I wish I had seen this before  to have helped you. I have had so many doctors make mistakes and i have done so much research i have become an expert on what doctors should tellus and donot and how to ask and to never fear so much that you rush in and do somethign without waiting to get as much understanding as you can and then check in thru prayer and meditaion and stillness to ask your body and heart and to see if you have real peacefulness. then to observe carefully the effects of it on your body and the way the days go and what ever side effects rise too high and or remian during the relaxation or rest periods...

I have IBC her2 positive the most aggressive and the most fast cancer ..and i have been able to hold on still ..but due to  too many mismangements looking for the recent treatemnts as cancer grows back too fast in between treatments and surgery is ot a good option for me. I have found by researching some promising things.. in the process for example when they offered radiaiton i found that becuase i had received adryamiacin..that there has been a recal recently on not getting radiation if youhave had it as the chemiical can still be in body and has altered cells and the radiation can cause an adverse effect of a secondary cancer and or neucrosis that then leads tomore complications. doctors didnot advise of this and the treatmentis normally thst and then radiaiton..so it is now understood and so nothign is perfect and youmust use your mind and rest and take time ..it is best to go slow and research andponder well the basic practicality of the  way nature works to ask yourself always what is the end result of this treatment and what is the effect the actual physcal effect and how will i be damged if at alland what is the price or pay off of one treatment versus another. then see if there is one that is good and has the least amount of damages. use that first always and then move to harsher ones for otherwise we have to contend with anger bitterness and pain and best to know up front and adress he will than to know by hindsight especially in somethign so dangerous as this. there is always a way with God and matching up to you the appropriete situation. and since the doctor hasnot had chemo you have to observe the situation and discuss and ponder and listen to your voice and then shift when you have to to a different one if one is presenting toomuch damage. you are the main important person...do nothing our of fear it does not lead to a good end...find the one that brings peace inside your inner self knows if you take the time to relax and ask and pray and use all the logic and all the information you have researched as well and listen to all and match up the one that aligns best ...but her is what i know from experience. also note the m in the cmf is a bit worse and i chose to go lower on it to see how a lower dose worked and it was just fine than a larger dose and over time less and given slowly causes better results and less damage than faster and more at times..and you can ask for this and actually demand it.  you are paying doctor to serve you and it is inhis interest when you do this as it cuts back on mistakes and his own ignorance really as i said they do not take the chemo. I have studied chineese medicine and  in it ihad to take all herbs and concoctions so i woudl know before ever giving them to another wether i was ill or not to be rsponsible and know its effect sont he body so i coudl identify them in the patient. Western doctors arenot trained in compassion and sensitivity to observe your body and to knwo and take the drugs so that they really know the drug..only you know it now and in that are greater than the doctor....so honor yourself without fear and find the point of balance between what he knows and your own knowing and research to bridge the gaps...

I then see if it works and if not more can be given increase is always possible.

I  have been thru so many

Tc if that is taxitere and carboplatin  then it is a rough treatment and can damage nerves and go to neuropathy that may be permanent or temp.

I had a rough time with it being sensitive to it it burnt me up too much.

I iwsh i had begun with CMf because according to a nurse recently she said it has no side effects of nere damage with is a plus becuase then you do not have to worry about hurting some vital part of yourself that can leave you damged and impair yourlife once you heal. NO reaosn to to have such a high price trade off. i always say start with the least damaging then go to the larger guns. they do it in reverse. but all real healing starts with using less and then rising up ..like forplay because the body doesnot do well being over whelmed and no point in damaging when it migh work with something moe benevolent. Cmf is an old treatment and works will for this cancer. ihave had good results and not much side effects i chose a lover dos than my wieght and the tumor meted on first day in half. my dose was to be 64  960 and 960 roughly for a 130 pounds and i took 50 700 and 70 and it was plenty for my body tonot have bad results and for tumor to get good results. i just startd but i am IBC and that is the toughest cancer...

I would  do the CMF  research it and ask the quesitons and consider the effect s and research the effects TC is a very strong drug and it has good results but can damage alot of the rest of you. so if  consider a lower dose if the one is too harsh and or consider doing the other one...so you do not have such damages.

love in Christ and sending you prayers....

Phyllis Johnson

11/10/10 5:22am

Melina, I agree with the way you make your medical decisions by gathering as much research as possible and then taking some time to sit quietly and meditate on what is right for you.  For each type of tumor there are several possible chemo treatments that might work.  The taxane chemos kill cancer cells in a different way from the chemos in the anthracycline group, so doctors will often want to use both.  I'm also an IBC survivor, and I do agree with the doctors' big gun theory.  With an aggressive cancer starting strong can offer the best chance to kill those cells before they travel to another part of the body.  I'm glad your gradual approach has worked well for you, but it might not be best for everyone.