IBrance 2016

sailawayaussies

I started my 3rd round of Ibrance on September 22, 2016.  I was taking the 100.  Other than feeling exhausted all the time I had shown no side effects.  My WBC and RBC were definitely below normal but I was tolerating the drug.  Saturday Sept, 24, I realized I was having trouble breathing.  I had been off the day before and done several activities.  So, I assumed I was just extra tired.  Still by Monday having trouble breathing.  Called my Onc to let her know.  Unfortunately they were focusing on how low my Vitamin D was and evidently did not hear what I was saying.  On Tuesday I went to a doc in the box.  Complained about my side hurting and shortness of breath.  He looked for pneumonia and/or broken ribs.  I was cleared of all that.  I told him not to bother with a CBC since I had them pulled a week earlier by my onc. 

I worked all week.  On Friday I needed to drop my car off for an oil change and decided I could walk to my office.  It was quite  struggle to do.  So, I called my Onc again and left a message about the shortness of breath and how I noticed it after starting Round 3 of Ibrance.  She called back and told me to go to the ER to look for pulmonary emboli.  I waited another day before going.  I just had a stabbing pain at this point in my back right shoulder going through to my right breast. 

CBC was pulled and showed an elevated Tropinin protein of 2.6.  Basically something was happening to my heart.  Then they pulled a CT with contrast.  I was diagnosed with pulmonary emboli in four lobes.  It was life threatening.  It was a result of the Ibrance.  There is a 3% chance of this occurring and I was one of those. 

In June this year I had come off blood thinners for fear that my tumors would/could rupture and I would bleed out.  Now I am back on mass quantities of blood thinners.  Before making this decision they had another brain scan performed as I had one met to the brain and my onc wanted to make sure that had not changed.  It had not.  I am lucky to be here.  Beginning to think that all these meds are not prolonging my life but interrupting what little time I have left.

2/2013 - Estrogen/progesterone positive HER-.  Original diagnosis 4 cm tumor one breast.  No lymph involvement  4 rounds of chemo.  Double mastectomy.  Opted not to take aromasin meds as follow up (my mistake). Re-diagnosis 11/2015.

cherylking2005

Sail away, thank God they found the blood clots in time. Interestingly enough, it was because of a blood clot that they found that my BC had metastasized to my lung and ribs. My Oncologist has had me on blood thinners along with Ibrance and Letrozole and told me I would be on blood thinners for life, however long that may be. Now that I am on blood thinner pills (Xarelto) instead if the Lovenox blood thinner shots, it isn't that bad. I have just finished my first round of Ibrance and will start my second round this coming Tuesday.

Only you can decide if the treatment is worthwhile. I for one will continue with the treatment until the side effects starting impacting my quality of life. Just breathe. We are here for you.

sailawayaussies

I'm not sure how long you have been working through all this, but I have been on some type of blood thinners usually Coumadin for 10 years.  We had just stopped this June because of the risk of a bleed out.  I am waiting until the 14th to see my next PET scan.  My CA 15-3 have been as high as 14,250.  My CA 27.29 have been as high as 22,000.