Until then, we fight on

Hello everyone,

My name is David, I have been married for nearly 34 years and have two adult sons and two grandchildren.

I was diagnosed in 2019 with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma grade 3 breast cancer.  I had a mastectomy. Axillary Clearance followed by Chemotherapy, and Radiotherapy. Sadly due to Covid my last 3 Chemo sessions were stopped, and I then waited 12 weeks to commence with Radiotherapy. Again due to Covid, I received five sessions at three times the strength over five days, instead of the customary 15 sessions over a three week period. I was told it was safe and that it also limited my risk of contracting Covid by spending less time in hospital. 

I also started on Tamoxifen after Chemo, but 6 months later, put on Letrozole, then after three months put on Exemestane, I really struggled on the former two with severe bone pain. The Exemestane caused no obvious physical side effect, but a CT scan highlighted an abdominal aortic aneurysm that was diagnosed 6 months prior to the breast cancer, had grown rapidly . All hormone treatment was stopped. I had open surgery in 2021 to repair it with a graft. In 2022 I had a repair to my original mastectomy site, and a risk reducing mastectomy to the other side as I tested positive for BRCA 2, a hereditary gene abnormality.

Following a period of new health concerns, tests that I had commencing in April this year, I was told in June 2023 the cancer had spread to my lungs. A biopsy on my right lung defined it as a breast cancer. I have four other nodes in my left lung that are too small to test, but any future treatment will include their presence in any plan, as they are most likely to be cancerous. I saw my breast surgeon in July who let me know the next steps, lung surgery has been included as a possibility as he has referred me also to a thoracic surgeon. Then back on hormones Anastrozole and Zoladex. Since that first meeting it was decided that I should try targeted drugs for three months along with the above meds, I would also take Ribociclib. And again after three months I would re-scan, then go from there.

I’ve been told treatment is available until it either doesn’t work, or my body can’t cope with side effects, the purpose if these meds is to prolong life and sadly not cure. Cancer will eventually overcome the meds and build a resistance and sadly return. Hopefully then new meds will be used to stop its progression.

Until then we fight on. 

Kind regards,

David