http://glenda2013.blogspot.com/ Link to my 2013 Cancer Blog.
First I want to thank my Husband, Wayne for his unwavering support through my ongoing illness. He has been my rock and he is my heart. I love him more than words can ever say. I also want to thank my family who have been there for me through thick and thin and all my friends, some whom I have never met. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers and constant support. I could not do this without any of you being there for me.
Today is October 31, 2019. It has been 6 years since I completed all my treatments related to my initial diagnosis of breast cancer in February of 2013. Fast forward to October of 2018 and I began to have gall bladder problems. I had no idea what was wrong so I ended up in the emergency room on a Friday afternoon. My sister, Cindy took me there and she already knew it was my gall bladder because she had been through it all herself.
Two years prior (2016) to this ER visit I had been admitted for emergency surgery to remove my appendix, which had burst. I was a sick puppy to say the least. I was 'septic' with infection. God willing, I made it through with no lasting problems.
October, 2018. So, when the Doctor did an ultrasound on my abdomen, they had the scan from 2016 to compare it to. The Doctor comes back in and I knew immediately something was very wrong. He said yes, I had a gall bladder problem and that I also had spots on my liver. I asked if it was cancer and he said yes but it wasn't liver cancer. I told him about my breast cancer and he said yes, it was breast cancer in my liver. Now he had super powers by being able to do all that diagnosing with just an ultrasound! When we left I was told to see my oncologist asap. So Wayne, my husband, my sister Cindy and I all had the entire weekend to dwell on this. It was probably the worst two days of my life. Come Monday morning we were in the oncologists office and she took us right in. I was a nervous wreck. She was incredulous that the ER doctor would even tell us I had cancer just from the ultrasound. She had me go through a battery of tests and when we went for our next consultation she confirmed I had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She said a small percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer will have the cancer come back somewhere else in the body. I still have my breasts and it did not come back there. She said all it takes is for one cancer cell to come 'wake up' and then begin multiplying. They don't understand how or why this happens and researchers are continuing to try to find answers and cures. I am grateful I had a gall bladder problem (which I had removed) because otherwise I may not have known I had cancer until it was too late. As it was, we caught it early.
Treatment: Dr. Birgit Arb is my oncologist. She has taken care of me since day one in 2013 with my treatments. For the MBC (Metastatic Breast Cancer)she started me on a shot of Faslodex once every 28 days. I took IBRANCE 100 mg. for 21 days and then off for 7 days. Once every third month I get a shot of XGEVA for my bone health. Wayne and I went to MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER in Houston for a second opinion and they agreed that what my doctor recommended was what they would also recommend. I have never been in pain, not once. I have felt tiredness from time to time and I won't be running a marathon anytime soon but it's not enough to stop me from doing things I want and need to do. At that point in time I was considered STABLE. They will never say I am cured or cancer free, ever. Now, go forward another year to October 2019.
NEW DIAGNOSIS, OCTOBER 2019: As part of my ongoing treatment I have CT scans done every 3 months. She will also order a bone scan about every 6 months. On Monday, October 21, 2019 I had a CT scan done of my chest, abdomen and pelvis. Dr. Arb's office called me on Friday afternoon October 25. The nurse apologized for calling so late but they needed to schedule an appointment for me to see the doctor asap. She told me new cancer had been found in my liver. There was no new cancer any where else in my body. To say we were upset to find that out is a gross understatement. My normally positive attitude took a vacation and I threw myself a big pity party! It took me til about Monday to pick myself up and get on with life. I can't let the unknowns of my life control me. It's hard to get a grip when you get a big kick in the head like that but you have to find a way. Now, go forward to Wednesday, October 30. Wayne and I went to see Dr. Arb and she said I will no longer get the Faslodex shot nor will I take Ibrance anymore. She has put me on XELODA. 500mg tablets. The tablets are smaller that I thought they would be, thank goodness. I take 4 in the morning with breakfast or a piece of toast (I eat some yogurt) and I take 3 tablets at night with supper or a snack. She also prescribed ondansetron for nausea. I will get my CT scans done every 3 months and the Xgeva shot every 3 months. I have taken two doses of Zeloda and thus far I have not had nausea. She did tell us that they cannot do surgery on my liver or radiation. Immunotherapy is not an option and the drugs advertised on tv are not for my type of cancer.
The positives: My hair has been getting pretty thin taking Ibrance and the Xeloda (pronounced Zeloda) does not cause hair loss. I still have a lot of hair and keep it really short so maybe now I can let it grow. Also, the Ibrance fell into the heading of prescription medication. I am on Medicare and have supplements to help with medical expenses. Out of pocket costs for the Ibrance was $10,000+ a year. Xeloda falls under the medical part of my insurance and costs me nothing out of pocket.
Below is the most recent scan of my liver. The dots you see are the cancer tumors. They have increased in size. I highlighted them in pink, though not very well. The pink dots are way bigger than the spots on my liver so do not be alarmed.
Please continue to pray for me, God hears each and every one of you. Thanks and God bless you all.
Glenda Fincannon
