Triple positive, start chemo on Friday. Scared and anxious.

Ah Helen x sending you a virtual hug x I was in same position a year ago and had just seen my GP with a lump! It all moves very fast with no time to think. The good thing is you have your treatment plan. I too was triple positive with same plan. There are some good threads on here with recommendations for creams and products to help. There is also a good blog by IrishGirl66 which you might find helpful. Keep a symptom diary as you will find each cycle side effects follow a pattern. It affects us all differently and you are unlikely to get all side effects listed. I was never sick or felt sick but I had pills for indigestion and I took ice in a flask whilst having chemo to minimise the distorted taste I got. You will have a week before the next round where you will have your ‘ good week’. It will go quicker than you think. Make good use of any Maggie’ s centres or cancer charities..they offer a lot of support and check out Look Good Feel Good online and take up anything they offer…I found them really good. Take a day at time and go with the highs and lows….there is usually guidance or an answer on this forum for everything. I can’t comment on cold cap as opted without…good luck with your journey x

Ah thank you so much for your reply and the virtual hug, much appreciated. So happy to read that you are a year on from this crazy nightmare none of us chooses but find ourselves in the middle of. I hope you're doing well and have returned to your life the other side of all of this now. Well done to you working through all of the various stages, it does feel insurmountable when you first face it, and when they first tell you it'll be a lumpectomy and a short course of radiation. Done and dusted by mid Summer! The HER2+ result changes everything doesn't it?

Thanks for all the tips too. I will definitely do what you've advised. I'm trying to control the bits I can control whilst everything feels out of control. Already changed my diet -never eaten so many greens and fish in my entire life!

Thanks for all your support and positivity, much appreciated. It's good to talk with somebody who gets it and is the other side of it. Virtual hug back to you, well done for getting through it all.x

I think you have a great approach and I have definitely overhauled my diet and it will certainly help your body to heal. Lots of protein too after surgery for body to heal I was told. I held off supplements too till after chemo as was told they could interfere but would recommend probiotics. The journey is doable…chemo didn’t get rid of my cancer totally but I think it got rid of the fast growing HEr 2 bit. The rest removed with  surgery and I am carrying on with Herceptin 18 in total. I am sure you will be looked after and meet others on the journey so you won’t feel too alone with it. I am enjoying being with others now in some complimentary therapy groups and we all swap stories and tips.  Thank you for your kind words and happy to answer anything else if I can x

my Mum also has breast cancer diagnosed at 76 .a cyst that went malignant .she is still living life at 81 after refusing chem and surgery and instead had radiotherapy and aromatase inhibitors..her sister had it too…so my case I think genetic but hospital won’t confirm it and we’re not that interested..I have no children and menopausal so no point testing in their minds and I think expensive..

Glad to hear that the Her2 part of the cancer was got rid of and anything left was dealt with by surgery. Good news. Did you have any radiotherapy after the surgery? How have you found the Herceptin jabs? Glad you'll be at the end of them soon. It's such a long route this particular one compared to the HER2 negative path. I knew it was a possibility but less likely because I came back positive for both ER and PR, so was all set for early surgery (they think it's localised) and a week's radiotherapy. Done by mid Summer, going away with my children to celebrate my 50th, my son's 21st and the end of his finals and my daughter's A Levels. Then bang, suddenly it's going to be all year and into next year -eek. I can't complain as it's great they have all this additional knowledge and understanding, targeted treatment and much better outcomes now, but it does feel like a mountain to climb, impossible at times.

Glad your Mum is doing so well and didn't have too much intervention, particualrly with her being older. I also looked into genetic testing when I was 40 but they didn't seem to think there was enough evidence of it in the family, in spite of my maternal grandmother and great-aunt dying young of other causes and us not knowing if they would have gone onto develop it later on. I was offered yearly mammograms from there but it looks like last year's (June) it was missed sadly. I will be pursuing genetic testing again as with my Mum and myself now, I need to know for my daughter and any children she may have.

Thank you for replying, your support and advice means a lot.

Helen.x

Hi, I had 5 sessions of Radiotherapy as I had no lymph node involvement and did not have much reaction although I believe it does continue working sometime after. I had Phesgo and Herceptin injection alongside chemo and just Herceptin now after a pause for Surgery. The total will be 18 by time I finish in Nov.  I do not have any side effects I am aware of ( maybe runny nose) and have slow injection into my thigh which I find painless. I was offered a further light chemo Kadcyla along with Herceptin but after talking through with oncologist declined for Herceptin alone. It can have side effects but others tolerate well…I couldn’t afford anymore time off if I reacted and I had had enough. Kadcyla offers even better protection to recurrence apparently than just Herceptin alone but even then sometimes there is no guarantee. My oncologist was happy enough that I was still receiving protection. One thing I forgot to add…is drink plenty when undergoing chemo..helps flush things through.

it does feel like climbing a mountain but there are plateaux’s to rest a bit, the view at the top is lovely and the walk down will be in sun. You will see spring shoots! Mark the moments that bring joy, there will be some along the way x

I'm so sorry about your diagnosis. I too have triple positive breast cancer. My treatment regime was different to yours but, as has been said , even on the same regime, the side effects are different for everyone and some people are lucky enough to have very few. 

I was careful to follow all the instructions and advice given by the oncology nurses and always sought advice quickly when I needed too.

I hope everything goes really well for you. with love and hugs

Hi Helen, I have the same diagnosis as you and started on the same regime last July.  Found that I felt a bit poorly about 5 days post chemo but it soon passed, other than that little side effects.  The cold cap I tolerated fairly well, I had some good advice that worked well for me, just get through the first half hour and it will be better.  Although my hair thinned I did not lose it all and it quickly grew back.  I was due to carry on with Phesgo following surgery, however, pathology results found a residue of cancer cells although margins were clear, so I was switched to 14 rounds of Kadcyla, round 6 this Friday.  I have not had any side effects from that.   Good luck with your journey. X

Thank you for sharing your journey with me. Well done for getting through it all. This really helped -"it does feel like climbing a mountain but there are plateaux’s to rest a bit, the view at the top is lovely and the walk down will be in sun". It does feel like a mountain I won't be able to reach the summit of at times, but I will keep hold of your metaphor and experience informed words and keep cimbing, keep strong and positive as best I can.x

Hi. Sorry about your diagnosis too. It's hard as suddenly your life goes down a totally different path and the control over it lessens, but I'm trying to control the bits I can control. Have overhauled my diet -eating a lot of fish, soya and plant based protein, and more fruit and veg you can shake a stick at! Keeping myself more hydrated too.

Thanks for the advice and tips. Mush appreciated. I will follow it. Glad you got through it and I hope you're recovering well, getting back your strength and back to your life again.

Love and hugs,

Helen.xx

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your journey with me. So glad you got through it and coped okay with both chemo and the cold cap. Well done. Sorry to hear the pathology found residual cancer cells but good the doctors were onto it and Kadcyla is dealing with it now, without any side effects too.

Good luck, hope you'll be fully cancer free soon. Hugs.x