So I have cancer

This blog will follow my experience dealing with triple-negative breast cancer.  I am a 70 year old (71 in November) white woman which seems to put me in the minority of women who get this – most are younger women – and it strikes more black women than white women.  Typical.  I’ve always been a little out of the mainstream.

According to www.breastcancer.org

 “Triple-negative breast cancer does not respond to hormonal therapy (such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) or therapies that target HER2 receptors, such as Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab). However, other medicines can be used to treat triple-negative breast cancer."

About 10-20% of breast cancers — more than one out of every 10 — are found to be triple-negative. For doctors and researchers, there is intense interest in finding new medications that can treat this kind of breast cancer. “

 When I first found this lump, I was expecting to have a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy – and then be done with it. No big deal.  The triple-negative diagnosis means that I’m now looking at a round of chemotherapy, too. This is starting to become a bigger deal.

I’m not frightened.  I’m not worried.  Everyone thinks I should be both.  I’ve had one previous bout with cancer – cervical cancer – that was caught early and quickly eradicated by surgery. Piece of cake.  I’m accustomed to knowing people who get cancer.  Aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, brother.  It seems to be a fact of life in my family so I don’t think of it as some remote, obscure monster.

I also seem to have not outgrown my feeling of invincibility.  Whatever trouble may have befallen me, or was self-induced, (99% of it) I’ve always landed on my feet.  I expect to land on my feet after this, too.

I am anxious.  I don’t wait well.  As I write this, my surgery is still 11 days away. It’s making me crazy.  I want it NOW. And that is affecting my frame of mind.  I’m antsy – have trouble concentrating – can’t sit still for very long.  I hate waiting.  Let’s get this show on the road!!!!!

In the meantime I’m trying to prepare.  My daughter found a wonderful newly published book:

Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Patricia Prijatel. 

Patricia is a survivor who produced this book as a result of her experience and extensive research into this somewhat unusual disease.  She provides insights and an extraordinary amount of practical information.

This entry is just an introduction.  In a later post, I’ll include a list of web links for those who want more information about TNBC (Triple- Negative Breast Cancer).