Hi Everyone,I was diiagnosed with a 9mm Triole neg in July(stage 1 grade2)( which was completely excised with good margins and sentinel nodes clear. MRI of breast and abdo clear before treatment and Liver CT showen cysts only. I have completed 4 cycles of AC and I complete my last cycle of 12 paxitaxol on Wed. and Im terrified. I have aches in my shoulder and back which come and go but i still have excellent range of movement but Im really scared that they may have missed something. I have an olf rotator cuff injusry from a disclocation and i think that the taxol is aggravating it but im still really scared. Iwill cope with what I have to but I just want a break for a while. I am supposed to start rads on 30th. Im try to take 1 day at a time but im really scared that I wont get a break. Ive been try to keep myself occupied but are I keep worry about bone mets whilst on chemo and thayt tehy may have missed something. Other than that I feel well and the paxitaxol hasnt been too bad at all. Any Triple negs out there that can offer advice?cheerskath

Hi @KathSeward,I am not triple negative but I can understand (like most of us I am sure) your anxiety. You have a lot that IS in your favour though. Early stage and Grade 2 is good news. Chemo is very effective against Triple Negative breast cancer and that is also a good thing to remember. I started radiotherapy 3 weeks after chemo finished and while I was a bit like you and concerned with no break between, it was also reassuring that such consistent treatment would lead to a better result against any stray cancer cells. It is exhausting but the first couple of weeks of radio are not too tiring and I think the tiredness only really hit me when I actually finished. We had also moved house the last week of radiotherapy so that added to my tiredness I guess.It will be 4 years from diagnosis for me in May this year. It does get easier once you find your rythym in life again. I have made changes that help me to feel I am still actively doing something to lessen the chance of recurrence. I lead a much healthier lifestyle than before. Exercise really helps me to feel less anxious. I make a little time most days to do something just for me. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who can understand how you are feeling. Coming on here can help or even finding a counsellor to talk with. The Cancer Council have a very good phone counselling service that many of us have found helpful. Wishing you all the best for your radiotherapy. You are nearly through treatment and then you will be able to make steps towards a new life after bc. A life you are in charge of once more. After a while that will feel very good. Take care. Deanne xxx

Hi Kath, my diagnosis was similar with a triple neg but my tumour was a little bigger at 1.8cm. I had a lumpectomy, 8 sentinel nodes removed (all clear, clear margins) followed by chemo. I had further surgery later but that was for a different reason.Is your shoulder pain on the side that your chemo was administered? I only ask because chemo really stuffed up the veins in my arm and I ended up with tendonitis and now a frozen shoulder. Really painful for a long time before the shoulder actually froze - I had excellent range of movement for a long time but now very limited. And because I compensated for it, I have pain in my back as well. Alternatively, this can also happen on the side of surgery, especially when lymph nodes are removed. I would try and see a physio as soon as you can and if this is the case, see if they can loosen up that whole area before it freezes. Early intervention is key if it is the early stages of a frozen shoulder.The thought of course crossed my mind that maybe the cancer had spread. I think it is only natural to be anxious about this. But this was dismissed by all doctors - clear nodes and margins, a clear bone scan before my treatment. But I still had an ultrasound and xray to see what was going on. The fact that you have an old rotator cuff injury is interesting and again, to me, points towards an early frozen shoulder developing. I would try and see a physio as soon as you can and give them the full story.Best of luckSherril

Everyone fears the spread regardless of the pathology. All we can do is focus on the positives.- Clear surgical margins - Small stage 1 tumour- Clear lymph nodes- Clear scans- Shoulder pain that comes and goes in an old injury...metastases pain don't goIt is normal to have the fear. We have to talk to ourselves though to stop with those thoughts and celebrate the end of chemo treatment. It gets better. Kath x

Hi Kath, the fear of the damn thing returning is always with us. I'm a Triple neg. stage 1, grade 3, lumpectomy ( 2nd surgery required to gain clear margins) lymph glands clear. My treatment was the same as yours which I handled ok ( except for damn shangles) I had one month of Radiothreaphy. Also went ok. So I finished active treatment last July. As you have probably read everyone is different so my probs doesn't mean you will experience the same. My main probs is my gut. I feel like I have something stuck in my left ribs cage (BC on right side) it was painful at first but with the help of medication is now just annoying, I have had a colonoscopy and the one down the throat ( can't think of the name) anyways turned out I had silent reflux which has damaged the area (I was prescribed during chemo, nexium but didn't take it because I never experienced heart burn, so I thought) . Also have been told I am lactose intolerant and have diverticulitis (nothing to do with chemo) maybe my age. I'm keeping active, yoga ( please try it as it's brilliant), I walk 5 days a week, swim( well walk up and down the pool) and have an exercise program which I do twice a week. Just now I'm experience pains under both arms and in my back and neck, I spoke to the BC nurse today and said it sounded normal following treatment. I get very tired in the arvo and try to have a short rest everyday. So Kath guess it all takes time. One day at a time is the best way to go. Look after yourself and be kind to yourself. Don't expect too much.i hope this helps a little. The ladies on here are so sweet and caring. I don't post very often but read the posts which helps so much.you may hate this saying but stay strong and determined. Love Anne-Marie

Hi, I can understand that you are worried it's hard not to be when you are dealing with cancer. I personally get alot of joint pain since treatment and all my scans have come back clear. Our bodies go through so much through chemo that it affects so much. A couple of months ago I had a PET scan and one of the comments was that my bone marrow was regenerating and that was 6 months after chemo finished. I have been taking tumeric tabs for the last month and it's helped me alot. I wish you the very bestRita xo

treatment nearly completed | BCNA Online Network

18 Replies

Glemmis
Member
9 years ago
My oncologist wasn't happy either with supplements in case they were estrogenic or interfered with chemo. Turmeric is such a powerful anti inflammatory that it can interfere with chemo so best to take it after treatment finishes. The Sloan Kettering app is useful for looking up herbs especially in relation to hormone related cancers. I had to inform my GP about it as she was recommending things to help with sleep that were advised against on the app.
melclarity
Member
9 years ago
@Joinmelb I certainly agree im 1yr post chemo and my Oncologist only put me on Vit D when i finished together with Vit C. I also take magnesium. My oncologist didnt recommend any supplements through chemo. I did think most ladies taking supplements are now post chemo? Maybe not. I guess ive always talked about these in recovery mode and pain management. Hadnt heard that about Turmeric so its interesting i guess.
gurneys
Member
9 years ago
Oh, yes yes yes!!! Check with your oncologist before taking any kind of natural supplements as a few can interfere with chemo's job. I read that even vitamin C tabs can interfere with one of the chemo drugs, can't remember which. So, yes, check with oncol definitely. I'm off chemo now so I waited until that was all done before doing these smoothies.
Joinmelb
Member
9 years ago
This is actually my first post on here ladies so please don't take offence and I'm not sure how to post any links either. Please check with oncologist about taking turmeric during chemo. I had been taking it as I get eczema (& it was helping heaps with that).......but apparently it's so super potent it can coat the cells that chemo is trying to kill off, meaning chemo isn't as effective......this is a very simplistic explanation but was the easiest I could understand during my chemo haze. My oncology dietician gave me links to the Kettering Sloan memorial hospital where you can search any vitamins/herbs etc and it'll tell you whether it's safe to take or not. I lived by that site and it was amazing how many pharmacists etc tried to tell me to take stuff that wasn't deemed safe during chemo. So I haven't taken it since being told that but am about to start again to help my skin clear up again now that I've finished chemo and radiation. Good luck ladies, it's such a hard bloody slog some days with so much "advice" and contradictions out there!
DiBee
Member
9 years ago
Sherril, That's exactly how I feel! Guilty, like I'm not up to par. Logic says everyone is different but we all know where logic is at the moment. Broken. Hah! I am so glad to hear I am not the only one like this even though I wish none of us were.
I'm going to try your ideas in my smoothie tomorrow.
Di xx
gurneys
Member
9 years ago
DiBee, Oh that deep hole. I've been there and still visit occasionally. I couldn't exercise through chemo either and I felt so guilty initially but then realized everyone's different. My need was obviously to rest and let me body just heal.
I have been mixing turmeric into my smoothies, too. Along with a few other natural anti inflams such as ginger and, apparently, pineapple! Not sure how effective they are but along with a few other key smoothie ingredients, my intestines are the best they have been for a while!
Hugs
Sherril
DiBee
Member
9 years ago
Thank you for being here today! {{{hugs}}}
Feeling a bit better now x
Di xx
melclarity
Member
9 years ago
Nothing wrong with that deep hole we all go through it! And you come back out so hang in there and i couldn't exercise at all so dont worry its a tine for healing so my now exercise physiologist says. Do what you feel and no more. X step at a time xo Melinda
DiBee
Member
9 years ago
Thanks Melinda x That's the thing isn't it... time will pass no matter what. Just need to hang in there. 8 to go! (Then radio)
Trying to exercise but my pulse rate goes through the roof on a bike and I get so dizzy walking. Keep feeling everyone else can so why not me. Luckily my deep hole is Sunday/Monday mostly and then I come better emotionally. Chemo emo.
Di xx
melclarity
Member
9 years ago
Oh Dbee i remember Taxol i had 8, severe muscle, bone and nerve pain. I got no relief between the infusions either. All i could take was nurofen with panadol. Couldn't take pain killers. It does get better after treatment ends though. Hugs Melinda x

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treatment nearly completed

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