The beginning - triple negative BC
I was pretty sure that 2014 was going to be a year of positive change and excitement for me. I guess I was almost right, but just not in a way that I would have expected in my wildest nightmares.
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Forum Discussion
Hi,
it's a scary ride, isn't it? My name is Joanne, I'm 57 years old, and 2 1/2 years ago, I was diagnosed with TNBC, grade 3, stage 3, invasive ductal carcinoma.
What you have said is so true! It's the most challenging life lesson you will ever have, but once you have been through it, you will know that there is nothing you can't face. The enormity of the whole situation is hard to put into words. The shock, the disbelief (I woke one morning and thought, F#*k... I really AM sick)! Then the panic, the anxiety, the treatments. I had four rounds of the mighty red cocktail named FEC. Then a left breast masectomy, with 17 nodes removed, then two more rounds of FEC, six weeks of radiation 5 days per week. To top it all off, I developed osteoporosis from the chemo. I broke an ankle, then two knees in three months. Six months ago, I had my right breast removed and a double reconstruction. Although it hasn't been a complete success (3 trips into hospital with infections in a month) it is the beginning of returning my body to a 'normal shape'.
Having been through all this, you know what? I have never been happier. That is a crazy statement, isn't it? I would really like you to know that even though your journey is going to be rough, there are so many benefits that have come from it, for me. There is strength to be found. There are so many wonderful people with such good hearts and kind spirits that seem to come along at the right time. It really sorts out the people who are important in your life. Some, who I thought would be there, weren't. Some who I thought wouldn't care, were my strongest support. There is gratitude for the craziest things. Walking up a set of stairs knowing that my knees are not going to disintergrate under me. I give a silent 'thank you'. Being able to feel my two feet on the ground, (they have been numb for so long after the chemo,) another 'thank you'. There is so much beauty that I took for granted that I will never do again. The smiles on my grandchildren's faces, the most amazing sunsets that I never bothered to look at. There are so many things I am grateful for. I would never want anybody to have to face the battle of cancer, but for me there have been so many positives. I hope for you is that your journey shows you the beauty that it has done for me.
Feel free to contact me if I can offer you any guidance or support along the way.
Jo