Young Med-Surg RN with triple negative breast cancer

[sammi2006, ADN, BSN, RN]

I am 29 and have been a nurse for 2 years mostly on med-surg. In the middle of June this year I felt a large painless lump in my left breast. My PCP told me that due to my age it was probably just a fibroadenoma. I asked him what that was, he just simply looked at me and said "It's not cancer." He then told me that I can go get a mammogram if that made me feel better. I said yes. Then I found out from the imaging center that because of my age I would need an ultrasound instead of a mammogram. After my PCP updated the order, un US was performed and a 2.3cm solid mass was noted. I was then refered to a breast surgeon. He also said more than likely it is a fibroadenoma-not cancer, but he offered to biopsy it right then and there. Two days later I met with him in his office and he told me I had breast cancer. After two weeks of genetic testing performed on the tumor we found out it is ER-/PR-/Her2-. Since then I have been referred to a large university hospital and have started dose dense A/C treatments.

I am now on zofran, compazine, and ativan for nausea. I now know personally that everything (in my case) that is infused IV tastes nasty. I have learned what metal tastes like, becuase that is what some of my favorite foods/ drinks taste like. And I am learning what bone pain feels like from neulasta injections.

My treatment regimen is as follows: A/C dose dense for 4 cycles, surgery ( bmx ), taxol weekly for 12 doses, and possible radiation. I started off recieving my A/C treatments through a piv, however monday I am having a port a cath placed. As soon as my oncologist found out what I do for a living, he said " We generally do everything we can to keep our patients out of the hospital, so no I would like it if you didn't work during treatment. Besides, you aren't going to feel up to it."

I do not feel like the same person I was before my diagnosis. I am still a nurse though, and I hope that this will improve my nursing abilites when I am released to return to work.

I am sorry this post was so long, it just felt good to get it off my chest. Thank you.

[amoLucia]

Sammi - wishing you all the best.

[HyzenthlayLPN]

Prayers for a full recovery (((HUGS)))

[natural thing]

Sammi, best wishes!

[Iowama]

Sammi,

Just wondering how you are doing.

I had the same. tnbc and the same treatment. Did you have BRCA?

I hope that you are doing well.

[sammi2006, ADN, BSN, RN]

Iowama,

Thank you so much. I am doing well now. I ended up not getting a bmx, but a lumpectomy with 9 lymph nodes removed. Because I had the lumpectomy I also got 21 rounds of radiation and just finished that on March 26th. I will be starting tamoxifen monday, as I learned that my tumor was actually weakly er +, but has other characteristics that make it behave like a tnbc. I do not have brca though.

I will be getting my port a cath removed soon and am cleared by my radiation oncologist to go back to work next month.

I hope that you are doing well too!

[DowntheRiver]

Hope you are still doing well. It is tough being young and diagnosed with cancer (me, 22 with HL). I always meant to follow-up and see how you are doing.

[sammi2006, ADN, BSN, RN]

Thank you. It has been a little over a year since everything started and alot has happened during that time. I was super lucky, I had a complete response to chemo, finished rads, started tamoxifen, and am back to work now. It was kinda hard coming back to work after 10 1/2 months off but I am so glad to be back. I also feel like I provide care with a different perspective now which is refreshing.

22 is so young too, I hope you are doing well too!