new here, and really, really scared

[chrisy]

Lynn,
I just reread your post (now that I'm off my soapbox about not letting people steal your hope!). I too asked myself "XX years of what?". I assumed that you get chemo and it makes you sick, and then you just get sicker and sicker then you die. I thought "why would anyone even bother"

The treatment is not worse than the disease, and treatment goals for Stage IV include maintaining a reasonable quality of life. You need to keep up your strength to continue the fight. There are very effective chemos which can be tolerated very well. That's not even talking about Herceptin and other "targeted" therapies that hit the cancer cells without killing the good guys. There are side effects, and risks, but manageable.

You can feel good again, and live your life. There will be struggles, but hey, there are always struggles - this will definitely help keep things in perspective!

Chris

[Kim in CA]

Dear Lynn,

I just realized as I was reading your post that it was five years ago this month that I became a stage IV. I too had gone for a routine 6 month blood draw and my tumor markers were elevated. It really didn't register with me that I could be in trouble because just 4 yrs earlier I had had what was thought to be the Mother of all treatments (mastectomy, 4 cycles of AC, followed by high dose chemo with stem cell rescue, then 6 weeks radiation) I really thought I was cured. Anyway, my cancer was back big time, spread throughout my liver.

I too was told that the average survival for metastatic cancer was about 18 months. I have had my ups and downs, but overall my quality of life has been excellent. I have been on Herceptin only for 3 yrs. now. I did have Gamma Knife for a single brain lesion last summer, but I only missed about 3 days of riding, and did an endurance ride just a couple of weeks later.

In fact, when I think about it, in many ways my life is better. I am doing things that I just used to think about doing "some day". Each day certainly means more to me than ever before. So just remember, nobody knows how much time any of us have. Just take one day at a time and set little goals for yourself, and reward yourself bigtime whenever you feel like it!

You just hang in there and remember, we Her2 gals are making history and changing the face of metastatic disease.

Kim in CA

[Sheila]

Lynn
Like the others have said, don't give up hope...I have been stage IV for 3 years now, a 4 1/2 year survivor.....we all have our scared moments and our ups and downs, but my good days far outnumber the bad....I look at life differently now, I don't take anything for granted, I take the time to do the things I have always put off....and I am determined to be around for plenty of time.....statistics are just that....we on this board are beating statistics every day...and we wil keep on beating them. Feel free to vent here, you will get more love and support than you know what to do with...I have!!!!!!!!!!!