Illinois ladies facing bc
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A major,huge,astronomical,giantsize,and definitely bigger than LIFE CONGRATULATIONS to you LAURA on a job done exceedingly WELL. You are going to make a beautiful difference in the lives of those who would have few resources if you were not there to help at this time guide their life. They will be most fortunate. And.....be better in all ways from their brush with you.
Jackie
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Hello all:
I think we are all talking about the water because we realize our beloved summer is leaving us. I love FALL so much.
That trip sounds so great, Rita! Did you go with the family? Did you stay in a hotel or can you do this round trip without problems. I have the first edition of Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Master. My friend found it in a rare book store in Evanston. Congratulations on the third grandchild. That is so exciting. I just left school to babysit my grandchild who has a terrible cold. I forgot how grimy it can all be. We had fun on the floor, however, and I just adore her.
Today one of my students came to see me at lunch. Her mom (40'ish) has breast cancer and the kid was freaked. I actually thought she came to me because I had BC. I do not talk about my breast cancer at school, yet we are a small district and it was my impression that many knew my history as I have taught so many of the siblings. I told her I had been diagnosed two years ago with breast cancer. She jumped in surprise and asked if I was just making that up. I told her that many people, including her own teacher get cancer and can beat it. She hugged me, cried a bit, and then went on her way.
There was a recent post here on the choice to keep breast cancer private. I agree that we all have the right to keep our health matters private. Yet, I do think there are times when we can let down our barriers(if we are comfortable doing so) and allow others to hear our worries and our experiences, so that they can be released from the chains of fear that cancer creates. I guess it all personal.
Susan
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Congratulations Laura. You are a very special person, so caring and giving.
Susan-I'm sure you were a great source of comfort for that young girl. How terrifying for a child to learn that their mother has cancer. You gave her hope and reassurance, which may have not been there before. I believe everything in life happens for a reason.0 -
Morning all!
Congrats Laura! Way to go! I know you will do a great job and will feel so rewarded.
Susan - what a touching story. So glad you were able to help that girl. You will be an inspiration to her as her mother goes through treatment.
Hope everyone else is doing well. When is the dinner?
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"My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life."Miles Davis
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Good morning
through the rain this a.m. It will definitely stay cool today. Dh has the day off and we have some running around to do......but, hey what a great time to get him to do some things inside. I definitely have to start thinking vacation preparations. Just got my sleeve through the mail yesterday so that is set. Still waiting on the Arimidex. It was ordered. I'm now thinking that I may wait till I come back from California to start it if it comes before I leave. I also will end up having appts for mammo and other things when I get back. They were all supposed to be done before this but it just didn't happen. So, I'll be good and busy for a bit when I get back. Gosh, spent all day yesterday picking up sticks and large nuts out of the yard. Hope this rain does not bring down a whole lot more. We have a lawn sweeper to pick up leaves and acorns and I wanted things to be ready for dh who is going to get out of it today for sure. We only pick up the big walnuts. Good exercise for me anyway. Hmmm, it's pouring out there.
See ya'll later.....stay dry if you can.
Jackie
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Morning! Susan....great story! You gave up a small piece of yourself to that young girl and you reaped so much more....
Laura...CONGRATS!!!!!!! You will indeed be a wonderful addition to CASA.
Connie...I think the dinner is the 22nd? At a pizza place in Schaumberg???? At 6pm???? Wow...wasn't I helpful! Calling Blackjack.........
And is Schaumberg spelled berg or burg?
Mich101...hopefully you will get some answers/suggestions/meds today at the Doc's.
Everyone...have a wonderful day! Life is good.....
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Hi IL Ladies,
Hope you're all having a great day. It's been awhile since I checked in. I just passed my official 2 year mark and feeling very fortunate. I hope and pray that you all are doing well too.
Take care,
Nancy
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Hey Girls THANKS for the congrats and encouragement! I really appreciate it!
Hope you're all having a nice day!
Nancy - It's great that you're doing so well...happy 2 years!
Susan - You made a huge difference in that young girls life! She will be so much more worry free - like a child should be. I'm glad you were available for her.
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Have to go get ready for my last class...will check back later!
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Hi:
I cannot remember who is Triple-Negative here. One year ago I thought that was an oxymoran (two negatives make a .......).
I just received my free LIFELINE and it includes a special edition on Triple Negative (Therapeutic Strategies) along with Fertility Preservation in Premeopausal women. Of course, I thought of my friends from Illinois who deal with BC. I find this resource so helpful. If you would like to be on the mailing list, go to:
www.networkofstrength.org
and click on "Joining Mailing LIst"
Susan
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Well, had my followup visit. Basically he says I can either take Ativan as needed, or try Effexor. Today I did not have anxiety (of course) so I got the scrip but have not filled it. Maybe it's a menopausal thing? I really don't think anyone has the answer since everybody is different. I also started with slight lymphedema in my forearm. I've never had that before. I will try to handle it on my own. I'm not ready to go to for therapy. If it gets worse, then I will. The Dr. also told me how exercising would benefit me in many ways. I will start tonight on the treadmill (after I finish my cookie) . (Keep bugging me to do it because I am not good at sticking to it!)
Thanks everybody!
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Hi all,
Susan I am triple negative. I did see the article. Truthfully, I read it last week and put it away. I do not remember exactly what it said. I will have to re-read it.
My last rads were last Thursday and now my skin in peeling in some spots and the skin underneath is raw looking. It is not wet or "weepy", as the dr. said, just nasty looking.
Congratulations Laura, good for you!
Michele, did you ever have therapy for your arm. I went after surgery, both for range of motion and lymphedema prevention. I gained my range pretty fast, so that last couple of treatments the therapist massaged my arm. I thought it really felt sooo good.
I was wondering if anyone knows if you had positive nodes, but run the risk of lymphedema because of node removal, can you have a lymphatic drainage massage, and is it good for you? There is a place near my house called The Center for Body and Soul and they have a lot of services, holistic information, and classes for yoga, pilates, etc. I think I am going to sign up for yoga. It starts in November.
Have a good night.
Lisa
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Glad you got something to hold in reserve, Michele. I know the exercise is important but it is so BORING! I'd rather come and eat cookies with you! LOL Now that my feet are better, I'm going to try to get back into my walking program. I felt alot better after I walked and it kept the weight off, too.
Well...just popped on to see if you'd posted Michele and to hear what you found out. Glad you got something to help if you need it. I think you are right. They don't have exact answers for us about this because we all are so different. Hang in there.
Rita
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Michele - Keep in mind that your hormones could be wreaking havoc with your emotions. You may want to talk to your GYN about this too. Have you had a hormone profile done recently? Since you're er & pr neg. you may be able to take a NATURAL (not synthetic) hormonal supplement (to see if that helps) instead of the Effexor (although if all else fails, Effexor is very effective for many people). Black Cohash Root is one of many natural supplements...but there are many others too. JMO, at least in my case, it's always good to have Atavan on hand, for isolated/occasional incidents of anxiety or sadness or whatever!.!. Hang in there!
blackjack - Where the heck are you? Lost in America?...
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"I saw the most beautiful cars in the window
of a dealership recently. A salesman came out
and said: 'Come on in. They're bigger than
ever and they last a lifetime!' Later I
learned he was talking about the payments."
-- Corbett MonicaOk, I saw this and thought it was cute AND true.
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James Thurber:All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.
Beautiful and sunny this morning and I'm sure that means that it is going to be a really good day. I plan on getting lots done---lets see if I do.
Hope you all have a great day as well. I'll be checking in later.
Jackie
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Here is link to research studies for breast cancer. This is sponsored by Susan Love to find out the cause of breast cancer.
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Hi gals.......What a beautiful day it was here today! I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy it. I bowled in the morning and then did Bunco in the afternoon. Now I'm heading out for my church youth group class so it's been a busy day. Busy is good, though!
Jule..thanks for the research link. I'm going to check it out tomorrow.
Susan...thanks also for the Lifeline link. I have heard about that but have never checked it out.
Laura...congrats on your CASA accomplishmnets. How wonderful and how rewarding it will be!
Nancy...congrats on hitting the two year mark. I'm getting closer to that mark and know exactly how you feel. I'm so glad that you checked back in here. Come back more often. We'd love to have you again!
Wendy...is hubby still doing well?
Lisa...I don't know anything abou the lymphatic drainage massages but I do know yoga is great for us. Congrats on finishing the rads! You did it!!!!
And how about Kater and the other Leesa...........has anybody heard from them lately???
Gotta go.
Rita
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Laura-I don't think I've ever had a hormone profile!? And btw remember I was told that I was ER- & PR-, but I had my block tested (a couple months ago) and it was determined that I was actually + and therefore was put on Tamoxifen. I am stalling with taking the Effexor. I'm going to wait a little longer to see how things go. And yes, I too keep the Ativan close by!
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Lisa - Congrats! Nothing better than walking out of there for the LAST time! Nice to see you checked in with us.
Rita - Thanks...AND yes, quite a few are MIA these days...hmmmm...are they having more fun somewhere else? Although I did talk to blackjack today...she's doing okay...
Kater - Leesa - Becky - Adrienne - Sharon - Sabrina - Jan! - kats - WTY - MaryJane and others!
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Praise God...I made it...I am a one year survivor. I was so excited when I woke up this morning. Today I also had my first mamogram since my dx. Everything looks great they said. I felt good sitting in the waiting room with the other women waiting for our turn and the ones who had bc we all shared our stories as the ones who were there just to get yearly mamos chimned in with questions and concerns. We all wished each other lucks as each ones name was called to go back and cheered when one came back and said all clear. What a sister hood I felt. Feeling somewhat alone because sometimes I feel no one understand how important this cause is to me and they displace it as oh the bc thing again (I know it's hard to understand things unless you have gone through it) but I was hoping that atleast one friend called me today and said hey gurl congrats. Wish ful thinking. I was happy for that moment at the doctors because I knew atleast they understood what today ment to me. Yesterday I spent 4 lunch hours at the high school with my teen girl group (Smart Girls) through the Boys and Girls club. We passed out flyers to encourage students to where pink to school today in honor of breast cancer awareness month and my cancerversary. The health dept had given me 400 pink ribbon pins and some brochures on womens and girls health to pass out too. It was amazing how many students came to our booth. We asked them if they didn't wear pink atleast wear the pin. My daughter came home from school today and said that the students really participated. She was excited to be apart of the event and to see the outcome of support. They got over 90 signatures of some of the ones who wore pink and others just had on the pins. I even bought me cake and ice cream to indulge on. (had to have an excuse to get my junk food on). Well as I go and indulge on another piece of cake and orange sherbert ice cream I just want all of you to know how thankful I am to all of you and know that I pray for you, you pray for me, I love you, I need you to survive.
God Bless and keep you all
Sabrina
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Good for you Sabrina, sounds like a great day!
What do people usually consider their survivor anniversary? Day of dx? surgery? end of treatment?
Thanks.
Lisa
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Morning All!!Sabrina.....YAY!!!!!! One Year!!!!!! How nice that your school and your girls' group and behind you in your fight/quest for the cure. Cannot imagine how good and how proud that makes you feel both as a volunteer and as a Mom....YOU ROCK MISS SABRINA!
Lisa....I think MOST of us count our anniversary as the day we had surgery to remove all discernible cancer...thereby (hopefully) making us totally cancer-free. I count anything after that as preventative medicine.
Mich101...glad you got your script. Is effexor a drug which takes a while to take hold? I'm not really familar with it. As for your LE....did you ever go for an initial eval with a therapist to learn how to do MLD? And yes...exercise is very good for us (sorry!! Hey...how about eating cookies while ON the treadmill? At least you would come out even....)
Nancy...CONGRATS!!!! You go girl!
Jackie...how many days??????
Rita...so far so good with DH. He has to go for a stress test this am to determine if the drug is causing any cardiac damage. Hopefully this will not be the case as he is feeling terrific, losing weight and walking, walking, walking...and is actually not falling asleep all the time due to the old meds. Which unfortunately for me....means an actual discussion as to what TV we watch in the evening. I was sooooo used to a husband sound asleep on the couch, thereby allowing me full reign to watch QVC and HGTV! Oh well....the things we must suffer thru....
Everybody else...hope you have a wonderful day. I am off to get pretty at the hairdresser's. Should be home in about 8-10 hours.....
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Congrats, Sabrina! Isn't it a good feeling. I'm coming up on my one year from chemo anniversary. I remember one of my sister's was the one to call me on my anniversary. Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to remember but she did because it was the same day that her daughter was asked for a divorce. So, it was a bad day in our family!
I count my anniversary as my dx date. I remember that day, but have trouble remembering my actual surgery date. And I guess I look at it as even though I still had cancer in my body on that date, it was the day I was told and I am still alive a year later - so I have survived the diagnosis for one year! For those who have chemo before surgery, it would be difficult to use the surgery date, I think.
Mich101 - so sorry to hear about the lymphedema. I know Mary Jane has that and I remember her saying she wasn't bothered by it other than occasional issues with sleeve sizes. I hope your anxiety clears up so you don't have to take the meds. But, if you need them, go for it! Life is too short to suffer.
Is anyone else's dh/bf freaking about the market? I feel like I am walking around on eggshells because he is so upset about it. Me - sure it's upsetting to be losing the amount of money we have been losing this week, but we are still fine financially and more importantly, we are healthy!
Sounds like we have a beautiful weekend on tap!
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OFF topic: Connie
Yikes, I was going to tell you to have your hubby have some tums and I googled "Jim Cramer +panic" and yikes! He is quoted as saying take out what you need in the next 5 years.
http://news.goldseek.com/RickAckerman/1223382153.php
I was trying to remember something like "No one ever made money panicking", is that the quote??, chemo brain!
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Morning Girlz -
Sabrina - YOU ROCK! Congrats! And...it's awesome that you are still spending time with the kids! Just a suggestion...although I don't know if you have contact with the girl's parents, but the founder of bc.org and her 18 yr old daughter recently came out with a book educating girls about the facts relating to bc. It's called Taking Care of Your "Girls'": A Breast Health Guide for Girls', Teens and In-Betweens. Perhaps some of the parent's would want to buy a copy for their girls. It's written by Dr. Marisa Weiss and her daughter, Isabel. Just fyi. The student bc awareness event was great. It's good to know the health department is initiating awareness directed to young girls/women...that's really when awareness must begin. Had I been aware of the risks at their age, I am convinced that I could most likely have prevented my bc... keep up the good work!
Jule - The army of women project sounds great. I just hope it doesn't turn into a huge money maker for Avon and a small portion given to the research efforts. Although my hope is that Dr. Love will monitor this campaign.
Lisa - I count my survivorship from the day of my dx...it's the day I started fighting. Fists went up that day...lol
Michele - Of course...now I remember, sorry... thanks for reminding me. So...no you can't take any supplements for the se's. Hang in there... at least you're prepared now. It's possible an occasional Ativan will be all that you need. And...if your situation is related to the Tamoxifen, it really is possible that se's will subside over time. Mine did. A positive thought...if the se's are from the Tamoxifen - that's a sign that you are metabolizing it and it's working! : )
Connie/kater - My dh is, most often, very conservative with his views and closed-mouthed until a situation is really bad...a couple of days ago he said "I'm really concerned about our economy". His comment freaked me out... We don't dabble in the market (being the conservative he is), but everyone will be affected in some way.
Wendrew - Best wishes to hubby. Okay...just so I get this right...8-10 hours getting pretty - my lord - what are you having done? lol jk
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If any of you girls don't understand the chain of events that took place putting our nation in this economy MESS...send me a message and I will forward an accurate and amusing explanation that a friend recently sent to me.
Have a great day! Don't forget...eat your veggies...shake your a** (exercise)!
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Sabrina, it WAS GREAT to hear from you. Talk about a woman of action! I am so proud to even know you (although we have never met). And congratulations on you anniversary.
I did look into the Army of Women and sent it to my daughters. I believe it looks very positive. I consider my dx date for a survival status. I walked about in a fog for about four hours. I am from the dark ages in that I do not have a cell phone, so I searched for a public phone (with no luck) to call my husband as I wsn't ready to go home as my daughter was living there until her condo was ready. Finally went home and told her. She was fist ups; I was just stunned!
Hope all have a great day. This is the second Jewish holiday, so I am home again. We are going to Target to get a halloween outfit for my grandchild.
Michelle. I am glad you have some "ammnuition" to fight the anxiety. I think it is fine to use medicine as excessive anxiety serves absolutely no purpose and all it does is undermine your confidence. I am "weaning " myself off the antidepressant as I appear to be sleeping just fine and my dreams are not so dreadful. If I can go without, good and if I need them, I am going right back on them. What with the stock market doing what it is doing and my retirement just around the corner, I may just need them BIGTIME!
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The act of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.
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On late today --- glad to see all are pretty much fine. Seven more days till I fly to
California. I'm so excited that I can barely keep my feet on the ground. I just keep thinking the words that miracles happen and dreams come true --- and the thing is WHICH miracle and WHICH dream. I still see it as a piece of perfection that I got all the way through treatment before I found out anything about my granddaughter. It is a thrilling way to step into the next phase of my tx --- the good ole' Arimidex that came today in the mail. I think I will definitely wait till I get back to start it. I would hate to have some wild se come up --- though I normally do well with most prescribed meds. Still, on the off chance I think for a little over two weeks time I could safely wait.Susan I think you are right. I'm not big on medicine ---- so often you cause a new problem with it, but I am a lot more agreeable about it then I was just a couple of years ago...or right before I got cancer. I never really let on when I was having some of my most difficult times during treatment as I have always had a bit of a problem putting MY problems on others ( yeah, I know---just what did I think this blog/forum was for ) but along the way I figured....if I can still feel this bad after the pharmaceutical help I have --- Lordy, how bad would I be if I didn't have this. So, it made a believer out of me --- that most medical help does not have to be forever generally and whatever gets and keeps you on the road to as total a recovery as possible, including full recovery is EXACTLY what you need. I use to split a few too many hairs but I don't do it now.
Ok --- got to start thre next ton of things to do. Talk to ya'll later.
You are all awesome people -- all of you.
Jackie
p.s. Great picture Sparker
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Jackie - YOU ARE AWESOME! You have come a long way girl...you have blossomed into the survivor status...you enlighten us each day with your quotes...you are a very valuable piece of this bc survivor puzzle... 7 more days... All of us will be thinking about you. You deserve the very best, and I can't wait to hear about your reunion. It will, no doubt be a lesson for me, the newbie CASA...
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Well...tomorrow/Saturday will be awesome! Tomorrow morning, me, blackjack and Wendrew will be attending a fund raising event for the Komen foundation. Tomorrow night....JanClare and I will be attending filling the slot at the same fund raising event. AND Saturday morning Wendrew AND our beloved Michele will be attending. Our role, as survivors, will be to accept and process donations that patrons of the restaurant, want to contribute. I just know we will have a blast...blackjack is bringing a dinner bell...everytime a patron donates...we will ring it! lol Hello...how much fun! And for a great cause...OUR CAUSE! So wish us luck as we ring that bell and hope for donations to find a cure and to put an end to this insidious disease!
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