Almost made it to five years of cancer-free life...almost

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ParakeetsRule
ParakeetsRule Member Posts: 571
edited November 2021 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hello! Like everyone else I hoped I'd be lucky and never join this group. But here I am. After some weird chest and breathing issues, I was diagnosed with a pleural effusion. A few days after draining and testing, they called to tell me they'd found breast cancer cells in the fluid. My next appointment with my oncologist is Wednesday, where I should also see the results of my CT scan and hopefully figure out what we're dealing with. I'm guessing biopsy and PET are next on the menu though.


I'm curious to know if anyone else had a pleural effusion as the first sign of spread and recurrence. Usually this site has been so helpful with any questions I had but a search only returned five results. And the rest of the internet is either useless or terrifying...


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  • Bestbird
    Bestbird Member Posts: 2,818
    edited November 2021

    First, I had to smile when I saw your pen name, as I grew up with parakeets and am now the Mother of a garrulous parrot!

    That said, I am very sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis. I was diagnosed with malignant pleural and pericardial effusion, along with multiple lung metastases, in 2011 after 4 years of misdiagnosis. My oncologist of 18 years wanted to place me in a clinical trial (which subsequently failed) but I sought a second opinion whose treatment recommendation is the reason I'm able to write this note.

    I've spent these past years researching the disease and its treatments, along with cutting edge research. After sharing my notes with other patients, I recognized the need for science-based information and wrote a book called, "The Insider's Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer" which is also available as a complimentary .pdf. You're invited to visit https://www.insidersguidembc.com if you'd like to learn more.

    Although the circumstances that brought you here are indeed challenging, I'm glad you found this site. It's a wonderful source of information and support!


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