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Old 03-06-2013, 03:47 PM   #19
StephN
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
Re: I think cancer treatment can be in humane

Linn -
Hopefully the Herceptin alone will not cause added side effects. Most of us get through it quite easily. Having had to go for daily treatments, I am glad your doctor thought it was ok for you to have a week with less running around!

The burn from radiation is actually rather deep. I had a triangle in my upper front right quadrant radiated, but actually had a burn coming through on the back of my right shoulder opposite the triangle! It looked like a medium sunburn, and there was NO other way I could have gotten it as I was keeping covered up, and out of the sun (such as we have here in the Misty Woods).

The pain I had was more like an ache and sore muscles. My massage therapist gently worked it when the skin was healed.

Keep repeating: Every day, in every way, I, Linn (or name), am getting better and better.
__________________
"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.
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