Breast Cancer Stage 4 My Journey

Well, I hadn't been able to eat for over a week. I had this very full feeling in my tummy. I was extremely fatigued to the point of faint or dropping to the floor with diarrhea every day all day. My mom secretly watched to make sure I had at least 4 bites of whatever they were having for dinner. I finally came to the hospital I was extremely dehydrated with kidney failure and my liver was out of whack, a small uti and belly infection just to give you a general rundown. So I was admitted. Still having diarrhea everyday all day. Trying to eat the hospital food which was pretty tasty.   Well, last night I finally threw up. My food was being collected in a nook or crany in my stomach. The fluid was coming out in the form of diarrhea but not the solids. Needless to say I immediately felt better for about an hour but then the stomach cramping started up again to where I was crying and nausea was the worst. I didn't throw up everything and what I had left made me feel horrible. ...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink is my favorite color, but it goes beyond pink for me. I'm stage 4 because the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes, chest, neck, liver, lung and bones with NO cure. When people think of Breast Cancer Awareness month they also think of Susan B Kolmen. People feel it in their heart to give/donate. Even though I'm happy that they raise so much money for "Early Detection" and "Spreading Awareness" only about 7% goes towards research in finding a cure. (Not sure if that's from all donations or just grants which is even less) I was heartbroken to learn this. Isn't "for the cure" their slogan? Now, obviously I can't tell them how to allocate their donations/grants but 7% doesn't seem right. Shouldn't it be more? At the least 30%. I just get so fired up because I'll always be on chemo I'll never be cancer free and I'll never be in remission because there still isn't a cure....

Well, it's not the news I wanted to hear. My cancer is no longer "stable" It has progressed in my lung and lymphnodes. My run with perjeta, herceptin and taxotere has come to an end. My oncologist is trying to get Tykerb and Xeloda approved by my insurance. Once approved I will no longer take my original medication through my mediport every 3 weeks but rather my new medication In pill form two weeks on and one week off. I'm worried how my body will react to stopping the medication I've been on for just over a year and starting something completely new. Will it be a shock to my body? I'm worried of the side effects of the new medications. Especially the sores in my mouth and the hand and foot syndrome which causes my palms and bottom of my feet to dry up and crack and bleed making it difficult to walk. Of course the usual side effects of diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue are attached to these drugs. I'll face any and all issues as I'm faced with them. I g...

I couldn't sleep well last night, I tossed and turned. A three letter question krept into my dreams and woke me. A few times today, out of nowhere, tears filled my eyes and an instant lump swelled in my throat because that same three letter word snuck up on me causing me to cry silent tears. Crying because I know I'll never have an answer. Crying because there is no answer. A few days before chemo my mind goes into overload and I mentally start counting down the days. I start to feel sad and depressed the closer I get thinking of what could of been, what is now and what could be in the future. My heart body and soul know I have chemo tomorrow. That three letter word haunts my dreams and taunts me when I'm awake. Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, looking into my sad hurt eyes, looking at my bald head, looking up towards the heavens, tears streaming down my cheeks, silently screaming that single question. My brain understands that there will never be an answer, ev...

The week following chemo I'm such a blubbering mess. The sickness that engulfs my body is a constant reminder that I'm sick. That I've got a chronic disease to deal with for the rest of my life. That it's cancer I live with and It's  terminal. During this week that follows chemo, my emotions are all over the place. Sad, depressed, mad and if I'm being honest a bit jealous. Sad and depressed that I have to put my body through this just to stay alive. My quality of life in between sessions isn't all that. Yes I'm alive. Yes I'm living. Yes I'm working, getting out, spending time with my son, family, friends. Facetiming with my boyfriend, but doing all that at very low energy. Any time you see me doing anything it's because I'm forcing myself to use energy that I have little of. I'm so very mad because with this illness my body would much rather be sitting in a recliner resting, laying in bed sleeping, going through social media, watc...

I've been on Morphine for just over a year. You can't stop taking it cold turkey. It's not good for your body and I found out the hard way. I called in a refill last Thursday and my prescription wasn't filled. They are pretty good at refilling the same day or at the latest the following day so I wasn't worried that I only had a day left of morphine because I thought for sure I'd get my refill before the weekend. Yeah, I was wrong. My doctor left work for the weekend on Friday without calling it in to my pharmacy. Her nurse suggested I take vicoden for pain over the next couple days which I did.  By Sunday my body started to react. I was going into a dark depression with thoughts of dying and suicide (this hurts my heart like you wouldn't believe to admit this). I couldn't get myself out of bed. I was crying because I wanted to give up. I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.  I didn't have the will or desire to do anything but lay in bed....

       My legs feel so heavy at times. It's hard for me to explain. I guess for me it's like dead weight. Taking one step up takes effort. It's not an automatic move like everyone else. Stepping up onto a curb, up into the entrance of my home or up into a high truck with a stepside for some examples takes thought, effort and strength (of which I have little of).        If I have to walk up a flight of stairs I usually lose energy before I've reached the top. I have to reach up and grip the rail to help pull myself up for each step. Its a huge workout for my legs and makes them feel weak and wobbly. Once I've reached the top, if I continue to walk I have to concentrate on every step because my knees are shaky and I feel I could possibly collapse so I have to stop and rest or preferably sit and rest to regain some energy.       I went to the mall to pick up my son from work early one day. I walked from th...

I'm her2+ and on herceptin, perjeta and taxotere. I've been getting chemotherapy infusions every 3weeks since the end of May. So that makes over 9 months. My cancer has shrunk since December but my oncologist wants me to continue with chemo. I'm so tired of being sick every three weeks for an entire week. Yes, I feel some symptoms are lighter than what they were in the beginning but I still have them. I'm still miserable, fatigued, body ach, bone ache, stomach ache, fever flashes, dizzy, unbalanced, nauseous, muscles twisting, cramping etc etc. Don't get me wrong. I'm so ever grateful for each day I'm alive but sometimes I'm just so tired. That's all. Rants over.

Well, I've just completed round 14 of my chemotherapy regime. Labs look great and my cancer marker is at 8.8 which is awesome! After explaining that my symptoms are still pretty rough and last a whole week with 3 days being the worst she frowned and seemed genuinely concerned that my body hasn't gotten used to it more. I don't think I voiced this to her much because I figured it was normal. This is all new to me so how was I to know. We'll, she said since my cancer has shrunk and my markers are way down and my labs always look great she is considering dropping the taxotere. This is the one that's causing the majority of my symptoms! Once dropped my symptoms should be much more bareable and even lighten drastically! At least this is typical in most cases. I can't wait! Oh happy day! Maybe one or two more cycles and then she'll drop the taxotere. That's the plan anyways. Eeek! I'm so excited and it makes this and the next couple chemos bitter sweet. I...

Well, chemo#14 went as planned. The only difference is that I went alone. I've been spoiled for too long. I usually have my sister or my mom with me. Not by my choice entirely. I don't mind either way cause I hate putting people out but it helps keep things in order as far as information given to me whether it be results or future tests that I need to get cause I can be forgetful. They like supporting me and in their eyes I'm not putting them out. So I got everything except my zometa which is my bone strengthener. I get that every 6 weeks. I got my usual cocktail of Perjeta, herceptin and taxotere. I got benadryl and a steroid as well. My markers are at 10 I believe. I'm not having a CT in March which I'm surprised cause I get a CT every 3 months. She seems to think everything looks good. The last CT didn't detect any cancer which means it has shrunk to under 1cm everywhere and my markers are low. My labs are very good according to her. There is no indication...

Sometimes I forget that I'm sick. Sometimes I feel normal. There are times when I'm sitting on my recliner watching tv and it's like I'm back in time. To a time beyond a year ago, before finding out I had breast cancer. To a time when I had a normal life.  Then, as I'm watching TV a commercial about a new medication comes on and I'm instantly snapped back to reality. The new medication is to help treat or shrink cancer and at that moment it feels like a vacuum has sucked the air right out of me. Reminding me that I have cancer and I'll never be rid of it. How dare I for a moment forget that fact. My eyes instantly swell and fill with tears. I take a deep breath and tears run down my face. There's a lump in my throat that feels more like a knot. Sadness overcomes me and I begin to quietly weep.

1 bag Saline, 1 bag benedryl and anti nausea, 1 bag Perjeta, 1 bag saline, 1 bag herceptin, 1 bag saline, 1 bag taxatere, 1 bag saline, 1 bag bone strengthener, 1 bag saline. Got started around 930am and got unhooked at 130pm. I'll be good for 2 days before symptoms kick in. I'll be sick for at least a week, I'll be getting better for 2 - 3 days after that then I'll be back to myself for 7 - 10 days then I go back to do it all over again. Indefinitely still at this point. Good news is that the cancer has shrunk but my doctor wants to keep up the momentum we have going on. My oncologist said I still have cancer, I'll always have cancer. It's just a matter of maintaining it and living a new normal life around the treatments and sickness I have to go through every 3weeks for the time being. Why am I smiling? I woke up today so I'm good. :) 

Well, I went for my Chemo appointment today.  Wednesday the 21st of December. I was supposed to get it this past Friday but I had a church retreat to attend. I was to do labwork, see my oncologist, get my CT results and get my chemotherapy. Everything was moving along smoothly. Mom was with me this time, sissy had to work. We sat in the exam room waiting for the doctor to go over my labwork which I had the feeling was fine cause my labwork is always fine AND my CT results which was a bit nerve racking cause in previous scans my results showed little to no shrinkage or improvement. The last one showed new growth in my upper right lobe in my right lung! Which was devastating as you can only imagine. Putting my body through the symptoms of chemo every 3 weeks only to be told that it's spread to another organ! This put me in a depression that I hid very well except to my boyfriend Aries. Which I know is not healthy to hide it but I didn't want to worry anyone.    ...