Triple negative - newly diagnosed and looking for your experiences

Posted by roxy66 @roxy66, Oct 26, 2025

Im just diagnosed and frightened as hell. Please chime in with your experiences and lessons learned. Also any info you can share to help me prepare for chemotherapy, etc. 🙏🏻 Thanks

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Nov 10, 2025

@roxy66
I was diagnosed 33 years ago- 1992- at age 48- and had a mastectomy.
Obviously, treatment has changed over the years.
I had chemo for 6 months. I was able to get all treatments on time and full dose. They check your blood counts before.
They do give you drugs to counteract bad symptoms. Mine were mostly GI and worst the day after.
Try to talk to a dietitian- your appetite will change and you have many food aversions.
I did not lose all hair- it thinned out.
Get as much sleep as possible.
One of my mottos later on was : I went through chemo, I can do anything!

roxy66 | @roxy66 | Nov 10, 2025

In reply to @astaingegerdm "@roxy66 I was diagnosed 33 years ago- 1992- at age 48- and had a mastectomy. Obviously,..." + (show)

@astaingegerdm thanks for your reply!! I appreciate it. it is nice to hear from people who have been through this and extra nice to know that you have survived so many years later!! YAY 🙂

roxy66 | @roxy66 | Nov 10, 2025

In reply to @angiemal "Hi @roxy66 , Right now, you’re standing at the starting point of a journey you never..." + (show)

@angiemal

Hi @roxy66 ,

Right now, you’re standing at the starting point of a journey you never asked for , the moment when everything feels surreal, when you keep thinking, “What just happened?” You probably wish you could wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. I’ve been there, and I know how terrifying it feels. Hearing the word cancer shakes your entire world.

But please hold on to this truth: breast cancer, while frightening, has very good survival rates. You are not alone in this. In this group, you’ll meet extraordinary women, warriors filled with wisdom, compassion, and hope. Their stories will remind you, again and again, that healing is possible and that life after this can be beautiful.

If I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t try to carry it all alone. Lean on your support network : your family, your friends, and the women here. Speak openly about what you feel. Cry if you need to. Let the emotions out; none of them make you weak. Your mental and emotional health are just as important as your treatment. And if you can, reach out to a therapist ( it was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself).

Cancer is not just a physical illness , it’s something that touches every layer of who you are. That’s why healing has to come from every direction: food, movement, emotional care, mental balance, and spiritual peace. Meditation, prayer, or simply quiet moments of gratitude can help you stay grounded in the present. Try not to let your mind wander too far into fear , come back to the facts you know today, and take things one step at a time.

With time, you’ll begin to see that even in this painful season, there are lessons, light, and unexpected strength. If you believe in God, ask Him to walk beside you and help you understand what this experience is here to teach you. You will come out of this stronger, wiser, and more alive than ever before.

Sending you all my love, courage, and prayers for this journey ahead.

Jump to this post

@angiemal thanks so much for your wisdom and support. everything you said is spot on. I do need to take the time for gratitude and spiritual peace. I am trying to work on that; I am grateful you reminded me to do so!

roxy66 | @roxy66 | Nov 10, 2025

In reply to @cmdw2600 "I was diagnosed TNBC in early 2019 at age 66. Underwent chemo, lumpectomy and radiation which..." + (show)

@cmdw2600 thanks so much for your support. and i know your spot on about the reading. some of it can be helpful some of it not so much. i prefer evidenced based articles and information but i do like to hear form people who have been through this process as well. i think the personal experiences are extraordinary and can be super helpful. i appreciate your reaching out, i welcome all the words of wisdom that people are willing to share!

tnbc26s1survivor | @tnbc26s1survivor | Mar 24 11:37am

I am new here and I was just diagnosed in January 2026 with TNBC. I had Genetic Testing on 77 Genes including BRCAI and II - they all came back Negative. I had a Lumpectomy Feb. 25th and just met my Chemotherapy and Radiation Oncologist on March 20th. Currently waiting for update when my Chemotherapy starts. Everything is just overwhelming and feels like time is flying by.

rahrah6263 | @rahrah6263 | Mar 25 5:31am

In reply to @tnbc26s1survivor "I am new here and I was just diagnosed in January 2026 with TNBC. I had..." + (show)

Stay strong tnbc26💕
It is overwhelming but doable. I was diagnosed in 2017 and 2022 with tnbc. I just cleared the 5 year threshold and it returned. There’s been major strides in treatment regiments which is a major plus for tnbc. I cannot stress enough the importance of staying positive and self care. Mindset is everything, stay positive and strong. It may seem that time is flying by but you hit this! From your post it appears you did not have chemo treatments before your lumpectomy. If you don’t mind sharing, what stage were you diagnosed with?

dolphina3 | @dolphina3 | Mar 25 7:55am

In reply to @tnbc26s1survivor "I am new here and I was just diagnosed in January 2026 with TNBC. I had..." + (show)

It is alot to process at first.
My TNBC was lobular stage 2. I had chemo, masectomy, radiation, xeloda and zomeda. I am almost to my five year mark.
My tumor was large so they did chemo first to shrink it. It shrunk by almost half. The fact that you had lumpectomy already is good, they can tell more by the pathology of tumor to have the right treatment plan for you.
Thinking of you and sending a hug.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 25 3:24pm

In reply to @tnbc26s1survivor "I am new here and I was just diagnosed in January 2026 with TNBC. I had..." + (show)

@tnbc26s1survivor, I moved your post to this existing discussion started by @roxy66 just a few months ago:
- Triple negative - newly diagnosed and looking for your experiences https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/triple-negative-newly-diagnosed/

As you can see, only 6 months ago @roxy66 was exactly where you are today. I hope you saw the supportive replies from @dolphina3 and @rahrah6263. I'm also tagging fellow triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) members like @olivia7850 @ssmab @moshi and others to share with you and walk this journey with you.

Things do move fast. It's a steep learning curve. We've got you. 🙂

@tnbc26s1survivor, do you know what type of chemotherapy you will be having? What helps you to bring calm, if even for a moment, in this fast moving train?

missycat | @missycat | Mar 26 8:13am

I too am TNBC. Stage 1, 1cm lumpectomy on February 3rd, nodes clear. Getting port April 1st then 4 rounds of chemotherapy. 65 years old. Any advice on dealing with port and preparing for chemotherapy? It seems like this is dragging on and I just want it over with! Hard to take 1 day at a time!

bpknitter53 | @bpknitter53 | Mar 26 9:57am

I was dx tnbc then determined BRCA2+, I did chemo hair thinned so I got head shaved. Made myself a chemo bag with things to distract me - music, reading, knitting, snacks, something to drink a small blanket. I ate high protein - made a shake with protein powder and Fairlife milk a higher protein milk sometimes drank high protein ready made drinks. Had port implanted - needle in hand before surgery hurt - afterwards someone said i could have asked for a shot to numb hand area before IV needle. Port was best thing left hands free during chemo treatment. After chemo had bilateral mastectomy. After healed from that had radiation. I think treatment - chemo, surgery, to radiation - to told now in remission- no evidence to cancer was about about 16-18 months. I also took lynparza for 18 months as precaution because BRCA2+.

View More View Less

Please sign in or register to post a reply.