Medistinal Lymph Nodes Still Show Active Br. Ca.

Tomorrow I go for what is hopefully my next to last chemo treatment for stage lV br. cancer..  I am having Avastin & Taxotere..  I thought I had my last one on the 24th of Oct. but recent pet/ct showed 3-4 active areas of cancer that had not responded to first 5 treatments.. I am not looking forward to these two..I know though, that now I am fighting a meaner stage of this disease, and this could and most probably is just the beginning of a long road to go for me..  The br. ca. mets was discovered in my lung..solely by accident because of an orthopedic surgery on my left arm..a pre-screen chest xray revealed the lung nodule, and then a pet/ct in June showed how active the cancer was in my medistinal lymph nodes and neck area.. the 5 treatments were able to disolve the lung tumor,  but the ones in my sternum lymph system are still being contrary.. It is weird, because I dont feel like there is anything going on at all..cancer is definately a silent disease..it takes alot of cancer in our bodies I guess to make us feel the effects of it..  my oncologist is hopeful that a remission can be achieved..all I can do is be hopefull at this point..  I have had a four week break between these treatments and it has been great!  I was able to get back to normal as to how I feel..  I am loosing my hair though, and with these next two treatments it will finish off what hair is trying to hang on to the top of my head..  This is my second go around with br. ca.. it was initially diag. in 01..it was very tiny..only 1.6cent.  no nodes positive. This mets has come out of no where!  It layed dormant I guess..for over 6 years.. very strange they say?  Like most cancer fighters, I had my moments of paranoia and wonder about when or if this disease would come back.. but in April of this past spring I had finally made a concious decision to block this stuff out of my mind and just live my life without that fear..well BAM!!!  It took me by suprise again.. like it did in 01 when they told me I had it..  I have gone through the usual ups and downs now with it..worry of the survival aspect, and wondering about my future...but I have just decided to try and get through these treatments..and just have a frame of mind that I have cancer, it doesnt have me!  Weather I live or die early or later in my life is soley up to God..  he knows the outcome..right?

I find that if I block it out and concentrate on other things going on in my life that it does help.. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, or what our future will bring.. there is a hymn and it says, I dont know about tomorrow,  but I know who holds my hand in the end no matter what..that gives me a sense of calmness..and I hope it will others who are facing this same disease..  God bless all who are going through these dreaded treatments..God bless all who struggle to find their quality of life through all of this mess..  I have decided that if it comes to a point that my cancer is becoming to aggressive and nothing is slowing it down, that I be given the courage to say enough, and just have quality of life for the remainder of life I have...  Sorry, to anyone who reads this..I just had to get this out..

I like this web site it has proven a very valuable tool for me to come here and read stories from others who are facing these awful diseases that life throws at us..  I hope now, that these 2 treatments I have coming up in these two weeks..will prove somewhat successful, and I will have a long break before i need anymore..  One can only hope and pray..right?

God's Blessings to you all..

Jodie

Hi Jodie and God's Blessings to you too! You sound like an amazingly strong human being. You have been through so much and yet your spirit remains positive. I am going to attach a few websites and some information that I hope will be helpful to you. Please do some print outs and take the information to your doctors to check out. Wishing you peace of mind and healing...Shemay ______________________________________________________________ AVEMAR http://www.cancercompass.com/cancer-news/1,12705,00.htm http://www.rejuvenation-science.com/avemar.html ______________________________________________________________ Copyright (C) 2007 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved In clinical cancer trials, Avemar was shown to reduce the progression of disease in patients with head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, and malignant melanoma of the skin. The quality of life of patients with breast cancer or lung cancer improved significantly (P < 0.05) after supportive treatment with Avemar: improvements in the global state of health and fatigue were observed in lung cancer patients, and improvements in physical and emotional function, the global state of health, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and constipation were observed in breast cancer patients. Clinical studies of the efficacy of Avemar in the treatment of other cancers are ongoing. However, observational data indicate that this wheat germ extract has favorable effects on ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. "The therapeutic spectrum of Avemar is much wider than it had been thought some years ago." Avemar (Wheat Germ Extract) Avemar is the new wonder-alternative cancer treatment / adjuvant therapy for boosting the immune system and fighting cancer. "Research at UCLA has demonstrated that Avemar reduces glucose flow into the cancer cells.  Cancer cells can evade NK [natural killer] cells by masking their outer membrane with a special substance that the NK cells recognize as 'normal.'  Avemar suppresses the release of this masking substance -- allowing NK cells to better target and kill the cancer cells."  Avemar's immune-stimulating ability appears to be so powerful that it can be useful in helping to restore even the most severely compromised immune systems.

Hi Jodie and God's Blessings to you too! You sound like an amazingly strong human being. You have been through so much and yet your spirit remains positive. I am going to attach a few websites and some information that I hope will be helpful to you. Please do some print outs and take the information to your doctors to check out. Wishing you peace of mind and healing...Shemay Sorry I have had to remove several websites because this board would not accept my message with them in it. Please send me a private message if you would like the denied information. ______________________________________________________________ AVEMAR http://www.cancercompass.com/cancer-news/1,12705,00.htm ______________________________________________________________ Copyright (C) 2007 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved In clinical cancer trials, Avemar was shown to reduce the progression of disease in patients with head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, and malignant melanoma of the skin. The quality of life of patients with breast cancer or lung cancer improved significantly (P < 0.05) after supportive treatment with Avemar: improvements in the global state of health and fatigue were observed in lung cancer patients, and improvements in physical and emotional function, the global state of health, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and constipation were observed in breast cancer patients. Clinical studies of the efficacy of Avemar in the treatment of other cancers are ongoing. However, observational data indicate that this wheat germ extract has favorable effects on ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. "The therapeutic spectrum of Avemar is much wider than it had been thought some years ago." Avemar (Wheat Germ Extract) Avemar is the new wonder-alternative cancer treatment / adjuvant therapy for boosting the immune system and fighting cancer. "Research at UCLA has demonstrated that Avemar reduces glucose flow into the cancer cells.  Cancer cells can evade NK [natural killer] cells by masking their outer membrane with a special substance that the NK cells recognize as 'normal.'  Avemar suppresses the release of this masking substance -- allowing NK cells to better target and kill the cancer cells."  Avemar's immune-stimulating ability appears to be so powerful that it can be useful in helping to restore even the most severely compromised immune systems.

My thoughts are with you Jodie.  That Avemar sounds pretty hopeful!  I have also read several pieces of info on the benefits of  Vit. C intravenous therapy and alternative treatments used to cleanse the body of toxins.  A woman my husband works for sent me an issue of someone with stage 4 who found these supplements and diet 5 years ago and has since had about 300+ woman working with her.  Unfortunately, I cannot find the article for any more specifics but maybe you can look into this in your area.  I do know a woman I work with has a sister who is over 14 years with stage 4 BC.  When she was diagnosed she went to a clinic up in NY and went cold turkey and began a specific diet, meditation etc.  I don't think she is as strict as she once was in following this regimen but is still living a normal life.  I received a Healing Prayer Book in the mail and this is what is says:  The practice of medicine remains, at best, an inexact science.  There are cases where drs. were wrong or where sheer determination conquered an illness.  There are "miracles". (excerpts) Because of these things, we can and must always keep alive the hope that health problems can improve.  Our bodies are wonderful creations with untold powers for healing and regenerating.  Even if a condition is irreversible, often it is through our health problems that we can find the pathway to developing our talents in new and different ways.  God gave us the gift of life and has tremendous power to guide, direct and assist this healing process.  Through prayer, we bring our health needs to the Lord, asking for His help and healing and accepting His answer as His will for us.  May God give you his guidance to live out His will.  I will pray for you as well.

 

On 12/5/2007 Leemg wrote:

My thoughts are with you Jodie.  That Avemar sounds pretty hopeful!  I have also read several pieces of info on the benefits of  Vit. C intravenous therapy and alternative treatments used to cleanse the body of toxins.  A woman my husband works for sent me an issue of someone with stage 4 who found these supplements and diet 5 years ago and has since had about 300+ woman working with her.  Unfortunately, I cannot find the article for any more specifics but maybe you can look into this in your area.  I do know a woman I work with has a sister who is over 14 years with stage 4 BC.  When she was diagnosed she went to a clinic up in NY and went cold turkey and began a specific diet, meditation etc.  I don't think she is as strict as she once was in following this regimen but is still living a normal life.  I received a Healing Prayer Book in the mail and this is what is says:  The practice of medicine remains, at best, an inexact science.  There are cases where drs. were wrong or where sheer determination conquered an illness.  There are "miracles". (excerpts) Because of these things, we can and must always keep alive the hope that health problems can improve.  Our bodies are wonderful creations with untold powers for healing and regenerating.  Even if a condition is irreversible, often it is through our health problems that we can find the pathway to developing our talents in new and different ways.  God gave us the gift of life and has tremendous power to guide, direct and assist this healing process.  Through prayer, we bring our health needs to the Lord, asking for His help and healing and accepting His answer as His will for us.  May God give you his guidance to live out His will.  I will pray for you as well.

Thank you for your reply.. I appreciate any information at this point.. I found out today after talking with the dr. following my treatment today that I am in no way close to being done with these things.. I have one next week, and get a break around Christmas, and then I go again the 9th of January..I guess I shouldn't be suprised, but I was sure disappointed and am a little depressed today..  I do rely on guidance from God..more than he knows..and he knows everything..!  I am still in hopes that there will be an ending or a long break in these treatment regamins..they are grueling..I dont get that sick from them, they are just not what I want to be spending my time doing...  I hope that God can direct me into something positive and beneficial to others after I have gone through this stuff..I would love for my life to count for something wonderful and to be able to give  back for all of the blessings I have been given in my lifetime..

thank you again..and i will give your recomendations some thought..

Jodie

I loved your last paragraph Jodie.  Direct this to Him and I'm sure He will do just that!  Your life is and has always been beneficial.