Joyce

This is the note we received from Bill regarding the test results for Joyce. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Joyce is such a wonderful person and we love her so much. Our Chemo Cap Project wouldn't have started without Joyce's inspiration to knit and crochet caps for other cancer patient's comfort in their fight against cancer.

We met with both of her oncologists and a pain management doctor yesterday to get the results from her latest MRI, and whether or not her biopsy several weeks ago came back as HER2 negative or positive.

There is good news and bad news.
The bad news.
The biopsy did come back HER2 positive which means the breast cancer has changed and become more aggressive. The drug she was taking that controlled the amount of estrogen she produces will not work when the cancer has changed to this form. This is why it has spread into other areas of the bone and will need to be treated with two types of chemo and radiation. The chemo drugs they will be using are Herceptin and Navelbine. Herceptin will be given during while she is receiving radiation, Navelbine cannot so we will wait until the radiation is complete.

The good news.

They admitted mom into St Paul Hospital yesterday afternoon so that she can get some stronger pain meds and relieve the pain in her lower back/pelvic area. Now that we know the pain is definitely coming from the cancer and not a muscular issue, she can get ahead of the pain curve, come home and be on meds that will treat the pain and not make her out of it in the head like she has been the past week or so. After about a week of radiation. she should see about a 75% reduction in the pain with hopes of pain free in two weeks.


Joyce is out of the hospital and is staying at Bill's house.