The prognosis thus far and journey ahead
17 August 2022
I would like to thank you so much for all the generous donations and messages of support we have received from so many people; they have made a big difference and mean so much to us all as a family. This journey so far has been long and gruelling, but the level of support has been tremendous. Jenny has been blessed with receiving some large private donations, so we have reduced the fundraising goal to reflect this. The level of your generosity meant that she could start treatment without the added stress of worrying how to pay those initial bills.
Jenny has now completed chemotherapy and surgery (partial mastectomy and axillary node clearance) to remove the tissue from the sites of the original tumours. She had 22 lymph nodes removed, so her recovery has involved lots of physiotherapy exercises to regain mobility and strength.
The tissue they removed during surgery was examined in a lab and showed a complete pathological response to the chemotherapy drugs which is fantastic news. This means that the chance of small cancer cells existing elsewhere in her body is low and it reduces Jenny’s chances of recurrence.
The next phase of Jenny’s treatment is all about minimising the risk of recurrence which is at its highest in the two years post active treatment. She has started a 3-week course of radiotherapy and will receive 10 more doses of Herceptin administered as an infusion every three weeks before she can have her port-a-cath surgically removed. Meanwhile she has commenced hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitor and Zoladex) as part of her risk management treatment.
There is still a long way to go with this journey but thank you again for all your support so far – the impact has been truly lifesaving.
