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03-02-2007, 11:02 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
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Scans were good, but question
I got the results of my petscan on Thursday and they were clear. I am very relieved. The doctor did mention that my thymus gland has reactivated, but that she believes that it is because of the chemo and is just going keep an eye on it for now. Has that happened to anyone else?
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03-03-2007, 04:58 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Morris, IL
Posts: 3,507
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Vanessa
Congrats on your good PET scan....time to celebrate! It feels like such a gift when we get good reports!!!!!
__________________
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
Hugs & Blessings
Sheila
Diagnosed at age 49.99999 2/21/2002 via Mammography (Calcifications)
Core Biopsy 2/22/02
L. Mastectomy 2/25/2002
Stage 1, 0.7cm IDC, Node Neg from 19 nodes Her2+++ ER PR Neg
6/2003 Reconstruction W/ Tissue Expander, Silicone Implant
9/2003 Stage IV with Mets to Supraclavicular nodes
9/2003 Began Herceptin every 3 weeks
3/2006 Xeloda 2500mg/Herceptin for recurrence to neck nodes
3/2007 Added back the Xeloda with Herceptin for continued mets to nodes
5/2007 Taken Off Xeloda, no longer working
6/14/07 Taxol/Herceptin/Avastin
3/26 - 5/28/08 Taxol Holiday Whopeeeeeeeee
5/29 2008 Back on Taxol w Herceptin q 2 weeks
4/2009 Progression on Taxol & Paralyzed L Vocal Cord from Nodes Pressing on Nerve
5/2009 Begin Rx with Navelbine/Herceptin
11/09 Progression on Navelbine
Fought for and started Tykerb/Herceptin...nodes are melting!!!!!
2/2010 Back to Avastin/Herceptin
5/2010 Switched to Metronomic Chemo with Herceptin...Cytoxan and Methotrexate
Pericardial Window Surgery to Drain Pericardial Effusion
7/2010 Back to walking a mile a day...YEAH!!!!
9/2010 Nodes are back with a vengence in neck
Qualified for TDM-1 EAP
10/6/10 Begin my miracle drug, TDM-1
Mixed response, shrinking internal nodes, progression skin mets after 3 treatments
12/6/10 Started Halaven (Eribulen) /Herceptin excellent results in 2 treatments
2/2011 I CELEBRATE my 9 YEAR MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7/5/11 begin Gemzar /Herceptin for node progression
2/8/2012 Gemzar stopped, Continue Herceptin
2/20/2012 Begin Tomo Radiation to Neck Nodes
2/21/2012 I CELEBRATE 10 YEARS
5/12/2012 BeganTaxotere/ Herceptin is my next miracle for new node progression
6/28/12 Stopped Taxotere due to pregression, Started Perjeta/Herceptin
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03-03-2007, 08:23 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
Posts: 2,320
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Vanessa,
Congrats on your clean scans. You must be very relieved. Enjoy your day, don't worry about the thymus gland - if your onc. says it's nothing, then try to believe her.
all the best
Caya
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03-03-2007, 09:23 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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The Thymus gland is part of the lymphatic system. It's job is that that immature T-lymphocytes (long term immunity "killer T cells") are sent there from the bone marrow to mature to adult T-lymphocytes.
Have you been sick (virus, sinus infection, flu, series of colds)? This could be the reason it is active. I know all of us would be thinking the worst but it is not necessarily anything bad at all.
Another thing it could be is that lymphocytes (they are part of the "memory" immune cells. What I mean is that if you had the measles as a child and were exposed again, your body (via the bone marrow and thymus) get "reminded" of this and rapidly produce the Tcells to get rid of it as they remember this germ from long ago). So, even though you may not have been sick recently, you may have been exposed to something you had before. You don't even get the same cold again but there are thousands of cold viruses and they mutate which is why people continue to get colds.
One thing you can do (and I know I would) is that I would want an explanation of why the thymus is "active". And why your doctor isn't concerned. Just knowing the doctor isn't concerned is great (and you should go on this as a great thing) but knowing why they aren't concerned is better as that is obviously bothering you alot and it would bother me too (cuz that's the way I am too). Some folks don't care as long as the doc isn't bothered.
So, call on Monday and ask (or if you're seeing your onc soon - in a few days - ask then).
Have a nice weekend because if it was something, you would be told and the doctor specifically said they were not concerned.
Big hug to you.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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03-03-2007, 12:16 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Vanessa,
Congratulations! That's wonderful news and new that I like to read about.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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03-03-2007, 01:26 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 476
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Congrat to the good news first. I think Becky is absolutely correct and you should follow her advice. Ignoring a warning could mean a lot of regret later. Doctors have so many patients to worry about and it is your own health that you should be looking objectively and clearly at. Find out as much as you can about the "active" matter, get to the bottome of the barrell.
__________________
Ann
Stage 1 dx Sept 05
ER/PR positive HER2 +++ Grade 3
Invasive carcinoma 1 cm, no node involvement
Mastec Sept 05
Annual scans all negative, Oct 06
Postmenopause. Arimidex only since Sept 06, bone or muscle ache after 3 month
Off Arimidex, change to Femara 1/12-07, ache stopped
Sept 07 all tests negative, pass 2 year mark
Feb 08 continue doing well.
Sep 09 four year NED still on Femara.
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03-03-2007, 06:39 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Congrats on the good news, but like Becky I would want to know the whys and wherefores. Then you can really not worry.
________
LIVE SEX WEBSHOWS
Last edited by sassy; 08-22-2011 at 09:10 AM..
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03-04-2007, 11:39 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado
Posts: 546
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exciting news
I hope you celebrate the good news Vanessa! Good scan results are a big deal for us. Becky, as usual  , has great advice for you and I hope you'll let us know any more information, if you get it. But anyway-WOO HOO!
__________________
with love and gratitude,
joy
dx stage I 2/2000*er/pr+; her- per IHC*lumpectomy*4 rounds A/C*30 rads*tamoxifen*dx stage 4 5/2002*huge mets to liver*tiny mets to lungs*stopped tamoxifen*5/02 taxotere/xeloda*her 2 checked with FiSH-her2+++herceptin *2/03 stopped chemo femara w/herceptin*zolodex*04 switched to aromasin w/herceptin*05 high estrogen tx*11/05taxol/carbo*7/06 stopped chemo; megace/herceptin*9/06navelbine/herceptin*5/07tykerb/xeloda great response*4/08 progression in liver; ooph/ faslodex /herceptin
6/08 began Herceptin DM-1
9/08 progression
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03-04-2007, 08:53 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: san luis obispo, ca
Posts: 1,150
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Congrats Vanessa! I'm so glad to hear of your results. I,too, would ask more questions about the Thymus and what the posiibilities are. But I know you're going to kick this and you already have done so well. Yeah! Love, Vickie
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03-05-2007, 10:11 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
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Thank you all for the well wishes. Also, thank you Becky for the advice, you always have great suggestions. I will probably begin by talking to my nurse on Friday when I go in for Herceptin. Thanks again for all of the support I have received on this board. I am sending positive thoughts to all of you!
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