TNBC- terrified of spread

[Sekhahdjcd]

Hi all, wondered if anyone was currently going through/has gone through treatment for yriple negative breast cancer?

Im 38 with two young kids and start chemo tomorrow. Have about a 5cm tumour plus a couple of lymph nodes involved. Had a CT which was clear but that was about 4 weeks ago and am terrified its spread in that time. Terrified in general to be honest. Can anyone talk some calm and perspective into me? Thanks

hello, I’ve posted on a few of these boards. I am literally - you - but almost 12 months ahead.

triple negative breast cancer, finished my chemo in May. Just had a double mastectomy with recon and discharged from the hospital a week ago. I also have had my lymph nodes removed.

i also have 2 under 4.

chemo is awful but manageable. The last set of chemo, EC, is the absolute pits. And surgery is really bloody difficult recovery wise with two very young kids. What I will say is with help it’s manageable. I couldn’t do any of this without family and friends helping. But I’m out the other side, just waiting to heal then have radio.

i am assuming you will have all of this since your TNBC as this is the general set route. Please feel free to ask any questions. You can do this mama! Our body is amazing.

are you also having genetic testing? I recommend you do.

Oh and in terms of talking calm into you. The response to my treatment has been bloody amazing. Totally removed the cancer from the breast. Still shown in lymph nodes but not sure what they could see from a scan so it’s being biopsied. BUT the treatment, along with the immunotherapy and everything else they hit you with, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. There is, trust me.

Thank you so much for your response and congratulations on getting through the year! Thats incredible that you had such a good response to treatment.

Its good to know im not alone. It's feels so scary having this 'aggressive' cancer and just imagining it becoming incurable. It doesnt help that a lot of people (myself included before now) are quite blase about breast cancer now and keep telling me I'll be fine and not to worry. I know the prognosis is lot better than it used to be, even for TNBC, but its still much scarier than not having cancer!

Do you have to do immunotherapy after radiotherapy or are you done after that?

So;
chemo and immuno
surgery
radiation
immununotherapy

thats the shopping list order 😃

it’s petrifying. Very scary. I really wanted to freeze my eggs as well but they told me they wouldn’t recommend me waiting but obviously, you have to make these decisions for yourself they can’t force you to do anything.

i was also terrified of WAITING. Just the time waiting to get the chemo started, I was strangely looking forward to every chemo session as it made me feel I was getting better. It really is a bloody rollercoaster. Are you doing a cold cap? I would recommend you take some headphones and watch something, or take a kindle. Good luck I hope tomorrow goes OK as can be. You aren’t alone.

@Sekhahdjcd good luck tomorrow. I also begin the first of six rounds 3 weeks apart tomorrow xx

The waiting is just the worst isnt it! I was first diagnosed at the beginning of June but it feels like a lifetime has passed since then. And like your boob is a ticking time bomb.

Im on the same regime as you, its chunky isnt it! I was expecting them to say they could give me a lumpectomy, maybe a bit of radio and on my way...!

Ah good luck, hope it all goes ok.

It is, but it’s there because it warrants a good reaction. Are you being genetically tested? Have you thought about your surgery? Or is that all abit too early?

Hope today goes as OK as you can expect. You will be in good hands.