HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - "Living while waiting"

StephN · 05-08-2009, 03:32 PM

Thanks to you all for your very thoughtful replies here.

I don't know about Andi, but I DO need the encouragement. It is en-courage-ment of a different kind than when I was in active treatment, but just as, if not more, necessary now.

Maintaining a healthy respect for this disease helps keep me a bit edgy about it all. When you have had it come back on you, you know what it feels like to be "stalked."

Speaking of "vacation," I do have one planned for the near future. Going to Italy on May 25th with my mother and youngest sister. We will be gone for 16 days and spend it all in the north-central area of Italy.

More about that in another post. But the trip is another reason I am staying off vitamin H, as it does give me bad leg cramps. Which are not conducive to a trip involving trains and a lot of walking.

05-08-2009, 03:32 PM	#24
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Thanks to you all for your very thoughtful replies here. I don't know about Andi, but I DO need the encouragement. It is en-courage-ment of a different kind than when I was in active treatment, but just as, if not more, necessary now. Maintaining a healthy respect for this disease helps keep me a bit edgy about it all. When you have had it come back on you, you know what it feels like to be "stalked." Speaking of "vacation," I do have one planned for the near future. Going to Italy on May 25th with my mother and youngest sister. We will be gone for 16 days and spend it all in the north-central area of Italy. More about that in another post. But the trip is another reason I am staying off vitamin H, as it does give me bad leg cramps. Which are not conducive to a trip involving trains and a lot of walking. __________________ "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. Last edited by StephN; 05-08-2009 at 03:58 PM..