Re: Life changed November 09
Hi Skip -
Getting comfortable with the onc is also akin to getting used to the fact that she has a disease and must fight it. Sometimes we have to learn not to "shoot the messenger." This may not be the case, and maybe he was really having a better day and seemed more humane.
The main thing is that you know that you have Loma Linda and other places for second opinions not too far away.
I have now been living 10 years with cancer. I had a major and fast invasion of my liver only 3 months after taking my initial treatments. My liver did not just have a couple of tumors; it was shot through with small as well as quite large tumors - covering about 60% of my liver in total. I was able to get some good drugs which stopped and quickly reversed the cancer. I have never had another tumor show up from my neck down since 2002.
Had 2 brain mets that showed up a couple years later, but I was being screened just in case and the tumors were successfully treated. That was 5 years ago.
You will see by my signature the rest of the details. When I had my breakout of liver mets, I was pretty scared as the stats in 2002 were way against me. But, I am here to encourage you and your wife to just accept the treatments as "life saving" drugs and not merely something that makes her feel even worse. I held that "life saving" carrot in front of me and asked the good Lord for a successful Search and Destroy Mission while on my way to each treatment and every night.
Your wife has a very high probability of chasing off her liver tumors and living a normal life span.
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.
MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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