So it has been a pretty shocking couple of weeks! I have been having some blood tests to investigate some symptoms (I thought IBS and fatigue/ aches from tamoxifen) which have showed elevated levels. I was referred to the gastro clinic, but after my most recent blood test result I was taken into hospital urgently 2 weeks ago for high calcium. After a CT scan and liver biopsy when I was in hospital they have confirmed the cancer is back in my liver and pelvis. I started on chemo (paclitaxel) last Thursday and will be having that weekly. They are waiting for the biopsy results for histology before deciding on additional treatment. It has been a hell of a thing to get my head around… I am still in shock and processing!
The hard thing to get my head round is that I was told my primary breast cancer last year was caught early, not spread etc… and now this! It is a struggle to see how this has happened.
Trying to stay positive though and focus on treatment and blasting these nasty cells.
It would be great to hear from anyone in a similar situation.
I am so sorry to read your post, I wish I could offer you some positive advice, unfortunately I don’t know enough to advise you,
I have had breast cancer twice, both times causing problems which I found hard to understand, how so many things could go so wrong.
As you said it’s so hard to get your head round all the different issues that arise, I did fine my breast cancer nurses were knowledgeable, kind and helpful, also you can call the nurses on this site 0808 800 6000 at anytime
My experience sounds similar to yours miss_eclair. My original diagnosis of breast cancer was almost exactly 1 year ago. It was picked up at screening (ILC ER+, HER2-, 40mm, no lymph node involvement) I had WLE, 6 rounds of EC (my Oncotype score was marginal but I decided to go have chemo to be on the safe side) and then radiotherapy. 2 days after finishing treatment I had an excruciating pain in my right side (the affected side) and was sent to A&E by my GP to check for pulmonary embolism or pneumothorax. I had a CT scan of my chest which, on the periphery, showed multiple liver lesions. A scan of my abdomen, followed by a liver biopsy confirmed that it is metastatic breast cancer. My oncologist describes my situation as very unusual which doesn’t really make me feel any better. He told me that, without treatment, my life expectancy is 3-4 months. Quite a sobering thought. I am 67 and was looking forward to getting on with the rest of my life after 9 months of treatment and, instead, I am now on more treatment to try to prolong my life. I had already started on Letrozole so Ribocilib has been added to that and I will have a scan in December to see if it is working. I am quite a positive person but I am finding this really hard to come to terms with when, a year ago, I was being told that it had been caught early, all I would need was surgery and radiotherapy and hormone therapy. My biggest worry then was the side effects from Letrozole for the next 10 years!
Having said all of that, I am determined to make the best of life. I am grateful for all the research that has enabled the development of drugs like Ribociclib and am aware of how much it is costing the NHS to keep me going! There wouldn’t be much point in that if I didn’t live my life as fully as I can.