Mary
Welcome to our group. I'm so sorry that you are having to
deal with breast
cancer again, especially IBC. But, we are here to do what
we can to support
you as you deal with this new challenge.
I am always in favor of second opinions - especially when
decisions must be
made as to the best course of action. You haven't mentioned
whether your
current oncologist has much experience with IBC - if he/she
has not, that would
add further incentive to obtaining a second opinion.
Certainly, MD Anderson
would be an excellent choice.
There are a few other women on this list who have similar
histories so I
would expect you will hear from them. Weekends are pretty
slow in the email
department so you should get more responses in the next few
days.
The next time you write you might want to add a brief
treatment history so
we understand what you have had in the way of treatments.
Generally, surgery is done fairly quickly after the end of
your initial
chemo regimen depending upon how you are feeling, blood
count levels, etc. It
seems to me it was a couple of weeks inbetween for me.
Keep your chin up - even in the last few years, there are a
number of new
chemo drugs that are being used so undoubtedly, there are
quite a few you
haven't had before. Keep in touch with us, too - no matter
what the issue, you
typically can find one or more others on this site who have
been down a similar
road and can offer you information and support.
Sue, Portland, Or.
Dx 7/01 at age 57, 4 A-C, MRM, 16/17 lymph nodes; ER-, PR-
and Her2-; 2 more
A-C; 4 Taxol; 6.5 weeks radiation completed June, 2002;
recurrence in one
lymph node in super clav area 9/02; one cycle of Xeloda
(4,500 mg. per day)
resulting in bad reaction, 11 days in hosp., 5 in ICU;
recuperated until Jan.,
03; 1st lymph node slightly larger, 2nd smaller one;
low-dose Xeloda/radiation
combination for one month; continued with Xeloda; followup
visit at
MDAnderson in late April, 2003, showed two lymph nodes had
shrunk. NED since August,
2003. Took 2,500 mg. of Xeloda per day; two weeks on, two
weeks off; also
Celebrex and Vit. B6 twice a day. Two new nodes
discovered in Sept., 2005.
Stopped Xeloda. Took 8 Abraxane treatments (3 weeks on, 1
week off); Little
effect. Starting Navelbine treatments 3/27/06.
[list software deleted text/html attachment]
--
** List address: ibc ibcsupport.org
** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, etc.:
** http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html
|