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Alaisha View Drop Down
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    Posted: Aug 16 2019 at 9:20pm
I am so grateful to find this site. I am 48 years old with two grown daughters who have been so supported. I was diagnosed recently August 1 with having cancer in the left breast. I am triple negative. The lump is 3.6 cm and it's in the duct not the lymph node.  I am still having test done. I still have the genetic test to finish and the MRI biopsy to check tissue in my right breast. My first visit with the Oncologist was today. My daughter and I left the visit still not knowing much about the chemotherapy.  All we know is that she was going to start me on the full sha-bang, whatever that means. She spent more time trying to get us to make a decision about a clinical trial called Immunotherapy.

When I left her office I went straight to the appointment office and asked for a new Oncologist. We found out the doctor I had just saw was a new Doctor. It made sense why she was so excited to be giving me the full sha-bang. 

I see the new Oncologist August 30th. One thing I can say the nurses and Doctors at Kaiser have been moving really quick. I feel comfortable with the surgeon that will be performing the lumpectomy.  

Since finding out I've had one bad day it was after seeing the surgeon that it hit me I had breast cancer. 

For those who have done chemo, were you able to still work while doing chemo?
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Marymom View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Marymom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 16 2019 at 10:00pm
Alaisha,

Sorry to see you here.  This site was very good for me during treatment.  I did not work during AC.  But I worked everyday with taxol and had no problem.  I took off one day a week for the infusion and then worked the next four days...I have an office job and did not come in contact with a lot of people and if an office mate was sick...they stayed away.  I worked everyday during radiation...I would leave the office and get my treatment and go back to work..that was for one month.

I was very tired during AC.  I never got sick...but, I slept for days.  With taxol I was really fine.

Work was a good thing...it kept my mind busy.  I realize everyone is different.  One day at a time works well for us.  We are stronger than we think. 

❤️Marymom
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Meadow View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Meadow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2019 at 11:56am
I did 4 rounds of AC, one infusion every other week, and then 4 rounds of Taxol, again one infusion every other week. I worked full time except for the infusion days. I had my infusions on Fridays and felt well enough to work by Monday. With AC, I fell really lousy from about mid-day Saturday through mid-day Sunday and still not great for a couple days after that. With Taxol, I did not feel ill at all, but I was tired a lot and needed more sleep. I had some manageable side effects, like mild mouth sores and anemia with AC and mild neuropathy with Taxol. I found that exercising really helped. I kept up my normal exercise routine. Even if you feel crappy, try some exercise every day, even if it's just a walk. You can always stop if you are no up to it, but you may find it makes you feel better. That was my experience.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Marymom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2019 at 1:45pm
Meadow...is correct-exercise is good.  Pace yourself and do what you can, it really helps.
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Penny View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Penny Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 18 2019 at 11:15pm
Hi there,

I did work through my treatments (chemo, radiation and reconstruction).  For me the hardest part was the fatigue (during chemo).  I didn't work on the day of my infusion since it was a 5 hour drip procedure.  Radiation was a walk in the park compared to chemo.  I would say the "thought" of chemo was really scary and as you are walking through it you begin to feel better.  The fear of the unknown was the worst.  I remember so vividly being scared to death.  I did not like my medical oncologist at all but had to get into chemo quickly so I stayed with him through the infusions.  Once I had my final CT scan and was off to radiation I released him from my after care and scooted to a new med oncologist.  Super happy I made that choice.  Try and be calm and know that all of us have walked your path and are sill on this site coaching and seeking guidance years later.  YOU WILL get through this, just know that.  Hang tough sister!!  

Penny 
DX IDC, TNBC 12/7/16 (age 55), Stage 1a Grade 2, .6cm, 0/1 nodes, Lumpectomy & node dissection 12/22/16, BRCA1&2 negative 1/23/17 Chemo TC. Chemo completed 3/28/17. 30 RADs completed 6/6/17.

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Kellyless View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kellyless Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2019 at 12:29am
Welcome Alaisha, so glad you found us but sorry for your diagnosis. I'm also sorry you didn't like your first medical oncologist. A second opinion is always recommended, I'm glad you've got one lined up.
It sounds like the Dr. Was talking about an immunotherapy clinical trial. My best bet is that it's the Keynote trial, using the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. Just two weeks ago they posted preliminary results and it's very good so far. A good friend of mine had similar stats as you, she got a full pathological complete response, we refer to that as pCR. One thing they do know For sure with our disease, if you get a PCR from chemo before surgery, and the results of your surgery show that all the cancer is dead, you have a significantly higher chance of not having a recurrence, and a higher chance at long term survial. It's actually a viable option.I
Even just doing chemo without the immunotherapy trial, usually doing chemo FIRST is the best option with TNBC. 3.6 is a sizeable tumor, you would be greatly benefited from having it shrunk with chemo before you do surgery. There's multiple reasons. The possibility of a pCR, the best outcome there is of co urse. But I think most important is that without the tumor, you have no idea if the chemo you are taking is killing  your tumor, your particular cancer. If your chemo is shrinking your tumor, you know it's killing any cancer in your body. And lastly, you will have a much smaller partial mastectomy after you've done chemo. A tumor that size will be big lumpectomy (a lumpectomy is actually called a partial mastectomy.) It May feel like you just want it out!!! But I would not agree to surgery until you've talked to a medical oncologist you trust. Weigh the pros and cons carefully. We've had a lot of women come thru here that deeply regret doing surgery first. I
On AC I took the week after the treatment off, then was able to work the second week. With Taxol I usually took 3 days off including the infusion day, but I did chemo on Fridays, had the weekend then took Mon-Tue off. Everyone is different! 
Kelly.
IDC, 2.2 cm, Stage IIb,lumpectomy 1/30/09 ACx4,Tx4 36 rads
6/1/16 Local recurrence same breast, same spot 1.8cm Carb.4x every 3 wks, Taxol 12x once wk. Dbl Mast. PCR!! Reconstruction fail, NED!
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Alaisha View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alaisha Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2019 at 6:15pm
Thank you Marymom I will take it one day at a time.
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Alaisha View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alaisha Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2019 at 6:20pm
Thanks Penny. The week days I am good but then the weekends comes and my mind goes to whats' to come. 
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Marymom View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marymom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 19 2019 at 9:26pm
My advice on the weekends...I found them hard too!  So, I would cook, bake and tackle hard recipes!  Really hard ones! I would do puzzles and the silliest crafts!   Just to keep my mind Busy!

So, I started this angel project and all I did was bake these angel cookies...I baked them for my doctors, nurses, friends and I would tell people...it was my angel project...I even said my prayers while I baked them.  I prayed for us all!  The cookies were not fancy, just sugar cookie cutouts..all different sizes and then I would wrap them in pretty paper and powder sugar them and give them away.

My point...do something mindless. Bake, binge tv. When your mind goes to that place...lead it away!

You are strong, you are beautiful, you can do this!




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