Mom's PET/CT results and a ?

[Tom]

Dear friends, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you all for your kind words, not to mention your continued support, be it informational or emotional in nature. Again, I can't express my gratitude enough, for all of the kindness, concern, and prayers that Mom and I both have received from all of you here. It's value cannot be overstated.

I also wanted to respond to the questions some of you posted as well.

StephN is probably right about Mom being a responder to Herceptin. Considering the number of nodes involved and the time they had a free ride to grow, the Herceptin surely helped once it was administered. As far as Mom's age making for a less aggressive course of the disease, I don't know if that applies to estrogen negative BC, but I will try to find out.

Kate, as far as doing something nice for myself, I ordered a new hand plane I have been eyeing for some time now. Maybe I will have the peace of mind for a bit in order to finish Mom's grandfather clock in time for Christmas. But as far as gifts go, there could be none better than knowing her BC is at least under control for the time being.

Sandy H, the reason Mom had no conventional chemotherapy was that she was 80 years old when diagnosed, and also because she was told at the time of the original surgery that she had no node involvement, and it was thought that she was HER2-. Even radiation therapy was being discouraged early on, until the pathology report was corrected to reveal the HER2+ status. Then of course in addition, the extensive node involvement was discovered 8 months later.

Kaye, I give my Mom 900 mg of concentrated curcumin extract from Life Extension, 3 times a day. The green tea extract is 725 mg, containing 250 mg of EGCG, and 425 mg of other polyphenols. The inositol hexaphosphate is 800 mg, with 220 mg of inositol as well. That is given twice a day. She also consumes about a quart of decaffeinated green tea each day as well.

[Tom]

Chrisy, I often think about that nightmarish earlier PET scan that 'showed progession' and 'extensive mets' to many areas. That one still gets my shorts in a knot. Had I not been my usual pig-headed self and asked for a CT follow-up at the time to confirm what they said they were seeing, Mom's Herceptin would have been stopped much earlier and for good, and they would have sent her home to die without further treatment.

Jackie, Mom is still taking 100 mg of CoQ-10 3 times a day, and I am giving her 4,200 mg of EPA and 3,000 mg of DHA (both Omega-3) daily, as well as the Omega-3 in the form of 7,000 mg of alpha linolenic acid from her flaxseed oil. The flaxseed oil also provides 2,500 mg of oleic acid, which adds time to the effectiveness period of Herceptin. She also gets gamma linoleic acid, which has been shown to down-regulate HER2 all by itself.

Becky, the one fact you mentioned goes a little further than you might think when it comes to Mom being 'relaxed' about the whole thing. From the very start, I decided that since Mom was already suffering from vascular dementia, I would NOT tell her that she had breast cancer. This was a very controversial decision among some of her doctors, and may even offend the senses of some of you guys. It seemed to me that it was more unfair to give her yet another thing in life to worry about besides her mental decline. I also wonder if the absense of the incredible amount of stress associated with knowing you have a life threatening disease, may have somehow lessened the impact on her imminue system, allowing it to better fight the BC. I will never know.

[Tom]

The closest Mom ever came to realizing she had BC, was after her first surgery when she asked me why her breast was out of shape. She gave that observation about 30 seconds of attention at the time in the recovery room, then moved on to more serious questions, like when were we going to get something for lunch. Her nurses were at first horrified, then laughing themselves silly, when she first awoke and said very slowly, quietly, and deliberately, "I'm going to die........................if I don't get something decent to eat soon". I still laugh about that one.

Since that moment, I have told her nothing except that she has an infection that requires us to go to the doctor's frequently to get it cleared up.

Anyway, thank you all again for your comments. I hope that this upcoming year will bring more and better options for all of us in our treatment. I always have to remind myself that many of you are not or have not been, as lucky as Mom in the success of your particular treatment regimens. I sometimes feel guilty when celebrating good news, as the memory of those who have passed on or are suffering even now from this scourge, tempers my joy. I think about Linda, Sherry in WV, and others all the time, and pray for those less fortunate in their journey. God Bless all of you, and remember that the most potent medicine of all is faith and prayer.


Sincerely,
Tom

[Jean]

Dearest Tom,

Isn't it just wonderful to have hard work and love pay off! What a powerful
combo....May God continue to bless you and Mom.

Warmly,
Jean

[Lolly]

Dear Tom, I just want to comment on your decision to help your Mom's peace of mind by not revealing the extent of her "infection".... Like you I feel day to day peace of mind is so important, and to be happy and content in one's daily life, well, we should all be so lucky.

<3 Lolly

[jag]

I Too Try To Do All I Can To Help My Mother.....i Know How You Feel.....all You Did Was For Your Moms Best .....god Bless You....hope Your Mom Continues To Be Well///

[MCS]

hurray for the great news. Congratulations to you both. Here's the recipe


herceptin
your love and care
faith
hope
luck
the guy above has a purpose for her here

XO

MCS ( maria)

[Shell]

Tom-

I am delighted that you shared you and your mom's good news with us. Good luck in making your decisions.

Regards,
Shell

[Cathy1]

Dear Tom,

I haven't been on the board for a long time, but I remember what a wonderful son you have always been to her. Never underestimate the power of prayer, because it is indeed the hand of Almighty God. He is in complete control of everything! Your mom is so blessed to have such a caring, compassionate and loving son and she must be a truly remarkable mother. God has rewarded you both. God Bless, Cathy