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ElaineM · 06-04-2011, 10:12 AM

Hi Michka,
The other ladies gave you some excellent advice, but I thought I would add a few things.
Pam is right. You need a little quiet time. I know it is hard to just let go for a day or two when you think cancer is growing, but it is so important. When I get not so good news or I have so many things to think about I put it all aside for a day or two and do something else or meditate and pray. Only when I feel refreshed do I attempt to solve medical problems or get my questions answered.
Her2, ER, and PR status can change over time. Different parts of the body can also have a different Her2, ER and PR status at the same time. Currently my left side has a lower Her2 and ER status than my right side even after re doing the tests three times in 6 weeks.
Not only that Alaska Angel is right. We can have various kinds of tumors, cysts, sacs, hematomas, seromas, benign tumors and thickenings all over the place. They are not always cancer. Some of them can be benign. Some of them can be cancer.
Personally I have come to the conclusion that occassionally my own body does silly things that nobody can explain and nobody has control over (not even me as much as I would like to be in control).
I guess you can ask for a biopsy or other test to try to determine if the spot in your liver is a real cancer or some other not so dangeous thing. I don't know if Pet scans are available where you are, but they are pretty good in determining if something is actually cancer rather than some other kind of tumor as long as the area of concern is more than 5mm and metabolically active. It is harder to tell on a cat scan if something is cancer or benign.
It could also be that your tissue samples or blood was sent to different labs each time you had a procedure or blood test. Different labs have different criteria to determine what is normal and what is not normal. That makes it a bit difficult to determine progress over time. Whenever possible I try to have things sent to the same lab, but that is not always possible.
Hang in there. Take good care of yourself. Try to take a little rest or some fun over the weekend, so you will be ready to jump in and fight next week. Let us know how you are doing after that.

06-04-2011, 10:12 AM	#10
ElaineM Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3,142	Re: Lost Hi Michka, The other ladies gave you some excellent advice, but I thought I would add a few things. Pam is right. You need a little quiet time. I know it is hard to just let go for a day or two when you think cancer is growing, but it is so important. When I get not so good news or I have so many things to think about I put it all aside for a day or two and do something else or meditate and pray. Only when I feel refreshed do I attempt to solve medical problems or get my questions answered. Her2, ER, and PR status can change over time. Different parts of the body can also have a different Her2, ER and PR status at the same time. Currently my left side has a lower Her2 and ER status than my right side even after re doing the tests three times in 6 weeks. Not only that Alaska Angel is right. We can have various kinds of tumors, cysts, sacs, hematomas, seromas, benign tumors and thickenings all over the place. They are not always cancer. Some of them can be benign. Some of them can be cancer. Personally I have come to the conclusion that occassionally my own body does silly things that nobody can explain and nobody has control over (not even me as much as I would like to be in control). I guess you can ask for a biopsy or other test to try to determine if the spot in your liver is a real cancer or some other not so dangeous thing. I don't know if Pet scans are available where you are, but they are pretty good in determining if something is actually cancer rather than some other kind of tumor as long as the area of concern is more than 5mm and metabolically active. It is harder to tell on a cat scan if something is cancer or benign. It could also be that your tissue samples or blood was sent to different labs each time you had a procedure or blood test. Different labs have different criteria to determine what is normal and what is not normal. That makes it a bit difficult to determine progress over time. Whenever possible I try to have things sent to the same lab, but that is not always possible. Hang in there. Take good care of yourself. Try to take a little rest or some fun over the weekend, so you will be ready to jump in and fight next week. Let us know how you are doing after that. __________________ Peace, ElaineM 12 years and counting http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=48247 Lucky 13 !! I hope so !!!!!! http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=52807 14 Year Survivor http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=57053 "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." author unknown Shared by a multiple myeloma survivor.