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hutchibk · 09-13-2007, 03:20 PM

My biggest joy in a long time was yesterday... I had pulled off of a main street to go around the block and bypass some traffic. I haven't been on that block in a couple of years. At the end of the block when I was turning right, in front of me I saw a sign indicating that a building there had been acquired by the local stage Theater group and was being turned into a children's stage, etc... and it was named in memory of my 5 yr old niece and 10 yr old nephew whom I lost 6 years ago in a private plane crash with my brother and sister-in-law. I was floored and so touched. I stopped, started wandering around the building. The artistic director drove up while I was looking around and upon hearing my story took me in to show me what they had planned for the space. It brought me to tears, but wonderful ones. I didn't know about it since it was envisioned by their bio-dad, (ex-husband of my sister-in-law) who is apparently involved with the theater group. I have only ever met him once, at the memorial service... but even though there had been rough feelings between all of the adults back before the crash, I must give kudos for memorializing my sweet Gracie and Andrew in such a sweet way. They were one of the biggest joys in my life. My crazy gray fur explosion (Maine Kook... ummm I mean, Coon, cat) Dasher, was Gracie's cat and the love of her life. He lives with me now and colors everyday in the most wonderful nutty goofball crazy cat ways possible... Gracie was my "apprentice cat whisperer" and my brother had a t-shirt made for her that said that. I still have that t-shirt and LOVE looking at it from time to time.

09-13-2007, 03:20 PM	#124
hutchibk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,519	My biggest joy in a long time was yesterday... I had pulled off of a main street to go around the block and bypass some traffic. I haven't been on that block in a couple of years. At the end of the block when I was turning right, in front of me I saw a sign indicating that a building there had been acquired by the local stage Theater group and was being turned into a children's stage, etc... and it was named in memory of my 5 yr old niece and 10 yr old nephew whom I lost 6 years ago in a private plane crash with my brother and sister-in-law. I was floored and so touched. I stopped, started wandering around the building. The artistic director drove up while I was looking around and upon hearing my story took me in to show me what they had planned for the space. It brought me to tears, but wonderful ones. I didn't know about it since it was envisioned by their bio-dad, (ex-husband of my sister-in-law) who is apparently involved with the theater group. I have only ever met him once, at the memorial service... but even though there had been rough feelings between all of the adults back before the crash, I must give kudos for memorializing my sweet Gracie and Andrew in such a sweet way. They were one of the biggest joys in my life. My crazy gray fur explosion (Maine Kook... ummm I mean, Coon, cat) Dasher, was Gracie's cat and the love of her life. He lives with me now and colors everyday in the most wonderful nutty goofball crazy cat ways possible... Gracie was my "apprentice cat whisperer" and my brother had a t-shirt made for her that said that. I still have that t-shirt and LOVE looking at it from time to time. __________________ Brenda NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...) Nov'03~ dX stage 2B Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo. Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic! Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2 Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone) Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors. Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen. Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen. June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen. Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice. Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots. Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011. Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah. "I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."