HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

StephN · 07-06-2007, 11:18 AM

Dear Flori -
I have been following your posts and am so sorry that this disease is not letting you alone.

Noticed from your sig that you are hormone neg - like I am. This is a bit unnerving in itself as we are more limited on ways to deter our cancer. Have you had a broncoscopy to biopsy those new mets? I am wondering if they could now be hormone pos.

There is always a reason that a treatment is not working, and that is related to pathology. Even without a biopsy (I did NOT have one for my extensive liver mets) it is possible to go on the attack.

When my life was on the line, I said bring it on - I am NOT ready to die. So a three-pronged attack was the plan. Two drugs to kill the cancer cells at different stages of division plus the Herceptin to shut down the cells that were not yet dividing. I instructed my body every night before sleep that this is what is supposed to happen. Let those drugs do their work.

This was not easy and my life is definitely not the same as before, but I HAVE a life. I know how hard it is to get up the energy for such a fight, but I felt it was worth a try and gave it my all.

Belive me there were days that I just mostly stayed in bed or on the couch, but I made it a point to get something done each day, concentrating on changing my diet and searching out healthy organic foods.

Some oncs are wimps when it comes to recommending aggressive treatments, but how else are we to combat aggressive cancer? Only one will win this fight, either us or the cancer. I chose ME.

I got on a treatment VERY quickly and this really calmed me down (as well as my family). Plus there was no support group for me then - I just had to trust my cancer center team and lucky for me they were good and on the right track.

The waves of grief will subside as you face this problem. The disappointment is immense, but you are not at the end of your possibilities.

07-06-2007, 11:18 AM	#5
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	3 way attack Dear Flori - I have been following your posts and am so sorry that this disease is not letting you alone. Noticed from your sig that you are hormone neg - like I am. This is a bit unnerving in itself as we are more limited on ways to deter our cancer. Have you had a broncoscopy to biopsy those new mets? I am wondering if they could now be hormone pos. There is always a reason that a treatment is not working, and that is related to pathology. Even without a biopsy (I did NOT have one for my extensive liver mets) it is possible to go on the attack. When my life was on the line, I said bring it on - I am NOT ready to die. So a three-pronged attack was the plan. Two drugs to kill the cancer cells at different stages of division plus the Herceptin to shut down the cells that were not yet dividing. I instructed my body every night before sleep that this is what is supposed to happen. Let those drugs do their work. This was not easy and my life is definitely not the same as before, but I HAVE a life. I know how hard it is to get up the energy for such a fight, but I felt it was worth a try and gave it my all. Belive me there were days that I just mostly stayed in bed or on the couch, but I made it a point to get something done each day, concentrating on changing my diet and searching out healthy organic foods. Some oncs are wimps when it comes to recommending aggressive treatments, but how else are we to combat aggressive cancer? Only one will win this fight, either us or the cancer. I chose ME. I got on a treatment VERY quickly and this really calmed me down (as well as my family). Plus there was no support group for me then - I just had to trust my cancer center team and lucky for me they were good and on the right track. The waves of grief will subside as you face this problem. The disappointment is immense, but you are not at the end of your possibilities. __________________ "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.