Need hope...now have lung mets...

Robyn · 03-21-2006, 05:39 AM

Will start taxotere/herceptin....
I am finishing off my rads to chest wall as well....

I have a 8 and 6 year old and need to hear good stories! I have 3 small spots on lungs 1cm is the biggest, the others are 3mm. So much for having no nodes involved first diagnoses....

Please give me some hope...and taxotere tips???
Robyn
xxx

kristen · 03-21-2006, 07:13 AM

Dear Robyn,

There is always HOPE! I am so sorry you have to continue on with more chemo and that the beast has landed again. But so have so many others and so many of these women here are living proof that doctors are baffled and it's published that women are living longer with mets and look at a lot of these women they have had reocurrances and are stable now. There are so many reasons to hope....
Please keep that in your heart.
Taxotere: It kicked my cancer in the butt. I had it first go round with Carbo and herceptin. I did okay. It's like any others, each of us will have are own experiences with each drug combo. You are strong and you have the 2 most important reasons to go through it no matter what. Mine was I lost my hair, as it accumulated in my body, my body ached. I didn't loose my nails, they never lifted, they did get thin. I was tired. But I have read that others weren't. So it all depends, mine could have been the carbo with it that made it that way. My doctors just told me to drink lots of water. I drank 64oz of water the day of chemo. She told me it doesn't matter how long it stays in there, so get it out. I did. I think others might tell you about CoQ10, I don't know anything about that, as I didn't take any. I didn't get any neuropathy. I read something last night and I think it's good advice; don't wait until something really hurts from any side effects, tell your dr. right away as they can reduce your dose or give you something to combat your side effects early on. Hope this helps and maybe gives you a little bit of hope. Hang in there.

Susan2 · 03-21-2006, 08:01 AM

Hi Robyn,

I just finished up 6 months of Navalbine to clear up my lungs. I'll stay on Herceptin. I had my PET scan last week and it was clear. (What beautiful words). When I started Navalbine, my dr. told me that lungs tended to respond to chemo like soft tissue and that they were one of the easiest areas to clean up. Now, she may have just been telling me that to cheer me up, but I doubt it since she's a very serious person.

I have 2 kids also so I know how scary this is for you.

Good luck and give your kids an extra hug.

Susan

julierene · 03-21-2006, 09:14 AM

I had liver and bone mets 3 months ago, and now I have no evidence of disease! I actually thought I was a goner because my mother only lived 4 months with Stage 4 disease - about 12 years ago with bone mets that just went everywhere. I just wish she would have been living today when she got breast cancer, because she probably would have got Herceptin, and been alive a lot longer.

TriciaK · 03-21-2006, 09:27 AM

Dear Robyn, Your lung mets sound almost exactly like mine did when they were discovered in July of 2004, even same size. My oncologist put me on navelbine, femara and herceptin for 6 months then just femara and herceptin. He told me at first that if the mets hadn't been discovered I would have had about 3 months. I was really sick at first, spent the whole month of July in the hospital, got phuemonia, lots of plueral effusion, plus I'd had a heart attack. In the middle of that summer we moved from a high altitude to a low one so I could breathe, and I began to get better, although the first 10 months I was pretty weak. The lung mets began clearing up and by Oct of 2005 I was NED. So take hope! A diagnosis of her2 used to mean 3 or 4 months at most; I had friends who only lived that long. But now her2 is a hopeful diagnosis because of the discovery of herceptin. Take a deep breath and tell yourself you can do this and those little lung mets have met their match! Hugs, Tricia

Lolly · 03-21-2006, 09:31 AM

Robyn, I have a chemo buddy who had lung mets cleared up with Xeloda/Herceptin, and now on maintenance Herceptin. Navelbine is extremely effective with Herceptin, maybe more so than Xeloda, so keep your hope alive. There are others here who've successfully dealt with lung mets, so I hope they answer you as well. Hang in there, you've come to an excellent place for advice and optimism.

<3 Lolly

03-21-2006, 01:34 PM

Hi Robyn,
My lung mets were discovered in April '05. I had three of them, one was 5mm and two were 3mm. After a few months on herceptin and xeloda, the one had shrunk to 3mm and the other two shrunk to 2mm. The following catscan showed NED!Of course, that's with tons of prayers also. So, start praying hard and take your medicine. God is in complete control. God Bless - CathyW

lucky4x · 03-21-2006, 03:57 PM

HI Robyn!

I am a newbie here... but I wanted to tell you...

I am a 4 time survivor, bilateral mastectomies with immediate diepflap reconstruction, and I found out in Aug 2005, I had multiple "spots" in my lungs. I am a mom of 3, 48 yrs young, and have a very pos. attitude, however not without my very down days ( but I ignore those).

I thought this was "it"... like Peter Jennings who had just passed away. I didn't understand this was breast cancer in the lungs I thought it was lung cancer and I was told it is not the same thing.

I was told this is treatable which made me fight like H__! I was put on Herceptin with Navelbine ( I already had taxotere, so they didnt want me to have it again).

It worked!! All spots are gone. Not visible in CT scan done at end of Dec. and I saw it for myself. I asked him to "show" me the scans. He did and I was skeptical but they were indeed gone.

I really think you have a great chance of this working for you... and don't forget, Hercpetin clings to all breast cancer cells... not just in the lungs,but everywhere, so if there is any remaining cells, it should take care of those too!! ( I was told that by my onc recently).

Good luck.. keep us posted on your progress.

Lucky

lucky4x · 03-21-2006, 04:07 PM

Woops.........

Taxotere. Hmmm... I lost my hair, my ankles swelled, pain in bottom of feet, and sore legs.

My toenail (one only) sort-of lifted but a new one came in under it right away.
I thought that was a MINOR detail. The hair loss was tough but it grew back before I finished rads which came right after my chemo. and I actually liked it very much!

Drink LOTS of water with this chemo... it flushes it through faster.
REST. REST OFTEN, IF YOU CAN.

But like others have said, we all are different. I was never sick to my stomach on chemo. I was tired, very tired, and very cranky. Many mood swings with Taxotere, so you might want to warn those closest to you... that you might be "changing" from day to day... moment to moment... but then again, that is also true with steroids.

I wish you weren't going through any of this, but I know you can do it!

Be well, I will be thinking of you.
Lucky

Shell · 03-27-2006, 08:14 AM

I had taxotere with herceptin - I did not lose my hair. My only side effects were occasional bloody noses, and my knee joints let me know I've had taxotere when I'm going down stairs...

For me it was very tolerable, and I was able to still work and take care of my family.

shell