Bone Mets Thread
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Thank you dunesleeper… Well, so much is going on... I can't even think straight... I don't want to think about it right now. I took off today because I just needed a break. I am going to just curl up in bed look at NCIS season 12 on Netflix. I appreciate your support.
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Guys I need to post. I try try and try to keep up but I just can't. I am working all day and then have 2 kids and a husband to care for when I get home...so I'm usually selfish in these posts in that it's all about me.
I have read back some, saw a conflict which I did not like, I too like uplifting stories. I do not care if they don't reflect most MBC's reality, I just need to hear them sometimes.
My cousin is dying of ovarian cancer as we speak. They gave her a week almost 2 weeks ago, so she's hanging in there, on no treatment or nutrtion, just anxiety and pain meds. I will try to visit her this weekend if I can.
My scans came back with all bone mets bigger. It's been 3 months. I don't know what to think. I got the MRI due to increased pain. My incologist said it's really not enough time for the hormonals to do their thing but since I am in pain she's recommending chemo.
She gave me 3 choices: abraxane, afinitor (which is not exactly a chemo she said??) or Xeloda. I am not sure which one to take. I am so confused. Am I rushing things? Should I give the Arimidex more time? She said if I start chemo I would come off the Arimidex. Do you guys think I've given it enough time or should I hang in there 3 more months on the same meds. I am feeling so discouraged and confused right now. My husband is also not being the most supportive but that is nothing new. Everyone else is very supportive. I was so hoping the essential oils would help as well. Be hoest with me: is 3 months enough time? Is it normal for the tumors to keep growing while on hormonal therapy in the beginning? Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!!
And I am thinking of you ladies and your individual struggles as well. It's just too much for me to keep on typing it all out and now I"m having a hot flash.
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Wow! I go to Auckland for three days and I'm five pages behind. I'll have to do some serious reading up tonight. In the interim - welcome to the new folks (sorry not to address each of you individually - no disrespect intended). Sorry you're here but glad you found this thread. It is greatly supportive and there are wonderful people here.
Dune - I hope you get some magic mouthwash from your MO sooner rather than later. Mouth sores are absolute s**t - I know from my mom's chemo.
With regard to the "spat" a couple of pages back, Dune, thank you for the kind words a few pages back - it means a lot. Sharon, your post was very well written. So many people here have been so kind to me, and I will never be able to repay the debt of gratitude. That said, I think several of us NED "girls" have gotten some negative feedback via this page or PM or both. Being an engineer, I can, of course, ignore social nuances and just keep posting here.
Will try to catch up tonight and check in with more of you individually.
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Cjanet, can you get a second opinion? Giving a relative newbie to mbc 3 choices doesn't impress me. It sounds more like a crap shoot than a well thought out recommendation based on research results. Sorry, but I think a second opinion - and not from us - is in order.
I'm so sorry about your cousin. I went through that back in April, and it hit me very hard.
Oh, and on the "bigger" bone mets... Is your onc absolutely certain it's not healing vs. an increase in size? Radiologists have been known to confuse the two.
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cjanet - I think we posted at the same time. I would agree with what dlb said. I don't have any other advice to offer regarding any of your questions, I'm afraid, but a second opinion on both the MO and RO front seem to be in order if at all possible. My oncologist for Stage I was kind of the same and recommended four possible courses of action and then said it was "totally up to you to choose, I can't recommend which is right for you." That was a "what???" moment for me.
The reason I'm posting to you is to say that (at least in my opinion) you do not have to be sorry or apologise for making it all about you. It should be all about you! That's what friends are for - to be here when it's all about you.
I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I will give you some good advice.
Sending hugs,
Terre
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Good morning all,
Deanna and Dune - Feel better soon! I hope you both will be able to nip those little buggers in the bud. Lots of vitamin C, hydration and rest, hot milk with honey and maybe some kind of alcohol mix which I can't remember right now LOL. I know I couldn't handle the latter... Oh those bugs are so useless.
Cristina - You are faced with a difficult decision and it is very wise of you to question. We are in no position to give you advise other than what Dune and Deanna said about a second opinion. Pain on top of that doesn't make it easier. In the meantime, do you have adequate pain meds? Gosh, I'm sorry you're going through this. And yes, it could also be bone healing. My pubic bone met was bigger but I had rads to it - I was told it could be inflammation or scarring tissue from the rads. Also, keeping up with all the posts is like a marathon! It's simply impossible.
Terre - Nice to hear from you as always.
Patty - Hi and thinking of you.
Annie - Also hi and thinking of you.
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Cristina,
My 1st scans after dx were also mri and my bone mets looked larger as well. My mo also said this could be due to healing and that it was difficult to tell the difference with mri, so she ordered a PET/CT instead and we have used that type of scan since. PET/CT shows cellular activity so you can see where cancer is active in the bones.
My mo also said that AIs are rather slow to work and 3 months is not enough time to tell if they are working. In my case, it took 6 months before the scans showed improvement.
I am with the others here, I would get a 2nd opinion before changing treatments. The treatments your mo is suggesting are generally more "challenging" than Arimidex, so I would not be too quick to change.
Also, have you considered going on social security disability? I can't imagine trying to work, take care of a family, AND deal with stage IV all at once, though I know many here manage it somehow.
Try not to get too discouraged. It does take time to feel better. I have widespread bone mets but I am feeling much better today than a year ago when dx'd.
Hugs to you!
Jo
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Cristina, I noticed you just started Arimidex on 5/7 this year, about 7 weeks ago. So its effects haven't gotten enough time to fully show. Have you done TM to check the results of it? To my impression, Arimidex is a similar med with Femara but newer. Both Femara and Arimidex are powerful and work better than Tamoxifen for many women. When you are considering your options, you might also want to consider the perspective of the general strategy. The best strategy might be to stay with each drug as long as possible. The accumulation or the sum of the length of the run of each drug will decide the time we survive. So obviously the longer length of each run the better. Another important strategy is to stay with better quality of life as long as possible. Hormonal treatments provide better quality of life. So, probably first of all, you really should follow Deanna, Terre, Jo, and Linda's advice to talk to another onc for second opinion; secondly, when you talk to the doctors and when you do your thinking, please be aware of your strategy.
My regards to everyone. Have a quality weekend! (Rainy here.)
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Beautiful photo of you and your family
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Good morning ladies. Too sick to respond to all but know I am thinking good thoughts for you all.
I am posting from the hospital. Was admitted yesterday. Very dehydrated from nonstop vomiting and diahrea. They put a tube down my nose and throat to suck up all the gunk and infection from my belly and also prevents vomiting. I have to say that was very very uncomfortable. It's out now but super sure throat and kerp choking in blood from tube scratching throat. Don't want to be awake if I ever do that again.
Hugs to all
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Cristina,
About your three choices: Abraxane is in the Taxol family and is an infused chemotherapy. You will likely lose your hair, and experience some fatigue. I did Taxol for almost a year when my bone mets flared. It's very doable. If you do any infused chemo, talk to your Onc about getting a port, especially if you are a "hard stick". You know, small veins, rolling veins, etc. Here's the link for the weekly Taxol list, which would also be applicable to Abraxane: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topic/7...
Afinitor is usually combined with another anti-hormonal drug to make a synergistic pairing. I've not done that combo, but I have heard that you have to watch out for pulmonary side effects. When it works, I have seen it be very successful in this list. But, others on this list know a LOT more about it than I do. Here's the Afinitor link: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topic/8...
I am currently on Xeloda and have been for a year. It is three pills (dosage can vary) every morning and night for two weeks, with one week off for each cycle. I love this stuff. I have some anemia and related fatigue, and the typical hand/foot skin redness and peeling. Xeloda link from the list: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topic/7...
These are huge threads, and you can always pop in to ask questions that might have been asked/answered but buried in the largeness of the threads. Don't let that stop you.
As for the Arimidex: three months should start showing how your disease is responding. Some people have waited up till six months, and started seeing a response. It really depends of your tumor load. If you are lighting up like a Christmas tree on the scans, I can understand why your Onc is talking about a chemo. Mine did the same thing, when my tumor markers (TMs) went from 800 to 2,600 on Tamoxifen. He threw me on Taxol, just to quickly stop the progression (chemo works faster than anti-hormonal therapy). After Taxol, I went on Faslodex (anti-hormonal) and stayed stable for a year. I only had bone mets at diagnosis, and my Onc wanted to keep the cancer from migrating to other physical systems.
But, it seems like your Onc is spinning the Wheel of Treatment, and not really talking to you about it. Ummm, I don't know if I love that. Remember, you are the boss, and your medical team is employed by you. So, they have an obligation to provide you with the information you need, and to treat you in ways that you are comfortable with. How do you feel about seeking a second opinion? No reputable physician has any problem with a patient who wants a second opinion.
Please be careful with the essential oils. You are ER/PR+, and some of those oils can be estrogenic (like lavender and tea tree oil). Check out their estrogenic properties before you use them.
Best wishes. Let us know how you are doing.
Jennifer
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Patty, so sorry to hear that you are in the hospital! Sounds like it was a not so great experience with the tube. I hope you get some well deserved rest and feel better soon!
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Patti so sorry to hear you are in the hospital and I hope you recover quickly.
Thanks for all the feedback. Last night I put in a request to see an oncologist electronically to Basking Ridge. I have been in bed all day. There is something wrong w me but I don't know what. Maybe more rest is needed.
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Patty! What in the world happened? You were feeling so great just a few days ago. Which hospital are you in? I hope it's the #2 one that seemed to handle whatever is going on better than #1 had. I'm so sorry about the tube thing. That sounds miserable. Oh, I hope you feel 100% better by the end of the day! We'll all be looking for an update and praying things turn around very quickly for you.
Cristina, I think it's wonderfully helpful that Jennifer laid out details of each of the potential tx's reeled off by your onc. But I can't stress enough that I don't think this is a decision you should be making based on potential SEs, etc. -- especially given what seems like a very limited time on and hasty re-evaluation of your current tx. Your age is an important factor here. Is there any reason you can't go to a major comprehensive cancer center? They have oncs who specialize in breast cancer, so will have the most experience treating younger women whose dx is similar to yours. Here's a list of the NCI-designated cancer centers. You can always take their recommendation back to a more local onc, but if I was in your situation, I would not make any change until you talk to an onc who truly specializes in breast cancer -- not another general onc who needs to keep up on a wide range of cancer treatments and is just not as focused on breast cancer as an onc who is dedicated to treating bc 24/7. http://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-cen...
Dune, as far as what to do for your cold... I think the best thing you can do -- along with the vitamin C you're already taking -- is stay away from other people this week, and really rest. Zinc lozenges might help soothe your throat. Other than that, lots of liquids and wholesome foods, like good old chicken soup. Cold meds might make you feel a bit better, but IMO they don't heal anything faster and would just put more strain on your liver and kidneys washing them out. If you want to use something, I like the homeopathic ones by Boiron -- Oscilliococinum for flu and Cold Calm for colds. Do you drink lemon water in the a.m.? It's suppose to help flush toxins out of our liver and kidneys.
We're having the weirdest weather. Yesterday evening we had a freaky haboob (monster dust storm) blow through, and today it's been pouring rain, which we desperately need, but is extremely unusual for summer in the desert. I hope many of you are having some fun this weekend. Hugs to all... and an extra hug to Patty and Annie and anyone else who needs one! Deanna
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cjanet, it's ok for it to be all about you. Don't give that a second thought. As far as your questions go, I don't like the vagueness of your onc's treatment plan one bit. The ladies here encouraged me to get a second opinion. I dragged my feet on it, but I finally took action -- after it had spread to lungs and liver. So, seriously, get that second opinion. In some cases you don't even have to go there: they review all your tests to date and provide recommendations. So, you could hook up with a really good doctor/team from an NCI affiliated hospital. Then they can instruct your onc how to treat you. I'm in the same city as Johns Hopkins, so that's where I am getting my second opinion. It's not close, but it is far more reputable than a county hospital, which is where I am now. This is your life! This is my life! No more sitting back and accepting my imminent death due to treatment I think is wrong. What I did is tell my nurse coordinator that I would like to get the second opinion. She had no problem with that. In fact she was very encouraging about it. She took that to the doctor, and they contacted Hopkins for me. Hopkins called me Friday, but I wasn't home; so I will be talking to them Monday.
Terre I would soooo miss you if you stopped posting here. Hey! Did you get a lot of snow? I saw a picture from a plane flying over Australia, and it was all white.
Jobur it is good to read that you are feeling better now than last year. Not only am I happy for you, but I feel encouraged that my life can get better. I like that thought better than the living day to day thinking. I'll pick whichever one I need at the time. LOL
Oh no Patty! What the heck happened???? You were doing so well. It saddens and horrifies me that you have been going through all that. Please get better soon. Take it easy, and get better soon.Deanna, thanks for the great suggestions about taking care of my cold. It was actually better today, but I don't trust colds. I can't believe it just went away. Also, I feel the same as you about cold medicine. They just relieve symptoms, which is fine; but a cold has to run its course. That course may be shortened by rest, nutrition, and lots of fluids. I may not be able to get the homeopathics, but I will do the lemon water.
I rested a long time today and have felt pretty good. I sure wish I could poo, but we just won't go there. HAHAHA. Won't GO there. Ain't that the truth.
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cjanet, I sure hope you start feeling better real soon and Deanna and Jennifer have given you some great advice. I feel for you, dealing with all of this and trying to work and take care of your family. I agree with Jobur, maybe looking into disability would really help relieve some of the stress, I know I couldn't work and deal with this. Praying you're able to get everything sorted out.
Patty, oh no I did not like hearing you're in the hospital, and that procedure sounded painful. Do they know what is causing this? Sending you hugs and healing energy.
Terre, hello and nice to see you pop in, were you away on business in Auckland?
Dune, you crack me up but I gotta say I know what you're saying about wanting to poo, hope you get relief soon and hope your cold is better.
Hello to everyone else here, sorry to not address everyone individually right now, I'm just so tired.
Hugs to all, Annie
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Deanna and Dune, thanks for the sound advice. I did make an internet inquiry last night into a Memorial Sloan Kettering appointment but I am going to look at that NCI link you provided Deanna. Dune you are right, I need to fight for my own life. I have to be honest, sometimes my onc seems to forget things that have happened, such as scan results or tumor markers and her nurse is the same way. I always have to remind them of my records, it's as if they are always rushing and have too many patients
I've been thinking about it all day, and I just don't want to rush to change anything esp since it's only been 2.5 months on the Arimidex. Maybe I need more time, or at least just a different hormone therapy. I don't want to let go of "easy" treatment while I can.
I don't take anything but fluids and vitamin C for colds. I hate cold medicine, it makes me feel so weird.
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Patty so sorry you had to go through such a hard time. Best wishes for you to be home in no time!
cjanet interestingly i was just reading Critical Decisions by Peter Aubel M.D, it's about how we should learn to empower ourselves and talk or discuss with docs what we need. It's not easy he writes but it could be done, the problem is also that a lot of doctors don't know what to do when a patient, a person, has informed themselves of their situation and they wanna talk it over with docs, not just get orders.
My daughter is going through pretty much the same thing, last Pet CT showed no progression but her whole skeleton is littered with lesions and scalp and skull. So they called it stable. Now last BRAIN MRI showed some lesion progression and encroachment in soft tissues and near the dura so Onco is concerned now, and she is gonna stop the regimen of Herceptin/Perjeta and abraxane and change it to Kadcyla.
I did get in touch with 2nd and 3rd opinion docs we have, but they are away till Monday, so gotta wait, but i sent them the report and explained what's going on. RO recommended to change tx, he prefers not to radiate again in the skull area. My daughter was content with stable, we were getting used to the new phase but was short lived. She pretty much ran the gamut of all tx already. Kadcyla is the last one that showed up on her F1 results, after Herceptin/Perjeta . She didn't have too many choices. So my anxiety level if high, she will find out tom nt only, I asked Onco to let her enjoy the weekend with her little ones and hubby. She will call her bcs Monday she usually goes in for her infusion, but they have to get an ok from insurance for Kadycla, so it's gonna be a few days. Not gonna be pretty. She will deal with it, she has dealt with e/t that comes her way, but the shock is gonna be there.
Any tips about Kadcyla that could be helpful. I know about the liver issues, that scares me.
Thanks everyone, dunesleeper get better soon.
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good morning friends. Too yucky to respond to all. But I caught up on reading what's going on with all.
Thank you so much for the encouragement. I really don't know where I would be mentally without bco snd esp this thread. I am feeling much better today. Vomiting and diahrea finally under control and tube came out yesterday. Yea ! Still in a LOT of pain. Mo put a pain pump in the room do I can just push the button for pain med every 10 minutes as needed. Which had helped tremendously. To be able to control my own pain.
Oops bbl
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my family sure is having a hard time seeing me so miserable. Ds1(13) told dh he knows I am quickly dying. Dh tried reassured him this is not true. Not now. Ds1 told dh too not tell me. Of course dh told me but I don't want to break his trust with dh so I am not brining it up directly. We have been talking about how good I've been before this uti. In his own words he had said before this that I was doing better then I had been since dx so I reminded him of it. He's trying to act so brave in front of me but cried easily when talking to dh about it. Please keep him in your prayers. He was just finally getting back to normal life and going to friends house even overnight and not worrying about me. Putting my best brave face on but he's old enough to know I am faking. I am anxiously waiting in MRI results
Anyway sorry for the long discouraging message.
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Hey Patty, worried about you! You were doing better, wth happened? Sure hope this is just a bump in the road. My heart aches for you and your son. I had a conversation with my older son that just turned 19 recently and he burst out in tears and cried like a little guy. I think my heart shattered into a million pieces. Luckily my 11 yr old has been pretty oblivious to my progressive pain the last couple of months. It's summer time and he's enjoying it to the max and that makes me so happy!
I'm in the process of seeking a second opinion. Just had a brain MRI done on Friday and I'm very anxious to get the results. I'm not on any treatment right now and need to decide what's next this coming week after getting all my scan results.
Thinking I need better pain control too. I'm taking Oxy, Dilaudid, and Celebrex now and I am still in a lot of pain. I'm am not sleeping well because of it. Think I need something a bit stronger and something that lasts longer than a few hours. I think my MO mention MS Contin, but I was thinking Fentanyl patch. Anyone have experience with these two? Pros and cons? Bone mets are not for sissys and its kinda scary to think about the progression of disease and how much pain it can cause.
Back to the 2nd opinion. I had made an appointment at City of Hope, but having a hard time getting an insurance authorization. I'd pay out of pocket, but I want to establish an ongoing relationship, so I'd rather insurance was on board. I'm in Southern California and being told I can go to USC or Cedars Sinai. Does anyone have experience with either of these, or have any better ideas? I'm also interested in gaining access to more trials. I've blown through most of the treatments that I consider in line with the QOL I want to maintain and now need to consider treatments a bit off the beaten path so trials are on my radar.
This is a great group and the information exchanged is so valuable. Thanks for being there!
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Patty, you have my prayers for you and your family, especially ds1 who is struggling right now. I hate this disease and how it affects not only us but all of those around us. Sometimes I just want to scream, not that it would get me anywhere. Sending you all my love and healing energy! Please keep us updated, we think of you always.
Romansma, praying your MRI results give you some positive news, it must be hard for you to not be on treatment right now. I hope you can find a suitable trial that gives you the QOL you're looking for, and you are so right bone mets are not for sissys. So sorry to learn that Ibrance wasn't all you hoped for but I remain positive that you will find something that is going to work for you. It broke my heart reading what you wrote about your conversation with your son. I have 2 daughters that are 21 and 23, we are so close and they are really struggling with my diagnosis. I hate cancer!
Wishing everyone a pain free day. We have another scorcher here today, with a humidex of 41celsius, here come the hot flashes.
Hugs to all, Annie
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Annie - I agree I hate this disease. I also want to stand up and scream. Very glad to see both of your dd are close to you. Have seen many grown children turn away because they don't want to upset us by talking about it. 41 Celsius translates to what in Fahrenheit ?
Hope - oh so sorry. Agreed this is not for sissies. Praying for good MRI results. No progression. The waiting is awful. Will you know something Monday ? After that they will have a tx plan ? I had the fentnyl patch during a hospital stay once but it didn't help. I do take MS Contin extended release twice a day and it's great. I don't get that "high " feeling and can function perfectly fine. If I accidentally forget a dose I notice immediately because I need more diladid. It is so hard for our families and it's hard to watch them hurt. How's your youngest doing ?
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Patty - So sorry you have to go through such pain. Are you still in the hospital? I hope you start to feel stronger soon. Thinking of you......
Sounds like many of us are struggling with our sons and daughters coming to terms with our illness. My son lives in NYC and so I don't get to see him very often. He is a research scientist, so he comes from a different point of view....and I see him holding back emotions. He and I have a new motto.....Metastatic Cancer....research not ribbons. My husband had surgery last year for prostate cancer so I know my son is frightened having both parents with cancer.
Hope - Fentanyl patch helped me, but I also used Celebrex with it. had some stomach issues with that combo though. Hoping the best for you as you get your results.
A good Sunday to all.......
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Xavo, Hi, and a warm welcome to the group no one wants to join. Great, thoughtful post, and I loved this
" you might also want to consider the perspective of the general strategy"
I had never thought of my tx options in terms of a strategy, but certainly will going forward.
Patti, So very sorry to hear you are back in the hospital again! WTH?!! If only they could get to the root of your gastric problems. I have the impression they are not bc related and don't understand why they can't figure this out. What you have gone through with the tubes sounds truly horrible. But the effect this is having on your boys is the worst... my heart goes out to you and your family.
BlaineJennifer, thank you for the great post regarding these tx's. " spinning the Wheel of Treatment" yup, that is the feeling I get when talking with my mo about what's next. No disrespect to her intended, I just have the feeling no one really knows what may or may not work for each of us.
Dune, hope you are feeling better today. Didn't you switch chemo's recently? I'm sorry I don't remember, I try to keep up but this thread has been moving at lightning speed lately!
Hope, So sorry Ibrance did not work for you. Hope that brain mri comes back squeaky clean. Sounds like you have a number of options in treatment centers, fingers crossed you are able to find a new tx that maintains some QOL.
Hugs and best wishes for a pain free Sunday (or maybe Monday for some?) to every one I was unable to address personally.
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Patti, I know you enjoy seeing photos, so here is one of DH and I on vacation in the Tetons. We are not too pretty but the scenery is!
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jobur. - you are right. I LOVE the pic. And you and dh look great also. Thank you do much
Lindalou - love you and your sons new motto !!! Wow your son is a research scientist. That's awesome. You must be incredibly proud of him. That must be very hard for your son since he can understand medically what many of our family members don't. Sometimes it's better not to know so many details. I don't think I knew about your dhs cancer. Wow a double whammy. That stinks should get a get out of cancer free card since y'all have already dealt with it with dh. Do you only have the 1 son ? What is he working on ?
Mo came in and said MRI had not been officially read and compared to previous ones but there is not a cord compression which is great ! Looks like some more compression fractures though. Oncologist said looks like considerable progression only in spine. Which means tx change. Boo I really like the ease of femara. Will know more when MRI is officially done. If the MRI doesn't conclusively show progression mo said will get a pet scan tomorrow while I am still in the hospital so we can make a decision on tx. One day at a time , right.
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Great picture jobur - both the scenery and you and dh.
Several people have mentioned they hope I feel better. Thank you. I've been doing very well. I have more antinausea medication options. I have far less pain. I'm more clear and energetic. I do tend to start feeling queasy around 3pm, but I eat plenty up until then. I'm using salt water for my mouth, and it helps. Sometimes when I start to feel crappy, I look at myself in the mirror and assure myself I can do this without feeling crappy. It works. So, it's been a good week and next week is my week off chemo. I bet your prayers have helped me, so thank you.
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dune - I am very happy to hear how much better you are doing. Yea !!!!!! Doing as it down celebratory dance for you. Its great that you have gotten out with friends. Tat always helps me. Still keeping you uplifted in prayer. Haven't heard you say much about your mom lately. Are things going smooth for you guys ?
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Patty, good to see you feeling so much better this a.m.! Of course, the progression stuff isn't good, but if the symptoms that landed you in the hospital again are just that nasty bug that keeps attacking you (and which it sounds like your body can't fully fighting off), that would be a huge relief. And your boys sound like such beautiful, gentle souls who absolutely adore you! Of course it's heartbreaking to hear their fear and pain, but hopefully this hospital stay will get you turned around quickly and everyone will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Romansma, I've known several women who have been treated for bc at City of Hope, and they all rave about their care. So that would be my first choice, too, after UCLA, of course. Between USC and Cedars, I would strongly suggest USC. Cedars is a wonderful facility; in fact, they saved my neighbor-friend's life with very tricky heart surgery when he had an aortic aneurysm. But they do not specialize in bc -- so much so that a friend of mine who works at Cedars goes to UCLA for her bc care. I'd be happy to give you her contact info if you want a more first-hand opinion on Cedars, but they're not NCI-designated (USC is), and believe me, in the world of leading edge bc tx, trials, etc., that makes a huge difference. Not sure why UCLA isn't among your options, but just as an aside, my UCLA onc, Sara Hurvitz, works out of the Santa Monica office, which is not quite as hectic a place as the main medical plaza in Westwood.
What a beautiful photo, jobur! That's one of my fave places in the world, and you've really captured its awesomeness. What that a recent trip?
Lindalou, that's really tough that you and your DH have had to deal with overlapping cancer dx's. Hopefully, your hubby is doing well now. And I echo Patty's thoughts about how proud you must be of your son! Did you get one of the t-shirts from Holley Kitchen with the slogan you mentioned above? I did, and have been wearing it quite a bit. I can give you a link if you or anyone needs it. She just added some additional color options.
Dune, glad you're feeling so much better.
Hugs & prayers to everyone else! Deanna
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