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08-01-2008, 04:17 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Posts: 1,867
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Making a Difference
I love this quote: "Anyone who thinks small things don't make a difference has never spent the night in a room with a mosquito."
Author unknown
This is for all of you out there that are so willing to take the time to post and contribute to our site here.
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*** MARYANNE *** aka HARRIECANARIE
1993: right side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads
1999: left side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads, tamoxifen
2006:
BRCA 2 positive
Stage I, invasive DCIS (6mm x 5mm)
Grade: intermediate
sentinal node biopsy: neg
HER2/neu amplified 4.7
ER+/PR+
TOPO II neg
Oncotype dx 20
Bilat mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction
oophorectomy
2007:
6 cycles TCH (taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin)
finished 1 yr herceptin 05/07
Arimidex, stopped after almost 1 yr
Femara
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08-01-2008, 05:22 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,851
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Maryanne, In my case, this is sooo very true. Mosquitos just love me.
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Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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08-01-2008, 05:39 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Wow, Mary Anne, that's a good one.
My favorite along those lines is (and I'm sure I'm butchering it) the story of the two people walking down the beach which is absolutely littered with starfish at low tide. One person is picking them up, one by one, and tossing them back into the sea. The other person says "why bother, there are so many of them, it just doesn't make any difference"
The other person, tossing another starfish home replied "it did for that one"
You just don't know the impact you are having on other people, and how much you really can make a difference.
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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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08-01-2008, 07:38 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.
Off in the distance he could see a young boy going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach.
Back and forth the boy went.
As the man approached, he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to die.
As he approached, the boy continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea.
As he came up to the boy he said, "You must be crazy ! There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference."
The boy looked at the man. He then bent down and picked up one more starfish, and threw it back into the sea. He turned back to the man and said,
"But it made a difference to that one"
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PinkGirl
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
My Photo Album
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08-01-2008, 08:12 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 900
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Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~Buddha
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Gerri
Dx: 11/23/05, Lumpectomy 12/12/05
Tumor 2.2 cm, Stage II, Grade 3, Sentinel Node biopsy negative
ER+ (30%) /PR+ (50%), HER2+++
AC X 4 dose dense, Taxol X 4 dose dense
Herceptin started with 2nd Taxol, given weekly until chemo done
then given every 3 weeks for one year ending on March 16, 2007
Radiation 30 treatments
Tamoxifen - 2 yrs (pre-menopausal)
May 2008 - Feb 2012 Femara
Aug 2008 - Feb 2012 Zometa every 6 months
March 2012 - Stop Femara, now Evista for bone strengthening
********** Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. - Robert Brault
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08-02-2008, 11:32 AM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Alaska
Posts: 18
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Listen closely and you can hear them...
the great spirits of every tribe
the ones who were here before us
Listen to what they are saying
There is one who calls himself Gandhi
and another who calls himself King
They know that the way is not easy
There is a woman named Teresa
and many who are simply known as
Grandmothers and Grandfathers
and all of them whisper into our ear...
Don't give up' they tell us...
Don't become cynical...'
Take one more step...
There is a reason...
-Ron Atchison
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It just takes one  Hugs.
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Enjoy the Day,
Laura
www.laurasjourney.com
ER+PR+Her2Neu+ - I'm just a positive person :D
"Life is a grindstone; whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you're made of."
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