Please talk to me.

shawna
shawna Member Posts: 29
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
The reason I am here is because I went to the Metastic cancer page, which is hardly existent and followed "Tiger" here. My grandmother, a fighter, had thyroid cancer when she was 25 and was told she would live 6 months. 30 years later she had primary breast cancer AND a primary lung cancer at the same time in 1987. Nothing had spread and she had surgery, right upper lobe of lung removed and five weeks later right mastectomy. Well, about three weeks ago, we found out she has lung cancer again and it has wrapped around her spinal colum. No one is on the lung cancer boards, and me and my grandmother are both fighters and I need to hear from someone who is too. Stage IV lung cancer is not good but she is ready to fight. Oh and for a story to uplift, my other grandmother had Lymphosarcoma at age 42. They gave her NO chance. She did every treatment, stayed almost completely bald, but went into remission and never came back out. She died at 62 of clogging of the arteries but died still in remission. Never give up hope. I am only 27 but two years older than my grandmother was shen she started fighting cancer. I just really need to hear from someone with hope. I understand if you don't let me in. I will try the lung cancer page again, but you all sound like the fighters. Good luck to all of you.

Comments

  • jeancmici
    jeancmici Member Posts: 665 Member
    Hi Shawna,

    The breast cancer section is a busy one - and I can't imagine anyone from this nice group not thinking you would be welcome.

    Lots of optimism here even in people with matastatic problems.

    Welcome - the weekend is slow - you should get some replies Monday and good luck to your grandmother. She will be in our prayers.

    Jean
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    jeancmici said:

    Hi Shawna,

    The breast cancer section is a busy one - and I can't imagine anyone from this nice group not thinking you would be welcome.

    Lots of optimism here even in people with matastatic problems.

    Welcome - the weekend is slow - you should get some replies Monday and good luck to your grandmother. She will be in our prayers.

    Jean

    Hi Shawna. Welcome! Anybody and everybody is welcome here! We'll all do our best to help you in anyway we can. We may not be able to answer your questions but maybe we can direct you to the best resources. As Jean said, the weekends are slow but will pick up on Monday. Your grandma is a fighter! I will pray for her improvement. Keep in touch! Cathy
  • mommy2twinz1
    mommy2twinz1 Member Posts: 38
    cruf said:

    Hi Shawna. Welcome! Anybody and everybody is welcome here! We'll all do our best to help you in anyway we can. We may not be able to answer your questions but maybe we can direct you to the best resources. As Jean said, the weekends are slow but will pick up on Monday. Your grandma is a fighter! I will pray for her improvement. Keep in touch! Cathy

    Hi Shawna,
    I am new to this breast cancer thing but I have found great support from the people on this board. I pray you will find the support you need as well.
    Tracy
  • leanne_00
    leanne_00 Member Posts: 36
    Hi Shawna,
    WELCOME to our group!! Everyone is nice hear and we do not turn anyone away. Some of us may not beable to help but we can sure pray for you and your grandmother. Good luck and stay positive. My prayers are with you both. Many hugs to you Leanne
  • tiger
    tiger Member Posts: 277
    leanne_00 said:

    Hi Shawna,
    WELCOME to our group!! Everyone is nice hear and we do not turn anyone away. Some of us may not beable to help but we can sure pray for you and your grandmother. Good luck and stay positive. My prayers are with you both. Many hugs to you Leanne

    HI Shawna, I am glad that you "followed" me here. This ;site is wonderful and so are all the fighters on it. I think you should just go to our web pages and read them to get our full stories.
    I love all the ladies on here, but the two that have inspired me the most to continue the fight are Brenda Dean and Pam Triggs. They have had a never ending supply of problems ,but continue to fight with all their might. Your grandmother will be in my thoughts and my prayers. Cancer is really just a mind game, you have to out think it and stay ahead of it. It has been a long journey for me personally, but I am not giving up.
    Fight the Good Fight!!!
    Hugs to you
    Tiger
  • pamtriggs
    pamtriggs Member Posts: 386
    Dear Shawna
    I have stage 4 mets to lungs & spine & am still fighting. There are so many new treatments coming on line that it is only a matter of fighting with what is available until a new treatment becomes available that will be our salvation. Right now I am pinning my hopes on Glivac which has just been given FDA approval. I am waiting for it to become available here in New Zealand & I will be first in line for trials. Your grandmother is obviously a fighter & with a loving granddaughter like you she has every chance to beat this **** once again. You are both in my prayers. My love to you both. Pam
  • shawna
    shawna Member Posts: 29
    tiger said:

    HI Shawna, I am glad that you "followed" me here. This ;site is wonderful and so are all the fighters on it. I think you should just go to our web pages and read them to get our full stories.
    I love all the ladies on here, but the two that have inspired me the most to continue the fight are Brenda Dean and Pam Triggs. They have had a never ending supply of problems ,but continue to fight with all their might. Your grandmother will be in my thoughts and my prayers. Cancer is really just a mind game, you have to out think it and stay ahead of it. It has been a long journey for me personally, but I am not giving up.
    Fight the Good Fight!!!
    Hugs to you
    Tiger

    Tiger,
    One of the reasons I "followed" you to this site is because you sound a lot like my grandmother. She too was a young mother, 25, the first time she had cancer and when the doctors gave her 6 months, she said "like hell". She had my mother to raise and she swears that that is what helped her fight the cancer. That was in 1957, when cancer "treatment" is not where it is today. I have a great deal of hope because I come from survivors and that is inherited for sure. Whether all the cancer is or not is just irrelavent. We all have to fight for ourselves, our loved ones and for a cure. It is out there, we just have to find it. You all are in my prayers. Thanks again.
    Shawna
  • shawna
    shawna Member Posts: 29
    pamtriggs said:

    Dear Shawna
    I have stage 4 mets to lungs & spine & am still fighting. There are so many new treatments coming on line that it is only a matter of fighting with what is available until a new treatment becomes available that will be our salvation. Right now I am pinning my hopes on Glivac which has just been given FDA approval. I am waiting for it to become available here in New Zealand & I will be first in line for trials. Your grandmother is obviously a fighter & with a loving granddaughter like you she has every chance to beat this **** once again. You are both in my prayers. My love to you both. Pam

    Pam,

    How long ago were you diagnosed? My grandmother is stage IV, lung of coarse, and the tumor has wrapped around her spine. They suspect medialstinal lymph node involvement but did not operate so they are not sure. She is handeling chemo really well, she is doing Cisplatin and Navelbine also having radiation. It is so nice to talk to people who know what I am talking about. I wonder if the Glivac works with lung cancer? She will do what ever it takes. We live in Texas and M.D. Anderson is a great hospital but we don't have time with all the radiation/dr. appts and chemo to get down there and find out what they have to offer. Did everyone here get a second opinion? I lost my other grandmother to a doctor's stupidity and am worried that it will happen again. Do you have any advice? Anyone? Well, thanks for the response. Yall are all such inspirations and I am so glad I found you all. Your in my prayers.

    Shawna
  • shawna
    shawna Member Posts: 29
    pamtriggs said:

    Dear Shawna
    I have stage 4 mets to lungs & spine & am still fighting. There are so many new treatments coming on line that it is only a matter of fighting with what is available until a new treatment becomes available that will be our salvation. Right now I am pinning my hopes on Glivac which has just been given FDA approval. I am waiting for it to become available here in New Zealand & I will be first in line for trials. Your grandmother is obviously a fighter & with a loving granddaughter like you she has every chance to beat this **** once again. You are both in my prayers. My love to you both. Pam

    Pam,

    How long ago were you diagnosed? My grandmother is stage IV, lung of coarse, and the tumor has wrapped around her spine. They suspect medialstinal lymph node involvement but did not operate so they are not sure. She is handeling chemo really well, she is doing Cisplatin and Navelbine also having radiation. It is so nice to talk to people who know what I am talking about. I wonder if the Glivac works with lung cancer? She will do what ever it takes. We live in Texas and M.D. Anderson is a great hospital but we don't have time with all the radiation/dr. appts and chemo to get down there and find out what they have to offer. Did everyone here get a second opinion? I lost my other grandmother to a doctor's stupidity and am worried that it will happen again. Do you have any advice? Anyone? Well, thanks for the response. Yall are all such inspirations and I am so glad I found you all. Your in my prayers.

    Shawna
  • pamtriggs
    pamtriggs Member Posts: 386
    shawna said:

    Pam,

    How long ago were you diagnosed? My grandmother is stage IV, lung of coarse, and the tumor has wrapped around her spine. They suspect medialstinal lymph node involvement but did not operate so they are not sure. She is handeling chemo really well, she is doing Cisplatin and Navelbine also having radiation. It is so nice to talk to people who know what I am talking about. I wonder if the Glivac works with lung cancer? She will do what ever it takes. We live in Texas and M.D. Anderson is a great hospital but we don't have time with all the radiation/dr. appts and chemo to get down there and find out what they have to offer. Did everyone here get a second opinion? I lost my other grandmother to a doctor's stupidity and am worried that it will happen again. Do you have any advice? Anyone? Well, thanks for the response. Yall are all such inspirations and I am so glad I found you all. Your in my prayers.

    Shawna

    Dear Shawna
    I was diagnosed with metastaic disease nine months ago. I have had a lot of ups & downs with treatments and new tumours coming up all the time but now seem to be stable. As I am eostrogen positive I have been treated with Tamoxifen - which failed after 6 months and am now on Megace. If this fails I will have chemo. There is no cure for stage 4 but with luck with treatments life can be extended comfortably for up to 20 years. If I can extend my life as long as posible I know a new treatment will be found for me & people like your grandmother. You just have to have faith & be strong & have support like I get here.Tell your grandmother I am root ing for her & that she must fight for her life. My prayers for you both. Love Pam
  • marianneollie
    marianneollie Member Posts: 6
    Shawna, Hope you and Grandmother are still out there and doing well.
  • keighly
    keighly Member Posts: 1
    pamtriggs said:

    Dear Shawna
    I was diagnosed with metastaic disease nine months ago. I have had a lot of ups & downs with treatments and new tumours coming up all the time but now seem to be stable. As I am eostrogen positive I have been treated with Tamoxifen - which failed after 6 months and am now on Megace. If this fails I will have chemo. There is no cure for stage 4 but with luck with treatments life can be extended comfortably for up to 20 years. If I can extend my life as long as posible I know a new treatment will be found for me & people like your grandmother. You just have to have faith & be strong & have support like I get here.Tell your grandmother I am root ing for her & that she must fight for her life. My prayers for you both. Love Pam

    I have a sister in law which has been told she has maybe 6 to 12 months to live, she has lung cancer,tumors in and around her ribs plus they detected two small lesions on her brain. She has undergone radiation for two weeks with no success on reducing the brain lesions. She will start chemo for the lung cancer and tumors this Friday. She is in terrible pain right now and I just would like to be able to really be there for her. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to help her through this? I have watched my father and sister die of cancer and although I stayed with them through everything I felt useless. I didn't know how to talk to them. I didn't want them to think I had given up but I wanted them to be able to tell me what they wanted but I was afraid to ask because I felt it would be admitting to them I had given up hope. Please help me to help my sister in law cope better than I did my father and sister.
    Thanks