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[Anitafazz]

Hi My name is Anita .I am 52 years old and was diagnoses with stage 4 Jan 2020. I take Ibrance and Letrozole with 2 shots once a month since February. I feel great no side effects yet except pain in my feet . Have my 2 nd PET scan coming up Monday . Reading all your posts is helping me to see that I'm not alone . I try to life as normal as possible but its always on my mind . Reading your post gives me hope

[Thrifty51]

Welcome Anita. You will find many friends here in the same situation. You are fortunate to have no side effects as that is not the case with most of us. Please let us know how your PET scan goes and we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Fingers crossed for great results.

Best,

Audrey

[Teddielottie]

Hello ! I’m glad you are coping well with this protocol so far and I wish you well with your scan on Monday . Hopefully you will see some change since your first scan . Can I ask where your mets are and were you diagnosed de novo ( stage 4 from diagnosis ) . I am in the U.K. and have been on this protocol since December 2017 and tolerating it well so far . I was de novo stage 4 at 53 . My bone mets are stable and my bloods have been within range . I hope you do well on this protocol too . You will find this site very helpful with lots of great advice and support from the ladies on here and many are / have been on this protocol . Take care x

[Anitafazz in reply to Teddielottie]

Yes i was stage 4 from diagnosis . I have mets to rib pelvis and spine . Onc doc is very positive that we found them in time and he said they are very small . Last pet scan showed improvement on everything. She told me " nothing lit up " . I feel good but now im just a bit nervous and just want to get it over with . It is such a rollercoaster of emotions. How do you guys deal with that ?

[Teddielottie in reply to Anitafazz]

That was a great start to this treatment and I hope you continue to get good results on this protocol . I too was diagnosed with low volume bone mets and have been stable for well over 2 years now . I try to keep my mind busy and try not to focus on my diagnosis too much...my anxiety is mainly on scan results day, as I have lived with my new ‘normal ‘ for a good while now . Take care and keep busy ! x

[Anitafazz in reply to Teddielottie]

I try not to let this disease control my life . I work fulltime enjoy my family and live every day like nothing happened most of then time . Right before scans is when i get overwhelmed and i have more negative thoughts. Trying to keep busy and not thinking all the time the week before scan day is difficult . Reading all the posts on here helps made me feel more positive since i really don't have anybody i can really talk to that understands me . I grew up in Germany and most of my family is there . Just to hear that some people have been on this medication even for 2 or 3 years is giving me a lot of hope . Thanks for all the kind words

[Shelly1009]

Hi Anita, I am also 52 years old and was diagnosed MBC in February of this year. I had my "practice" breast cancer a few years ago at age 48. Lucky us, huh? I'm on the same meds as you and same side effect of pain in my feet. If the meds are working then I'll deal with the pain. I was in a pretty dark place when I found these boards and they've definitely given me hope. Glad you found us ❤️

[Anitafazz in reply to Shelly1009]

So we went thru hell about the same time . I was diagnosed with my final test on 1/31/20 . Started treatment the week after. Had surgery scheduled 3 weeks after that date till my routine MRI showed a spot on my sternum which turned out to be nothing but a PET scan found all the other surprises which my doc said that shadow on that MRI saved my life . My Doc sounds really optimistic but in the back of my mind I'm always thinking if he really meant it or just trying to cheer me up lol.

Im glad to have found you guys and as you said i will deal with the pain in my feet and the hot flashes . I really felt my lump go down in my breast but since i go monthly to get my injections and i get a breast exam i try not to fixate on it anymore .

I will keep you updated on my results . Pray for me Sunday night

[Shelly1009 in reply to Anitafazz]

Crazy, huh? I can't believe how many are responding to this post that are the same age/similar circumstances. I was declared "cured" in 2017 after finishing surgery, chemo, radiation. For two years I've been searching for an answer for my acute abdominal pain. Every doc I saw was so sure it was Crohns. Finally got my diagnosis through an exploratory surgery to confirm Crohns before starting Humira. What a shock!!

I totally get how you feel about what the doctor is telling you. I do well, for the most part, but it's always in the back of my mind. Doing the math, trying to figure how much time I might have left. Will I see my kids graduate from college, get married, have kids? Why am I still putting so much money in my 401K? I try to not think about it and it's gotten easier over the months but it's always going to be there. It definitely helps being able to verbalize my fears with other people who get it.

Good luck with your PET scan. I'll be thinking of you ❤️🙏🏼

[Anitafazz in reply to Shelly1009]

Had my scan and got really good news . No active cancer cells as of right now . Hopefully for a long time but like you said i try not to look ahead more then 3 month . One scan at a time for now i guess . I will enjoy these next worry free days and recharge my batterie because belief me it is on E .

Tried to stay busy all weekend but its hard to do knowing what was happening on Monday . Hope you are doing well .

Anita

[Julie2233]

Hello and welcome 😊 I’m also 52 and was diagnosed with mbc 2 years ago, had my first dalliance with bc in 2016. I was on ibrance and faslodex for 18 cycles and found it very manageable.

[Staysha]

Hi Anita,

Welcome to this site. I am also 52 diagnosed 2 years ago metastatic to the right lung from the beginning. Unlike you I’m Her2 + so my treatment is different. I’m sorry you’re here but this group is wonderful. I wish you all the best.

Stacy

[Anitafazz in reply to Staysha]

Im also HER 2+ as far as i know .

[Jpl5036608 in reply to Staysha]

My daughter is 40 and de novo stage 4 about 10 months ago. Also her2 + so she had 6 tchp and now h&p every three weeks sincd mid march. Two small liver lesions still but breast mass no longer a mass and lymph nodes normal. The doc is exploring the fact that she could be oligometastatic and so possibly they could do procedures to liver and mastectomy that she wants. Otherwise it is systemic meds forever

[BluHydrangea]

Welcome. Great knowledge and comfort here. Wishing you the best with your treatments!

[hdhonda]

Dear Anita,

Welcome to the boards. You are not alone. You now have a lot of new friends. Praying for good tests results for you. Please let us know the results. We clap and cry on this board at various times. Sometimes we celebrate with champagne 🥂. Blessings, Hannah

[mariootsi]

Welcome Anita! Sounds like you are doing well.This board's members are wonderful, caring women. We are here for each other. You are not alone!

Love,

Marianne

[stardust1965]

Hi Anita

Welcome to this board. You’ve come to the right place. I can join the fifty-something gang too as I was diagnosed de novo in November 2018 at 53. Grieving for the future we have lost takes time but I hope you will eventually find acceptance of some form. I have found that having this diagnosis is a reminder to love life and live in the moment.

I hope your scan results on Monday are good 🤞

[Anitafazz]

Thank you for all the kind words . I feel so good having somebody to talk to that is in the same situation im in .

I will keep you guys informed of my results . I just have to find a way to control the anxiety days before scan day . Going Camping this weekend to stay busy . We will see if that's a good or bad thing . Just to read of all the positive stories on here gives me hope .

Thank you Anita

[Hidden]

Hi Anita,

Welcome! It's good to have you on here. Although I am sure you feel the same as I and all the other ladies feel that we would rather meet in different circumstances. I'm pleased to hear that you are managing your treatment so well and that you are feeling hopeful. This site will help you to see that you are not alone. We can relate to what you are going through, so please feel free to reach out whenever you need support, or someone to talk to. I am available if you want to talk.

Take care,

Sophie

[Anitafazz]

Want to thank everybody for thinking of me and all the kind words . I had my scan yesterday and received good news today . No active cancer everything is dead or dying off .

I will go with that and try to regain some energy because these last couple days of worrying took a lot out of me .

Would of been worse if i didn't have you guys !!!

[jersey-jazz]

Hi Anita

I just read this post of yours although I have responded to another probably more recent post. I see that you were diagnosed in January of this year. That is when I was officially diagnosed although I had figured it out in December. So, it will be good to track each other in our journey. Let's hope it is a long one.

X O

[Anitafazz in reply to jersey-jazz]

Same here . I had my mammogram end of November with my follow up US 12/6 . That’s when I got the call it is cancer . Of course I was devastated not knowing that it was not my last blow . Had a appt 1 week later with a surgeon since my lymph nodes are clean plan was surgery /radiation. She ordered a routine MRI and a spot on my sternum was found . She believed it was just a shadow but ordered a bone scan .

Well that day was the last day with “just” Breast cancer .

My lesions were discovered and sternum was just a shadow .

It was a horrible couple weeks till I had my first appt with my onc doc . Stared ibrance 2/1 . He told me that spot on sternum saved my life because it does happen sometime that cancer bypasses the lymph nodes and I would just had surgery and all my other stuff would just spread all over .

I’m here now feeling good so gob works in mysterious ways

Let’s walk together on this unwanted journey we are on .

[jersey-jazz in reply to Anitafazz]

I am going to have to type fast because I am packed and am just waiting till my friend arrives. He is always late.

Am I right in understanding that you were diagnosed with stage 4 and never diagnosed with an early stage of cancer? Wow! You must have dropped to the ground with shock.

In June 2015, I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and twelve cancerous lymph nodes: left, hormone positive and right her2 along with the nodes. I had thirty one chemo and targeted therapies and was declared cancer free. I believed that, sort of.

On New Year's Eve I had a biopsy of my liver where the cancer is. It's from the left hormone positive side. Four days later, My friend and I sailed from NYC on a twenty day cruise through the Panama Canal to San Fransisco and back across the US on sleeper trains. So, it was February when I began therapy. My oncologist wanted to take Letrozole and Ibrance. I refused to take Ibrance but am taking the Letrozole, what I call the anti=hormone pill. I think that my internal shivering is from the Letrozole but I have to take it until the day I say enough is enough. I am older than you, a widow and I miss my husband and I hope to connect with him again, in some spiritual way.

He is not here yet but I'll need to button up things. Be well.

Frances

[Gramat]

Hi Anita I was diagnosed 27 Dec. Are you having hair shedding with treatment? If so have you notice it slowing down? I do not stop

Shedding and hair is drier

[Anitafazz]

Hello

No i have no problem with my hair thankfully . The only side effect i have is pain in my feet and horrible hot flashes . But i can handle that . I feel no different most of the time . I hope you are well . Are you on same meds ?

Anita