KsGal
Screw him! You (and I) are NOT statistics. I had a doc say something sort of like what you heard,
at a lecture for women with brain mets recently. Really? You're talking to a room FULL of people with brain mets, and their terrified caregivers...and you say things about "dying within a year", or "no long-term survivors"?! And they pay you for that?
If it's at all possible, I'd change rad oncs...that kind of thinking is poison. It's not easy to do...but I had to do it once already. I need all the encouraging energy I can get...I can find the dark places in this journey on my own thank you very much...I don't need one of my docs to be my tourguide through hell.
Next piece of unsolicited advice...
... get on an antidepressant! Seriously...I couldn't face this mess without Zoloft to calm those demons. I have been on it for more than 3 years, at varying doses, and have had absolutely NO ill effects whatsoever. You need every available support for your state of mind and emotions during this crappy time in your life. Once this mess is behind you...and you don't need help getting your brain chemicals to play nicely together...you can always stop. I don't see any downside.
Tykerb. I'm on it. I read and heard all the scary side effects...and I know they are real and possible. I haven't experienced
any of them. It's been the easiest medicine I've taken during this whole nightmare. I had exactly one bought of diarrhea...and looking back...I think it was something I ate...not the Tykerb. And really...Tykerb crosses the blood-brain-barrier...while Herceptin doesn't...and ANYTHING that might stop new lesions in my brain...seems like good juju to me.
Ks - I'm not a doctor...I don't even play one on TV...but I'm stuck deep in the heart of this brain met nightmare too...and it sucks worse than anything I've had to deal with so far. No doubt about it. But we're not alone. We have each other...and some of our sisters on here have adjoining seats on this rollercoaster ride through hell. I picture us all belted in...holding onto each other...and refusing to stop in the scary places. PM anytime...Hell! at the doses of dex I'm on...I hardly sleep anyway! Chances are, I'm up!
It's hard not to listen to the gloom and doom statistics...believe me, I know how you feel. Try to focus on getting through the here and now. We can always look back and trash those statistics (and the jack@$$ doctors who quote them) ...once we have the perspective of winning and moving on. Which BTW...I'm hoping to do soon...these steroids are driving me wild.
Take a deep breath...keep praising God...since He's the only one whose opinion matters anyway! Feel the love, support, prayers, and the big hug coming across the country to you!
Denise