Monday, June 6, 2011

Good News

I spent some time this evening looking at survival rates for brain mets from metastatic breast cancer.

I read studies with all sorts of numbers and averages and such. But I won't report them here because I don't want to put any kind of timeline on my life. I just need to not think about those numbers.

But it seems that surgery followed by whole brain radiation increases my surival rate. And, I think Tykerb will also help keep it all under control. There are a few chemotherapy drugs that cross the blood brain barrier.

But even more important to my longer term survival is if my "extracranaial disease" is controlled. And, according to the last CT of my body in late March, other than scar tissue and calcium deposits in my bone marrow, my "extracranial disease" is controlled. In these cases, it appears that people survive longer than the one Christmas my doctor talked about.

So, I am comforted by what I read. Because I want to live long enough to see Eddie into adulthood.

3 comments:

MisAnthropology said...

That is good news.

We're going to Fatima and to Santiago, two major mondo pilgrimage shrines. You'll get a candle in each.

Dee said...

Thank you, Mary! I do believe that sending out such energy helps tremendously!

MisAnthropology said...

These are shrines of the first water, on a par with Lourdes, just shy of the hot spots of the Holy Land. I'll send pics for you to post, too, 'cause getting candles at Santiago and Fatima give you hot bragging rights. These visits will be highlights because of my Deanna mission.