Hello everyone, this is the first time i have used the forum, basically I was first diagnosed in 2002 age 34 with breast cancer and have had several recurrences, but just found out I now have bone mets and small tumour on liver, still in shock, but would love to hear some positive stories just to give me and my family some hope to cling to, i am usually a very positive person, and can’t quite believe how calmly i have taken the news so far, but not sure if thats because its not sunk in yet. much love to all you ladies out there fighting this battle x x x
Hi hayle, just bumping this up for you, hopefully you will get some answers from our lovely friends on here, I can’t give you any answers but would like to welcome you to the forum, take care love junieliz x
Hi Hayle
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It is always shocking to have this type of news.
I was diagnosed with bone and liver mets in 2008 when I was 42. I have two areas in my spine and one in my pelvis. At diagnosis I had two liver mets, one has completely vanished and the remaining one is small and stable on the edge of my liver. My last bone scan showed that bones have improved also. I have had chemo. I am now on herceptin, tamoxifen and pamidronate.
When I was initially diagnosed I was frightened, then I went into denial for a while. As time has progressed I have come to terms with my diagnosis and now live a normal life. I still have bad days. I still work full time as I enjoy it.
There are lots of women with secondary BC who have been living with it a lot longer than me.
People generally feel better when they have a treatment plan in place. Do you know what treatment they are planning for you.
Alex D
Hello Hayle, I only have bone mets but have been having treatment/medication for over 12 years now. There are so many new drugs out there. It comes as a great shock at first but it all takes time to get your head round it. We have a close circle of friends on here and we are here to help you through it all. I had an operation 2 weeks ago and am recovering well, if not a little slowly for my liking! You will see other posts from people with secondaries and you are welcome to come in to say hello there too. from Val
Hi Hayle,
Welcome to the forum, but really sorry about your latest diagnosis.
I was dx’ed with bone mets with primary, in June 2009 and then 2 liver mets in April, 2010 (more details see my profile). My bone mets are still quite active but only scars left in liver after 6 cycles of FEC.
I’m now on my 3rd chemo Xeloda and apart from tiredness, feeling relatively OK and am still working part time.
Hope you have a treatment plan in place soon. I’m sure you will feel better once the cancer is being dealt with.
Please feel free to ask any questions. Sending you a hug and some positive wishes. xx
M
Hi Hayle
Another welcome from me and also to say how sorry I am about your diagnosis. We do all understand how you feel as we’ve all been through it ourselves. I have bone mets which were dx in 2008 and after an initial course of 6 FEC chemo have been getting on with my life pretty much as normal. I hope you find out your treatment plan soon as I certainly felt more in control when I knew what mine was going to be. Keep in touch on here, there’s a lot of us secondary ladies living with secondary BC. There is also an ‘inspiring stories’ bit in this part of the forum which may help you as well.
Nicky x
Hi Hayle,
sorry you have had to join us, I have had bone mets since April 2010 and liver mets since December 2011. I obviously found my original diagnosis devastating. But as others have said, I have accepted it as being ‘unknown’ rather than life threatening, due entirely to encouraging stories on here. I continue to work part time too. Val has already responded , she is my bone mets inspiration and I’m sure Marilyn will be along too, she is my liver mets inspiration, as she has lived with them for 8+ years!
I won’t deny that I have black moods, when I worry about my husband and my son, but most of the time I feel great and enjoy life.
Take care xx
Hi Hayle
Another one in the same boat here - had bone mets dx with bc from the word go in Dec 08, have gone along very nicely for two and a half years on Arimidex which has now failed and last week was told I had several small liver mets. Going onto Taxotere next week and hoping it will blast them into oblivion - also taking lots of encouragement from other ladies on here who have been doing well for years.
Take care
Lesley x
Ladies thankyou so much for responding with such encouraging news, the plan for me at the mo is, chemo tabs, thre weeks on week off, (capecitabine) then zometa every three weeks and radiotherapy to hip area… like a lot of you girls, I worry so much for my husband and children, but Im trying to focus on enjoying our lives together, sure it will all seem better once they have more control of the pain. once again thankyou for your suppor. take care x x x x
Some encouraging news - I had really bad hip and upper arm pain and was put on Zometa - all pain went in 5 days; am now having it 4 weekly and pain is under control.
Good luck with capcitabine - my worst SE was very sore flakey feet but Flexitol helped alot - hope you get on well with it.
I’m now trying to get liver mets under control with steroids and Tamoxifen to lower oestrogen - seems to be working but I’m very breathless; has anyone else had this side-effect?
Take care all
Fran
x
I am glad you have your treatment plan sorted Hayle, it sounds very similar to mine, I have only just started chemo at the end of August, I have also begun capecitabine, after the liver mets continued to grow and I have exhausted all of the hormones.
I too have Zometa, it has been every 4 weeks since July 2010, but has recently been changed to 3 weekly to fit in with the capecitabine. I too don’t have any bone pain at all since starting Zometa, in fact my bone mets appear to have stabilised and when I had to have surgery on my hip, the consultant commented on how surprised she’d been to find how hard the bone was, she commented that the Zometa must have been working it’s magic!
Hope that the treatments work for you with minimal side effects!