Its so hard waiting like you said you thought you would find out sooner rather than later, 3 weeks will fly by, time seems to move swiftly I cant believe I just had my last Chemo for the foreseeable future. Trying to keep my spirits up by going out for a walk or swimming, I am an artist so I do have that to help my mental headspace, I also meditate, and use crystals for healing, failing that try your local macmillian centre for support at my local centre they provide excellent complementary therapy including counselling, reflexlogy, cranial massage, acupuncture, herabalist etc all these things are a move in the right direction and really can lift your soul and can make you feel better which all helps in the bigger picture.
So just finished chemo YAY and now moving onto surgery in Sept Mx with lymph node clearance. I have been given Tamoxifen to take for 5 years, my question about Tamoxifen is I understand the SE can cause weight gain and hot flushes, I am already really suffering with hot flushes and finding it difficult to deal with so does anyone have any tips for dealing with Tamoxifen SE. I have been told Sage tea is quite good for hormonal balancing and for the hot flushes, has anyone else heard of this??? Also does everyone gain weight from taking Tamoxifen??? and any hot tips with this one??? I will also be on Herceptin indefinately but so far touch wood have not had any SE on Herceptin.
Any advice anyone can give would be most appreciated, I am pretty scared about the surgery also the fact that I have no more chemo (got to get over the chemo to have the surgery) but that means no treatment so bit scared about 6 - 8 weeks on nothing other than Herceptin, although throughly looking forward to growing my hair back.
Thanks as always for being here to listen and help.
Love and light to all of you
Sarah xxxxx
Hi Sarah, I have just finished tax chemo, well had last poison 7 days ago, my Onc has told me I will not be able to have herceptin when I have my MX,I think I will be starting Letrozole soon.I too am worried about not having Herceptin for several weeks, she also said I won’t be able to have it through 3 weeks of rads.I have worked out it could be about 10/12 weeks ! Its a worry I could do without but at least I know I am not alone, we seem to be similar in treatment .
Jean
Thanks for responding and yes it does seem that we are at a similar stage as well as dx, I also have my surgery sometime yet to be confirmed in september, but they are keeping me on Herceptin for the duration and I have been told I to start taking the Tamoxifien (cause I am pre-menopausal age 43) in a months time but make sure that I stop taking the tablets 2 weeks before the surgery because of the worry of thrombosis. My onc is keeping me on herceptin so not sure why you are not going to be on herceptin throughout the op!!! They have not decided about the rads yet so not sure if I am going to be getting any rads. It is a worry being without treatment for what seems so long.
Apparently this is quite a normal reaction to treatment being stopped, so take heart you are not alone and anytime you want to off load or talk just send me a PM it is good to talk I know we are all different and have various SE but at least when talking to the women on the forum means everyone sort of understands what we are going through.
I’ve been following the thread as I to have secondaries in my lung. I was wondering if anyone has heard from Val who started this thread. Valif you’re reading this I hope you are well and I’ve pm’d you
I was first dx with br cancer in Feb '07 it was stage 1 and no lymph node involvement. I had a lumpectomy and 15 rads. Unbeknown to me it started with really bad back ache. Had loads of xrays and finally ended up full of fluid. Couldn’t breath and in condgtant pain. It took 6 months to dx me with secondaries to the pluera. Had 3 fec and 3 tax which kept thing stable, but I had a node in growing in my lung now. Having another scan on the 14th Aug and see onc on the 18th to decided whether I need to go back on chemo. I have lots of unexplained lumps to the side where the effusion was which causing all the pain.
Hi Ladies, just had to share my good news with you, The Ct scan I had at the end of my Tax chemo has shown my multiple lung mets in both lungs have been reduced to one ! its so small its not measurable, I am so happy, I also had a good response in my breast and lymph nodes too. So its been hard and unpleasant having chemo but at least its been worthwhile,
Hope everyone is well
Jean. xx
Hi Laura, I only know that the one that is remaining was 6mm and that was the biggest, now its so small it can’t be measured all the others were tiny but I was never told how big they were, and they have gone altogether now. I am hoping I may now be considered for cyberknife as they only treat mets if you have 3 or less mets, before I had too many.
Jean
Oh thanks I’ve only 2 or maybe one now as my last scan one was 4mm I’ve never been offered cyberknife but id also like to have a try I’m Beeing treated at the Marsden I’m not sure but think they will be using it there in the summer can u kp me updated if u get any where many thanks Laura
Tillybob - I’m so very very pleased for you Jean, congratulations on the chemo working so well, i have never been told how big my mets to the lungs are they just said it was multiple to both lungs but after my CT they have been significantly reduced leaving 3 or 4 under half a cm or so, I really hope the tamoxifen/herceptin combo will blast them out of my lungs.
Laura64 - Jean is right they only perform cyberknife on mets of 3-4 or less, so sounds like you could be a contender for this treatment. I would also like to have this treatment if I can reduce the mets with more treatments, as well as the alternatives I am trying.
Welldone ladies on your fantastic CT results long may it continue and good luck with the cyberknife.
Hi everyone, So pleased the chemo is working for some of you, great news. I have one tumour 12mm in my lung and I was put forward for cyberknife, I am at the Marsden, initially when they fust saw my scan they said I would be ideal candidate and would benefit from it but they needed to see another Consultant as my tumour is right next to the heart and between them they decided it would be too risky. I was disappointed but understood what they were telling me. So definitely worth a try as It can destroy the tumours. I am on letrozole and have been for 2 years and my Professor is happy as it is keeping me stable and there are lots of other treatments if and when this one gives up.
Hi Bertie, thanks for your post, I will be starting Letrozole very soon so I am happy to hear it is keeping you stable, gives me encouragement, I am also continuing with herceptin for as long as I need it.I really feel positive for the first time since Dx in Feb,
Best wishes Jean.
Im ok. Just finished 18 taxol / avastin chemos nd now waiting for scan results to plan what next. Not even sure of my options but Im sure they will tell me!!! So walking round with crossed fingers, legs nd toes!!
Hi all, just got back from the oncologist and the recent ct scan has showed a thickening on the lung,It’s in the pleura, so not in the lung. I only finished chemo in June, her gut feeling is that it has returned, now due a biopsy next week to more than likely confirm it, she has taken me off leterazole and has put me on aromasin. Can’t help but think that this really is bad bad news. anyone else had this??
Hi Jill - You must be very worried! I hope they do not keep you waiting too long! Hugs.
I had scan results on Monday and the Taxol / Avastin is no longer working. I had 18, so did well (pat self on back) but I wanted it to CARRY ON WORKING!! Anyway, the good news is it has not gone anywhere else, still just in my lungs.
So - I start Carboplatin on Monday. Has anyone else been on this? Would love to know what it is really like?? My Onc said it is often tolerated better than taxol and it will be nice to have chemo once every three weeks again, rather than weekly.
Sadie I had Carboplatin ,it was in combo with Tax , I was told it was less harsh than Tax but can’y really say as both given together, I was told you don’t loose hair with Carboplatin.
I know its a very effective drug, lots of Lung cancer patients are on it too.
I really hope you get good results with it,
Jean x
and now moving onto surgery in Sept Mx with lymph node clearance. I have been given Tamoxifen to take for 5 years, my question about Tamoxifen is I understand the SE can cause weight gain and hot flushes, I am already really suffering with hot flushes and finding it difficult to deal with so does anyone have any tips for dealing with Tamoxifen SE. I have been told Sage tea is quite good for hormonal balancing and for the hot flushes, has anyone else heard of this??? Also does everyone gain weight from taking Tamoxifen??? and any hot tips with this one??? I will also be on Herceptin indefinately but so far touch wood have not had any SE on Herceptin.