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02-17-2007, 01:24 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 45
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Update
Well, it has been a really long week. Sunday night I developed a fever of 102 and ended up in the hospital with a blood infection. When the dr. came to see me on Monday he had the results of my MRI that we did just as a baseline. They found 3 small tumors. 2 on the right side and 1 on the left side. I have already started whole brain radiation treatments. I will receive 14 days of radiation. I also asked the dr. for a chest x-ray to see what my lung mets were doing. I was afraid he would argue that I had only had 2 chemo treatments and 4 herceptin treatments but he order the x-ray with no problem. The good news is that the tumors have already decreased by 25%. My dr. was so excited.
I have no knowledge of what to expect with whole brain radiation and at this point I don't have the energy to study. If anyone has any information about what I should expect I would really appreciated it. They keep talking about me being tired but no one tells me how tired or how long that might last. Any info will be greatly appreaciated.
I guess I'm still in shock because I haven't really set down and cried. Right now I just feel like a burden to my family. I don't have children. It is just me, my husband of 6 years and my mom. But everything has to be scheduled around my treatments and how I'm feeling at time. Right now I'm suppose to be at a wedding for some very good friends of ours and my husband had to go without me. I guess I just want life to return to normal but there is no more normal. There is just day to day.
Thank you all for being apart of this site and for all you do!
__________________
Hugs and Smiles,
Angela - NC
Dx May 2003 at age 39
Lt mastectomy, no nodes
DCIS, PR- ER- Her+++
4 rounds AC
Recurrence Dec 2006 Rt lung
2/07 - 3 Brain mets - Radiation
3/07 - Carboplatin and Herceptin
8/07- mets stable. Finished Carboplatin-remain on Herceptin
12/07 - Herceptin only
5/08 - Lung mets grew - tykerb and Navilbene. Reaction to Tykerb -9/08 Herceptin again
12/08 - Lung mets growing - xeloda.
8/09 - Given Zometa for precaution
10/09 - Lung mets back plus new ones. - Put back on Xeloda.
1/10 – Began short-term disability
2/10 –Lung mets growing - Gemzar
9/2010 – Scan show tumors in lungs growing. Put on Ixempra (every 3 weeks). MRI of the brain showed a brain bleed but it had stopped bleeding.
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02-17-2007, 02:14 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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Hi Angela! You aren't a burden but a blessing. I believe with all my heart that our battles are a witness to others. I'm hoping your 14 days of radiation whiz by and have tremendous results for you. The good news is how well your chemo is working to shrink the tumors you have. Best wishes and know that you bless us with your honesty and sharing. mary anne
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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02-17-2007, 03:51 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Lumberton, Mississippi
Posts: 118
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Hi Angela:
Please don't think of yourself as a burden. I am sure you are much loved by your mother and husband. You fight with all you have. I know when you are feeling bad, it is hard to look on the bright side of things, because I have been there. If you need to cry, then go for it. I just want to encourage you to win this battle, and know we are all there praying and pulling for you.
Linda
__________________
Diagnosed 12/23/04
Biopsy 12/28/04
Lumpectomy 1/04/05
IDC, ER-PR-, HER2Neu+++
7mm tumor, Stage 1, Grade 3
6 CAF's
38 Rads
Finished 10/05
"Worry looks around. Sorry looks back. Faith looks up."
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02-17-2007, 04:02 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 3,463
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Angela hang in there,fight this and you'll have the rest of your life to enjoy.
I'm sorry to hear your news but please know we're all thinking of you and sending lots of posiitve energy and hugs your way.
Hugs
Tricia
__________________
Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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02-17-2007, 10:25 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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Angela, I know you're in shock right now, and as you say, tired from the treatment. Some of the others here have been through WBR and also GammaKnife for brain mets, so I hope you don't mind but I posted an S.O.S. for you as I think maybe some didn't see your post yet. Hang in there, let yourself be taken care of right now. I know you feel like a burden, we've all had that feeling. But I know from what my husband tells me that the one way he feels he can help my through this is to be able to do things for me; shopping, laundry, etc. Otherwise, it would be much harder for him to cope. So let your mom and husband help you because it actually helps them.
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
<3 Lolly
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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02-18-2007, 08:46 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 36
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A few steps ahead of you...
Hi Angela,
I finished WBR in late January to treat multiple very small brain mets. This was after being treated for lung mets last year. So...I'll share my experience with WBR.
I had 15 treatments and kept working. Most of my symptoms didn't kick in until I was about finished with the treatments. My hair is falling out like mad now and I'm pretty fatigued. I've used lotion on my scalp and haven't had any pain or discomfort there (with the exception of the hair falling out...I find that's uncomfortable alone). The decadron was tough for me to handle...insomnia, weight gain, GI issues. I'm trying hard to wean myself from the decadron, but the brain swelling causes headaches. I've had to take it slower than I would like.
You'll get through this, Angela! Feel free to e-mail me with other questions.
__________________
Michelle
Stage 2 '99, triple negative, 5 nodes involved
mastectomy, AC + T, rads, '01 TRAM flap
Stage 4 '06, lung mets, ER/PR-, HER2++
07/06 - 11/06: Taxol + Herceptin to 'strong partial remission'
11/06: Herceptin every 3 weeks indefinitely
01/07: brain mets, finished WBR, NED in head!
04/07: Xeloda and Tykerb for lung met progression
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02-19-2007, 12:23 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado
Posts: 546
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thinking of you
You will create a new normal when things mellow a bit after the WBR. But you are right there is only day by day. I'm thrilled your lung mets are responding-that is GREAT news!!! I'm sorry about the brain mets, but the folks who really know about that have given you good advice. I'm sorry you have the miss the wedding. I hope you can sleep a lot and know you are no more a 'burden' to your family as they would be to you if roles were reversed, right? We are not on the planet alone for a reason. So let people take care of you and look forward to when you can return the favor, only hopefully under less intense circumstances.
__________________
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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02-19-2007, 03:05 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Calif.
Posts: 981
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Dear Angela,
I am sorry to read about the brain mets. However, Christine is such a great example of being a long term survivor of this. I am hopeful that the WBR will not be to awful for you.
And know that you are not a burden. Your family loves you. You would feel the same if it was your husband dealing with cancer. You would do whatever needed to be done to care for him. You are precious!
Hugs and Prayers,
Lexi
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