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View Full Version : It's my birthday, woohoo!!


lolam
02-02-2005, 12:13 PM
I survived another year. Don't we love to celebrate??? No birthday groans for us. We just lOVE getting older!!

It was an insult though. I was scheduled for herceptin today but my blood counts were too low. They have been low for months, not as low as today though. The doc said he has waited long enough. So I had to have a bone marrow extraction right then and there. Yikes, that is not fun!! That is a REAL kick in the butt!!!!! But I survived. I will know the results a week from today.
It could be bone marrow mets. I would not be able to have chemo though as my counts are too low. It could be a disease that happens from damage by chemo, akin to leukemia. He has never heard of this being a side effect from herceptin but he did not give me herceptin today.

This would not be bone mets but bone marrow mets. I haven't heard of that on this board. Has anyone had that?

This is a tad more than a little unsettling. I guess the not knowing is hard as we all know. I am sure that The Lord and I and Bob can face whatever comes next.
I love you gals being there. This is already therapeutic!

Lolly
02-02-2005, 12:18 PM
Hey, Birthday Girl, doule and triple WHOOHOO'S! Yes, every year and every milestone is another victory!
I don't know anything about bone marrow mets either. I'll have to do some sleuthing, I'll post any useful info I find. Hang in there party girl :)

Love, Lolly

Lisa
02-02-2005, 02:38 PM
Hi, there! I have absolutely no answers for you. Just a BIG, OLE BIRTHDAY HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!

Love and light,

Lisa

Kristen
02-02-2005, 03:08 PM
LoLam,
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear LOLAM, Happy birhtday to you. Take Care k

Lolly
02-02-2005, 06:42 PM
Lola, I did some research on bone marrow metastasis, and what I've read seems to indicate that if the test shows metastatic bc cells in the bone marrow you are possibly at risk for developing tumor in the bone itself, so some doctors prefer to have a patient on a bone strengthening medication, or bisphophonate. There are several, like Fosamax which you take at home, or Zometa which I believe is infused at the treatment center.
I may be mistaken, but this is what I interpolated from the articles I read. Micro cells in the bone marrow ARE different than an actual tumor apparently, but any way please keep us posted on what you find out and what your doctor recommends.

Love, Lolly

lolam
02-02-2005, 11:07 PM
Thanks so much. Lolly, for looking this up. You are so kind!!!

I too have been searching. Very little information on this subj. so far. Bone marrow mets and bone mets are definately two differnet mets altogether, so far I have gathered that. They respond though to systemic therapy. None of the gals on another board though with bone marrow mets had her2/neu. Where was herceptin when this was going on is my big QUESTION???? I can understand brain mets but not this.

Trying not to cross bridges before I get there but this darn internet just pulls me in with all the information just waiting for me to find, all the eventualities. I just get hooked.

My back side is really hurting now. And now that Iknow I am VERY anemic I am feeling tired early tonight. The power of suggestion I guess......

I am not ready for another big battle. I could wait a little longer, thank you very much. Life is hard, but God is good. I won't be forgetting that.

Hugs, Lola

StephN
02-03-2005, 01:43 AM
OUCH!
(I am just "feeling your pain")

Well, each of us brings another question or bit of information to this board and you have dropped a doozy on us with the bone marrow met business.

All I know is that there is some sort of side effect like this listed in my Informed Consent for the clinical trails I entered. "Highly unlikely" were my med oncs words when I asked him if he ever saw such a thing. They even list death - but I signed and went into the trials.

My med onc put me on Zometa to "protect my bones" after my liver mets were conquered. But, I have no idea if it would protect me from what you are talking about.

There are some posts below about Clodronate and I know from being in San Antonio that there was a lot of buzz about the new biphosphanates.

Will keep you in my prayers.

*_madubois63_*
02-03-2005, 08:06 AM
Not such a great birthday present, huh? I am so sorry to hear about this new development. We will all keep our eyes out for information and of course, continue our prayers for a cure.

*_Patty D_*
02-04-2005, 12:12 PM
Hope your birthday was good in sprite of your news Lola! You are very courageous as are all the gals here and it seems we are "in the pits" (As Erma Bombeck used to say-"If life is a bowel of cherries-what am I doing in the pits?") more often than not with this retched disease. But hold one and you will be ok-
I was dx with bone mets about 3 months ago- I think the dr said it was in the marrow- He put me on monthly hormonal injections of Faslodex- I have had 2 and have 2 more. My CA 27-29 had been climbing for 3 months so a PET scan was done which showed mets to the spine and ribs. He thinks the Faslodex is going to work but said chemo was the next option if it didn't. I will have my markers checked again a few weeks after my last inj which is in March. They had gone from 50 to 89! So hopefully they will go back down again. God Bless! PattyD

al from canada
02-05-2005, 07:49 PM
Dear Lola,
When Linda had her BIG mets eposode and almost died from liver mets, they did a bunch of scans and tests, etc. She was diagnosed with liver, bone and bone marrow mets. They treated it no different than if it were liver mets alone. Their big concern after the jaundice was spinal chord compression, which they tested for and was negative. Since then, all the focus has been around the liver mets except for one x-ray a few months ago where the original bone mets were. That showed up negative. No one has paid any attention WHAT-SO-EVER to the marrow mets. She gets WBC support from neupogen and has taken 4 doses of Eprex for RBC when required.
ME WORRY??
Al