Living With Breast Cancer

Dear Marie in NC,

Thank you for your encouraging message. I am currently a patient at CTCA in Zion Illinois. I have been undergoing treatment there for a little over a year now. I agree with you about the care and treatment they provide.

I will keep a positive attitude and continue to press on with the help of Prayers and Gods Grace. I pray you will do the same.

God Bless,
Inthebarn

hi Ella,I recently found about this message board.any how I read your message bout CTCA and very interested. I'm currently on chemotherapy taxol and it has metsaized to my bone almost 2years age started chemo has gone to sloan katerine in NEW YORK CITY to confirm my doctors finding in NEW JERSEY and see that the course of treatment i'm getting is same with Sloan katerin since they are the best . But do you think I still should go and try CTCA, and to see if I can try anything else.By the way I just started accupunture and try to do all natural way of eating.I've two kids 11 and 13 and want to see them grow and a wonderfull and caring husband without whom I do not think I could take this rough road. so I will welcome and thank you any help or info. thank you so much

Dear Farah, I can't advise you to go to cancer TX centers it's something you must do on your own. The center does have naturopathic physicians whom worked with me to get the right supplements. As far as medical treatments its about the same as other places. they do offer a lot of hope. MD Anderson in texas is probably one of the best reasearch hosptipal in the county. You can live a long time with bone mets. so don't give up. I have been in some type of continous trement for the last five years. Last year I had some complications with a lung and now hve a chest tube in and recently had pneumonia. It is easy to get down. But keep praying trusting and taking up for your self with the doctors, I took Xeloda and Femerma for two years and had great results. So YOu might ask about the xelolda. It is an oral chemo that converts to 5-fu at the cellullar level. Hope that you contine to enjoy life. and espically your kids. I just got to see my two "kids", 26 & 29 graduate from college. GOd bless, Marie

Hi Alicia -
Sounds like my story - in 2000, age 35, i was diagnosed w/ Stage II, no nodes involved. Fast forward to 2006 age 40, wasdiagnozed with Breast Mets to bone and liver.

I'm having a hard time coping, because when I feel good, I think i over do it and pay the next couple of days. It's very frustrating and like you, want my life to return to normal or at least know when that might happen. I guess we have to remember that the treatment is brutal and that is what makes life difficult. Once treatment has put cancer in remission, we can hope that we'll start healing and feeling better each day....keep the faith and stay informed, everyone has something to share and it may or may not work for you. Whatever oncologist you see, I recommend a good nutritionalist. What you eat, how you eat can make a difference.

All my best to you..
Beth

Dear Beth,

When I read your response, you and I sound alot alike. I to find myself doing alot one day and flat on my back the next day. Oddly enough, I had an extremely good week this past week. I was able to get up early and be productive the entire day all week long. So keep up a positive attitude and good nutrition. I pray that you will be able to experience a week like I had. Mets is an ongoing battle. I myself am only 42 and I want to get this portion of treatment overwith so I can get fully back into the stream of life. I have always been very active, and to have to sit and watch life go by sometimes is very difficult, as well as having to learn to ask for help. I prefer to help others. Take care of yourself.
God Bless,
Alicia, (inthebarn)

Hi Ella,
thanks for your message of encouragement. I just started on the oral Xeloda a week ago. So far i seem to be tolerating them well. Could you tell me as you get farther into the cycles if the side effects start up? I am wanting to go visit my daughter in a month or so. That means flying accross country. I would hate to get out there and not feel well, but i really want to.......... need to go.

I have stage 4 Breast cancer with mets to the bones but still have good quality of life. I was on femara for a year and then my oncologist switched me to Aromasin. My blood work shows my tumor markers are up and i am anemic so hes trying the Xeloda.

Sounds like you have been on it for a year, so thought i would see how you feel on it.

thanks for any help ........ Nancy

I was diagnosed with bone mets December 2001.I was in remission for 3 years and have been on some kind of chemo since. I was just diagnosed with liver mets. Just wanted to know if this is something that can be managed like bone mets.

What types of treatments have you had for your liver mets? I am investigating options for my mother right now?