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Old 10-31-2010, 01:08 PM   #1
Catherine
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Am I stupid?

Please do me a favor and read my comments under the post about the letter on Breast Cancer Awarness sent to the LA Times. I am bothered by the comment...."without more HER2 research, I am going to die." Am I stupid thinking that the treatment I had and the year long Herceptin is going to protect me? I guess I just do not think that I am going to die. (of course, some day)

Thanks, Catherine
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Found my own lump in the shower
April 2006 at the age of 58
Stage IIB, ER- PR- HER2+++ multi focal tumors, largest 2.3cm
Chemo first: AC/Taxol over 16 weeks
Bilateral mastectomy Sep 06
33 rads after the surgery
1 year of Herceptin completed Dec 07
15 years and no recurrence as of April 2021
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Old 10-31-2010, 01:25 PM   #2
tricia keegan
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Re: Am I stupid?

Catherine,

Please see my reply on that thread to you.
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Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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Old 10-31-2010, 05:34 PM   #3
Laurel
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Re: Am I stupid?

Catherine,

We have no guarantees, but the guess is that our prognosis is quite good if you are one of those who respond to Herceptin. That said, I think erring on the side of positivity is generally a good thing! I choose to BELIEVE also.
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Dx'd w/multifocal DCIS/IDS 3/08
7mm invasive component
Partial mast. 5/08
Stage 1b, ER 80%, PR 90%, HER-2 6.9 on FISH
0/5 nodes
4 AC, 4 TH finished 9/08
Herceptin every 3 weeks. Finished 7/09
Tamoxifen 10/08. Switched to Femara 8/09
Bilat SPM w/reconstruction 10/08
Clinical Trial w/Clondronate 12/08
Stopped Clondronate--too hard on my gizzard!
Switched back to Tamoxifen due to tendon pain from Femara

15 Years NED
I think I just might hang around awhile....

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Old 10-31-2010, 06:02 PM   #4
StephN
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Re: Am I stupid?

Catherine -
I understand your question, and also feel that the statement"I will die" was perhaps assuming too much.

The letter mentions to the Times that there is a different kind of cancer, but I did not get the sense of emphasis that HER2 positive is a more AGGRESSIVE bc. That is where I always start when talking about what I have VS. the garden variety, normal, less deadly kind.

You should not think that you will die. I never thought that way even when I had bad mets to deal with.

All in all, I am glad she wrote to the paper, and I hope that the letter gets published, at the least, whether the writer of the other article goes ahead and writes another article or not. At least her letter points out there is more than one kind of breast cancer.
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"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.

MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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