How did it go today, Ellie? Thinking of you!

[Laurel]

Wondering how your bone marrow biopsy went today, Ellie. I thought of you often while in a continuing ed. class. How long until they provide the results?

Keeping you in my prayers!

[Midwest Alice]

Ellie I was just talking about you in my local bc support tonight. How are you doing? How did it go? Sending love and prayers, Alice ( Thanks Laurel)

[Chelee]

Hi Ellie, As you probably know by now I sent you a PM...been concerned about you. I know how stressful times like this can be. I'm glad you now have this procedure behind you and hope the news is good. Meaning you just have slow lazy platelets. Wishing you the best. Sending warm healing thoughts and prayers your way.

Chelee

[Lori R]

Ellie,
Just to let you know that I am thinking of you.

Hugs coming your way...Lori

[Ellie F]

Hello everyone
I am so touched by your thoughts and good wishes and so grateful to have your support.
I had the procedure done yesterday by a specialist nurse at the hospital who had inserted my central line last year following my recurrence.The sample was taken from my right iliac crest. Whilst it was not pleasant it was bearable, being over in a matter of minutes. I opted for local analgesia and gas and air which I hadn't had since being in labour twenty years ago and this certainly helped!
I will have to wait two weeks till the results are ready and I am praying that they are low due to some other reason not cancer in any form!
They have also took a sample for cytogenetics which I understand will be used for research to try to help with identifying faulty or altered genes in bc.
Lots of love
Ellie

[schoolteacher]

Ellie,

Thinking of you. Glad your procedure is over. God Bless You.

Amelia

[Laurel]

Two weeks! Dang, they like to keep you on pins and needles over there, huh! We'll all be blue from holding our collective breaths.

Keeping the prayers burning.....

[Faith in Him]

I'm glad that is behind you. Praying for good results.

Tonya

[tricia keegan]

So glad the procedure was'nt too unpleasant Ellie, and hoping the next two weeks don't drag too much for you and you get the results you hope for:)

[lexigirl]

Praying for good results on your biopsy. I am relieved that you weren't too uncomfortable and hope your benign results get here sooner than 2 weeks.

Hugs,
Lexi

[Jackie07]

Thanks for the update, Ellie. Take it easy and know that we are sending good vibes.

[ammebarb]

Hi Ellie. Glad your procedure is over.....wish you didn't have two weeks to wait for results. Perhaps they will get back to you sooner. Praying that you get good news.

Barb A.

[lkc Gumby]

Thoughts and prayers are going out to you Ellie.

[juanita]

sending prayers and positive thoughts your way!

[Laurel]

Ellie,

Will you get your results this week?

L.

[Ellie F]

Hi Laurel
Will get results on Wednesday. Having a bad time at the moment, full of fear and anxiety and thinking I now have the darn thing everywhere!There has been so much sad news lately that I am struggling to believe thet we will ever get a cure in time for us all. Sorry to be so negative just can't stop crying.Thanks for your support.
Ellie

[Pam P]

Ellie - Just want to tell you I'm thinking about you. The overwhelming sad news has been too much and it does cause our own fears to surface with a loud voice. I hope you can find some way to get into a calm place the next few days. Praying that Wed. results will be good and you can let yourself breathe deeply again.

[Ellie F]

Thanks Pam
I seem to swing from being so sad and tearful about all the losses that have happened of late to a huge sense of anger at the injustice of this disease and the lack of progress getting a cure or long term effective strategy for all.
I'm even angry with God at present for not responding to all our prayers and letting so many suffer!
Ellie

[Laurel]

Ellie, you would be certifiably psycho if you were not fearful. The recent losses to our Merry Band of Pranksters has rocked us all. I think fear and worry lie just beneath our facades of composure at all times, never leaving our conscious minds for long enough to be considered a peaceful respite. Only those of us who have literally trembled with the fear that accompanies those three little shattering words "you have cancer" can fully comprehend your anxiety. We are all anxious for you and for all who undergo their tests and scans.

I know none of us has a future beyond our next breath. Nothing is promised or guaranteed. Still what would a day be like without the specter of cancer over our shoulders? Oh to possess that mistaken confidence of our futures, of a long life, to be asleep at the wheel of our lives believing we have TIME.

The truth is none of us have any assurance of a tomorrow. The difference is that we no longer live in that pre-cancer wonderland where we felt confident of achieving old age. I joke that my soul goal in life is to LIVE to be a crazy, old, cat lady! My darling children tell me that I am well on my way to achieving my goal, because I am crazy, have very spoiled kitty-cats, and I am female (we'll leave the "lady" part for when I become one! HA!). All I need is the "OLD" adjective and I've made it!

Hoping for old age for us all! May we all be the craziest old bitties to ever walk this earth! Hail the Her2 heroes!

[chrisy]

Ellie,

We've all been riding on and witness to a terrible rollercoaster this few months. Scanxiety is hard enough to deal with under normal circumscances, but everything seems so much more intense right now.

All the emotions you have are real and very justified. Don't worry about God, God can handle whatever we cast upon him.

We've all been there - and have imagined getting bad news far more often than we ACTUALLY got bad news. Still, that doesn't make us stop worrying.

I try (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) to put the scanxiety on the back burner and focus on, well, ANYTHING else. Try breathing, put on some disco music, rile up the crazy cats (make them crazy instead of you?).

Hang in there...

[tricia keegan]

Ellie, from another crazy old cat lady like laurel, I was convinced recently I had bone mets. Nothing would persuede me otherwise and it's even tougher with our recent loss's here:(

Stay strong and I hope you'll be posting with good news soon and looking forward to celebrating with you:)

(((hugs)))

Tricia xx

[MJo]

Hoping for good news. I hope we will all be celebrating your "bad news," like severe anemia. This is how we live today i.e., congratulations, you have pneumonia instead of lung mets. That just happened to a Her2 buddy of mine. The shadow on her lung is pneumonia. She and her friends are thrilled.

[Laurel]

Thinking of you, Ellie. I know you are only hours away from hearing your results. Hoping and praying for nothing too scary!

[schoolteacher]

Ellie,

Thinking of you.

Amelia

[Karen Wheel]

Ellie - hang in there - it is already Wednesday for me here in Italy - and just beginning the day now in the US - so thinking of you as you get your news today.

Maybe I was lucky as I was a bit off line the last few months so I missed a lot of the news on losing our band of merry makers... however, I can understand the fear. It isn't our friend, but it is so hard to just act like it isn't something that is somehow ever near the edge of the concious mind...

I'm nearing my first year, and was only stage 1 --- but I still have days I feel I am falling apart - and even a little thing like seeing something on TV about cancer, or even a dream I had the other night that I had cancer again in the liver and bones .... that alone freaked me out and I cried the entire next day. So, it is normal. You are normal. And you are fighter - so you will go on. Like we all do.

Live like there is no tomorrow - and dance like no one is watching! Is one I like.

Take care- sending you good positive energy!

[whatz]

Hi Ellie,
Thinking of you. Let us know.

[Ellie F]

Hi everyone
Just got back from hospital with half the results!!
The really GOOD NEWS is the bone marrow aspirate was clear, no evidence of bc mets or any concerns about secondary leukaemia.Thank you GOD.
The results from the sample of the actual bone are with the pathologists secretary, buried in an audio tape with numerous other patients results, so it will be another couple of days before I know these results.
For the moment I am just so relieved that my bone marrow is clear.
The onc has no idea why my platelets are 'bumping along the bottom' as he puts it.If they stay low his plan is to give me four more doses of herceptin then a break of eight weeks to see if they pick up. Must say I felt nervous about this but thought I would re-visit this at the next appointment.

Once again many, many thanks to all for the advice,support and prayers. To know that you have all been there for me during this time has meant so much.

Love Ellie

[Laurel]

Hurrah! Praise be to God, Ellie! I've got tears of joy stinging my eyes! Try a good B-Complex to up those platelets. It worked for me. Herceptin was hard on my counts, too. When will you hear about that pesky bone bx?

[whatz]

Ditto Ellie. I am so happy for you!!!! :-) Yes, thank you Lord.

[MJo]

I am thrilled for you. Yippee

[Karen Wheel]

Great news - even if its not ALL the news. I think the B complex would help too - I take a serious B stress formula and also have heard that B17 is good? I have to find out more about it - but its on my stuff to "research"!
Maybe someone else knows about B17 - but hear its great for fighting cancer...?
Keep the faith and eat your veggies --- more raw the better! Green and dark colored ones have more B-vitamins. Also, I have added powdered Vit C into my morning Juice I make (apple, carrot, celery, fennel and what ever other veggies I have that I want to throw in) but ... I take about 7,000 mg every day (you have to work up to this as it will literally run through you if you don't build up slowly) but there is lots of good info out there that says that Vit C is a great fighter of cancer.

My two cents.

Great news - go girl!!!!!!!!
Karen

[Ellie F]

Hi again
Should get the second half of the results by Friday. If not will be pestering the onc's secretary!!
Will take onboard the vit b issue. Used to take Brewers yeast everyday but have lapsed. Thanks for the reminder.
Ellie

[schoolteacher]

Ellie,

I am so glad to hear your good news. Yeah!

Amelia

[caya]

Great news Ellie! Hoping to give you more cheers when you get your next good results..:)

all the best
caya

[Patb]

GOOD NEWS!! Keep it up. Lots of healing thoughts
your way. I know how you feel about test results.
Sooner rather than later for me or I will be there at
the door. Take care.
patb

[lkc Gumby]

Great news Ellie. Are you taking any other supplement which may depress your counts.

[vlcarr]

So happy for your great news and hoping that's all you continue to get!

[Lori R]

Ellie,
I am so relieved and happy for you. I am sure the last few weeks have been extremely emotionally challenging. Good job hanging in there!!

Please keep us posted on what your onc has to say about the low platelets. I am extremely interested as my platelets (which haven't been an issue during 2 rounds of chemo) have decided to take a dive. After running in the 190s, they have progressively slipped to 150.

I did some reading and one way to amp the little suckers appears to be to increase exercise. I hate to admit it but work has been demanding and stressful so of course my exercise went out the window.

Soooo glad that you can rest easier and here is to many many more years of NED....lots of love...Lori

[Pam P]

Ellie - chiming in on the good wishes and cheers for the good news. Pam

[tricia keegan]

I'm so delighted for you Ellie and hope the next results are just as good:)

[WolverineFan]

Two weeks is criminal!!!! I am sorry you have to wait that long, but I am thankful the procedure is behind you. You will continue in my thoughts and prayers.

Hayley

[Ellie F]

Hi everyone
Finally after a long wait and many calls to the secretary got the second half of my bone sample results this afternoon and they are ALL CLEAR.
Thanks be to God and all on the board for the support.
So for the present the plan is for three more doses of herceptin then if no improvement in the platelets a break of eight weeks to see if they pick up.
Love
Ellie

[Laurel]

I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I KNEW! YEA!!!!!!!!!!

This is wonderful news, Ellie! I am just delighted for you! We're gonna have that chocolate martini somewhere in the world for sure! Let's hope for such great news for everyone who is struggling and facing their worst fears!

[Ellie F]

I'll second both the Martini and the hope for everyone who is struggling at present!!

Bring on the cure-we've just got to be near to it!

Cheers Ellie

[ammebarb]

Hip, hip, horray! I've been thinking about you a lot, Ellie and hoping that you would get good news. Breathe a little easier, Dear. We'll all hope those platelets begin to improve!

Barb A.

[mmoons]

AWESOME news..........awesome!!!!!! So happy to hear, Ellie!

[lexigirl]

Yay!! Great news!!

[Becky]

I'm happy you got the all's clear 2X over!

[schoolteacher]

Ellie,

Yeah. I am glad to hear you good news.

Amelia

[Karen Wheel]

GREAT NEWS! Thank you for sharing! Karen