CMF Question
Comments
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Hello everyone! I'm just bumping up our thread and hoping that everyone survived all the storms and high waters. I had no back yard yesterday as the creek rose over its banks but it's gone down quickly. How's it in your area, Harley?
Although most of you have finished treatments now and are starting to find your "new normal," please check in every so often and let us know what's happening in your life. I think of all of you often.
Have a good day!
Rita
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WE DID IT !!!!! The past weekend was an experience of a lifetime. I took about 250 pictures, and now my walking buddies and I have to figure out how to compile them.
We had a ton of laughs, and yes, more than a few tears along the way. The support of the communities we walked we're unbelievable, and entering the full stadium at the end was friggin' amazing. We had absolutely beautiful weather all weekend, about 75 to 80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky.
I will quickly this morning throw out a couple of pics, I will be heading out soon to take my gf to the spa for her first massage, and then we will both be getting pedicures after that, then to lunch. A little something to celebrate my gf's 50th bday which is Thurs.
Two Day lunch stop, still holding up pretty good.
Ginny, what an inspiration to me!
Home away from home.
About mile 59, and we're still smiling !!! The tears we're coming big time in about another 1/2 mile or so !!!
Bear with me over my next few post, it will take me a day or so to come off of this high from the weekend, and I know I will want to jabber about more later, YOU LADIES ARE AWESOME !
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Carol, my dear, so are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cried looking at t his, what a wonderful event!
love to everyone
Hi to Rita, Ginny, Carol, Harley, Jill and everyone and anyone I did not list....hope all are well.
Hang in there ladies.
annie
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Rita,
We had some high winds and heavy rain last week, when Hanna came through. But, strangely, a few days later, unrelated to any tropical storms, we got some very heavy rain, and it was a deluge! My dh said that it looks like we got more rain from this unrelated rain event than we did from Hanna! I hear that the winds were 72 mph, just shy of the required 75 mph winds, to make Hanna a hurricane! Thanks for asking, Rita. Hope you are doing well!
Carol,
The pics are great! You look so good! I bet you got emotional at the end of your 3 day event! Please post more pics and tell us more!!
Annie,
Hi... My neck still hurts! I will see my surgeon tomorrow about the scar tissue problem on my boob... I am convinced that is what it is. I don't know what more to do about the neck, so I'll just keep taking Ibuprofen and see if it improves. I got out one of my smaller handbags, because I have been carrying very large bags, and I have to stop... now!
Take care.
Hugs to all!!
Harley
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Hi Harley, and all ladies
Doesn't Carol look great and what a fun thing to do!
Im sorry Harley your neck is still painful. Large heavy handbags whack my neck out every single darn time, but do i show your sense and stop? Nope.
I hope you feel better soon!
xxoox
annie
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Harley....so glad that the major brunt of the storm passed you by and that you are O.K. I'd been thinking about you. Please let us know what your surgeon says about the scar tissue issue. I have that scar tissue, too and it's scary. Mine appears as a thickening and is ridge-like. I think it's pretty common but it sure makes us a nervous wreck when we notice it.
Annie...you've been pretty quiet lately. Is something bothering you or are you just trying to get through the routine tests and move on to your new normal again? If you need to talk, just call or email. I had a hard time when my treatments were done and it took me quite a few months to work through my issues. It was as if I was abandoned by everyone and everything and left to sink or swim. LOL
Carol...thank you so much for walking for all of us and thanks for sharing your experience. Wow! It sounds like you bonded with several gals and really contributed to the bc cause. I'm convinced that if enough funds are raised, somebody will stumble on the bc cure, so I keep walking, too. I'm walking again in Chicago at the end of the month but this is just a morning hike and not such a strenuous walk. Post more pictures when you get a chance.
Ginny...I hope you made it home safely and are getting back into the daily routine. I need to hook up the camera and get our pictures posted. It was so much fun and thank you so much. I have had so many compliments on that bracelet.
Jill..hope all is going well with you. Check in and tell us all the exciting things that you are doing now that the treatments are over for you.
Julie B....get that cold checked out right away. Perhaps they can give you something so that you have no fever on the surgery date and surgery will still be a GO! Hugs!
Gotta get some work done around here. It's still too wet to golf so that leaves work. LOL
I'll check in later.
Rita
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Hi Rita, Annie, Carol, Ginny, Jill, Julie...
My appt. with my surgeon didn't go quite the way I thought it would. He was very busy and didn't have time to chat. I was being 'fit in', so I was making him even busier. He just asked me where I felt the lump, and I showed him. He felt it and then said that he would order an u/s. He DID say that it was 'probably just a cyst', so he didn't seem to think it was scar tissue, I guess.
It was really kinda strange, because it felt a little like my first visit to see him. He asked me where the lump was, I showed him, and then he felt it too. But, this time, he didn't say that it concerned him that it was kind of pointy.
But, my surgeon is so nice, he kept saying "don't worry..." He has such a reassuring manner! He also said that it hasn't been long enough for it to be anything.
Anyway, I will have an u/s on Oct. 2nd. Part of me worries that my neck pain means that it's back...
Thanks for letting me be kind of crazy
Harley
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Hi girls, hope everyone is well, we are having a gorgeous day here in the south of CT
Rita, no I'm fine! Did not mean to be MIA, but I am doing all that stuff that I had put off during treatment, and it seems to all hit at once....heart scan (AOK, still haven't heard about echocardiogram, but no news is good news usually, I think I'd have certainly heard) lung scan, which you all know was also OK, now getting thru the recon stuff, so I've been on the recon sites alot learning all the other stuff I need to know and cheering on others going thru it. It's a bit much, you get done with all the cancer and then they want to screen for everything under the sun and the recon gets going........a little bit crazy. I'm sorry if I've been out of it, I am here.
Julie, how are you? I've been thinking alot about you, I know Friday is the operation correct?
I hope you are hanging in there and realizing this is a good thing to do...you will wake up with a boob, I promise. Also a bizarre corsetlike device that is a surgical bra to hold the new stuff in place, but don't be too put off by that. At least my PS did that anyway, some don't. You PM me if you need to. I'm right here.
Rita, I am so looking forward to your photos of you and Ginny, what a great time it sounds like you had! Thank you for thinking of me and worrying if I had issues....nope. Thick skin I guess, but more likely the second time around, you do get tougher with everything. Almost like a "oh this again, well, dammit.........." or at least I did. More expasperated than anything else with the endless testing. All to the good I know. One thing I have going on that I did wonder about if anyone else had this......onc put me on 1500 mg. calcium supplements and 800 vit Ds. I have the WORST HEARTBURN and acid stomach from the calcium. With food, without food, doesn't matter. I stopped for a day, and yup, that was it. Called my onc who has some new calcium supp for me to pick up tomorrow with Vit D and Omega 3s in it, here's hoping it's easier on the old stomach! Yikes.
Harley, if your surgeon isn't worried, I wouldn't either. An U/S will take just a few and will settle your mind, then your neck will relax. Wouldn't you say that bc worry is "a pain in the neck?" There is a school of thought in psychology that your body will mimic what you are thinking. Interesting theory I have always thought. But why neck pain would mean your cancer is back, I don't understand...it would have had to have migrated to your neck? Which would mean metasticizing, and it did not sound like you had anything near to that going on? I'm sure you are just fine, hon. Good for you for going to the surgeon and settling that issue for yourself. Every ache and pain I had for a long time (year or two) I thought "oh it's back!" It wasn't. It's this new normal you are getting accustomed to. This part will pass and you'll settle in.
However, I sure get the worry part. I am good at that one.
Carol, I hope you are busy, happy and getting on with life. You sure looked great in those photos!
love to all:
annie
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Thanks, Annie. Yes, that is about the way it is. When I felt the lump, then I thought, oh, I have this neck pain, and now I found another lump, so a + b = c , something like that.... silly, I know. I like your theory about the 'pain in the neck', though, because it really HAS been a pain in the neck!
Thinking of you and hoping for all b-9 results from the rest of your tests. I know that your reconstruction will go smoothly, too!
Hugs,
Harley
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hi fellow cmf'ers..long time for me , sorry...been away
just wanted to tell Carol there is a new free download from Google, Picasa3
I had #2 but this one is more fun...good way to organize pix...
I did this collage on our trip...we saw some balloon festival..
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Hi ladies!
Oh Lisa, what a beautiful balloon collage! That must have been great, thank you so much for sharing it.
Rita, good morning to you!
Harley, you are never silly. We are all shell shocked for awhile and it doesn't take much of anything to get that anxiety going. It's perfectly reasonable.
thanks for all your good thoughts. I am the same way with the anxiety. I have not heard the results of my echocardiogram yet and it's been almost two weeks. I have called and they said, no, no results. So anxiety head says "Oh, it's bad, they sent it on to other drs. bec. it's so bad" when reality brain says: "Kiddo, they would have been sued. Obviously, it was just a routine test that went missing on someone's deskwork. It'll turn up". Once you can identify which is your "anxiety brain" and which is your reality brain, it does help clarify things.
I am getting excited for my new boob, tho I know it'll be awhile until it is done. (10/10! Wa hoo!) I have to get that 6 months mammo and MRI out of the way too but I don't think I am allowed to lie on that table with recon girl for about 3 weeks after I get her in, so it'll be about two months until I can get those done. Oh, I could go and get them now, but hubby will be on business trips, and I rationalize that I just got done with chemo. Odds of anything being anywhere are nil. And there is simply no way I am going without him. So I am waiting til after. I know the onc will fuss at me, but I am NOT going without him and I think I am fine in doing that.
See how blase one gets?
Altho I have to laugh on rereading when I see what I am fussing about with the echo. I wouldn't have been allowed to leave the office if there was an issue or someone would have called me the next day. And that is anxiety head.Have a great day ladies
love
annie
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SoCal Lisa....so good to see a post from you! Pop in more often. We've missed you. You are our inspiration!!!!!
Annie's back and I'm SO glad! I didn't have the reconstruction but think it would be an exciting time. My neighbor had the expanders and she got so tickled after each fill. LOL Anyway, it sounds as if you've been busy and that's good.
Funny that you mentioned the heartburn and the calcium issue. I've had quite a bit of heartburn in the last year and never even thought about connecting the last two. I really thought it was a digestive problem or a potential start of heart problems. I may get off the calcium for a few days and see what happens. With the Arimidex, I do need the calcium supplements, though, so it's just a terrible circle, isn't it?
Hello to everyone else. I'm pushing a trivia book deadline here and need to get back to work. I'll try to pop on later.
Rita
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Hi Rita:
Yes I was SO surprised, I posted a thread on it per your suggestion with the Lupron injections and the response was overwhelmingly a "yes" that it certainly does cause heartburn at these large doses. They reccomended a different type of calcium and see if that helps, (calcium citrate vs. calcium carbonate) also to split up the doses so you aren't taking a big amount all of once. No more than 500 mg at a time or 600 mg tops. but it sounded like each of course is different in their tolerance, just as with everything else.
Onc's opinion is "hm, that's not it" but he did give another thing to try a supplement with calcium, vit D and omega 3s. I've been off the calcium for two days now w immediate improvement of the stomach, so i'll be a "test model" with this new stuff. Feel like a petri dish.
Barring that, another woman on the thread said she had such bad heartburn that she switched to Tums, two of them =s 1000 mg. and she takes one in AM and one in PM and it's done the trick.
Or we could just mainline ice cream
Now I have to figure out how to get my multivitamin in there as well. Have to find one w/o calcium and D which should be interesting. Anybody have any ideas?
love to all, rita are you writing the trivia book? If so, how interesting! Tell us more!
xoxo
annie
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Hey Gals,
I have about 30 minutes here, I'm in a timekeeping class at work today, what a thrill, only in the government would it take a day and a half to learn how to input time sheets.
Its been crazy busy since the weekend, Monday was fun, the pedicure was great and lunch too. It was a rather emotional day, I guess its pretty normal after all the hype of the weekend. Tuesday was back to work, I'm now fit for full duty, so back in the driver seat of the "big rigs", its been since last October, and it felt like riding a bike, the novelty wore off in about 5 minutes. Some how or another I need to get off the downer attitude I have about going to work. I just received my 25 year pin as well on Tuesday, and all I could think was 9 1/2 more years til retirement.
Yesterday it was to the "Wally World" after work to get pics developed of the 3 day, then my ds' open house from 6 til 9, that left about an hour to have dinner, open some mail, yada, yada! Tonight I need to work in the yard, and maybe try making a dinner!!!
So on that note, I've had a quick chance to read the post, but unfortunately no time to yak back.
Hopefully tonight I can post a couple more pics from the 3 Day (thanks Lisa), I will definitely be lacing up my sneakers again for next years event !!!
Rita and Ginny, looking forward to some pics of your visit !!!
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Hi gals....Let's see if I can get some pictures on here.This is Ginny and Rita in Chicago!
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O.K. I don't know why this program always posts two of each picture that I enter. Let's try another one. Ginny fighting hot flashes with her fan!!!
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Here's the lunch view we had from the top of the John Hancock Building in Chicago.
Thank you Ginny for this special lunch treat!!!!!
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Here's the lunch view we had from the top of the John Hancock Building in Chicago.
Thank you Ginny for this special lunch treat!!!!!
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The waiter who took our picture was not a talented picture-taker. In this first picture, he caught me with my eyes closer, and I was certainly not sleeping.So we asked him to take another picture and this is what we got then! LOL
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Rita and Ginny ... you both look FABULOUS ... what the hell was cancer thinking when it picked such beautiful women to mess with !!!
Sorry Ginny, had to LOL with the fan pic ... oh how true it is with the hot flashes !!!
Thanks for sharing Rita ... isn't it your bed time ???
Carol
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And here's the first one....Take your pick! Neither are great! LOL At least you can see that we're having a good time!!!
" mce_src="Now if we could cut my picture from the first one and Ginny's from the second, we'd have a perfect picture!
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Wow! It's my bedtime, but you guys are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps cancer is a beauty treatment? Or perhaps we are so happy it's done we look good, who knows, but man, do you two look like you had fun and do you ever look good!
Gives me hope.........
xoxoxo
annie
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Wow..love the pictures..but that height is something else..scares me no end...I have discovered tho that my fear of heights is related to earthquakes...when I am up high, I think what would happen if we had an earthquake..being in San Diego, that isn't too abnormal...but now it extends to other places in the world..
Anyhow it looks as tho you had a grand time..good for you!!!
I had my six month checkup with my liver doc...things are holding and that is good
but the liver is past the point of where it could regenerate...thank you methotrexate...
I see my onc next month..hoping for NED...
Hugs all around....SoCal
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Lisa,
Good Luck at your onc appt. next month... I'm praying for NED also!
Rita,
WOW! You are both beautiful women!! Glad you were able to meet, and you can see that you are both so very happy, too!!
HugsHarley
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Lisa...so glad that things checked out good with the liver doc! I'd really be interested in knowing more about your liver condition. If you have time, please send me a PM and explain it to me. I do wish you bundles of luck with your upcoming onc appointment. You are indeed my inspiration and my poster gal for CMF chemo!!!
Rita
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Hi Ladies, its been a busy week, nothing new for many of us. The following is a brief synopsis of last weekend, figure I should get something posted before its really old news. Parts of this I had used in a thank you note ... hopefully this makes sense in a post ...
WE DID IT ...
AND IT WAS THE WEEKEND OF A LIFETIME !!!
We we're committed to raise money, we trained and yes we walked. My feet are a bit tired, and my knees slightly achy but my spirit high.
From the time we pulled into Opening Ceremonies I could feel the lump in my throat, and shucks it was still dark outside so I could not hide the tears in my eyes behind my shades. It did not take too long to realize that it was going to be quite the emotional rollercoaster ride for 3 Days. On Day One we we're out on the route for 10 hours. Returned to camp, grabbed our gear and heading to the sea of pink tents (which thankfully we're already set up). Showered for the first time in my life in the back of a semi-truck trailer, thankfully the showers we're kinda private, and I definitely did not feel "deformed" dressing with others who as well may have been missing some body parts. From there headed to the dining tent for some pretty good chow. We we're ready to hit the hay by 8:00 ... imagine that. They had a little Karokee and even some danced a bit (I think that was the really young walkers)!
After a pretty good nights sleep in our little home away from home, we we're up by 5:00, had a great hot breakfast and we're back out on the route for the start of Day Two. I was just awed by the support of the community, the cheers from so many, cars honking their horns, and signs with words of encouragement. Towards the end of the day with about 2 miles to go, the ol' "dogs" we're barking. Thankfully no blisters, just plain tired and achy feet for me. My knees decided they were not happy campers with the down hills.
Again we pooped out after dinner quite early, slept like a baby, and woke early Sunday morning to pack up our gear before departing on Day Three of our adventure. We nibbled our way through the weekend with goodies from so many along the route, along with the stops at "official" pit stops. We laughed and yes we cried for 3 days and 60 miles
The closing ceremony was a topper to what had been a weekend like no other. I was touched to have some family and friends at the stadium to share the experience with. From the time I committed to participate in April I was really hoping that I'd be able to walk out of the Opening Ceremonies with Ginny and more than that, I was totally hyped that I was still walking and was able to enter the Closing Ceremonies arm in arm with Ginny. She is truly a remarkable woman who has done so much to make this such a great experience for me.
Now Cathy, does this not look more inviting than the Marriott ???
Zach and I after the closing ceremony.
Ginny and I in the holding area before going into the stadium for closing ceremonies ... we had just shed quite a few tears just prior to this pic!!
Still up to my eyeballs trying to get back to a "normal" life ... I'm back to full duty at work, trying to help my son with life lessons, and wrapping up a very funky year. At times I feel overwhelmed, wondering how I did everything pre-BC and it seemed like no big deal. They say that your life will never quite be the same and I truly believe that is the case.
Carol
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Carol,
WOW! You are truly amazing!
Thanks for posting those pics... You are a wonderful group of women!
I am sure that this was quite an emotional time for all of you!!Harley
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Oh wow Carol, these are amazing!!!
I got chills and starting to tear up looking at that sea of pink tents......
What a beautiful time and thank you so much for sharing.
(BTW, you both (all) look awesome)...and you should never feel "deformed" in any way. You should feel like the amazon warrior goddess that you are. Proud and triumphant.
love to you
annie
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p.s. to Lisa: good luck on the liver check!! I hope it all turns out OK.
Harley when is your check? Is it the yearly one? Post it so we can all send great vibes to you.
My yearly was delayed (did not need a 6 month cuz we got "rid" of the offending girl) by chemo and now delayed again by one month due to needing to get these expanders out. 10/10 I'll have my permanent silicone barbie foob. It sure will be good to get this heavy uncomfortable expander out of there, even tho it's another operation. I will need to keep my arms down at my sides for a week (that should be cute) and not lift anything for several weeks to a month. But at least no drains and no overnight.. glad for that! Oopharectomy in Dec. (2 months interval for ops) which my onc supports my doing, as apparently my estrogen just won't quit. Then onto a "valentine" nipple recon. Good lord. Can you imagine if the uninitiated read this stuff? My favorite remains Carol's signing for the swim boob from the UPS man. That's a classic. I am sorely tempted to cut a boob shape out of a valentine candy box, pull it over my boob, put the top back on and then present it to my husband. Good thing he's got a very goofy sense of humor and is used to me.
Having just typed this, I am so doing it. You just have to laugh at this junk. Defuses it.
Good news is: heart checked out great, so that's another worry checked off. I feel doubly lucky with the heart and lungs now.
Good luck to all my lovely warrior goddesses. Stay well and healthy on our "lucky thread"
You hear that Lisa? Stay with us, all will be well (here's hoping). I am interested in your liver condition as well and how they could let that happen to you. I hope you are doing OK now, stable is good. My brother in laws' liver was damaged by methatroxate (he has poliomyocytis) and it has regenerated itself but it happened about 5 years after the damage did. They have no expanation for it. They speculate it was the exercise routine he began and caused the circulation to improve and thus the liver regenerated. They told him sometimes it does happen, usually in children. I will pray it does for you as well. He is as well as he can be, hale and hearty now at 53.
love to all
annie
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Annie,
I am so glad that your lungs & heart checked out ok... YIPPEE!!
My yearly check up was in April... This will be about 6 months later. (So it's 1 1/2 years since my bc dx!) My surgeon told me that he was ordering an ultrasound, but the insurance co. called me and told me that he ordered a mammogram. I don't want a mammogram, since I have saline implants, I am afraid that these implants will rupture and I don't want to have to go through more surgery, with my ps...
So, tomorrow I shall call my surgeon and ask him if he didn't really mean to order an ultrasound.
Hugs to all!
Harley0
