
A Journey: the act of traveling from one place to another
This life of mine is an incredible accumulation of journeys which I now realize will not stop with this life. The cancer journey has been un-exepected and constantly changing so I hope the updates on this site will share the details for those who want to know. It's hard to update everyone when things seem to change almost daily.
Round 1 (2015) - Stage 1 Breast Cancer
My cancer journey started with the results of my routine mammogram done on my 42nd birthday. Jared started a blog for me to tell my story, which is still available at: https://www.tumblr.com/jennygamble
Round 2 (2023) - Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer in the Bones
Despite the clearance from Round 1 treatment of hormone positive early stage breast cancer, I never felt entirely "safe". I did everything possible to prevent recurrence: double mastectomy, chemo, tamoxifen, etc. In. 2022, I pursued alternative testing of circulating tumor cells based on my own intuition that something did not feel right. Despite confirmation that CTCs were elevating, it took insurance over 3 months to approve a PET/CT scan that would validate my worst nightmare...recurrent metastatic cancer to the bone. After many biopsies, tests, trials, surgeries, radiation...the conclusion was my hormone driven cancer mutated to triple negative breast cancer (a much worse prognosis). Much of 2023 was spent trying to identify best ways to control the metastatic cancer and how to target therapy with tripple negative disease, which is very difficult to target.
Round 3 (2024) - Leptomeningeal Progression
Round 3 came at the end of 2023 and is the RARE COMPLICATION that is now the primary focus of treatment. I went to the ER due to unusual headaches that I wanted to get checked out before I took a trip with Marina for her 16th birthday. An MRI diagnosed Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) a late-stage complication of cancer that occurs when cancer cells spread to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the meninges, the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. (Best not to google it and just know that I was VERY VERY lucky to get it diagnosed and treated with a chemo that knocked it down and let me survive.) The chemo introduced in November (by weekly intrathecal infusions- topotecan) worked great until it stopped working in April. We have quickly moved back to the drawing board to evaluate treatment options (for which there are very few) and I am launching this new blog on day #8/#10 of proton cranial spine radiation that I am doing up at the Fred Hutch Proton Therapy Center in Washington State. The hope is that this will greatly reduce the number of cancer cells in my CSF and give me more TIME! For LMD the time to live more life is obviously critical; but more TIME to follow research, trials, experiments that are at this moment in their infancy or not even started yet. I have learned that RARE cancers do not attract funding for research, trials, or attentions. So yeah...this needs to change and I want to be a part of leading the way!
Round 4: Miracles
Rather than wait for another round of progression or diagnosis, let's call this "round" miracles. I like this diagnosis for me at this moment in time. After all, I have already outlived the "standard" prognosis for LMD and I feel very much on my way to pave a path forward for more hope with this disease. And truly...every day IS a miracle.