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gen_evievy's avatar
gen_evievy
Member
11 years ago

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. 

I had just moved my entire life to Melbourne from Newcastle, landed a great job, found a perfectly beautiful pink townhouse to live in with great flatmates and was ready to start embracing life as a Melbournite - bring on my fun new life of culture, dining out, art and live music!

Life had other plans for me though and everything came to a grinding halt when a lump I found in my right breast turned out not to be nothing as I expected it to be, but was actually triple negative cancer (although I didn't know this exactly until after my surgery - all I knew was the dreaded C-word). 

I don't think I will ever be able to forget the tears in the doctor's eyes as she looked at the real-time scans and gave me the news - I almost felt worse for her than I did for myself.  I mean, how terrible to have to tell someone that their life as they know it is over - what a heartbreaking thing to have to communicate to someone flat on their back with their boobs out covered in sticky jelly stuff and freezing their ass off. 

And thus began what has honestly been the most challenging life lesson I've had yet in my 41 years on this planet.  The shock and disbelief of diagnosis, the uncontrollable crying, the waiting, the never-ending tests and scans and needles, the anxiety of just not knowing what's going to happen or how I'm going to feel, the trauma of surgery and chemo, the loss of my beloved hair, the total and utter heartbreak of having to watch my family  and friends watch me go through this. 

I'm halfway through my chemo right now and I'm finally ready to start talking about it and learning from this experience.  Because I'm determined that I'll take something positive away from this - not only will cancer not beat me, but I will come out of it this not just with some life lessons but as a better person - my life will really never be the same again.

triple-negative-breast-cancer

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  • dmed's avatar
    dmed
    Member
    11 years ago
    Welcome . I too am older . I'm two and half years from diagnosis . Keep up that good attitude . Wishing you all the best. Anything you want to know just ask Deb xxx
  • Joanne1957's avatar
    Joanne1957
    Member
    11 years ago

    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

     

  • SoldierCrab's avatar
    SoldierCrab
    Member
    11 years ago

    Hi Gen_evievy, 

    I was diagnosed back in September 2004. Done the whole surgery, (double Mastectomy for me) chemo then radiation. 

    I have learnt to go with the flow since the Dreaded C word was tagged to me. 

    You are halfway through Chemo. Life will be different but not Bad there is life after treatment. I have been to some Otis Foundation retreats for a bit of respite if you can go, then do it .... Homes for people going through the Breast Cancer Journey. If you need more information yell out we will all help you here. 

    it is hard to blog the first time. Know there are too many of us needing to blog but we all share a common goal to survive this journey.