A special case

[RhondaH]

I'm so sorry you have been through what you have, but you have what it takes to be a survivor...a GREAT attitude and NOW you have us Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[Gina]

Hi, we share A LOT in common...I was dx at 33, did a very aggressive chemo regimen not so different from yours..CAF then taxotere then rads, but it only bought me 5 months till the cancer had mets to the liver..(12 lesions..) as there was NO liver transplant BACK THEN...oh I feel ancient..in 1999..smile...and CERTAINLY no sternum transplant..YOU MUST BE VERY RARE...smile..., I had to get by on HERCEPTIN alone...

LONG story short..it has worked very well for me...but living with cancer is now just a part of my daily routine..having mets some 7 times since...including ONE very stubborn MET to my sternum...right in the manubrium...right over my heart...so, yes, I share your pain, AND your ENTHUSIASM to keep living.

I have been a single mom throughout and even though I am thrilled I will be turning 42 next month...just to have survived nearly 10 years..., but I am at the same time angry and sad that all my very BEST and MOST LOVELY womanly years have all been swallowed up fighting this illness...even though I am very grateful for an exceptional quality of life made possible by the Herceptin that lets me run my own company and even volunteer to help folks with her-2 and other cancers. I am especially grateful that at least I had one natural child before all this happened but am saddened for all the other children I wanted but did not get the opportunity to conceive...

I most of all am sad that having an illness such as this makes having a significant relationship even harder than it already is under the best of circumstances. You are very brave and very positive. I wish you the very best...I visited Rome several times when I lived in Europe back in the 80s..it is a beautiful city.

Good luck with that LAWYER...trust me..with this kind of illness...a good litigator is NEARLY as important as a great oncologist..smile..

Best of luck to you,
Gina
GPOPP@Comcast.com

[Pam Bellendir]

What a courageous young woman (women). I am so glad you found this site. These women (and men) have been such a support for me (as you all truly know how I feel) and I have a great support system. I have the best husband, the best friends with all the good intentions who did come through for me, hundreds of believers in Christ praying for my healing and comfort during chemo-- daily since my dx in 03/2005 (and my chemo turned out to be a much easier ordeal than most I know of), and the use of Herceptin, and I still on occasion feel sorry for myself. Thank you so much for finding this site and reminding me how selfish I can be. What a true inspiration you are. I must ask for forgiveness. I don't have the pressure of dealing with this disease along with trying to live a normal youthful life or trying to make a living for myself and raise small children at the same time as so many other women do. Please, all of you need to know that you have reinvigorated (is that a word?) me to pull up my bootstraps and once again know that I have a great life and I need to quit taking it for granted. Thank you so much. I am not a religious (living by the law) believer in Jesus Christ, I am just a believer who knows Him and His grace. So I encourage a relationship with This Higher Power to help sustain you too. For the founder of this site, thank you again.