CT Scan results...bad news

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Gabe N Abby Mom
Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
in Breast Cancer #1
CT scan was yesterday evening, my onc called this evening. The Xeloda isn't working and the cancer has spread. You may recall that when the mets were found, cancer was in two lymph nodes between my lungs. At that time there was so little cancer the nodes were not even swollen.

Those nodes are now "enlarged" along with a few others nearby. The CT scan doesn't reveal exactly how many nodes are now effected because of the way they are clustered. When I pushed the onc he said probably 7 to 10. I really hate this BLEEP BLEEP disease.

So I'm to stop the Xeloda immediately and will start weekly Taxol infusions, they'll begin the week after Thanksgiving. I don't have an exact date yet. With weekly IV's and weekly lab work, I'm seriously considering a port. It's one of the questions I didn't think to ask when I had the doc on the phone.

There is a little good news...I also had my weekly visit with the nurse to care for the open wound. The wound continues to heal slowly and is now measuring less than 3cm in all directions (we started over 4 in all directions).

The nurse also had a funny story to share with me about another patient. This woman had a recent bilateral mastectomy and had 4 drains (yikes!). As usual, the patient was taken to an examining room and given a gown to put on. When the nurse came back into the exam room, the patient opens her gown wide to reveal 4 of those pesky drains taped to her belt. The patient then says "I'm the unibomber!"

Hugs,

Linda
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Comments

  • mom62
    mom62 Member Posts: 604 Member
    #2
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    Sense of Humor
    Hi Linda,

    Sorry to hear about your results. It's good to see you've kept your sense of humor though. That's what gets me through as well. I haven't been on in a while. I don't know what kind of wound you have but have they considered a KCI vacume? I had one when my incision wouldn't close and it worked well. You look great in your luncheon photo. I'm sorry you are going through all this but we are here for you. I had recurrance in 2009 and have bone mets. I just got over an infection IV meds for 5 1/2 weeks. I understand where you are coming from and hope your new treatment with the taxol works. Praying for you.

    Terry
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #3
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    Linda,
    I am sorry the xeloda
    Linda,
    I am sorry the xeloda wasn't working for you. At least there are still a lot of options left. Taxol isn't that bad. I did 12 weekly infusions with out the port. Come to Campbell, the lab techs I work with are one stick wonders! (I don't know how your veins are, I have ropes!)
    I love the unibomber bit! That nurse must have some great stories. I would love to have a nurse like that.

    Well, here's to Taxol getting rid of the beast!
    Just remember, you are not alone in this,

    Cindy
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #4
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    mamolady said:

    Linda,
    I am sorry the xeloda
    Linda,
    I am sorry the xeloda wasn't working for you. At least there are still a lot of options left. Taxol isn't that bad. I did 12 weekly infusions with out the port. Come to Campbell, the lab techs I work with are one stick wonders! (I don't know how your veins are, I have ropes!)
    I love the unibomber bit! That nurse must have some great stories. I would love to have a nurse like that.

    Well, here's to Taxol getting rid of the beast!
    Just remember, you are not alone in this,

    Cindy

    Linda,
    You know we are your biggest supporters, sending loving prayers that by Christmas time you will be finally receiving the great news you so deserve. Go Taxol... lets kick some a**..


    Hugs,
    Lorrie
  • ladyg
    ladyg Member Posts: 1,577
    #5
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    Linda
    I am sorry to hear your news. At least if one drug isn't working well there are options to use others. I will keep my fingers crossed that the next one does the trick.

    Hugs,
    Georgia
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #6
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    mom62 said:

    Sense of Humor
    Hi Linda,

    Sorry to hear about your results. It's good to see you've kept your sense of humor though. That's what gets me through as well. I haven't been on in a while. I don't know what kind of wound you have but have they considered a KCI vacume? I had one when my incision wouldn't close and it worked well. You look great in your luncheon photo. I'm sorry you are going through all this but we are here for you. I had recurrance in 2009 and have bone mets. I just got over an infection IV meds for 5 1/2 weeks. I understand where you are coming from and hope your new treatment with the taxol works. Praying for you.

    Terry

    Terry we have talked about
    Terry we have talked about the wound vac, but have decided against it. Mostly because I continue to make slow steady progress, the doc isn't convinced that the vac would help me heal any faster. And also because I work and the vac is just plain inconvenient in that situation.

    The wound is from a re-excision to remove a local recurrence, like you the incision didn't close. It's slow to heal because that tissue had aggressive radiation.

    Thank you for the prayers, and I hope you've recovered from the infection.

    Hugs,

    Linda
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #7
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    Thinking of you
    Denise

    Thinking of you

    Denise
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #8
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    Thinking of you
    Denise

    Thinking of you

    Denise
  • jennytwist
    jennytwist Member Posts: 896
    #9
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    disneyfan2008 said:

    Thinking of you
    Denise

    Thinking of you

    Denise

    Keeping you in
    my prayers - thank goodness for other options. Thanks for sharing your port story - made me laugh - makes me remember when I had those drains in - not fun at all!!
    -You take good care and know we are all here for you.
    Jenny
  • Texasgirl10
    Texasgirl10 Member Posts: 668
    #10
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    jennytwist said:

    Keeping you in
    my prayers - thank goodness for other options. Thanks for sharing your port story - made me laugh - makes me remember when I had those drains in - not fun at all!!
    -You take good care and know we are all here for you.
    Jenny

    I'm sorry to hear this
    Im so sorry that the med wasn't working. I'm with you, I hate this &@#€*>¥ disease! You are in my prayers daily Linda . Keep staying strong girl, you can do this.

    Hugs & much love,

    Dawne
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #11
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    Linda
    sorry the results of the ct scan were not better. You are right to hate this disease. It sucks when the scans keep on giving not so good news! I will keep you in my prayers which seem to be going all the time lately.
    Personally, I would get a port. For me it has been amazing, but my veins suck!

    Hugs to you,
    Carol
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #12
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    Texasgirl10 said:

    I'm sorry to hear this
    Im so sorry that the med wasn't working. I'm with you, I hate this &@#€*>¥ disease! You are in my prayers daily Linda . Keep staying strong girl, you can do this.

    Hugs & much love,

    Dawne

    Linda...
    I am so sorry to hear this news....I always follow your posts and progress, as we both are triple negative dealing with a recurrence and both on Xeloda...This just sucks! I too hate this BLEEPING disease as we all do....!!!! Please know I think of you and your family, often,,,,you are in my thoughts and prayers... I go for my scans on Nov. 28....and I am scared that the Xeloda isn't working for me, either....although the manually felt nodes have gotten much smaller...but we never know what surprises and not good ones, await us inside, that only scans can show....

    My best to you, along with my prayers....
    Nancy
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #13
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    Bad CT Results
    Oh Linda, I am so sorry to hear about your CT results. You have been through so much already. It just is more than any one person should have to bear. I am sure your family is heartbroken. Just what one needs right before Thanksgiving. That you continue to work through all these treatments is admirable. I found implanting a port to be one of the best decisions I made during my 16 rounds of chemo. I have tiny invisible veins and that much poking would have been a nightmare. It made each infusion and blood draw that much less difficult.

    My thoughts are with you and your family. Please let us know how you are doing.

    IRENE
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #14
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    jessiesmom1 said:

    Bad CT Results
    Oh Linda, I am so sorry to hear about your CT results. You have been through so much already. It just is more than any one person should have to bear. I am sure your family is heartbroken. Just what one needs right before Thanksgiving. That you continue to work through all these treatments is admirable. I found implanting a port to be one of the best decisions I made during my 16 rounds of chemo. I have tiny invisible veins and that much poking would have been a nightmare. It made each infusion and blood draw that much less difficult.

    My thoughts are with you and your family. Please let us know how you are doing.

    IRENE

    Damn .. cancer!!! I am so so so very sorry, Miss
    Linda. I can not pretend to know what heartache you are going thru right now, but I do know that you are a STRONG, NO NONSENSE - WARRIOR and what ever this %#^## cancer throws in your direction ... you will PREVAIL!

    Gentle hugs, prayers and positive thoughts coming your way ..

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #15
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    VickiSam said:

    Damn .. cancer!!! I am so so so very sorry, Miss
    Linda. I can not pretend to know what heartache you are going thru right now, but I do know that you are a STRONG, NO NONSENSE - WARRIOR and what ever this %#^## cancer throws in your direction ... you will PREVAIL!

    Gentle hugs, prayers and positive thoughts coming your way ..

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #16
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    Double Whammy said:

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #17
    Options
    Double Whammy said:

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #18
    Options
    Double Whammy said:

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #19
    Options
    Double Whammy said:

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #20
    Options
    Double Whammy said:

    NO!!
    I'm very upset about this. It goes without saying how much.
    Sending hugs (big bear hugs), prayers (intense and loud), and only thinking positive thoughts. It's time to circle the wagons and move on to Plan B. How I wish Plan A had been effective.

    Love,
    Suzanne

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #21
    Options
    dyaneb123 said:

    Hey Linda
    I havn;t been posting much, much I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your news. I hope the Taxol does the trick.
    Hugs
    Dee

    Dear Linda,
    Sorry for the
    Dear Linda,
    Sorry for the news but it's great to see you can see have a sense of humor. I know you are a warrior and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
    God Bless.
    Hugs,
    Wanda

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