Illinois ladies facing bc
Comments
-
Connie...I am just getting ready to head out for the state scholastic bowl tournament, but I wanted to stop in and tell you CONGRATS on putting this behind you! I wish I could join you tonight as you celebrate the end of this journey! Party, party, party! Since it's the best that I can do right now, I'm sending cyberspace hugs! (((((Connie))))) Have a ball! I'll be there in spirit!
Rita
0 -
Thanks Rita! Sorry you can't be here!
I counted wrong - we have 216 bottles! lol
0 -
OH CRIPE! Connie...you are toooooooooooo funny! I love it!
And to think I am spending the evening with a depressed-prom-ditcher! LOL...(just kidding)
But hey! I want to see you girls! As of an hour ago, she had a tummy ache...so she just may ditch me too! If so...I am heading your way!
0 -
Connie-Wishing you a great party! Sounds like everyone will have a great time.
Laura-I won't be at J'burg grad., my boys are juniors this year.
Welcome to Becky and Julie.
Back later--
0 -
Michele - I thought they were seniors!
-------------
I want to hear all about the party! Are all you girls sleeping off hang-overs this morning!?!?
0 -
Mornin'
I slept like a log so figure I can get a couple words in here before it starts going on me.
Not a bad day--storm didn't show much....although a fair amt. of rain.
Inquiring minds do want to know.........how was the party and how is everyone.....get up you guys.
I'll be looking later.
Jackie
0 -
OKAY SLEEPY HEADS/PARTY ANIMALS...
Are you still sleeping or still partying?
LOL
0 -
How funny - where are they? Still in the kids jumpy thing?
Laura-Your niece is a senior? Is she feeling better? When is the grad? Will it be held outside weather permitting? (That gym gets so hot!)
0 -
Yoo-hoo......has everyone left for parts unknown....gone to the underground.....is a storm brewing--looking for more hair of the dog. The day is nearly over....
ok.....your all in jail....is that it??????
Jackie
0 -
Oh, good Morning Ladies or should I say good afternoon. Yes, we had a lovely time at Connie's party. Janclare, Leesa, Pat and myself had a great time chatting away and we were almost the last to leave. Connie looked beautiful as always with her curly hair and great smile. Good food, lots of drinks and great laughs were had by all. We had all of you in spirit and talked about you all too. lol.. Janclare took a pic of all of us, so look for her post.
Leesa.. have a great time in Las Vegas and win big !!!!
Laura..next week is your turn to win big..Danny Gains is a great show to see.. great comedian playing at Mirage. Are you feeling better about your job decision yet.
Jackie..hope you are not getting to much rain or bad weather by
Rita.. any date yet for June..just asking...no golf today too cold and wet
Smerf.. the big b-day is coming..let's celebrate.
Wendy.. missed you last noc..hope you are having fun with your nephew.. and how is your toe.. is your wall fixed yet.
Kater... are you feeling better yet..how is your head.. I hope you have no more headaches.
Nancyla..ready for your walk next week.. hope it is nice weather for you and for all the ladies who are walking for a cure..keep up the good work.
To everyone else I missed I hope you all are having a great weekend..stay dry...
Off to finish working on the pond. The fish are very active today and by Monday it should be open and flowing. Will check back later...
Remember be healthy..be happy
Blackjack
0 -
Hi girls!
We had a fun time at the party. I wasn't able to spend as much time with my bc sisters as I would have liked as it seemed like every minute someone was coming or going and I needed to say hi/bye. I think they all had a good time. The weather turned out perfect and the kids had a blast in the moonjump. And Leesa looked wonderful - you would never know she was going through chemo! I believe she's on her way to Vegas now, so I hope she has a great time!
We have lots of leftover food and quite a few bottles of beer left. But, we will use that up this summer at the lake.
Hope you enjoyed your evening with your niece Laura. We missed you.
Hope you had a good night too Wendy. We missed you too.
I think JanClare has a picture she can post.
I am off on a business trip to Baltimore tomorrow am so I won't be checking in for a few days.
Later...
0 -
Good morning ladies!
Connie, so glad your party was a great success! That was such a neat idea! Take a little time to have some fun on your business trip, too.
I hope everybody is enjoying the weekend. We had fun yesterday. We drove the Route 66 Red Corridor festival from Towanda to Joliet. The towns along Route 66 had little festivals, crafts, yard sales, good food, etc. We ended in Joliet so had to hit the Empress for a couple of hours before driving back home. I hope you're luckier than we were Leesa. We didn't lose alot, but didn't come home with any extra. It was a fun day and we even found some good bargains at the sales and some great gifts at the craft booths.
Hope you're still doing well, Jackie after your last treatment.
Hello to all! Have a great day! The sun is out!
Rita
0 -
Well, the sun it out here though we are starting cool, will get to 70 at least, weather man says.
I'm ready...was cool all day yesterday--no rain, but cloudy at times which makes the cool weather feel worse.
I'm getting along...yucky mouth and fairly sore yesterday and today. It's the last time so I expect to get thru it w/o too much overt griping. And it is a thrill to have this BE the last chemo. Even to me it seemed quite long at times and it's wonderful ti know in my heart I'm feeling these things for the last time.
Seems like we have a lot sleeping in again perhaps. Good for you!! I have been doing a share of that myself. Having some nice dreams about favorite people.
I would have loved to be along with you yesterday Rita. I'm not a craft type....all thumbs, but I sure admire those who have that ability and seldom tire of looking at what others have done.
Well, lovely ladies---and each of you are, have a beautiful Sunday. I will be checking back from time to time. I'm not so foggy now it seems....so whatever you do...have fun, enjoy and get some sun if you can.
Jackie
0 -
Good Morning!
I just saw this post in the "Walks" Forum here...just FYI in case any of you would like to help her meet her minimum, so she can walk at the end of May...
She posted:
Hi Everyone,
I will be walking in Chicago's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. As I am sure you all know, you must raise $1,800 to participate in the event. I still have to raise $474 before the walk, which is May 31st-June 1st. That means I only have 28 days until the walk to raise the money... Please view my website and help me reach my goal!
website -
Thank you in advance!
~Meghan~0 -
I grew up on the N.W. side of Chicago, but am now living on the Schaumburg/Hanover Park border.
I was diagnosed in February '08 and am currently going through chemo. I've had my surgery and had the port installed. Besides for the allergic reaction to the chemo and living on Benedryll everyday, this fatigue is knocking me to the floor.
They say radiation is a walk in the park after chemo & I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to getting there. Surgery is a piece of cake next to this. I try to go to work everyday but find myself falling asleep at my desk.
Please tell me someone else has been going through this.
0 -
Hi emymaze,
Welcome to our world here. You are not alone. I think most, if not all of us have felt the chemo fatigue. Of course, if you are taking a lot of Benadryll that alone is enough to put you in la-la land. I have been fortunate that I only have two days a week for the most part to work.....yet even some of those days have had their times when I had to stand up, walk around, get something to drink, etc.
I'm on my last chemo, and have not obviously started radiation, but it's easier, and likely you will have long been off Benadryll. It's said the tiredness only comes when your nearly through rads.
Could you take a leave of absence....or maybe do some of your work at home. Some bosses are ok about trying to help you out with some of the problems of treatment.
Anyway, sorry you had to find us for this reason, but all the girls here are full of suggestions and are eager to support if that is what you need. Sundays may be slow, so do check back.
Jackie
0 -
Hi Emymaze:
I am sorry the chemo is hard on you. I never had the Benadryl as I guess I never had an allergy to the chemo, but like Jackie says, Benadryl can really cause you to be exhausted. Some people take it to SLEEP at night. I suppose if you have to take it, then you have to take it. Could you ask your doctor to try something else. I am sorry that I do not have more to add. Can you share with us what chemo you are taking? Some are harder than others, from what I understand.
If you cannot take a leave from work, and most of us cannot, could you ask for shortened hours for a few weeks. Again, I hope things improve soon for you.
Susan
0 -
Hi Emymaxze and welcome to our group. Sorry you have to be here but everyone will help you as much as possible. What chemo are you on and for how long? I was given Benadryl thru my port as a premed for one of my chemo's(chemo brain-can't remember which, taxol maybe.) and I'd sleep thru the whole tx. I was ok after to drive though. I'd get a really good nap! Now with the herceptin I am given 1 benadryl pill before, and that does not make me as tired.
Hang in there!
0 -
Morning! Website won't let me load a graphic...must be Monday!
Connie...sounds like you guys had a wonderful time on Friday, sorry I had to miss it but it was nice to see the nephew.
Leesa....hope you are having a wonderful time! I see that you said you sent me a voicemail...if you left it at home, I didn't get it as DH destroyed the ans. machine. Everything is fixed now tho, and have a new machine.
Laura...how did it go for your niece this weekend?
Jackie...woohoo!!!! Just keep chanting to yourself..."I'm done, I'm done". You may be having a tuff time right now, but when the se's go...they are GONE!!! And ain't never coming back!
Emymaze....welcome! BEnadryl makes me soooo sleepy, but funny...never made me sleepy during chemo but had to stop it all together when it was just my herceptin. Made me so sleepy I couldn't drive home. I too grew up on the NW side and am now out in S. Elgin. Please tell us a bit more about yourself, and come back here often! We Il gals are tough!
Julie, Becky....anything we can help with?
Need to cut this short.....Z wouldn't start yesterday afternoon...just rapid clicking. I took a look on the internet and it could be low battery (very possible as it has been sitting most of the winter with very little driving), or the starter or altenator. So....I will call the tow guy and see what's what. Sure was disappointed tho yesterday afternoon! Oh well...in the great scheme of things....just an annoyance!
Have a great day!
0 -
Good morning everyone! It's suppose to be a beautiful day. I'm taking a friend for a late birthday lunch and then I think I'll be mowing this afternoon. We've waited a long time for this type of day, gals!
Julie..I've been thinking about you. Did you get the results of your MRI and what's the next step for you?
Becky.. I haven't heard anything about your oncologist, but do know that we have an oncologist here in Bloomington that practices in both Peoria and here. I didn't go to him but he' suppose to be very good. I'm so glad that you will be able to have the treatments in your home area.
Michele..Gosh, your boys only have one more year in high school. Don't you often wonder where the time goes? Enjoy this next year. Have either of them decided what type of career or occupation they'd like to tackle?
Blackjack...I sent you a PM. I really don't know why I didn't just email you. Dah! I'm a bit slow sometimes.
Wendy...So glad you enjoyed the time with your nephew. Did you have a rather uneventful time in the neighborhood this past weekend? No new neighbor "horror" stories to tell????? So the answering machine is replaced or fixed..........how is the toe?
Jackie...Are the side effects over now so that you can move on? Just think, you finished up just in time for the good weather and "fun in the sun!"
Susan, it's the start of another busy week for you. How well I remember the teaching scene in May when EVERYONE was ready for summer vacation! When's your last day?
Hi Kater...thinking about you and hoping that you're doing O.K.
Hi Smerf...anything new and exciting on your agenda for this week?
Our celebration girl has her business trip this week so she'll be gone for a few days. She told us how many bottles of beer they started with on Friday night. Now....the revealing info! How many bottles did you still have when the party was over, Connie?
Hope you have a good week, Laura.
Calypso....is this your last week on the rads? If so, you need to celebrate, too!!!!
I need to get moving! Have a great day everyone and enjoy this sunshine.
Rita
0 -
What a lovely morning today. I am loving looking outdoors and seeing all the green mowed grass and the leaves on the trees. Dappled patches here and there. It's the promise of our new beginnings that we get every year and it never fails to be such a total delight to me. We are to be near 80 today....lovely, lovely spring.
Wendy....you live so near Chicago....isn't that Da nephew--just kiddin'. A couple that live very close to me---moved here from Chicago several years ago when their son got hurt very badly.....and came to Kaskaskia workshop here ( big rehab ) and they still have the semi Chicago gangster/mobster accent. Love talking to them always. Besides they are always making Italian hot pickled veggies and giving them to me which I adore. Very, very supportive through all my treatment. Great people.
It's very obvious spring has sprung quite well. I have a patina of green pollen all over my car. If I had more energy I'd wash it, but that is not going to happen for quite some time I'm thinking.
I'm not too foggy now, but some of the lingering aspects of last chemo. Still very sore finger and toenail beds. Legs and other parts achy and don't always want to move when I do. A little mouth taste and mild mouth liquid. It's hard to get excited about these things too much.
I'm done.....no more, no more.
I feel like I have been released from a strange kind of prison and look forward to all those new cells taking over and helping me come into bloom now. I will have to try hard not to rush things....I can get so very impatient and just take the healing and re-growth as it comes and be thrilled that I not only have made it, but did the thing which will give me the best chance of never having to do chemo again.
I have always---even at the merest beginning, believed that this is my one and only bout with cancer and that I will go on to my mid-90's before kicking off from ????? some old age thing.
I hope you all have a glorious day....and Wendy, that you get that motor running--top down soon...like later today.
Mich....I missed something long time back I think....I didn't realize you were still doing Herceptin. How long do you have to go on that?
All I haven't mentioned...you are definitely in my thoughts. I'm not good at names, especially now...but have a most fantastic day.
Jackie
0 -
Afternoon all!
Sorry I don't have any fun stories about being MIA.......
But my GD wrote another poem that I just have to share with you all!!!
There are three little words
that can wreck someone's entire life
Three little words
that can make you loose all hope in life it's self
Three little words
that can turn the strongest person in the universe into that of an infant
But not with you
You've been through so much in your life
and you still have your hope and you still stand strong
The worst three little words
a doctor could say you've heard twice
Those three little words
You tried not to let me see your pain
But I saw it.
And I never once thought you were weak
You heard those three little words
and you are still as strong as ever
You never let it stop you from being
the best grandma you could be
And I never let it stop me from thinking of you as
MY HERO
Twice the doctor said
YOU HAVE CANCER
But you said
CANCER DOESN'T HAVE ME!!!
0 -
What a wonderful poem! I just loved it! What a precious person your gd is,
Karin!
Susan
0 -
Karin...what a touching poem. Your granddaughter is very talented! Thanks for sharing! :-) Also, glad to see you back on the boards.
Jackie, hon....you will regain your strength. Hang in there. You are on the downhill slide now, gal! By the way, how far will you have to travel for rads?
Back to work...I need to capitalize on this sunny day and get some of my yard work completed so I can go shop for flowers for my pots later this week.
Rita
0 -
Oh Karin......how lucky you are! I loved the poem!
0 -
Karin, I started to cry when I read Gd's poem. Very touching that you have been such a shining light to her. Ok, I'm not saying anything else because I'm starting to tear up again. Just obviously whatever your doing with her, your doing it right!!!!!!
Rita, I will have to go back to the Marion area ( the V.A. farms out the rads, but I'm not sure why ) for my rads. That is unless I can talk them into letting me have them closer here. Some people have managed this, but I'm thinking it was people who had some other Ins. in addition to the VA. I have no other ins. so may have to keep on going to Marion for the 6 weeks of rads.
I'm told they will put you up in a motel and send a driver for you every day. You can then come home on the week-ends. Someone mentioned my driving there and then having my car to go places. In thinking that over....at today's gas prices, I'm better not to do that. As well, I would probably be less than thrilled visiting places alone or shopping alone and right now my budget won't expand for frivolous shopping. Having said that......I'm ok with those things. I have never been a good shopper anyway because my sense of style is on a minus level---lower than anyone's I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure what would happen about meals---oooh, this may be my best effort to lost wt. Maybe they put you in a kitchenette or something.
At any rate all these details, possibilities,treatments and plans will take place on May 14th. That is when I next go to Marion. I will go early and have blood tests, x-rays, and then consultation with Dr. Lingamurthy. I hope I know by the time I come home, what will happen ( I do know a 5 yr. Aromatase Inhibitor will be chosen, ordered and picked up by then ) mainly in regard to the rads and where they will take place.
If it were possible to stay here or have the rads in Mt. Vernon which is about 20 miles from here, I could probably continue to work and that would really be a fantastic thing. I had already steeled myself to go w/o the 6 weeks of a pay check from work......I do get my old age pension you know....but getting to keep my salary in addition would be a wonderful bonus and one that would definitely keep me on a better monetary track. We will just have to see how it goes.
The minute I know anything I have to call my daughter Kate so we can arrange a vacation ( another reason I hate to go w/o pay but I can if need be ) time that works for both of us.
I'm thrilled every time I look in the mirror and see my chicken fuzz, or is it duck, or turkey, or what. It's just fuzzy. I looked it up on the Internet and it did say ( just like the girls at the Oncology infusion center said ) that I basically could expect to have my hair back in 3 months. Course, this may be balanced by the fact that many of the AI's can make it thin. I'm hoping I'm not one of those people. In fact, I think I'll just decide right now that no matter what I take it won't thin my hair. There now, I feel much more positive and way better.
I've worked on the computer most of the day. Had a program I had to help Denny ( Dh ) get through and then I had to go through it again for myself. It's getting late and I need something to eat.
Hope you have all enjoyed the wonderful sunshine, not worked too hard, and are looking forward to a great day tomorrow. I've not looked at the weather forecast so I can hope for the same thing myself.
Talk to ya'll soon.
Jackie
0 -
Rita....I think I missed one question. Rads will be about the same 70 to 72 miles I now go....or roughly 140 miles round trip. Way more than you could do every day. Talk about breaking the gas budget bank....as well as the short time period the rads take.
Keep your fingers crossed I can find a way to mainly do it locally. I'd be so stoked.
Jackie
0 -
Hi. I did get my results Friday, and spent all weekend trying to not think about it. The MRI found two more tumors in my left breast and so there are a total of 3. I was given 3 options (yeah me!), and at this point all I want is it to be gone. Is it totally crazy to want the bilateral masectomy? I want this out of me, and I don't want to worry about the cancer coming back. I think that this has a higher success rate, but I don't know for sure. We still have to meet the oncologist this Wednesday, and I have a plastic surgeon appointment for Thursday. It feels like this is moving so slowly, and yet in many ways so quickly. Have many of you had the bilateral masectomy?
0 -
Karin-Your Gd's poem is beautiful. How old is she? It was just awesome.
Jackie- TOMORROW is my last herceptin!!!!!!!!
Rita-I can't believe that my boys will be seniors. Yes the time has gone so fast. Neither knows exactly what direction they are headed yet. One is thinking college, one maybe military?
0 -
Oh cripe...will someone stop this whirlwind? Here I am again...trying to keep up with it all.
Jackie- Baby hair! That's awe-frickin-some! My dh checked my head every morning and reported to me. NO KIDDING...on my birthday...he exlaimed "IT'S HERE'! One of the best days of my life...You did good. You're moving on to the next chapter. CONGRATS JACKIE!
maze - Hang in there...it gets better. Taxol kicked my energetic butt. You must weather the storm...and be tough.
Mich - Bummer...I thought your sons were seniors. My niece is doing "okay"...still dealing with issues. But, she is going to start school at Western this Aug....her grades are excellent....she just needs to get over this hump...so much pressure on girls these days to be "perfect". It's the BRITTNEY generation. Be happy you have "boys".
Wendrew - OMG the Z is just clicking? Bummer...but what a gorgeous car you have girl! I really hope we can meet up this summer...
KARIN - I have been wondering bout you! Glad you checked in...your gd's poem is awesome...we must talk about how she can take her ideas to market...
Julie - Are your tumors IDC or ILC or what? Knowing would help determine your next step. I'm sorry...this is all so hard to "swalllow". But...keep in mind, many of us have been through it...so it is "do-able". Knowing this will not lessen your anxiety or fear...but it will improve your ability to see beyond...
RITA, KATER, SUSAN and all my extra special ILLINOIS GIRLS....Love ya all...
0
