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Re: 2nd try - brain mets from the start
well, as it turns out, my niece is stage 4 from the get-go anyway. the tumor in her head was indeed a benign pituitary tumor, but still so big that they couldn't get it all via normal surgery. scans have shown that the cancer is in her spine, high up by her neck. there are several spots, apparently, but this one concerns the doctors. they gave her a shot to induce menopause and so far i haven't heard anything about chemo, which baffles me no end. however, i did hear that she is saying she's going to "beat this" and given the fact that she's outlived doctor's predictions already by almost 30 yrs, maybe she can. a great attitude goes a long way, but nothing can compete with the crap shoot that is cancer.
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8/09 - IDC 1.8 cm triple positive, lumpectomy left breast
10/09 began chemo (taxotere & carboplatin) and weekly herceptin.
1/21/10 finished chemo, continued on herceptin every 3 weeks until 10/2010.
2/10 began 7 wks of radiation
6/10 mom dies of primary peritoneal ovarian cancer
8/10 got my last remaining ovary out
10/10 mammogram all clear
3/11 MRI shows 5 'spots' in right breast, largest 1 cm unidentifiable on US
needle biopsy proved the largest to be old inflamed cyst -phew!
7/10 switched to Arimidex
8/9 switched to Femara - allergic to arimidex
Femara made me lose hair quickly so switched to Aromasin
Aromasin made my hair fall out too and the bone pain was too much.
back on Tamoxifen 1/2013.
blood clot from trains and planes 5/2014 so on coumadin per onco for as long as i am on tamoxifen
tamoxifen was supposed to be up with my 5 yrs in may but my boyfriend was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer so i am staying on tamoxifen indefinitely because i want some ammo against BC, given the stress. lost my husband in only 10 wks in 2007 to stage 4 esophageal cancer.
cancer's screwing with another man i love
2/2016 - 6yrs in remission, off tamoxifen and off coumadin - yay!
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