Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Metastasis Survivor's stories

Please sent your story; inspirational quotations, jokes and songs for others to share.Where others can benefit from your journey.I would like to compile stories from metastasis survivor's stories who are now positively embracing and appreciating life. Please submit your stories and poems to me via email. sunflower_heng@hotmail.com
I never dreamed that I would have a web site to help others. I wish you the best for optimal health.

The wisdom, courage, and experiences of these survivors are invaluable for all of us, and we thank them for sharing and giving all of us hope for the future.

I saw your post on the Breast Cancer On-Line Support website concerning metastatic cancer. I find it hard to deal with right now. I had breast cancer in the left breast in '92. Mastectomy, AC, tamoxifen. Just as I was getting off tamoxifen, I had mets to the spine in two places. Radiation and femara. Was doing fine until I had a new primary in the right breast last spring. Excisional biopsy, re-excision, mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy. Only one node positive. Now it is in the lymph nodes under the arm. Will this never stop. Had CT, PET, bone scan. No bone metastases, but in two places in the lymph nodes. I will start taxol and carboplatin. HER negative so no herceptin. Actually I feel fine. A lot of people will not give me any sympathy because I look and feel so good. There is a big tumor, though. This is a tough time. I am interested in hearing about people wh

I am becoming a big fan of vitamins and herbs. I put aloe straight from the plant on the tumor. I hope it helps. Also bought some reishi mushrooms and maitake or hen-of-the-woods mushroom.

I would be interested in hearing from you. One of my problems now is not blaming the doctor. It is so easy to blame the messenger. The medical oncologist has been great. I spoke to a radiation oncologist about the possibility of radiation. He was the one that did the spine radiation. He wanted to do radiation with surgery first to remove most of the tumor. That did not sound like a good option to me. My oncologist talked to him and we decided to do chemo. Last night I was at a support group meeting at the center where the radiation oncologist works. He gave me some looks that I interpreted as dirty since I did not choose his therapy. Also the social worker was less than sympathetic. I think they were both pissed that I did not choose their therapy. What an attitude! I guess we are all human.

I would be interested in hearing from you. This is a work e-mail so I do not reply on weekends. Also, we are moving and I will be offline until next Tuesday.

Susan Dillman
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002
E-mail: Dillman.Susan@epamail.epa.gov

Hello my name is Kelly Lowther & I'm 28 years old

I was 25 when first diagnosed with breast Cancer, I had to have a Mastectomy of the left breast and chose to have a reconstruction at the same time as surgery. Because I was very petite at the time I had to have an implant that
was ' Pumped up ' to stretch my skin. I was very pleased with the result and after 4 weeks of surgery showed the reconstruction to about 30 women & their husbands in a talk with my surgeon. As the cancer had affected 3 of my lymph nodes I had 6 weeks of Radiotherapy followed by 6 months of chemo, this was 2 and a half years ago. I went a year without any reoccurrences.

Then started to get back ache, the cancer had spread to 2 parts of my spine, which was blitzed with a further course of Radiotherapy, then it spread to both hips, also a cell had appeared in my left eye! all of which was treated with further radiotherapy. I have just finished my second course of chemo called Taxotare, apparently my cancer does responded well to treatment which is good. As the chemo drug also attacks the bone it weakened my left hip
which eventually snapped, 6 weeks ago I had a dynamic hip screw fitted, I am now back at work in London, driving and doing everything im my power normal.
I am now taking the chemo table 'Xeloda' as a few 'hot spots' have been found in my liver. The hospital are very pleased with my progress as am I.
I do have my off days, but more so I stay very very positive and am determined to fight this thing all the way, it is now three years since first being diagnosed.
I do wish the very best for all the brave ladies out there and do hope that my story will be of some inspiration to you.

Lowther, Kelly
Thu, 22 Aug 2002 13:12:02
k.lowther@WES.GDST.net

 

Barbara Bradfield, a forty-eight-year-old with a recurrence of breast cancer in her lungs.

Helen Davidson

I was diagnosed in June of 1996 with invasive ductal carcinoma. I had 3 mammograms before...they were always "negative" for tumors (dense breasts) . It took 3 months before I finally got someone to tell me to get an ultrasound, then needle biopsy was positive. I found my breast tumors in the shower. Hence, I encourage my family and friends to get their mammograms and do SELF- EXAMS.

In July my chemo of FAC was given 4 tx prior to surgery (tumors way too large in my small breasts to do mastectomy first). I was extremely sick from the chemo. I had to be hospitalized twice as my white counts went down to 0.5 . I was finally able to have surgery ( modified radical mastectomy) in Nov. 1996. My tumors were 6 cm and one was 7cm. I was staged at 3b. They were very aggressive and fast-growing. I was Er/Pr- . No tamoxifen. Her2/neu tests were not done then...herceptin not yet in use.

I had a hysterectomy 2 years later (at least it wouldn't metastasize to my ovaries.) However, in Dec. 1999 counts were rising each month and I was having trouble breathing--had respiratory tests, lung CTs -- Nothing. Finally in May I found a small lump in my neck (supraclavicular recurrence as revealed by needle biopsy). Previous to my onc doing something about the neck nodule, she put me in hospital for complete work-up. Routine CT of brain revealed a massive tumor in my brain. I had absolutely no symptoms except poor memory and I just attributed that to the stress from ending of school year (I was a teacher). Had brain resected of a 6cm tumor. Next was full brain radiation for 6 wks.

Three months later my surgical scar was still not healing and coming together properly---had more surgery . A few weeks later diagnosed as having a staff infection and had to be hooked up to vancomycin drip twice a day for 2 hours.
Herceptin was now in full use, so onc obtained tissue from 1996 breast surgery. I tested extremely positive for the Her2/neu protein. I was put on herceptin and taxotere.

Nov. 2001 MRI revealed another tumor in brain (7mm). Had stereotactic radiosurgery at MD Anderson. Next scans I had done revealed small lesions in lung, kidney, and liver. I was placed on regimen of Herceptin and doxil.

Fortunately, next scans showed NEGATIVE in those areas! Jan. 2002 reveals 5 very small (5-6mm) lesions in brain. Given the oral chemo called Temodar for brain tumors. New scans revealed Temodar worked!!

I am married to my high school sweetheart---28 years.
I have one son, Ryan, who is 19. I am 48 and was a teacher for 24 years. Unforunately I had to take a medical disability due to the loss of memory / loss of my equilibrium from all the chemo, brain surgery, and brain rads. I feel cheered when I go back to school to volunteer. Except for my permanent loss of hair and "nerve-ending" headaches I feel "normal".

MOTTO - There is not a cure for metastatic breast cancer, however, I must not lose faith, but keep fighting so that when a cure is found (maybe tomorrow) I will be ready for it. I am determined to fight a nd keep a positive attitude!

email: helendav@msn.com
Updated 4/21/2002
Nickname Helen
Hobbies collecting recipes, enjoying nature, reading

Dawn Brimm-Carmichael

Hello, my name is Dawn Brimm-Carmichael and I'm a 40yr old young woman diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Dec.98 and metastasized in Dec 01 to the Liver.
I have been doing treatment every Friday since and receive my scans every 8 weeks, the latest report is theres no new growth. The Drs. call that STABLE, I need more than that and were being as aggressive as we can.

Enough on that, I wake up every morning and thank GOD I have another day. I believe that once you face the fact you could die soon then you can start Living, hearing the wind sing it's lovely song, hear the trees talk there sweet language, the laughter of children can be so joyous you weep at the sound.

I appreciate everything 10x more and thought I was Living prior to this affliction on my body, little did I know I wasn't even experiencing real Life until now. Laughter plays a major role in Life, and in my life presently it's the grease that keeps the gears moving. Love is another contributing factor to a well life not this artificial stuff the real unconditional love that most of us are searching for our whole lives. I have been very blessed with all those that I've mentioned in the last 31/2 yrs and cherish it.

Always let those in your life know what they mean to you with lots of love, Hugs, Kisses.

E-mail: gypsiedawn@msn.com

Dawn


Rubyred-Susan

Hi! My name is Susan, nickname, (Rubyred), I have been asked to tell my story, now I might have done that already! so Ignore me if I have!

I was 41 years old when I first found a lump in my left breast, I can remember thinking at the time, no, it couldn't be, I am too young! Well, what a wake-up call that was! Cancer doesn't care about your age or anything! I had a lumpectomy, followed by 6 months of chemo, then 7 weeks of radiotherapy. The surgeon who did the operation said I had a 95% chance of it never coming back. I basically put it out of my mind, although I had to have check-ups every three months.

Nearly three years ago I started to get these horrifc spasmns in the lower part of my spine, like when I tried to get off the couch, the pain only lasted a few seconds, but I would scream with the pain. At first they thought it was a urine infection! but they happened again and I was sent for a bone scan.

It came back with a mass of cancer at the base of my spine, and in the right pelvic area, I went into deep shock! after all, I had been told that I had a 95% chace of it never coming back! I was sent to the major cancer hospital in Melbourne for radiotherapy on the right hip and my lower back, and after that, they were trying towork out a pain relief system, it took about 8 days for that to happen, and I felt alright. I was put on the Disability Pension, and my world in a way came crashing down, I had a job that I liked, I drove a car, and more important, I had bought a house only about 5 months before hand, and it seemed in a split second every independant thing that I had was taken away from me. That is one area that I found the hardest, more so at the time than the cancer.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I went on the best way I knew how, mainly through positive thinking, meditation, and a good sense of humour! But over the last nearly three years, I tried to act like it wasn't there, I went on to paint my house! still did gardening, but gradually I was getting more pain, so I was having a lot of bone scans till we got to the point were we decided to stop them, as the cancer had spread nearly everywhere. At the moment my left pelvis has two fractures in it, and I am surposed to bring my bed down from upstairs, yes! I bought a double-storey house! something that I had always dreamed of! But I can't do it, and I am still going up and down the stairs!

There is nothing else that can be done now, I am on a lot of drugs to kill the pain, I have an infusion of a drug called, "Aredia", every three weeks, and they are trying me on a new chemo tablet called, "Xeloda", I take it for two weeks, then have one week off, the idea being, to try and kill some of the cancer cells in my bone marrow, so my red and white count will come up. the first round, I got to the tenth day and ended up in hospital with an infection, but I feel pretty good at the moment, because in another four days I have actually made it to the two weeks! I have been really calm for the past two and a half years, but in the last month or so, I am finding that I am getting grumpy and depressed, I surpose that is normal, I don't know. I have told my story more in depth as Florence wanted to compile stories of us survivors, we are not all the same, and we are going to have different reactions to everything that is put in front of us, but I think if we can care and share our stories, it just might make a difference for other ladies that are going through this.

I do hope I haven't rattled on too much! but as usual, I have been awake since 5a.m on Friday morning! I wish the best for all you ladies out there, it is a hard road, but I think we are pretty darn special!

E-mail:bugsy345@hotmail.com
From the Little Aussie Battler,

Susan.

Suzie passed away on Wednesday the 6th of November, 2002 at 5:15pm, peacefully, in her home surrounded by myself, my two brothers and her dearest friends. As you may well know my courageous mother faught an eight year battle with cancer, but maintained her spirituality, love and dignity until her last gentle breath.Suzie was a very special and inspirational person to all those who knew her, she will be sadly missed but never, ever forgotton.

metastasis support Links

 

 

Click here for "Free-for-All-Links Page" so you can leave your URL on my Website!

 

   Join METASTASIS BREAST CANCER SURVIVOURS    
 MSN Groups

View My Guestbook Free Guestbook by Guestpage Sign My Guestbook