Hi Staci -
I had a stem cell transplant in 1999 after my original BC in 1996. My onc. at time felt without it my cancer would just return and felt I had a better chance with the transplant. I went for it and did well without many side effects. They gave me a very high dose and kept me in the hospital for three weeks (thinking I would have bad effects from chemo) I did not even have mouth sores, so I was very lucky. I won't lie, it was tougher then most chemo's but not as bad as I anticipated. Of course, everyone's system is different. The transplant kept me in remission for another three years (I also had mets to liver at the time) I am not sorry that I chose to have the procedure done. I will never really know if it was better or not to have it done but in my mind I think maybe it "helped" to kill off more cells. I was told at Moffitt Hospital where I am treated that they are no longer doing the transplant's for bc. Which hospital do you go to?
Since the transplantI have had another recurrence to the liver (2002) and just had the abalation done to remove that tumor last Sept. At present I am in remission (I will be rescanned tomorrow) to see how all is going.
These are such tough decisions for us all to make, but I also go for the "aggressive" treatments. It has been "8" years since my original diagnosis and other then the "BIG C" I am a pretty healthy lady. Keep the faith and
stay strong. Good luck in your decision and I am sure whatever you decide will be the right decision for you. If you need to know anything else about the procedure, please do not hesitate to contact me.
My email is:
lukatus2@tampabay.rr.com if you prefer.
Take care - Irene
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