Topic: When breast cancer spreads to liver and bones

Thank you so much for your response Kathy.

I realised that with my diagnosis that people would probably avoid me like the plague.  It's natural.  People fear what they do not want to face in their own life, and they see me as hopeless, but I'm not hopeless.  I'm just a young lady living with cancer one day at a time.

For me to be bitter, would take every precious moment away from me.  Naturally, I am afraid and sad sometimes, but I pick myself up and move forward.  That is, after all, the way of life.

I also wanted to state how important it is to start putting money into a cure instead of treatment.  With the wealth and scientific intellect in this country, I'm sorry, but treatment isn't good enough for me.  Check the odds on conventional treatment.  Also, check the billions that are made in profit off of cancer patients that are frightened enough.

Through my mom's battle with cancer, and now my own, I say enough is enough.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share a bit of love with me.  It is a lonely time and we will all face it one day.

Sending my love, and I'm still here kickin' ;)

Remember, cancer is just a dis-ease with which you battle.  It does not define us.  It just shows the great strength and empathy we all learn to exchange and share during the fight.

Susan

Hi Susan, I don't have any words of wisdom for you but I commend you for your attitude and strength. I don't think any of the ladies that can help you have seen this post maybe if you post on the Recurrence and Metastatic Disease Forum they will see it and post back. Its hard to get used to the way the board is set up, some people stay right on certain boards.

Good Luck and God Bless

Susan,

   I am sorry about your dx.  It must be very hard to deal with.  I respect your decision of not having chemo and Herceptin.  We need to do what we know is right for ourselves.  

 My side effects from chemo (4 AC, 4 Taxotere, 6 weeks rads and one year of Herceptin have been doable. I have chosen to use the "full arsenal" to deal with my dx.  I do have brain mets but had GAMMA Knife Radiation and the tumor is responding.

 My good thoughts are with you~

Cammy and Susan, I am so glad you two have found each other, through this forum. There is so much you can share with each other that some of us would not be able to understand. It is one thing to be empathetic and to care, but to have someone that you can share with who is going through the same thing, means a lot. You both sound like fantastic women, with a zest for enjoying life. My heart goes out to both of you, and also my hopes for a cure, SOON. I was one of the fortunate ones who just had DCIS in one breast, but chose to have bilat mastectomy, as the odds were high that I could get it again. But because of my bc dx, it has made me aware of how prevalent this disease is! Without this forum, I would not have been aware of how many wonderful women are stricken with this disease. Wish we could get the word out even further. I was at the ER for several hrs today with my husband (taken in an ambulance), who had a seizure and twice passed out cold on me (from apparently a stomach virus and dehydration!!!)-- he is ok now, but I was able to talk to 2 nurses about bc, and of course, one of them had a sister who was a bc survivor. I met someone last night at a store whose mother is a bc survivor. It affects every one of us, or someone we are related to. Wow....sounds like I am really on the bandwagon here...but I just wanted to convey how terrible I think this is, and that I hate it that you two have it in other areas as well. I am glad you are living life to the fullest and enjoying every minute of it. When I thought I lost my husband today, it made me realize how quickly any of us can go, and how much we need to relish life while we can. I admire your strength, and have both of you in my prayers!

Though I haven't met back with my surgeon yet (Jan 7th) he knows he had 2 options for me. Either let me die or get me back on my feet for work. My husband has 3 brain tumours which sucked our savings dry and I work 100% commission to pay for our mortgage and living expenses. I cannot waste away weeks in bed with SE from chemo or rads. That's why I did a bilat mx so hopefully got it all.

Having said all that, when I had an aunt dying of cancer and she decided to stop treatment I was upset, but my Dad understood. Then when he got lung cancer he fought it for all he was worth, probably to let us kids know he was trying. 2 1/2 years later he said he would never have done it if he knew it was going to make his QOL so poor. He undertood his sister!

So, my dad didn't live an extra 2 1/2 years. He died and extra 2 1/2 years. I don't want my kids to see me go through that. 2 of them get married in 2009. I only hope if I have to let go that I can see at least one grandchild....:)

I pray for you all... 

Hi Susan, I lost my mom to breastcancer in 1995.

Now i'm stage IV with bones mets. I was Dx in 2004 with stage 3, in may 2007 with stage 4.

I was on chemo, didn't help me. Now hormonal + Zometa, but TMs 2300

Prayers and (((HUGS)))

Many cyber hugs to you and others posting in here in similar situations.

I'm 42, and just got married three weeks ago to my sweetheart of 15 years. 

I went for my very first mammograph today (Jan 13, 2009), and I  knew something  was wrong when  they took over 10 slides and sent me in to get an ultra sound right afterward  when  I was not scheduled for  one. 

 My doctor called me back later this evening and told me I have to get a biopsy done by a specialist (breast surgeon doctor).  I  have  not told my husband about this  outcome because  I don't want to ruin his honeymoon euphoria.  I mean, we  waited so long  to and finally got married (I'm still counting in days!), and this is not what I expected  to start out our new  year  and a new  life as husband and wife.

 I'm scared, but  I'm glad I found  this site to vent my feeling here, since I don't have anyone I can talk to right now about what's going  on.  Reading other people's posts enables me to not feel so alone, and I'm also  learrning a  great deal.

 I pray for all of you, and  thank you for sharing your stories.

 Best wishes,

Jamie6

I had stage one cancer and currently have mets to bone and liver.  I have chosen the treatment route and have been taking Xeloda, Gemzar, Femara, Avastin and Zometa with no disabling side effects and no days in bed for over 8 months.  Everyone reacts differently to chemo.  I am fortunate and my tumors currently are shinking.  Just remember that you are not along in this fight.

I was diagnosed so quickly Dec 20/05 BC, Jan.25, 06 stage 4, bones, liver and lungs.  Now it has spread to the kidney area (and I have a kidney stone).  Because my cancer just LOVES estrogen I am shutting down my ovaries (radiation).  I too was given a prognosis.  6 months due to pleural effusions cropping up.  However, this is 3 yrs later.... and I do have some progression but I am still here and can walk, talk and reason.  My spine and hips are the bony mets.  I know that each new thing that crops up is a milestone to the end of my life.  But I dont want to wait... have things to do.... and know that I have a shorter time to do them.

I would never ignore, back away from, avoid, whatever you thought that people would do.  Here, there are too many people in the same dragonboat.  And too many many people cheering on the shores.

Susan, I hope the message finds you. Over the course of the passed few weeks I have learned my mother had a re-occurrence of breast cancer, which has spread to her liver and bones. Surgery was not an option, as it was too advanced and she was given 3 to 6 months to live. I could NOT accept this. Both her surgeon and oncologist encouraged us to have NO hope. I decided to research other avenues. We went to see a highly qualified Homeopathic Doctor. I have since learned the benefits of vitamin c intravenous treatments and learned that an acquaintance of mine underwent these treatments 20 years ago when she was diagnosed with an incurable cancer and was given less than a year to live. Now 20 years and 3 children later, she's still with us, cancer free. The vitamin c intravenous treatments - non oral supplements, along with juicing all her fruits and vegetables, at least 13 glasses per day, is what saved this person. This is what my mother is doing now, along with a home regime of immune boosting supplements. It's of course too soon to know what the outcome will be, but we are doing what ever we can to beat this. Please read what I wrote in another forum trying to reach out to people and also please do some research on the topic. Look up Linus Pauling and his research on vitamin c treatments. He is a 2 time nobel prize winning scientist who studied the benefits of this treatment for many years. Vitamin c is scientifically proven in mass amounts to be toxic to cancer cells and not to healthy cells. My mother is combining this therapy with chemotherapy, because at this point we are trying everything. It also increases the efficacy of the chemo treatments - which any oncologist will sadly tell you otherwise. They choose to not educate themselves on this treatment. Perhaps for the simple reason that it would jeopardize their profession as a whole, I'm not sure. But please read on and do look into this as it could potentially help save or at least very much improve your quality of life...

Intravenous Vitamin C is gaining more attention for Its Cancer Fighting Benefits - Finally. 

This treatment is not going to be recommended by any oncologists. It is best to speak with a highly qualified Homeopathic doctor on the benefits of receiving intravenous vitamin C for the treatment of cancer. People tend to put too much faith in their doctors and not enough in themselves. Keep in mind, you care much more about you, then your doctor does. If an oncologist tells a patient they have x amount of months or weeks to live and there is nothing that can be done, all too often patients will take that claim to heart and accept the said outcome and never even think to explore any other plausible options that may save, prolong, or improve their quality of life. 

If a patient asks their oncologist's input about high-dose vitamin c iv treatments, this is the response they will get: "I absolutely am against it. Your only option for potentially prolonging your life, is chemotherapy. There has been no evidence to show vitamin c is beneficial in the treatment of cancer." Well that's a lie. They just choose to not acknowledge that evidence as a scientifically proven method for effectively treating cancer. And if they're telling you that you only have x amount of time left to live, then why not encourage you to explore other potential therapies that may or may not help??? Simple, oncology is based on the "treatment" of cancer through conventional methods - NOT the cure of cancer. If it were based on an effective cure, a lot of ass holes would have to find a new specialty. As far as I'm concerned, oncologists all too often encourage their patients to die. When a doctor tells their patient there is no hope, that is a doctor who is not doing their job. There have been enough people in the world that have beat the odds, to be able to say there is always some hope. If your mind decides that there is no hope, then your body will too. 

I wish you all the best, Susan - and everyone posting their stories on here

Niss 

There is such a thing as a cancer personality.  Hearing your story of how long it took you to marry and now you don't want to disturb your husband by telling him.  Breast cancer especially follows this not voicing of emotions pattern.  Just check it out and maybe you could ask for a little more from your loved ones.