Steve and I often refer to the treatment of stage 4 cancer as whack-a-mole.
It is constant and rarely takes much of a break.
My almost four years since diagnosis has been smooth sailing for most of the time.
I am one of the lucky ones, and I have outlived my prognosis.
.
The MRI showed that the three spots have increased in size since the last scan, which was approximately a month ago.
Yes
I am happy to report that steroids have helped with the headaches and given me a fantastic boost of energy and mental clarity.
No
Taking the steroids did not reduce the edema or the growth of the three lesions.
We are in the same place that we were last month when we first met with the neurologist.
These three little buggers have been around since 2017.
First, we have already treated the three spots with radiation.
Stereotactic treatment quieted the lesions down for a year. But most likely also has caused some brain necrosis. Thirty percent of all patients treated with any radiation in their body ends up with disease in the area. And is referred to as necrosis.
So now what?
We have been crossing off possibilities.
And I am ok with that. This is what it looks like when you have metastatic breast cancer.
Doing the steroids and repeat scan was one way of waiting before surgical removal of any of the lesions.
We will speak with the neurologist soon.
In the meantime, a new PET scan will take place to make sure that the rest of my body is still considered NEAD.
I can be thankful for Herceptin helping to keep my lungs, liver, and bones in this state.
As I write this update, we are all dealing with the desperate situation of the coronavirus.
I send my love to each of you.