Lifetime's movie Five by Demi Moore

[chekmark]

I watched most of it last night and it touched me in alot of ways. It even showed the scars after a double mastectomy. Looking at that on someone else was an eye opener for me. Did not look so bad. I think you need to be in the right place of your treatment and diagnosis to be able to watch it. I couldn't of watched it a year ago.

[Sheila]

I too watched the special last night, came in late on the first of the five, but got the jest of it at the end when I realized it went first circle.

Jessica...I so agree with you, while this was a slice of 5 lives, it seems no one ever shows the new face of breast cancer, the metastatic face...With the advancements in treatments, we are living longer with this disease. National metastatic breast cancer awareness was Oct 13....its a shame they cant portray those of us who never get out of treatment....those of us who live every week or 2 tethered to the IV line of drugs that keep us alive. I dont think the majority of people realize what that is like, just because we all dont look sick, doesnt mean we arent.

I am greatful, but it would be nice if others really understood all the faces of breast cancer. Maybe then we would find a cure!

[Catherine]

Thank you Jessica, Deebie and Shelia for being open about Your reality vs TV reality. All 3 of you made comments that I appreciated reading. You are the real women and the real warriors. Being theathred to IVS and Meds can not be alot of fun. Thanks for sharing your reality with us. I hope and pray that real advances will bring a cure for you and for any of us who progress to Metastatic stages. I just reread my post from the other night. I probably sounded like I have my head in the sand. I totally get the comments that this was a "Lifetime, fluff-type production." Please excuse me if I sounded trivial or that I thought this was the gospel on BC. The more I reflect on it, it was the Holllywood approach. Perhaps this movie will at least do some good in helping people understand how cancer affects relationships.

[jml]

I'm really enjoying and appreciating hearing everyone's views on this movie, as we all come to it at different points in our treatment, diagnosis & survival.
Thanks for allowing me to be so honest with my opinions - and I don't at all presume to speak for all Stage IV'ers, just this one. And I don't at all take for granted the goodness that comes from "October Pink Ribbon Month" -this disease has touched so many, too many people - and however each chooses to acknowledge, even celebrate the journey is a personal one.
In the first year of my treatment, already Stage IV, I did the Komen walk without anything on my head, except for a few errant patches of hair and a pink jeweled crown. But even then I remember feeling surprised that I didn't see more women like me. Anyway, I've grown much more subdued now that 9 years have passed!

I might attribute my edginess right now to pending scans, in T minus 48 hrs...This will be my first scans since switching to Halaven 9 weeks (3 cycles) ago. It's probably a good weekend to be sequestered home with severe neutropenia & anemia, bc I can feel the anxiety creeping in & this is classically my least "graceful" time.

From what I've read, the film really highlights the relationships of those around "us". That, I definitely understand - my sister is taking the red-eye in, landing @6:30am so that she can be with me for my scans @7:30am. I could not do this without my family and friends who've loved me through every minute, even when I'm at my "least graceful".
And that includes you guys, here.

Keep the Faith~

Jessica
Dx -5/17/02 - 33years old; Stage IV
L IDC w/single liver met
Herceptin + Navelbine x 8 weeks - No response; progress to innumerable,immeasureable liver mets
ISIS 2504 + Herceptin - 6 mos, partial response
Taxol + Herceptin x 13 weeks to NED!
NED for 1 year
9/04 - Single liver lesion recurrence
Taxol + Herceptin - on/off to beat back lesion
12/05 - R Hepatectomy; Liver NED until 2009
3/06- Local recurrence - Left breast, IDC & DCIS, but holding treatment while continue to heal from Hepatectomy.
12/06 - L mastectomy + reconstruction through 8/07
10/07 - Recurrence - supraclav nodes
Gemzar + Herceptin - on/off controlling nodes thru
9/08 - 7wks rads to supraclav nodes
10/08 - Acute Renal Failure - nodes in belly stricturing kidneys. placed permanent ureteral stents
Back on Gemzar + Herceptin, but no longer responding.
05/09 - Tykerb + Xeloda - partial response x 5 mos
10/09 - Xeloda + Herceptin - no response, disease progresses
2/10- Ixempra + Herceptin - partial response x 12 wks.
Discovered single 4 mm brain lesion & liver lesions growing while screening for TDM1 + PI3Kinase study.
6/10 - Novalis to treat brain met - SUCCESSFUL!
6/10 - Chemo-embo w/Adriamyacin to de-bulk liver lesion.
8/10 - Screened & Started TDM1 EAP
Immediate response, disease in belly responds dramatically.
2/11- questionable progression of lung nodules
Discontinue TDM1
3/11 - PI3Kinase + Herceptin - intial good response in 1st 6 weeks but LFT's elevated.
7/11-Discontinue PI3Kinase + Herceptin study due to elevated LFT's
Discover progression of 2 small lesions in colon.
8/11 - started Halaven + Hercceptin
10/14/2011 -Completed 3 cycles (9 wks)Halaven+Herceptin
*10/18/2011 - Scanxiety time -1st scans since starting this regimen

[CourtneyL]

Just wanted to share that this movie is available free online at hulu.com saw it last night.