Community Member Catch Up: Rachelle

In February 2021, the team at AdvancedBreastCancer.net chatted with Rachelle, who shared her personal story and about how reading other people’s experiences has helped her navigate her metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis and experience. Since that time, Rachelle has continued to be an active community member, commenting on posts and articles. So, we thought we would check back in to see how she is doing and what's new.

Rachelle, it's been a while since we first spoke. How have you been, and what has changed since February 2021?

I am doing very well. As you know, I was first diagnosed in November 2019. The tumor in my breast was 10 cm. As of September 2022, it is now 2.6 cm. I continue to be NED (no evidence of disease progression).

You spoke previously about the different kinds of treatment that you have gone through. Has that changed at all?

I am still on the same treatment I started in February 2020 – Ibrance and Fulvestrant.

Have you had any side effects from your treatments? If so, can you describe them and how you cope?

Occasionally I experience nerve pain on the affected side, and I have mouth sores now and then. To help cope with the nerve pain, I'll use a small ice pack or a heating pad. The pain subsides in a few hours or the next day. Mouth sores are well controlled with the Peridex mouthwash.

How do you keep up to date with the latest MBC information and research?

I like to use the website Cancer.org. I also will talk to my oncologist. My sister-in-law also works as a nurse practitioner, so I bounce a lot off of her.

Have there been any significant developments in your life since we last spoke? If so, tell us about them.

I continue to respond to treatment and am happy to say the cancer hasn't grown or spread. I still get mildly nervous on scan days, but it's nice reading that the cancer continues to decrease in size.

How has being a part of the AdvancedBreastCancer.net community impacted you?

It has been really nice being part of a group and having people who understand what I am going through. I'd be rich if I got paid for how many times I tell people about my subtype, hormone receptor+ HER2-.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Don't give up :-)

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