How long have you been Stage IV?
Comments
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Hi everyone, a month ago I was looking forward for the summer - I was traveling overseas for work for 3 weeks and I felt I had really good energy. I came back home to find out that my estranged sister was diagnosed with stage iv de novo breast cancer while I was away (she turned out to be negative for genetic mutation, weird right?), so coming back to talk in these circumstances has been strange and tricky. I live 5h away from her by car and I would like to go with her to the main appointments, so that's going to be a lot of driving for my back.
A few weeks later, my mother in law discovered a mass in her breast that so far seems very suspicious. She's done a biopsy and we have an appointment with the oncologist next Tuesday.
Me and my husband were making plans for a quiet summer, enjoying the fact that we live by the sea. I also had plans to get my half-brother to spend a week with me. But it seems like it's going to be a summer in the city, with lots of medical appointments for me, my sister and my mother in law. I hope I can find breathing space in between the stressful moments - I feel like I'm seeing a really bad storm heading my way. I'll be off from work the next 10 days and I hope I can take a few days to go to the beach before I hit the road for my PET/CT on July 30th.
Thank you for reading and I wish you a kinder summer <3
Much love xx
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I'm sorry for all these difficult family news. I am a primary caregiver for my parents, especially my 86-year-old father who has many health problems. Of course we want to do our best for our loved ones, be there for medical appointments, shopping, various treatments...and in all of this we forget ourselves, even though we are also impacted by the illness.
I had to learn to let go on certain points concerning my family. I arranged for home visits from nurses every 2 days and so I feel a little relieved from the stress that these situations cause. Above all, don't forget yourself, be a little selfish sometimes to enjoy the indefinite amount of life time that remains to us, which is still impacted by our treatments and their side effects.
This is just my opinion, but my quality of life is also important (my husband keeps telling me that).
I hope you will still be able to spend a few pleasant days of holiday by the sea.
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@radiation_cinderella Oh, my! I am so sorry to hear about your mother and sister, and that your summer plans have changed so drastically.
As @soldanella pointed out, please remember to take time for yourself, which can be very difficult but also very important.
I will be thinking of you on July 30. 🙏Hugs, Pam 💗
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@livinglifenow Pam, Great news that you are still NED! I’m glad you are having a great time camping! Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!
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@ssales13 Stacey, I am thinking of you and wishing you well. 🙏🤗
Hugs, Pam 💗
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Hi Pam and everyone! Pam, so happy to learn you are doing so well and enjoying the summer!! Hoping your NED status continues for a long long time. ♥️
I am on a new treatment line Fulvestrant and Truqap (started this week) along with Xgeva still. Just had a baseline PET done, a little progression but not enough to derail my sense of health. Praying the Truqap gets everything under control and stable.
Having a nice summer so far. Have a new grand nephew who is so cute. Heading to Fire Island late August.. my happy place.
Stay cool, calm and out of trouble all!
xo juliana2 -
@eddiej Juliana, hope you get to spend a lot of time with your new grand nephew. Babies are so precious, and holding a sleeping baby always calms my nervous system.
Also wishing you many years on your new treatments. I will pray that the Truqap knocks that cancer out cold!
Enjoy Fire Island in August. It’s wonderful having a happy place.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Hugs, Pam 💗2 -
Thank you so much @soldanella & @livinglifenow , apologies I didn't respond to your kind messages sooner. My sister had to go to the ER at a nearby hospital twice the past few days because of unbearable pain in her legs. Turned out at the end that cancer in her back bones are pressing on nerves. She will do 5 sessions of radiotherapy + strong pain killers.
Also the biopsy results for my mother-in-law came out, and it is indeed breast cancer. next: PET/CT to see what will happen next.
Next week is full of appointments, all cancer related, for me, my sister and my mother-in-law.
Theoretically, I know I have enough on my plate and I should take care of myself, but that's the tricky part as my sister doesn't really have a support system and doesn't ask for help. I don't know how to set boundaries in a sensitive way, especially that I'm worried she would disappear again…very tricky to come back into each other lives under these circumstances, when I've changed drastically that past 5 years since we were last in each other's lives.
Thank you for listening <3 and I hope you have a beautiful weekend :*
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My thoughts are with you. The next few days will be very emotional for you, and you’re doing the best you can with all your heart.
I’m sending you positive energy.
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Right now, about 9.5 years at stage 4.
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@finallyoverit thank you for posting. That’s great news and I hope you are feeling well. I am at 21 months with stage 4.
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You are very welcome, @ssales13. I count my stage iv diagnosis as January 2017, even though I wasn’t technically diagnosed until May. I went around and around with a primary care doctor for a while. My surgeon told me that if we had waited another week, just 7 days, to operate, I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Thankfully I had a gut feeling and contacted my MO. He’s the one who ordered the MRI and found the growth around my T10. I was 42 when I was dx as stage iv.
I live a pretty normal life. So much so, I can count on one hand the number of people who know I have cancer, let alone that it is stage iv.
My MO calls me “a medical miracle”. I just say I’m stubborn and I have things yet to do in this life and refuse to give into it. I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing healthcare, and an MO who believes me when I say something is off. My MO could tell me to go stand in traffic and I’d do it. I trust him that much.5 -
@finallyoverit Oh wow! I’m so glad that you followed your gut and you are feeling good and living life. I’m thankful when people get on here and post that they are doing well. It gives me and others hope that we will too. I hope you have a great day
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I've been stage 4 to my bones for 5 1/2 years. I'm greatly blessed!!!
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