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01-06-2008, 03:51 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 305
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I am sorry to hear that your friends and family did not share your joy. I think it is hard for someone who has not faced a life threatening illness to understand what we feel.
Congratulations on your second anniversary, I am glad you proved those doctors wrong!
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01-06-2008, 04:54 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Hi Chelee,
Yes, I get it too. I guess only "we" can! "They" haven't experienced what we have and unless you have you don't understand. Also, yes, some people do say the dumbest things, don't they? Again, I guess it is their way of trying to fit into our world for that brief moment and saying that thing that will make it all right with us (ya right?) But, again, they don't get it and as I say to many people "you don't get it and I pray you never do!"
So from one who "gets it" to another...............HAPPY HAPPY 2 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It IS a special day. The SPECIALIST (is that a word ?)
Love to you and Chelee and may God's Peace surround you.
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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01-07-2008, 07:23 AM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 943
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The wonder and glory of this board is that there are others like you who do totally get it. This board was the only group of people would congradulated me on my five year anniversary. I announced it to my family, but they failed to acknowledge it at all. Having said that, congradulations to all on their cancer anniversary and know we here are fighters and survivors so live life to its fullest, knowing we worked to be here, unlike many in this world who just take life for granted. We truly know what it means to live and give.
__________________
Robin
2002- dx her2 positive DCIS/bc TX Mast, herceptin chemo
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01-07-2008, 08:08 AM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Happy Cancerversary!!! And, I "get it" like evereyone else here. I could go on and on about how it hurts my feelings when people don't..."get it". And I say that because, even before cancer, I think I am the type of person who "gets it"!! I have had friends and family who have been hit with a major life crisis and I sent cards, made phone calls, cooked casseroles and on and on, yet these same people do not respond in kind. And quite frankly, I just don't understand!!! So, the Her2 SUPPORT Group is just what it says...SUPPORT!!! It has become my support system because we all care about each other and your milestone is my milestone!!!
__________________
 Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year
as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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01-07-2008, 09:47 AM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 889
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Happy, Happy two years! Wishing you many more!
__________________
dx aug 03 invasive dcis 1 cm
er/pr/her2+
bcs 8/4/03
bcs 8/21/03 0/16 nodes
tx 4x ca 36 rad tam
postmenopausal 06 aromasin
sept 07 biopsy node in neck
muga/pet/cat/bone mets to lungs nodes and liver stage iv
tx hki-272
tx not working switched to taxol herceptin
Taxol not working switched to navelbine
navelbine is causing bad neuropathy
starting gemzar
gemzar quit on me now on Ixempra due to increasing number and size of liver mets
another progression starting tykerb/xeloda
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01-07-2008, 12:11 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: RHODE ISLAND
(Ed getting me a latte on 2nd Cancerversary Cruise 2008)
'BELIEVE': To accept as true or real, To have faith in, To presume
ALWAYS BELIEVE
Posts: 2,999
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Dearest Chelee...
As you may remember, September 7, 2007 was Mighty Oak's 'One Year Cancerversary' and I planned a nice 4 day getaway in New Hampshire to celebrate the time we did not think we would have. I was so proud of him beating the prognosis' that were given to him in the beginning.
One of my friends, ahhhh...a breast cancer survivor herself.....could not grasp the fact that we were celebrating him getting cancer. Hello...not celebrating someone getting cancer Sweetie....celebrating LIFE!! After I thought about her noncompassionate comments I realized something. She could never come to this site or other sites, she does not want to learn about cancer because she is so afraid of it. She is not even in charge of her own treatment plans, she relies on the doctors judgement and I do not want to even tell you those horror stories. Her fears have kept her clueless. I was hurt at first because who better to understand than a breast cancer patient??? I now pray for her in a special way so she may conquer her fears so she may continue to conquer breast cancer!!
No Darling, not everyone understands but we do. I am going to take a moment tonight to rejoice in your news. Never let anyone rob you of the reasons you fight this fight!! You are a Hero in my book Chelee and you inspire us all here. Keep up the great fight and celebrate with all you have. My wishes for many many more years Dear friend!! Lots of Love and Prayers>>Believe51
PS: Jean let me know if you need more comments for the book, I have many here too!! ROTFL!! Love to you!
__________________
9/7/06Husband 50yrs=StageIV IBC/HER2+,BoneMets10/06TaxotereX10,'H'1X wk,Zometa,Tamoxifen4/12/07Last Tax5/18/07Pet=Rapid Cell Activity,No Organ Mets,Lytic Lesions,Degeneration,Some Bone Repair5/07ChemoFail6/01/07Pleural Thoracentisis=Effusions,NoMalignantCells6/19/07+7/2/07DFCI
6/25/07BrainMRI=BrainMets,Many<9mm7/10/07WBR/PelvisRad37.5Gx15&Nutritionist8/19/07T/X9/20/07BrainMRI=2<2mm10/6/07Pet=BoneProgression
10/24/07ChemoFail11/9/07A/Cx10,EndTam12/7/07Faslodex12/10/07Muga7512/13/07BlasticLesions1/7/08BrainMRI=Clear4/1/08Pet=BoneImprovement,
NoProgression,Stable4/7/08BrainPerfect5/16/08Last A/C8/26/08BrainMets=10(<9mm)9/10/08Gamma10/30/08Met=5mm12/19/08Gamma5mets5
12/22/08SpinalMets1/14/09SpinalRads2/17/09BrainMRI=NoNewMets4/20/09BoneScan5/14/09Ixempra6/1/09BrainMRI=NumerousMets6/24/09DFCIw/DrBurstein6/26/09Continue
Ixempra/Faslodex/Zometa~TM now lower7/17/09Stop Ixempra By Choice9/21/09HOSPICE10/16/09Earned His Deserved Wings And Halo=37 Month Fight w/Stage 4 IBC, Her2+++,My Hero!!
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01-07-2008, 04:58 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: moved to Lancaster, Pa in June, 2010
Posts: 576
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Chelee, Congrats on your cancer anniversary! I know exactly what your talking about. When I finished chemo it was a big deal to me. Everyone acted like so what. Tommorrow is my last herceptin treatment and again people act like its no big deal. It is a huge deal for me as I feel like I have been to hell and back this past year and I am finally coming to the surface again. I intend to celebrate big time even if no one joins me. The other question I hate is are you cured? How do you answer that one? Only those with cancer understand. I am so happy for you!!!
__________________
Debbie in North Carolina
Diag 10/2006-high grade invasive ductal carcinoma- mastectomy L breast
2.5 cm tumor ER/PR pos-Her2+++
4 rounds A/C, 4 rounds Taxol
Herceptin every 3 weeks until Jan. 2008
6/18/07 prophylatic mastectomy R breast
8/2007 started aromasin/stopped arimidex (side effects)
12/07 stopped aromasin due to side effects (now what?)
Finished herceptin 1/8/08
started tamoxifen for 2 years then will switch to femera
allergic to tamoxifen started femera 4/2008
June 20, 2008 portacath removed
Learnig to live life to the fullest!
Stopped Femera due to side effects
July 28, 2008 start trial for breast cancer vaccine
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01-07-2008, 06:13 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,851
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Hi Chelee, Happy Anniversary!!! Joan
__________________
Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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01-08-2008, 10:39 PM
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#29
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Chelee,
You're right, other people don't get it at all! Even my hubby doesn't get it - he views it as commemorating the event of getting cancer - not the celebration of SURVIVING it!
__________________
Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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01-08-2008, 10:45 PM
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#30
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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This looks like a thread where I can take a moment to vent. I just came home from a party where a woman asked me if I had figured out yet what about my life had "caused" my cancer. She is a graduate of the Esalen Institute and feels she is totally in touch with her "inner self" and that I was more "aware", I would not have gotten cancer. She asked why the hospital was not teaching this. I told her they were too busy saving lives the conventional way.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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01-09-2008, 12:49 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
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I am certainly overwhelmed by all replies.  I knew all of you would get * it* ! After the way this year's cancerversary went I think I'll take after MicheleU and do like she did. lol Now she has the RIGHT idea. lol (Way to go Michele!)
I also had to laugh at Becky's post...that's so funny & yet so very true! lol You all have made me feel 100% better about the whole thing, and that's saying alot. Thanks so much for all the well wishes and kind words of support. I seriously can't thank you all enough. You guys made my day.
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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01-09-2008, 09:52 AM
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#32
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 492
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Chelee,
Hooray for your cancerversary!!
I understand the "don't get it" factor. I don't know if I would have gotten it before all this happened. In a way, I am glad so many people don't know the pain and fear that we experience. As an example, great friends of ours live about 4 hours away and have young kids also. WHen I was diagnosed- they could not have been more supportive to me and my family. A year later the husband was diagnosed with colon cancer. They told me they were devastated for me when I was diagnosed and very sympathetic, but did not truly understand until it happened to them. He just celebrated his one year, and me my two year. We all met for dinner and what a powerful moment.
Next year throw yourself and Alive and Kickin' Party!!! We all should!
__________________
Are we there yet?
Dx 10/05 IDC, multi-focal, triple +, 5 nodes+
MRM, 4 DD A/C, 12 weekly taxol + herceptin
rads concurrent with taxol/herceptin
finished herceptin 01/08
ooph, Arimidex, bilateral DIEP reconstruction
NED
Univ. of WA, Seattle vaccine trial '07
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