Just found out triple neg - help pls.

Linda,

You have come to the right place and will learn much from the ladies on this board.  Triple negative is not gloom and doom.  Many more women survive it than do not, and your early stage diagnosis is a good sign as well.

I was diagnosed three years ago with three triple negative tumors in one breast.  I had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and am living disease free three years later.  I even ran the Boston Marathon one year after chemo and my oncologist feels very good about my long term prognosis.

Take things one step at a time.  Don't project yourself into a situation you are not in, and that you may never be in. 

Take a deep breath, return to these boards to ask questions, get support and learn.  Ask you doctor questions, get second opinions and pray. 

Here is a link to another site which shows some articles about the triple negative diagnosis.

I'll pray for your health and that you find peace as you go through this.  Just remember, take it one step at a time. 

http://nosurrenderbreastcancerhelp.org/page9/page18/page18.html

Cathy

Cathy and Nancy - bless you both and much hugs.  I feel better already.  I just feel so alone and scared right now.  Almost feel as though whatever I do will be a losing battle.  I am never this negative a person and am hoping that with a few days of ativan in me, I will snap back and want to fight, rather than just wanting to dig a hole and jump in.  You both have given me a glimmer of hope, as everything I read seems to negative when you are triple neg.  I can't thank you enough for your responses.  I am a widow raising my 13 yr. old grand-daughter and I just want to live to see her and my other little grands grow up.  I know I am not anymore special than anyone else, but this new news has just set me on my a$$.  Thanks again for being there for me. 

Linda,

Thank you all, my dear new friends.  You have all made me feel so much better.  Haven't met with onc yet so I don't know what's in store as I'm having my lumpectomy and sentinal node testing on March 25, and when  that pathology report comes in, BS will forward to onc.  But I will certainly let you know as soon as I find out.  The best of wishes and luck and tons of support and love to each of you.  Good luck Janet - shrink that sucker to hell!

Edited by LRM216 - Mar 18 2009 at 9:04pm

Linda:  I am just a few years younger than you but was no less surprised/angry when I was diagnosed on March 8,  2007...I just finished reading all the posts since you first posted here...and I alternatively laughed and cried -- what a remarkable group of tough smart women here!!   Do take things one day at a time.  I have always been a Type A planner and goal-maker...looking ahead... when I was diagnosed, however, I just told myself that I would take off six months from 'biz as usual'  to fight this cancer monster.  Gave myself permission to cut slack on everything else and just focus on post-lumpectomy treatment.  Don't get  me wrong -- I DID work 40 hrs a week at my job thru out treatment [8 chemo's and 33 rads] since my husband resigned a job to come back to MN to keep me company thruout the ordeal-- and our health insurance was thru my job... but this all can be done.  It isn't easy--there will be hell days but there will also be some clarity and re-prioritizing of what's important in your life... so get ready for a very big fork in the road of life but some very positive experiences as well... some surprising angels around you will perform random acts of kindness when you least expect it [ie, my hair had been gone for about two months when, in a grocery store, a handsome man walked up to me and told me how beautiful I looked that day in my scarf--wished me well and said his wife was 5 years out with no recurrence and he was SURE I would get there too] -- stay plugged in to this sight...lots of support and wisdom here... welcome...by the way I am exactly two years NED (no evidence of disease) now and it does get easier, even if the old fears pop up now and then... Dori

Hi Linda,

To my wonderful new sisters Diane and Pam:  I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful and insightful posts to me.  As I have been wracked with fear and more fear, I can honestly say that you both have uplifted my spirit to a point of making me feel human and alive again.  For this I can't thank you enough.  The information is all so very informative and I will follow every word of it.  I am scheduled for my lumpectomy and sentinal node biopsy next wednesday the 25th of March, so I am busy preparing for it while working until that time and raising my 13 year old grand-daughter, but will post as soon as I have it all done and come up for air.  I can honestly say this is the first time in a few days that I have been able to take a breath and realize there is hope - and I owe this wonderful feeling to you fine, fine friends.  I wish for you both all good things and succesful healthy futures.

Love,

Linda

Got it all, Nancy and so much thanks again!  Love to Lori.

Linda

 

Hi Linda!  Welcome to this safe haven.  My sister was diagnosed with TNBC in November 2008 at age 45 and for the first 6-8 weeks after her diagnosis I was depressed, panicked and overcome with fear.  Like you, I had read about how "bad" TNBC is and my mind automatically went to the worst case scenario-- it didn't help that much of what you read on the internet about TNBC always talks about a "poor prognosis" with little attempt to discuss or differentiate among the many other variables and factors that make each person's diagnosis and prognosis individual to them.  Anyway, we all know this is a challenging disease, but Cathy's (cweed's) advice is so true and really hits home for me too (thanks Cathy!), for those days when my mind wanders over to that dark place:  Don't project yourself into a situation you're not in and may never be in! (I know it's hard not to do that, but I think it's really important to try to follow that advice.)  As you firm up your diagnosis, stage and treatment plan, and gain more information, I am sure a lot of that fear will change into hope and action on your road to recovery.     

You will gain so much great information from this forum and, equally important, incredible inspiration and support.   It has been a godsend for me and I hope one day my sister will be ready to join too.

Best of luck on the 25th and please let us know what happens.

All the best,
Josie

Hi 58 TNBC .... I was writing an introduction and than read what you wrote Pam, all's I can say is I feel exactly like Linda and probably all of you here. I was told I had breast cancer Feb 9th; had a double mastecomy March 9th. No cancer in the right breast, 2.7cm tumor in my left breast, no cancer in the surrounding breast tissue, no cancer in the lymph nodes. I only learned this past Tues. that I had TNBC, my surgical oncologist mentioned the words Triple Negetive but that was it; she did not elaborate on the term TNBC. In my case, it has been like; every corner I turn; there is another person punching me in the gut! When I looked up the term TNBC I too feel like calling the Under Taker  

Unlike Linda both my parents died of cancer, and I thought I knew all about it from a caregiver’s angle. But it's quite different when you are given those 3 little words. To coin what someone else said "It use to be I Love You were the most powerful words ever spoken, but today (for me) it is: "YOU'VE GOT CANCER".

 

I have my first Oncolgist appt. March 25th, and I sure could use some information, and the right questions to ask! Because what I've found so far is if you don't know the right questions you don't get the right information! So I sure would appreciate any and all help. Thank you all in advance!

 

OH OH !Also if I could ask.... as I said I had a double mastecomy, the only one that has seen my incision's since the surgery is the nurse that removed my drainage bulbs. My biggest concern is the swelling under the arm pits and now swelling where the incisions were. Is that all normal? Is there anything that can be done for the swelling?

 

Thank you again,

Bev