I've been lurking in the forums since I was diagnosed Dec. 9, 2019 and have found so much useful information. So thank you!
My lump was found during a regular physical on Dec. 3. Knowing me so well, my PCP set up my mammogram for that afternoon and they ended up doing a biopsy that day. It took the pathologist several days to sign off on the type -- which was not what anyone expected since I'm 55 with no known family history (did learn later my paternal great-grandmother had a breast removed due to cancer but it was not the cause of her death). I, like everyone, spent the first few weeks in shock reading all the negatives of TNBC. This forum was a blessing in learning it's not an automatic death sentence.
My tumor was 1.2 cm according to the ultrasound and 1.4 according to the MRI (which found no other concerns). The medical oncologist I consulted said surgery first, as did both surgeons I consulted (and the medical oncologist one of the surgeons also consulted). Their reasoning was a hope that it might actually fall under the 1 cm size because it was encased in some sort of mucinous material. Genetic testing was negative. I really wanted it out, so I had a lumpectomy Jan. 6 (it was 1.2 cm with no node involvement) and started chemo on Feb. 5. 4x dose dense AC to be followed by 4x dose dense taxol. One of my AC treatments had to be pushed back a week when I got Flu A, so yesterday was my first taxol treatment with 3 more to go.
I've done ok so far -- no real nausea, just extremely tired and some heaviness in my chest for a few days. I tried the Penquin cold caps but have lost a large portion of my hair so decided to forgo for the taxol treatments in hopes I'll not lose more with it. I did ice my hands and feel for the taxol and so far, so good.
I am trying to get myself in a better routine with the supplements I'm taking to help with all the side effects. My oncologist has signed off on everything I've asked about, but given no guidelines on amounts or if I should not take them during certain days of chemo (which I just read recently in the forum post here not to take the day before, day of or two days after). I'll make a separate post about what I've been taking -- B6 is what I'm adding for the taxol and now see a recommendation for l-glutamine.
------------- dx 12-10-19 | age 55 | TNBC stage IB grade 3 | 1.2 cm 0/2 nodes | BRCA- | lumpectomy 1-6-20 | ACx4 started 2-5-20 finished 3-26-20 | Taxol x4 started 4-9-20 finished 5-21-20 | 20 rads finished 7-20-20
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