Ibrance (Palbociclib)

Beautiful photos of the PNW!

I can't remember what I've said here, so pardon my repetition. Since Ibrance and Truqap both failed I've moved on to Afinitor. Still getting the monthly shots of Faslodex and quarterly infusions of Zometa.

My tumor markers are climbing, but hopefully this will slow them down. I have a biopsy/FNA of the omentum on 8/14. I think they'll try to get samples and re-check the hormone receptor status. Next PET scan should be the middle of September.

I'm doing OK. I'm tired a lot, but I think we all are.

Stay safe, cool and rested, everyone.

Love to all,

Carol

Thanks , all ! I'm a bit north of Maury ;) and my island is a direct ferry from Seattle yet has a bridge to head West :)

Downsizing is HARD ! I know this but I'm surprised at how attached I am to some stuff (dishes, art work ) but we are doing fine ….. the view really helps !

@sunshine99 - thanks for the update . Hope this treatment works great to kick the cancer back.

I hope everyone is staying as cool as possible - seems like heatwaves all across the country .

@threetree thank you :) we had a nice view of fireworks from a distance at Burien or Normandy Park on the 4th at one of their waterfront parks from what I could tell. There are so many pretty places to live.

@chicagoan - life IS good, indeed :) love that your work included sermons and working at a Journey concert :) please keep us posted on your scan in a few weeks . Cycle 100 - gives us all a lot of hope !

sf-cakes-Love it!😂

Thanks Aprilgirl!

Aprilgirl1 I love your view.

Hi ladies, I'm trying to remember who's had Cataract surgery here, and what precautionary measures they had to take before and/or after. Do I need to be off ibrance or the Aromatase inhibitor ( Arimidex in my case?)?? I had it done this morning on my tight eye.

@brutersmom thanks for the reply. About medical care, I'm actually already on both the steroid and antibiotic eyedrops. I just wanted to know if you personally took any extra precautionary measures. No worries though 🫂🤗💕

@wren44 hey wren44, good to know. Thanks for the response. So far, so good. Surgery was yesterday and my vision is already so much better. Hope you're doing well. Lots of hugs to you 🤗

Hi all, I had my Cataract and corrective eye surgery last Wednesday but the blurr that covers your eye thereafter has been quite massive. Mercifully its clearing up nicely. Every morning I wake up and I can see better than yesterday. Today I realised I can read motor vehicle number plates from a distance, something I haven't done since waaay back, I think 1989 when I realised my eyesight was bad. Now I don't have to wait for the Uber to drive right up to me so I can peer inside, squinting like a proper grandma, to ask "Are you here for Rose?" I'm really pleased and praying/looking forward to my new world.

This picture is me in the operating theatre. The Opthamologist, who is my high school alumni and friend to date, gives her patients a cuddly toy to hug during surgery. It helped coz although you cannot see it in the picture, I was hugging the little guy really tight, close to my stomach/chest, underneath the blanket. Especially when I felt the pressure during the procedure.

Now I just have to get round to the knee replacement sltho the knee pain has eased up since I went back to taking the loratadine every night. When I stop the oain returns.

@brutersmom are you still doing Ibrance 2 weeks on/2 weeks off ?? I'm trying 2 weeks on/1week off coz I kept feeling some activity in my armpit and LHS breast (original site of tumour). That got me worried voz I read that the ibrance has a 7 day half life. This is me spending my time worrying right 🥴🤭 .

Wishing you all a blessed day. Love and hugs 🫂 🤗

Rosebessie , thanks for the update - thankful you are doing well and how wonderful to be able to see better!
I am flying home from helping/visiting my parents for 6 days . I got a lot accomplished . They are on the brink of needing some caregiving help but refuse to let anyone in :/

I go in tomorrow for blood work and faslodex . I've been in Palm Springs which is way too hot right now but it was good to see my parents . Hope everyone is doing ok !
@sunshine99 - let us know how you are doing .

Rose that’s wonderful you got such great care and know your physician. Stuffed animal is a nice touch. Nice for you to see better. My mom told me after her cataract surgery she didn’t realize how much her vision was impaired until she had the ability to see clearly again.

Take care all

Tanya

@brutersmom those are great markers. I'm happy for you altho i understand your anxiety about changing meds. Maybe you can go with the doctors recommendation and then revert if the new drugs have bad side effects? That way youll have given this new therapy a chance, and..... who knows......!! Just a suggestion in good faith 🤗🤗. I'm yet to get my left eye cataracts sorted and vision corrected, but I hope to get the knee done when that's over, unless my body is not in a good place. Thanks for the heads up

@aprilgirl1 how was the bloodworks and treatment? With MBC each day is different.

@sunshine99 did you get the Biopsy date changed? You're in my thoughts and prayers. The down times of MBC are always very heavy. 🙏🙏

@tanya_djamila LOL!! That suffed animal made a huge difference to how I handled the discomfort during that surgery. I hugged him very tight 🤣 @brutersmom ,it belongs to the Opthamologist clinic but I'll borrow one from my grandson when i go to get the knee done 😉😉

@divinemrsm thank you. How's your treatment going?

Right now I'm headed to physiotherapy to get advice on how to exercise the bells palsey drooping face altho it's improved a lot. I'm hoping the exercises will give me a face lift 🤗🤣🤣. Just kidding 🤭!!!. It happened about 3 months ago and left me devastated but I feel better about it now. The Neurologist explained the possible causes (depression, anxiety etc) and Iwas able to identify the exact events that caused it at the time..… family issues. I'm trying to move away from them and their negative effect on my MBC journey. You ladies here have helped my journey in ways you do not know.

Love and hugs to all.🤗❤💕

@Rosebessie - thanks for the shout out ;) hope the PT is helpful and the Bell's palsy starts to go away! How's your vision after the eye surgery?

My fulvestrant shots have been easy for me . I feel fortunate as I know that isn't the case for many people . Neutrophils came in at 1.20 which is really high for me after a week off of Ibrance. Last month my neutrophils were .86 . Who knows why they were higher this month ? I'll take it :) my onc allows me to restart Ibrance if my neutrophils are above .80 since I've not become sick / had issues due to temporary low white count . Since having my blood work and fulvestrant in the afternoon my white blood count and neutrophils have been consistently higher .

@sunshine99 -I hope you get your biopsy sooner ! Also hope you are feeling ok . Let us know .
@brutersmom - I have less side effects on fulvestrant compared to femara, which I took for almost 7 years for stage 1 breast cancer. My side effects were mainly joint pain . It went away for the 5 years I was off. Joint pain came back with the fulvestrant but not as bad.
@Divinemrsm - hope you are doing well. I read in another thread that you have slight progression show in your petscan . I am sorry - I read your onc wants to radiate and stay the course . I do think that it's more common now to "whack a mole" progression if possible and not pivot to new meds . Is there a spot they can get a new biopsy ? Or have a signatera or blood biopsy ? Hang in there and pls keep us posted.

Hope all of you are doing as well as we can be!

When I post , I try to tag individuals but usually only the first @ actually tags …slightly annoying.

Sunshine, time can seem to take forever to get to those appointments. It is nice when some of them can be grouped together on the same day. Thinking of you.

Rose and April, thanks for asking about me. Here’s what I posted on the bone mets thread:

My recent ct/bone scan showed possible activity in the spine, so a pet scan was ordered. Results show the spine lit up in a couple areas and also showed a slightly enlarged lymph node in my neck.

My CA15-3 marker has been rising since last fall. For several years, it hovered around 20, then last September, it began rising about five or ten points every month. Now it is at 84. 

I’ve been on Xeloda since March 2020. Last October, I had surgery to get a rod put in my femor due to an impending break. There was a cancerous lesion to the bone; it was radiated several weeks after surgery. Up till then, I’d been getting an IV of Zometa every three months for at least ten years, but after surgery, the orthopedic surgeon said I should take a break from Zometa for awhile. Now my onc wants me to go back on it. I need to get dental clearance before I do; I see my dentist tomorrow.

The onc says since Xeloda has worked pretty well up till now, she wants me to keep taking it, have the spine areas radiated, and start back with the Zometa; then scan again in two months to see if that’s containing the progression. I am okay with this but of course bummed out and worried with this latest development