www.stephmastini/forgotten ones /

Isn't it ironic ? I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction as many of my readers know.  That alone was very challenging .  I caught both breast cancers early enough so that I didn't need chemotherapeutic therapy . I had three surgeries just on my implants.   I've had to have them removed twice. Once was because they found silicone artifacts in my chest. They took the silicone implants out. I opted for Saline implants but they looked awful.  If you're going to have reconstruction I do NOT suggest Saline . They are not aesthetically pleasing.. Two  months ago I decided to take the saline implants out, to put the new silicone implants in. The shape has changed from round to a teardrop and they are texturized and adhere to the skin. They are a safer and better quality. With having graves disease it is always a challenge and this was no exception . My Graves specialist wants me to try a chemo drug called Rituxan.  How ironic I was able to avoid...

July 17, 2017 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Nerlynx (neratinib) for the extended adjuvant treatment of early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer. For patients with this type of cancer, Nerlynx is the first extended adjuvant therapy, a form of therapy that is taken after an initial treatment to further lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Nerlynx is indicated for adult patients who have been previously treated with a regimen that includes the drug  trastuzumab. “HER2-positive breast cancers are aggressive tumors and can spread to other parts of the body, making adjuvant therapy an important part of the treatment plan,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Now, these patients have an option after initial treatment that may help keep the cancer from coming back.” Breast cancer...

UPDATE : My ocular specialist has finally told me that I'm ready for eye decompression surgery.     I thank God every day for Dr. Thomas Joly.  He has patients that come from all over the world to see him. And I was blessed to finally find him after five eye doctors .   I knew there Update February 2018 was something wrong with my eyes but I kept getting the brushoff saying I have dry eyes. I would go blind in the middle of the night sometimes. I've been through two years of steroid infusions. It is a temporary fix until my eyes stabilized . In October I will be having the surgery for decompression. I pray this will be  the last of my eye surgeries.  With this type of surgery there's always a possibility that I could be cross eyed .  If that happens and I pray it doesn't, than I will have to have another surgery.  Don't ever give uP.  I didn't . 

There are days like today I can't even get out of bed .  I have TED ( thyroid eye disease ) so driving can be challenging some days too .  I call myself very lucky to have found a fantastic ocular specialist and every few months  I have to have Medrol Infusions (IV therapy ) three times a week . I also am one of the rare people that have Pretibial Myexedma .  It's a skin condition on my calves that requires steroid cream and is painful and red and there isn't a cure. The best they can do is inject steroids into the areas. It's very disturbing but I would rather be proactive with my disease.  This autoimmune disease is so complicated and I require regular blood work .  I had a thyroidectomy so I  take medication to keep me alive . It's a syndrome  In short, it effects my whole system . Endocrine, adrenal, etc .  This disease is hereditary .  This disease causes brain fog .  I thought after two bouts of breast cancer I ...

It's been a long ride this past year.  I have not been feeling well for the last few YEARS and visited  many doctors. The worst part of this diagnosis besides extreme fatigue, was the not knowing factor ... My eyes had been giving me problems and I went to opthomologists in Georgia than Virginia. I can't begin to tell you the frustration I felt.  My primary care doctor would come in and I would lie on the bed waiting for her, that's how tired I was . I have fibromyalgia and of course breast cancer twice and knew every time I was ill .  The hard part was convincing my doctors that I needed answers . The bizarre fact was one blood test that showed my thyroid levels were changing rapidly .  I was bouncing from hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism. I was told that I had Graves' disease by my Opthomologist ! I went to endocrinologist and a barrage of blood work ensued . My endocrinologist said DO NOT go to my month long journey through Italy . I went . I did no...

I started this blog to inform and  provide wigs to women that were going through chemo and just could not afford one.  Jamie is strong in her mind and fighting ovarian cancer now.  I sent her the wig you see her in.  I have never met her but I know her through social media. This makes me happy.  I wish I could do more but, I too struggle financially. That will never stop me from helping women like Jamie.  She is a fighter and her smile always has a place in my heart.  She wrote me how much she loved the wig.  This is who I am.  I have done this many times but never put a face to who I have helped, Jamie is the exception because she embodies everything I stand for in my life.  I hope to be doing this for the rest of my life. The whole reason I  started this blog was to inform others and tell my journey through breast cancer twice. I had to fight my way back when I discovered I had to have a double mastectomy in 2008. The...

Twenty Years "I have always loved you" he told me one day in 2011.  I learned allot from Tony Civilla and now I am saying good bye He was larger than life and I miss him so much. He left this world too soon.  What a loss to so many... I know that he is finally without pain, maybe reading by the ocean...or fishing there. When the moon comes out all the sadness goes away.   When the stars are bright I look up at the moon and think of all we have been through together. We really lived life and no one can take away those years. I know you are up there with my Dad fishing and ruminating, laughing together. they had a mutual admiration and were great story tellers. I miss your smile, your laugh, your ...your wonderful way of looking at life. I miss your cookies. I miss the man that made a big impact on my life. so many years, so many tears. Good bye I will see you again With a wink and a nod you are always in my heart. .

Cannabinoids: a new hope for breast cancer therapy? Caffarel MM 1 , Andradas C , Pérez-Gómez E , Guzmán M , Sánchez C .Author information: 1 Dept. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University-CIBERNED-IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain. Abstract Breast cancer is a very common disease that affects approximately 1 in 10 women at some point in their lives. Importantly, breast cancer cannot be considered a single disease as it is characterized by distinct pathological and molecular subtypes that are treated with different therapies and have diverse clinical outcomes. Although some highly successful treatments have been developed, certain breast tumors are resistant to conventional therapies and a considerable number of them relapse. Therefore, new strategies are urgently needed, and the challenge for the future will most likely be the development of individualized therapies that specifically target each patient's tumor. Experimental evidence accumulate...

 I can smile now      I just turned 60..yes, this is a recent photo.  I stay on an anti-cancer diet. No white food, processed food and  I don't eat meat except Bison and antibiotic free organic meat.   I believe that there are no diets really, only a lifestyle. I am a size three and I maintain my weight because I learned how to cook   Mediterranean style and I incorporate the meals my Italian Grandmother and Father taught me.  It's simple really.  I can teach you too.

I have always been Superwoman At least that was what everyone thought..  I never thought much about my energy level since I had to juggle work, single motherhood, school.  Than my father said one day that if he owned a business he would make me CEO. I was organized, never tired and I just was that type A woman. Than after my last cancer surgery I lost my energy.  I lost my appetite.  I couldn't sleep well. I have been trying to figure out why with my doctors. Fibromyalgia, anemia,. I just thought it is something else. I didn't give up I barely made it through the day..oh it must be depression.  All the diagnoses and pills and still I didn't feel like me. I knew that my energy was gone but also I didn't feel happy and I was always irritable. Finally I walked to my car last Friday and could barely make it out the door. I was pale and my eyes were blurry.  Driving was concerning. I just had to have some answers.  I ha...

I just had great news.  I have been having regular six  month ultrasounds and MRI's once a year to check on a node that has been bothering me under my implant. I am happy to say that it has shrunk in size!  I believe that this is because of my anti cancer diet which I will be posting .  I learned how to eat a MEditerranean diet since I grew up in an all Italian family and heritage.  It turns out that all the veggies and small amounts of sugar and meat has really helped..I will be posting and concentrating on diet  on next blog post.  My Grandma and my Dad were right..we did not eat processed food and we ate many bright vegetables.  I also learned that frozen vegetable and fruit can be used and in many cases much healthier than fresh.  We don't know how long the produce has been sitting and with frozen food they are fresh when packed. Stay away from anything that has allot of words you can't pronounce. I do eat pasta with only semolina f...

                                                                              Recently I started back on Aromasin and I am experiencing once again, pain and night sweats.  I saw this article and wanted to share it with all the women experiencing these debilitating side effects. I decided after talking it over with my oncologist, that it would be better to go back to this aromatase inhibitor after the five year suggested therapy I ended last year.  So yes, I am looking for answers and hopefully exercise will help with the side effects. Much research has shown that exercise, a healthy diet, and counseling can help women feel better, both during and after breast cancer treatment. A new study has found that exercise eases joint pain that can be a side effect of the aromatase...

Six years today I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction.  I am truly blessed and I am still going strong....Living my life and looking forward to a much needed vacation. One thing I learned the last six years is to start saying no.  I have been taking care of everyone my whole life it seems ...started when I was nine and my sister was born. I was a young single parent of two, on top of that.  My Dad and Mom were also part of my care giving lifestyle.  Now, I have stepped back. We need to take care of ourselves and we forget sometimes. I didn't even realize I had cancer when I was caring for my father since all I did was run run run... I do not regret any of the time I have spent being a caregiver but now it's time for me.

Hi everyone. Life has a way of throwing curve balls.  I just had one thrown directly between my eyes. I recently had my annual PET testing and CT scan and I was told that a small node was found on my right lung .  I asked my oncologist for more testing and he said I could "wait another six months".  I refuse to take that course and I am following up With a new oncologist and thoracic surgeon . My father passed away from lung cancer .  The word "wait" does not exist in my vocabulary. It's time for action. An update..I went for my colonoscopy last week and the biopsy shows that  I have four nodes, one is precancerous. They removed them  and I pray that it was in time ...I eat very well but stress is a huge component ..I didn't stress about my breast cancer but I have noticed that I have not been taking my life day by day.  I stress about the future. Time to stop that behavior since it only hurts me.

March 6th is my new birth date ; six years of cancer free living ~On that date I had my Mastectomy and reconstruction birthday ..( I just hit my eight year lumpectomy surgery this week.) It also happens to be the day my daughter, Cara Podenski is scheduled to give birth to her first child ... I see this as a sign . A miraculous beginning . I have called my daughter over and over, left messages and she has never returned or answered my calls. over the last 5 years. I do not block my number because I am not giving up hope that she will answer . I do not know of anything I have done and I have no answers.. I was even told I would be arrested if I came to her Wedding. Although I keep trying, I can't be the only one to mend this relationship between mother and daughter. What could I have done so terrible to deserve this exile. Nothing. I just know that I am to be a Grandmother, and I earned that right, but I also want my daughter to exorcise her demons for her ment...

Susan G. Komen for the Cure | Statement on Possible Association Between Breast Implants and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

“We skipped the light fandango turned cartwheels 'cross the floor I was feeling kinda seasick but the crowd called out for more..." -A Whiter Shade of Pale~ Procol Harem, 1967 Time has been good to me and it is on my side. Since I last updated, I have had surgery to replace the "ruptured" implants. My silicone implants were replaced with saline ones and to my shock, I was told by my surgeon with a snide tone that they were not ruptured. He proceeded to tell me that he could not find a leak, but the MRI scan said otherwise. He than accused me of having pre-breast reconstruction implants and that the silicone floating in my chest was from a previous rupture. I was unabashedly upset and he said that there was no other explanation. I protested and told him that was not the case. I was outraged the more he persisted. I have to admit I was in tears after he removed the bandages.. Months lapsed and a few stitches were not dissolved. The cosmetic look was not to my...

Regrettably I don't know how but discovered today that my blog has been tampered with and this post and one other are gone.  I will attempt to recant my ordeal and the sadness that comes with the realization that once again I had to undergo major surgery ...It happened slowly in Washington State in 2009 believe it or not..I started seeping silicone through the outer layer of the Mentor implants.  I recall asking my oncologist to check me out over and over and numerous ultra sounds were done but nothing was found because of the testing technique. Finally over a year later of constant uncomfortable sound in the back of my head saying keep pushing..there is something wrong. When I moved to GA I found a surgeon that almost seemed that she was pacifying me by allowing me after undergoing another ultra sound, that maybe there was something to this dark gloom that I kept feeling.  I honestly don't know how I knew but I...

I have been busy going through old photos, and journals lately. I have commiserated on all aspects of how to get it all together in some sort of order. How can I put all my life stories on the blank pages of yet unfinished memoirs. That is my debacle. It is overwhelming. I have felt joy, love, anger, frustration, but I have never given up hope. There has been a bevy of comments written about me and I have reveled in the joy of living my life by my rules. I live to feel my fingertips abound with colors that illuminate my life, but lately those colors have turned murky. I don't know why I feel so deeply about the joys and sorrows of others, but I do. I am lucky to have been loved in my lifetime. Deeply. I want to shout out to the world that one should ever give up, but I find myself barraged by the past and I need to go forward. I am in a rain puddle and can't seem to tip toe out of it, and dry myself off. I guess the angst I am feeling should be a blessing to my art, but now it ...