triple negative confused

johnnypatty
johnnypatty Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
have been recently diagnosed with ttt. caught early - .7cm grade 3 - just started chemo last week and is not as bad as "red devil" has been portrayed. new to this and need some contacts - thanks patty

Comments

  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #2
    Hi Patty. I am not triple
    Hi Patty. I am not triple negative so I can't answer any questions about it. I am sure some of the bc survivors here that are will help you. Good luck!

    Leeza
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #3
    jnl said:

    Hi Patty. I am not triple
    Hi Patty. I am not triple negative so I can't answer any questions about it. I am sure some of the bc survivors here that are will help you. Good luck!

    Leeza

    Hi Patty,
    I'm triple negative. Had 2.7cm grade 3, clean nodes in Sentinel Biopsy. Just finished 4 cycles of Cytoxin/Taxotere on 12-11. No rads due to no cancer cells found in breast tissue after mastectomy.

    You read and hear a lot of negative about triple negative bc. Don't let it frighten you. It is an agressive cancer, but chemo loves agressive cancer cells. There are quite a few others on this site that are also TNBC and have been out of treatment for quite a while. I'm glad that for me treatment is over and I don't have to face 5 years of Tamoxofin (sp) or the other drugs similiar.

    What specific questions do you have? I found a lot of info on the Mayo Clinic website and otehrs thru Google. There is a book on bc that a lot of others swear by for it's great info, maybe someone else reading this can give you it's name, I think its by Dr. Susan Love.

    Everyone here is ready to help you, be a shoulder to cry on or lean on when you need it.

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • Stages
    Stages Member Posts: 8
    #4
    I too am Triple Neg.
    I just joined this site awhile back but have never posted. I too am a triple negative. I have had my lumpectomy and sentinel node plus 8 more taken. Mine was 2cm stage 1 0/nodes involved on first pathology report received 2/08. They decided to redo the testing so go back for final path report on 2/18. Will find out my treatment plan and am scared to death. I know that chemo is pretty much a norm for us so just waiting to find out when it starts. I had my surgery on 2/3. Does anyone know how long after surgery chemo is started? thanks for any help or advice. Cyn
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #5
    Patty, I just wanted to
    Patty, I just wanted to welcome you to this site. I am not triple negative either but there are many ladies here that are. We're here to support each other and share our experiences in fighting this beast. Welcome and ask any questions you have and someone will come along that has had the experience and share that with you. Good luck on your journey!
  • Chrispea
    Chrispea Member Posts: 123 Member
    #6
    I'm triple negative
    but honestly, don't know much about it.

    I'm doing 8 rounds of chemo first, then surgery. I'll have last chemo March 3.

    My lump is big, 4.5 cm. I can't wait to get it out!
  • LadyParvati
    LadyParvati Member Posts: 328
    #7
    Me, too!
    Hi, Patty,

    Welcome to the Sisterhood! Not that you wanted to join this club--I know! Still, when circumstances force you to join, you find that there are wonderful, wonderful survivors here!

    I am triple negative also. My tumor was 1.9 cm at the largest, also grade three. I had a lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy, and my nodes were clear. As of this afternoon, I will be halfway through 8 rounds of chemo--finishing my last/fourth round of Adriamycin/Cytoxin (A/C) today. Next I'll do four rounds of a taxane, then on to radiation.

    My experience with the "red devil" hasn't been as bad as others' either. Still, I don't look forward to chemo day! I know that I'll be feeling sluggish & queasy for the rest of the week. However, I also know that I will survive! Every round of chemo kills off more of the beast; let's kill our beasts together!

    What kind of questions do you have for us? If there is any way we can help you get through this, we will! You're welcome to PM me if you prefer, too.

    Hang in there! Sandy
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #8
    MyTurnNow said:

    Patty, I just wanted to
    Patty, I just wanted to welcome you to this site. I am not triple negative either but there are many ladies here that are. We're here to support each other and share our experiences in fighting this beast. Welcome and ask any questions you have and someone will come along that has had the experience and share that with you. Good luck on your journey!

    Hi Stages
    I had a simple mastecomy on 9-11 and my first chemo on 10-9. It's amazing how fast you heal. I did not have any more nodes removed because I got neg nodes in the Sentinel Node test on 8-6 when I had a second excisional biopsy. My chemo was Cytoxin/Taxotere and I had 4 chemo infusions ending 12-11. I do not have to have radiation because there were no cancer cells found in the breast tissue after the mastecomy and my nodes were clean.

    I will be seeing my onc every three mo to begin with and it will taper off as time goes by but she said eventually I will see her yearly and that will be forever (which I think is a good thing). I am still seeing my surgeon for follow-ups. I probably will for a while, I still have my port and hope to keep it for as long as I can because I absolutely have no veins and blood tests can be impossible. My only good vein is in my right arm and that is the side that the Sentinel Node biopsy was done on and I can no longer have blood pressure or blood draws from that arm because of possible problems with Lymphodema. Your surgeon and onc should be telling you about that. When I would be in the hospital, they marked my arm and put a big sheet of paper above my bed saying "No right arm".

    Hopes this helps a little. There are so many questions and things that pop up. All of the things I've just said are standard procedures for all bc, not just TNBC. Everyone here is more than willing to answer all questions and give support. It's a big, scary journey you both are beginning but doable and it does end one day...

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • Stages
    Stages Member Posts: 8
    #9
    Skeezie said:

    Hi Stages
    I had a simple mastecomy on 9-11 and my first chemo on 10-9. It's amazing how fast you heal. I did not have any more nodes removed because I got neg nodes in the Sentinel Node test on 8-6 when I had a second excisional biopsy. My chemo was Cytoxin/Taxotere and I had 4 chemo infusions ending 12-11. I do not have to have radiation because there were no cancer cells found in the breast tissue after the mastecomy and my nodes were clean.

    I will be seeing my onc every three mo to begin with and it will taper off as time goes by but she said eventually I will see her yearly and that will be forever (which I think is a good thing). I am still seeing my surgeon for follow-ups. I probably will for a while, I still have my port and hope to keep it for as long as I can because I absolutely have no veins and blood tests can be impossible. My only good vein is in my right arm and that is the side that the Sentinel Node biopsy was done on and I can no longer have blood pressure or blood draws from that arm because of possible problems with Lymphodema. Your surgeon and onc should be telling you about that. When I would be in the hospital, they marked my arm and put a big sheet of paper above my bed saying "No right arm".

    Hopes this helps a little. There are so many questions and things that pop up. All of the things I've just said are standard procedures for all bc, not just TNBC. Everyone here is more than willing to answer all questions and give support. It's a big, scary journey you both are beginning but doable and it does end one day...

    Hugs, Judy :-)

    Tirple neg
    Hi Judy, Thanks for the response. I just know I am totally lost and confused in this. I hope I will feel more informed and in the know after my 2nd path report on 2/18. I think knowing exactly what I am dealing with and the treatment plan will help me alot. I wish that I was told I was triple before my lumpectomy and I would have chosen mastectomy instead.

    Thanks Cyn
  • jean m b
    jean m b Member Posts: 6
    #10
    i AM TRIPLE NEGATIVE STAGE 3b
    hI - UGH! confusion is a mild word to describe the way cancer lets you feel , let alone TNBC. There is a website/forum for TNBC cancer specifically. It is TNBCfoundation.org. You'll find lots of people there. I'm listed as jean m b and would love to chat!
  • pinkkari09
    pinkkari09 Member Posts: 877
    #11
    WelIIIccome Patty
    I too am TNBC Stage IIIc. I have completed 15 out of 16 rounds of chemo and just had surgery on 2-11. After I heal up from this surgery, I will be doing 30 rounds of radiation. When I first started researching TNBC I was pretty much freaking out, however; the wonderful people on here gave me what I needed to see that I was going to be ok. Our cancer is a little more aggressive, and reoccurs more frequently but it is still beatable just like any other kind. Don't focus on the odds of it coming back, but focus on the odds of it not. I'm here if you have any questions, I'm plugging right along and so can you!!
    Big Cyber Hugs,
    Kari
  • hhfheidi
    hhfheidi Member Posts: 2
    #12
    pinkkari09 said:

    WelIIIccome Patty
    I too am TNBC Stage IIIc. I have completed 15 out of 16 rounds of chemo and just had surgery on 2-11. After I heal up from this surgery, I will be doing 30 rounds of radiation. When I first started researching TNBC I was pretty much freaking out, however; the wonderful people on here gave me what I needed to see that I was going to be ok. Our cancer is a little more aggressive, and reoccurs more frequently but it is still beatable just like any other kind. Don't focus on the odds of it coming back, but focus on the odds of it not. I'm here if you have any questions, I'm plugging right along and so can you!!
    Big Cyber Hugs,
    Kari

    timeframe for starting chemo
    Cyn,

    If I recall correctly the time between surgery and the start of chemo can't be more than 81 days. I remember thinking that sounded like such an arbitrary number but when I asked my oncologist he said it had to do with the cell division cycle. At any rate, ask your doc, as my recollection of 81 may not be exact. There *is* a timeframe for starting it though, and that's what's important to know.
  • Stages
    Stages Member Posts: 8
    #13
    hhfheidi said:

    timeframe for starting chemo
    Cyn,

    If I recall correctly the time between surgery and the start of chemo can't be more than 81 days. I remember thinking that sounded like such an arbitrary number but when I asked my oncologist he said it had to do with the cell division cycle. At any rate, ask your doc, as my recollection of 81 may not be exact. There *is* a timeframe for starting it though, and that's what's important to know.

    Different diagnoses today
    I posted before about being triple neg but found out to day they did a 2nd path test and confirmed that one that I am no longer a triple neg. My path report now reads stage 1c 0/nodes grade3 er- pr+ her2 neg. In a sense that was a relief but still have to fight the battle with the chemo x4 and 30/rads and now have meds availble to me.Thanks to you that responded to me. Will fight the fight with an attitude and will come out on the other side. Hugs and prayers to all of you. Cyn
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #14
    Stages said:

    Different diagnoses today
    I posted before about being triple neg but found out to day they did a 2nd path test and confirmed that one that I am no longer a triple neg. My path report now reads stage 1c 0/nodes grade3 er- pr+ her2 neg. In a sense that was a relief but still have to fight the battle with the chemo x4 and 30/rads and now have meds availble to me.Thanks to you that responded to me. Will fight the fight with an attitude and will come out on the other side. Hugs and prayers to all of you. Cyn

    Cyn
    Good news, Cyn! Thanks for posting. I am so glad for you. You will be fine through the chemo and rads. Keep coming here for info and advice as you will always find others here ready and eager to help. Hope you will keep us updated.

    All the best to you,
    Moopy

Discussion Boards