Best Of
Re: 17 years out - Now possible brain mets?
jenm823 I’m having the same symptoms, did you have radiation?
matty123
Re: Bottle o Tamoxifen
runor--I had a hysterectomy 2 years into Tamoxifen. My gyn was keeping an eye on my lining via TVUS periodically and when mine got to 1.8mm relatively quickly, I had a hysterectomy. Total. Ovaries, tubes, uterus, cervix. The whole shebang. And yes, I was tossed into surgical menopause. Hot flashes but not too bad since I sleep with a fan anyway. But I gotta say, I feel really really good! No longer get all the bloating even though I didn't ever have periods on Tamoxifen. And when I did the hysterectomy my doctor found that I also had an enlarged uterus and multiple ovarian cysts so really I'm glad I had it done. I'm sure you would rather not have to have a hysterectomy but it sure was a lot easier than a mastectomy!! And it's nice to not have so much of the worry of those cancers (albeit it's not gone 100% according to my doc).
lala1
Re: Anyone starting brand drug, Enhertu?
Had my scan yesterday and it seems there are mixed results. Enhertu is working well on my liver as there are fewer and smaller mets. Yay! This is only the second time that a treatment has had positive results on my liver. Other than that, it has been full speed ahead with the liver mets.
My bones are not as lucky this time. Bone mets have basically been stable since 2023, but there are now increased and new areas.
My first impression is to stay on the Enhertu since I think my liver would take me down first and I've already had ascites. But lot of the new bone mets are in my thoracic spine, and I can feel them. Not really pain, but something is going on there.
It also makes me wonder if I am dealing with two different cancers or maybe one area has mutated differently because why wouldn't they both respond the same way?
Can I give this another three months without making things much worse? I guess that is the question I'll be discussing with my MO next week.
dulcea
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Candy - thanks for the update on Mel and Gabby. I hope they know how often they’re thought about here. How is your sight now?
Shana - so very sorry about this rough season for you. I hope your neck injections bring long term relief and your tooth problem gets taken care of. This damn disease steals our very being.
Today is our 47th anniversary. Going out to dinner at a great local restaurant.
Here for pocket duty for all in need.
Re: Looking to connect with others for support and guidance
Thank you for the supportive comment. To complicate matters, 3 oncologists are in disagreement over whether my cancer this year is a local recurrence vs a new ipsalateral primary. And the treatment plan is different in each scenario. I want the more aggressive treatment since 2/3 oncologists say it's more likely local recurrence. But ironically, these same oncologists refuse to offer me the more aggressive treatment (verzenio); they say the size and grade of this year's cancer do not warrant the toxicity of verzenio. The 3rd oncologist (who only treats me virtually since I moved away from her city in 2022) suspects it is a new ipsalateral primary but says that if there is convincing evidence it's a local recurrence (which she feels there is not—in fact, she says my pathology report points more towards new primary), then I should definitely advocate for a ckd4/6 inhibitor. It's frustrating when oncologists do not concur. Also frustrating when one wants to "throw everything" at the disease yet the oncologist says doing so would be too toxic.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@irishlove Oh love, you don't need to apologize. We all understand how this disease and treatments have affected our brains. It is just good to hear that you are with us knowing how tough things have been for you.
@shanagirl All those appointments are exhausting in themselves. I pray that they are helping with all your back pain.
Thinking of others here especially KBLs family and friends, Mel and Gabby.
Re: Life on aromasin
I was on Femara off and on for the past 4 months. This was on top of major complications with my reconstruction, which had to be completely redone on the non-cancer side using a lattisimus flap procedure and a fungal iinfection on top of that. Needless to say I was an emotional mess, not at all helped by the Femara. My onc just had me switch to Aromasin. Scared to get started but I know it's time to start. Parying for minimal side effects! Thanks for everyone's input here!
Likely to be diagnosed with bone mets and need some advice in the interim
Nearly 14 years after my initial diagnosis, I'm back at the rodeo. My tumor markers are up, and some pain in my leg that I thought was due to gait issues or sciatica is likely bone pain. I saw my MO today, and she said that the description of the pain is consistent with bone mets. Tomorrow, I will get called about when my PET scan will be. I'm in Europe, and I don't know how long the wait will be during August, the month of universal vacation.
I was wondering how to handle a couple of things while waiting. I was being treated for sciatica with physical therapy. Should I continue that? Is there any value or help if it's bone mets? I am scheduled to see a neurosurgeon. Again, any value in that?
Regarding exercise (specifically, walking or weights), do those of you with bone mets find it helpful or does it cause pain? I think it's causing me pain several hours later, but I'm tired of being so inactive.
Thanks for your help!
mary625
Struggling
How do you handle the constant loss of hope? I have only been dx a year and a few months. A lot of drs missed the lymph nodes and said it was related to an autoimmune disorder. I am still angry but just cannot believe my time is going so quickly. I have not responded to the traditional treatments for less than a few months or so. I am getting upset as it goes: I was positive at the beginning.
brandie1
Re: Stage IV MBC Fitness
So proud of you all for keeping at it. I am failing with no excuse. Treadmill and bike in nice cool basement. Nope. Dh even clamped on a surface for books or whatever. I get large print books second hand where I can. I guess I could enjoy some alone time down there.
gailmary