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Old 11-04-2018, 07:18 PM   #1
JessicaV
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 206
Aphasia?? First symptom brain mets???

Hi my kind people, Here I am again asking for your knowledge and advice. I may be worrying needlessly but I am scared stiff. I have been 4yrs NED after surgery and adjuctive chemo with TCH in 2014. I just had a repeat experience of what was called a migraine when I had similar symptoms 40 years ago. Have had about one migraine a decade, with a cluster after a whiplash injury, fixed by an osteopath who improved my posture.
Two days ago on Sat 3rd Nov, I went for a brisk walk on a hot day with my husband(yes its early summer in Western Australia.) I was mentally designing a metal mesh cage for storing next autumn's pumpkin crop. I started trying to tell him about this and my words switched around in my mouth. Couldn't say "pumpkin" it was coming out as "pumpernickle"and I couldn't stop that pesky middle syllable popping up in my 3 or 4 attempts. I then went on to try to say "I want to stop the rats eating them", but it came out "rabbits." I felt I could think clearly, just could not get it into spoken words right. My pulse was 88, and I felt quite hot and had a cap on that covered my face but not the back of my neck. I bought an orange juice at the supermarket, feeling a bit weird and freaked out. On the walk back, I pointed out that the council had been doing some controlled burning in the bush and the undergrowth was black, but this time, I had a hole in my mind where "black" should be, and the image in my imagination of the fire, so I said "red" and knew as I said it that it was wrong. This again felt like my brain was slowed down cognitively, and I was not thinking as fast as I was speaking.
Throughout this time, my husband was asking me about this "aphasia" and was clearly freaked out about it. Which added to my anxiety, though having him there was overall a relief. I told him about my migraine 40 years ago, and that I had on that occasion had a bit of numbness down one side of the face, and later up the other side of my face, and part of my vision was flickery and it felt as if someone was waving a hand in front of my eyes, but when I tried to explain it, the word "ears" came into my mouth instead of "eyes." I felt weird for a while and then a severe headache began. On that occasion I was assessed by a GP later that day who found no evidence of a stroke, and said it was probably just a migraine.
Sunday I felt a bit headachy, and then really nauseous when we went for a drive, with the sick headache hovering on for the rest of the day.
This morning, Monday, still with a slight sick headache, I saw the watering can on the floor by the toilet and told my husband the cat was trying to get past the green watering can, but there was an empty space for the word, that quickly filled with the right word, and I said "Green wheelbarrow, I mean the watering can." This again felt like my brain was slowed down cognitively, and I was not thinking as fast as I was speaking. I still have a kind of headache that is more like a lead lump on my head and very tired eyes than extremely painful. What I would call a sick headache.
My fear is that I may have a brain tumor/mets. I am afraid to speak in case I get it wrong again and it continues or gets worse Any feedback anyone?
__________________
1997-2004 many cysts, many MG & U/S: polycystic breasts.
Sept 2013 found lump,Cyst?? forgot lump.
Dec 2013 GP check, Referred for U/S, MG,FNA.
7 Jan 2014 Radiology: Radiologist turned screen away from me. When asked she said "Not a cyst, very suspicious.See your GP asa results avail."
Cancelled my psych clients for the week.
8 Jan 14 GP: 2.2cm IDC in 6cm DCIS field. FNA=malignant cells. Referred to Surgeon.
Cancelled my psych clients for the month.
13 Jan
14 Surgeon said L mastectomy not lumpectomy, offered neoadjunctive trial, agreed adjunctive chemo after surgery a good choice for me. Booked Body scan and bone scan for staging (both fine) Surgery for16 Jan,
16 Jan 14 Surgeon also agreed in preop meeting to also remove 6cm fatty cyst in job lot. Good job done.
19 Jan 14 discharged home with 1 drain.
22 Jan 14 drain partly pulled out overnight, serious seroma (600 ml reducing removed every 2 days for a month) Serious staph infection because nurse said wait 3 days for yr surgeon appointment.
26Jan 14 pathology: 2.2cm Grade 3(3,3,2)ER-, PgR-, HER2+2 so to be confirmed by Sish test. Node negative. No vascular or lymphatic involvement. No metastases in scans.
30 Jan 14 HER2+ high amplification, 13 gene copies per cell.
21st Feb 14 Began 3wkly TCH adjuvant treatment at The Mount Hospital Perth, with 3monthly MUGA heart tests +Oncologist or Surgeon full physical check-up.
Cancelled my psych clients for 6 months.
Feb 14 First MUGA test: 71%,
First C15.3 test: 20
7th March 14 began Neulasta self-applied injections 24hrs after each TCH treatment. Bonepain helped by spa, heatpacks and
Claritin, reflux/indigestion helped by Somac.
July 14 completed docetaxol and carboplatin, ongoing herceptin to 12 months. Severe cognitive deficit/fatigue after 1pm daily.
Sept 14 Second MUGA test: 69%
Cancelled my psych clients for 2014
Dec 14 Third MUGA test: 70%
Second C15.3 test : 20
Cognitive fatigue delays return to work.

March 2015 Tachycardia pulse 168, night in hospital. Cardiologist says no heart disease, ALIVE ECG attachment for my mobile phone now regular monitoring.
July 2015 Worktrial, up to 8hrs per wk. Fatigue ongoing
Aug 2015 Heart good, no evidence of cancer, just Fatigue.
May 2019 Melanoma 1.5cm Stage 1 by right collarbone(was present as large freckle in 2014 and cut through by breast surgeon to remove fatty cyst at same time as mastectomy.) Melanoma removed leaving scar from shoulder to breastbone. In hospital twice for IV antibiotics. Told catagorically this could not be BC mets.
Dec 2019 Still NED, still fatigue in late afternoon, but have my brain back in the early mornings. So most days I watch the sunrise and hear the birds morning chorus in my bush backyard and am glad to be alive and to be me still.

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