The story of one woman living with Metastatic Cancer

Gail joined our metastatic cancer support group at The Healing Garden in September 2012.        "I’m a 68 year-old retired chemist/chemistry professor." she wrote, "I grew up in Lawrence, but now live in Lancaster with my husband of 25 years." Then she continued with the story of her life over the past 15 years:

My breast cancer story started in January 1999 with a routine mammogram that showed a suspicious mass in my left breast, which was confirmed to be cancer upon biopsy.

In May of 1999 a lumpectomy was performed. Surgery was followed by radiation treatments and 5 years of Tamoxifen therapy.  Everything seemed to be fine for 8 years.  
Then early in 2007, I started getting pains in my right hip.  My oncologist sent me for X-rays, a bone scan and a PET CT scan.  The latter confirmed that cancer was in my femur near the hip joint...and multiple cancerous tumors were also found in my liver.

A liver biopsy was ordered (and it was found) that the cancer was a metastasis of the breast cancer rather than a new primary cancer. I underwent radiation treatments of both femurs... and to strengthen my bones, once-a-month Zometa infusions were started and continued for 3 years.  Eventually the tumors in my liver were no longer detectable by CT scan.  But then after 3 years of treatment with Arimidex, the tumors returned.  
In October 2010 my oncologist switched me to Faslodex - 2 shots a month.  Two months later I retired from my teaching position.  After 8 months of treatment a CT scan indicated that the tumors had increased in size.

In July 2011, I was put on Xeloda.  The Xeloda reduced the size of the largest tumor in my liver however at the end of the 8 months, my liver function started to deteriorate.

So in March 2012 my oncologist switched me to Taxol - once a week by intravenous infusion.  However, by mid-March 2013, the Taxol had stopped working. A gastroenterologist was consulted and he saw indication of a blockage in the liver.  He recommended endoscopic placement of a liver stent...which was done on April 23, 2013...  Following the stent placement, my liver chemistry gradually returned to normal.

Starting in May 2013,  I was again switched, this time to *Adriamycin intravenous infusions, once every 3 weeks.  The sixth and last treatment was on September 25^th.  I was happy that this time my CA15-3 cancer marker dropped from 350 to 100."

FAST FORWARD SIX MONTHS...

11/22/2013: Gail's husband wrote that he took her to the hospital as she has been short of breath all week. After many tests, they determined that she has *Adriamycin induced Congestive Heart Failure and Pneumonia. They were told that it causes heart problems in about 6% of the patients...

4/28/2014 - The cancer spread to the abdominal cavity causing fluid buildup.
On May 22nd,  Gail's husband reported that she went on home hospice yesterday and that she spends all her time in a hospital bed as she is too weak to even sit up in a chair.

"She was having treatment to drain the buildup of fluid in her abdominal cavity weekly at the hospital," he wrote, " but after 3 treatments she was getting too weak to continue traveling for this.  Now they come to the house every other day to drain the fluid and they are getting one liter every time. Her Oncologist told her there was only a 15% probability that any new chemo would be effective in arresting the growth of the tumors with no major side effects.  Gail has decided she has had enough and will not be undergoing any more treatment. She is just too weak to do anything else.  She has accepted her situation with the bravery of a true trooper. You can share this with the group if you choose to. Many thanks for all you do for Gail and all those afflicted with this horrible disease."

Eleven days later on Jun 2, 2014, at 5:59 AM, Gail's husband Fran wrote:
I have very sad news.  Gail passed away last night peacefully in her sleep. She thought the world of all of you, and wished to thank you all for your support.  I thank you all as well!

Gail was such a loyal group member.  Her thoughtfulness was especially apparent when she struggled against fatigue to attend her last group meeting using a walker,  to tell us directly that she was going into hospice and to say goodbye to us.  I was very touched when she expressed her appreciation of my leadership.  This was on May 2nd, one month to the day before Gail's death. 
The only good I can see in this is that Gail is no longer enduring the horrific suffering from both the disease and its treatments. 

                                                  

Revelation 21:4 -
And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes;
and death shall be no more; 
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: 
for the former things are passed away.