Company Donate Shop Join

You are here : Cancer Blog > Breast Cancer Blog > Colleen Ryan's Cancer Blog

Vital Info

Name:
Colleen Ryan (colleenryan)

Member Since:
June 12, 2009

Instant messaging:
yahoo: c.ryan71

Location:
Accord, New York

Birthday:
September 1, 1971

Profile:
Cancer Survivor

Cancer Info

Type of Cancer:
Breast Cancer

Medical Term for the Type of Cancer:
Metastatic Adenocarcinoma

Diagnosis Date:
March 1, 2009

Stage of Cancer:
Stage 4

Tumor Size:
02

Grade of Tumor:
Grade 3

ER:
Positive

PR:
Positive

Her2 Status:
No

Lymph Node Involvement:
No

Surgery:
Lumpectomy, Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy

Radiation:
Radiation Therapy

Hormone Therapy:
Femara

What I Hate Most About Cancer:
everything

What I Have Learned From Cancer:
I have learned who I can count on

Things My Supporters Can Do To Help:
Just treat me like they always have I'm still the same ol Colleen. To my new supporters just keep leaving comments I love hearing from you & I deeply appreciate them.

Cancer Drugs Positives & Negatives:
Abraxane , Avastin

Metastasized? Where?:
lungs,ovaries,both lungs,T1 vertebrae

Gift Friends or Family Could Give You:
Donate money to Susan G Komen or The american Cancer Society & BFAC

Cancer Center:
The Ulster Radiation Oncology Center

Tips for others on how to deal with the physical side effects of chemo/cancer:
Try to rest as often as you can & eat healthy food lots of fruits & vegies . Talk to people in your situation it helps to know how others feel & to have someone explaintheir treatments.

Tips for others on how to deal with the mental struggles of chemo/cancer:
Don't let cancer drag you down don't let it take over your life.

End of Treatment Date:
July 6, 2009

Breast Cancer Symptoms:

pleural effusion

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects:

lumpectomy On Sept. 15 2009. Bilateral Salpingo oophorectomy.
Pain not too bad went away after a week or so.

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Radiation. Linear accelerator every day for 10 days. I had a UTI & had to be admitted for 5 days Then went back for 3 days.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Abraxane & Avastin Both drugs on week 1 just Abraxane on week 2 Both drugs on week 3 week 4 I get a break. The chemo went that was for 4 months now I get a ct scan of the chest then he decides if I need more chemo or we start the hormone therapy. My oncologist decided since I was having a hard time with my insurance. (they cut me off for a month) & I couldn’t get the ct scan to see if I start the Tamoxifen that I should do another month of chemo.

Hormone Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Tamoxifan for a year & a half now on Femara. Zometa IV infusion every 4 weeks.
Side effects are fatigue hot flashes & no more periods. Pain in joints moodiness. (downright evil)

Stats

Posts: 36

Photos: 15

Events: 1

My Supporters: 68

I Support: 58

Comments: 120

Colleen Ryan's Cancer Blog

3 years & counting

In a couple weeks my 3 rd anniversary is coming up
It’s not an occasion I like to celebrate but it is one i will remember always
No matter how many other things I forget I just had my yearly
PET scan & bone & CT scans. My oncologist says nothing has changed in the last year

& I am stable (obviously not my mental status) haha The fluid is completely
Gone from my left lung. Last visit he said there was thickening in my
Right one but didn’t explain what that meant so I worried for a month
About that the Internet said it could be a number of things this visit
I asked & he said it was scar tissue what a relief I thought I would
Have to do chemo again. So I have survived 3 years with this miserable
Disease & I have had my BFAC friends with me nearly the
Entire time. That is one good thing that has come from this I’ve “met”
A wonderful bunch of people Thank you all for putting up with my
Rambling posts my new years resolution was to post on here more
I meant more often not save them up & post them all in one shot lol
Sorry for any mis spellings & poor punctuation I’m posting on my phone
& I’m not used to it yet but my Internet is down. Thank you again for being here for me
Especially you Jill for making this possible I don’t think I could have handled
This disease half so well without you all. I found this blog by
Accident while researching breast cancer must have been fate

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:13:42 AM by Colleen Ryan (3 years & counting, 8 comments, 867 views)

Bill H likes this.

5 people sent you a hug.

Three years is a pretty amazing achievement, Colleen-I hope you get to enjoy many, many more! Hugs-Ann

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:18:49 AM by Ann

YESS! Thank you Jill! I also found this site by accident, what a wonderful day that was.

So glad to read your good news!

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 10:22:01 AM by Private User

Congratulations on THREE years, and thanks so much for sharing your joy with us. We are all connected by BFAC, and hearing good news is so important in balancing the intake of information. Everyone on here has found the magic in seeking and taking the good side of every situation. Bad doctor though for not letting you know about your lung sooner. Peace, S

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 11:02:21 AM by Sharron

Hi Colleen—
Congratulations on reaching this huge milestone! It is worth celebrating and I hope you will do that, even though you indicated you didn’t want to. I’m glad you found BFAC—it is such a pleasure to know you, even under the circumstances in which we all meet here. Keep moving forward and you will be celebrating many, many more such anniversaries!

Hugs—
Martha

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 12:52:13 PM by Private User

Congrats….3 years and counting and counting and counting! I also stumbled upon this site in my medical googling after diagnosis…best click that i made. Hugs.

Posted on February 15, 2012 at 3:22:57 PM by Rachel

And many more! Great news, and so glad you found BFAC (same way I did BTW).

Posted on February 16, 2012 at 7:40:09 AM by MIchelle

Congrats on 3 years Colleen, every year added is good!

Posted on February 16, 2012 at 10:13:54 PM by Private User

Congratulations on the Three Years Colleen. I know that you will have many more ahead. Your was the very first blog that I read on BFAC, I too found it by accident after just typing in “cancer sucks” and now here we are.
Love,
Eli

Posted on February 17, 2012 at 11:49:39 AM by Eli

My new years resolution.

I wanted to say hello to everyone and apologize for not being on is such a long time. My new Years resolution this year is to spend more time with my BFAC friends. I feel like I’ve been selfish by posting only when “I” have a problem. It’s time for me to give back the support I have been given & support back. Merry Christmas everyone or Happy Holidays if you all prefer. Love you guys.

Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:06:36 PM by Colleen Ryan (My new years resolution., 7 comments, 1075 views)

4 people sent you a hug.

Colleen,
So good to hear from you. I hope and pray you are doing well. It is always good to hear from you but I understand. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year, my friend. Take care of yourself.
Love, hugs, prayers and blessings,
Joyce In NC

Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:14:15 PM by Joyce In NC

Colleen Thank you for posting! Please don’t feel bad! When we post about ourselves it does give others support. The new people who read these posts get an idea of what to expect from what you write! Blogging is a way of telling your story and how you feel! It helps everyone and lets us all know we are not alone! I am so glad you posted and I do think it is importand to post at least once in awhile. You have a lot of people in here who care deeply,and without the posts we worry and wonder if anything happened1 I hope you are doing good and have reached a norm where cancer is history for you never to be seen again! Merry Christmas to you and have a Happy Heathy New Year! Hugs Val

Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:17:10 PM by Private User

Merry Christmas and many blessings for the new year. I hope your doing well!

Posted on December 24, 2011 at 6:24:12 AM by Patricia

It is so nice to see your post, hope you have the best holiday, and a very Merry Christmas. Peace to you and yours. Sharron

Posted on December 24, 2011 at 7:23:54 AM by Sharron

Merry Christmas Colleen! I am resolved to not being PC during the holidays anymore. I miss the Christmas concerts the kids used to be in. I want to say Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends and to the family that sat for one of my award winning favorite portraits: Happy Kwanzaa! I like your idea, I think I’ll follow your lead. Happy 2011
xoxo