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08-22-2007, 09:53 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: northshore suburb of chicago
Posts: 1,093
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problems but not all is bad news
Hi all. So sorry I haven't posted in a long time but the shingles had the best of me and my sciatica. It appears that my shingles decided to settle in my sciatica and it has been a real pain, literally! Prior to getting shingles, I was also dealing with a constant itching in my arms that was driving me crazy and the scratching that I would do was mutilating the skin on the lower arms. This has been going on for almost 5 weeks now and nothing any of the doctors, (dermatologist, allergist, etc), has given me has helped much. The consensus is that it is a nerve in my neck that is causing this. Some of you may remember from previous posts, that I had a 4 level cervical disectomy and fusion in November 2002. I have no pain in my neck, however the thought is that I have a pinched nerve in my neck that is causing the chronic itching. This happened about a year ago and the only thing that finally helped was going on prednisone. I have been stubborn about going on it again only because I have been on that drug so many times in my life due to my Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, but last night I gave in because my arms look like a battle ground. I figured, before I end up with an infection there, I better just give in and take the darn drug. Now onto the good news. Tomorrow is a big, no, huge day for me. I am having my port taken out and this makes me so happy. It is confirmation that I am indeed all done with cancer treatment and hopefully it will stay that way forever. It has been an interesting 1 1/2 years, one in which I will never forget. Now onto bigger and better and happier things. My daughter got engaged over memorial day weekend and I have a wedding to plan for July 5, 2008! What a difference a year makes. I look so forward to this exciting and fun year. So see my friends, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I can now shout it from the rooftops......I am a survivor!
__________________
~Rina~
Dx:3/06 had a lumpectomy April 19, 2006
Her2+ er/pr- Stage I Grade 3 tumor size 1.4 cm, node negative
AC 4 dense doses
34 radiation treatments including booster doses
receiving herceptin every 3 weeks since late August 2006 for 12 months
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08-22-2007, 10:24 PM
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#2
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Guest
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Dear Rinaina,
Congratulations! That's great news about getting your port out. I hope the prednisone helps the itch and the shingles are a thing of the past. It's great to know you can move on. And good new on your daughter as well.
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08-22-2007, 10:59 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Rinaina,
Congratulatins on finishing your treatment! Now you should go do something special for yourself. You certainly will be busy in the months to come planning your daughter's wedding.
__________________
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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08-23-2007, 04:20 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
Posts: 2,320
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Rinaina,
Great news about getting your port out - really gives me hope that mine will be out at sometime as well. It truly signifies the end of cancer treatment.
Sorry about the shingles and the constant itching, but hopefully these problems will soon be alleviated.
Mazel Tov on your daughter's upcoming wedding next July - that is certainly exciting happy news.
All the best
Caya
__________________
ER90%+/PR 50%+/HER 2+
1.7 cm and 1.0 cm.
Stage 1, grade 2, Node Negative (16 nodes tested)
MRM Dec.18/06
3 x FEC, 3 x Taxotere
Herceptin - every 3 weeks for a year, finished May 8/08
Tamoxifen - 2 1/2 years
Femara - Jan. 1, 2010 - July 18, 2012
BRCA1/BRCA2 Negative
Dignosed 10/16/06, age 48 , premenopausal
Mild lymphedema diagnosed June 2009 - breast surgeon and lymph. therapist think it's completely reversible - hope so.
Reclast infusion January 2012
Oopherectomy October 2013
15 Years NED!!
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08-23-2007, 04:52 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Rinaina,
Congrats! Hope your shingles and itching resolve so that you can fully enjoy the wonderful events coming up. ENJOY!
________
Web Shows
Last edited by sassy; 08-22-2011 at 09:27 AM..
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08-23-2007, 06:26 AM
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#6
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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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Yippeeee!!
I am shouting too but from the ground, I was told last week to stay away from stairs and anything high!! LOL. I shall celebrate is the sweet sector of success for you. Thanks for sharing this upbeat news, I needed that today.
You Go Girl!!>>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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08-23-2007, 09:35 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Rinaina,
Funny, I was just wondering about you the other night. Glad you posted
and I am happy that your feeling better. Sorry that you have been going
through so much....now onto better days...so nice to hear about your
daughter....you will be a very busy lady. Enjoy it all -
Kind Regards,
Jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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08-26-2007, 08:54 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: northshore suburb of chicago
Posts: 1,093
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Thank you everyone for replying to my post and for sharing with me my end of treatment. Thank you also for all your congratulations in honor of my daughter's engagement. It is so nice to be where I am now and know that treatment is a thing of the past.....and I sure hope it remains that way. Caya, your turn will definitely come in time and then we can celebrate with you. Believe51, good luck to you with everything and please stay well grounded if you know what I mean!!!!! Lol! Jean, thanks for thinking of me and all your good wishes. Sassy, Tousled and Grace, thanks for taking the time out to reply and I appreciate your good wishes. Hope this reply finds all of you doing as well as can be.
__________________
~Rina~
Dx:3/06 had a lumpectomy April 19, 2006
Her2+ er/pr- Stage I Grade 3 tumor size 1.4 cm, node negative
AC 4 dense doses
34 radiation treatments including booster doses
receiving herceptin every 3 weeks since late August 2006 for 12 months
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08-26-2007, 12:32 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
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Dear Rinaina -
Not happy to hear about the shingles, but glad you are getting some relief finally. You have run the course of adjuvent and done the best for yourself to fight as we must. Now you can take pleasure in the wedding plans and other parts of your life that have been "waiting on the shelf" for the past year and 1/2.
You have shown that you are one strong lady and I send best wishes that life will be good to you from here on.
__________________
"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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