AnneMarie

[pattyz]

Dearheart,

I hope you realize, and you can find this out from others with brain mets or online, that even if you had had WBR the very first thing, it would not have guaranteed that they would not come back.

WBR has a notoriously low response rate as well as short duration of response. This will hopefully be improved dramatically when RSR-13 becomes available.

May I ask why you needed a second craniotomy? Were you not followed closely after your first treatments? Most tumors under 3cm are treatable with the focalized radiation procedures. So, I am curious.

My three SRS procedures thinned my hair to areas radiated, but not to where anyone else noticed. My two CyberKnife procedures left me with bald spots because my tumors were close to the surface of my skull. But other hair covered the bald areas. All is growing back now.

hugs,
pattyz

[Lisa S]

I commend you for living your life like you want to. I always say you have to do that or the cancer wins. I was going to adopt and even went through the home study. Right after that I had another setback and just came to terms that it just isn't going to work. I still have my hopes and dreams that one day I will have a long enough remission that something will be possible for us to be parents. I decided to knock the chip off my shoulder and just go with it. I had my friend over with her baby last night and I really enjoyed him. I just made it a point to not think about myself for once and just enjoy holding a baby. It's still hard but it may be getting a little better. It's all how you perceive something and how much you want to hold onto the anger. I have held it for over 6 yrs now and I have to let it go. I am now a 6 yr survivor and that means a lot to me. I may have stage IV but I am trying to beat all the odds and one day you will see me write I am a 12 yr survivor....and so on and so on. Someone has to make it so why not ME!!!! And I still hope and pray that someday I will be a mom.....

Lisa