My sister, my rock

Thank you Pam and Dawn. I will check the resources out tonight. No it is definitely not lung cancer and they have looked thoroughly for that. This is a biopsy of the breast cancer and cancer does not mets to the breast, is what I was told. I just hope if is not even worse and am just abit scared to look.
Donna

I know Pam. This has been nagging at me as well. No it is not chest wall. At least on the MRI it says it is not in the chest wall. I see the surgeon on Mon so will ask as he will likely be able to tell me. I only get lung cancer googling what the pathology says. It is actually the pathology from the lymph node. The breast biopsy does not say anything about non small cell or basal or anything. Is that odd?
Donna

LaurieP your experience plus love will be a huge support for your sister.  She is lucky to have you.

Hi Laurie--I'm a little late in replying but wanted to welcome you and let you know that my sister is my best friend too - she was diagnosed with TNBC in Dec 2008, completed chemo at the end of April, and is halfway through her radiation treatment.  It was quite a blow when I learned she was Triple Neg--something I told her and discovered through my own research, by the way, before her doctors did.  Anyway, I have found this site to be a great source of information and support, something I think you have already discovered.  As others have said to me before, and I am sure you agree, there is nothing so fierce and devoted as a sister fighting for her sister!  Best of luck to you and your sister on this journey--I look forward to hearing about your sister's progress through this forum.  

I start my treatments next week at MD Anderson and the plan is 12 weekly treatments of Taxol followed by FAC every 3 weeks for 12 weeks.My impression is the Taxol is a treatment with fewer side effects than the FAC. Is this true/

Cebo,

Hi everyone. On my CT scan there was a shado on my T10. One oncologist said he was not going to chase it because it was too small to biopsy anyways. Every article I read about a "lytic shadow on T10" inidcated mets and that this is a likely place etc etc. My breast oncologist is very thorough so did an MRI. I had it done on a Fri evening and did well over the weekend managing to hold it together. I did not have an appt with the breast oncologist until Thurs. By Tues I could not eat as it just washed over me. I did not do well with the whole diagnostic time period. I imagined the worst, dreamt about it, lost weight etc. So Tues I walked down and requested a copy of the MRI results not expecting to get them from medical records. They gave them to me. It was a hemangioma whcih is a birthmark on my spine. I am glad we know what it is. I also thanked God I was stage 2b. I know this could change with one diagnostic test down the road. This is what we live with. But right now I am thankful to be where I am and like sara trying not to live in fear. I am reading a good book called "Picking up the Pieces" it is a little early for me as I am only halfway through chemo but I am feeling like I want to pick up some of the pieces in my life. I have to figure out how to put my demographic profile in.

Donna
Stage 2b TN, 1.6 cm. 1 lymph node for sure
12 weekly taxol done, start FAC June 4th
Surgery and maybe rads after FAC 

Hi Connie. I am a nurse manager (I prefer the term leader) in Kelowna. I have lots of years of ICU experience as well as street nursing. I had a similar experience but different (as in very disempowering) as you upon diagnosis. You would not believe what happened! Hence my reason for immediately coming here. I sometimes feel like I have PTSD from the experience. I will fly back and forth to complete the treatment plan here at MD Anderson. If you know how to email me on my home email I can let you know what my experience was. I have worries about the care women get in Canada. Especially in smaller centres. I know there is no emotional care. I do not know what other centres experience but I have a colleague who is working on her Masters in the area of the diagnostic cascade and women's experiences with breast cancer. She is in Canada. It is definitely disempowering. Some centres I believe are very good as well though.  I am doing a practicum for my Masters in June. I hope I can handle it. They are an amazing group of nurses. I arranged all of this before Christmas. Plus it is one hour from where my son is in Comox doing his search and rescue SARTEK with the military. Anyways these nurses are the kind of people who will embrace me and all I am going through. I know they will be gentle and caring. It will be me who will be hard on myself and if I am sick I will have to to do everything to be gentle and caring to myself. As this is a priority and if I have to let this learning experience go then something else will come up when I am stronger. So far all of my blood counts have held up amazingly. My Hgb has only dropped by 1 gram from 132 to 120 or 13.2 to 12.0 depending on which system you are on. My WBC remain in the normal range. I eat a big spinach salad everyday, lots of chicken and lots of yoghurt and fresh fruit. Even liver once a week. I have no idea if this helps. I have heard the FAC knocks your HGB and WBC down. Anyways I am rambling on.

Donna

Hi Donna--I am so glad your test result was good--I understand the docs not wanting to chase every little thing, but I do wonder whether this attitude makes as much sense for women with TNBC.  In the majority of cancers, the cancer is slow growing, so it may be you can watch and wait; but with TNBC, if you wait for symptoms, it can be too late!  But I know that for now that is all we can do, so we will wait and I will continue to pray.

Good Morning Donna,