Stage IV with mets, are you in the boat with me??

Marsha Mulvey

deanerick said:

hi ....same passenger here in houston texas
I thought md anderson is the best place for me but unluckily chemo gave up on me. been diagnosed in june 2008 stage 3 and recurrence in january 2010 with stage iv, no hope for radiation, no hope for surgery and no hope to cure. I don't know what else they can give me. I will have appt. to my research doctor this end of this august. My tumor is growing and from my last ultrasound the it hasn't spread yet. but it hurts and sad what would happen next.
We keep fighting and believing in God.
take care.

IOWA and DEANERICK
HOPE is the key word for all of us, no matter what stage of cancer and no matter what phase of treatment. IOWA, best wishes to you this week as you restart your chemo. It sounds like they've got you on the right path. It's not all roses but YOU CAN DO IT.

DEANERICK, it makes me sad but not hopeless to read your story. There are so many different chemo drugs, targeted therapies, and even clinical trials available. I'm praying that they'll find one that meets your needs. If you're comfortable in doing this, please tell us more about your cancer. Where is it located? What type is it? Which chemo drugs have you been given, etc.?

IOWA, we have some very good friends who live in the little town of Applington (north central part of the state). Where are you located? I'm in Evansville, Indiana. It seems to me that treatments for similar types of cancer are pretty similar in this country - no matter where you live.

No looking back, let's go (row) forward with Faith, Hope, Love and Courage. My best to all.

MM

Marsha Mulvey

Marsha Mulvey said:

IOWA and DEANERICK
HOPE is the key word for all of us, no matter what stage of cancer and no matter what phase of treatment. IOWA, best wishes to you this week as you restart your chemo. It sounds like they've got you on the right path. It's not all roses but YOU CAN DO IT.

DEANERICK, it makes me sad but not hopeless to read your story. There are so many different chemo drugs, targeted therapies, and even clinical trials available. I'm praying that they'll find one that meets your needs. If you're comfortable in doing this, please tell us more about your cancer. Where is it located? What type is it? Which chemo drugs have you been given, etc.?

IOWA, we have some very good friends who live in the little town of Applington (north central part of the state). Where are you located? I'm in Evansville, Indiana. It seems to me that treatments for similar types of cancer are pretty similar in this country - no matter where you live.

No looking back, let's go (row) forward with Faith, Hope, Love and Courage. My best to all.

MM

LOL
P.S.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read your last post.................
My daughter is a beautiful (inside and out) 20 year old, and guess what...
she's a redhead too.

LOL, MM

Angie2U

laurissa said:

Disability
Meena 1, for future reference, how do I apply for disabilty if I ever need it? Are you not allowed to work those 5 months prior? Right now, I'm strong and able to work with just some stiffness in hip. My job is a driving job, nothing really strenuous. How hard is it to be approved?

Sending prayers for you and
Sending prayers for you and for Meena!

Hugs, Angie

SIROD

meena1 said:

I am! I am! I am! I also
I am! I am! I am! I also am stage 4, origianaly diagnosed July 7, 2008. You can click on my picture to read my story so i do not have to bore anyone again! I feel the same way you do, believe me. I was in remission until June 3rd, when the cruise ship stopped and threw me over with a rowbot. I have been floating ever since. I am 54 years old, and the remission has come in a large tumor in my liver, cancer in one of the bones in my spine, and many swollen lymph nodes. This was undetected even though i had complained to my doctor for 4 months. And these were present on my original diagnosis but were supposed to be stable. I am back in chemotherapy once every week for 3 weeks, 1 week off for 6 months, then ?????, no one knows, and that is the scary part. But, yes it can be contained for many years since it has not spread to any of your organs. I was getting Zometa monthly for the bone mets. But right now, I am getting Tazol, Herceptin, and Zometa. I am on disability, and everyday most of worrying goes to financial things. I am thinking that i can go back to work, i do not want to lose my job, blah blah blah. I understand what you are saying about being lonely. I have a great hubby, kids, and sisters, nieces, cousins, friends who love me, but i cannot discuss this with them, they always say "you'll be fine". they do not understand anything. I also have a few women i met in chemo that are stage 1,2 and they tell me there is nothing to worry about. This is getting long, so i will post again later

Another in a row boat
Widespread pulmonary and pleural metastasis 2008. I'm still here and though not NED, doing ok.

iowasignterp

RE said:

Add me to your list
Hello Iowa, in 97 I was stage 2 did 6 rounds chemo, 6 weeks rads and had a lumpectomy, fast forward 6 months later it returned in my sentinel node and chest wall. I then had 18 more rounds chemo and ten more weeks rads and was totally exhausted by the time that was all done with. I remained cancer free till 2007 when it showed up in the other breast a new cancer not a recurrent so I am still in remission from the stage 4 cancer some 13 years from when it all started. The 07 cancer required 4 chemos and I had a mastectomy this time. I am fine for the time being and enjoy life a lot, I have 3 grand kids who run me ragged and I love to go on weekend jaunts with my hubby so please know there is hope. I keep a watchful eye on myself and I sound the alarm whenever something seems off. Hope this has helped.

♡ RE ♡

that is hopeful!
RE,

13 years sounds pretty darned good to me! I am going to do my darnedest to meet you or surpass you, grin. Glad to have you in my LIFE boat! Might make it to shore yet.

Thanks!

iowasignterp

SIROD said:

Another in a row boat
Widespread pulmonary and pleural metastasis 2008. I'm still here and though not NED, doing ok.

Welcome aboard!
Forgive me for being a newbie, what does NED mean?? From those mets, I am glad that you are still fighting the fight since 2008. Have the chemo meds been keeping the mets shrinking or not?? I keep hearing the promise that they will shrink many of them. Has that been the case for you??

looking at your profile, you understand why i was saying that it seems that most are on that cruise ship on this site. Harder to find the smaller number in the row boat. But this row boat is bigger than I thought. Keep it up and we might have get the blue prints for Noah's Ark, smile.

mjfromtx

deanerick said:

hi ....same passenger here in houston texas
I thought md anderson is the best place for me but unluckily chemo gave up on me. been diagnosed in june 2008 stage 3 and recurrence in january 2010 with stage iv, no hope for radiation, no hope for surgery and no hope to cure. I don't know what else they can give me. I will have appt. to my research doctor this end of this august. My tumor is growing and from my last ultrasound the it hasn't spread yet. but it hurts and sad what would happen next.
We keep fighting and believing in God.
take care.

from San Antonio
Hi, I just got back from MD Anderson today. Was a wirlwind of a week but got some good information and am waiting for the biopsy results. I will do chemo here in San Antonio since my onc here is now in touch with my onc at MDA. I am triple neg so that is a different boat from the others too, but I'm going back to work and living my life as best I can until I need to do something else. Hard on new husband though. I have two options (Ix....and a drug that begins with a C) and abraxane and avastin, then parp inhibitors if those two types dont work. Mets to lung, lymph nodes and abdomen near the adrenal glands. Waiting on biopsy results from MDA to come in next Tues or Wed. Then see what I do to begin chemo again. No surgery though. Can I join this lifeboat? Maybe we can play some shuffleboard and turn this into a cruise and party!!!!!!!! MJ

Marsha Mulvey

mjfromtx said:

from San Antonio
Hi, I just got back from MD Anderson today. Was a wirlwind of a week but got some good information and am waiting for the biopsy results. I will do chemo here in San Antonio since my onc here is now in touch with my onc at MDA. I am triple neg so that is a different boat from the others too, but I'm going back to work and living my life as best I can until I need to do something else. Hard on new husband though. I have two options (Ix....and a drug that begins with a C) and abraxane and avastin, then parp inhibitors if those two types dont work. Mets to lung, lymph nodes and abdomen near the adrenal glands. Waiting on biopsy results from MDA to come in next Tues or Wed. Then see what I do to begin chemo again. No surgery though. Can I join this lifeboat? Maybe we can play some shuffleboard and turn this into a cruise and party!!!!!!!! MJ

TEX
WELCOME to our little boat (sorry you have to be here). I replied to your post a couple of weeks ago and was wondering what you'd find out from MDA. Just now replied to the one about you being back home. Someone recently commented about the high number of recurrences lately, I must say that it does look quite significant just in the short time I've been reading here.

It sounds like you're going to go through a very aggressive treatment. If it's any comfort to you, when I started my chemo was when I felt like I was in control. I became the aggressor, I was on the attack. Here's hoping you go into this week with that same attitude. It's a tough road but we're tough women!

COURAGE! MM

DebbyM

Marsha Mulvey said:

LOL
P.S.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read your last post.................
My daughter is a beautiful (inside and out) 20 year old, and guess what...
she's a redhead too.

LOL, MM

I am in the same boat as far
I am in the same boat as far as having bc, but, not stage IV. I wish you good luck!


Hugs, Debby

mjfromtx

Marsha Mulvey said:

TEX
WELCOME to our little boat (sorry you have to be here). I replied to your post a couple of weeks ago and was wondering what you'd find out from MDA. Just now replied to the one about you being back home. Someone recently commented about the high number of recurrences lately, I must say that it does look quite significant just in the short time I've been reading here.

It sounds like you're going to go through a very aggressive treatment. If it's any comfort to you, when I started my chemo was when I felt like I was in control. I became the aggressor, I was on the attack. Here's hoping you go into this week with that same attitude. It's a tough road but we're tough women!

COURAGE! MM

tough women!!!
Yes we are tough women and fighters too:) Thank you for your kind words...I keep hanging in there...nights are when things are the hardest...demons come out then... MJ

aztec45

Love Your Photo
I cannot begin to understand how you feel or what you are going through right now. My cancer is a Stage IIB. Probably would have been a lot worse if my Docs were not on top of it. I just wanted to let you know that I am here for you and will volunteer to row the boat until you are better and stonger to do it on your own or trade it in for a skooter or something.

P

susie09

mjfromtx said:

tough women!!!
Yes we are tough women and fighters too:) Thank you for your kind words...I keep hanging in there...nights are when things are the hardest...demons come out then... MJ

Just letting you know that I
Just letting you know that I am praying for you too!

mjfromtx

aztec45 said:

Love Your Photo
I cannot begin to understand how you feel or what you are going through right now. My cancer is a Stage IIB. Probably would have been a lot worse if my Docs were not on top of it. I just wanted to let you know that I am here for you and will volunteer to row the boat until you are better and stonger to do it on your own or trade it in for a skooter or something.

P

Awwww
Thank you for your offers to row the boat when I get tired! So kind:)

Breathe, pray, rest, relax, smell the roses, one day at a time. MJ

bjmom1

iowasignterp said:

thanks for letting me know if you are in the same boat!
I am not totally depressed about it right now(a couple of weeks ago, however...) but it is a different perspective than the first time around. Looking on the boards, I see lots of people going through it the first time with a stage 1 or 2 and I wanted to know a few more people that have closer experiences to me this time around. It's hard to hunt through all of the postings, blogs, and expressions, to find those few of us that are dealing with it spreading elsewhere in the body that are still active on the boards as well. Looking through the member directory, I found a couple people but then noticed that they had not been active on the boards since a year or two ago. I thought if I started this thread, it would help cut down the hunt time.

I think I will be getting Xeloda, Zometa, and Herceptin starting next week. Checking a second opinion on Monday and then go from there.

Thanks for responding!!

same boat
I have met to bone in my spine. There is another site that is useful like this it call www.inspire.com it good site u will be with women who are met bc survivors.

barbara

knitterjan

mjfromtx said:

Awwww
Thank you for your offers to row the boat when I get tired! So kind:)

Breathe, pray, rest, relax, smell the roses, one day at a time. MJ

Stage IV
I am new to this board, but I wanted you to know that I also have Stage IV breast cancer. Following an early stage lumpectomy, radiation, but no chemo back in 2007, I was sure I was "home-free." Last March I received a diagnosis of cancer in the lungs, liver and several tumors in the bones. My insurance won't let me go to M.D. Anderson, though my oncologist trained there. After having 18 weekly treatments of taxol and herceptin with Zometta every 4 weeks, I found out last week that my right lung is either infected or has new cancers. Now I'm just hoping to get my breath again. I see the pulmonologist next Monday and we'll go from there. Up until this point my spirits have been good and I survived the chemo with very few problems. I'm now on a three week regime of herceptin and Zometta. I'm not much of a boater, but I was an avid scuba diver until this happened. Fortunately I'm retired and my family and friends are supportive. Sorry, I'm on the "pity-potty" this morning.
Jan

iowasignterp

mjfromtx said:

from San Antonio
Hi, I just got back from MD Anderson today. Was a wirlwind of a week but got some good information and am waiting for the biopsy results. I will do chemo here in San Antonio since my onc here is now in touch with my onc at MDA. I am triple neg so that is a different boat from the others too, but I'm going back to work and living my life as best I can until I need to do something else. Hard on new husband though. I have two options (Ix....and a drug that begins with a C) and abraxane and avastin, then parp inhibitors if those two types dont work. Mets to lung, lymph nodes and abdomen near the adrenal glands. Waiting on biopsy results from MDA to come in next Tues or Wed. Then see what I do to begin chemo again. No surgery though. Can I join this lifeboat? Maybe we can play some shuffleboard and turn this into a cruise and party!!!!!!!! MJ

yes, definitely join us
mj,

sounds like the weather will be a little rough on your side of the lifeboat. I am willing to hold open the umbrella so that you won't get quite so wet, smile. I am going today 8/16 to get the second opinion on my own weather forecast. hoping for some calmer seas for a little while. I have had a couple of weeks to let the dx sink in and now looking to challenge them head on. going to ask more specifics about prognosis, etc. I need to know what odds I am trying to beat and know when to celebrate each time I beat the forecast, even if it is only for a little while.

okay, well you better know some party games for this cruise. it might be a long journey. Afraid I don't know how to play shuffleboard. Hoping you and our fellow passengers can teach me a thing or two, smile.

iowasignterp

knitterjan said:

Stage IV
I am new to this board, but I wanted you to know that I also have Stage IV breast cancer. Following an early stage lumpectomy, radiation, but no chemo back in 2007, I was sure I was "home-free." Last March I received a diagnosis of cancer in the lungs, liver and several tumors in the bones. My insurance won't let me go to M.D. Anderson, though my oncologist trained there. After having 18 weekly treatments of taxol and herceptin with Zometta every 4 weeks, I found out last week that my right lung is either infected or has new cancers. Now I'm just hoping to get my breath again. I see the pulmonologist next Monday and we'll go from there. Up until this point my spirits have been good and I survived the chemo with very few problems. I'm now on a three week regime of herceptin and Zometta. I'm not much of a boater, but I was an avid scuba diver until this happened. Fortunately I'm retired and my family and friends are supportive. Sorry, I'm on the "pity-potty" this morning.
Jan

scuba diving and boating
well, we all have our downs and at least you know how to function underwater for awhile and hopefully how to come back into the boat when it is time. I actually tried scuba diving earlier this year. I got way too anxious and couldn't trust myself breathing through the gear. I probably will be on a bit of a down later today myself. Please join us on our life boat. Thanks for speaking up.

How are the meds treating you?? any major side effects? is this interfering with your scuba diving?? what a bummer. my one time down, it looked beautiful but i was just too anxious. Bet you have some wonderful photos, too.

good luck on your pulmonologist appt next monday.

iowasignterp

mjfromtx said:

from San Antonio
Hi, I just got back from MD Anderson today. Was a wirlwind of a week but got some good information and am waiting for the biopsy results. I will do chemo here in San Antonio since my onc here is now in touch with my onc at MDA. I am triple neg so that is a different boat from the others too, but I'm going back to work and living my life as best I can until I need to do something else. Hard on new husband though. I have two options (Ix....and a drug that begins with a C) and abraxane and avastin, then parp inhibitors if those two types dont work. Mets to lung, lymph nodes and abdomen near the adrenal glands. Waiting on biopsy results from MDA to come in next Tues or Wed. Then see what I do to begin chemo again. No surgery though. Can I join this lifeboat? Maybe we can play some shuffleboard and turn this into a cruise and party!!!!!!!! MJ

oops
oops double post

Ritzy

Marsha Mulvey said:

IOWA and DEANERICK
HOPE is the key word for all of us, no matter what stage of cancer and no matter what phase of treatment. IOWA, best wishes to you this week as you restart your chemo. It sounds like they've got you on the right path. It's not all roses but YOU CAN DO IT.

DEANERICK, it makes me sad but not hopeless to read your story. There are so many different chemo drugs, targeted therapies, and even clinical trials available. I'm praying that they'll find one that meets your needs. If you're comfortable in doing this, please tell us more about your cancer. Where is it located? What type is it? Which chemo drugs have you been given, etc.?

IOWA, we have some very good friends who live in the little town of Applington (north central part of the state). Where are you located? I'm in Evansville, Indiana. It seems to me that treatments for similar types of cancer are pretty similar in this country - no matter where you live.

No looking back, let's go (row) forward with Faith, Hope, Love and Courage. My best to all.

MM

I love what you wrote
I love what you wrote Marsha, HOPE and YOU CAN DO IT! Those are very inspiring words for all of us! Thanks!


Sue

mjfromtx

iowasignterp said:

scuba diving and boating
well, we all have our downs and at least you know how to function underwater for awhile and hopefully how to come back into the boat when it is time. I actually tried scuba diving earlier this year. I got way too anxious and couldn't trust myself breathing through the gear. I probably will be on a bit of a down later today myself. Please join us on our life boat. Thanks for speaking up.

How are the meds treating you?? any major side effects? is this interfering with your scuba diving?? what a bummer. my one time down, it looked beautiful but i was just too anxious. Bet you have some wonderful photos, too.

good luck on your pulmonologist appt next monday.

Xeloda and Ixempra
Has anyone been on these drugs? They also go by the names of Capecitabine and Ixabepilone. Since I am a triple negative my options are limited according to the MDA drs. Then it's Parp Inhibitor trials. Any info would be great! Thanks everyone:)

Breathe, pray, rest, relax, smell the roses, one day at a time. MJ