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StephN · 12-18-2007, 11:13 PM

Hi -
I picked up my tumor just a little over a year ago. We had a thread on this which Sheila started.
I had to sign a waiver sort of legal paper and I only got my BLOCKS not the slides. It is the LAB not the hospital that had my specimans. They will keep the slides for up to 10 years.

They are in little styrofoam packs and I have those two packs in a metal box in a closet in the lower level of my home. I was advised by the lab to keep them cool, dry and undisturbed. All of those they are.

I had to pester the hospital to get them to track down my specimans. It took about three persistent calls and saying that I was stage IV and needed some tumor for further testing.

Hope this helps.

12-18-2007, 11:13 PM	#7
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Hi - I picked up my tumor just a little over a year ago. We had a thread on this which Sheila started. I had to sign a waiver sort of legal paper and I only got my BLOCKS not the slides. It is the LAB not the hospital that had my specimans. They will keep the slides for up to 10 years. They are in little styrofoam packs and I have those two packs in a metal box in a closet in the lower level of my home. I was advised by the lab to keep them cool, dry and undisturbed. All of those they are. I had to pester the hospital to get them to track down my specimans. It took about three persistent calls and saying that I was stage IV and needed some tumor for further testing. Hope this helps. __________________ "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.