A Path Through

When I got my original diagnosis, I naturally got excited when I saw a lot of “negative” on the biopsy report. Everyone knows the word negative on a biopsy is positive ….RIGHT?! Well, it turns out that when dealing with breast cancer, three negatives are in no way a positive.

Let me share a little bit of what I have learned about the negatives, the positives, and the in-betweens….

Triple Negative Breast Cancer or TNBC for short , because we all know how important it is to have a hip acronym for something that will take your world, flip it upside down, inside out, and tied it in a knot. TNBC is identified in approximately 15% of breast cancer diagnosis’ where the normal receptors commonly associated with breast cancer are not present. Very simply, if you are looking to have little something special when it comes to breast cancer, this is one of areas you should shoot for.

So what does the above mean to me? Well, I have Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, which is the most common form of breast cancer (80% of all diagnosis), however as much as I am “common”, I have now sprinkled in a bit of complexity with TNBC.

For me personally, one of the best visuals I have found regarding TNBC is on the CDC website (if my oncologist is reading this, honest this was my last google related activity). I found the way TNBC is presented makes it easy to understand what I am dealing with and why it comes with additional challenges.

Imagine if you would, breast cancer is a house. The receptors (Estrogen, Progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor or HER2) are the locks to the house, and the keys are the treatment options. Basically, you pick the key (treatment) that will unlock the lock (receptor) and then you can get into the house to kill the cancer, burn the house to the ground while dancing a dance of joy (I may have added that last part to the CDC version of the story).

However, with TNBC the house does not have any locks. This does NOT mean that you can never get in to the house, it simply means that you need to figure out how and THAT is the challenge. The entrance to the house is unique to the neighborhood (person). At the same time that you are trying to figure out the the way in, the house wants to expand into the next lot, and then the next one, and over and over, and before you know….well….the neighborhood is no longer a place that sustains life (never thought home renovation could get so dark did you!?)

So, time is an additional factor when looking to get into the house BUT when you figured out the secret way in, there can be great success with the aforementioned killing, burning, and dancing of joy. That last part is so very important….THERE ARE WAYS IN. TNBC is NOT a death sentence, it is however a more challenging path.

Now, were does all of this leave me? Well, I am blessed to have an Oncologist who is not only the head of Medical Oncology department with BC Cancer- Surrey, (and I am confident that she did not get THAT from google); she is also FREAKING AWESOME. I am fairly certain that she has broken into a few houses in her life…and I am counting on her skills now.

Have I asked about survival rates for my cancer? Yes, only once when meeting my Oncologist. She did not have an answer as we are attacking the tumor before surgery, therefore it is difficult to truly know the stage we are dealing with. However, despite the fact that I am dealing with three negatives, the future currently looks very POSITIVE. With this, I will not be asking this question again.

Prior to this journey starting, I had never thought about my life expectancy and why should this change now? Who knows how long any of us have on this earth? There is no guarantee!! I refuse to have someone put a clock around my neck that will count down my days simply because I have cancer. I am surrounded by SURVIORS who have defied every statistic and they are living their lives as the gift that it truly is. I will be joining that group, I just have to earn the way in. However, I would like to think that every one of us, regardless of having cancer or not, should live like you were dying….embrace each day as if it was your last.

Always remember, just because I have a house with no keys, does not mean that I will not blow that sucker up and replace it with a park so there is no more building…and I can guarantee you that there will be a path through it to a beautiful view.