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InvasiveTriple Negative Breast Cancer

I'm 34 and was diagnosed last year on the 3rd of August 2012 (my 10th year wedding anniversary) with triple negative breast cancer. My consultant said that I had caught it early so was suggested that I had a lumpectomy and have 24 lymph nodes removed. For extra precaution I had to do 6 rounds of FEC-T chemo and 4 weeks of radio, which I done. I then thought that that was me finished and I had won. While waiting for my 6 week check-up I found a lump on my neck. I phoned my oncologist who sent me for a PET scan which showed that I had a large mass and that while I was getting chemo other tumours in my neck were growing which meant that the chemo was ineffective. I then had to go on and have 5 weeks of radio in the hope that it would kill it off. While I was reaching the end of the radio I noticed that my breast didn't look right so again I phoned my breast consultant and she took a fan of biopsies and then I was told that the cancer had moved and was in my breast again. I started another chemo only this time it was a clinical trial which was 6 rounds of Carboplatin Chemo. I finished that on 12th of November and got scanned only again to be told that the tumours had grown not by much they were 5cm now there 18cm and had spread to my right side. I started Vinorelbine chemo tablets there on the 10th December and will get scanned again in February. I am a mum and wife with 3 children ages 12, 9 and 4 and I will continue to fight with everything I've got for them. I may not be curable but hopefully it can be contained.

Caroline
South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom

Life is Worth Fighting For

When I had just gotten out of the shower, I noticed a very small indentation on the top of my left breast. I checked things out, and found a lump directly under that area. I took a deep breath and held it in for the two days that I didn't tell my husband. When I told him, he told me to immediately make an appointment, and I did. In a matter of moments, days, my life was thrown into a tornado. Everything I had known, thought, believed was tossed and thrown around in my head and in my life. I was 34, we had two young girls, and my husband didn't work because of debilitating pain.

Six days after I told my husband about the lump, I heard the word "cancer." My head immediately went to our girls. The hardest parts of this journey all involve them. Trying to explain things to them that I don't truly understand myself. All I could promise them is that I would do whatever I could, so that I can stay here on this earth with them.

A few weeks before Christmas, I chose a bilateral mastectomy. My grandmother had breast cancer, twice. I wasn't messing around. Of the two plastic surgeons I consulted, I chose the one who wasn't a pervert. Really. After healing from surgery, I did six rounds of chemo, three weeks apart. I had a month off, and then I opted for radiation. Radiation was a hard choice, but I made my hardest decisions by asking myself if the cancer came back, could I live with my decision.

I have now been cancer free for two years. Two years, and counting. While there are fears, blood checks, biopsies, that continue in my life, I want to share that throughout this journey, of sorts, I have felt the most amazing LOVE and SUPPORT ever. My coworkers provided Christmas for my entire family, when we couldn't. Friends and family loved, supported, and made me feel beautiful every step of the way. Life is filled with amazing love, and it's worth fighting for!

Brett Lynn
Haysville, KS

Listen to Your Gut Feelings - Don't Ignore

In 2007 I had my annual mammogram. They found something suspicious and I had a sonogram and was told it was a fluid filled cyst. I felt ecstatic, but deep down felt I needed another opinion. However, my life was busy, I was told I was OK, and no follow up of any kind was recommended so life went on.

Monday, June 9, 2008 was a life changing day for me. It was the start of the county fair, we had a 100 year flood in Illinois that hit us overnight, and I found a red spot on my breast while taking a shower. I thought it was strange so I felt it, and it was hard as a rock. That fluid filled cyst had grown from my rib cage out to the surface in 10 months. My thoughts were I didn't have time for this. It was fair time and I had to deal with entries, and writing checks. I let my better judgment take over and called my doctor and saw her that day. She did not want me to wait until August for my yearly mammogram, so off to a specialist I went.

Four weeks later after a mammogram, sonogram, and biopsy I started my first round of chemo. I chose to do a clinical study which I believe completely eradicated the cancer. After 12 treatments I then had a mastectomy which revealed all cancer was gone. After healing I had 6 1/2 weeks of radiation. Since then I've had a prophylactic second mastectomy, DIEP reconstruction, and am now 5 years cancer free. It takes a positive attitude, knowledgeable doctors, the support of a loving family and church family prayers, along with a belief in God. A strong support system is a must to live through a cancer diagnosis and I'm living proof that it works.

Please listen to your inner self. If I had, maybe it would have been caught at Stage 1 instead of border line Stage 3. If you have any question, get a second opinion with a Breast Cancer Specialist.

Mary Alice Schmidt
Marshall, IL

Walking my OWN PATH!

My life has never been easy..So it's no surprise that being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer would change this..Actually a year ago I was diagnosed with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma..And was told I would need a mastectomy with reconstruction..chemo,,rads..tamoxifen.,herceptin..

Well, did I say I was stubborn and not a very good patient..? In my case this was a good thing..It started with my boyfriend questioning a port..and from there on..I studied..spoke with survivors..nurses..I ate raw vegan for a couple months..swallowed a ton of supplements..

I went back to the breast surgeon 6 months later..I was almost going to do surgery..but the PET scan showed it has progressed..my oncologist said I had stage 4..At first felt like I was being diagnosed all over again.,but felt a strange sense of relief..I asked the oncologist if I needed surgery, chemo, or rads.,He said no.. I said I was just stage 2b..am I going to die any time soon,,? No...hmm..

So I asked,,"if I did surgery?"..He said.."most likely it would have spread"..

Blessing in disguise? He told me it could be maintained for a very long time..

So I gave up the raw vegan diet..I try to eat a balanced diet..but if I want a cookie ..I will have a cookie ..the natural people will say sugar causes cancer..well, I was miserable eatting only raw vegan food..Also, I don't let people bother me as much.,and I also do those things that bring me joy on a daily basis..

I am more appreciative of the people in my life..less worried about the ones that are of no use..and I value each and every day more than ever..because none of us know when our last day will be..so instead of living like I am dying..I am learning to live while I am living with cancer..

Susan Seymour
Hopewell, NJ

I will not give up without a fight!

My name is Olga . I am 52 years old and live in Kiev (Ukraine). I found a lump in her left breast in September 2012 . In 2006 my brother died from cancer ... 2009 - my mom ... breast cancer. My eyes were full of tears ... But I decided to fight . October 1, 2012 - the operation . 16 cycles of chemotherapy , 33 sessions of radiotherapy and 12 months - Herceptin (I have HER 2new + + +). Tomorrow - my last Herceptin ! In our country do not have health insurance. I had to find money for treatment and surgery ( Herceptin worth 2.5 thousand euros per session ) . My friends , family and even unknown people I have collected more than 50,000 euros for me. I live ! I will live ! I sing in the choir , I draw a lot and doing with her granddaughter , she is 4 years and I love her very much . I want to help women with HER2new + + + to collect money for the treatment , I want to give them hope for life , I want everyone to know : cancer is not a sentence in our country even ... I know this is a difficult and complex way : in our country do not care to patients with breast cancer , and the state provides only 20 % of the money on drugs . Statistics are very bad : 175,000 women registered for the first time on breast cancer and 50 % do not live up to 12 months ... The five-year milestone overcome only 10-12 % of women in the number of cases ... God help me ! My English is very bad there ... I want to learn English , to have good communication with women around the world!

Olga Feshchenko
Kiev, Ukraine

Dig Pink

I coach Varsity girls' high school volleyball. Our season was just beginning with tryouts and practices. This fall was also our 5th annual "Dig Pink" volleyball game to fundraise and raise awareness for Breast Cancer.

I had my annual mammogram in August and a week later got a call back for a second one. The radiologist met with me and showed me the cluster of Microcalcifications and suggested a biopsy. In September, I had a Stereotactic Core Biopsy on 2 separate areas. One came back negative but the other was positive for cancer. I have no family history of the disease in my family as far as I know. Besides telling my family, sharing this news with my team was very difficult and emotional. It has been a whirlwind of emotions but my family and team kept me in good spirits, positive and focused. We raised a little more than $8500 this season which put us at about $13,000 for the past 5 years!

I had a partial mastectomy in November and started 7 weeks of radiation in December. My prognosis is 100% survival rate and I am glad that I go for my annual mammograms. I will continue with my Breast Cancer Awareness game and also with being very open about what I have gone through in hopes that other women will not put off getting their mammograms.

BarbaraAnn King
Millbury, MA

You Have Breast Cancer!!!!

The year was 2008 I found a lump on my breast, went to the Dr. Did the necessary testing. And yes I heard those awful words " YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER".
The next question was how do you want to proceed. So I decided to have a Double Mastectomy, my thinking was take them off and it will never come back. Unfortunately in my case a year later the breast cancer had metastasized to my Liver. The biopsy for this was worse than anything I had been through even the Dbl Mastectomy. So I headed to NYU they put me on a trial drug which within a few months I was cancer free once again. Unfortunately the drug was taken out due to heart failure, heart attacks and Liver Failure. After another year I went to get a check up and yes it was back. My Tumor marker numbers were up as high as 300. I decided it was time to do the traditional Chemotherapy which up until this time was not happening in my book. But since it was inoperable I really had no choice. I was scared I was really scared I am on my 14th treatment and my numbers are down to 28 hopefully they get to 0 This has been a long road and what I have learned is a positive attitude is the key to survival. I know everybody says it keep positive , but the mind makes the body sick so no matter whats goin on or how bad it seems to be going look for that light, convince yourself that nothing is wrong with you and nothing will be.

Hope~
Strength~
Courage~

Debs

Debbie Sgro
Hawthorne, NJ

One Step At A Time

I am 55 years old who knew that June 27, 2013 would be a date that would signify the rest of my life. This day I was diagnosed as having Stage IV Triple Negative breast cancer that had metastasized around my aorta...WOW!! I didn't see this coming..get a grip is what I told myself. I have since then had eight rounds of chemo A/C and Taxol. My mother did not have breast cancer neither did her mother, so I made he awful assumption that I did not need a yearly mammogram being there was no family history of breast cancer. BIG MISTAKE!! Anyway, my last chemo was Nov. 11, 2013. Rt Radical Modifed Mastectomy performed Dec. 20, 2013 just waiting for the pathology report. My surgeon removed 15 lymph nodes from my axillary area and the tumor in my breast. I thank God for the support of my family. I have come to realize that a mammography can save your life. I can't go back only forward one step at a time.

Sandra
Moultrie, GA

Under Construction!

March 2013 I stepped out of the shower and noticed a dimple on my right breast. After a mammogram on April 23rd and a biopsy a few days later (on my 45th birthday no less) they left a 'clip' in me and it confirmed my fears. May 3rd I received the news I had stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.

I found myself in denial, feeling like I should be able to just use the tools I teach and move on. And even though I had a deep knowing that everything would work out fine, I found myself quite emotional, without the ability to concentrate or think about anything else. Not surprising. It’s so much easier helping others through things like this and telling people to be kind to themselves and let themselves feel and be with their emotions etc…and I realized it was time to allow myself to do the same.

It’s been an interesting journey exploring my feelings and fears. It’s amazing to me how hard I can be on myself. Not only about what I was eating and drinking but also what I was feeling and thinking. I thought because after my lumpectomy (June 19th) and my tumor was downgraded to stage 1, I would be happy. I wasn’t going to die, so I shouldn’t be scared. Well I was scared and not happy.

I'm under construction right now. I decided to have both breasts removed and ‘expanders’ inserted to prepare for reconstruction because I knew I would be worried about the cancer returning. For me, the double mastectomy and reconstruction was the best decision I could have made. My report came back that I had more invasive and ductal cancer in the same breast, as well, precancerous tumors in the left. What a great confirmation that what I did was right for me.

It’s been 8 months since my diagnosis and I am finally feeling like I’m coming out the other side of this. I’ve found many gifts in this journey and feel so blessed to have such incredibly supportive friends and family!

Bari McFarland
Washago, Canada

Know your breasts

Since turning 40 I started getting mammograms and my doctor always did a breast exam. Everything has always been normal. I did miss a couple mammograms, but still got my physical and did self checks. My doctor did lecture me but didn't scold since nothing has been out of the ordinary and there is no family history of breast or ovarian cancer. In August of 2012 I noticed the inside of my right breast felt different than the left. I didn't feel a lump, just different. I had my physical but my doctor didn't notice anything and I forgot to mention it. I had my mammogram and that came back normal and life went on, but the difference in my breast nagged at me. I kept telling myself if it was something the doctor would have noticed or it would show in the mammogram, so it must be fine. In mid December, that section started to hurt. At that point I felt something was wrong and went back to the doctor. She set up a mammogram and ultra sound. From there I was told I needed a biopsy. On January 15 2013 I was told I have breast cancer. I also found out that I have very dense breast tissue. Had I known that, I would have discussed an alternative to mammograms and pointed out anything different I noticed in my breasts. I cannot stress enough to find out if you have dense breast tissue and really know your breasts. Do not rely on family history and mammograms. Because of my dense tissue and aggressive cancer, I had a bilateral mastectomy. I'm happy to say that I finished very aggressive chemotherapy July 25 and finished radiation October 18. I joined a local support group and my family and friends have been great! Reconstruction will happen in 2014.

Jill Shump
Battle Creek, MI