Best Of

@norah2024

I had a bone biopsy in 2022, and it confirmed the met was the same as my original breast cancer, but not much other info. Bone biopsies don't generally provide enough testable tissue. I was given conscious sedation, so the procedure wasn't painful for me, and the test area had a minor dull ache for about a week. Since I continue to have only bone mets, my MO suggested a liquid biopsy at my next blood draw, just to see if anything else pops up. Don't know if that would be an option for you. Sounds as though you're doing an excellent job analyzing your options and making good choices.

@rstogether

So cheered by your experience of having no progression despite being off of treatment for two months. I am in the middle of a similar situation. I have been off of Kisqali for 3 weeks in July and currently off for 5 weeks and will likely not be back on it for another few weeks due to significant antibiotic treatment for persistent diverticulitis. My scans 3 weeks ago showed a tiny rib met "lighting up" and that was quickly radiated. My CEA level went from 5.0 to 9.2, and my MO thinks it was a combination of the rib met and the GI inflammation, which can also elevate CEA levels. Hope the liver biopsy leads to an effective and easy treatment.

Hi @norah2024

so, I haven’t had the biopsy you are about to undergo, but I have been off meds for almost 2 months last year with no noticeable change to my tumour markers or PET scan.

I have been on Everolimus and Exemestane for the past year (plus Xgeva) and they have worked really well. I have had zero side effects and have been on the highest dose. Unfortunately they have ceased to work for me, so on to something new. Not sure yet what that is. Waiting on results from a liver biopsy.

I have mets on my spine, but my doctor was hesitant to biopsy as he said bone biopsied can be painful and they don’t always get a good sample.

Anyhow, don’t know if any of that helps, but hope it all goes well. Hugs.

cureious - my last scan (mid October) showed some ascites and bigger lesions. So my break was over, but it was a nice 7 months while it lasted. My oncologist was "pleased" that it seems to be just regrowth in the old lesions, nothing new. I've gone back on Enhertu, now every 4 weeks. Still tired, and really tired the week of infusion, but otherwise okay. And of course, I'm hoping that everything responds again. Plan is to scan Januaryish. All weird and new territory.

I saw that news about Duke - one thing that no one points out is that those first patients were Stage 2, 3 and 4 ("advanced" was used just because of positive nodes) and NED. I'm wondering whether their 20 year survival could really be just within expectation of treatment with herceptin? But this is outside my paygrade!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17822557/

@norah2024 So glad you have found a way to get through a PET scan comfortably.

As for your question regarding lorazepam… it helps to relax muscles and anxiety. I take it about 90 minutes before going to bed. I start to feel a bit more relaxed about 30-60 minutes after taking it. It does help to knock those annoying worries out of my head and I usually manage to sleep 6-7 hours. Because I have a lot of tight muscles and they feel like they are ready to cramp, especially at night, the lorazepam also helps to tamp that down.

As I stated before, I only take it once or twice a week. As with any medication of that type, it’s best not to take it daily, because you can need more and more to get the same effect. On the nights when I don’t take it, I take 50 mg of CBN, a CBD nighttime product. That doesn’t help as much as lorazepam, but does help me to sleep fairly well.

Sleep is so important to our health. I always feel better the day after a good night’s sleep. 💤 I’m sure we can all relate to that!

Since I don’t have an “addictive personality” (I prefer not feeling zoned), I’ve not had an issue.

I’ve read about other women on this site who take this medication too.

Good luck and I wish you some worry-free nights!

Hugs, Pam 💗

Palliative care helped me a lot. They increased my antidepressants and prescribed lorazepam. They’re working with me on my sleep issues. Also they referred me for short term therapy to work through my anxiety. I don’t really need it anymore but my therapist said I could return if I needed to. Palliative care is not hospice so don’t be freaked out about the name.

@xsuzx Perhaps your PCP would be able to give you a prescription for lorazepam. That’s who prescribed it for me. It took me a long time to get in to an oncologist as well. I was majorly stressed, so I feel where you’re coming from.

Seek out all the distractions you can. The beginning is the most difficult, as others have pointed out.

💗🤗🥰

More hugs, Pam 🤗

I have been informed by that Astra Zeneca is discontinuing Faslidex !! Does anyone have any such information ? I am on my 51st cycle and am doing quite well..