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suzan w · 09-17-2009, 06:45 PM

My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family at this difficult time. My dear friend, Joanna, died in 2005, after a 7 year uphill battle with breast cancer. It had spread well into her chest wall by the time she was dx'd. She was 40 when she died and had been told earlier that she was 'too young for breast cancer' and her insurance would not pay for a mammogram. Those 7 years were not pleasant ones and we all rallied round. Hospice was the gift we gave her and ourselves and looking back, probably should have made the decision sooner. 4 months after Joanna died, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Stage 1...I feel like she has been my 'spiritual support' and it is almost like she is not really gone. It is hard to explain, I feel that when we are extremely close to someone, and they die, their spirit remains with us somehow and gets us through tough times. You will make the right decision, trust yourself. XO Suzan

09-17-2009, 06:45 PM	#9
suzan w Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Naples FL Posts: 1,747	Re: Hospice care My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family at this difficult time. My dear friend, Joanna, died in 2005, after a 7 year uphill battle with breast cancer. It had spread well into her chest wall by the time she was dx'd. She was 40 when she died and had been told earlier that she was 'too young for breast cancer' and her insurance would not pay for a mammogram. Those 7 years were not pleasant ones and we all rallied round. Hospice was the gift we gave her and ourselves and looking back, probably should have made the decision sooner. 4 months after Joanna died, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Stage 1...I feel like she has been my 'spiritual support' and it is almost like she is not really gone. It is hard to explain, I feel that when we are extremely close to someone, and they die, their spirit remains with us somehow and gets us through tough times. You will make the right decision, trust yourself. XO Suzan __________________ Suzan W. age 54 at diagnosis 5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast 5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++ 6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg. Oncotype DX-high risk 8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C 10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin arimidex-5 years 2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis 7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE 8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy 10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis) 6/14/10 5 year cancerversary! 8/2010-18%increase in bone density! no further treatments Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance" I say,"What a long strange trip its been" 'One day at a time' 6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY! 7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use 6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! 7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis 2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL. 6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!! 6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!