I am Sheila, now 46 years old and married to Victor. We live in a small town in The Netherlands. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in July 2012, at age 42, at the first diagnosis. I have been living with mets in my liver since then which are now stabilized. I am living a full and rewarding life, I work full-time and enjoy life!
About this blog
I started this blog on Monday July 2nd, 2012 to keep track of all the things that have happened on this new journey. Above all, I wish to share my experiences with you, my friends and family across Holland and across the world. Please follow this blog if you like and leave me replies if you feel like it. You can share posts and pages using the links on each page.
This blog tells you about my experiences with metastatic breast cancer and my efforts to help others with this disease.
I was first diagnosed end of June in 2012. The first tests showed a tumor of 7,5 cm (3 inches) in my right breast. A second series of tests showed that my liver was permeated with breast cancer – hundreds, maybe thousands, of tumors of various sizes had caused my liver to grow one and a half times as big as normal. My prognosis was poor: I realized I just had a few weeks to live. After hearing the bad news, I decided to do everything I could to get better.
After three months of chemo, I was hospitalized with mucositis and fever. There was nothing the hospital could do for me. But then a specialized cancer hospital offered me a treatment that worked. The following week I was given a therapy using intervention radiology where a catheter was inserted into my artery and Mitomycine-C was injected into my liver. After two treatments – in October and November of 2012 – I started to recover. From January through May of 2013 I took Xeloda (capecitabine) and the results were positive. End of April 2013 I started working again and from May 2013 on I’ve been doing well on hormone therapy (letrozol). Thankfully, I’ve made a strong recovery and have been living well ever since.
A miracle happend and I recovered.
I am now living a normal life! Many people think when you get metastatic cancer that you are dying but that’s not necessarily the case. On the contrary, I have been able to enjoy life more than I thought possible.
So please follow my blog to hear what is possible and support my initiative to help others with metastatic disease!
Update January 10th, 2014
I wish to thank my doctors at the National Cancer Instituut/Anthoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam and my GP in Eemnes. I will try to use my blog to help others as best I can.
Sheila Ghosh - blog 
Hi Sheila
dat heb je snel gedaan en zo’n professionele site! Maar je bent natuurlijk van het vak….
Wij moetern nog erg wennen aan het slechte nieuws en zijn nog steeds een beetje sprakeloos. Dat wil natuurlijk niet zeggen dat we niet aan je denken en je natuurlijk sterkte en liefs toewensen om tenminste moreel de zaak aan te kunnen! Heel veel liefs gewenst van Paul en Isabelle
Sheila Vincent and I are praying that the Chemo will work and the devastating treatment will have good results. Our best wishes and prayers for tomorrow.
Hi Sheila! thank you so much for this weblog! I’think it’s a great privilige that you want to share your thoughts and feeling with us. and it’s great reading! so good that you’re feeling ok right now! of course, I hope that your bucket list turns out to be far too short! curious about your book….
all the best, from Rienk and Touria
Dag Sheila,
weet dat we meeleven met de misere die je overkomt. Ik hoorde al van Victor, dat je je niet uit het lood laat slaan en bij de pakken neer gaat zitten. Dit blijkt ook wel uit de verslagen die je op dit blog zet! Hopelijk vind je wat steun aan de reacties en ervaringen van lotgenoten die hun verslag doen en hetzelfde meemaken of hebben meegemaakt.
Heel veel sterkte en kracht toegewenst in de moeilijke periode die komen gaat
Dick en Renee