Dear Smartie: I just signed into this new group when I found it was quite up to date. I am so sorry for all your bad luck with treatments and diagnosis's. I am somewhat like you, this is my second cancer Stage 4. I was good for 14 years and now almost 4 years since recurrence. I had lots of hormone therapy in the beginning until I was told I needed to start chemotherapy systemic treatment. I was so bummed and started Taxol with Avastin. Combo was fine until lately with me getting very depressed, sick after treatment with vomitting during and after diaherra, which are side effects of the treatment. You see, and probably know, the more treatments I have make me less tolerable of the Taxol and Avastin. It is starting to be too strong and will see doctor on Nov. 7 and see if we go forward with more treatment. I want to decrease the taxol a little more and keep Avastin. You see I was diagnosed with tumor in my eye also. My eye doctor saw it when I went in for new prescription for reading glasses. Tumors in the eyes really wake up the doctors. Before I knew it I was sitting with an Oncologist Opathamalogist in Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. I was sent there by my doctors in La Crosse, WI. Anyway, Dr. at Mayo said, yes there is a growth in the Orbital rim/bone. He said we could do a biopsy, but could cause damage to the eye. He said I also could "wait" and see., come back in 3-4 months to see if the tumor shrunk from the Avastin which is one of the drugs in my bag of tricks, or I if it got bigger would have to consider radiation. I returned in 3 months, that was a couple of weeks ago, and doctor said he had good info, it was like a miracle happened, the growth had shrunk significantly and was no longer a threat at this time. My doctor could not believe it, my husband was also surprised as he was hoping for no growth, which would be a tie ballgame. Me, like I said, closet thing to "a miracle", it was like God placed his hand on my eye and has started to heal it. And I know I pray alot to God and have had lots of luck thru this horrible sickness. I was thankful for that, but continue to have other side effects. Bad constipation and vomitting as I build up to getting off Taxol. Avastin I need as that is the only drug that could have reached the bone blood barrier of the skull to know that eye tumor on its but. Also sometimes I forget people like you, and forget about all the others of us that continue to take chemotherapy with the hope maybe, just maybe, that new drug is coming shortly to cure all of us. I hope your radiology went good and I hope it will shrink the tumor and help with your sight again. But you might ask your onocoligist about Avastin to see if it is an options for you. Thinking of you and others like "us" everyday. God Bless you and your family. Prayers also.
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