lovely to be near your family again My mom is in South Africa but I have a younger sister here who works at the hospital so often kept me company.

    Quite an emotional rollarcoaster couple of weeks for us ladies. Hang in there, if hugs xxx 

  • Hi Tinysmum

    Love the name! Welcome to the TNBC warriors! And the C group one wants to join but alas we will get there and support each other through it.

    There are a few of us ladies on here that are in various stages of treatment. I've just finished my chemo on Friday so opp next. 

    I'm sure it's all very daunting at the mo, it was for me. I was very numb and didn't cry for ages just went into auto pilot to all the scans and tests, appointments etc 

    I had the genetic test and I'm negative. Please don't Google anything, keep to the official sites. Breast cancer now & macmillan. a lot of into us out of date. 

    Also download the becca app, very informative. 

    Good luck for Thursday. Feel free to rant as much as you like in here! Big hugs xx

     

  • Hi ladies, sorry i've been quiet its taken me the whole 3 weeks since last doxe to feel human, had 5th one friday just gone and feel heaps better side effect wise as i had the dose cut by 10% and extra steroids so fingers crossed it lasts. 

    Last chemo is Friday 27th, realised today they havent sent me home with the setroids for the 3 days so called them as I may be having a telephone consutation with my oncologist on the 23rd due to the coronavirus so wont be able to collect a prescription so they are sending me 1 to boots for friday. 

    Opp pencilled in for Wed 22nd April. lumpectomy as my lump has been well and truely blasted, no sign of it at all .. unless it comes back i am BRCA + then i'll probably opt for preventative surgery with recon.

    Also I have been awarded PIP at long last so thats a big weight off my mind as i am due to go down to half pay at work in 2 weeks.

    Sue i am so sorry to hear you need oral chemo but look at the positives, they are doing everything to redue the risk of it returning, its bloody unfair though when you have been through everything you have so far on this journey, sending you a big virtual hug xx

    Claire I hope youre infection has cleared up and you're starting to heal and feel well.

    Davia i hope your doing ok and the nightmares have stopped.

    Mich FAB news on chemo being completed and your surgery goes ahead as planned.

    Take care ladies xx

  • Hi Anastasia

    Welcome to our friendly group, I hope you are recovering well from your surgery. 

    As Sue said Chemo isnt nice but it is doable, drink plenty of water the day before and day of chemo so your veins behave if you're having it via cannula, i've had 5 this way as chose not to have a Picc line, I have 1 left to go. I'd also suggest calling the helpline after chemo if the meds they send you home with aren't keeping sise effects at bay, they have meds for everything so you dont need to suffer. I was lucky and had none on my 3 FEC but knocked bandy on my 4th Doxetaxol but am ok on this 1 .. I hope it all goes smoothly for you 

    Linda x

  • Hi Ladies,

    it's been a while since I have heard from anyone so I hope you are all doing well? I have been thinking of you all and praying that you all get good news.

    Could anyone tell me if they are going to be getting 3 monthly follow up appointments please? My Oncologist said that there is no real benifit to follow up appointments so I won't be getting monitored, I have to wait for symptoms. I haven't been able to sleep with the worry of getting a recurrance and it not being picked up.

    Love to you all,

    Sue xx

  • Sue I was just thinking this morning that the forum had been quiet. That sounds like bad advice to me. My oncologist in Hong Kong and my oncologist in London have both said 3 monthly check ups for two years and then annual for another 3 years. However, both did say that the 3 monthly check ups would be the blood tests and that not all doctors believe in these, that they don't give a true picture. I'm doing all treatment privately which may be why they're offering to do them. However, you should certainly be getting annual mammograms and ultrasounds. It seems crazy to me not to offer that, people I know that have been treated for bc on the NHS have definitely had annual check ups for 5 or 6 years after.

     

    xx

  • Hi Sue & girls

    I thought it was quiet in here, I replied on the 11th March and had no emails since, My mum went through all this last year and she doesn't get 3 month check ups, infact shes due her 1st year mammogram on Thursday.

    Hope you are all ok while in isolation x

    linda x

Reply Children
  • Hi Linda,

    Sorry I haven't replied to you, I've been feeling pretty low lately. What with no checkups and the registrar telling me I needed more chemo. The oncologist, however, doesn't think oral chemo would be beneficial and I will still have a 20 - 30% chance of a recurrence.

    Did your mum have triple negative breast cancer? The after for that is different to other types of breast cancer.

    I hope you're keeping well.

    Love Sue xx

  • Hi Sue

    Yes mum was triple negative too, she finished all treatment in sept for me to be diagnosed in Nov x

  • Lindylu how awful. Have you both had the BRCA test?

  • Mum wasnt offered it as she was 67 with no family history, I have been tested and am waitihg for my results they said up to 12 weeks so am hoping they arrive sooner rather than later as if i am positive i'll be having preventative surgery with recon. My last chemo is Friday, i have a telephone appointment with my oncologist tomorrow to see if thats going to happen what with the coronavirus. I have had a good response to chemo with the lump going so if i dony have the last 1 i think they will do a lumpectomy as urgent they said then mastectomy once i get results if needed. This virus is awful so i would rather not have last 1 tbh so i can get my immune system back on track x