Breast Cancer Care Forum

Misty11, Where In the US are you from? This is a fantastic place for info and friends. If I can be of any help give me a shout. FF ... View more

Misty, I live in the US, too. About 30 miles west of Philadelphia. I have lung mets. They were discovered10 years after my primary. I have had them for 14 1/2 years. Due for a scan later in Feb. Hugs and best wishes, FF ... View more

I did so well with that surgery. It was two years ago. For me it was the best thing ever. I hope if you have it that it works as well for you! Best wishes!  It's called kyphoplasty! Just noticed my post from before changed the name of it. Good luck! FF ... View more

Daylightdancer, I don't know if you know, but I live in the states. My operation was same day surgery.They did plan on me staying bc of my lung mets. They came in after surgery and let me go home. I had no pain when I left! FF ... View more

Daylightdancer, Get an MRI of your back. My vertebrate broke at T-11 & T-12 after having hiccups for an hour. They had to pin it and cement it. Called kyphoplasty. Pain free afterwards. FF ... View more

Hi Rachel, I haven't been on much and just saw this. I had a lung biopsy done through my back 14 years ago. I was given a mild sedative but was still awake. I still could feel them getting me prepared so they gave me more. I didn't feel anything after that and was still awake. No pain whatsoever. Good luck!  FF ... View more

Hi Cape Ladies! Cape worked for me for 2 1/2 years. I would say the last 3 months of it was trying to stretch it out a bit longer. I didn't have much of a problem other than the soles of my feet discolored. They kind of turned a red/Brown and were sore once in awhile.   My evil drug was gemcitibine! It is the drug that lowered my white counts and I had to have an injection of neulasta every month. I did gem for 10 months. Then one day we were out of town and I was gasping for air. We thought it was the sudden end of me. It was a toxic reaction to gem. Had to come stop it and went on O2 for about a month. They gave me about a 2 week break from treatments then started palbociclib. I had a friend who took one dose of gemcitibine felt lousy, went to our local hospital. He was then air lifted into Philadelphia with internal bleeding that the local hospital couldn't get stopped. Always go get checked if you feel really lousy! You never know what SE you could be having.    Good luck ladies! ... View more

Maggie and all. October is my favorite because I love the colorful leaves, pumpkins, gourds, and fall flowers. I like sweatshirt and jeans weather. Although today it was 95° F, here. I cleaned and finally got in the attic and got out my Halloween and Fall decorations. I was supposed to do it a couple of weeks ago and didn't get it accomplished.Cleaned out all my flower pots with annuals in them, brought in my herbs and went shopping for pumpkins, gourds and mums (fall flowers). All finished.    I took pumpkins, gourds,and flowers to my grand daughter. She will be 22 months soon and doesn't call me anything. One day I got her to call me nana and then she went and got a banana. Today when I stopped I said grandmom brought you a pumpkin, gourds and flowers and she said Nana and touched and wanted picked up. I guess I'm officially Nana! F2F ... View more

Maggie, I'm sorry you had one of those awful nights!! Believe me I still have them too! That's when I do my best cleaning! Lol, I'm upset and I throw things away better then! I refuse to let this blasted disease to dictate who I am. Smile and have a better day!  It's my favorite month so I have reason to smile! FF ... View more

Got the swelling down and had a fabulous time! Thanks Anne! ... View more

Thanks Sarah! I will keep the antibiotic info in mind if they start oozing. When they oozed years ago the Dr never gave me anything.  Today's dilemma. My eyelid is swollen from my my lashes to my eyebrow! I've been putting warm compressions on it to bring it to a head. No luck. Calling the eye Dr in a couple mins. Last week the same eye had a broken blood vessel. I have a big event to attend tomorrow evening with a new outfit to surprise hubby. Not going to look nice with this eye and no make up. I will be happy if we can get the swelling down. FF ... View more

Thanks Maggie and lovemama, I have shown them to my GP and oncologist. Both said to keep them short and one said to put nail hardner polish on them. I've already doing that. Both said there is no fungus and to try to keep them dry when possible to avoid fungus. I do my own manicures and pedicures to avoid infections. FF ... View more

Anne, It's OK. I figured nobody is having a problem. They just look ugly! They break real easy. Can't scrub out a pot or they break. Hubby gets to scrub the pots. FF ... View more

Does anyone have lifted fingernails? I had them years ago when on a chemo called abraxane. They got so bad that they oozed and smelled. Six months after stopping abraxane and they were back to normal. My nails have been lifted this time for over a year. Just when they look like have one or two sealed back down I will get a red line across them and they do it again. They don't ooze and smell this time. They are also very thin. My toe nails were fine the other time and this time. I keep them short and do my own manicure and pedicures. I don't want to take a chance on any germs. Looking for suggestions. FF ... View more

Dan, I'm glad the replies helped! There are a lot of treatments in the drs little black bag and new ones coming! Also, if your side effects are severe they have many things to help counter act. Don't suffer needlessly, ring your oncologist if things are tough. When I start a new treatment I stop at the pharmacy and make sure I have supplies to help with stomach and intestinal issues. I stop at the store for some comfort foods that are easy on me. Better to be prepared than need something and have to go out shopping with a bucket in hand. Good luck! FF ... View more

David, Thanks for responding to Dan. I wanted to respond to you, too. I took palbociclib and letrozole for almost two years. That combo did wonders for me. My lungs had a lot of ground glass opacity in them. This combo cleared it out! I breathe better than I had in years. This combo stopped working in May 2017. I felt fine but supposedly something my lungs started to get some ground glass opacity, again. I'm on E &E, now. I have been on it 2 1/2 years. I actually don't think the palboclib quit working. I go to see my oncologist in Nov. and want to talk to her about it. Nobody has mentioned the ground glass since. At one point she told me she thought it was dead cancer cells.    Palbociclib weakened my leg muscles. I didn't realize how much on stairs that I was pulling with my arms to get up, until I went shopping. I went to step up on the curb and couldn't get up. I tried several times. I had to move to where there was a sign and hold onto the pole. I then started doing leg exercises. I can step up on the curb now and try to go up a few steps without pulling. I noticed the other day when shopping and trying on clothes that my calves are completely flat. I really have no calf muscle. I know other ladies that this happened, too. Letrozole killed my knees!   By the way after 14 years of this plus breaking my back I still work PT as a caregiver. Best wishes! FF ... View more

Welcome Dan! I wanted to pop in here after reading your story. I want to give you some hope! I was 41 when I had primary breast cancer. I had two cancerous tumors on one side and a benign tumor on the other. They said by the size of the largest it could have been growing for 10 years. I went through the whole normal protocol and 10 years later at 41 it had set up camp in my lungs. They told me it wasn't an immediate death sentence but said I probably only had 2 years. Well here I am 14 years later from my Mets and turning 65 in Oct. The best advice I can give you is keep on moving and enjoying your family. You are entitled to your tears and fears, but don't let them take over you!! I can't promise you what your journey will be like, but I want to give you hope for more than what they said. If you have any questions feel free to ask. You might not get answers right away from me bc I'm from the USA. I'm about 30 miles west of Philadelphia, PA.  Hugs, FF ... View more

Jackie, I'm sorry you have this shock and we all understand. I do not have bone mets, I have lung mets. The good pert of it coming back after such a long time is that it is often a slow growing cancer. Let's hope yours is. I had my breast cancer at 41 and it took 10 years for my Mets to show up. I turn 65 in Oct. Soon will be 14 years. Lol it's been so long I was adding wrong and thought this was going to be 15! Nope 14! I hope some bone mets ladies come along soon to give you some advice. I just wanted to welcome you. FF ... View more

I have not heard of this, but very interested. I will have to Google it. I don't have an oncologist appt til Nov, but will put it on my list of questions. Thanks! Please let us know what else you find out. FF ... View more