When I was given the 'bad' news about bone scan and CT Scan results during my pre-herceptin review with the Medical Officer, that I had bone metastases, it's quite a blow. I've read (not that a lot) about breast cancer, about local-regional and distant metastases, about bone metastases and it's Skeletal-Related Events (SRE) but at that moment all I could think of is that my condition is worsening faster than I expected.
I was started on clodronic acid, medication to treat bone metastases. I have requested to see the Oncologist, Dr Darren so that further management can be decided, such as a repeat bone scan, in view of iv Zometa (another treatment for bone metastases) and maybe things that the medical officer did not want to tell me, things that he cannot decide for me or things that he don't know.
Anyway, I met Dr Darren 1 week later and the first thing he said to me; " How are you? You look much better than the last time I see you and even better than the first time". I realized then that I was so stressed up when I was told that I had bone metastases, to noticed that I do felt better now especially after 1 months completed chemotherapy. Dr Darren explained to me that he suspected the bone metastases had been there earlier than my first CT scan but cannot be seen. For my first CT scan, I was not started on treatment yet and I was on treatment when I did the bone scan. He explained that most probably with all the treatment given to me, bone metastases area had become a 'hollow area' from osteolytic process and hopefully had stopped the cancerous cells activity and with latest CT scan only then seen clearly. Hopefully with the treatment for bone metastases, osteolytic area will be fill up again...that's what I understood. Or maybe he just give me some positive hope to continue on with the treatment.
I remember the first time I met Dr Darren end of December last year, after discussing all the treatment and option, I frankly asked him about my prognosis. Being a doctor my self, although I knew about the outcome of this kind of illness, I want another doctor to tell me and I accepted the fact.
And the fact is although we had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was given the prognosis, we must continue the fight. We must continue with our life and live it to the fullest we can in term of spiritual and daily activities. Don't ever let this illness make you down all the time and only thought of finale. Recently, a friend, who also a fighter contacted me again thru FB. I've asked her of her whereabout. Apparently, she had developed SRE, spinal compression from bone metastases and had become paralysed. She had been on wheelchair since January but now in improved better. All this events expected but how well we can accept it and deal with it and continue our life as happy as it could.
To all Fighter out there... keep on fighting
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