Betty
I was diagnosed on April 19th with IBC.
I have just finished my Chemo and will be having surgery on September 13, 2005. I am taking many Vitamins and Herbal pills and am trying to eat to keep my body alkaline.
Like many others, the Dr. thought it was an infection, gave me a shot of Rocephin and put me on antibiotics, but she did order a mammogram with me asking for it.
I had the Mammogram on a Friday and a biopsy the following Tuesday. Within a month, I was on Chemo. every week x 16 weeks. I finished that on August 26th.
I have a website if anyone is interested in checking it out. http://www.storegateway.com
It has a cancer site on it that has a lot of information that might be useful to those with cancer. Eventually, I will put my story on my website.
If anyone wants to contact me, my email is bfkirk@gotricounty.com
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September 29th Update
I had surgery on September 13, 2005 as stated earlier. The Dr. took out 13 lymph nodes, and 4 were positive for cancer.
Now I am mainly healing from my surgery and trying to decide if Radiation and more Chemo is what I really want to do.
I have researched a lot of Alternative Treatments and most of them do not recommend Radiation or Chemo.
Will keep everyone updated as I go.
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December 10th Update
Here it is December 10, 2005. I have had 2 rounds of Adriamycin/Cytoxan with 2 more to go. After that it will be 6 weeks of Radiation.
I have done pretty well with the Chemo; I have had some nausea but not any vomiting so far.
Even though I do get depressed at times and wish it was over with, I am very thankful for another day to live. I hope I can live to be 100!
Everyone keeps telling me to hang in there, and I am going to tell all of you the same. We will get through this. Each day is truly a gift, and our God is truly an awsome God!
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May 25th Update
It is now May 25th, 2006.
I have completed my 6 weeks of radiation. I did get an allergic reaction to the Silverdene cream they gave me to put on my burns from the radiation, but it is now healed. I am now back to work, as a nurse, doing week-end option.
I am getting Herceptin every three weeks until next April. I am also on an Arimidex pill. They usually have you take that for at least 5 years. It does make my bones hurt, especially my hands. The doctor says that it is a very good medicine for cancer, though, so I try to put up with the joint pain.
I feel that my life is finally back in order. This past year seemed to be a very long year, though. Now I have the next 5 years to go, praying that the cancer will not come back.
All of you keep up the fight. WE can make it!
Betty
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August 21, 2006 Update
I had a CT scan 2 weeks ago and then a PET scan, and there are cancerous lymph nodes under my breast bone and where the bronchial tubes branch off to the trachea.
I will be having a Mediastinoscopy sometime in the next week or so to get a biopsy of the node to see what Chemo will slow it down. Herceptin didn't stop it, and they want to know why it didn't.
So, here we go with another round of Chemo coming up. Sometimes you wonder if it will ever go away. But you also have to take 'one day at a time' as the song says.
Bless all of you! Keep fighting!
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