My Mum

[Mish]

Well its been a while since I was last here. But here we go again. Mum has her tests next Wednesday and we see the onc on Thursday. She doesnt think it is going to be good news, she still has pain in her shoulder since December and now says she has more pain in her skull but not in the same spot the mets were before. Her words to me "I am petrified". What do you say? Anyway just thought I would touch base again, as we go on the roller coaster ride once again. Trying to stay positive but you can never second guess this disease!! Mish

[Mish]

Thanks Heaps. I think you are right Gail ignorance is bliss, and who needs something else to worry about!! Thank you for claifying things Tracey appreciate it, will give all your helpful info to the "support team".

Mish

[Tracey Gibney]

Mish tumour markers are controversial some oncologists do them and others don't. I have had them done for the last 18 years so I have been able to track them over a very long time and they have certainly been accurate for me. Some breast cancers do not release the protein that the markers are looking for so for those woman they are not accurate. Also there are a couple of different tumour markers so you need to know which ones are being done and to compare them over time. It is also important to watch the trend not just the number. Also they can be affected by treatment so if your mum has had rads they can temporarily increase as the cells die and release the protein and then go back down again. As Gail said sometimes it is better not to know because I do obsess about my tumour markers especially at the moment because they are increasing!! Have a great holiday.
Traceyxx

[Gail]

Mish, I don't think you can go by anyone else's markers as some are high in the thousands and some in the 20's. it would just be a case of if your mums are rising, I have never asked mine as dont need anything extra to worry about. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[Janette]

Mish,
I'm no expert on markers or levels but I have read posts of them being around 5000. Better to hear from the ladies who have theirs monitored.

[Mish]

Hi Everyone just a quick update on Mum, she saw her Onc last week, he said that her markers were up from her last blood test, but would keep her on the Fermara and would wait and do CT and more blood tests in February as it is too early after radiation, he did say that if the cancer in her lymph node and adrenals hasnt reduced then he will be putting her on oral chemo tabs three tablets twice a day. We are off to Sydney in about two weeks for a family holiday so looking forward to that!!

Just a question on the blood markers, we havent paid too much attention to them before but now now that the cancer has progressed may need to, can anyone let me know more information about this and what is considered to be high or not.

Thanks
Mish

[Mish]

You ladies sure do rock!!! Thank you for all the Christmas and New Year wishes - looking forward to recharging those batteries and getting on with 2013. Enjoy time together with family and friends, I always take a moment now to stand aside and just watch my family interact and have a good time and store those wonderful memories for later so when it all gets too much I can think how lucky I am.

Mish

[The new girl]

hi Yvonne,I am so glad you got to get a bit closer with your mum before she passed,I am not very close or touchy feel y as you put it,the way they were brought up I suppose,I know my mum was upset when she found out I had bc,she took me to most of my treatments but we are really not that much closer....Rosa

[Yvonne]

My mum and I were never "Touchy Feely" - I think her upbringing etc. But after my initial dx with bc, she was so upset, I thought "Now is the time to change this" and I made the first move - just a kiss as I left....and I really feel so good that I did. She died five years ago, and I'm so glad that we did get to that stage before she died. I've always made such a point of hugging/kissing my children whenever I see them, which I never had as a child - though I never felt unloved, it was just a different era.

[schoolteacher]

Glad to hear mum is improved enough to return to work. Wishing your family peace and joy at Xmas and hoping for a healthier new year. So sorry to read your neighbor/friends now on the BC journey andi hope she joins us.

[Gail]

All credit to your mum getting back to work, she is amazing!

[The new girl]

hi mish,good to hear mum is doing well,hope can all have a nice Christmas and may the new year bring much happiness....Rosa

[ruth1]

Good to hear from you Mish. Your Mum sounds like she's doing ok - great that she has managed to get back to work. As you say its really one day at a time. Hope you and all your family can have a nice Christmas together and relax. What the New Year brings can be dealt with then. I hope soooo much that we all have a healthy year 2013. So sorry to hear of your friend being diagnosed. For you I hope you can recharge a bit too and start next year with renewed strength. Hugs to you. R

[Mish]

Have been offline for a while, busy with Christmas etc. Mum is doing well, she is still a little queezy and has lost her appetite from the rads, but she is doing well back at work. Dad is struggling though he wants answers and I keep telling him there are no answers, its a day by day journey. Mum goes back to the onc in January so we will find out then whether she has to start chemo or not. I also found out a friend has just been diagnosed with early BC and Lymphodema she is going through the process now of all the tests and will start chemo first, then surgery, then rads - I have let her know about this forum so hopefully she will join and get the support she needs.

Thank you for getting me through a tough patch. Mish

[ruth1]

Mish, howz things??