HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Andrea Barnett Budin · 11-25-2007, 01:49 PM

www.alumpintheroad.com WRITTEN by and for YOUNG WOMEN DX W/BC... They have a book called A LUMP IN THE ROAD, which is a collaborative effort of six young women -- sharing insight and information re: dating and mastectomy, children and mortality, treatment and hair loss. They give a voice to young survivors that is unique.

My heart goes out to women facing problems we older bc survivors got to miss out on. Aren't we lucky? Well, actually, YES. WE ARE ALL BLESSED. I believe it could always be worse.

I listen to others' stories and feel LUCKY all the time. My husband says if I was lucky I wouldn't have been dx w/bc. I disagree. I feel blessed. It could have been so much worse. And it has opened a world up to me that I would never have discovered otherwise. It has expanded my awareness and brought the miraculous thrill over just being alive! Not a single goes by that I fail to remember to say THANK YOU for my life!!

With loving thoughts of my Sisters, as always,
Andi

11-25-2007, 01:49 PM	#1
Andrea Barnett Budin Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW... Posts: 1,904	A Lump In The Road www.alumpintheroad.com WRITTEN by and for YOUNG WOMEN DX W/BC... They have a book called A LUMP IN THE ROAD, which is a collaborative effort of six young women -- sharing insight and information re: dating and mastectomy, children and mortality, treatment and hair loss. They give a voice to young survivors that is unique. My heart goes out to women facing problems we older bc survivors got to miss out on. Aren't we lucky? Well, actually, YES. WE ARE ALL BLESSED. I believe it could always be worse. I listen to others' stories and feel LUCKY all the time. My husband says if I was lucky I wouldn't have been dx w/bc. I disagree. I feel blessed. It could have been so much worse. And it has opened a world up to me that I would never have discovered otherwise. It has expanded my awareness and brought the miraculous thrill over just being alive! Not a single goes by that I fail to remember to say THANK YOU for my life!! With loving thoughts of my Sisters, as always, Andi <!-- END WEBMAIL STATIONERY --> __________________ Andi BB '95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive... '98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!) + good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either... Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...