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Chelee · 10-21-2007, 04:46 PM

Susan, I went through almost the same thing...maybe worse? I had just been DX...scared to death...had no clue about any of this? All my onc could say to me is I have a very bad prognosis. Never one word of encouragement. (I literally walked away after my 1st appt thinking: "I don't have a snowballs chance in he$% of making it".
That comment bothered me so much at my next appt I caught my onc off guard & said, "So how many women do you personally know of with Her2 bc & positive nodes that are still alive"? He looked down at the ground & seriously for what seemed like an eternity & said, "Well, I know of one women". (I was thinking to myself...that's IT, just one!) So I just knew I was a goner after hearing that. So Susan, I sort of know how you feel. I felt like why should I even bother...I don't stand a chance. But then THANK GOD for this board and one other...I found these women and they had her2 cancer like me. There were so many encouraging stories & I could actually see these women were STILL HERE and doing fine. (Unlike what my onc would have me believe.) He gave me NO HOPE! Zip, nadda, none! I even switched onc's in this group...and the one I have is NO better. She NEVER says anything encouraging to me either!

But after all I've been through, & the way my two onc's have made me feel about my BAD PROGNOSIS, which made me SO ANGRY...my attitude changed to a POSITIVE one & I decided I was going to prove them wrong...and I don't think I will...I KNOW I will. (I already have!)

In fact the 1st onc's I had down there just ran into me the other day by accident in the hallway and he had a very geninue smile on his face and seemed to be PLEASED at how well I was doing. He hadn't seen me in a long time. (He could NOT quite smiling!) I have hair now, and I'm still standing in an upright position...walking and talking! He looked almost gitty when he first saw me & even stopped to talk. He seemed quite tickled I was even alive. lol (That just just my feelings about it.) haha So point being Susan...IGNORE your onc remarks! I am sorry you read them...but he has no idea how you will do...not in todays world with herceptin added and the AI's, etc.

I am stage IIIA, Her2, 3+++, 5 positive nodes...and I could NOT have radiation which really worried me with my prognosis. But thank God I am STILL HERE and knock on wood doing fine all things considered. I have no clue why your onc would say that when your still early stage and no node involvment? Switch onc's and find someone that is IN YOUR corner if you can. You are going to do just fine. Thankfully you found this group and you can see for yourself your onc is just plain wrong. So its time to show him just how wrong he is like the rest of us women here are doing daily. You hang in there and SMILE.

Chelee

10-21-2007, 04:46 PM	#25
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Susan, I went through almost the same thing...maybe worse? I had just been DX...scared to death...had no clue about any of this? All my onc could say to me is I have a very bad prognosis. Never one word of encouragement. (I literally walked away after my 1st appt thinking: "I don't have a snowballs chance in he$% of making it". That comment bothered me so much at my next appt I caught my onc off guard & said, "So how many women do you personally know of with Her2 bc & positive nodes that are still alive"? He looked down at the ground & seriously for what seemed like an eternity & said, "Well, I know of one women". (I was thinking to myself...that's IT, just one!) So I just knew I was a goner after hearing that. So Susan, I sort of know how you feel. I felt like why should I even bother...I don't stand a chance. But then THANK GOD for this board and one other...I found these women and they had her2 cancer like me. There were so many encouraging stories & I could actually see these women were STILL HERE and doing fine. (Unlike what my onc would have me believe.) He gave me NO HOPE! Zip, nadda, none! I even switched onc's in this group...and the one I have is NO better. She NEVER says anything encouraging to me either! But after all I've been through, & the way my two onc's have made me feel about my BAD PROGNOSIS, which made me SO ANGRY...my attitude changed to a POSITIVE one & I decided I was going to prove them wrong...and I don't think I will...I KNOW I will. (I already have!) In fact the 1st onc's I had down there just ran into me the other day by accident in the hallway and he had a very geninue smile on his face and seemed to be PLEASED at how well I was doing. He hadn't seen me in a long time. (He could NOT quite smiling!) I have hair now, and I'm still standing in an upright position...walking and talking! He looked almost gitty when he first saw me & even stopped to talk. He seemed quite tickled I was even alive. lol (That just just my feelings about it.) haha So point being Susan...IGNORE your onc remarks! I am sorry you read them...but he has no idea how you will do...not in todays world with herceptin added and the AI's, etc. I am stage IIIA, Her2, 3+++, 5 positive nodes...and I could NOT have radiation which really worried me with my prognosis. But thank God I am STILL HERE and knock on wood doing fine all things considered. I have no clue why your onc would say that when your still early stage and no node involvment? Switch onc's and find someone that is IN YOUR corner if you can. You are going to do just fine. Thankfully you found this group and you can see for yourself your onc is just plain wrong. So its time to show him just how wrong he is like the rest of us women here are doing daily. You hang in there and SMILE. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.