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Old 01-21-2013, 12:45 PM   #36
StephN
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
Re: Hospital AGAIN! But you'll never guess why!

Oh - so glad you are able to move to the next step of getting on with a neurosurgeon/spine specialist. I was SO GLAD to improve enough to leave the hospital, so know your relief.
You have a diagnosis, so there should be no time wasted getting you on a top surgeon's schedule. For me, the surgery was the LEAST painful, or even bothersome compared to the initial blast of crippling pain. My wish for you is that your surgery will be a breeze, and you will have a smooth recovery.
Wanted to let you know that my surgeon was being very careful with me to avoid reherniating, which the nurses said happens often. With that warning, and my surgeon saying that I could not start physical therapy until after my SIX WEEK checkup, I took care to follow the post-op instructions.

Love and soft hugs!
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.

MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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