What a blow
And don't I KNOW what a punch in the gut such news is, as I had it as well. One thing, I did not have the opportunity to have adjuvent Herceptin, so do not know if this drug would have repressed my fast approaching liver mets or not.
All I know is that once I got on a good chemo combo, those mets (including one about 7cm and one about 6cm, plus too numerous to count) had a fast reaction and shrunk markedly within the first 4 weeks as the scan showed. It was then that I began to feel that I had half a chance to overcome my mets.
I was put on Taxol, Navelbine and Herceptin. I got those drugs in that order as well.
My prayers will be that your next scans do not show anything else, as was the case with me. Only some suspicious shadows in my legs. Liver dominent stage IV is probably the best to have if you have to have mets. Your liver can regenerate as mine did, with NO evidence that it was full of tumors like Swiss cheese at one time.
I also cut out the sugar, caffeine, and went on an organic food diet. Drank a lot of "detox" type teas and took Milk Thistle capsules, which are good for liver cleansing. ALso ate a lot of Shiitake mushrooms and used best grade olive oil. Still do these things as they have become habit now.
Stop feeding the cancer and help your body flush the toxins and chemo debris. I am sure this is not the end for you. Many of us have been told we'll not likely live out the year (that gave me about 10-11 months), but here I am FIVE years later come January. NED.
P.S. At the time of my liver mets, I could not find good survival numbers, but decided to write a new chapter in that regard.
__________________
"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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