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Old 09-29-2012, 01:22 PM   #1
Becky
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Location: Stockton, NJ
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Re: Brenda
Oh I am so sad. Many tears and no words.
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Kind regards

Becky

Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia

NED 18 years!

Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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Old 09-29-2012, 01:51 PM   #2
StephN
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Location: Misty woods of WA State
Posts: 4,128
Re: Brenda
This photo of Brenda taken just last December at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is her to a "T."

She was on top of her disease then and taking in all the updated and new science in her steel trap mind. Her inate joy of life is clear here. I will miss you.
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"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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Old 09-29-2012, 02:12 PM   #3
alicem
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Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 430
Re: Brenda
I'm so glad I was able to say goodbye to her in the hospital today before she passed away.

I brought her the love from all of you, her HER2 Family, and gave it to her by holding her hand, stroking her face and giving her one last hug. May it bring you comfort to know that she was not in any pain, and was sleeping deeply, and peacefully for that last day or so.

She loved life, and fought hard for every breath. Brenda was her own advocate and always tried to do what was best for her treatment. I'm sharing this photo that was taken of our group in San Antonio last December. Note that she was on the phone - either trying to check on the TDM-1 trial, or checking on what to do with an old spot that had shown up at the base of her brain.



I hope you don't mind, but I think Brenda would appreciate me using one of her well known phrases right now. This is CRAP ON A CRAPSTICK! Actually, it is worse than that. Words can not express how we are all feeling now. In addition to praying for Brenda and all of her loved ones, I ask you to pray for our nation's scientists and researchers. They CANNOT find the solution and the cure fast enough. It needed to be found yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that . . . .

I know that Joe Druther, founder of this forum, was in front of the line, waiting to welcome her and share a few jokes and laughs.

I loved you like a sister my friend, god speed.
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9/15/08 (age 52) - Mammo: calcifications
9/22/08 - Biopsy: DCIS, grade 3. ER,PR status: Pos. in 75-90% of tumor cells.
10/01/08 - Ob/Gyn appt.: found complex, mostly cystic mass on right ovary - 11cmx12cmx 8cm
10/15/08 - Hysterectomy & Oophorectomy, Lumpectomy: Cyst on uterus, not ovary - all was benign. Breast - 5 of 6 bad margins. 2 Sentinel Lymph nodes removed, both negative. Stage 0, Tis, N0
12/11/08 - Mastectomy & DIEP reconstruction: Surprise! 2 cm Invasive DC, grade 2 found. One benign internal mammary lymph node. Stage 1, T1c, N0, all clean margins. ER+ (Proportion Score = 2/5, Intensity Score = 2/3) and PR+(Proportion Score = 3/5, Intensity Score = 2/3)
HER2 score = 3+
1/09/09 - Oncotype DX: Recurrence S/core of 60 !?!?! ER status is NEG!! PR staus is NEG! HER2 score = 12.2 (still positive, greater than 11.5 is positive).
1/20/09 - Started chemo: TCH
5/26/09 - FINISHED CHEMO!
1/05/10 - FINISHED HERCEPTIN!
1/22/10 - Port-a-catheter removed!
3/07/18 - Still NED
9/10/23 - Still NED
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