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Old 12-08-2012, 07:21 PM   #1
chekmark
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Location: Doylestown, ohio
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My new avatar pic

is of my savior cat Bailey. Many of you have PM'd me and asked me if a cat really found my cancer, the answer is yes. In a nutshell, I had a mammo 6 months prior to dx and a breast exam 2 months prior to dx, nothing there. I took in this stray and was playing with him and he kept going to the area, I kept pushing him away so he got mad and nailed me right on the spot. Had he not done that who knows when it would have been found. Coincidence, maybe but I still think he is my savior.

I have always been a dog lover and wasn't sure I was going to keep him but afer that he is now my beloved pet. I thought he was a she so I named him Bailey. (when he was still running around outside) Oh well, it still fits.

Just thought I would share and talk about something alittle more upbeat, my pet. My dog is still not happy about it tho, lol. Hope everyone has a great holiday.
Darlene
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DX Sept 30 2010 at the age of 49. Oh crap! 1.5 cm idc, stage 1 grade 3 er/pr+, her2+ no lymph nodes, mastectomy Oct/10. Started 6 rounds of TCH Dec/10 and will continue herceptin until Nov /11 and just started femara.
Stray kitten found my lump while I was playing with it. It is now my pet and my dog is not real happy about that.
Mammo good
last herceptin 11/21/11 YAY
reconstruction 12/09/11
Chapter closed 12/10/11, hopefully, fingers crossed
Bone scan, chest xray, clear
04/27/12 Expander removed, implant put in, ahh sigh of relief, much more comfortable
Sept 30, 2014, 4 years NED
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Old 12-08-2012, 11:05 PM   #2
Paty
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Re: My new avatar pic

Darlene,

Thanks for sharing your story about Bailey. Pets are wonderful, and I truly believe he meant something when he was comming to your area, he was telling you something serious was happening there. God bless you for having him.
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Dx. June 30th, 2006 at age 43
Lumpectomy rt breast
2.2 cm tumor, 13 nodes all negative
ER-PR+,her2+++
6 FAC
32 Rads
Dx. Lung fibrosis due to radiation
Ended 1 year herceptin in March, 2008
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Old 12-09-2012, 11:21 AM   #3
NEDenise
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Re: My new avatar pic

OMG!
You look gorgeous!!!
I hope you continue to feel as good as you look!
With love, and a big hug...
Denise
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1/11-needle biopsy
2/11-Lumpectomy/axillary node dissection - Stage 3c, ER/PR-14/17 nodes
3/11 - Post-op staph infection,cellulitis, lymphedema,seroma,ARRRGH!
4/12/11-A/C x 4, then T/H x 4, H only,Q3 weeks
8/26/11 finished Taxol!!!
10/7/11 mastectomy/DIEP recon
11/11 radiation x28
1/12/12 1st CANCER-VERSARY!
1/12 Low EF/Herceptin "Holiday" :(
2/12 EF up - Back on Herceptin, heart meds
4/2/1212 surgery to repair separated incision from DIEP recon
6/8/12 Return to work :)
6/17/12 Fall, shatter wrist,surgery to repair/insert plate :(
7/10/12 last Herceptin
7/23/12 Brain Mets %$&#! 3cm and 1cm
8/10/12 Gamma knife surgery, LOTS of steroids;start H/Tykerb
8/23/12 Back to work
12/20/12 Injure back-3 weeks in wheel chair
1/12/13 2nd CANCER-VERSARY!
1/14/13 herniate disk in back - surgery to repair
1/27/13 Radiation necrosis - edema in brain - back on steroids - but not back to work - off balance, poor cordination in right arm
5/3/13 Start Avastin to shrink necrosis
5/10/13 begin weaning steroids
6/18/13 Brain MRI - Avastin seems to be working!
6/20/13 quarterly CT - chest, abdomen, pelvis - All Clear!
7/5/13 finally off steroids!!
7/7/13 joined the ranks of the CHEMO NINJAS I am now Tekuto Ki Ariku cancer assassin!
7/13/13 Symptoms return - back on steroids
7/26/13 Back on Avastin - try again!
8/26/13 Not ready to return to classroom yet :( But I CAN walk without holding onto things! :)
9/9/13 Brain MRI - fingers crossed
“ Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds you down or polishes you up is for you, and you alone, to decide. ” – Cavett Robert
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Old 12-09-2012, 12:06 PM   #4
sarah
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Re: My new avatar pic

Great! sent your post to my cat lover friends. I've heard of dogs also finding cancer but alas I don't think my sweet avatar, Tania would but she's very healing.
love to you and your pussycat
sarah
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Old 12-09-2012, 10:09 PM   #5
Cure4Cat
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Re: My new avatar pic

Darlene,

Amazing story! I had a somewhat similar one. We had my dog for 2 years before my diagnosis and he always slept on the bed. Right before I was diagnosed we kept waking up because our dog would be standing on my husband's chest whining. (He is 20 pounds max.) We'd ask him if he needed to go out and he would just pace towards me and whine to my husband. We started to worry that something was wrong with my husband but he felt silly going to the Doctor because of our dog. Then I was finally referred to a specialist and diagnosed. Once I started treatment, our dog stopped waking us up and he has never done it since. I'll tell you though, if he does it again, I will be in a panic!
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Dx Her2+, ER+, PR-, stage 2b/3 July 2010
Chemo Sept-Dec 2010
(Pertuzumab during last 3 rounds of chemo)
Surgery Jan 2011
25 Rads March 2011
Herceptin started during chemo and continued every 3 weeks for 1 year
Started Tamoxifen for 5 years

Looking for a vaccine trial
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Old 12-10-2012, 06:01 AM   #6
KsGal
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Re: My new avatar pic

You absolutely do look beautiful, and what a sweet story. My dog, also, did something. Actually it is my teenage dog's son. He is my son's constant companion, and slept with my son every night. Shortly before my diagnosis, I would wake up every night with this dog in my bed whining, curled up almost on top of me. I think he could sense I was sick, and was trying to comfort me.
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Diagnosed in October 2011 Stage IV with metastasis to liver.
January 2012 after double mastectomy, started taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin.
Clear.
December 2012 was diagnosed with five brain mets, and had whole brain radiation.
Around July 2014 two mets in brain, one a residual spot and one new one growing in size. Received Cyberknife on both areas
Clear/NED
April 2015 remain NED
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Old 12-10-2012, 09:48 AM   #7
CarolineC
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Re: My new avatar pic

We can't have any pets because I started having allergies after my mother passed away 7 years ago. Our family got a golden retriever three weeks after she passed and over the next 1 1/2 years I had four sinus infections and we had to give her away. Last summer three dogs on three separate occasions jumped on me. Two of them were little dogs and continuously scratched at my legs so much that their owners had to pull them off me. The third was our former pet who I had a chance meeting with when I was out for a walk on one of our local trails. I was rediagnosed a few months later.

Now when I'm out for my walks and I see any dogs I think "please don't look at me, please look the other way". I really believe that they all sensed my illness. When I was having chemo I had a heightened sense of smell; sometimes when out for a walk I would catch a whiff of something and think some people were cooking dirty socks, a car would drive by and I could really smell the exhaust, and I could always detect things that other people could not. Now my sense is back to normal but I always thought "this must be what it's like for animals".
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Dx Age 47 July/09 Stage 2B/3
Left Mast. Aug 09- 1 of 3 positive nodes in axillary dissection (yes only 3)
ER+ 90%, PR+ 20%, HER2+++
4 x AC, 4 x Paclitaxol and H (Neupogen for 7 cycles), Herceptin complete Nov 10
Mar–Apr 2010 25 Rads
Apr 10-Oct 11- Tamoxifen
Oct 11 – 3 cm met to sternum
Oct 11-Letrozole for 3 mths, start Clasteon-bone remodeller
Nov-Dec 11 - Happy 50th Birthday -20 rads to sternum
Jan-April 2012 Taxotere/Herceptin-6 cycles (Neupogen for 5)
Herceptin every 3 weeks-Letrozole added Nov 2012
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