Starting Letrozole & palbociclib tomorrow
This discussion was created from comments split from: Metastatic Breast Cancer & avoiding weight gain while on Letrozole ?.
Forum Discussion
Hi, I am just coming back on to the website after a few years of not being on here.
Since I last posted back in 2017 with Stage 2 and went through all the chemo, radio, surgery etc. I was doing well.. then in Oct 19 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 with mets in my bones. I started Palbociclib and Arimidex in Oct 2019 and now 18 months later I have been stable for the past 6 months with the CA 15-3 markers. Occasionally I will get some nausea, but I find the tiredness is the hardness part and the joint pain in my body and mainly my knees is the problem. I am Ostrogen positive so this is a huge issue with joint pain.
The Palbo is working so I am happy with that. Most of the 12 lesions in my bones have shrunk but not gone.
Each month I have a blood test to check the WWC and Neutrophils and CA 15-3 markers... Neutrophils are around 1.2 which is way too low but I have not moved much in the past 18 months 1.2 - 1.9 is my range now. WWC is around 3.5 or sometimes lower but only once hit 4 which is the base range for the "normal" range. So yes I am in the "don't get a bug" category. I work in and out of the hospital system so it is challenging at times and especially with the COVID situation.
I have never stopped the meds except for 1 week last June when I was supposed to have another operation to clean up the boobs from July 2016 but as I am now stage 4 my Surgeon does not want to "put me in the grave" by operating. She is very upset about this as am I cos they need some work done but "it is what it is" as I say.
I am living my life and getting on with not dying just yet.
Since I last posted back in 2017 with Stage 2 and went through all the chemo, radio, surgery etc. I was doing well.. then in Oct 19 I was diagnosed with Stage 4 with mets in my bones. I started Palbociclib and Arimidex in Oct 2019 and now 18 months later I have been stable for the past 6 months with the CA 15-3 markers. Occasionally I will get some nausea, but I find the tiredness is the hardness part and the joint pain in my body and mainly my knees is the problem. I am Ostrogen positive so this is a huge issue with joint pain.
The Palbo is working so I am happy with that. Most of the 12 lesions in my bones have shrunk but not gone.
Each month I have a blood test to check the WWC and Neutrophils and CA 15-3 markers... Neutrophils are around 1.2 which is way too low but I have not moved much in the past 18 months 1.2 - 1.9 is my range now. WWC is around 3.5 or sometimes lower but only once hit 4 which is the base range for the "normal" range. So yes I am in the "don't get a bug" category. I work in and out of the hospital system so it is challenging at times and especially with the COVID situation.
I have never stopped the meds except for 1 week last June when I was supposed to have another operation to clean up the boobs from July 2016 but as I am now stage 4 my Surgeon does not want to "put me in the grave" by operating. She is very upset about this as am I cos they need some work done but "it is what it is" as I say.
I am living my life and getting on with not dying just yet.