Thread: Joy Column
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Old 09-04-2007, 03:51 PM   #110
Andrea Barnett Budin
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
Exclamation Happy Bday And A Hundred Thanks...!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBBIE! A fellow Virgo. And a Sister in Life! Two peas in a pod. Yes, thank you, I had a great 2 days of celebrating, getting calls one after the other from my most beloved family and friends. How great to be remembered. Hope your day or days were full of joy!

And it was a true joy to receive good wishes and a little special attention from all you wonderful ladies, my HER2 buddies. No one can understand like you gals. And you have the BEST energy, great wisdom and generous hearts. I love you all and deeply appreciate you -- each and every one of you -- every day, but especially am grateful for your good wishes.

A great thing I have learned on this journey -- WHOEVER WANTS IT AND FEELS THEY NEED IT THE MOST, AND HOLDS ON TO *I CAN DO THIS*, *I WILL DO THIS*, I HAVE TO DO THIS* -- all the while pushing away all the doubt, pain and haunting thoughts that naturally occur -- WINS! Yes, it's a full time job. A 24/7 job staying alive, surviving and thriving. It doesn't come easily to be sure. Some days we must take baby steps, not just one day at a time, but one hour at a time, making micro goals for ourselves. But in the end we feel more joyful than we ever did before. Because we appreciate every little thing. We cherish each special relationship. We KNOW how truly blessed we are to be alive. Wishing NED for all you beautiful, wonderful women, along with serenity and LOVE...
Andi

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Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...

'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...

Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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