Hi folks
I was diagnosed Friday before last with lung mets, a true bombshell,must admit I am in denial most of the time - especially as I was just about to return to work after 11 months (primary BC last May). I am starting Gem/Carb - first dose this afternoon and a cycle of two on and one off. Have had Valium at the moment to help me sleep and just get through the day generally - but know I can’t stop on this forever. BCN has been a great help too as worried re. salary finishing soon on top of everything else.
Lala land seems the place for me at the moment definitely!
Sookie
Dear ladies, Forget the statistics. They just don’t know. I talk from experience. I was given a 50% chance of surviving 2 years and that was in the year 2000. I don’t have lung mets but I do have extensice bone mets. I had a 10 year gap from original diagnosis so was truely in shock when they told me how bad it was.
Going of on another tangent. Have you young ladies applied fro Disability Living Allowance. Your Breast care nurse or McMillan nurse should be abe to help. You can also apply for a Blue Badge which makes it easier to park the car if you are struggling as it gets you nearer the door.
I am sure this is all the last of your worries right now but you should apply for DLA assp because it can make a huge differnce if you are worrying about paying the bills. DLA is not a means tested allowance.
I wish you al the best in your future treatments. Val
I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago (triple negative) and had mastectomy, radiotheray and chemo. I have just been diagnosed with secondaries to lungs and liver. Obviously, it was a complete shock. You think things are going well and then suddenly it decides to come back!! Initially, I couldn’t stop crying but now I have started to get my strength back and get ready for the next battle. I am at the moment waiting to have a biopsy taken on Friday which will then take a week to get the results back. It’s the waiting that is the worst. I feel that the cancer is just inside me wreaking havoc until I start treatment. Has anyone else felt like this? I also find that I am coughing more and more and sometimes get very breathless, which is quite scary.
I am trying to take control myself and have been re-reading the Anti-Cancer book and Jane Plant’s books to refine my diet so that I can make myself as strong as possible especially for the chemo. Would be very interested to hear other people’s experiences.
Rawlie
Hi everyone,
Had my first set of chemo taxotere on Friday and Picc put in. Forgotten what it was like with chemo 1st week when your stomach just gets bloated, feeling uncomfortable at the moment. Mind you I am drinking alot of fluids tho.
I did however go back to work on Monday fulltime and still there today which is an acheivement in itself for me. Had my first side effect blow my nose and had a nosebleed. Never had one before.
Does it get any better or does it get worse. Having an offish day today sorry to just blog.
Love Nuttytart
Hi Rawlie
I too had bc in 2008 and have been diagnosed with lung mets in Dec 2011. Started witha silly little cough that would not go away. I now have a grough voice as tumour on vagal nerve which affects voice vibration. (so i’m told). Have had 3 x taxotare that did not shrink tumour so now on xeloda and cap so lets hope this lot does some good.First cycle of these tabs knocked me out so this 2nd cycle has been cut by 20% and so far I dont feel too bad. One more cycle after this then a scan to see what is going on… its a bit of a waiting game, take care everyone xx Chris x
Hi,
After seemingly waiting for ages for biopsy results, the oncologist said they were inconclusive. So they have decided that rather than trying to get a biopsy from my liver which means more waiting, when there is only a very slight chance that the cancer will have changed, I should start chemo as soon as possible. So last week, I had my first one - taxol and avastin. It’s hard having to accept going through chemo again. But luckily, this time I’m not feeling nauseous as I was really ill with FEC last time.
As I can see, everyone seems to be given different combinations of drugs. Do they just keep try different ones until they find the ones that work? It’s very confusing.
I have been suffering quite badly with my cough. I get really breathless at times. It really limits what I am able to do. Has anyone else found this? And did you notice improvements quite soon with the chemo?
Rawlie
Hi,
After seemingly waiting for ages for biopsy results, the oncologist said they were inconclusive. So they have decided that rather than trying to get a biopsy from my liver which means more waiting, when there is only a very slight chance that the cancer will have changed, I should start chemo as soon as possible. So last week, I had my first one - taxol and avastin. It’s hard having to accept going through chemo again. But luckily, this time I’m not feeling nauseous as I was really ill with FEC last time.
As I can see, everyone seems to be given different combinations of drugs. Do they just keep try different ones until they find the ones that work? It’s very confusing.
I have been suffering quite badly with my cough. I get really breathless at times. It really limits what I am able to do. Has anyone else found this? And did you notice improvements quite soon with the chemo?
Rawlie
Hi Rawlie
re the drugs.I suppose they use the ones that they know works best for each type and place of cancer. I was on tax with primary bc that shrunk my tumour so was put on tax again for secondary lung c. I had 3 sessions and then a scan. The tax did not shrink the secondaries but just held it in check so onc decided to change to cap and xeloda. Just starting my 3rd lot so will have a scan in about 3 weeks to see if it has worked. I have a cough and always seem to be trying to clear my throat, I also find it hard to talk because my voice has been affected and I talk with a ruff voice. I only get breathless if I rush about so have learned to do everything at a slow pace. Improvements re chemo, not yet, my voice is what I go by and it hasnt changed.
tqake care
chris x
Hi Ladies,
Like Chris has said everyones cancer is individual to themselves, my treatment plan went x 1 FEC then found secondaries to lungs so changed to x5 taxotere with herceptin, surgery mx with lymph clearance then rads x3 weeks now currently on tamoxifen/heceptin combo, the tax shrank everything down to tiny and classed as stable, like I said everyone is different and has different pathology my path is ER+ HER2+ PR-, I have never had a biopsy on my lungs as the mets are to tiny to be able to perform such a procedure I view this as a godsend as I am too scared to have this done anyway, so far virtually symptom free a part from the ocassional feeling of pressure on my chest (which I’m not sure is to do with the mx rather than the mets) a cough in the morning time and of course the understandable emotional up and downs. I do get breathless if I rush about but like chris has said I have learned to take things slower and stopped racing around so much.
Rawlie - I think it is a case of finding a treatment combo that works chemo really does work my primary lump went from a wapping 6cm to 2mil after chemo I had neo-adjuvant chemo first before surgery to shrink everything down so that the surgeon could get clear margins around the lump, he believes he did this.
Hope this helps
sending you all love and light
sarahlousie xx
hi all so glad i found this website. i was orig dx feb 2008 lumpectumy , 6 months fec and 30 rads , 4 years clear had clear mammo in feb this year but had am mri and small light came up , turns out tumoure reocured in my scar line. had a ct scan and found a few lung mets , no one knos whether the lung mets are from the first btumour 4 years ago or the new one. i am currebtky 10 sessions through of taxol and avastin. the plan is to look at situation once chemo has ended. is is uaual to remove tumour and chemo. i have found it very hard knowing this thing is still in my breast and i have another 8 sessions to go. also may look to remov ovaries.
thanks for any advice
louise