Just curious, who has not had a mastectomy

pinkflutterby

Just wondering, who has not had a mastectomy? I have not because my onc said it would only prolong my life a month or two. I am stage IV with mets to the bones, spinal and brain fluid. DX on March 18, 2009.

Fighting like a GIRL!!!! Libby

Marsha Mulvey

no surgery
Libby, I've not had any surgery as I too am Stage IV with nodes, liver, bones, and skin mets. Seems as though surgeries are unwarranted for those of us whose original diagnosis' were already this advanced. I found the complete extent of my cancer in less than 2 weeks in February this year.

How about you? Was your original diagnosis Stage IV or is it a recurrence? If you don't mind, tell me a little of your story.

This is why I only post well-wishes to those having surgery and/or reconstruction, as I have no experience in these areas. The same for radiation, have you had any?

Where are you located, what treatments have you had/or are you receiving? My hopes are that my chemo and targeted therapy will "manage" my cancer for a very long time. So far, it's only been 7 months and the Herceptin only worked for about 2 months by itself before the tumors "flared up" again (I was hoping it would keep things stable for 2 or 3 years).

That's my story in a nutshell. God bless us all. Marsha

cookie97

Marsha Mulvey said:

no surgery
Libby, I've not had any surgery as I too am Stage IV with nodes, liver, bones, and skin mets. Seems as though surgeries are unwarranted for those of us whose original diagnosis' were already this advanced. I found the complete extent of my cancer in less than 2 weeks in February this year.

How about you? Was your original diagnosis Stage IV or is it a recurrence? If you don't mind, tell me a little of your story.

This is why I only post well-wishes to those having surgery and/or reconstruction, as I have no experience in these areas. The same for radiation, have you had any?

Where are you located, what treatments have you had/or are you receiving? My hopes are that my chemo and targeted therapy will "manage" my cancer for a very long time. So far, it's only been 7 months and the Herceptin only worked for about 2 months by itself before the tumors "flared up" again (I was hoping it would keep things stable for 2 or 3 years).

That's my story in a nutshell. God bless us all. Marsha

Sorry to say
Sorry to say I'm in the same boat. Was diagnosed in May 2010 IDC with mets to T11, T12, L4, L5, pelvis, both femurs and both illiac. So no surgery for me either. I'm still doing chemo Taxotere and Cytoxin with Zometa every 3 weeks. Last PET scan only showed 1 spot on the left illiac everything else was clear. Will have 3 more chemo; total of 9. Will do another PET after chemo is finished and then on to Arimidex.
So far everything has been tolerable but sometimes I'm scared as h$ll!!! I will do whatever takes to be here to see my 13 yo graduate from high school and beyond.

As Tiny Tim so eloquently put it "God Bless us, every one!"

Peace and Love,
Edie

pinkflutterby

cookie97 said:

Sorry to say
Sorry to say I'm in the same boat. Was diagnosed in May 2010 IDC with mets to T11, T12, L4, L5, pelvis, both femurs and both illiac. So no surgery for me either. I'm still doing chemo Taxotere and Cytoxin with Zometa every 3 weeks. Last PET scan only showed 1 spot on the left illiac everything else was clear. Will have 3 more chemo; total of 9. Will do another PET after chemo is finished and then on to Arimidex.
So far everything has been tolerable but sometimes I'm scared as h$ll!!! I will do whatever takes to be here to see my 13 yo graduate from high school and beyond.

As Tiny Tim so eloquently put it "God Bless us, every one!"

Peace and Love,
Edie

Hi Edie
Im coming on my 2 year canniversary So we can beat this. I have read posts of women living 10 yrs and beyond and thats my plan! There are advancements everyday so I feel confident. My youngest is 9 and I plan on seeing her graduate, find that someone special, get married have children and grandchildren. I have to there is no one else for her, her dads a bumm. I take zometa once a month too. Having my next PET and bone scan in November. I am also scared to death but believe in prayer and a POSITIVE attitide is everything!!!!

♥♥♥ Libby

cookie97

pinkflutterby said:

Hi Edie
Im coming on my 2 year canniversary So we can beat this. I have read posts of women living 10 yrs and beyond and thats my plan! There are advancements everyday so I feel confident. My youngest is 9 and I plan on seeing her graduate, find that someone special, get married have children and grandchildren. I have to there is no one else for her, her dads a bumm. I take zometa once a month too. Having my next PET and bone scan in November. I am also scared to death but believe in prayer and a POSITIVE attitide is everything!!!!

♥♥♥ Libby

Hey thanks
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. Last week was when I had that sense of gloom and doom; first time since dx'd. Didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to go to work. I'm sure you know the drill. Talked to my onc. on Friday he and made me feel soooo much better. It was actually the first time he's seen me cry as well. I felt like a million bucks when he told me I was still young. I've been feeling really old as of late. I'll be having a PET scan in november as well, maybe we can hold hands!

Thanks again be chatting with you again soon.

Peace and Love to you and your darling daughter,
Edie

Miss Murphy

cookie97 said:

Hey thanks
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. Last week was when I had that sense of gloom and doom; first time since dx'd. Didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to go to work. I'm sure you know the drill. Talked to my onc. on Friday he and made me feel soooo much better. It was actually the first time he's seen me cry as well. I felt like a million bucks when he told me I was still young. I've been feeling really old as of late. I'll be having a PET scan in november as well, maybe we can hold hands!

Thanks again be chatting with you again soon.

Peace and Love to you and your darling daughter,
Edie

Inspiration
You ladies truly inspire me! I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers out to all of
you but that seems so inadequate....

Hugs, Sally

roseann4

Miss Murphy said:

Inspiration
You ladies truly inspire me! I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers out to all of
you but that seems so inadequate....

Hugs, Sally

Please don't give up!
I'm not stage IV at this point but have known many women in my life who lived a very long time - decades with stage IV when there weren't the treatments there are today. I think fear kills more of us than the cancer itself. We will all die at some point so lets live every day as if it were our last but with a resolve to collect as many birthdays as possible before that happens.

Roseann

pinkflutterby

roseann4 said:

Please don't give up!
I'm not stage IV at this point but have known many women in my life who lived a very long time - decades with stage IV when there weren't the treatments there are today. I think fear kills more of us than the cancer itself. We will all die at some point so lets live every day as if it were our last but with a resolve to collect as many birthdays as possible before that happens.

Roseann

never ever
GIVE UP!!! Be positive 24/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥ to all my pinkies