Today is Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Day~March 3rd~I bet you didn’t know that!
I am almost two years out (celebrating March 30) from my last chemo treatments. It seems like ages ago. My hair grew back, my body is strong, but I’m still not sure I even processed the whole experience. For awhile I couldn’t even talk about it. But I knew with time I would be able to help others – I know we are called to do that with the crosses we bear.
Here’s what I want you to know-
Never was breast cancer on my radar.
I had no risk factors. I had as far opposite as one can get when it comes to risk factors.
I had a “clean” mammogram in January. I found the lump by accident in September. It was already the size of a ping pong ball. But I only found it because I had lost weight due to some other circumstance.
Triple Negative is rare and grows fast and hasn’t been researched as much as the other kind of BC. It requires lots of hard chemo. I had four rounds of “red devil” and 12 rounds of other chemo. I lost my hair after the second chemo session. I ended up needing lots of hydration and one transfusion. By the time I was ready for surgery in April (mastectomy) I looked like I survived a concentration camp.
Get your mammograms! On time! And ask to go to the place with the newest technology even if you have to pay extra (don’t get me started on how ridiculous that is!)
Do breast exams! At least once a month. Ask you OB to show you how.
I consider myself not strong or brave or a survivor, just lucky.
Look at those two beautiful faces, all of us readers are so grateful for you!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm a long-time reader and I was just diagnosed with TNBC. Mine was caught so early, thanks to a 3D mammogram that flagged some microcalcifications. My treatment team said I am very, very lucky. I didn't have any risk factors either.
Feel free to email me with any questions Renee! We are both so lucky.
You are so inspiring, Sarah!
Ty!
I still keep you and your family in my prayers every night since you first posted about your cancer.
Both my younger sisters had breast cancer, like you absolutely no risk factors. No prior family history. Stunned us all. My 2nd sister's mammogram was normal but dr ordered MRI because of 1st sister's diagnosis so hers was found very early. Thank you for sharing and encouraging. You are cared for by many readers who you have never met.
God bless you, your family, and all the medical teams helping people. May you stay lucky–and inspiring–and may that luck rub off on others!
Lost my mom at age 9. She left behind 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls in that order. Our family died with her. My dad remarried a year later at the insistence of friends, and the new mom did NOT like us from the get go. My oldest brother is homeless now, my other brother is alcoholic w/his wife also, my sister is abusive to me and she is alcoholic with her husband too. My step mom lives like a queen and is still mean to us (overtly) but we are respectful. Glad your children appreciate you. I have had a mammo every year since I was 20. Im 56, divorcing after 34 years, he cheats. go figure, I have abusive relationships.
Mary I am so so sorry. I can't imagine what you have been through but I can relate to some of it. Love to you.
I am a long time reader, like 10 years? Today I am reeling from a TNBC diagnosis this week and have big decisions to make in a short amount of time. I am ‘lucky’ in that so far it seems that we caught it early through routine mammograms. Thank you for sharing your story.
Rebecca I am SO sorry. Please if you have any questions reach out to me in the Contact Me form and I will give you my personal email and cell number and I will do anything I can to help you. It is SO SO overwhelming for the first couple weeks. Besides just waiting for all results and appts (SO many appts) it is hard to accept and scary too. Find a team you trust and leave the research up to them-it’s scary online! And thankfully they caught it early so keep your eye on that great prognosis. Feel free to contact me! Much love, Sarah