still here

[Joy]

Hi everyone, I've been following your posts and thinking about all of you and just thought I'd give a little update. I had a scan 2 months ago and it was t-riff! Virtually no cancer activity anywhere, which I think I posted. My 3 week chemistries continue to look perfect i.e. as far as blood work goes my organs are functioning very well. I'm scheduled for scans at the end of march and continue to take 5 tykerb a day and about 4 xeloda every day one week on and one week off.

In some ways though I feel as though I'm falling apart. I had 2 different strains of influenza almost back to back and a minor cold. I've had a yeast infection (probably due to the Minocycline for the tykerb rash) and 3 periods in 2 months. The other thing is that while all my blood work has been good, my platelets have continued to drop. They are not at a dangerous level as of 3 weeks ago and I'm getting more blood work with my every 6 week zometa on Thursday. I have no symptoms of thrombocytapenia (sp?), but I'm concerned. My onc thinks that maybe it is just being on xeloda/tykerb since last May that has contributed to that. What do you guys think? The other concern is that it is a sign of liver disease, but she said that my blood tests (ALT, AST, Alk phos, bilirubin, albumin) would be reflecting that and they are not. Or, of course, there is always leukemia, but I have no other symptoms.

I also have been having right side rib pain which concerns me and I can't tell if it is muscular, skeletal or visceral. My sister said if it was the liver and was causing pain my blood work would not look so good and my scan was only 2 months ago and there was nothing to worry about. Also the external exam reveals no signs of distention in the liver.

My boyfriend, yes that is going very well, said he talked to 3 people yesterday who have had the crud that is going around who complained of rib/side pain on the same side.

I'm hoping that the periods are frquent simply because I'm perimenopausal. I just have so many more variables than "normal" people so I'm always worried. I have a well woman visit tomorrow and am hoping to have an FSH either there or at the cancer center to check those levels.

And I'm always worried about the little bit of scarring in my liver from the cancer in the past. It is basically cirrhosis, but she says it is minimal.

If any of you have any advice/thoughts on the low platelets, frequent periods, rib pain, bloodwork, cirrhosis etc., I would value it tremendously.

Life is good and I want it to stay that way (duh). I have a boyfriend who loves me and treats me fabulously with whom I have a lot of fun. I have 2 beautiful children who are blossoming (and challenging of course). My oldest got into the jr high/high school of choice that we were hoping for for next year. I love working at the bakery everyday with my sister and the amazing people there (man we have a lot of fun). My friends are awesome and beginning new things in their lives that are exciting. My family continues to be wonderful and really fun. My house looks like Bagdhad which drives me crazy, but sometimes you just have to have a fort in your family room for a week.

I could really use some smart thoughts on some of these things and I know this is the best place for those.

In the mean time I pray for all of us and our loved ones and for the researchers and doctors working hard on our behalf. I was happy to see that the Herceptin DM1 trial is going so well for several of you and that there is a trial location in Denver. My doc's office is doing a trial of Iressa and Arimidex or Fulvestrant and Iressa-anyone know anything about that combination? I am also still curious about Bavarian Nordic's trial of the MVA-BN- Her2 vaccine that is in California and trials with Nexavar (sorafenib). I'm also alwyas thinking about the newer radiation techniques for the liver (RFA, Cyber knife, SIR spheres, etc.). Again any thoughts are welcome.

So in love with all of you and life in general,