Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 21:19:08 -0700
From: judybear
Subject: Re: Arthritis after chemo
OK, here's my long term survival story.
I was diagnosed with invasive or infiltrating ductal carcinoma in 1976 when I was 36 years old. The tumor was large, over 5.5 cm, and had grown through the minor pectoral muscle and attached itself to the chest wall. I had 19 of 21 nodes fully involved. The surgeon told me that there was nothing he could do after the mrm, that there was too much nodal involvement for me to be successfully treated. He told me this as he was writing my discharge papers after surgery.
I was devastated. I told him he couldn't just tell me that and then send me home. I had to speak to an oncologist. They kept me overnight again and the next day I met with an oncologist. He told me that the surgeon was a very good diagnostician and surgeon but he really wasn't "up" on the latest cancer treatments. He (the oncodoc) believed that with some new treatments I had hope.
Within days of surgery I began on what was then a new technique. Administration of several cancer drugs together in a "cocktail" or "chicken soup formula". I know that most of you probably wonder what's so new about this, since now it's all they do, but in 1976 it wasn't really heard of. I had 52 consecutive treatments of high dosages of CMF. I did lose most of my hair, and I was very ill. I got my treatments on Friday afternoons and was OK for work by Monday mornings.
At the end of the 52 weeks my scans were still clear and I had reached my lifetime limit of chemotherapy. Any more and I would be thrown into leukemia. Fortunately for me, it had done it's trick. I was NED and after 5 years was deemed in remission.
Nobody could believe it. As the years went by, each doctor who would hear my history would just look at me aghast - they couldn't believe I had survived. They would always ask me, "do you know how lucky you are?"
My oncologist has remained my primary care physician. I am his "star patient". We have grown old together. I have blood work and scans every year. They were always clear. Until 1997.
In December of 1997 my mammogram showed a quarter-sized spot on my remaining breast and a wire localization biopsy confirmed it was a recurrence. I had another mrm and, because I couldn't have chemo (remember, I had my lifetime limit of chemo and it is cumulative and doesn't dissipate over time) I was put on tamoxifen. I've been religious about seeing my gyn each year also and he and my oncodoc consulted and I was tested for uterine or endometrial cancer before I started tamoxifen. I was clean.
About this time, I had the BRCA genetic testing done, because my mother had also had 2 mastectomies, now so had I, and my daughter at 34 just had her first! I tested positive so I had a prophylactic oophorectomy since this gene also can cause ovarian cancer. I also had a colonoscopy because the same gene is involved in colon cancer as well. It, too, was clean.
Eleven months after starting on the tamoxifen I began to have vaginal bleeding (I was 22 years post-chemo pause) and immediately called my gyn. He scheduled an endometrial biopsy again and it indicated I had uterine cancer. Back to the OR, complete hysterectomy this time. The cancer was confined to the body of the uterus and I needed no further treatment for this.
My gyn and oncodoc consulted on the advisability of remaining on the tamoxifen and agreed that in my situation it is the best medicine for me at this time. I am presently NED and consider myself cancer-free and sometimes I even consider myself cured.
I am also the caregiver for my husband who has lung and tongue cancer. You can read all of our stories on our web site, Cancer Survivors On Line at http://www.cancersurvivors.org Click on authors and then on each name. Joe is my husband. I am Judy. Lois is my mother, and Alicia is my daughter.
I have lived with and survived this disease for more than 22 years and intend to do so for another 30 anyway. I am presently 58 years old.
Judy Bear Founder and Webmaster: Cancer Survivors On Line
http://www.cancersurvivors.org
A web site of cancer information, resources, and support
(site disclaimer applies to this message)
If you'd like to share a cancer story or experience please visit our guestbook.