Stage IV triple negative one year later

lanakaki

My mom was initially diagnosed as triple negative DCIS in May 2012. She was in denial for over a year about her diagnosis and in October 2013, was rushed to the emergency room because her arm and leg couldn't function. Doctors were bleak about her prospects. She now had Stage IV triple negative breast cancer that had spread to her brain and lungs! The doctor said he would try whole brain radiation followed by chemotherapy, but it may not work. 

November 2013: She had ten rounds of whole brain radiation. She started Xeloda on the 15th of November, after the radiation.

December 2013: After one month and some physical therapy, she regained her arm and leg movement and could walk normally.

January 2014: The Xeloda wasn't working; cancer had spread

Fabruary 2014: Doctor puts her on weekly taxol followed by carboplatin once every three weeks

May 2014: Brain scan shows that her brain is clear; other scans show significant reduction in breast tumor size and lung tumors

August 2014: Lung scan shows her lungs are almost clear; breast lump almost gone

Late August 2014: Doctor removes taxol and puts her on carbolatin once every three weeks.

October 2014: We are waiting for the results of the scans, which will take another month, but she otherwise feels very good.

This is just to show you that even with the bleakest diagnosis, there is hope. Her doctor at first was very pessimistic; now he is telling her she is doing great and is so happy for her. 

The question is, with her condition, what is there to do next? Sure, she'll have to stay on the carboplatin for a while, but is there a chance she may end up with no chemo for a while if things remain stable?

I also want to ask the brave ladies on this board if they take any supplements or if they have also consulted a holistic doctor. Until May, my mom could barely eat most things but says that what fixed her stomach (she now eats everything) was eating probiotics every day.

Moderators

Welcome to Breastcancer.org lanakaki. We're glad you found us. That certainly is an impressive come-back story, that shows how sometimes amazing recoveries happen.

Besides sharing your experiences and learning from other members here at
the boards, you may also want to take a look at: Well-Known Supplements and Probiotics on our main www.breastcancer.org website.

If you do a search you'll find a lot of ladies use probiotics.

The Mods