Best Of

I've spent the last few months reading everyone's stories here, from their first posts to sometimes their last, sometimes their disappearance, sometimes their ongoing lives. I'm a writer (as we all are here), so I'm truly engaged in reading these stories, especially as my own fate is unfolding. Sometimes these stories are comforting, sometimes hair-raising. All are memorable. I was deeply touched by those we've lost here, a woman whose little dog chased butterflies in her garden, a singer who wrote for a French opera magazine, a wit who rewrote the words to Huey Lewis's "I Want a New Drug," and so many many more. Their lives are remembered here. Mothers and grandmothers and men and single women and lesbians and worried husbands and army veterans and teachers and businesspeople. Young and old. Rich and poor. People from all over the world talking to one another not just about breast cancer research but about their suddenly altered lives. I was amazed to find that some 115 people posting here right now have survived past 5 years, about half of those over 7, a good number over 10. Many people I read about lost their lives after a mighty struggle of 5, 8, 10, 12 years. The numbers here are far better than the reported statistics. And many were lost, cut down, facing much pain and heart-ache, some writing about their final moments here. I have to think that the community you have created here has helped people immensely, whether psychologically or physically or both.

goldens Love the fun facts! Wow good for your sil, my brain stinks anymore with concentrating on reading. Short spurts and word puzzles to keep my brain somewhat sharp lol.

I definitely can't live without AC! As much as I would rather be in fresh air the humidity is just overwhelming at times. Plus my body doesn't regulate the heat the way it used to.

gailmary Happy to hear bone scan looked good, fingers crossed for CT!!

Mara Love the election post, make me chuckle…so true!. I

Carol Looking forward to your next blog always love your titles too. You have a gift to express your thoughts. Hope you are feeling ok.

sfcakes Hope the probiotic is helping.

Tanya Hope this is a better week for you and your mouth is healing well.

Well I'm back to limbo but better than a definite bone met. CT shows mixed lesion on T-3, PET and MR it's not demonstrated. So we play the wait and see game until next CT in Sept. Will try to just enjoy the summer and put progression thoughts aside.

Hi to all here and in everyone's pocket for all needs this week and always. Hugs.

Im a big fan of ceiling fans and cross breezes, but at some point you need A/C just to dry out the house. You can get by with a good ceiling fan for a long long time in the summer lol. Wish you guys would send some heat this way, I had the space heater on the last few afternoons and tomorrow its going to struggle to get above 63F, along with rain all day. I feel like we've had the same grey 50s-low 60 degree days for the last 15 months!

Sunshine, I've read that a higher tumor mutational burden could open up immunotherapy as an option? That's probably not the only factor but it's in my notes to discuss with MO when/if that's an option. I really hope the affinitor works well for you, and that those mouth sores stay away!

I grew up in the PNW, the temps there recently sound crazypants to me! We had a week of lovely mid-70s sun here but now back to heavy fog and mid-60s highs.

Thank you for the probiotic recommendations! I started on one yesterday, hoping it will help. My latest labs show I'm anemic, likely from all the diarrhea in the past month and not absorbing enough nutrients.

We don't use our AC here in CO although we have it. The high today was 84—currently 79—and it will drop to 55 tonight so plenty cool to open windows. It reached 80 in the house but that is tolerable. We get a breeze most of the time. I love the summers here but not so much the winters. It is a trade-off. I Still don't feel well but I popped some meatballs in the slow cooker and will just do rice so it won't heat the house. Top with a salad and we are good. I feed a family of four and dinner is my contribution to the family. Still, I am looking for easy slow cooker recipes so I don't have to stand for long. I am trying to prep ahead and freeze so my DH can handle more of the cooking since I am slowly losing it. I have to capitalize on days I feel decent.

Hoping all you in the heat can stay cool. Heat is the enemy when you don't feel well.