Best Of
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Marti - I seem to remember wearing zip down sweat shirts so they could get to my port. I second the suggestion about joining the "starting chemo" group. Mine still touches base periodically on our private Facebook account. Hope today wasn't too bad. You may have trouble sleeping tonight because of the steroids that are usually given with the chemo.
Loved the pictures of the Basilica. It was closed for construction when we there 9 years ago. We really enjoyed Barcelona.
Chris - what is happening to health care is just a crime! I hope you can figure something out. My daughter expects hers to go up over $500 a month and she is only in her '50's and healthy. Thank goodness we are able to help her pay for it. She doesn't qualify for MaineCare but is told she's too poor for Obamacare and of course her job doesn't offer any help.
I love seeing the snow pictures but don't want to be there. I'm playing golf in short sleeves instead of shoveling.
Bella is back with us. Her dad had a stroke Friday night. Jie has health issues too so who knows whether we'll become a 2 dog family
Computer is about to die on me so I'll say good night.
1946taco
Re: De Novo Stage IV
Yay! Today is the start of my 24th year after my dx of Stage 4 MBC de novo. Still hanging in here! Here's my history.....Dx’d in December, 2002. ER+, Pr-, Her2+++ Metaplastic BC. Had A/C & Taxotere. Left side was DCIS and Her2+++, but right side was tubular and Her2-.In 2004 my liver was filled with tumors. I had a liver resection, and then a clinical trial of then “New” Gemzar & Herceptin, which cleared out the mets in 9 months. Stayed on only Herceptin for 7 years, but had a chest node recurrence in 2012. Gemzar, Aromacin didn’t work. 3 years of Kadcyla along with Faslodex. When Kadcyla quit working, I had a Foundation One test which showed that my mets had turned to Her2- Somatic. Clinical trial of Poziotinib that got rid of the nodes in 8 days. But Poziotinib was so nasty and toxic that the trial has been ended.Now NED and have been on Xeloda and Herceptin for 8 years.
denny123
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Wally, Hugs for you. Hopefully the PARP inhibitor will work.
Minus, Wrapped presents piled in a corner count as holiday decorations. Enjoy your weekend with your son.
Carole, Nice books are a great gift for kids. Every Christmas our neighbor who was the buyer at the art museum gift shop gave each of us a children’s book from there. My kids loved them and they’ll be passed on to my grandson. He’s the only one who’ll get presents and they won’t be wrapped. Enjoy the woodworkers guild dinner.
Intolight, I currently don’t decorate at all for Christmas but my living room is green/red and we have close to 100 CDs of classical Christmas music and carols to listen to.
Nance, I love the name of the recipe you’re trying tonight. Let us know how it turns out.
Special, Happy Anniversary! Your celebration sounds wonderful. Thanks for the info on the FedEx special boxes. I hope your GI doc will let you test and try re-introducing foods you miss.
Rhonda, I'm glad your grades are in and the rads fatigue is lifting so you can enjoy the holiday season. My DH's aunt used to read cookbooks in bed. Sometimes she would get up in the middle of the night and bake something that sounded too good to wait to try.
Dinner tonight was Austrian pork loin with apple and cranberry sauce substituting chicken for the pork.
maggie15
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@irishlove I do appreciate the pocket duty. Have to laugh at myself as was dress for a 5.00 pickup from DB but then he said coming at 6am and I remembered. Oh well, that is fine. Of course one of the first patients, we got there before dept was fully open but oh well, made it a bit quicker. I did tell them about my reaction last MRI so the one person injected contrast super slow, I was periodically holding breath and another waved an alcohol swag. Needless to say, no problems or nausea. Got a donut and coke as my sweet tooth was activated.
MRI was good, I like listening to the sounds and then imagined a dj making sounds in another machine. It was a steady thump.
I am on wait for a consult to happen, apprently neurosurgeon going away in Jan so we will see when the consult happens. Must remember to leave my phone available when I go to bed. Shut off some of the notifications from apps but the neurosurgeon calls before I am up usually.
I will be dozing off and on, need some stuff done but could wait until tomorrow.
Thank you all for the pocket duty. I am also in yours. @irishlove sorry you have to be on antibiotics. I have a nagging cough but no fever or shortness of breath, wrote off as a PIA cold and flooding with water and honey to keep throat from irritation. I just don't always enjoy taking cough syrup.
Re: Getting ready to start chemo? Join the December 2025 chemo support thread!
**UPDATE - had more bloodwork two days later and sodium is now just slightly lower than normal. Not sure how long I have to be on anti-seizure meds. Hopefully this is the end of this mess. I find out in 5 days what the next treatment will be.
crossh
Re: Are you currently (or have you been) in a Clinical Trial?
Dear Saulius thank you for sharing your family’s story. You and Sandra went through so much but you both kept strong and fought the fight. For your son to have his mum as he grows up is wonderful and you also get to continue life with your lovely wife Sandra. My goodness Sandra is a very lucky lady to have you by her side. May your story continue to be a happy one. Thank you for making this feel like a magical holiday season.
chico
Re: TNBC MBC Stage 4
@scgal08 sorry Trodelvy failed. I hope the Eribulin works for you. Big hugs ❤️❤️❤️❤️ You lasted longer than I did on Trodelvy. You might ask the RO about radiating the skin Mets, if that’s an option. I’ve had success with it, even areas that were radiated before. I know you have to talk about brain radiation and that can be scary. We are here for you. However we can be helpful. Sending light and love .
My Mets are gone now, so I’m finally comfortable for the first time since September. The CMF + Keytruda so far is ok, had cycle 3 this week and no new Mets. Just flushed today. Scans again probably in January, so we’ll see if the chest lymph nodes are stable too. Step at a time , day at a time.
Wishing you and @cookie54 and all who read along joy and peace of mind .
Re: TNBC MBC Stage 4
@rlschaller Good that your lymphedema is resolving and that you are stable. That's certainly what we strive for. Good for having your appointments done for the year and even better that your skin mets are retreating! Have they reached the stage where they don't bother you too much?
I had a brief call with my RO this morning and she suggested right off the bat that we need to meet in person, so that will be next Wednesday. Good thing, as it really is not a phone matter.
Yesterday I saw my MO and because she said that the skin mets are worse, that I should quit Trodelvy. The next option is Eribulin, which you have mentioned. It's not a particularly good drug; those are in my past. So I will wait on the RO appointment and go from there.
@cookie54 Thank you for your good wishes, as ever! Hope that you're doing well.
scgal08
Re: how about drinking?
NM, glad you're able to stay off the road when the driving is hazardous. It's already looking like your mom is better off in her new home.
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Finishing up the unstuffed cabbage dish tonight. Nance, your swamp cabbage made me laugh. I have made the shredded Italian beef (I use a copycat of the Good Season's spice for dressing) and even DH, who is not a big pepper fan, loves this.
DH loves mayo but not artichokes; I'll see if I can tweak that recipe…I love all the ingredients.
Love reading all these inspirations.
I admire all of you who do the gift-giving. I was raised atheist and never grew up with the holiday obligations. When I started dating, I joined in. I'm not sure how I feel about all of it at this stage of life.
DH will be taken off this med and put on a PARP inhibitor (this is "only" 13K/month, LOL) and we'll see. Chemo may be his last and only option. I pointed out his other mutation for a possibility of immunotherapy but I think the doc thinks his body can't handle the med with age/state-of-body….crossing fingers for the inhibitor to do something. His calcium wasn't worrisome to the doc, yet, so labs every 2 weeks and revisit doc on NYE. If calcium goes up, he wants to do a bisphosphonate….I'm doing research and suggesting a parathyroid drug instead. He cannot afford to lose more jaw. I hate all of this. I'm getting huge bags under my eyes from crying. 😭
wallycat