Just diagnosed with grade 3 triple negative cancer
Hi everyone,
So yesterday I was given the news that I have Grade 3 Triple negative cancer and also DCIS in my left breast. I found my lump 3 weeks ago and got in to see my GP really quick as there is a history of breast cancer in my family. I check myself quite often so the lump they have found is 14mm by 9mm and at the moment from what they have seen in the mammogram and ultrasound they don’t think it has gone to my lymph nodes.
I have been told I will need Chemo first and then surgery plus radiotherapy but they have also recommended being tested for the BRAC gene so I am able to make an informed choice when it comes to the surgery. I have also been told today that I also need to have a CT, MRI and Bone scan so I am now freaking out and panicking this is because they think it is elsewhere in my body and are not telling me!
i had a full hysterectomy 18 months ago as I had severe endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids and have recently being having some aching and twinges in my abdomen which I am now panicking about and fearing the worst.
I am determined to fight this with all my might but have consulted Google on my condition (stupid I know) I am now feeling less positive about the prospects of recovery etc so would love to hear from anyone who has experience of fighting this and what to realistically expect.
Hi cheza, sorry you find yourself on here. Having BRAC test will help make informed surgery decision when you have to. Being tn does not automatically make you have BRAC gene, I didn’t have it, but I had the test so I could take preventative action if I did. Please join the chemo threads when you start chemo, if you read August 2019 chemo starters, sept chemo starters etc, there are lots of tips on them to help you for when you start. Please keep off dr google it will send you into orbit. A good book I had was surviving triple negative breast cancer by Patricia prijatel. There are lots of tnbc survivors, Patricia prijatel, Shannon Doherty, robin Roberts, me. Your teams have seen it all before and you will be in safe hands. Keep ???hope this helps ??Shi xx
I’m sad to hear you too have found yourself in that awful place where you don’t yet know exactly what’s wrong and what’s going to happen. You are going to need a lot of patience but you are now in safe hands. I was reading a bit of my blog tonight about my fear around what my MRI might reveal (I had it at the end of all the treatments and it revealed that everything was fine). The tests you are having aren’t because they suspect anything but routine, to eliminate possibilities. If you’ve been told they don’t think it’s spread to your lymph nodes, they are probably pretty sure of their initial diagnosis and all Dr Google will do is feed your fear so avoid him like the plague. He doesn’t know your specific diagnosis and he cannot care about your feelings (you can get excellent, informative leaflets from here and from Macmillan). However, even if it had spread to your lymph nodes, as mine had, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Very little is. I am still trying to fathom why our society encourages such fear around cancer - the survival rates for breast cancer today are very high.
There’s undeniably a long haul ahead for you BUT every one of us responds differently so don’t get panicked by what you read and hear. Wait and see what happens to you. You’ll deal with it. We all do, despite all our misgivings. There’s no measurement of success except being cancer-free, no rights and wrongs, no good or bad… I was flattened by some of my chemo while my friend carried on working part-time. I don’t consider myself a failure. It was just bad luck. Then I had radiotherapy and it was a doddle. I’m not a great fan of the fighting the battle analogy. There’s a tremendous amount of negative language around cancer and it fuels fear. I found going with the flow took me through it all; no Google, no leaflets, no questions; just ok, get on with it - that’s not to say I wasn’t terrified at times but I got through it and have emerged with a new outlook on life.
I wish you well in what lies ahead. It’s unpredictable so one step at a time is my advice - that and create a network of good friends and family who will take their lead from you. Take care,
