Diagnosed yesterday, triple negative breast cancer

[viktoria]

I suppose I'm still in some kind of shock. I feel fine actually but at the same time I feel like the rug has been pulled from underneath me.

I feel very lucky because I have a break in work and that was the only reason why I bothered contacting my GP about a small lump. Had no other symptoms.
Had a mammogram and ultrasound and was surprised I was told they wanted to do a Biopsie as well.
And yesterday I received the diagnosis.

It's grade 3 but I don't yet know what stage. I'm off to have an MRI done in an hour.

As I said, I feel very lucky that I had it checked out when I did. I also have a supportive husband, and two supportive (young adult) children, 22 and 24,

But obviously I'm also worried. My life will totally change. Hopefully only for the next year. The consultant told me I'll likely have 6 months of chemo and then surgery, and I should expect for all the treatment to take 1 year.
I work freelance and am the main breadwinner so the money side does worry me.
But not as much as the prospect of chemo.
I was wondering if anybody else has had triple negative breast cancer and can share any experiences re chemo

@pinkflowers80i definitely sleep badly when I’m on steroids. And right at the start of my treatment (and before) i also had massive anxiety which messed with my sleep. Funnily enough since i started treatment my anxiety has (nearly) disappeared.

interesting about the cold cap. My hair is much thinner now at the top. I wonder what they’ll say tomorrow at my chemo about it.

all the best for your mum!

@BangersndmashI started doing yoga at Maggie’s at St Bart’s and was given great help for my neuropathy in my feet.
stand or sit and have a tennis ball under your foot. Move the ball following imaginary lines from your big toe to your heel, then back to the next toe, back to your heel etc
It’s done wonders for my neuropathy (which had gotten worse)

Just a general update, in case it’s useful for anybody:
had 4 cycles of EC (and pembro), last one on the 22/4
lost most of my hair
really hit a wall mentally after 3rd EC. Felt utterly despondent. Started a few sessions of counselling (through Future Dreams) which initially helped lots but which i stopped after about 4 sessions. I think i just didn’t really get on with the counsellor

3 weeks after end of chemo my husband and I went to Italy for a week which was lovely.
Feel like my tastebuds have come back. Water tastes normal again.
Felt increasingly stronger
1/6 I had surgery, lumpectomy and removal of 4 lymph nodes. Since then I feel very fatigued; healing seems to go well but I’ve developed a seroma under my armpit which is annoying rather than painful, but i hope i can have it drained

My hair is slowly growing again, no bald patches anymore, but i still am a few months away from when i can imagine going out without a scarf or hat on. which still upsets me.

I am cautiously optimistic that the hardest part might be past now.

next steps will be radiotherapy and then standalone immunotherapy. Possibly more surgery.

Tomorrow I’m getting my results. Don’t feel too anxious as I managed to stay quite pragmatic throughout. This time!
No need to worry as it won’t change anything, other than ruin my day

Hi, thanks for the update. I’m having double mastectomy with reconstruction soon. Bricking it but hey ho.

also having radio and immuno post surgery. We walk a very similar path. For me, post chemo I’m still really struggling with mouth ulcers/dry mouth and AWFUL pigmentation on my skin, I just feel like a bag of ferrets.

A friend of mine had her double mastectomy and reconstruction (she got implants) 3 days before i had my surgery and even though what she had was much more extensive than what i had, i feel our recovery is pretty much the same.

i was so anxious before my surgery. The day before my whole body hurt. I felt like i was coming down with a flu. But no temperature. But I was thinking “do i need to cancel the surgery?”
On the day of the surgery I woke up and felt absolutely fine. It was all “just” anxiety.
I hope if there’s one thing i can take away from all this then hopefully it is “don’t waste energy to worry about it beforehand. It never is as bad as you imagine”
remind me of that next time I come to a hurdle hahaha!

Right after my last EC, I was thinking “now I get why they only give you 4 of these”
It really felt like any more chemo would just break me. Weird as I can’t pin it on one specific side effect.

How annoying with the mouth ulcers. Can the cancer nurses not suggest anything?

End of chemo is such a big achievement. Please give yourself credit for it. You did it. Once surgery is over it’s another massive chapter behind you.

all the very best!

I hope you are still doing well? How did your results go and surgery recovery x