Best Of

Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

Ah Cindy — just a bit of vacation. Sad about the swimming as the water looks so mightily inviting and then you can't get in the lake. Hopefully, though if close with iced drinks and a whiff of a breeze.

We finished up today fairly quickly. My pacemaker was fine and I didn't need any adjustment to it at all. So, will be a yr. for the next check on it. I also made an eye appt. but likely will have to do some finagling at the DMV or accept having night driving curtailed. No one has said but I have a feeling my vision issues for the most part are due to a cataract — and as things stand it is not likely I could get it dealt with before my birthday. The lady at the vision dept. told me that they wait till a month after cataract surgery to retest you — for glasses so since I can't even get the first eye appt. till August and my birthday is in Sept. I couldn't possibly make it thru a surgery and the month wait after. Guess I might as well take the stipulation of no night driving anyway and just move on.

I can't tell you when the last time was that I drove at night for sure. It usually has only happened on rare occasion when we go to the store late afternoon and dawdle around after getting there. Still I think there's a Murphy's Law thing that says something about you will only need to drive after dark or even want to after you have been given a restriction on it by the DMV. Well, I likely will go and ask them about it and see what they have to say.

We were both a bit exhausted ty the time we got home as neither of us slept well so needed a nap. This happens to me almost always when I HAVE to do something the next day requiring that I be on time. Today was 10 a.m. It started to rain when we were ready to leave Marion (those few big drops that begin the rainfall) and were 30 feet from the car. Stayed dry, but boy could you feel the big drops when one landed on you. It poured a little just as we were halfway through town ( Marion) and by the time we were leaving it has lessened to intermittent wiper use. We then outran any rain and that was it all the way home.

The rest of the month is clear — no long drives or even Doc appts. Despite having to have a couple of appts. and a couple more coming up — it has been pretty good to have little if any medical appts. at all. It sure seemed earlier like I was seeing some medical personnel all the time almost. Great to have a nice break. I think I was caught in some cycles where you have to be tested a lot —- for 5 yrs.

Looking like we are about to get the downpours that we had in Marion here now. It is quite dark out — so getting ready for another good dousing. Had one yesterday a little later than it seems this will be. Hope you have all have a really good day.

illinoislady

3

Question about prognosis for HER2-positive ER/PR-

Hello,

I am a close relative of a young woman who was recently operated on for HER2-positive, ER/PR-negative pleomorphic lobular breast cancer, with a Ki67 of 12%. The tumor was large, 93 mm, and 6 out of 11 axillary lymph nodes showed metastases. Blood-based testing has also indicated evidence of spread.

The tumor was detected relatively late, partly because of her naturally large breasts. It became hard in connection with a mammogram, which initially led healthcare providers to believe it was an injury.

She has undergone a radical mastectomy, and we’ve been told that all visible disease was removed. She is now scheduled for adjuvant treatment including dose-dense EC x4, followed by Paclitaxel x12, dual HER2-blockade with Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab, radiation therapy, and possibly also Kadcyla (T-DM1).

At an earlier consultation, a doctor used what I suspect was the older version of the Predict tool to estimate prognosis. It gave a 5-year survival estimate of around 40%, but this was presented without context or explanation, almost as if it was a curiosity rather than a serious assessment. It was deeply upsetting to her, and left both of us very concerned. However, we believe this no longer reflects outcomes with today’s standard treatments, as newer tools like the updated Predict model have shown different results.

She has since changed oncologists, but understandably does not feel comfortable asking again about prognosis. That’s why I am reaching out, to hopefully receive a clearer, more balanced perspective that I can share with her, if appropriate, so that she doesn’t have to raise the question herself.

What we are looking for is an honest, medically accurate response. If the answer is difficult, I may choose not to share it with her, but I want to understand, so that I can support her in the best way possible.

muschen

1

Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer

Had a frustrating day yesterday. I was travelling to go see a specialist at Memorial Sloane Kettering about cryoablation. The appointment took me 2 months to get. Spent all day at the airport-we boarded the plane, then got off, boarded again-my flight kept being delayed then finally cancelled after 6 hours. Then I waited in line for 2 hours to get rebooked, was going to fly to Indianapolis, be in the airport all night but still be able to make it to NYC in time. Well-at midnight, that flight also was cancelled, so I had to cancel my medical appointment. Now trying to rebook it.

Threetree-I am very interested in histotropsy-sounds like it might be very promising.

Shanagirl and Irish Love-You two have been through a lot! Hoping things get better.

Hello to everyone else-I'm too tired to name everyone but in your corner for a good day and good weekend.

chicagoan

6

Re: Ibrance (Palbociclib)

I tend to get bloodwork done early in the morning because it’s an hour drive to my cancer center and I am still working full time and I have 3 kids. Going later in the day means driving in to bad traffic and missing all of the evening activities of my kids. I usually just get up at 5:30 and show up when they open at 7:00 and get home and start working by 8:30/9.

alden722

1

Re: STEAM ROOM FOR ANGER

I am so fricken ticked off! Going without dinner tonight as my dimwit moron of a hubby thought i was going to have dinner at 2:30 in the afternoon! I told him to eat by himself as I don't eat dinner that early and he knows it. So tonight I am going to bed when I am darned good and ready only having had two pieces of toast for breakfast and a handful of popcorn all day.

m0mmyof3

2

Re: Chemo or not?

ER+/PR+/HER2- tumors are not rapidly-dividing, especially if they are Grade 1, Stage I, node-negative, clean margins and low OncotypeDX. 11 is a low score, and even before the range of "low-risk" scores was expanded upwards a few years ago it was considered low risk. A 1% benefit of adding chemo is more like a "rounding error," because nobody can accurately say "zero." Chemotherapy is "cytotoxic:" by design it kills rapidly-dividing cells; and in the case of a tumor like yours (or mine), it wouldn't even work—it would do more harm than good. Stick with your doc's recommendation of endocrine therapy and you'll be fine!

Note: I had 4 nodes removed, all negative but only 2 were "sentinels;" the others were stuck to them. If the sentinels are negative, any nodes further down the line would be too. (BTW, in women >65 with this type of IDC, sentinel-node biopsy is now considered an option rather than a necessity—this from the same surgeon who pioneered SNB (my surgeon, BTW).

chisandy

1

Re: Stage IV MBC Fitness

TThreetree Goodluck with the biopsy. I'm a big baby about that too and need time to wrap my head around it and accept it.

Good to hear your shingles wasn't so bad. I'm still struggling with it. It took drs a while to convince me cause no rash and in a different location this time. Also had a strain to ligament in back. Cortisone shot yesterday helped some. The bulging discs cleared up with a bunch of antionflamatories. I think the Injury to my left side in February started it. The new excess stress and chemo contribute.

So yes exercise important. Sometimes I walk the big stores a few round. Not enough. Today too muggy. I'm deep cleaning bedroom today.

gailmary

2

Re: Abemaciclib Verzenio for Stage IV

@seeq me too. I’ve had a little over 2. Yrs on Verzenio.I. Have always felt safe on the Verzenio. I’ve also heard that it is a blood brain barrier which acts as a block to anger cells going To brain.

@threetree Yesmy calcium is always way high, and other abnormal numbers are Bun.