So last I wrote, we were just starting Faslodex (2 big shots in the gluts) every month and continuing with Herceptin & Tykerb. Since then I have had 2 more doses of Faslodex, each one being less painful than the last. I did develop a nasty rash on my hip after the first dose, it was oddly only on one side and was almost the size of my hand, but it cleared up by the time my second dose was due. After the first dose I thought I was doomed to a life of joint aches and insomnia, but over the past month- the joint aches that would keep me up at night, prevented me from exercising and made me whine about getting up off the couch have all but disappeared!
For the first time since I started anti-hormone therapy, I have no pain (at least not today). The joint aches were manageable with 1200 mg ibuprofen, which I split into two doses, am and pm, but it was a pain nonetheless.
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| We put our little man to work this winter. |
At this month's doctor visit, he was not overly optimistic about staying on this therapy for very long, as my tumor markers have once again climbed from 231 to 256, but he felt comfortable saying that there was probably no major progression. All my other lab results looked about the same, and then he said the words I will never forget.....he said I am
clinically stable. I was like "what! , how can I be considered stable if my markers are going up"? He explained that biochemically, one test shows a very mild change (esp when tumor markers can be in the 100,000s), and I have no pain or other symptoms, so biochemically I am mildly unstable, but clinically stable! Just hearing those words was music to my ears. I always hung my hope and prayers on a NED (no evidence of disease) diagnosis, but this is just as good! Who cares what the tests say- I am well! And I guess I've been this way for many many months, but no one ever gave me a positive label like this before. Instead I'd always been labelled as mild progression, or stage IV and incurable, metastatic- scary terms that had no sunny side.
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| No joke, he shoveled the whole drive! |
We plan to give this therapy until the end of Feb, to see if it is working. At which time, I will either continue on this therapy (if it is working) or try the (hopefully) newly FDA approved drug, TDM-1. TDM-1 is in late approval stage by the FDA, and they've been very slow to get it into the mainstream, the deadline to approve or reject is Feb 21st. We all expect it to be approved, but one never knows.
So with this new view on my disease, I am more optimistic for a future, and want more than ever to celebrate life. It may be a cold and dark winter- but our house is filled with nothing but smiles and joy. This Christmas was a real blessing to us, and a good reminder of everything that God has done for us. I am so thankful for my church, my mom's group, and all our wonderful friends and neighbors who have supported us in so many ways.
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| Well....shoveling snow can have lots of meanings. |
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| Parker at Tessa's birthday party. |
I wish you all many blessings in this new year, and hope that by reading my story and others like it, you will realize just how blessed all our lives are.
So last I wrote, we were just starting Faslodex (2 big shots in the gluts) every month and continuing with Herceptin & Tykerb. Since then I have had 2 more doses of Faslodex, each one being less painful than the last. I did develop a nasty rash on my hip after the first dose, it was oddly only on one side and was almost the size of my hand, but it cleared up by the time my second dose was due. After the first dose I thought I was doomed to a life of joint aches and insomnia, but over the past month- the joint aches that would keep me up at night, prevented me from exercising and made me whine about getting up off the couch have all but disappeared! For the first time since I started anti-hormone therapy, I have no pain (at least not today). The joint aches were manageable with 1200 mg ibuprofen, which I split into two doses, am and pm, but it was a pain nonetheless. 
