Hi
– my name is Jackie; aged forty-six, happily married
with a son aged twenty-one, and a daughter aged seventeen.
I have been fighting breast cancer for the past four and a
half years and, at last, a light has appeared at the end of
the tunnel, thanks to the drug Taxol.
My story begins in February 1991, when I discovered a malignant
lump in my right breast. A mastectomy was performed, and after
chemotherapy, tests showed that I was clear of cancer.
In May 1992, I found a lump in my left breast, and this time
a lumpectomy was carried out. After chemotherapy and radiation
treatment, tests again gave me the ‘all clear’.
From February 1993, however, tests began to show metastases
(hot spots) appearing on the rib cage, sternum, skull and
shoulder, together with two small tumours in the liver. During
this time I was being treated with Tamoxifen.
Then stomach pains led to a fibroid diagnosis, and I had a
hysterectomy when tumours were found on the ovaries –
these tumours being directly related to the breast cancer.
Zolodex injections were then given, but further tests showed
that there were now three tumours in the liver, which were
increasing slightly in size, and further ‘hot spots’
had appeared in the hip and jaw.
At this stage, my oncologist decided to trial me on Taxol
before my condition deteriorated any further.
After three treatments of Taxol, tests showed that for the
first time, all the cancers had been arrested and, after a
further three treatments, tests again confirmed that the cancers
were being contained.
Nine treatments had been planned, so you can imagine my delight
(and relief) when, after the last three treatments, tests
showed that the liver tumours had disappeared and all the
‘hot spots’ had decreased in size.
Because of this success I am presently having a further three
treatments of Taxol, to ascertain whether the ‘hot spots’
will continue to decrease in size (or hopefully disappear).
I will be awaiting the results of the final tests with GREAT
interest.
Rest assured that I will keep you informed of these results
via the newsletter.
I continued to work throughout the courses of Taxol, as I
had done through the previous chemotherapy and radiation courses.
Taxol is certainly easier to tolerate than the regular chemotherapy,
though I am always very tired, and my legs ache – I
feel sort of ‘fluey’.
Although Taxol may not always work - it can be, as my experience
shows, a very effective treatment of breast cancer and should
therefore be available for all breast cancer patients.
I have just celebrated my son’s twenty-first birthday,
which was a thrill. Now I’m looking ahead to my fiftieth,
when I shall have a big party. I’m certainly looking
forward to that. |
