Catsuz

Wishing you all the best Catharine :)

You'll find strength you never knew you had!

Sam xoxox

Thanks friends :)   Will heed your advice.

Great attitude Catharine.  That will certainly help you get through this along with all your support crew.

I am wishing you all the best for tomorrow.  I really think the fear of the unknown is the hardest part.  You will be fine I am sure.

Lots of love, Mich xoxoxoxo

Thank you one and all for your appropriate and sometimes amusing comments. If we couldn't laugh thru all of this, things would be grim! I start my chemo tomorrow; going to have Taxotere and Cyclosporine, 4x21 day cycles. Am apprehensive, but want to get on with it; the sooner started, the sooner done.Will start radiation later in January, so a torrid few months ahead, but I'm certain I have to do this to get rid of any lurking nasties.I know you'll be behind me, as will my family and church family.

Hi the Foxs lady - my lawn is riddled with nut grass and I try to pull them out all the time,so can totally relate. what a wonderful way to explain this disease we share.  I had double masectomy due to BRCA1 gene and chemo but no radiation. I had my last chemo in May and still get every cold and I am tired.          Hope you are well  Leanne  Xxx

Do you know what nut grass is?

My oncologist likened cancer to nut grass. 

Sometimes you can pull the weed and get the lot (no reoccurence);  sometimes it breaks off without you knowing it and grows back in the same location (local reoccurence);  sometimes it breaks off and you know it (lymph node involvement); sometimes it breaks off further down and grows back in another place (secondary)........and sometimes it doesn't show up for a while and all of a sudden it is there with no real explanation.

The oncologist said that after plucking the weed (surgery), you can do preventative surgery (lymph node removals and margins), then you put the chemo down to chase down any broken off areas that may have escaped into the system. 

After that you look at the possibility of putting seeds out that you may not have thought of previously........and this is dealt with by radiation.

I thought the analogy was a good one.

I had three lots of surgery to chase the disease, full clearance, chemo and then radiation.

I have done everything that can be done to beat the disease.

The side effects of the chemo and radiation are more long term than short term.....my personal experience.

Hi there,

I also have triple neg breast cancer and I'm having chemo prior to surgery. I was given a good book by the breast care nurse called 'Breast Cancer, Taking Control' By Professor John Boyages, MD, PhD. It includes some excellent information about understanding the statistics, prognosis predictions and so on. It also has great information to help you make decisions about treatment. 

I'm going with chemo first, followed by surgery, followed by radiation therapy based on the advice of my surgeon and oncologist. They are both brilliant women and my oncologist works in a practice with Fran Boyle, a member of the board for the BCNA and a feild leader in the treatment of breast cancer, so I'm very confident with her advice.

Hi there,

I also have triple neg breast cancer and I'm having chemo prior to surgery. I was given a good book by the breast care nurse called 'Breast Cancer, Taking Control' By Professor John Boyages, MD, PhD. It includes some excellent information about understanding the statistics, prognosis predictions and so on. It also has great information to help you make decisions about treatment. 

I'm going with chemo first, followed by surgery, followed by radiation therapy based on the advice of my surgeon and oncologist. They are both brilliant women and my oncologist works in a practice with Fran Boyle, a member of the board for the BCNA and a feild leader in the treatment of breast cancer, so I'm very confident with her advice.

Good for you Catharine!

We're fighters though, not sufferers. :)

Time to go kick butt!!!!

Love Sam xoxox