BIG difference....

There is a big difference between brain mets that caused no symptoms and brain mets that were not diagnosed at the time that a patient died of breast cancer. Let me give you an example:

Let's say that patient A has breast cancer that has spread only to her brain, causing her X amount of pain and other symptoms. Now let's say patient B has breast cancer that has spread to her liver, spine and lungs, causing her a great amount of pain and other symptoms PLUS brain mets that also cause her X amount of pain and symptoms. Patient B's other symptoms may (a) mask the symptoms from the brain mets and (B) be prioritized over diagnosing other mets, such as brain, which would require a stoppage of chemo in order to do radiation, while Patient A's brain mets symptoms JUMP to the forefront and lead to a diagnosis. Patient B could potentially die before having her brain mets discovered, while Patient A is in good enough health so that her brain mets can be discovered during her life.

Thus, just because some brain mets go undiagnosed during a patient's life does NOT mean that they caused no symptoms.

you make an argument with a lot of details, but I still don't see your point. If you're trying to make a blanket statement, the reverse can be true as well: "There were NEVER any brain mets symptoms at the time of death from progression of systemic mets."

Never mind. I don't understand why you think this is important.

pattyz

I apologize if you feel I was criticizing your post. I wasn't. I am just so so upset when I hear people talk about illness that has no symptoms. I don't want to think that can happen. Maybe it does. I am sure it does. But I want to know that it doesn't USUALLY happen, that mets will generally produce symptoms, because right now I am walking around feeling healthy and I can't stand the idea that there could be something bad happening in my body.

When I found my lump, I was generally "healthy", but looking at photos of myself, I looked anything BUT healthy, and thinking back, I was very tired before I was diagnosed. Hindsight is 20/20, but I would love to know that next time something bad is happening in my body, I will figure it out and not walk around thinking nothing is wrong with me. Or perhaps the converse is true, that I would love to know that if I am feeling great, that I AM healthy.

I don't want to view my health as a huge mystery. I feel good. I want to think that that means something....

lauren

lauren,
There is nothing I could say that would help you with this gripping fear, this acute anxiety. In a way, I am similar in that I NEED REASONS. I prefer a definitive dx, no matter what it is, so I can go forward with some choice and knowledge of what will come.

However, I have had to work on and learn to 'let go' because there are many/most things that I have not one iota of control over.

I have read so so often of gals asking: "what were your symptoms" desperate to know what to look for, yet so often there are NO symptoms whether bone, liver, lung or brain mets. Not to mention bc in the first place.

I am sorry you are in such turmoil emotionally. And I am quite certain you are not alone in this, either. You are just alot better able to express yourself.

hugs,
pattyz