Our individual stories from sisters with Stage IV and Metastatic breast cancer
 Stacy Preston
STACY PRESTON’S SURVIVAL STORY
I have always been a Christian so when I felt like I was drifting away from my faith I started praying for God to show me the way back to him. Shortly thereafter in July of 1999, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My prayer had been answered. Most people would not think of a cancer diagnosis as an answer to a prayer but I did. How could it not be? He knew I would be praying again regularly and even better yet, a lot of other people that He probably hadn’t heard from in a while would be praying for me also. Recognizing this, I saw it as an answered prayer so I never even shed a tear. I handled it.
I went through chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, a mastectomy, and radiation all with the faith in God within me. He gave me the strength to carry on. I have the will and the determination to fight this battle simply because I want to live and live my life well. As much as I love God, I have eternity to spend with Him. He gave me this gift of life and I plan to live it for as long and as well as I can. I am not ready to go home so I plan to be here.
A little over three years later in July of 2003, I found out that my cancer came back and had metastasized. I will admit that I thought of it as a death sentence so I was devastated for about two weeks. I could not stop crying and all I did was lay on the couch sobbing. I cried during every test to determine the extensiveness of the metastasis. Finally, my family and I met with my doctor to discuss the plan of attack. He said that he was going to try to put me in remission. REMISSION? REMISSION IS A POSSIBILITY?? Doc, you just gave me my life back!! That was all I needed to hear. No tears since then, just sheer loving life and fighting cancer with God’s help as I sit in His great hand.
I was first diagnosed in July of 1999 then again in July of 2003. I’ve had cancer in both lungs, my right hip, eleven paratracheal lymph nodes, several other lymph nodes, and masses in my brain that I have had full brain radiation for. It worked but I have it in my brain again. I have been on a total of ten chemo drugs including the two that I am on now. Although I am still in chemo, I am doing quite well considering my battle. I proclaimed myself as the Energizer Bunny who takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. The latest brain MRI, the bone scan, and the CT scan of my chest shows all the lymph nodes are undetectable, the right hip shows no evidence at all of ever having cancer there, and the ones in my brain are shrinking.
I love my life more now than I ever have. I don't believe it's because I've been facing my own mortality, I think it's because I am able to do so many things that I've wanted to do. I am on my own schedule spending time with all those that I love including my "four-legged children". I get to spend each day either outside or inside looking out the windows just thoroughly enjoying God's wonderful work. I cannot explain the joy that I have inside me other than to say it tickles my inners and I have butterflies so often. It is sheer happiness. I am so blessed and I know it!! And I thank God every day for all his blessings in my life. Even on rainy days I am happy, I know all the life outside needs a drink too. I have such a wonderful support group with all my friends and family that I cannot help but have a positive attitude. Everyone is so supportive and positive! I am so blessed to have extraordinary people in my life! I have made new friends recently and have been enjoying the heck out of them. It is funny to me, when I try to think of adjectives to describe how I feel about the people in my life, they just don't seem to describe them well enough. Extraordinary, wonderful, fabulous, amazing... all these words aren't strong enough!!
I also have my own web site that anyone is welcome to view and post messages. It’s called “A Different Kind of Mountain” and the link is http://www.voy.com/174856/.
Sometimes I just have to remind myself what I have been through.....
SURGERIES:
7/20/99 – Left breast lumpectomy and left axillary lymph node excision – qty 3
8/19/99 – 1st Port-a-cath insertion
2/17/00 – Left breast mastectomy
11/2/00 – Right breast – remove 2 benign lumps
1/5/01 – Port-a-cath removal
01/2003 – Right breast – remove 1 benign lump
8/8/03 – Bronchoscopy and Mediastenoscopy
9/3/03 – 2nd Port-a-cath insertion
CHEMOTHERAPY / RADIATION HISTORY:
7/30/99 – 10/1/99 Cytoxan and Adriamycin
10/22/99 – 12/23/99 Taxol
3/30/00 – 5/17/00 Radiation treatments
9/4/03 – 12/5/03 Taxotere
12/26/03 – 11/24/04 Gemcitabine
12/6/04 –12/6/04 Xeloda 3000mg
12/27/04 Xeloda 3500mg
1/20/05 – 6/?/05 Xeloda 4000mg
6/7/05 – 6/29/05 Radiation to brain = 18 full brain tx’s
8/12/05 – 12/30/05 Navelbine
1/12/06 – 6/08/06 Abraxane & Avastin
6/26/06 – current Carboplatin & Etoposide
METZ – To both lungs, right hip, brain, paratracheal lymph’s including in the aortic arch, axillary lymph’s, and left adrenal gland lymph.
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS:
Superficial blood clot in right leg in 2003 completely blocked from groin to ankle.
Blood clot in Superior Vena Cava 2005. Will always have.
Fluid in the lungs and around the hear 2006.
Seizure on June 5, 2005. Included an ambulance ride and an overnight stay in the hospital.
Steven's Johnson Syndrome in July 2005. Included a 14 stay in the hospital.
2005 – 5 masses in my brain (after radiation 4 gone, 5th shrunk 50% and inactive)
2006 – 3 additional masses in brain (during Etoposide, all three shrinking)
I definitely believe I have many Angels around me 24/7 and prayers are being heard. Please keep praying!
Thanks,
Stacy Preston
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