Keri's Metastatic Breast Cancer Story: Here We Go Again

My name is Doug Haberstroh, and this is the story of my wife Keri. Keri was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 at the age of 25. After the cancer spread to Keri's sacrum, the doctors treated the area with radiation. It wasn't enough. The title of Keri's email to our loved ones says it all, "Here we go again." Just another surgery, more Chemo -- this time to beat metastatic breast cancer -- and the hope that life will soon turn back to the norm we had before.

Subject: Here We Go Again

Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 6:15 PM

Hello Everyone,

Just thought I would let you all know what's been decided about my treatment. I will have the surgery tomorrow to put in my new lifeport. The surgery won't take long and the recovery from that surgery is not bad.

They don't even have to put me all the way to sleep just loopy enough not to remember anything. This is all the same way they did it last time just a different doctor doing it. Then I will have the weekend off and Chemo will start again on Monday.

I will get the same combination of drugs that I was getting the last time. I remember those and I remember that the side effects were not bad at all. The names of the drugs for those of you that may want to look them up are, Epirubicin, Cytoxan, and 5-FU. I will also be getting a bone-rebuilding drug to help the healing process of the bone damage and that is called Zometa.

All in all it will take close to 3 hours each time. I will go once every 3 weeks and complete 6 sessions of Chemo. I calculated that all out and it looks like I'll be done mid-September. At that time they will run tests again to make sure we got it all and then go from there depending on the results.

I have made a deal with the doctor that this time we have to get all of it because I don't want to do this again. So it all has to go this time. I have managed to keep my spirits up and stay in a positive attitude.

My friend Lynnette was here to visit when we got the news and was staying for some days afterward. That was a great help to keep me distracted and to keep me positive. It was nice to have a friend here to help me get through the first few days after the news. Those are always the worst days. The only downfall I can see right now is that I will probably lose my hair again. Not that 2 inches is a really big deal, but at the same time it is a really big deal. That's okay though because that means I still have one more chance for it to come back curly.

Not much else to tell right now. I'll keep you all posted on how I'm doing. Just another bump in the road. It will smooth out soon. I have a feeling it will. Take care all of you.

Love,

Keri