My Turn

clisa · 11-20-2005, 01:47 PM

Hello To All

I hope I am doing this right as I am not familiar with posting. Bear with me all.

I have been a regular visitor to this site since June'05 when I was dx with stage 3 Her2+ ER/PR - breast cancer. I have found all of the advice and answers to be very helpful.

I will tell you a little bit of my story and then perhaps you can all help me out. The original plan upon my dx was 6 sessions of FEC chemo followed by masectomy, radiation and then Herceptin for one year. During the tests to check that my body was healthy enough to undergo it all it was discovered that I had liver mets. Outside of a rather large lump in my left breast I have had no symptoms or pain with my cancer so this was large surprise to all including my oncologist. The plan was changed to a chemo regimine of herceptin, taxol and carboplatin. After 4 sessions of this - which I tolerated very well - ultrasound showed minimal shrinkage of existing tumours in my liver and breast as well as new tumours in my liver and breast.

My chemo regimine now is AC (no herceptin) which is making me very ill - my oncologist has just sent me for another ultrasound which I will hear the results of tommorrow. Due to the size of my tumour in my breast I can pretty much tell you there has been none to limited shrinkage so far with this chemo - I can very clearly feel it's full size.

I want to go into my oncologist appt. tommorrow with some AMMO - should I be insisting on my surgery, then radiation followed by perhaps more chemo if necesarry. Or should I keep going from chemo to chemo type like the Dr. wants. I know I am not Dr. but it doesn't make sense to me to keep doing chemo at this time - would it not be easier on my body to lose the breast tumours and concentrate on the liver tumours?

I know this maybe sounds naive but I hate following along like a sheep when all my Dr. keeps reminding me about is that I am uncurable and they are just basically delaying my slide downwards.

Any advice my wise sisters ( & brothers ) - I am only 39 y/o and not quite ready to admit to the defeat my doctors feel.

Lisa