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CoolBreeze · 01-14-2013, 09:36 PM

I'm not really that young, I'm 54. Young maybe in their practice as I sit with mostly 80 year olds - one is even 90.

Please don't look for reasons to take offense as I didn't go blow by blow with the entire conversation. He explained that there was only a 25 percent chance of it working and that is in a lightly treated person - less so for me who is heavily treated, and tests are only with people who also do taxotere. He went on to explain the side effects and allergic reactions. We discussed my c-diff and my fears about colon involvement and many other things. He said it was still worth a try for me, even off-label, and I think he meant it in the sense that the side effects might be more tolerable for a younger person, - using two medications that have been untested together might be more tolerable in somebody my age.

I'm sorry, I didn't relay the conversation word by word. I was pretty excited, both that I get the hope of this drug and also to be called young and so I mentioned it.

I don't think people should be looking to be offended, this oncology office has been incredibly kind and everybody in it has been just wonderful to me, and everybody, from day one.

I do have the feeling the oncology practice is taking the costs of this upon themselves. So I am not going to complain about them, and I am going to defend them. They have been very caring with me, and I see them care for others - older people - exactly the same. I have made lots of chemo friends with the elderly there, and have heard more war stories than I care to admit. Nobody gets turned away there.

Including medi-cal patients, which almost nobody takes. I have heard of people driving 100 miles to see them because they are the only oncology group that treats this low-income population. They are as caring to an older person as to a younger and I never see them do that disgusting thing that I see some folks so with old people - talk to them like they are children. I hate that.

I will recommend them to everybody I know. But, God knows I hope never have to recommend them to anybody.

01-14-2013, 09:36 PM	#15
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: perjeta with gemzar? I'm not really that young, I'm 54. Young maybe in their practice as I sit with mostly 80 year olds - one is even 90. Please don't look for reasons to take offense as I didn't go blow by blow with the entire conversation. He explained that there was only a 25 percent chance of it working and that is in a lightly treated person - less so for me who is heavily treated, and tests are only with people who also do taxotere. He went on to explain the side effects and allergic reactions. We discussed my c-diff and my fears about colon involvement and many other things. He said it was still worth a try for me, even off-label, and I think he meant it in the sense that the side effects might be more tolerable for a younger person, - using two medications that have been untested together might be more tolerable in somebody my age. I'm sorry, I didn't relay the conversation word by word. I was pretty excited, both that I get the hope of this drug and also to be called young and so I mentioned it. I don't think people should be looking to be offended, this oncology office has been incredibly kind and everybody in it has been just wonderful to me, and everybody, from day one. I do have the feeling the oncology practice is taking the costs of this upon themselves. So I am not going to complain about them, and I am going to defend them. They have been very caring with me, and I see them care for others - older people - exactly the same. I have made lots of chemo friends with the elderly there, and have heard more war stories than I care to admit. Nobody gets turned away there. Including medi-cal patients, which almost nobody takes. I have heard of people driving 100 miles to see them because they are the only oncology group that treats this low-income population. They are as caring to an older person as to a younger and I never see them do that disgusting thing that I see some folks so with old people - talk to them like they are children. I hate that. I will recommend them to everybody I know. But, God knows I hope never have to recommend them to anybody. __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.