wigs to wishes.org.uk

The “Dawn Hughes Wigs to Wishes Fund” has been set up to enable me to receive further treatment at an Oncology Clinic in Germany where they have had a high success rate in stopping the spread of Cancer in patients and giving them the best possible chance of remission. The Berkshire Cancer Centre have informed me that there is little chance of my Cancer going into remission with the treatment available in this country.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my website. I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a wife and mother of 3 young children, Matthew 13, Ellie 10 and Freddie 6. I was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2001 at the age of 36. Following Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy, I was in remission until a chance MRI scan in Feb 2005 for an unrelated problem, detected that the Cancer had returned. I was then diagnosed with Secondary Breast Cancer. The likely prognosis given in February was 18 months to 5 years. I then had to undergo aggressive Chemotherapy, but following the results of a recent bone scan, it was found that the Cancer is still spreading. The treatment in Germany will cost thousands of pounds and for most people like myself, the opportunity for this is a dream. Many of my Family and Friends want to make this dream a reality and are making tremendous fund raising efforts, because without them, I would not be able to seek the treatment that I so obviously need and which is not being offered in this country.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Bone Scan

Returned to the consultant for a bone scan to see the distribution of the Samarium. Again got to see the results within 20 minutes of the scan and was able to take a copy of the scan away with me. The results were a little disappointing for me. Although the Consultant said that from his point of view it was a good picture. It showed where the Samarium had been taken up in the bones (ie in the larger tumour areas). One of the areas I was not expecting to see anything was in my hip! This may account for the problems I’ve had in my leg for the last year! The funny thing is though, I was told that when I had my MRI scan in February, the problems with my leg were unrelated to the cancer and that it was sheer coincidence that it was found. Doesn’t look that way now!!

The German Oncologist has said I need to start the Herceptin now, so they are going to give me some to take home. It appears to be half the price in Germany compared to the UK!! (Euros 700 for 150mg) I will need 300 mg for first dose which has to be administered at the Berks and then 150 mg for each following dose up to 8 weeks. For the first dose, it will need to be given over a 2 hour period and then I will need to be monitored to check for any reaction. The other doses can then be given over an hour without any further monitoring.


I have been told to come back out in the middle of January to have blood tests and another scan to check the status of my tumours. The blood tests will be the chemo sensitivity tests to see if I am still testing positive to Herceptin. Dr Jacob says this can change again.

posted by Dawn  

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home