Its back
Posted on: Tue, 25/11/2008 - 23:06
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Its back
Hello all my beautiful friends here,
Well I was in town yesterday to have my PETscan and while there my surgeon rang me to tell me the pathology of last weeks bronchoscopy was back and that it did show some activity back in the area that was radiated last year. So its in the main bronchus of my left lung. It was initially thought that radiation was not an option but now we know that in fact it is. So I am waiting to hear from the radiotherapy onc today. So I will do rad, then surgeon will do another bronch and take more biopsies to see what effect the rad has. Then they will reassess from there and decide if chemo is needed.
Bugger bugger hey?! It hasn't come as a huge shock though, I have always been very real about the situation knowing full well it could come back any time. I was hoping it just wouldn't have been so soon. And would have been nice if it had of waited until after christmas! But we all know how unpredictable this nasty disease is. I'm feeling pretty positive that I will get through this bout and I'm even thinking of doing chemo just to mop anything else up that may be lying around in my body. Maybe some Xeloda. My onc has suggested FOLFIRI and in Feb Avastin comes onto our PBS here so won't be as expansive to buy.
So would love to hear anyones personal accounts on FOLFIRI and even FOLFIRI after having done FOLFOX.
Love to you all,
you are all in my thoughts and prayers always
Love and hugs,
Michele xx
am so sorry to hear this news. Gosh, good luck with it all - I know you are a fighter (we have to be for our kids don't we) but Im sending you strength anyway and loads of love and hugs. I am currently on Xeloda so PM me at any point if you want further info - if I can help I will. Best wishes, going to bed feling sad :o( Jools x x x
Dear Michele
I was so sorry to hear your news but as Jools says, you are such a fighter that I am sure you'll get through this too. Good luck with the new treatment - you know we will all be thinking of you and praying for you.
Much love and big hugs
Kate xxx
Hi Michele
Just sent u a good luck email and then came across your posting as I was logging out -
Bummer bummer bummer - but as I have said - u are strong - you will be OK!
Paul is I am sure on the chemo u mentioned - silly this - cant look back to what you wrote - will check and get back to you -
Keep smiling - you are a SURVIVORxoxoxox
Tanx
Tania
"One Step At A Time"
Hi Michelle.
I'm just gutted for you. But I believe your strength and will with your good health care will see this nastiness away.
X
It's horrible news to get, as you say just before Christmas - or any time. Am wishing you all the very very best with the new treatment. Hope it doesn't have too many side effects. Please keep us posted. Sending hugs xxxxx Penny
Penny
Michelle..............................I feel sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo angry and frustrated and just so want to think that all the love and energy and positive vibes I can muster I can send your way. You ARE a survivor, you will come through this and still be here to tell the tale when we all need you. Those gorgeous boys are why you are here now, and so this blip will not change that. Never met you I know, but have grown to be very fond of you and admiration for your great outlook on this pretty tough life. We are all here to give you great big hug, all our love xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Michelle
Just found this new thread sorry havn't been on sooner still looking on the other thread. What can I say that hasn't already been said you know how much we all care. As Anne said it's amazing how much we can all care for somebody even though we have never met.
You are a very strong person Michelle It's awful to think that you are having to go through all this again but your a fighter.
Anyway All my love and thoughts wishes and prayers are on there way to you and your family.
Love Tina
xxx
Only just seen this as I've been poorly all week with a chest infection & not been near the computer. so sorry to hear the news, even though we were sort of expecting it.Still praying for you & as the others have said you're obviously a strong person & will fight this.
Love & prayers to you & your family.
Caz xxx
Hi everyone,
Firstly, Thank you all soooooooooo much for all you have said. I too think you all mean so much to me even though we haven't met.
Have seen the Oncologist and radiotherapy onc on Friday. Last Tues they all sat around a BIG table with surgeons, other onc's and lung specialists etc and discussed my case.
The concensus is that my cancer is NOT behaving they way it "statistically" should be. It is staying contained, not growing rapidly or spreading they way they would have expected and this "new" growth is actually attatched to the old tumor via blood vessels, so is really just regrowth of the old one....its sprouted a "baby" so to speak. I have no new lesions which after 12 months and 6 months off all treatment they know is very lucky. Given all this, they are treating me completely differently to the way they would normally treat someone with my level of metastatic disease.
On either Tues/Wed I will begin a very intense 14 day chemo/radiotherapy combo treatment regiem. They don't usually do both together but know that when given together it increases the effectiveness of the radiation. So I'm in for a bit of a rough trot over the next 4 weeks but should be feeling a little better before Chrissy hopefully. Who cares if I'm not, the alternative is for me, just NOT an option!!!
Again thank you everyone, your support means a lot.
Love and hugs,
Michele xx
P.S. I'll pop over to the other post and check out what you've all been up to now xx
Michelle...................you continue to amaze me with your straight up positive attitude...................and thats why I feel you will SURVIVE all of this horrible horrible disease, you`ll be in the record books yet! Do you know what the chemo will be? How often will it be given as its over 4 weeks? You are right, the alternative is NOT going to be an option for you, keep showing them and IT, that you are the stronger one. I send you all the love and strength I can from rainy England and will hold you in my thoughts, love to you and those gorgeous boys............may I ask their ages? As you know mine are all 10! Love, Anne xxx
Thanks hun xx
My boys are (almost) 7, 5 and (almost) 2. Chemo will be just 5fu in a pump for 14 days straight. so I will wear the pump with me all the time and have it changed over just once a week. The radiation will be every weekday for 10 days. Was going to ask how Harry is doing but I'll pop over to the other board and see xx
Hi Michele
Cor blimey - u poor thing - good thing they got it now though - will all be gorn soon - so just hang in there - hard for you with xmas coming up as your agenda is probably full of stuff like mine this time of year - forever fighting to get a few more hours into the day. Seems like the docs are gonna give you a good blast of treatment which is good - Paul has the 5fu - u don't lose your hair and the side effects (for him anyway) were not too awful - which hospital do you have to go to for treatment? Is it far from where you live? Do you have someone to take you and care for the kids - your mum is still with you isn't she - lucky you in that regard - always good to have your mum around at times like thesexxx
Please keep us informed how u are doing - my thoughts are with you all the time - truly - you don't deserve this (well nobody does) - so keep the spirits up as best you can - and know our thoughts are with you xoxo
Love Taniaxxxx
Tania
"One Step At A Time"
Justgot a call from the radiotherapyDoc and she is now going todo 4 weeks of chemo/radio, instead of 2, so I'll be on the nasty stuff for xmas. But better to be on it and reeeealy kill the little bugger than not on it for long enough and have it return. She is finally on the same page as me in that she is trying her best to completely irradicate it....YAY! I get fed up with hearing them talk about palliative radiotherapy , palliative chemo, pall this pall that....finally I'm hearing someone trying to achieve the same thing as me...A CURE! I know its totally against the odds, but hey wouldn't it be awesome on their resume!!!! Oh I'm woffling now!!!
Tania - mum is back in spain trying to get their boat home, they left in early Oct after I got the clear scans, sometimes I think mum really has her head in the sand about my condition, or she is behaving and believing that all will be just fine forever just to cope. Must be so hard as a mum to watch your child go through this. So no family here again. I have just spoken to day care about the kids and got that all sorted.
The hospital I go to is just up the road from me. Not giving any names of hosi's on here as I've had a few people writing to me via email that I don't know (all through this site)and its a bit creepy, so just trying to protect me and my babies a bit I guess.
Hope you and the boys are all well Tania.
Cheers all
Shell xx
Hi Michelle,
good luck with all your treatment, it sounds a very gruelling regime for you. I hope (actually I know) that you will have a lovely christmas with your family, because that's the way you are. You are such an inspiration and a fighter, I wish you all the best.
Take care of yourself,
Lots of luv ...Carolyn x
ovarian cancer
Hi Michelle
I admire your courage so much. I know you will still enjoy Christmas with your beautiful children and family,You continue to get my prayers and love.
Tina
xx
Sorry to hear about all the news, and congratulations for the positive attitude facing it all down again.
Chemotherapy over xmas is far from ideal, but equally what better place to be than surrounded by loving family when you most need their love and support ?! I know I am looking forward to being around my family for a few days over xmas just to prepare for my continued treatment with this crazy condition that I'm fairly sure none of us had on our xmas lists...
Occasionally I feel my highly paid specialists might be spread a little too thin and not really relating to MY condition, so it's good to hear your Doc talking about some solid (but unpleasant) treatment to combat and kill your cancer. I think many of us here wish treatment were easier, but above that, we want the best chance to get well and cured, even it means more pills than we'd otherwise wish for.
All the best,
Ben
Good to see you posting on here :o)
Hope you are doing well with your treatment at the mo. Are you on the cetuximab alone, or combination with something else? What have you had so far? the FOLFOX?
I'm going in all guns blazing this time, and it will be my 2nd xmas in a row on treatment (last yr I had just finished radiation and had started FOLFOX) but I'm just so pleased to be here as we celebrated last xmas thinking it was highly likely to be my last. I'm not doing the same thing this year,because if its up to me I'll be here next chrissy and the next and the next! We will do something special when I am feeling a little better perhaps at the end of Jan with the kids.....
Anyway, thanks for your words of encouragement and hope you are well. Enjoy your chrissy with family too. Hope to see you on here more often.
Best go get ready I'm off to treatment in an hour.
Cheers
Michele