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A tweak here, a tweak there...
Let's see...
Brain MRI results last Friday showed my IMRT targeted spots are all shrinking like they are supposed to, and NO NEW SPOTS! Three have shrunk by 1mm and one by 2mm. He was very pleased. As am I...
I am having a fun time getting used to my new "do" - very odd pattern of hair loss from the radiation beams, and I don't have quite enough hair to really cover it, so when the wind blows I look like I have the mange. It's pretty hilarious, but I have about 25 different hats accumulated, so I just defer to those and all is well. Doc says it might be about a year before I see regrowth in those areas... sigh. Oh well. Just another thing to laugh about!
Started back on my Tykerb this week. So I am on Herceptin infusion every 3 weeks and 1000mg Tykerb daily (4 pills). I did better on 3 pills, that 4th one is activating my bowels again... sigh. Oh well. Just another thing to laugh about!
My TM (CA15.3) is down from 20 on Oct. 22 to 12.8 on Nov. 12!! That is the kind of news I have been needing to hear. Even though my TMs always hover below the "normal" ranges, they still indicate activity when they climb a little, so I am thrilled that the Herc/Tykerb is doing good work. I love hearing that the numbers are going in the opposite direction.
Met with my cosmetic surgeon this week to look at my implant. It's not been doing very well, kind of flattening out. Turns out, I have capsular contraction again, tugging it down flat. So now we plan to do day surgery in February (first chance I have to set aside 4-6 weeks for healing) to release the scar tissue and replace the implant... sigh. Oh well. Just another thing to look forward to... 6 weeks of surgical healing.
In the meantime, I have been looking for ways to climb over the 'fatigue hump' that came barreling into my life about 3-4 weeks after the IMRT. It's true what they say about heart rate, activity vs. sedentary, and endorphins... they do really really really help with the mental, emotional and physical fatigue. It's the initial motivation to put one foot in front of the other and get out the door that is the bugger. But I am doing it, and it feels pretty good.
And that's what's new with me. All's well with a little tweak here and a little tweak there.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
Last edited by hutchibk; 11-20-2008 at 01:54 PM..
Reason: add details about fatigue...
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