Just had a baby and now I have spinal mets -- so sad

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fight4two
fight4two Member Posts: 146
edited February 2017 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

I was diagnosed with bc in 2012 while pregnant with my first child. Fast forward to 2016, I took a break from tamoxifen to have a second child. During my pregnancy, my ca 27 29 became elevated and when they were tested 3 weeks after I gave birth, they were at 200. I had a PET scan today and knew it was a bad sign when my onc called a couple hours after the test. He has just given me the devastating news that I have bone mets to my spine. My back HAD been hurting during my pregnancy and after, but I chalked it up to being pregnant and caring for a newborn. Now I'm sleep deprived and re-living the nightmare of dealing with cancer while wishing I could enjoy the precious time of having a fresh baby.

I feel so emotional. Confused about if it was the right choice to get pregnant again. Worried that I won't be around to care for my two children. Sad that my second pregnancy might be the reason why I'm not around for my first child. Confused as to what the treatment is for spinal mets and what my prognosis is. I rushed to the pharmacy after my onc called me and swallowed a tamoxifen pill as soon as I could. Again, no breastfeeding my newborn.

I think the plan of attack is radiation therapy and tamoxifen. I also think I will be getting an MRI to see exactly what we are dealing with.

I'm so sad. Anyone know what to expect after a diagnosis of spinal mets? Hopefully someone can share some encouraging words?

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Comments

  • cive
    cive Member Posts: 709
    edited February 2017

    If you're gonna have mets, bone mets are the best ones to have.  You can find many women that have bone mets and are doing very well and have been for years.  Some even have gotten ned and remained that way for years.  There is no point in worrying whether stopping Tamoxifen and getting pregnant caused this.  It didn't.  You may have hastened the bone mets a bit by stopping Tamoxifen, but the little buggers were already in your system so the Tamoxifen just slowed things down.  You won't be kicking the bucket tomorrow or even next year, so enjoy your fresh baby - they don't stay that way for long.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2017

    fight4two,

    We're so sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis, but you've come back to the best place for support! As cive mentioned, there are lots of very helpful members here with bone mets that will be a good resource for you. Stop by the Bone Mets thread to say hi and meet some new friends -- you're sure to get some great support!

    --The Mods

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  • Tresjoli2
    Tresjoli2 Member Posts: 868
    edited February 2017

    Oh fight, I have no answers for you but I just wanted to say sorry about your diagnosis and wish I could just wrap my arms around you in a hug...

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited February 2017

    All you can do at this point is carry on, and fight to stay with your babies. Many people with bone mets, and even organ mets, live a very long time, so hang in there. There are also potential treatments on the horizon, which could prolong life even more. (Hugs)

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  • cliff
    cliff Member Posts: 290
    edited February 2017

    tamafloxin works for me, been on it for 10 months, and the little cancer in my spine is shrinking with each bone scan. I had a scan this week, and am looking foreward to the results tuesday. I hope it works for you with minimal side effects.

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  • Emily2008
    Emily2008 Member Posts: 605
    edited February 2017

    Oh, I'm so sorry for this news!!! So upsetting that the new diagnosis is trying to get in the way of your wonderful baby news. I hate cancer!!

    Listen, there really is NO way of knowing why you had a recurrence. I had one despite doing ALL the things I knew to do. There is no crystal ball and no guarantee in this journey, so really try hard not to do the would've/should've/could've thing, because it won't help. You'll never know for sure why it happened, and you'll make yourself miserable trying to figure it out.

    In the meantime, definitely avail yourself of the wisdom and experience of the bone-mets folk, take it one step at a time, and try not to worry too much. There is every reason to believe that you'll be around for a long, long time!

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited February 2017

    I am so sad to hear your news.Hoping your treatment plan gets you to NED for years and years and years

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  • LM070917
    LM070917 Member Posts: 323
    edited February 2017

    Hey, I'm really sorry to hear that awful news! But it is true, as the others have said, people can achieve NED and there's absolutely no reason why you can't too. Mind over matter is so important for both mental and physical health. Sending you lot of positive vibes, you can get through this!

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  • SSInUK
    SSInUK Member Posts: 245
    edited February 2017

    so sorry for your news - just wanted to stop by and say my beloved friend got to NED on tamoxifen alone after her extensive spinal mets were found - and he's stayed clear for nearly 3 years now. Wishing so much the best for you and your babies, so cruel the joy was so tainted.

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited February 2017

    So sorry. I agree there is no way to know for sure why you got a recurrence. I bet there are women who did follow the regime to the letter and still had a recurrence. Conversely we all know there are women who lived a healthy lifestyle and still got BC. Fact is doctors don't know why some women get BC. Unlucky draw I guess

    Do go over to the bone mets link. Those ladies are better able to help with questions you may have.

    Good luck. Congrats on the little one!

    Diane

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