Hi I'm Lynne & I've recently turned 62. I have a wonderful husband, 2 grown up daughters & a gorgeous 9yr old Grandson & a beautiful 2 yr old Granddaughter.
My journey is quite a long one I'm afraid.
6th MAY 2008 - Breast Clinic referral at our local hospital because my GP didn't know what it was. My breast hurt & it was a little larger than the other & it kept getting red & hot, even though I couldn't find a lump. So I had a mammogram & an ultrasound but nothing showed up so I was feeling pretty relieved. That was until took a biopsy of it & then it really reacted & went 'angry'.
8th MAY 2008 - Oncology appt. with my husband & my dear Mum & you can imagine what a state I was in when they told me it was Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). My poor daughters were 23 & almost 18 & telling them was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.
JUNE 2008 - AUG 2008 - Epirubicin - not too bad with 2 types anti sickness & Dexamethasone. Lost hair.
AUG 2008 to NOV 2008 CMF every 3 weeks - quite good all things considered with 2 types anti sickness & Dexamethasone.
NOV 2008 - Pneumonia. I only knew because I was coughing up blood. So I was admitted & they put me on IV antibiotics. I couldn't have the last dose of CMF then because my mastectomy was due for January & my body had to recover.
JAN 2009 - Full mastectomy & lymph node clearance 6/10 cancerous & in blood & lymph nodes
FEB 2009 - Started Docetaxol with 2 types anti sickness & Dexamethasone. Well.... couldn't eat at all so had Fortisip. Only had a water biscuit when I had to take Dexamethasone, my nails fell off, skin of feet peeled off so painful to walk, weak, nausea, could only drink water, thrush in mouth - any of you reading my story & have had this, you'll know how fierce it is & just how bad all the side effects are. After only one IV of this I had neutropenia but thankfully was able to carry on with it & had GCSF injections to try to raise my WBC.
APRIL 2009 - Radiotherapy, which was OK, every day for 3 weeks.
MAY 2009 - Finished Radio & put on Arimidex for 5 years with a follow up & mammogram annually until 2005
AUG 2009 - Repair for Inguinal hernia due to prolonged sickness during Docetaxol.
JULY 2010 - Referred for a Nuclear Bone Scan due to pain in my lower spine - scan was clear so was referred to hospital physio which went on until 2014.
OCT 2012 - Ongoing physio with referral to Pain Management Clinic (PMC) at hospital for lower spine pain
NOV 2012 - PMC prescribed Gabapentin & Amitryiptyline - ongoing appointments
JUN 2013 - Caudal spine injection for pain at PMC done by X-Ray - little to no effect
OCT 2013 - Gabapentin increased by PMC
NOV 2013 - Summer 2014 - Physio - traction & acupuncture monthly
JUNE 2014 - PMC also diagnosed Fibromyalgia so since then have quarterly infusions of Lignocaine for pain relief to date
JAN 2014 - CT to abdomen - all clear
JULY 2018 - Routine PMC appt & this time was a Locum Doctor who referred me for an MRI on my lower spine
OCT 2018 - Routine PMC appt - who requested scan be read that morning as results not yet back & showed 3 vertebrae highly suspicious areas
OCT 2018 - On my birthday! Saw my original surgeon who confirmed that it most likely was metastases & there'd be no cure
OCT 2018 - Nuclear Bone Scan with radioactive dye & Nuclear Medical CT Scan on 19/10 with another CT scan with radioactive dye on chest & abdomen on 23/10.
NOV 2018 - 1st Oncology appt - 5 vertebrae, 2 ribs, both hips, clavicle & pelvis affected
Began Letrozole & Pablociclib with monthly injections of Denusomab. Oncologist confirmed that metastases had been there for 'some time'.
