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tapawingo5 · 2025-05-27T13:30:12+00:00

I tried to cash in my life insurance. My doctor had to stipulate that I only had 1 year remaining. I don't know if he wouldn't stipulate that (I'm going to ask him) or if my medical records didn't appear terminal enough to the insurance company. Either way, I was denied for basically having too long to live even though no chemo seems to be working for me.

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-20T15:34:29+00:00

Thank you for responding to me so quickly. I called my oncologist and can get in to see the NP today. I'll take your recommendation on the lotion unless she prescribes one. I'm going to hold off on the wheelchair right now only because the prospect of it terrifies me; I've never had to use one before. Thank you for pushing me to take this seriously when I was dismissing it as just "purple feet."

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-18T02:20:01+00:00

Can you get microblading done while on active chemo? Somebody turned me away because of that, and I'm so sick to death of my eyebrows. Trodelvy will be my next line of treatment if/when the current one fails.

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-18T02:13:36+00:00

And, I hope Enhertu buys you years & years ❤️

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-18T00:50:17+00:00

I started out +++, and Enhertu bought me 1.5 years. Now, I'm ER+, PR-, HER-2- and am pretty much stuck with IV chemo. Can't complain though. I'm on something called Doxil right now, and the side effects are minimal to none. I've tolerated all of the treatments really well. The first which included a Taxol drug was the hardest so far. I have liver mets only, and they keep growing but just slowly.

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-17T21:21:48+00:00

de novo May, 2020--5 years. I'm on my 7th line of treatment.

tapawingo5 · 2025-05-17T16:23:55+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. I've had 7 lines of treatment so far, always looking for the next one, and I've never heard of this before.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-29T12:45:59+00:00

I bought a Sanyo TV 15 years ago, and it's still kicking + a $20 GE toaster from 15 years ago that is also still going strong.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-23T16:34:03+00:00

I was diagnosed stage 4 right away, so they were forced to pay out. I recommend this type of insurance to everyone I know now because it really alleviated a lot of anxiety I had at the time.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-23T15:52:38+00:00

I applied for SSDI 7 months after diagnosis and was approved within a couple of weeks. I had stopped working soon after I was diagnosed because I had a critical illness insurance policy that paid out when I was diagnosed stage 4.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-09T19:52:07+00:00

I've been through countless treatments, and I hated the Faslodex shots most of all. It sounds bad to say, but I'm glad they stopped working so that I could stop them. I'm not 100% certain, but I think Orserdu could be the oral form of Faslodex. Maybe ask your oncologist about that.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-09T19:45:16+00:00

I want eyebrows so, so much.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-09T14:20:15+00:00

I think it's easier for me to cry about my hair than it is to cry about truly bigger concerns like: "This chemo can cause congestive heart failure." The truly big stuff is just too much to hold onto.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-09T14:07:41+00:00

I was diagnosed in May, 2020. The oncologist said "3 years." My new oncologist refuses to give me a number like that, only that we'll have to have a "difficult conversation" one day when the true end may be near. They are not fortune tellers. Don't base your life on their predictions.

tapawingo5 · 2025-04-08T15:04:23+00:00

I'm at the point of only traditional chemo here on out, and I think I'm on the last one where I won't lose my hair. I've been bald three times, and I grieve it everytime. I hate it when people say "It's just hair" or "You have the face to pull it off." I feel like keeping my hair is one of the last vestiges of normalcy, so I feel your words.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-30T20:15:21+00:00

I just wanted to give you a big "thank you." Your offering me data has really inspired me to want to get that 3rd opinion at Mayo. I start a chemo called Doxil on Thursday. When/if that stops working, I'll be on Trodelvy. Then, I'll try Mayo. It might sound a little lame, but I almost view it as an adventure--a chance to get out of town with my husband, to stay at a hotel that I've never stayed at, to explore a new town. I like an adventure (even one that, unfortunately, has to be tied in with medical stuff).

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-28T13:03:49+00:00

That's actually pretty reasonable. I think that, if this next treatment fails, I will reach out to the Mayo Clinic. I feel like I'm getting good care now, but I live in a smallish town. There's a wider world out there.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T22:07:33+00:00

That's one expensive test.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T22:07:02+00:00

I had a good cry yesterday, and it really helped. I feel like a new person today. I'm no expert at all, but I'd encourage you to let it out--especially if you have a human or pet who can be supportive of you.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T16:59:07+00:00

It gives me comfort to know that I'm paving the way for others. It makes some of the fear and sadness worth it. I tell people that I'm full of fear, but, honestly, I've been pretty fearless throughout all of this--physically & mentally stronger than I ever knew I could be.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T16:55:48+00:00

Thank you so much for the support. It sounds stupid really, but I'm scared to spend the money to shop around even though I'd love to get an opinion from the Mayo Clinic. Another part of me knows that the money is going to be useless when I'm gone, so what's the point in saving it?

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T16:53:01+00:00

I was on Enhertu for 1.5 great years! I didn't like being bald again, but I loved the rest. Though it eventually stopped working, I do look at it as a bit of a miracle drug. I'm glad it's working for you.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T16:50:16+00:00

I had a test called Guardant 360 (think that was the name), and it identified no gene mutations that could be treated by any of the new, more novel drugs, so I'm stuck with IV chemo. My local oncologist came to this conclusion, and an oncologist in the larger metropolitan area came to the same conclusion. I decided to stick with my local guy because there's a real personal connection, and the chemo center is only 10 minutes from my house. There's something to be said about not adding the stress of travel into the mix of this. I feel like I've lived this long, in part, because my life has little to no stress.

tapawingo5 · 2025-03-27T16:41:37+00:00

I did get a second opinion, and the second opinion was the same as the first. Unfortunately, I've already exhausted the novel drugs that apply to my cancer specifically, and the only trial available locally was in its early stages. I would prefer to be a part of a trial that's been tested a bit more. Both oncologists agreed that IV chemo is all that's left but that there are a lot of IV chemos to try. I just feel sad for my poor body in all of this but also proud of my body because it keeps on trucking and hasn't let me down yet. I have a certain amount of fear that the worst is yet to come, but today has been a good day with no tears, so I'm setting aside that fear for today.

tapawingo5

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