Treatment update
 

Just wanted to let you all know that I am having a change in treatment again. The navelbine gave me severe neuropathy in my hands, so my onc is switching me to gemzar. I will start this on Monday, 3 weeks on 1 week off. Hopefully this will be better for me.

As I mentioned before, I had researched this drug way back in 2006 but Ed had pathology lean him towards other treatments. I have followed this chemo since then and also with the graces of two close friends. Monday, big special thoughts of you all morning as I lay in the orange hammock and keep it warm for your return. Dreaming of this regime to bring you to the fabulous places it took my girlfriends. Do not lose heart and try to breathe.

If I could go to treatment with you I would......but the hammock.....it would be cold. Smiling at you and sending you on your way. You are off to get the dancing shoes you will need to dance with NED! Big love to you always.>>Believe51

WOS,

I hope this combo works for you and that the neuropathy subsides. Please keep us updated.

Take good care,

I hope the new treatment is better and that the neuropathy should go away.

Good luck on Monday.

Joan

Best of luck that the new treatment has few side effects except for the dastardly BC cells! ma

Keeping fingers crossed for you that Gemzar will do the trick.
I've been on Gemzar twice - once for supraclav nodes, then for sternal nodes. It worked well for me for a period of time, and the treatment was totally tolerable.
My regimen was q3wk Herceptin + Gemzar 2wks on/1wk off.
I really enjoyed having that 3rd week off- free of "The Big Chair" & the parking fees, etc.
I did get a bit of a rash with the initial doses, but that resolved after a few weeks.
I truly hope that this combo is your path to NED.

Keep the Faith~

Jessica

Praying for you, dear WomanofSteel. May God bless you with great results with Gemzar and put you in the path of recovery.

hugs,
shobha

Sending prayers for your new treatment plan working ASAP...

all the best
caya

WOS,

I hope this treatment will be better for you. Sending prayers and blessings your way.

Amelia

Sending many prayers!

Lisa

Wos,

I have been on gemzar also. I thought it was an easy chemo. I did have sore wrists and hands for the first couple of infusions. Dr said this was very unusal. I hope it works well for you.

Tonya

Woman of Steel
How is the gemzar working so far...I am hoping your hands can catch a break with this new treatment....I'll let youi know how the navelbine treats me!

WOS,
I am pleased that you are able to move to a treatment option that should be more tolerable. The neuropathy can be so painful.

Best of luck and please keep us posted on how it works for you.

Praying for a quick return to NED for you.

Lori

Reminding you that Monday was a day consumed with you on the mind. I am praying that we can take our hats off when you give us the news of how this is your toxic recipe for your cancer. Waiting to celebrate with you. Sending love and hugs to you and the family.>>Believe51

PS: Ah, yeah.....I do simply love the Goofy and I am so happy you took a picture for yourself and other Goofy lovers (Uhhhumm!) to enjoy!

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that I had my 1st treatment and aside from being a little tired, I have had no major side effects. Knock wood! ( Picture Jacquie knocking on her head LOL) I will get my next treatment on Monday so hopefully this new drug will work out for me. Thanks for all the love and support.

I hope the new one works out well for you.

WOS,

I am glad to hear that you have gotten your first treatment with no side effects. Positive vibes coming your way. Hope you have a good day.

Amelia

WOS,

I glad that the first one is behind you. Praying for good results for you and no side effects.

Tonya

WOS and Barb,

Prayers are coming from Central Texas. Hang in there.

Another woman with neck lymph node mets. I am so sorry you haven't something that works for you. I am curious if they tested your biopsy for ER/PR/HER2. I recently had a biopsy for neck mets and Dr. Dennis Slamon (my oncologist at UCLA) wanted the tissue retested for tumor characteristics inorder to prescribe a protocol. Breast cancer tumors can change characterists when they metastasize. I am currently on Herceptin and Tykerb--see below.

Age 57 at diagnosis---Nothing has happened per the book for me.

11/03 Annual mammo-Stanford/normal. Had mammos every year since age 40 with no indication of cancer.
9/04 Left Nipple Inverted--DX/High Grade BC-Stage IIIC 7x5x3cm tumor with 11 of 11 tested lymph nodes positive for metastatic carcinoma with extranodal spread. ER/PR - Her2neu positive by FISH (HER2:D17Z1 ratio of 4.03). Ki-67 staining was 70%

10/04-4/05 Dose Dense---4 AC; 4 Taxotere/Herceptin; 35 rounds of radiation.

5/05-2/09 Herceptin every 3 weeks; My hair never grew back---told this is rare and caused by Taxol drugs. After much mourning, selected hair replacement system (VirtualReality.com)—expensive but I have better hair than before cancer.

7/08 Lost voice—DX paralyzed rt vocal cord. -. It took 7 mo for modern medicine to find the root cause. None of my doctors suspected malignancy because my BC was on the left side/paralyzed vocal cord was on the right side, and my tumor markers never changed. (Told rare place for breast cancer to reoccur and my tumor doesn’t produce the proteins measured by tumor markers---these markers don’t work for everyone---new news to me; all these years I have had a false sense of security).

2/09 Enlarged Neck lymph node finally detected on CT/PET. Surgery to remove tissue done to confirm tumor characteristics. Breast cancer metastatis was finally diagnosed at UCLA. Neck tumor was ER/PR -; Her2neu highly positive by Fish (her2:D17Z1 ratio of 20.2).

3/10 Continuing Herceptin. Prescribed 4 Tykerb daily. After 6 days, massive hives all over body. Tykerb reduced to 3 tablets daily. So far so good. Will get cat/pet soon since tumor markers don’t work for me.