How are people with liver mets doing?
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holeinone, Mary and lvn, I hope you all are feeling better soon and able to enjoy the upcoming Spring sunshine. I do not look forward to some of the Tx you gals are having to endure but know the time will come. I had an exceptionally bad day today just learning my TM's are going up on Faslodex even though my scans showed stable. Then we found out we owe way more in taxes than we expected. I was really thinking we should get a refund this time and could take a mini vacation but nooooooo! And the capper was that one of the medical groups who bills me sent me to collections for a med bill I had no idea I owed! I have gotten no new statements so thought I was done. I've been paying med bills like a mad woman and have a near perfect credit score. Then Wham! I am needless to say livid and have to wait until Monday to TRY and straighten it out. But looking at the big picture at least I am feeling OK for now. So all the rest I just have to let go.
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artistic, thanks for the support. My Taxatere was 2 weeks ago. ( tomorrow ).So, I am feeling better, but liver is still huge pushing into my inners.
Sorry that you are having a down day. The tumor marker has me confused, although my # 'was huge, which can't be good. How often does your MO do that test ?
When I found out I was stage 4, I immediately took my Roth IRA out. Taking my family for a short trip next weekend to the beach in Calif. Staying at a nice place on the beach.
Hope you get the medical bills figured out & it's not as bad as it could be. Amazing how much we all have to deal with.
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Holeinone, She does my TM's once a month. I was on a high from the scans only to get the Tm news, not tragic but still a downer. I will get a new blood test in two weeks and pray it was a fluke. It's not that bad on most of the bills, but this one radiology place in my town just ticks me off so much. They are extremely quick to demand their money which I have been paying religiouslyj. then I stopped getting any satements so i assumed they were paid. They just seem to want to add to the mental mind bending by shooting it straight to collections when I had no idea I still owed them. I would of happily paid immediately. We are victims so often in this regard. Considering how many different Dr's and procedures and practices are included in my care it is already a second full time job to stay on top of all the paper. I plan to call tomorrow and try and set them straight. Anyway enough of that! I hope the Taxatere shrinks that liver pronto. It must be extremely uncomfortable not to mention disconcerting...
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i will try pomegranate juice. I've never seen it anywhere so have to do some searching. I felt so bad this weekend could barely get up to go to bathroom. Dr supposed to call with markers. Ugh I just want to wake up from this nightmare! I feel like as soon as I stop treatment I still be engulfed in disease. I just want to back up and cry until it's over. I have nothing positive to look forward to. I just wake up everyday and think I'm stage 4 I'm going to die and it's like a punch in the stomach. I'm not brave or positive. My savings is gone, I can barely make it to work. I'm just a hot mess I moved to az last year with my bf, now my family wants me to come home to Ohio but I love my bf and my cats and dog. How can I leave them? I do want to go back home but I want all of us to go. Decisions...
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Livn,
I am so sorry you feel so lousy my heart aches for you. I will not tell you be strong and everything will be ok. We are all in the same boat and it is a hard sail. Stage IV by itself is scary and depressing and each one of us deal with it differently. It is an ongoing daily struggle , sometimes things seem to be normal and other times it does not. It is normal for the meds to tire you and gets you down, plus treatments and cancer are too expensive and causes a lot of people to quit their jobs. But it is menageable , and you will have better days, so please just do not give up on yourself, don't let the damn disease kill you inside before you die. Find strength in people you love, things you like to do, cherish your life. Live day by day and enjoy each moment and you will get by.
There will be days like now , where all will look bleak and useless. But it is not, some people live with satge 4 for a long time, why not think you may be one of them?
It is a tough decision you have to make between your bf and your family. The best would be like you said for you both to move near your family. But this will depend on your bf situation and it is not something you can force on him. If it were me though i would choose to be with my family where i would be surrounded with love and support. I cannot advise you this is your decision to make , but i do hope you make the right decision for you and your health and peace of mind.
My prayers are with you , may you find peace of mind and comfort wherever you go.
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Lvin, more hugs. Cancer sux. And cancer that has gone rogue to the liver sux even more. It isn't fair and it isn't right and I'm sorry it's being such a pain in the rear for you right now.
Hang in there. Flip off the Mets and tell them "not today!"
I think we all get a free pass to cry and scream as much as we want. But, you have a lot of positives going on as well.
You have a family in Ohio who loves you and wants to be there for you. You have a boyfriend who cares about you. You live in Arizona. I've always wanted to visit there. The sky is so blue there and the geology is striking. You have two dogs and two cats who love you as well.
And you ARE brave and positive. You are making it in to work! That is a big deal! That takes a lot of guts!
As far as looking forward to something, it IS almost opening day of baseball season. And the summer Olympics are this year, right? I'm looking forward to finding out what happens there. Heck, we can invent a drinking game where everybody takes a shot of pomegranate juice when a commentator says the word "zika"!
You've got this sister! I have faith in you
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Lvin, My heart hurts for you too. I have been just where you are, have had some pretty bad days and I am barely into the fight yet. I also do not feel very brave at all. So it is hard for me to tell you to try and be strong, think positive blah blah blah......Sometimes it is just not what you want to hear. However, I agree with Woody that you WILL have better days and it is so important for your overall well being to live one day at time and find something positive to focus on. Don't let this damn disease ruin the rest of your time which could be YEARS. As Woody said, "Why not you"? None of us knows how long we my have but I do not want to waste too much of it crying. Mattie is right too that you have a lot going for you, it will all fall into place. You have made it this far which does take a lot of guts! Be kind to yourself, give yourself a break. I hope you find some new reasons to find joy again.....
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So many wonderful women on this board. I'm so grateful. While your messages of hope are meant for specific people, they often apply to and help many more of us, as well. We are not alone.
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there are so many wonderful, supportive Ladies here. Thank you all so much, had a bad day. Was so sick all weekend. You are all great support. Thank you for your support. I wish us all many years!! Hugs....
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Hi, LvinAZ! Remember when we "met" last fall? We were both first diagnosed in spring 2011, and I said we would have a five-year toast spring 2016. It is certainly not the way we wanted be, being stage iv at the five-year mark, but WE ARE STILL HERE. So, let's toast. Everyone, please raise a glass to LvinAZ, and to all of us. Skol! Cheers! L'Chaim! To Life!
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Cheers! Five years? You guys are my heros!
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Salute
This group is going to be my lifeline for the next few months. I feel the genuine concern & empathy from all. Thanks to you all.
LVinAz, glad you are feeling a little better. Being sick takes us down, sometimes stuck there in the basement.
This stage 4 dx is almost at the one month mark. My DH is a total basket case. He says it should be him. ( he is fairly disabled from disk & bone diease. Extremely arthritic) he wants me to go talk with the lawyer, about our will. He gets way too emotional, I am fairly stoic.
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Hello lovely ladies, we certainly have a good reason to celebrate , we are all still here , with the good and the bad. This is certainly something to celebrate , Shetland, Sandilee, Artist, Mattie , and Livn. So i raise my cup to life and to cancer i say like Diana says " not today cancer , no not today" hugs to all of you lovely ladies.
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Doing a speedy look at the signature lines, we seem to have a fair number of lobular gals here.
LvAZ.......image of what the bottle looks like, at my store it is refrigerated with the salad dressing, in produce
Hope the 2nd image does not offend anyone......night all.
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absolutely love that POM juice! Gives a sweet hit when you need it but you know it's good for you. cranberry juice also does the trick and can bite through that yucky metallic taste you get with chemo.
Lvin your sad post really resonated with me and reminded me of the place where I was a few months ago. I remember thinking my life had ended. I thought I was never going to be happy again, I'd never work again and I'd never travel overseas again. Well I've done all three within six months of diagnosis and there are times when I feel almost 'normal' whatever that is.. I no longer wake up in the morning with my first thought bring cancer.Helped in no small part by everyone on here who just get it and the only ones who can truly understand what's you're going through. Well it's after 6pm here and I reckon a good time to crack open a bottle and raise a glass to all if us, so Cheers, bottoms up
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cheers to 5 years
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first of all CHEERS ladies! I'm in ❤
Lvin! I am feeling exactly the same at the moment....intense pain from taxol and neuslasta shots...plus one of cousins came to see me with her 1 yr old son...we were both supposed to get married in december 2013. But i got cancer at the age of 26 so my fiance left me..she got married and now have a cute baby...and im having cancer baby again in major organs with poorest prognosis...i felt so sad and broken...i realized i am not brave either..i cant fight this disease that has taken beautiful time of life and now im going towards a painful death. The pain i get from taxol for 5 days is UNBEARABLE. But i know if i lose hope each day will become more difficult...i just keep reminding myself..a few more days and i ll be fine...thinking about good keeps the harshness of bad at bay.
these ladies are my support system and i turn to this thread whenever i feel down. ❤❤❤ love to all.
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Holeinone I like the 2nd image of POM juice because it has been my savior through nausea and chemo related anemia. Apple juice and POM juice is what I drink religiously during chemo.
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MaryK- have you taken Claritinfor the neulasta pain? I remember that awful pain from neulasta and Claritin helped. Some providers tell you about it, others don't. Don't know why it helps but it does for a lot of people.
Hang in there.
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Cheers to 5 years! I'll let ya'all know when I hit that mark and we can cheer again! Whoop whoop! Mary, I do hope that you start feeling better soon. I can only imagine how painful and difficult it was to see your cousin married with a baby. But you can fight this disease. You can give it the finger for now and try to find something else that will bring you some happiness and sense of purpose. You don't really want to give up and go down without giving it your all. I believe things will get better. Please hang in there......Hugs back at you Woody!
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Dear Mary,
I don't post very much (do not get so much of a response here :-(, but I read every day and updated on all your ladies progress, worries and results. I cry with you, I cheer for you and pray every day for all of you.
Your story really breaks my heart... see I have a daughter your age...
You got a good, very much needed cheering up here and G-d knows I am with the group, but in addition I want to tell you a story, that I posted here almost a year ago and I want you to see that everything is possible and it can be you in the nearest future. This young woman was holding my hand, saying NEVER give up. You should of see her eyes. Please see below copy/paste
"Hi everyone,
I'm in my doctors office, getting my third chemo. Met a woman who just came for 6 months check up with a new born (!) baby. We got to talking and she told me that she came to my doctor from Sloan Cetering where they basically told her Sorry but Sorry, go on hospice get your affairs in order.... She is stage 4, TN with bone mets now in remission and a month ago she gave birth to a beautiful boy! Is not it amazing?!!! Could not wait to share it with you. Wish you all the same happy story!.."
If you you want to talk to my doctor, PM me, he is wonderful
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Ella,
Thanks for the support & great story. Pop in whenever, we need cheerleaders.
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CT tomorrow. Tumor markers were still high for me last blood draw but only one was out of normal range. I have an echo scheduled for end of next week to see if I can receive Herceprin on the 12th.
So lots of waiting and some anxiety.
Best to everyone
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Left foot try to stay busy so you don't think about everything! Hope the CT goes well and all the other tests!!!
Babs
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Leftfoot, TM's in normal range is still great news. It could be a small flare. Mine rose a little too on the last lab and are kind of far off of normal even though my scans were stable. Good luck on the echo, I hope you can start your new regimen. I despise the anxiety that comes with all this.....Babs ir right, just gotta stay busy to distract the relentless mind warp.
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Left, good luck to you and your scan and hope for good results. Anxiety always comes with it , i know it is hard but try to keep yourself busy. I hope all is well with the heart so you can get your herceptin. Hugs.
Artist good cheers and support for everyone always . Hugs and best wishes to you always.
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Thank you Woody, that made me smile!
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Mary, I am so sad that you are feeling so bad right now. It is all SO unfair and senseless that you or any of us have to deal with this. I hope that soon you will feel better physically, and start to find more joy, even in little things. If the idea of being brave and fighting doesn't describe you right now, that is ok. Sometimes the battle metaphor helps people. But other times we simply endure what we must in order to be here for people we love and to experience what good times we can find. What really bothers me about the battle metaphor is when people say that any cancer patient "lost their battle." Excuse me! It is not a fair fight. To lose implies we did not fight hard enough to win. No! We are victorious every time we face the day, every time we offer love to our fellow human beings.
Ellamilana, it's nice to see you again. Please do jump in whenever you can.
Leftfoot, hoping for a good scan report.
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So, you may remember that I am worried that something is going on again with my liver. I would like to ask if you guys have any comments on my symptoms. Have you had any of these while on treatment, and did it mean anything? Before I was diagnosed with a liver full of tumors, I had the following: Reflux, manifested in a hoarse voice and burping a lot. Bloating that came and went; looked pregnant when it was bad. Occasional "tummy aches" in the upper abdomen. Slight bulge below the sternum. Occasional pains in the liver area. Recently I have had all of these again, but they are all milder than before.
My TMs, though in normal range, had doubled on my last blood test. Most recent labs showed TMs down a few points, but still not to my usual. Last PET-CT showed two suspicious areas in my liver, but not dramatic enough to say it was progression. My onc says she doesn't discount my sense of things, but there is not enough evidence to change treatments. She did order a CA-125 test because of the bloating.
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Shetland, I've been feeling a bit like that lately. Some of my original symptoms but milder - breathlessness, bloating, slight nausea, metallic taste in mouth and very grumbly tummy. TMs were coming down for a while but have been consistent, with just slight fluctuations on last few draws. Onc says all these symptoms could be signs that liver is playing up again, or would also be consistent with having been on chemo for a while. So far I've tolerated well but this could be a sign that my tolerance is wearing thin! I'm off to be scanned in a couple of weeks to see what's going on. Let's hope we both get to the bottom of things soon
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