On Tuesday, I finally received the long awaited Truqap.
I was told to hold off beginning treatment and to bring the medicine to the oncologist's off on Thursday. The oncologist took one look at me and dropped her jaw in awe of my yellow skin color, which I could not see, then shipped me off to the hospital for scans and more blood work. They kept me overnight to begin hemodialysis which did not happen. There appears to be some rule against private doctors making use of the hospital chemo machines. So, on Monday I will begin that at her offices. If that is successful, after some treatments, she will then put me on to the Truqap. If not, I will be gone in a few months.
I am pushing eighty-seven hard and am having a wonderful life. So, there are only things to do to get ready but no regrets.
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jersey-jazz
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Your bravery in facing situations head on is inspiring. The grace and humor with which you move through this journey has brought me great strength. Your posts have been a blessing to me and have brought many a smile. Praying hemodialysis followed by Truqap will work. 🙏
I have to get past this critical point to get to the application of Truqap. I long for the days when you take your cancer medicine and then get on with your life. Thank you Lilywallytootsie, for your prayers!
Grace is the key to controlling our futures. It sounds like you have an abundance of it. Being ready is the best we can hope for. Hopefully the treatments will work and we’ll be hearing from you for years to come. Wishing you the very best.
Have you thought about going off all meds? I'm glad you are still enjoying your life at age 87, and want it to continue. I wonder, though, whether cancer meds are harder on old bodies than cancer itself.
I'm 78, and I take ribociclib with letrozole only on week days. That schedule has yet to be researched (it works for some people taking palbociclib and letrozole), but as long as my cancer markers remain in the normal range, I'll keep reducing the amount of cancer meds I consume.
I went off all meds for six or seven months because the oncologist was loading me with cancer drugs when the hole between my liver and colon was just closing and I was still recuperating from unasked for radiation. My body could not take any more drugs at the time. I still have a fistula from the accidental hole.I was fading fast. I have local oncologist now. I like her and know her from 2015. She is not affiliated with a large hospital and so things move more slowly. She wanted to give me kaskali and I wanted the targeted therapy. Thanks to this forum, Ii learned of Truqap which I hope to take if she helps me recover from the acute liver failure.
Incidentally, do you or anyone know anything about fistulas?
jersey jazz - looking forward to reading your updates on the truqap and to becoming less yellow. So here’s best wishes and love for your ongoing journey. You amaze me with your strength.
Oh dear Jersey-Jazz, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Livers are so SO RESILIANT!! Stay on course, your cancer will patiently slowly grow, but won't harm you while you are doing what needs to be done for your liver. You have very good chances of your liver bouncing back with a break from chemo meds and some meds to help it along. I do believe, you will be seeing the time and day of Truqap for you. If they haven't pulled the Faslodex, do ask, as it is very harsh on the liver. On that note, they can use Truqap with an AI instead if needed. A life well lived is music to everyone's ears.....my hope is you have a lot more life to live well. God bless dear fighter!! Stay strong, you have many standing behind you, holding you up in thoughts and prayers!! Fight on!!
Wow! Such encouragement makes me tear up. I mean it. The words that are written in this column are so very helpful and encouraging to me. Thank you all!
hi Jersey Jazz- not much that I could add that the lovely ladies haven’t already said but I just want to say I’ve always really enjoyed your encouraging and thoughtful words and hope that liver bounces back and we can continue our chats. I love that 87 happy years with kids that have”mostly” been taught to live life gracefully means that you are well satisfied. A good goal for all of us!
Dear Bettybuckets----I feel our connection and hope that it can continue for some healing years. On Thursday, the county is sending a nurse to evaluate me for palliative care. This is given to "severely ill patients". I hope that my wonderful body gets hold of itself and begins to heal even just a little. I have plans and a transatlantic booking and want to realize them.
Well you deserve that special care they are sending your way… prob will make a new friend if I know you. And together you will figure out a way to keep you ticking along until you go on that next trip. I’m glad it’s getting to finally be gorgeous spring. That will keep us both going!
Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us; may all the right decisions line up to give you many more grace filled moments to share.
Praying for healing of your liver … of the whole of you. Either way I admire that you are ready for your future journey whatever that may bring. You are courageous 💜
Jersey— so sorry to hear this news. My hope is that it’s just a small bump in the road and you are able to get treatment for your liver. Sending you much love and a big HUG!
I only read these last entries just now so am a little late in answering. Thank you so much for your well wishes. They add up and move things in my mind and in my body. I hope that the strong chemo makes a difference. It is really hard on my old body. Next week, I will have a scan to find out whether or not the treatment has worked. Thank you!
Dear BluHydrangea---(one of which is beautiful in my backyard). I had an serious pain attack while in the waiting room. They proceeded with the infusions and the needle kept moving. After the third reentry and finally on the drug, the nurse told me I have had enough and she stopped the chemo partly through the actual drug with the approval of the doctor. On Thursday, a nurse from the county is coming here to assess me for palliative help, as a "very sick patient". Trouble is, my friend from Scotland is coming here on 31 May. He will help me if need be. We have plans that will probably be cancelled, maybe. That is traveling in my motorhome South to visit family in N Carolina, him golfing in S Carolina and aiming but not necessarily arriving in Key West. We are also booked for a transatlantic sailings on my "last voyage on the QM2". Up until last year's catastrophic slip of the knife on 6 April, I was called the mountain goat because I climbed up to all the difficult addresses of the Democrats living in those houses upon the high overlooks to the lake. I am concerned about what to say to this nurse on Thursday. Any suggestions would be so appreciated.
DearRedAzalea------In an hour, I am going with my son-in-law Ray to get Taxol chemotherapy on this ravaged body. Yesterday I woke up and realized that I was a little better for the first time in a very bad few weeks and that I was not in such danger of dying just yet.. Evidently I was the color orange. My color has suddenly improved. I would prefer to have gone on the targeted therapy when I received it, last Tuesday. However, my oncologist wants for me to be treated several times with this Taxol before going on to Truqap. So, here we go. Thank your your words.
Dear friend, I’m so sorry to hear these news. You’ve always been so strong and despite anything that going on with you, so positive and encouraging to me and others.
I’m sending good vibes and hope that you’ll improve with the ongoing and future therapy.
Just seeing this as I don't come on the board very often these days (all is well, I'm just taking a break). I am so so glad you now have a doctor you like and trust. I see a private one as well and think it makes all the difference as this is a mental game as much as physical and we need to trust those our team.
I have heard of quite a few people who successfully do a few rounds of taxol before going back on a target med. Hopefully it will be the magic potion. I also don't think they would be throwing all this at you if they thought you were a goner. For what that's worth...
The taxol info is such good news to me because I thought that it was off the wall when she told me what was to happen. I do trust this oncologist with my life. My illness is small compared to so many younger MBC patients who struggle in the midst of their life, some with young children.
I really hope too that they feel that this will help. Young or old, we are all in this together to give strength, courage and support when needed. Sending you prayers, positive energy and hugs.
Very belatedly, I want to thank you for the prayers, positive energy and hugs. I put them altogether, mentally, and really feel the profound effect. Thank you so much! XXX OOO
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