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CoolBreeze · 05-23-2014, 05:44 PM

I'm really sorry your family is facing this but she, like many of the wonderful women here, will get through it. You can read my story at my blog, http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com but basically, I was diagnosed Stage II in 2009. I did the same treatment your wife did and got through it just fine - even worked. My son was 12 at the time. Even though mets were found in my liver after treatment, I am still here. He graduates high school in 2 weeks and I'm thrilled to be here for that! He is going to college at Caltech and you know I"m so happy to see where he ends up.

Of course, your wife is going to be really upset to lose her hair. We all are. But it will grow back in no time. Sometimes it helps to cut it short first, so when it comes out you aren't losing all those long strands. It's pretty messy too. She can see what she looks like in a short 'do as she'll have one for a while as her hair grows in.

Chemo is not anywhere near as scary as the movies make it out to be. I have been on 7 different chemos and none made me throw up. Only one even made me nauseous and that was my 7th, Gemzar, and that's probably because I'd been on it for so many years. I would recommend she try not to be too scared as it's nothing like what is described. Her biggest problem will likely be constipation, and easy enough one to solve.

Good luck to your family.

05-23-2014, 05:44 PM	#20
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: Just Starting Our Fight, Help. I'm really sorry your family is facing this but she, like many of the wonderful women here, will get through it. You can read my story at my blog, http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com but basically, I was diagnosed Stage II in 2009. I did the same treatment your wife did and got through it just fine - even worked. My son was 12 at the time. Even though mets were found in my liver after treatment, I am still here. He graduates high school in 2 weeks and I'm thrilled to be here for that! He is going to college at Caltech and you know I"m so happy to see where he ends up. Of course, your wife is going to be really upset to lose her hair. We all are. But it will grow back in no time. Sometimes it helps to cut it short first, so when it comes out you aren't losing all those long strands. It's pretty messy too. She can see what she looks like in a short 'do as she'll have one for a while as her hair grows in. Chemo is not anywhere near as scary as the movies make it out to be. I have been on 7 different chemos and none made me throw up. Only one even made me nauseous and that was my 7th, Gemzar, and that's probably because I'd been on it for so many years. I would recommend she try not to be too scared as it's nothing like what is described. Her biggest problem will likely be constipation, and easy enough one to solve. Good luck to your family. __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.