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Old 06-28-2007, 04:31 PM   #20
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
Thumbs up Always Good To Share Good News

Had my CT scans this AM. NO EVIDENCE OF METASTIC DISEASE. STABLE. Thank you God. Thank you body. Thank you mind. All systems working together...

I did NOT use my port for contrast, as you wise women, and my chemo nurses and my onc just told me, in passing. After all these yrs of scanning regularly since '98. Yes, they always used to saline flushes and heplock. No, I never had a problem. But I will never take a chance again with my precious port. So they stabbed me a few times, and dug and dug, to thread it in. Not horrible. I have one good arm, as most of us and one good vein in the middle of my wrist, which ALL wince at approaching, hating to do as I plead. They all start off w/the juicy looking one and become so dismayed when it fails. They pump saline in to be sure it's working and IT'S NOT. I get a big bubble of saline. They call for reinforcements. Next. Please use my wrist. I know you think it hurts the most, but the hand hurts more. I promise you. They gave me a nice bandage cuff to go home with. And, in accordance with my plea for a SAME DAY REPORT, I got the results in 1 1/2 hrs (rather than waiting most of the day). They spoil me. I can't take the waiting. And Paul is worse than I am. He gets so nervous EVERY time. Still. Bless his heart. Wishing you all good reports, health and wellness, joy and harmony. With much love my sweet Soul Sisters... 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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