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Post by Tulips on Mar 16, 2017 20:25:47 GMT
The fellow from my clinic emailed me last night with the results of my CT chest scan, and they were mixed. The good news is, my lymph nodes were stable, there was improvement of previous lung changes due to radiation, and the cancer has not spread to my bones, spine or liver, etc. The bad news is that while some lung nodules remained stable, others increased by 1-2 mm. All of them were less than 1cm. The fellow will discuss these changes with my oncologist when she gets back from vacation next week, and let me know in detail next Tuesday how we are going to proceed. I’m not sure if this means they are going to change my medication to TDM-1, or increase my chemo, although I have a feeling she’s not going to let me have a chemo break before flying to home at Easter. She’ll have no choice but to give me a chemo break before Europe though, as I’m not canceling my trip, and I’m not flying to Europe right after getting chemo. I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed with these results as I was hoping that the Perjeta would work for me for a lot longer than six months, and if my lung nodules are growing, that means it’s not working, at least not as well as I would like it to. I’ll keep you posted. Sorry your results weren't ideal. I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to cancel your trip. You have to have something positive to look forward to. I wouldn't be cancelling either.
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Post by Tulips on Mar 16, 2017 20:27:34 GMT
I’m glad you’re able to stop with the chemo. Sometimes I wonder if the side-effects are worth it, especially given the problems that chemo is causing you. I hope you won’t be in pain for 18 months! I also hope your skin infection goes away soon! The research regarding aspirin sounds interesting, and it’s something that you would definitely look into. Keep us posted. I know I am lucky that it was able to make the decision of stopping chemo with very little consequences. I'm glad the enteritis didn't kick in until now and not the first time I had chemo last year when it was really needed. Like you, I often thought are the side affects worth it? For me, last year they were, but this year, obviously, they weren't. I'm just holding out waiting to hear if I have been accepted into the research or not.
One side affect that I still have from last year that I wish would go away is the affect on my memory. I'm getting better at not forgetting things, but words are often a struggle. Case in point the previous sentence took a couple of minutes to write as half way through I forgot where it was going and then couldn't think of a crucial word so then had to change the structure of it to use the words that I knew.
Take care Tiffany and hope things work out well for you.
I'm unclear Tassie, are you in remission?
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Post by tiffany on Mar 17, 2017 11:32:21 GMT
I picked up my CT-Chest Scan results yesterday, and I have to say that I’m surprised the fellow told me the results were mixed, when, based on what I’ve read, they are horrible. Not only have most of the nodules on my lungs increased in size, but new ones have formed. The interpretation part of the radiologist's report states that the findings are “highly suspicious for interval progression of disease”. I have to admit that I’m very disappointed! I don’t understand how my December scans could show improvement to most of the nodules, and that some had dissolved, while this scan, only three months later, shows progression. I was hoping that the Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxol combination would have worked for me for at least a year or two, but it looks like it’s already stopped working, only six months later. I was hoping to get to stop taking the Taxol after getting these results, but, that obviously won’t be happening. Right now, I’m feeling so discouraged, and I’m starting to wonder if anything is going to work for me. I emailed the fellow yesterday, asking him if this means that I will be transferring to the drug T-DM1, and he said no. He said he thinks the Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxol treatments still have activity, as they stopped the growth of the lymph node and some pulmonary nodules, and slowed down the growth of the other nodules which have increased by only 1-2 mm. He advised that if I transfer to T-DM1 now, and it doesn’t work, OHIP won’t pay for me to take Perjeta and Herceptin again. I then followed up in regard to the genetic testing, and asked when I could expect an appointment, and asked if there was a trail in my area similar to the POG trial taking place in BC. He advised that he’s not sure if there’s a similar trial to the POG trial, however, there was a study called Foundation One which has the same principle, but they have asked for only 10 patients for whom they can do it for free. He thinks this trial is already full. He advised that there’s another clinical trial for people with HER2 positive breast tumor in my area, and that we could discuss in next week. So, for now, I just have to wait until I talk to my oncologist next Tuesday, and see what she recommends. I guess I should be happy that the drugs are slowing the growth of my cancer, however, after my December CT scan results, I was hoping that the drugs would be shrinking/dissolving the nodules. I’m feeling very disappointed right now.
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Post by bet on Mar 17, 2017 13:19:56 GMT
Hi Tiffany, I'm sad to hear about your set back and I hope you get some answers as to where to from here when you visit next. I'm a bit shocked at your course of treatment and how your doctors can tell you incorrect/half truth information again before they have fully examined your results. I hope you ask around so you're aware of all your options, sometimes it pays to be the squeaky wheel.
I hope you can still look forward to your upcoming trip.
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joyb
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by joyb on Mar 17, 2017 14:21:03 GMT
Tiffany, so sorry to read of your continued struggles. Hopefully your oncologist will have a good treatment plan for you going forward. My thoughts are with you....all the best.
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Post by tiffany on Mar 17, 2017 15:02:51 GMT
Thanks Bet and Joy. My understanding, based on what the Fellow told me, is that as long as the nodules stay under 1 cm, that means the medication is working and slowing the growth process. I think I’ll be staying the course for the next three months, although I would like to add an additional mediation if possible.
Bet, this is not the first time that I’ve been given misinformation from a doctor before he fully reviewed my scans/reports. I have to say I’m not happy about this, and I will be bringing this up on Tuesday. I already am a “squeaky wheel” which is why I annoy my oncologist. I ask too many questions, and I do too much research on my own, and she doesn’t like it. She just wants me to do what she tells me to do, and not ask any questions or make any suggestions. She’s told me more than once to stay away from “Dr Internet” because I’ve asked about new drugs and treatments that I’ve read about online. She better get used to it though, because going forward, I will be questioning everything!
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Post by marielouise on Mar 17, 2017 17:06:37 GMT
I am sorry that your results are not as good as you were hoping. I think it is good to research, i know there is a lot of misinformation, but a lot is very good information. My husband has researched his diabetes extensively and he also managed to get doctors to listen to him, although he had to change some who did not like it that he researched too much. He also managed to last autumn get an insulin pump which really seems to control his blood sugars much better. They are not free for everyone in Alberta and he had to take many courses and tests before they supplied it, it is also quite expensive if not funded by health care.
Good luck and I really do hope you can have a great trip and be off the chemo.
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Post by purvis on Mar 17, 2017 17:43:48 GMT
Tiffany:I'm so sorry that you were mislead about your CT results and that in fact they were not as good as you first were informed. Do hope that you are still able to go on your two tours and after returning get further treatment which works. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Mar 17, 2017 17:52:53 GMT
Thanks Purvis. I’m still planning on going on my trips, and I will take a chemo break before both tours (I have a feeling I’ll still be getting chemo before going to Spain in September). I may have to take chemo before flying up north to visit my family for Easter though. It’s not ideal, but what can you do. Unless it’s life or death, I will not be canceling my trips. I still need to live my life, and I will not allow my treatment to consume my life.
Marielousie, it’s great that your husband has done so much research on his own regarding his diabetes. I’ve actually thought about changing my oncologist, but it’s hard in Ontario. We have so few oncologists, that, once you have one, you can’t get transferred to another one unless you have moved. I really liked the Fellow I met a few weeks ago, and I would like to ask him when he’s going to be done his fellowship and where he plans on practicing, as I’d like to eventually become his patient, but, I haven’t seen him since the first time I’ve met him. I hope to see him again soon though.
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Post by tiffany on Mar 22, 2017 11:41:43 GMT
Hello all,
I discussed my CT Scan results with my oncologist during treatment yesterday. As I mentioned above, the results of the scan are mixed. The good news is, my lymph nodes are stable, there was improvement of previous lung changes due to radiation, and the cancer has not spread to my bones, spine or liver, etc. The bad news is that while some lung nodules remained stable, others increased by 1-2 mm. All of them were less than 1cm. I have to admit that I’m a little disappointed with these results. I don’t understand how my December scans could show improvement to most of the nodules, and that some had dissolved, while this scan, only three months later, shows progression. I was hoping to get to stop taking the Taxol after getting these results, but, that obviously won’t be happening. My oncologist, however, doesn’t think the results were that bad. She was very happy that the lymph nodes were stable, and, while the nodules on my lungs did grow a little bit, they are all very small and will not cause any health issues to me at this time. I asked her how many nodules I had on my lungs, and she said she didn’t know. I counted 14 on the report, however, she advised that there were probably more than that. She did advise, however, that not all of them will be cancerous. There’s no way of knowing for sure what nodules are cancerous and what ones are not though, without doing a biopsy, and it’s too difficult to do that with so many nodules. Besides, lung biopsies are only 80% accurate, so there’s really no point in doing one.
My doctor and I discussed transferring to the drug T-DM1, however, she thinks the Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxol treatments still have activity, as they stopped the growth of the lymph nodes and some pulmonary nodules, and slowed down the growth of the other nodules which have increased by only 1-2 mm. She advised that if I transfer to T-DM1 now, and it doesn’t work, OHIP won’t pay for me to take Perjeta and Herceptin again. We decided that I would continue with the Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxol until I get back from my trip in mid-May, and then I will go for another full body CT scan, and, based on those results, we will either continue as is, or transfer to the T-DM1. She also advised that she will give me a 50% dosage of chemo before I fly home for Easter, so I don’t have to fly with bad chemo side-effects, and I will take a chemo break before leaving for my trip to Europe.
I then followed up in regard to the genetic testing, and asked when I could expect an appointment for my blood tests. It turns out that this test does not require a blood test, and that she sent a sample of tissue from my tumour to Foundation One. Apparently they only do this test for free for 10 patients every year, and I was lucky to have been selected for these test. My doctor actually got the test results yesterday, and she printed a copy for me to read, and said we would discuss these results at my next appointment in two weeks. I gave the report a quick overview yesterday (it’s quite long) and it found 11 genomic alterations (mutations), 3 therapies associated with potential clinical benefit (medication that might help against 3 of these mutations), and 13 clinical trials from which that I might benefit. I ask my doctor if there were any clinical trials I could participate in now, and she advised that it’s too early to put me in a trial, as right now, my current treatment plan is working (although not as well as I would like it to), and, once it stops working, I still have to try T-DM1.
I also got the results for my third CEA and CA-15-30 blood tests last week, and that my tumour markers are normal. Given that we know that I have cancer in my body, I don’t think these blood tests are very reliable in my case. I must be one of those people who never release the cancer antigens in my blood stream.
Anyway, that’s all to report for now. I'll just stay the course for now, and hope to see some improvement in May.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 5, 2017 11:39:02 GMT
Hello all, I went for treatment yesterday, and everything went well, despite being slow as usual. The good news is, I got the results of my second brain MRI, and there is no evidence of disease! I also got the results of my most recent echo test, and my heart is doing well, and is even better than it was after my last echo test in January. This means I can continue taking the drug Herceptin.
I discussed the results of the genetic testing done by Foundation One with my doctor. Unfortunately, the results can’t help us in any way now, as the drugs that are recommended in the test results are all still in the trial phase, however, they will come in handy down the road when I’ve exhausted all current treatment options. These test results may offer me an opportunity to participate in a trial, provided it’s offered in the Toronto area, and may even guarantee me a spot. So, until then, there is nothing new that can be done for me.
I told my doctor how my cough, chest congestion and shortness of breath is getting worse with each treatment, and she gave me a new puffer for the chest congestion and a prescription for the cough. Unfortunately, the cough medicine she gave me may make me drowsy, so I may only be able to take it while I’m at home in the evening, as I don’t want to be drowsy while at work. As my cough and chest congestion was worse than ever after my last treatment, my doctor told me I could have caught a cold, and it may not have been the chemo making it worse, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. I guess I’ll have to see what it’s like after yesterday’s treatment. The good news is that it’s not the cancer causing it, as the nodules on my lungs and the lymph nodes in my chest are not large enough to be causing me problems at this time. In regard to the shortness of breath, there’s really nothing that can be done for me, and I’ll just have to learn to walk slower and avoid stairs.
My hair has been growing since I got my last hair cut in January, and I have my second hair cut and colour since I was diagnosed scheduled for this Friday! Other than that, April is going to be a busy month for me. I’m off to a concert next Monday night, and then I’m heading home next Thursday for Easter. After that I leave for Croatia on April 27th, and I’m looking forward to getting away.
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joyb
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by joyb on Apr 5, 2017 14:10:28 GMT
So happy to hear that you got some positive news and treatment is going well for you, Tiffany. Wishing you all the best going forward and I'm sure you will enjoy your travels.
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Pauline
Full Member
Normandy, Brittany & the Loire Valley, WW1 Battlefields and Northern Spain in Sep 2023 with Insight
Posts: 210
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Post by Pauline on Apr 6, 2017 5:08:28 GMT
That is great news about your results Tiffany.
Re you thinking that the treatment is causing your chest congestion and shortness of breath and not the cancer, I'm (as a non professional) inclined to agree with you. I was receiving chemo for bowel cancer back in 2009 and only had 12 cycles over 6-7 months. The 1st 6 cycles were fine but each cycle after that, I would have, what I called soft tissue pain, across the top of my shoulders at my back and neck pain, after treatment. Initially it only lasted a day but the length of time of the pain increased with each treatment cycle, so that by the time I had my last treatment, I lived on pain killers for 6 days before it finally went away. My oncologist had never heard of that reaction before and thought that it must be something else but I have never suffered from that sort of pain again.
Have a fabulous time in Croatia. It is a beautiful country and the Plitvice Lakes are absolutely gorgeous.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 7, 2017 11:38:35 GMT
Thanks Pauline. I’m pretty sure it’s the chemo that’s causing the cough and chest congestion, although, it doesn’t seem to be as bad after this treatment. I also started to experience bad back pain about two months ago, which would come and go. It’s getting worse with each treatment, and I’m pretty sure it’s a chemo side-effect, although my doctors keep saying they don’t know what’s causing it. The only thing we do know is that it’s not the cancer, as my last scan showed nothing on my bones or spine, etc. My doctor gave me Percocet for the pain, but it doesn’t help much, and the only thing that works is Tylenol 1. The downside to this is, I don’t think I’ll ever be done with chemo, which means I’ll have to deal with these side effects for the rest of my life, which means taking drugs like Tylenonl 1 every day for the rest of my life. It’s that or being in pain every day. Oh well, what can you do.
I’m look forward to Croatia, and I can’t wait to get away!
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Post by tiffany on Apr 12, 2017 12:07:02 GMT
Hello all, I finally found out what’s causing my back pain while at treatment yesterday. I had to get a little bit pushy, but, that seems to be the only way to get things done at my clinic. I had asked to see my pharmacist while at treatment yesterday, in order to see if I could take Glocosamine and Chondroitin while on chemo, as I had heard that it works well with joint and back pain. She told me I could take it, but she didn’t want me to, and she said she was going to talk to my oncologist to see if we could come up with something else to treat my pain, as the Percocet wasn’t working, and they didn’t want me to take the Naproxen anymore, as it’s a blood thinner. When she came back, she told me that my oncologist wanted me to continue taking the Percocet every 4 to 6 hours, as it sometimes takes time for it to work. I told her that I didn’t want to take Percocet every 4 to 6 hours, as I had to work during the day, and the Percocet made me too drowsy. Also, as my back pain doesn’t seem to be going away, I didn’t want to take Percocet for a long period of time, as they are addictive. I told her I wanted to find out what’s causing the back pain, so that we could treat it, and asked for a muscle relaxer or anti-inflammatory. She told me that they didn’t want to give me any of those things because they were also blood thinners. I then told her that I was going to continue taking what was working for me, which was Naproxen and Tylenol 1, and that when my doctor started experiencing back pain 24/7, we could talk about what pain meds I should and shouldn’t take. She then left me to go and talk to my oncologist, and my nurse practitioner came back about 5 minutes later, telling me the same thing the pharmacist did. I then repeated the same thing to her as I did to the pharmacist, and she went to talk to my oncologist again. When she came back, she told me that they looked at my CT scan results again, and it would appear that I have developed Atelectasis on my right side, which is a complete or partial collapse of a lung or lobe of a lung, which usually develops when the tiny air sacs (alveoli) within the lung become deflated. They think that it was caused by my not breathing in deeply enough due to the chest congestion I’ve been experiencing for months, and she told me that I have to take 10 deep breaths per hour, and to ask my physiotherapist to perform chest therapy (I had already made an appointment for next week). In the meantime, she told me to take Robax Platinum for the pain, which I found odd as it contains Ibuprofen, which is a blood thinner.
I started the deep breathing yesterday, and my pain was not as bad last night, and I didn’t need to take a second dose of pain meds in the afternoon. I did take the Robax before bed, however, I woke up at 2:00 a.m. with back pain, and finally took another one at 3:00 a.m., but it didn’t seem to work. I took two this morning, in order to see if taking two makes a difference.
What really bothers me about all of this is that I’ve been complaining about back and side pain for months, and they got my CT test results weeks ago, and they just now, after me complaining so much, decided to take a closer look at it to see if there’s something wrong. If I hadn’t been so pushy, they would have just kept trying to pushing the Percocet on me, and wouldn’t have looked into finding the cause. It’s for reasons like that I’m not happy with my oncologist, and would like to find a new one. Unfortunately, that’s very hard to do where I live! Let’s just hope that the deep breathing helps, so I can stop experiencing all of this pain all of the time and get a good night’s sleep!
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Post by californian on Apr 12, 2017 14:34:35 GMT
Tiffany, so sorry your problems continue, good for you to try to get to the bottom of your back problem, I wish you a quick recovery, and I congratulate you for being so well informed and feisty (in a good way).
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joyb
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by joyb on Apr 12, 2017 14:56:59 GMT
Glad to hear that you finally got an answer as to what is causing your back pain....hopefully your pain goes away soon.
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Post by chech on Apr 12, 2017 15:20:16 GMT
That's encouraging. As they say, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease! Could be one less problem to worry about in Croatia! The Ibuprofen isn't an NSAID and its effect on thinning the blood is minimal. As a hemophiliac, it's still an option for me along with Tylenol. I can't take Naproxen or Aspirin (except at night since my hemophilia is only a real concern with injury, not spontaneous bleeding).
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Post by tiffany on Apr 12, 2017 19:37:30 GMT
Thanks everyone. Taking two Robax has helped with the pain, however, it’s starting to come back (I took the two around 7:30 a.m.). I’m going to try and hold out until closer to bedtime before taking another two, as I don’t want to take too many in one day.
You are right that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. It’s just too bad that I have to be like that to get anything done. I just don’t like doctors who are pill pushers, and just prescribe medication for problems instead of trying to figure out what’s actually causing the problem. I know that my doctor is very busy, but I still expect the best possible care I can get from her, which I don’t think is happening. I just hope that this deep breathing technique will help, as I’m getting tired of this constant back pain.
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Post by purvis on Apr 13, 2017 14:31:25 GMT
Tiffany: Sorry to hear that with all your problems back pain is one of them. Have you considered acupuncture or better still a big shot of booze. I really can't imagine being in back pain, getting disruptive sleep, not fully trusting your doctor and having to go to work daily. All of these things would overwhelm most people but you carry on daily and still manage to have the faith to plan two upcoming tours. You are amazing . No one deserves a great holiday more than you do. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Apr 13, 2017 14:57:27 GMT
Thanks Purvis. I have thought of acupuncture, however, my nurse practitioner didn’t think it would work. She said that chest physio would work best, and I have an appointment for next week. In the meantime, I’m taking the Robax and trying to get though my days. I find that the heating pad helps a little bit, and I use that at night. I am also doing the breathing that the nurse practitioner told me to do, and I just wish that the Atelectasis would clear up so that this pain would go away. I’m flying home for the Easter weekend today, and I really don’t want to be in pain all weekend, but, what can you do. I just hope the pain clears up before my trip to Croatia in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait for a chemo break, and I’m hoping that having a break will help my chest congestions and cough, caused by the chemo, to clear up, as that is part of what’s causing the Atelectasis. We shall see.
I have thought of a big shoot of booze more than once, but, with all of the pain medication I’m taking, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I would be so drowsy, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed!
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Post by chech on Apr 13, 2017 15:18:05 GMT
When you do your deep breathing exercises, do you raise your arms above your head? Raising the arms expands the chest cavity and lets your lungs fill out the space. We had a girl in Bosnia who had an asthma attack due to the dust in the maintenance area, and while we waited for the medics, I had her sit straight up and put her arms above her head and she was breathing normally in a few minutes. The doc was curious how I knew to tell her to do this and just remember my cycling coach telling us to do this if we were short of breath while racing (but in that case...one arm at a time...LOL).
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Post by tiffany on Apr 13, 2017 16:12:11 GMT
The nurse didn’t tell me to put my arms above my head while doing my hourly breathing, but she did suggest a yoga breathing technique that involves laying on the floor while lifting up my arms and legs. I did it last night and the night before. I could try raising my arms above my head while doing my other breathing, to see if that helps.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 13, 2017 16:44:16 GMT
I just did my breathing exercise with my arms above my head, and it was much easier to breath. I will do that going forward.
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Post by chech on Apr 13, 2017 16:45:55 GMT
Awesome.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 18, 2017 11:18:04 GMT
Hello all. I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! As an update, I did my breathing exercises all weekend, and, although my back was feeling better on Friday and Saturday, I as in pain all day on Sunday. None of the pain meds I took helped. I was in contact with my nurse practitioner via email over the weekend, and I told her that we will have to reevaluate my treatment plan when I see my doctor next week. I will be getting a chemo break until I get back from my trip in May, but, I think I will be extending that break. If my test results from my Mat 11 CT scan shows progression, I will be moving on to T-DM1. If not, I will just continue with the Herceptin and Perjeta, and will take a hormone inhibitor like tamoxifen. My shortness of breath was really bad after last week’s treatment, and my parents were shocked at how bad it is. Until I can get my breathing back to normal, and get rid of this back pain, I’m going to have to take a break from chemo. I know that not everyone will agree with this decision ,but, it’s mine to make, and I think it’s the right choice.
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Post by purvis on Apr 18, 2017 16:21:47 GMT
Tiffany: So very sorry that you ran into trouble on your Easter holiday visit with your family. It appears something is very wrong and has to be addressed soon as you will be going on your trip in just a few weeks time. There are times when one has to do what one must (in your case stop treatments) perhaps by doing so you will get the attention of your health care team to your breathing and back pain problems. I can't imagine how you keep going when it seems it's two steps forward and one back. You have to find a solution to your present problems as it would be very difficult to enjoy your out-of- country trip if they are not controlled. Hope you get the help you need soon. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Apr 18, 2017 16:59:50 GMT
Thanks Purvis. My nurse practitioner emailed me back this morning, copying my oncologist in order to “keep her in the loop”. I don’t think she likes that I want to stop chemo altogether, at least for a little while. I really need to get my breathing back to normal though, and that won’t happen until I stop chemo. At least by the time I go on my trip, I’ll have gone two weeks without chemo, so hopefully it will be better by then. Now, if only I can get rid of this back/side pain. It hasn’t been that bad today, but it usually doesn’t get bad until the evenings, when I sit down to watch tv. At least I’ll still be getting some treatment, with the two targeted drugs.
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Post by tiffany on Apr 20, 2017 11:27:35 GMT
Hello all, I went for chest physio yesterday, and it was a good experience. My physiotherapist is new at my clinic, but that turns out to be an advantage to me because he’s fresh out of school and remembers how to treat my condition. He told me that some of the older physios wouldn’t remember how to do chest physio because they very seldom have to use it. He knew right away what atelectasis was, and, after examining me, he was able to pinpoint where the problem is, and showed me some breathing techniques. Unfortunately, the breathing I’ve been doing for the last week has not been that helpful, because I’ve been breathing from my chest and not my stomach. I need to learn how to breath though my diaphragm, which, for some reason, is hard for me. He also told me that my cough and chest congestion may be caused by the atelectasis, and not by the chemo as originally thought, and that’s what’s making my shortness of breath worse. He told me that once I can get my breathing in order, and fill the air pacs in my lungs, the pain, chest congestion and cough should go away. He also said it shouldn’t take long for the pain to go away, once I get my breathing in order. I hope he’s right as I really don’t want to be in pain during my trip!
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joyb
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by joyb on Apr 20, 2017 16:21:47 GMT
Hello all, I went for chest physio yesterday, and it was a good experience. My physiotherapist is new at my clinic, but that turns out to be an advantage to me because he’s fresh out of school and remembers how to treat my condition. He told me that some of the older physios wouldn’t remember how to do chest physio because they very seldom have to use it. He knew right away what atelectasis was, and, after examining me, he was able to pinpoint where the problem is, and showed me some breathing techniques. Unfortunately, the breathing I’ve been doing for the last week has not been that helpful, because I’ve been breathing from my chest and not my stomach. I need to learn how to breath though my diaphragm, which, for some reason, is hard for me. He also told me that my cough and chest congestion may be caused by the atelectasis, and not by the chemo as originally thought, and that’s what’s making my shortness of breath worse. He told me that once I can get my breathing in order, and fill the air pacs in my lungs, the pain, chest congestion and cough should go away. He also said it shouldn’t take long for the pain to go away, once I get my breathing in order. I hope he’s right as I really don’t want to be in pain during my trip! Glad to hear that your physio went well and hopefully the breathing excercises will alleviate the pain you are in.
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