heal from stage 4 matastic breast cancer

The masectomy went well. My sister came to help me, and this in and of itself has added alot of things that I just have to laugh at. She got pneumonia and it added extra trips to the doctor daily. Then my two grandson’s that live with me got sick. After that we got side swiped in the car. Miracle just paint from the truck that hit us, but not dents and everyone was fine. Then my sister and I went in the ditch. My life is full of appointments, and spending a lot of time with my sister.
I had a PET scan last friday the 7th. Monday was chemo and oncologist. Missed it due to weather. Rescheduled for Tuesday and I arrived late with the roads still bad, but the long and short of it…the PET scan shows NO active cancer right now. The oncologist says it is a miracle that most women are dead by two years. The end of January will be two years for me. I have been blessed with so many miracles this holiday season and I am so thankful and grateful for all the support and prayers I have received from so many people on 43 things, Facebook, Caringbridge and friends and family of friends that don’t even know me.
May the light of the Lord shine down on everyone and bring miracles and blessings to everyone!

The chiropractor gave me a free adjustment, since I was fighting with the insurance. It is reinstated as of today! Surgery tomorrow-masectomy. My sister is going to be here today. Monday was a great therapeutic session in SF. Great day today for counseling today. The boys have a counseling session today too!
Yesterday I accomplished everything I needed to do. Painted the outside of the closet my husband is making, pained the walls and trim in the room my sister will sleep in. Took my husband’s sons girlfriend a ride to work. Then got groceries. Went and voted, gave my daughter a ride around town to pay bills. Then steam cleaned the carpet in the room my sister will sleep in. Got the bed set up and made, washed the curtains and got them hung. Made dinner. Then to bed. Wow!

problems with insurance. The hospital says don’t worry about it, just keep up with your treatments and go ahead with the surgery. Easy for them to say, it won’t be them going into more debt. Tomorrow is a new day and the light will shine again!

Saw the oncologist yesterday and she is very concerned, the cancer has grown since the MRI. Everything changed yesterday. It was suppose to be herceptin, but after talking with the nurse she told the doctor she needed to fit me in right then. The oncologist did actually fit me in right then. Change of plans, pertusamab(sorry for the misspelling) added to the mix right now. Plastic surgeon is moved up and saw him yesterday. The surgory is next thursday. Again more tears. Saw the counselor through all of this as well, and she said that I will grieve for this and it is only right that I should. It is part of my woman hood since I was twelve years old, but I am not my breast! I have to reach deep down inside and discover who I am under all the muck that so many of us carry.
My sister may come from CA to help me out with the kids etc.

Thought it was going to be a meeting with oncologist, radiologist and the surgeon who is the breast specialist, but I misunderstood. The breast specialist is the surgeon and she says just about the whole breast is full of cancer so the lumpectomy is out. They want to do a masectomy. I don’t know why, because I was sure that was what they would say, but I have been crying all day. I see a plastic surgeon 11/6 and go from there. My husband told me not to cry he loves me no matter what and well stay by my side, that I need to do it because he wants me around for a long time. More tears. I have counseling on Monday. We talked about it last session and I was fine, so now why all these tears?

Friday will be the deciding factor of which direction I go-surgory and whether it will be a lumpectomy or masectomy. The tumor is remaining stable, but there is more cancer growth in the breast.

wrote to three places. After more than a week I got one response to call for a ten minute consultation. Money continues to be a struggle. Applied for several things and with my husband working we qualify for nothing.
The five week break was fabulous! Had the round of tests Friday, and went in to see the oncologist on Monday. She was very prepared. She started me on herceptin before I left. It is only once every three weeks and will last about an hour. Yay for that!
Test results show that I have two additional spots in my breast, besides the tumor. I also have a teeny tiny spot on the same hip bone as when I first started, but in a different spot. She says since I am little more endowed than some woman that a lumpectomy to remove all three spots is still a possibility, and they can take tissue from the other breast and make them the same size. Also they can make them perky. Wow, don’t think mine ever were.
I went to an intuitive counselor the other day, and she gave me a bunch of exercise to do, and pointed out a lot of things that she was dead on with. It was fun, she is a beautiful woman, plus I got a CD of the session so I can listen to it over and over. I think couseling has been helping as well. Divine healing is possible for all, I must still be hanging onto something!

Had my tests yesterday and lymph nodes are still clear, but dr.s think the cancer is spreading in my breast. I see the oncologist Monday. Written to several alternative doctors and have gotten no response from any of them. I did get a response from the biological/alternative dentist, but anything alternitive is very expensive. All my money is gone and I still owe $1000 for medical bills. When you go the traditional doctor route seems they always clean you out. $495 a month for Cobra, then $3000 out of pocket per year and that adds up to a lot of money.

http://www.cancertutor.com/Articles/How_To_Fund.html
This is very informative, well written, geared toward stage 4 cancers.
Also CanHelp.com
I e-mailed the woman from this site and she called me back and spent nearly an hour sharing information and websites for more information. She was extremely helpful.

stage 4 matatize breast cancer. All spots in the bones are gone. Had suspect spots on my lungs and a lesion in my liver which are all gone also. Lymph nodes all normal size and the tumor started at 7.8 cm, now it is 2.6 cm. Eleven months ago it was 2 cm, so now the trial study has removed me. So I ask, is the bad news really good news? The oncologist has a plan that she feels very strong about. She wants to do a lumpectomy. This means that I have some serious thinking, meditating, and praying to do. Most eveyone I talk to says to do the lumpectomy. I guess I need to hear it from God myself. I am not opposed to traditional doctors, but I do believe that it should not just be the doctors decision, but a discussing and then the patient can decide what is best for them.
I think I am relieved to be off the study. It did it’s job and shrunk the tumor smaller than the doctor thought would happen, gone from bones, and lymph nodes are normal now.
I can also go back on herbs, so I am going to start this on Monday. Got in a few walks this week. Weather has cooled this week. The kids are in public school and happy so far. Life is good. Thank God for all the blessings. Peace and Blessings to all!