Reoccurence or Never Went Away?

Shavoners
Shavoners Member Posts: 12
edited June 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
Reoccurence or Never Went Away?
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  • Shavoners
    Shavoners Member Posts: 12
    edited June 2009

    Hi there. Having a rough day. I finished my chemo March 31st 2009 and had a great "response". The petscan on  4/18 showed NED. Started Herceptin weekly second week of May. About two weeks ago I and my doctor noticed new redness and I began feeling those old shooting pains in my breast. Within days the breast was a bit swollen, the redness has traveled to my upper chest and my armpit nodes are swollen.

    In my frustration I did not go to my Herceptin appt. last week. It seemed obvious to me that it was not working. I went to my surgeon appt today with Dr Aiden O'Rourke (great surgeon btw, he did my biopsy and very compassionate.) He said what I thought I might here....Chemo again. Can't operate with the margins so wide.....

     So I go back to the cancer doc on Wednesday.....I'm depressed....my hair just started growing back.....and the chemo the first time around was horrible. I had every known chemo side effect...With three young children....well I guess I am struggling with quality vs. quanity of life. IBC is so agressive and it traveled so fast visually I wonder what my insides look like. Today I don't want to fight this. 

    We all celebrated a few weeks ago when we got the "clean" petscan.....and now well you can imagine. Seems to me that the cancer never went away so you couldn't call this a reoccurence????  This all happened within a month and a half...ya know??? Wondering what my chances of survival are.....I know the doc won't tell me.....I keep asking God and He just says to keep trusting Him. I am so grateful for My God. He listens even when everyone else calls me "negative". I guess cancer patients aren't supposed to be sad and scared????? LOL. Sealed

    Appreciate any chat....God Bless.

    Shavon

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  • cheers247
    cheers247 Member Posts: 270
    edited June 2009

    Shavon, I am so sorry this has happened!! Is your Dr. calling it a reoccurence?  I am having a terrible rxn to chemo too, so bad that I cannot take TCH anymore, and I have to stop H for now and go with AC, next tx is tomorrow (Tues), I hope I do better with AC.  I have also felt like "is the fight worth it"  it is so miserable, and uncertain and I really want my QUALITY back!!  My family is way more optimistic than I am, they keep saying "you're strong" etc, but I feel so rundown and weak and sickly I dont' know if I am.  I wonder what your PET scan would look like now, with the redness back etc. What kind of chemo do you get?  I sure hope you feel better soon!!  I'm here for you if you need to chat, you can PM me.  Much Love!  Jessica

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  • Caseysmom
    Caseysmom Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2009

    Shavon:

    This disease sucks!  Are your doctors going to do a followup pet scan if not I would request one.  Also did your onc do blood work such as tumor markers.  My onc runs tumor markers on me twice a year.  If I come in with a concern or problem he will re-run the tumor markers.

    I know that when I was dx both my onc and surgeon would not tell me what stages I was.  They told me that don't talk about stages. This was to help me keep a positive outlook sometimes it worked an at other times it did not.  It wasn't until after my surgery that they told me that I was at the end of stage three.

    After my first A/C treatment I was sicker than a dog for 8 hours.  I was give steroids and Emend for the second treatment all I had was a slight up-set stomach.  For the remander of my A/C I took this combo.  Jessica this drug combo may also help you .

    Lots of Hugs

    Laura

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