She is going to MD Anderson for which I am very grateful. And you are correct, she is getting FECx12 after the taxol.

 

I am so thrilled for you that your tumor is shrinking!!!! Sending you great energy!

 

Laurie

She lives 5 minutes from MD Anderson!   Fortunate..given the circumstances.

So, how important is grade?

And how far into the taxol are you?You doing ok with it?

A grade 3 is what most of us has.  It means it is the highest grade which means how fast the cells are growing and how active.  Most of us are grade 3 although we have a handful that are grade 2.

Triple neg bc is a very aggressive bc that is why we must fight with our biggest guns in the beginning.

 

I would like for you to suggest she get Genetic Counseling.  Any family history?  Even if you don't have familial history she still should consider the counseling.  Finding out if you do or do not have the brca 1/2 gene mutation can have an effect on important issues for her to know.  Also you can go go http://www.facingourrisk.org - http://www.facingourrisk.org and learn all there is to know about familial cancer.

If she were to show positive then you and any other siblings might consider the testing for her mutation.  This would be important for the rest of you to know.

 

You can ask us whatever you would like to know and we will do our best.  The women here are very caring, genuinely want to help all of you.

No question is a dumb question.

One other thing I would like to mention is tell her to get copies of any and all path reports, she gets, any tests, scans.  She can go to the medical records office wherever she had these things done and get her own copy.

First of all the docs don't always tell us what all we might want to know.

Secondly it is a great way to to read what this "test result" said so tha we can see if there are any questions.  Then she can start her own file at home. 

 

 

I look forward to your sister joining up with us soon.

 

Best wishes, you both will be in my prayers.

How are you feeling?

I'm touched that you have reached out.

..and we chose the same avatar!

Not sure if my sis will do the test, I will ask.  I've had my hands full with cervical and melanoma.  So I am hesitant to know the answer.  Although information is power.

I can only hope that my sister meets amazing women like you while she is at MD.

Keep at this.  Exercise, nutrition, positive energy for the universe.

I will of course be in Houston and would offer any support I can..New York bagel?

Laurie

 

I am feeling pretty good, thank you for asking.

 

Yes we obviously have something other than tri neg cancer in common!

 

I realize the genetic testing is a very personal issue and I respect you and your sister's feelings on this decision to do or not to do the test.  Maybe at some point down the road you might change our minds.  Do you two have children?

 

Oh dear I did not realize you too are going thru cancer treatments as well.

Bless your heart, your family has more than enough on their plates.

You and your sister will be in my prayers.

 

Are you currently doing Chemotherapy?

 

Sincerely,

I am very fortunate.  I caught my cervical early and am 8 years since surgery!  Hard to believe.  They found melanoma but only in situ so again, I am crossing my fingers. 

My sis and I both have kids.  I have 3 boys  7 yrs old and twin 5's and she has a senior in college!

Wow...

Sending you all good energy!

L

My mom just told me she had swelling, googled it and decided it had gone away.  she went for her annual check up and they found it..in her lymph node under her arm.  It was April 29th. 

Any idea how fast she can get a response?

As i mentionned, she started on Sunday and is scheduled for regular fridays "sessions".

What can I do to support her?  Iwant to email her all of the time.  just to make sure she is still there.  But I will drive her crazy : )

Can I do anything to make her days more comfortable?

I found this list on a few sites...

 

 

 

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/non-small-cell-lung/patient - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/non-small-cell-lung/patient

 

 

That is all I find when googling is for lung cancer.

Could it possibly be chest wall?

 

Keep us updated,

 

The basal aspect of your tumor would require a separate test.  Most of us do not have that test.

 

This forum has been so supportive and helpful! 

Looking at your sister's diagnosis, how does one have lymphovascular invasion with node neg?

Thanks for explaining.  I don't know what my sister's path says.  So far they can't find anything anywhere else so I am glad for that.  I'm just going to believe that your sister has stage 1.  I agree that the waiting is cruel and we need to hold onto what we can, no matter how difficult it seems at times.  And, we need to trust in the oncologist because they have "been there, done that" and don't have the emotion override that we do.

Is your sister nearby?

Cebo, two 4mm nodules were found on my lung in January as well.  I have been told that if it is anything, which they are confident it is not, I will develop symptoms.  It really does not matter if lung mets are found now or later.  Once its there, its there.  It does sound pretty cruel to me also, but I have learned to let that one go.  They are not even following up with additonal scans.  I was told very often scans on a stage 1 person like me turn into a wild goose chase.  One month I might have a lung nodule, then if I were to follow up in 6 months, it might be gone and then something might show on my liver, then I could follow up on that down the road and someting else might be seen, yada, yada, yada.  I was told radiologists need to report every single thing, even if it is a finding that is nothing.  So, I am not insisting on another scan.  I am trying to live in today and to try not to live in the fear.  Stage 1 works for me right now.  I will confess, though, I woke up the other day from a nightmare where I was diagnosed with lung cancer.  In the dream they were were about to tell me if it was a met, or if it was new lung cancer. Then I woke up.   I was truly in a panic when I woke up.  It seemed so real. 

 

Ok, time for bed.  My hubby is at ASCO so I am doing the single Mom thing and I need some sleep. 

 

HUGS!!!!

 

I live in Ontario and in May 2007, at the age of 53, I was diagnosed on biopsy to have TNBC. I was denied neoadjuvant chemotherapy because the tumor was "too small" at 3-cm. I had 3 positive lymph nodes. I went into the States to have second opinion, and baseline scans (they would not do them here). I tried hard to get weekly protocol (you guessed it - they would not do it here). I wanted you to know that at the time of diagnosis and treatment it is almost like an out of body experience, but once the treatments are finished all everything seems to come together and you will regain your life again. Your life is now just on loaner to the treatment protocols for a short time. I certainly hope that you will be able to pick up the pieces faster and easier being comforted by the fact you are receiving care at M.D. Anderson and have the reassurance of knowing if the treatments are working and the opportunity to change the 'game plan'.  For the others who did not have the neoadjuvant chemotherapy - it was a little bit more difficult picking up the pieces of our lives with our fingers crossed hoping the adjuvant chemotherapy worked!

 

I have family and friends in White Rock and Vancouver. Where were you do your nursing?

 

Connie

T2 N1 M0

3-cm tumor, 3 positive nodes

Left-sided mastectomy, dose dose AC + T, 25 rads (fought to have this also - because it was against their policy).

 

Thank you for the notice about the mailbox.

 

Connie