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sarah · 06-09-2006, 01:06 AM

Dear Steph,
Thank you for your extremely informative reply. I will try to get a clearer view of what my cancer is called and staging. Up to now I just haven't considered that so important - getting the right drugs was my concern. My main oncologist had said we are going to use a nuclear bomb to destroy a small cancer. I know my cancer is a little different because it's not a big lump (never shows up on mammograms) and it always seems to come back in the same area. I had a mastectomy in 1999 and was told that would be it since then I had DCIS, no nodes involved but.....anyway it did come back. A recent sonogram of the breast area showed a suspicous inflammation again in the area between the breasts which will get looked at again in July to see if it's grown or not - it's in the area of all the surgery scars so that could be the cause - last surgery was almost 2 years ago but my GP who's very up on cancer says that since I get keloids and heavy scarring, it may just be inflammation from that and that it's not unusual to last for 2 years. I am also aware that scars can cause cancer.
Once again I can't thank everyone enough for this site and the wonderful people on it that give their time and knowledge. It's so helpful to me and very comforting.
Sounds Steph like I should keep fighting to stay on Herceptin but I think now I'm calmer about being on or off it than last time when I considered stopping it was paramount to a death sentence.
Steph, another question, do you take co-enzyme Q10? and if so, what amount? I now weigh - thanks to gaining 15 lbs on chemo - about 140lbs. I take about 150mg of Q10 each day with lunch. My Muga is about 64. I go for another one soon and a heart sonogram - I've had pericarditis before.
Ranaina,
I was given magnesium pills to take 3 times a day when I had foot and leg cramps will doing chemo. It helped me. I continue to take them with my calcium (although the calcium is taken at least 2-4 hours later than the magnesium for absorption). I'm on the AI Femara which can weaken the bones and in my case I think it is slowly doing that.

Thanks again for the helpful answers and good luck everyone with your fight and may life remain enjoyable and full,
sarah

06-09-2006, 01:06 AM	#15
sarah Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: france Posts: 1,648	Dear Steph, Thank you for your extremely informative reply. I will try to get a clearer view of what my cancer is called and staging. Up to now I just haven't considered that so important - getting the right drugs was my concern. My main oncologist had said we are going to use a nuclear bomb to destroy a small cancer. I know my cancer is a little different because it's not a big lump (never shows up on mammograms) and it always seems to come back in the same area. I had a mastectomy in 1999 and was told that would be it since then I had DCIS, no nodes involved but.....anyway it did come back. A recent sonogram of the breast area showed a suspicous inflammation again in the area between the breasts which will get looked at again in July to see if it's grown or not - it's in the area of all the surgery scars so that could be the cause - last surgery was almost 2 years ago but my GP who's very up on cancer says that since I get keloids and heavy scarring, it may just be inflammation from that and that it's not unusual to last for 2 years. I am also aware that scars can cause cancer. Once again I can't thank everyone enough for this site and the wonderful people on it that give their time and knowledge. It's so helpful to me and very comforting. Sounds Steph like I should keep fighting to stay on Herceptin but I think now I'm calmer about being on or off it than last time when I considered stopping it was paramount to a death sentence. Steph, another question, do you take co-enzyme Q10? and if so, what amount? I now weigh - thanks to gaining 15 lbs on chemo - about 140lbs. I take about 150mg of Q10 each day with lunch. My Muga is about 64. I go for another one soon and a heart sonogram - I've had pericarditis before. Ranaina, I was given magnesium pills to take 3 times a day when I had foot and leg cramps will doing chemo. It helped me. I continue to take them with my calcium (although the calcium is taken at least 2-4 hours later than the magnesium for absorption). I'm on the AI Femara which can weaken the bones and in my case I think it is slowly doing that. Thanks again for the helpful answers and good luck everyone with your fight and may life remain enjoyable and full, sarah Last edited by sarah; 06-09-2006 at 01:23 AM..