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07-26-2007, 04:59 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: LI, NY
Posts: 660
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just a little update from madubois63
<DT id=content1 style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-SIZE: 1em; WIDTH: 100%" name="rte0">So just a few weeks ago, I was in the hospital again. My liver was in near fatal failure (a rejection from the bone marrow transplant). I was so yellow, my body was glowing green like a dead corpse (no lie) - very scary) and my eyes looked like special effects out of an X-Man movie! I had gotten the best treatment there is for what I have (a horse serum), and it wasn't working at first. The doc was truly upset. They sent me home to do MY thing...cleanse my liver with milk thisle, cut out all sugar, eat only slow burning good carbs, lots of vegies and fruit, tons of water...My bilirubin (liver function number) was a 12 in the hospital. After taking very good care of myself....drum roll please...the bilirubin is down to 2.9 as of yesterday!!!!! Anything lower then 1 is good. I am pink again, and my eyes are nearly all white again! I feel amazing and I am Breast cancer, metastatic BC and leukemia free, and the liver is on the mend!!!! My legs are still very weak - can't climb a stare to save my life - I need a hoist. But I can walk far distances and I am still on heavy duty steroids. I'm thinking of hiring myself out to clean closets sort paperwork, scrapbook...whatever. All the things I've ignored over the last few years of being sick are completed (baby books, photo albums, closets, tax files...) I'm like a mad woman...I've lost 60 lb since the leukemia all started and am happy at this weight. My sister and I went to see Def Leppard and Styx for my 44th birthday present at the Mohegan Sun Casino last week - great show - while my Mom played the 25 cent slots. She won a few hundred dollars and gave me some money to buy some new clothes. I am back to the size I was before all this breast cancer crap started! Not quite pre-baby weight, but this feels really good! This weekend, my daughter and I are going to a hot air balloon festival. She, to see a band (of course) and me to take a five minute ride up in a hot air ballooon (a big dream of mine) I can't afford a real ride $$$$, but I can do the five minute thing. This is on my list of things to do...so I am very excited! I pray you all feel better and have small and large miracles in your life....Love to all -
</DT>
__________________
Maryann
Stage IV Inflammatory BC 1/00
Mod Rad Mastectomy 24nod/5+
Adriomycin Cytoxin Taxol
Tamoxifen 4 1/2 yrs
Radiation - 32 x
Metastatic BC lung/liver 10/04
thorocentesis 2x - pleurodesis
Herceptin Taxatiere Carbo
Femera/Lupron
BC NED 4/05
chemo induced Acute Myeloid Leukemia 5/06
Induction/consolidation chemo
bone marrow transplant - 11/3/06
Severe Host vs Graft Disease of liver
BC mets to lung 11/07
Fasoladex Herceptin Zometa Xeloda
GVHD/Iron overload to liver
Avascular Necrosis/morphine pump 10/10
metastatic brain tumor
steriotactic radiosurgery
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07-26-2007, 05:10 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 589
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I was wondering about you and I'm really glad to hear that your on the upswing. You're AMAZING!!!
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07-26-2007, 05:55 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Poland Ohio just a little south of Youngstown.
Posts: 473
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MaryAnn, I am so happy to hear this. Not the part about how sick you were, just the rest of it. I first read about your experience a little over a year ago and have been following you ever since (I'm not a stalker, honest)! You're probably sick of hearing this but I still say that you are my inspiration! I've never known anyone like you with so much fight and good humor, I wish I knew you personally. You keep on going, girl and please keep posting, I really do look forward to your posts.
Hugs
Susan
__________________
Susan
Age: 61
dx: 5/25/06
2 cm/ 0 nodes
Lumpectomy rt breast on 7/26/06
ER/PR- / Her2+++
A/C x 4
finished taxotere 2/07
finished 33 rads
Herceptin finished 12/07/07 Yippee!
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07-26-2007, 06:21 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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Sorry about the illness, but...
VERY GLAD you are doing so much bette. "Up, Up In A Way in my beautiful balloon!!!!" Take care and God bless.
Rhonda
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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07-26-2007, 06:28 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: So California
Posts: 223
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Good news
Maryann:
Thanks for the update. Your life sounds very good now. Keep up the fight. We are pulling for you!
__________________
Leslie's Sister (Lisa)
Diagnosed 5/17/06
Left breast Stage II
5 cm. Her2Neu+++, ER-, PR-
1 positive node out of six,
double mastectomy 6/9/06;
TCH started 7/12/06
last chemo 10/25/06
herceptin ended 6-11-07
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07-26-2007, 06:29 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CHARLOTTE NC USA
Home town (ECUADOR) South America
Posts: 542
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thank you for the "gift news" ....and I'm so happy....this takes some weight off my shoulders ....
__________________
Lily Diag April/06 5 months after give birth my son Max stage IV mets on liver (5 tumors) 38 year old, her2+++ and ER+PR+ from32 nodes 4 positives mastectomy right breast chemo before surgery herceptin/carboplatin/taxotere ,clear and surgery have radiation 20, `& then herceptin and tamoxifen NED until Aug/07 body only then 'n June 04-06-07 .1 lesion of 1.6 cm on cerebellum ...novalis ,open sugery 5m.m brain met again novalis, 4mm.In the liver. Waiting 2 months now 3 tumors enroll on T-MCC trial start first infusion Nov 5/07 at Dec 17 scan show one tumor despair the 2nd and 3th diminish Doc said great results until March/08 ct scan show progression 03-05-08 start tykerb & xeloda
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07-26-2007, 06:47 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ft. Collins, Colorado
Posts: 546
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Wow!!!
What an amazing update Mary Ann. YOU are somethin'. And I LOVE that you 'did your thing' and it worked. It is so empowering. Not only is this recovery and disease free status so impressive, but what you have accomplished is so cool. I have NO excus now for not getting these things done!
Thank you for checking in and have a blast at the balloon festival.
__________________
with love and gratitude,
joy
dx stage I 2/2000*er/pr+; her- per IHC*lumpectomy*4 rounds A/C*30 rads*tamoxifen*dx stage 4 5/2002*huge mets to liver*tiny mets to lungs*stopped tamoxifen*5/02 taxotere/xeloda*her 2 checked with FiSH-her2+++herceptin *2/03 stopped chemo femara w/herceptin*zolodex*04 switched to aromasin w/herceptin*05 high estrogen tx*11/05taxol/carbo*7/06 stopped chemo; megace/herceptin*9/06navelbine/herceptin*5/07tykerb/xeloda great response*4/08 progression in liver; ooph/ faslodex /herceptin
6/08 began Herceptin DM-1
9/08 progression
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07-26-2007, 09:48 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Hi MaryAnn, thanks for your update! In spite of how awful all this is I laughed at the visual image of you...when I was in the midst of chemo I got really sick and ended up in the ER. It was right before Halloween and I was bald, green, puffy, etc. They put a surgical mask on me while I was in the waiting room. A little girl came in with a bad foot cut and I really scared the &%*! out of her! Poor thing! All I could say to her was, "some bad Halloween costume, eh?" Sounds like you are on the right track now...KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! Happy thoughts from me to you!!!
__________________
 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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07-26-2007, 10:12 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Calif.
Posts: 981
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Maryanne,
I am always so ahppy to see a post from you! You are always doing something fun, in spite of the tough txs you endure. You are inspiring!
Hugs,
Lexi
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07-26-2007, 11:02 AM
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#10
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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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Goodie Goodie
Good attitude and what a fighter. We wish you a belated Happy Birthday and many more Sweetheart, you deserve it. Talk about a miracle. Keep up that fight and do not forget to let us know how you are doing.
Waiting For A Miracle....and commanding one soon!!!>>Believe51
__________________
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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07-26-2007, 11:04 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 477
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Maryann,
You have a fan club here at the Her2 Support board. Thank you for checking in and keeping us posted. Hopefully you can feel the warmth and support felt for you by all of us on the board.
You are always in my prayers. I am glad that you are having fun!
Love, Hope, and Peace,
Carolyn
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07-26-2007, 11:19 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Hi MaryAnn,
I, too, am very happy to hear that you are doing so well now. You've been through a lot and you truly are a fighter. Good for you.
May God's Peace surround you today,
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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07-26-2007, 12:11 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Mary ann
Always a wild ride for you. Amazing story, I'm so glad you were able to turn things around, amazon woman. I know that for you, leaving the hospital has always been good medicine, and it seems so again.
You are such a fighter, such an inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing.
Much love
chris
__________________
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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07-26-2007, 01:09 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 138
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You deserve to be happy and health. You are an amazing woman and your spirit is strong. Your story is wonderful and I am so happy for you.
Hugs and prayer,
Karen
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07-26-2007, 02:29 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,843
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Trrat trrat trrat trrat
Trrat trrat trrat tratt
Trrat trrat trrat trrat
Trrat trrat trrat tratt
Trrat trrat trrat trrat
Trrat trrat trrat tratt
Big drum roll!!!
Congratulations.
I am so pleased for you after all you have been through.
PS my constant bleat the omegas the omegas.
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07-26-2007, 03:17 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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"just a little update"?!!!!!
EEEGADS, more like a miracle!!!  You are one amazing woman, and a great inspiration to me. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy the ride in the balloon and take some pictures, I bet Joe will post them for us to see!
<3 Lolly
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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07-26-2007, 04:22 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Louisville KY
Naples FL
Posts: 665
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Congratulations!!!! It is an amazing story and I am so happy for you.
Enjoy the balloon ride and good health to you.
patb
__________________
patb
Diagnosed June, 06, Stage I, Grade3, ER+PR- Her2positive, No Nodes. A/C X 4. Radiation 33 with boost, Herceptin every two weeks until Nov.
07, Arimedex for 5 years. Mugas and Echo and chest xRay. Bone scan of whole Body, and Back of Brain and spine MRI.
CT scan of Lungs every six months
due to two small places. December
2009, bone scan due to bone pain.
Follow up test in 2010.
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07-26-2007, 04:37 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: melbourne, australia
Posts: 267
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Oh Mary Ann, the things you go through and manage to come out the other side so POSITIVE. You are amazing. Take care
__________________
Christine
DX Sept 03 age 40 Stage 2B Grade 3 mastectomy (after 2 prior breast conserving surgeries)
"at least" 2.3 cm 3/12 nodes ER+/PR+ Her2+++
8 FEC. Tamoxifen then Arimidex. Ovaries out.
"late" Herceptin for 2 years (18months after chemo) on HERA trial. finished Herceptin Nov 2007.
Multiple bone mets May 2012 and now liver August 2012.
Abraxne, Herceptin and Zometa.
June 2013 Tykerb, Xeloda and Xgeva
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07-26-2007, 06:38 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Mary Ann,
You are an absolutely amazing woman! I really enjoy reading your updates. With all that you have been through you still shine and manage to do the things you want to do. You are a true inspiration! Have fun with the balloon ride!
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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07-26-2007, 06:42 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 329
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You are just amazing! So glad to hear from you, you are always in my thoughts.
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