Best Of
Re: How long have you been Stage IV?
3 years, I have been working part-time and have mostly been fine except for the side effects from the treatment which are manageable.
The pain in my hip has become consistent in the last few months. The scans show everything is stable so not sure what is going on.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
My oncologist just called. She conferred with other radiologists and they all think it is just a finer resolution of what has been there before. Different types of scans show things clearer and in different types of tissues, etc. It fits with our discussion of CT, vs, Pet, vs MRI vs bone scan. So she wants me to keep on with my current treatment and she will rescan in three months. I am good with this. I have had liver metastasis since my first scan eight years ago so I think this may be right. My cancer also seems to grow slowly and my markers are unchanged with no new symptoms. Different scans have showed different things in my liver in the past. Thank you for your prayers and letting me take you with me on this wild journey.
Re: Ibrance (Palbociclib)
@Greatly blessed thank you for your prayer. I've actually been feeling terribly depressed. And this coming hot on the heels of a good CT-SCAN report?? It's like Murphys Law is tailing everything i do. I even started asking myself if it's a curse 😢😢😢. Its a long story. That's why I appreciate your prayers.
Yes I do have different side effects from IBRANCE each month. Makes me wonder whether the medication and disease are battling for supremacy all over my body. Since December the infections have been regular and really bad, and then May was ok. Even managing to go for Zumba, which I stopped coz of my arthritic
knee. Normally the fatigue is overwhelming.
Cancer is completely unpredictable. Sometimes I feel like it has ears, and is keeping tabs on what we say. Silly me 🤣🤣🤭.
It's a relief to discuss with people who truly understand when you discuss side effects etc. Everyones experience here has taught me something valuable that I've applied to myself, especially @brutersmom with the alternative IBRANCE scheduling. That has been a lifesaver for me ❤❤. My Oncologist had to agree to it, albeit reluctantly. I realised they dont like ideas coming from patients coz as doctors, they believe they should be the initiators. But I've also realised these support group discussions expose us to more varied treatment options and management of side effects than even our Oncologists are exposed/aware of.
Sending prayers, love and hugs to all in this group from out here in Nairobi, Kenya 🙏❤ 🫂
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Hi everyone, it’s been awhile, not sure how long but I just realized I haven’t logged in for some time, I somehow forgot.
Micmel, I love an occasional root beer but I have trouble with the bubbles too and often can’t finish it.
Several months ago I bought tickets to a music festival in California and it’s finally almost here. I’m driving to El Paso for treatment on Thursday, then flying out immediately after. The fest is on Saturday, then my bff and I are spending Sunday in our hometown of Huntington Beach with another friend from school. Looking forward to the fest, my favorite foods and a dip in the cold Pacific Ocean.
You all already know I can pack like a champ and this time is no exception, I even found room for a hat, crossbody purse, water bottle and travel cocktail kit in addition to the clothes, swimsuit and sandals in my backpack.
illimae
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Sf-cakes sorry to read of your latest struggles. DH cooked bacon and eggs on the outdoor grill this morning and we ate our first meal on the new deck. I will pay for the rich food soon I'm sure, but we really enjoyed it. Sorry for those who are struggling with food issues...and no, I couldn't finish it…
The second pic is our viewfrom the deck.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Getting some serious scanxiety here, as Monday is my day. I just hate this part of it all and have no real way to handle it. I think it gets worse each time, because I feel like, as time goes by, the odds that I'll have a bad scan go up. I suppose there's an equal argument the other way, but my brain can't find it.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Pvt. Leroy Learn was born 3/11/25 and died 2/21/44 by enemy fire. He was buried in a communal grave as a mortar had killed so many that each could not be positively identified. The burial place is in Enzio, Italy. There is an empty gravesite in his hometown with his information on a tombstone.
About 2 years ago I was contacted by a geneologist working with BYU program in coordination with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. They contacted me as Pvt. Learn was a great-uncle of mine. I couldn't provide DNA to finally settle his remains and have them returned home. You see, he was a step-great-uncle. So I started a search for a female relative that the counselor had given me perameters that had to be met. I came up with a 2nd cousin who was 80 years old. They would not accept her due to her age. So they had to work thru male descendents. I was diagnosed Stage 4 while working on this project. DH and I were prepared to bring Pvt. Learn home, if only we could. So in his honor on this Memorial Day, I wanted to share this story with you.
Re: How are people with liver mets doing?
All -
This is RK2020. I’m posting on behalf of my wife. She has been placed in hospice and is receiving excellent end of life care. She said don’t fear hospice. She thanks everyone for the support over the years. Love Regina
rk2020
Re: How are people with liver mets doing?
Dear bossmom24, I am sorry you have to be here… but then again I am so blessed I found this community 7 years ago, a bunch of very (VERY!) knowledgeable and kind people who in many cases became my "second opinion", ,,second MO", and even friends…
I am not a cancer patient myself but I try as much as I can to help my beautiful wife who was diagnosed de novo in 2017 being 33 years old, with our 2 year old baby on our hands. 7 cm tumor out of the blue, and uncountable liver mets, liver was about to fail, AST/ALT/ALP and other numbers in many hundreds, doctors looking at us kindly but even unable to give chemotherapy at that time as it could have happened that my Sandra would have simply… died instantly. But we took that risk as we had nothing else to do… after 3 relapses and 3 surgeries (mastectomy, lymph node removal, cyberknife to lymphnodes), whole breast radiation, she is NED, and liver is now 63 months NED. Future is not guaranteed, in fact, we still get these "oh you poor things" looks everywhere we go, but life is okay, our boy is 9. Yes, we gave up many dreams (oh, how much we'd like to have more children!) but we're moving on and being together brings us… happiness.
If you would ask, I believe most of the people who are in these stage IV forums, have experienced same shock as you do but have moved on and made their lives rule over cancer, not otherwise. And you… you are gifted… just think of these 4 beautiful human beings you are bringing up - your love to them will give you strength to march on, heal, and maybe even become someone who can be cured, however elusive it may sound. Science is miles ahead from where it was even in 2017, when we started. Treatments that were offered are state-of-the art and I believe you'll do well with them. Biopsy will help to confirm, what I believe, will be same histology in the liver. Please also remember that faster disease tends to react better to treatments. Hugs,
Saulius
bsandra