Has anyone started a Dec 2011 group?

Is he at least hot?? LOL  I can't help ya with your question.  I thought I would be done with Herceptin in December (which would be one year) but since I am stage IV and it is working my MO wants to keep me on it as long as the ticker holds out!

markat - I get echos and I had one a week and a half ago.  I assume it was ok since they pumped me up with herceptin Monday!  I see my MO every other visit (every 6 weeks) so I'm not due to see her until 11/12.  I feel good, tire easily but I am attributing this to my year of reduced activity.  I am doing the American Cancer Society Making Strides walk this Sunday.  Wish me luck that I can walk the whole thing! lol

Good luck Kelly!



I agree Rachel. It's a rough month.

I hate October too....it really sucks being diagnosed during breast cancer awareness month.  I "celebrated" my cancerversary last Thursday.  It came and went without event.  Is it just me or are there wayyyyyyy too many women with this disease?  I work in a small-ish office of about 11 women.  I have been there 11 years.  Last week my boss was diagnosed with breast cancer and counting her that makes 6 of us over the years!  It's remarkable and I am thinking maybe we need to test the water or air filtration system.  Breast cancer blows!

LOL....my MO is not exactly "hot"....he's a little tiny guy but is SUPER nice.

So...I had my first "scare" this week.  Saturday night, I found a lump.  It was hard, like a bean.  Total freak out!!!!  Went to the BS on Tuesday and she sent me for an ultrasound.  The ultrasound only showed a "thickening" but no mass...and it was sitting right on top of the implant.  Radiologist wanted an MRI to get a better look.  Had that today and got the ALL CLEAR!!!  They couldn't see anything..and honestly....it feels as though the lump is getting smaller and softer.  I called my PS to give them a heads up and the first thing out of my nurses mouth was, "9 times out of 10 it's fat necrosis...we see it all the time".  My ovaries are stating to "wake up" and I actually had some spotting 3 weeks ago, which would have put me right in the middle of my cycle...so I'm thinking it's hormonal, right?

OH...and YES...finishing Herceptin in December...just 2 more to go!!!!  Woo Hooo, girls!!!  We are almost at the end of this!!!  Nipple reconstruction and Last herceptin all in the same week!!!  YAY!!!!!!!

Lori - Glad you made it through your first scare, and that everything is fine. And congrats on nearing the end of the Herceptin and the impending nipple construction. I'm still holding out on that part.

Markat - Happy cancerversary! Enjoy each milestone.

Snax - Good luck as you continue your treatments.

I hope everyone on the East Coast made it through the storm okay. I was without power for a week, and without TV/phone/Internet for about 9 days, but that was it. I just went through my latest scare - alkaline phosphatase levels were high when I went for my check-up two weeks ago. Bone scan is fine, phew. Having an ultrasound to check out my liver on Mon. It could be a lot of things, so I'm a little relieved now that the bone scan came back okay.

I go once every 3 months, with bw each time. Kind of odd when you get to a point when you think "Hmmm, fatty liver, I can deal with that." Better than the alternative. Maybe that will finally get me on a decent diet again. I've improved - more fresh vegetables and home-made meals instead of frozen TV dinners, but I love sugar and chocolate too much, and if it's around, I binge. Good luck with the new job!

Hi ladies!  Glad to see a little activity here.  Lori - glad your scare turned out to be nothing!  Congrats on nearing the end of Herceptin and on your impending nips!

Markat - the walk was both miserable and awesome!  It rained all morning and was only about 47 degrees...but I had my family with me and we were dressed in our BC best.  We walked the whole 3.1 miles and it was so awesome to see the turnout and the people who came just to cheer us along the route.  Definitely glad I didn't bail like I wanted to when I woke up and saw what the weather was like.  My team  was able to raise $1,200 too!

Rachel - glad you made it through the storm without damage, although it sucks being without electricity!

I've had a really rough year between breast cancer, losing my mom and now worrying about some health issues with my dad.  I try most of the time to be the strong person everyone is used to me being.  Today I saw my MO for my regular visit and Herceptin and I totally lost it!  As soon as I started talking the tears just started.  For starters my blood pressure was 174/103 (this after starting blood pressure meds for the first time in my life 6 weeks ago).  I know I suffer from some white coat syndrome but come on!  I believe I suffer from anxiety now.  I am having a hard time accepting that my stage IV cancer is in "remission" as she calls it.  Of course I want to believe this.  I am usually a very positive person.  To top it all off I have been having heart palpitations....not good when your mom just died of a massive heart attack.  MO explained that even though it's not listed in the literature, heart palpitations seem to be a side effect of Herceptin.  She has many patients who complain of them and she assured me they are harmless.  My ejection fraction has not changed.  This is good since her recommendation is that I stay on Herceptin instead of stopping at the one year mark.

Didn't mean to ramble like that....just having a rough day.  I do feel better after talking to my MO.  She reassured me about the heart, changed my blood pressure meds and told me again how great I am doing and that I am in "remission".  So Ativan, here I come again.  I hope all of you are having wonderful days. Thanks for letting me unload.

Yes Lori, we have all been through the wringer.  I'm actually happy to stay on the Herceptin, it feels like my security blanket even more than the Tamoxifen.  Interestingly my MO mentioned also that Tamoxifen can cause some anxiety/depression.  I am looking forward to my little Ativan pill again, maybe I'll finally get some sleep!

Thanks ladies, I know I can always count on support here.  My DH is great, but no one understands like you do

Kelly - You've really had so many other things to deal with this year on top of BC, you have every right to be upset and stressed from time to time. And it's good that you seem to be able to reign it in as well. Sounds like your MO has a good attitude.

I'm stressing now about my liver US. When the bone scan came back okay, I decided it must just be, at worst, a fatty liver, but now I'm having trouble pushing the negative thoughts back. And I keep reading about how when TN comes back as Stage IV, it's like wildfire, so I'm trying not to lose it. I just keep trying to stay busy. Tomorrow and the results will come soon enough.

Yeah, little arrows whenever she hit the little button. Made me nervous. I had been fine until that. I didn't notice any measurements.

This is the first step. I've heard a number of women who had gallbladder issues, so I'm hoping it's that, or I'll even take a fatty liver at this point.

True Kelly! I Just remember that breast ultrasound where looking back on it, it was pretty darn obvious, lol.



Have you called yet Rachel?

Thanks, ladies. Nothing yet. I called around 4:30 and was told the nurse or doctor wouldn't be able to get back to me today. Urgh. Trying not to read into that. Hoping I hear first thing tomorrow.