My friend Jenny, Breast Cancer Warrior

[MagnoliaforJenny]

Hi all!

I'm new to the boards so please excuse me if I'm in the wrong place. Also forgive me if I use wrong terminology, I'm still new to this!!

My best friend, Jenny, was first diagnosed with HER2 about 18 months ago. She had one node that was positive. She had chemo, radiation and then lumpectomy and removal of several nodes. She finished all of her treatment, including Herceptin three months ago. Her hair started growing back in, she was feeling better, things were looking up.

Until......about 4 weeks ago she noticed some discomfort around her surgical site. What was left of her breast was twisting and became disfigured. She was having pain in her arm and her chest area. The Doc kept telling her there was absolutely no way the cancer could be back so soon after treatment, it must be edema (?) etc. She kept calling until finally her oncologist saw her. Sure enough, the cancer was back. I'm starting to get teary now, so forgive me for rambling.

Not only had the cancer returned in the original area, it is in her muscles, her chest wall, her liver, and her lung. They immediately hospitalized her and did a massive chemo round. Now she's on herceptin/chemo alternating weekly I think. It's all such a blur to me right now.

I guess my biggest concern is that what does this mean for my dear friend? and her kids? Is it an ominous sign for her that it returned so quickly, even with all of the aggressive treatment she received?

I'm trying to reconcile all of this but my brain is just not processing it.

I saw her and her daughter yesterday, we have all been close for about 10 years.....anyway she has already lost all of her hair again. She's having issues with chemo skin as she calls it. I bought her some gentle skin care products in hopes it relieves her discomfort.

I really lost it after talking with her Mom, and hearing her cry just killed me.

Jenny is having a new port put in today, and her treatments will continue.

I just don't know what to think about all of this. I'm scared, confused, and my heart is breaking.

I hate to give up hope, and I know she is not....yet it cannot be good that this has returned so quickly.

She will have a PET scan after the next round of chemo/herceptin and the oncologist will have a better idea of what she's looking at.

Any advice, information, anything would be helpful at this time. I'm at a loss. I can't bear the thought of losing my best friend.