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09-04-2009, 05:52 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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New Thread ~ Old Me
by special request from Bill... Cause he asked so nicely. And this picture is a personal favorite, conjuring up happy memories.
have a happy day every day... After all, as long as you're still here, might as well enjoy yourself!
__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...
'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...
Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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09-04-2009, 06:10 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Cute as ever!
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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09-04-2009, 07:55 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 2,077
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Thank you, Andi! What an awesome picture! (But it's not the one I was thinking of. I'm not trying to be a pain here, but the avatar pic I wanted to see again, please, was the one with you surrounded by the yellow flowers. ) Love ya!
__________________
For Nicola
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09-04-2009, 08:06 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Northern California
Posts: 764
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
You're beautiful, Andi. Inside and out.
__________________
DX 02/01/07
2.5 cm, Er/Pr-, Her2+++
18/20 Nodes
03/07 CT & Bone scan - Clear
AC x 4, Taxol x 4, Added Herceptin
Radiation until 09/07
Herceptin every 3 weeks until 06/08
01/10/08 local recurrence -IBC
01/28/08 CT & Brain MRI - clear
02/08 - Navelbine & Herceptin
05/08 -MRM
05/08 - Gemzar & Herceptin - didn't work
09/08 - Hyperthermia rads
03/09 - Tykerb/Xeloda
05/10 - Tram flap to fix wound
Last edited by Faith in Him; 09-05-2009 at 11:03 PM..
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09-04-2009, 08:16 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 347
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
I think I should start a new line of hats for you guys: "Plant Hats". Who hasn't wanted to wear their favorite plant on their head for all to see?
__________________
"Dancers Against Cancer" in the Eugene, OR Komen Race for the Cure 2010
Diagnosed 8/7/08 with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, micropapillary pattern, Her2 3+, ER+,PR-, grade II, positive lymph nodes.
Received 6doses of Taxotere, Carboplatin with Herceptin continuing for a year...DONE.
1/28/09 Left Modified Radical Mastectomy, Right Simple Mastectomy.
Surgery pathology: No invasive carcinoma present and 17 lymph nodes removed all negative! Only small amount of carcinoma in situ in left breast.
March/April '09, Radiation to left chest wall.
Currently involved in Neratinib clinical trial.
"Well being I won
and wisdom too,
I grew and joyed in my growth;
from a word to a word
I was led to a word
from a deed to another deed." (Odin)
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09-04-2009, 08:18 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 347
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
(P.S. I like to wear giant lion statues on my head)
__________________
"Dancers Against Cancer" in the Eugene, OR Komen Race for the Cure 2010
Diagnosed 8/7/08 with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, micropapillary pattern, Her2 3+, ER+,PR-, grade II, positive lymph nodes.
Received 6doses of Taxotere, Carboplatin with Herceptin continuing for a year...DONE.
1/28/09 Left Modified Radical Mastectomy, Right Simple Mastectomy.
Surgery pathology: No invasive carcinoma present and 17 lymph nodes removed all negative! Only small amount of carcinoma in situ in left breast.
March/April '09, Radiation to left chest wall.
Currently involved in Neratinib clinical trial.
"Well being I won
and wisdom too,
I grew and joyed in my growth;
from a word to a word
I was led to a word
from a deed to another deed." (Odin)
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09-04-2009, 08:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: "Love never fails."
Posts: 5,808
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Beautiful picture.
__________________
Jackie07
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/06/doctors-letter-patient-newly-diagnosed-cancer.html
http://www.asco.org/ASCOv2/MultiMedi...=114&trackID=2
NICU 4.4 LB
Erythema Nodosum 85
Life-long Central Neurocytoma 4x5x6.5 cm 23 hrs 62090 semi-coma 10 d PT OT ST 30 d
3 Infertility tmts 99 > 3 u. fibroids > Pills
CN 3 GKRS 52301
IDC 1.2 cm Her2 +++ ER 5% R. Lmptmy SLNB+1 71703 6 FEC 33 R Tamoxifen
Recc IIB 2.5 cm Bi-L Mast 61407 2/9 nds PET
6 TCH Cellulitis - Lymphedema - compression sleeve & glove
H w x 4 MUGA 51 D, J 49 M
Diastasis recti
Tamoxifen B. scan
Irrtbl bowel 1'09
Colonoscopy 313
BRCA1 V1247I
hptc hemangioma
Vertigo
GI - > yogurt
hysterectomy/oophorectomy 011410
Exemestane 25 mg tab 102912 ~ 101016 stopped due to r. hip/l.thigh pain after long walk
DEXA 1/13
1-2016 lesions in liver largest 9mm & 1.3 cm onco. says not cancer.
3-11 Appendectomy - visually O.K., a lot of puss. Final path result - not cancer.
Start Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement （600mg x2)
10-10 Stopped Exemestane due to r. hip/l.thigh pain OKed by Onco 11-08-2016
7-23-2018 9 mm groundglass nodule within the right lower lobe with indolent behavior. Due to possible adenocarcinoma, Recommend annual surveilence.
7-10-2019 CT to check lung nodule.
1-10-2020 8mm stable nodule on R Lung, two 6mm new ones on L Lung, a possible lymph node involvement in inter fissule.
"I WANT TO BE AN OUTRAGEOUS OLD WOMAN WHO NEVER GETS CALLED AN OLD LADY. I WANT TO GET SHARP EDGED & EARTH COLORED, TILL I FADE AWAY FROM PURE JOY." Irene from Tampa
Advocacy is a passion .. not a pastime - Joe
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09-05-2009, 12:08 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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SOME INSPIRING WORDS (hopefully)...
That picture (peeking out from under the flowers) was taken on my 60th. My manicurist sweetly gave me those orange tipped yellow roses cause she knew they were my favorite. They sell them in the shop. I was delighted by the gift and generosity of Spirit!
Previously, my dear friend Pinkie reminds me, I had a pic of me and my hubby in Hawaii, celebrating my 60th. We went parasailing (a thing the old Andi would never consider). I summoned the courage b/c I wanted to get as close as I could to God and shout out a big THANK YOU. I was orig dx at the age of 50! My gratitude is and was gynormous...
I was full of joy and serenity. BILL -- I may have been thinking of yellow roses...
We had NOT taken a vacation since my dx. Weekly Herceptin had precluded that.
Then I graduated to the every 3 wk plan, which was a real vacation in and of itself. Did that for 10 yrs..........
FYI -- in '98 when the bc recurred throughout my liver, my onc gravely told me that what I had was "INCURABLE, INOPERABLE... AND YOU WILL BE ON LONG TERM CHEMOTHERAPY... FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE". He had known me and Paul for 3 yrs. He was clearly morose having to give us this news.
But as it turned out, I asked to be tested for HER2, as Paul and I had been keeping up on the latest since '95. I was in fact 80% positive, as they stated it back in the day. Herceptin was still in clinical trials (my recurrence was in Aug of '98). The FDA fast-tracked the drug making it available to metastatic bc patients September 28, 1998.
And so Doc Slamon saved my life! And after 9 mnths of Taxotere hell, long term chemotherapy became monoclonal antibody therapy, which is not as horrid as one would imagine, though potent, toxic and potentially a lot of bad things. For me, it was a life saver.
Now, my onc has taken me off Vitamin H, believing those old cancer cells are no longer in my body and that I might be building up a tolerance to H (after 10 yrs). So we are giving my bod a break.
I HAVE BEEN OFF HERCEPTIN SINCE JULY '08! I REMAIN STABLE.
Ev 3 mnth full panel of bld tests, including of course TMs. Ev 6 mnths CT scans.
Hey BILL -- when I was dx many sent me flowers. I had literally dozens of bouquets. Very touching. So much love. My friend Vicki sent me 2 dozen YELLOW ROSES, cause she said yellow is said to be very healing! I'm just saying... 
I mention the Herceptin thing hoping those interested in staying on H might see this post. I think Sarah was inquiring and Steph led her to a post or two of mine on the subject. Just recapping as my experience might help and/or inspire others... That would be grand!
Always sending love and healing energy,
ANDI
__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...
'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...
Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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09-05-2009, 07:06 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 869
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Andi, you truely are an inspiration to me! Glad to know you were riding high on that sky dive....or parasail...Ceesun
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09-06-2009, 09:08 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES!
w/home in Boca Raton, Florida
Orig from L.I., N.Y.
Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Ceesun, it was so awesome! Paul and i went in tandem. I felt like the wind. Over the ocean, where the birds fly. In the stratasphere. In the sky, midst the heavens... Thrilling. A memory. A grand gesture full of gratitude.
__________________
Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...
'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...
Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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09-07-2009, 01:28 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Posts: 1,867
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
ANdi, I love that pic! But I also love your pic in your present avatar.
__________________
*** 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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09-07-2009, 01:07 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Durham NC
Posts: 73
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
What a great picture, always great to hear from you.
Beth
__________________
4/06 Found small lump, biopsy + at 34 yrs.
5/06 Diagnosed IIIC, lumpectomy, 11/11 nodes HER2+
6/06 port placed. 4 Ad/Cyt and 4 Tax.
11/06 bilateral mastectomy
12/06 begin Rads
1/07 Finished Rad-started H, weekly for one year.
1/08. Finished H, scan showed activity in nodes, Doc says 'not to worry about it' and sends me on my way.
7/08 Scan shows numerous involvement in armpit, also large active nodes in supr. clav.
Doctor refused to give me HER2 meds.
8/08 fired doctor, found another. Started Tykerb/Xeloda. After one round, nodes are shrunk and normal sized!
12/08 NED continue Ty/X
3/09, 6/09, 9/09, 11/09, all scans show NED
Dropping X, continue Tykerb
As of 6/10, 3/11 still negative, continuing Tykerb...
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09-14-2009, 06:34 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Hey, Bill...those ARE yellow flowers!! xo Suzan
__________________
 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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09-14-2009, 06:51 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 2,077
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Suz, thanks, but they look orange to me and in the picture I'm remembering, Andi was in the middle of yellowy flowers, not off to one side of orange flowers. Maybe I'm off-kilter a bit. (They all look really nice, though)
__________________
For Nicola
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09-15-2009, 09:43 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
they look orange because of your swiss chard hat!!
__________________
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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09-15-2009, 10:06 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Re: New Thread ~ Old Me
Andi,
Your smile says it all!
hugs,
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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