oh my goodness

[Joy]

I am shocked! I just got back from the oncologist to go over scan results for the first time since starting tykerb/xeloda. The doc walked in and said, "you want to see some pictures?" Which she never said before and I don't really like to look at the pictures because it makes it all too real and interferes with my visualizations. I must have looked scared because she said, "they are good and I want you to see." So my sis and best friend and I took a field trip to her office and looked on the computer at the last 2 scans. She explained all I was seeing beautifully and.........50% reduction in tumor burden in liver, lungs look great and ALL liver function tests are......NORMAL for the first time in a looooong time!!!!

I'm still in shock. I said one woman, you Irene, in Florida has been on this for a year and doing well and my onc said, "Why not? Let's think several years and by then there will be another her2 blocker."

So I will turn 40 after all this year and I'm energizing way more than that.

I said when we hugged that she made my whole day and she said I made hers as I'm the first in her practice to be on this combination and for her it is very exciting.

I told her about getting a period and she said, surprisingly, that she felt it was no problem at all because sometimes we treat bc with estrogen and my cells have not seen estrogen for so long that maybe it is helping AND if the estrogen aggravates the cells they will uptake more xeloda and tykerb. So she said since we are monitoring things so closely we will just take it as it comes and it did not worry her at all. And when she is worried it is obvious and her concern is very great and readable.

So I just wanted to share these encouraging results as so many have encouraged me! Thank you so much!

[R.B.]

Congratulations.

RB

[Lolly]

Joy, I'm thrilled for you!!! What wonderful, wonderful news. You've made MY day too! BIG HUGS :)

<3 Lolly

[Grace]

Joy,

I rather thought from your title that it was good news, and it was. Very happy for you and we all agree with your doctor--there will be plenty of other blockers coming along soon.

Congratulations!

[Barbara H.]

Joy!!
I am so happy for you. This is really great news. I have been following all your posts and I'm glad that this combo is working for you.
Best regards,
Barbara

[doh2pa]

Oh Joy, you have made my day!!!!! I am thrilled for you. My onc said the same thing about being on this for a long time (years?? I didn't think I had years - what a glorious word - YEARS!!!!) This is the first time I have felt any measure of HOPE in 2 years since my initial mets. We are on the cusp of something very big and wonderful. Congratulations! What are you doing to celebrate?

Donna

[Carolyns]

Joy!!!

This is GREAT news! I am so happy for you. Thank you for sharing!

Love, Hope, and Peace,

Carolyn

[CLTann]

Joy to the world. Ever since I came to this site, I have been following your well-being. I remember well I wrote you about your nice picture. This time my congratulation is much more important -- your health. Enjoy life and have many years to follow. Best wishes.

[sherri]

Joy you brought joy to this site with your news. I'm soooooooooooooooo happy for you.

[lexigirl]

Joy!!!

Yippee!!! That is such great news! I am smiling!! Yes!! I am so happy that you received such terrific news!

Lexi

[KellyA]

Oh Joy! I am so happy for you!! What terrific news! I hope that you have been able to celebrate with your friends and family! I think of you often and hope that you continue to have success on this combination for a very very long time.

Love, Kelly

[Mary Anne in TX]

Unbelieveably GREAT News!!!!! So very happy for you!
ma

[chrislmelb]

Joy, that is such good news. I am so happy for you.
Christine

[chrisy]

Oh Joy,

I am so happy for you!!!!!! That is fantastic news, I'm so glad to hear you've responded so well and so quickly. I agree with your onc - lets start with 4 years on this one, okay?

Enjoy!

[tousled1]

Joy,

That's wonderful news! Guess you found the magic combo!

[kareneg]

I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!! Here is to many many more great scans. Relax and do something nice for yourself you deserve it.

[Beckie]

Joy,
I have been very interested in following your progress since coming to this site, and I am so thrilled for you! How wonderful to think in years!

Beckie

[Patb]

Great news Joy. Wishing you nothing but the best news from now on.
patb

[lilyecuadorian]

thanks for sharing it make so so happy

[Kimberly Lewis]

yippie skippie! Great news Joy - thanks for sharing!

[eric]

Such great news! You deserve it. Enjoy, Eric

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

I am so very happy to hear such good new's from you.

This IS a wonderful combo and I expect many more to follow in the future for us all.

We are FIGHTERS, we are VALIANT, we are the HOPE for everyone who follows.

Keep up the good work Joy.

[Mary Jo]

Oh Joy.......................(no pun intended http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif) My heart absolutely REJOICES with your great news. I cannot image how it must have felt. Probably the same when I felt when initially diagnosed and they did a PET/CT scan to see if my cancer was elsewhere. I'll never forget waiting in the office for those results and then the pure JOY I felt when he said "you are fine."

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY and SOOOOOOOOOOOOO thankful to God I am for your great great great news.

Wrapping my cyber arms around you, holding you close and hugging the begeebies out of ya.

Mary Jo

[Vanessa]

I agree, fabulous news! So happy to hear it. I wish you continued success!

[hutchibk]

Joy!! WOW! Congratulations! YIPPEE!

I like the way your onc thinks. That is how my onc thinks. And I have started to think that way too. The was I see it, my job is to get as healthy as I can, stay as healthy as I can, figure out how to tolerate whatever they need to throw at me, dig in, grit my teeth and wait for the next her2 blocker to hit the market. Luckily for me for now, Ty/Xel is pretty darned easy and seems to be doing it's work very nicely, too... I visualize it working nicely for many years.

[caya]

Joy,

Wow - fantastic news. So happy for you.
all the best
Caya

[Patricia]

Oh Joy!
What wonderful news! Congratulations on this great progress. Thank you so much for sharing with us, it is so encouraging to hear such a great reaction. Go and celebrate !!!!

Hugs,
Patricia

[Bev]

Yeah! And Congrats. The news gave me goosebumps. So nice to hear good news. Thanks for paving the way for the rest of us. Bev

[Leslie's sister]

Joy:
It was so uplifting to read your WONDERFUL news. I'm "rejoicing" with you. I always look forward to your fun posts.

[Margerie]

So happy for you. It could not have happened to a nicer gal!

Here's to 40!!!!!!!!!!

[mslinda]

Praise the Lord for the wornderful news, Joy. I am so happy for you.

Linda
S. Mississippi

[Karen Weixel]

I love reading posts like this!! I am very happy for you Joy.

Karen

[Believe51]

Joy I got chills all through my body and tears of happiness streamed down my cheeks as I read your post. I am so very happy to hear your wonderful news, it is all you have been striving for.

My husband will be starting that combo after his whole brain & pelvis radiation is finished and I am hoping for the same small miracle. (Actually no....that huge miracle!!!!!!!!!!!)

Thank you Joy for taking me on your journey, you have taught me so very much!! Keep up the great work. Big hugs and prayers coming out ta ya!!

Waiting For A Miracle....and commanding one soon!!>>Believe51

[MJo]

Congrats. EnJOY, EnJOY.

[suzan w]

Joy...JOY is what I feel after reading your post!!! Because we are all 'sisters' here I feel so happy for you!!! And I want to thank you for doing all of your treatments, so that doctors can figure out what works!!! AND that is the operative word here...it is working!!! YAHOOOOO!!!!!

[Joy]

What a BEAUTIFUL surprise to one up this thread today and find so many posts! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I feel warmed and good because of it. I just love all of you so much and feel a connection here that I don't get even with all the amazing people I have in my life. It is cliche, but they just don't know like we know how this disease affects you-AND I HOPE THEY NEVER KNOW the way we do. But you guys are great and I mean EVERYONE here. I, for real and true, thank GOD for all of you and my fabulous family and friends twice every day and often more. I write things on the calendar so I know who on here I need to be 'holding' on tough day and celebratory days. So know you are always thought about.

with happy tears and gratitude,
Joy

[Morgan]

Hi Joy, don't post much, just read everyone else's! but had to congratulate you on your great news!

Love Morgan

[Becky]

What wonderful, wonderful news for you. I can't say enough about how happy I am for you.

[Gerri]

Postively JOYFUL!

I'm so happy for you! Thanks for sharing.

[Hopeful]

Joy,

There are no words for what I feel for you. This is fantastic news! Enjoy!

Hopeful

[Sheila]

Oh Joy
This is amazing.....and you are so deserving of that magic combo......heres to holding and cuddling with lots and lots of grandchildren for you!!!!!
You bring tears of joy to many with your good news!

[mke]

Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance!!!

[Cynthia]

Joy,

We are all in this together. A victory for one is a victory for all. We are all rooting you on.

Congratulations, and may you continue to be healthy and Joy-ful for decades to come.

Cynthia

[Esther]

Wow Joy, that is awesome. Tykerb/Xeloda is really shaping up to be a winning combination.

[Jean]

Oh Joy I am so deeply happy to hear your news...
It is so thrilling to know your treatment is doing exactly what
we all want it to do!

God Bless,
Jean

[sassy]

OH JOY!

What wonderful news. Thanks for sharing it with us. Hope thrives!
________
Live Sex (http://livesexwebshows.com/)

[rentrac]

YAHOOOO! I am so happy for you. Your news lifted my spirits so much, as I'm on the combo after finding 5 mets in my right lung 3 weeks ago. We've dropped the Herceptin, but finding those mets right after having Cyberknife in May for a medistinal met that had sprouted from the "ashes" of last summer's radiation for similar nodes, as well as having Gamma Knife in April for 2 brain mets... well it all left me a bit glum. Your news makes me feel so much more optimistic. Thanks for sharing!

[MichelleH]

Joy,

That is wonderful news girl! I am so glad to hear this for you. I too am my doctors first patient on this combo. I just started my 3rd round & we will rescan in about 3 wks. Unfortunitly I will be losing him as a doctor (he is moving to Chicago) and he will not be able to watch any of my progress after the end of August.
Thank you for the update, it gives the rest of us hope.
Keep up the good work!

Hugs,
Michelle

[madubois63]

Joy - I have a GREAT BIG SMILE on my face just for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But, please get Lupron shots to stop the period! My period came back on tamoxifen, and I wasn't able to remove the overies for several reasons. I get the shot once every three months and it just takes away such worry.

[Colleen007]

Being a fellow stage 4 person (who also turned 40 this year), I LOVE reading news like this! The Herceptin has not failed me yet, but your post leaves me with so much hope for the "next weapon in the arsenal". I have been scared of what will happen when the Herceptin stops working because I have a great husband and a 7 year old and an almost 2 year old that need me. The Tykerb results that I have seen on this board give me hope that living to see 50 may not be such a crazy thought! Have a great day!

[Soccermom]

WONDERFUL,WONDERFUL Joy...so happy for you,Love Marcia

[Emelie]

So glad to hear things are going your way!
Keep on smiling!
Emelie

[tricia keegan]

Joy I could'nt be happier for you and many congratulations,I hope you continue to do so well and ned before you know it!

[mamacze]

Dear Joy...Here you are soaring through the wind lifted up on the wings of a wonderful, better-than-expected report; and how thrilled I am to log on after a small absence to read such good news. When one of our sisters is happy....everyone is happy! Thank you for sharing such an uplifting report!
Love Kim from CT

[karen raines hunt]

Great news, Joy.

Karen

[Shad]

I am thrilled for you and inspired by our/your optimism. We are all so lucky to be on the cusp of meaningful advances in the treatment of our disease. Thanks for keeping us informed of your progress.
Shad