Illinois ladies facing bc

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  • smerf
    smerf Member Posts: 476
    edited July 2007
    Had to reinstall aol as it was allowing me to log on, but then loudly saying goodbye after about a minute. Frustrating for two days!

    JanClare Thank you so much for including me in the get together. I had so much fun, and I agree we could have gone on all evening. The food was so tasty, and your sunroom is terrific! I'd want to curl up there with a book everyday.

    Rita So glad you won at the casino. 50 dollars is just about right for a tank of gas these days, and fun to boot! Can't beat that.

    Nicki You graphics are always a chuckle. What a nice way to start the day. I think I look like today's every morning. Thank God for coffee! I'd be happy to meet you for lunch, or coffee any time you are coming to RNS. I'm only a few minutes away.

    Laura You inspired me to go outside and work in my yard Sunday. No mulching, but at least it's weed free for now. I'm rooting for you to win the Parade contest!

    Michele Glad you had fun at the casino, and so happy you won!

    Kater I too was wondering what an avatar is, but now Laura has helped us. A lot of things about computers are "Greek to me." I like rocks too, and some I have found have fossils in them. Interesting.

    I think all of you are amazing, beautiful and strong women. I was more than delighted to meet all of you, and would be happy to do it again at my house or any where else. Have a wonderful 4th!

    Susan We must live very near each other. I'd be glad to meet you anytime.
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    Hello everyone! What a lovely day! I got in my Cub cart and headed to the golf course and actually played like I knew how the game was supposed to be played for a change. Now Thursday it will be back to normal, I'm sure.

    Smerf, we are so glad that you could join us on such late notice for the get-together. It was fun, wasn't it? We will have to do it again.

    Hope that everybody is feeling well for the 4th and that you all have a great holiday. Get ready, Nicki! We're going to need another good morning graphic on Thursday after we all celebrate tomorrow! :-) They're predicting rain for our area and I hope they are wrong as I love the fireworks as much as the kids do!

    Take care, sisters and enjoy the day!

    Rita
  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007
    Happy fourth to all.

    I just had a "funny" thing happen today. My dearest friend called and told me her husband (also a very dear friend) received very bad health news from the doctor. He has advanced colon cancer. While she was telling me I felt all the same feelings I had when when I got my news. It was so odd....as all the feelings were the smee (the dread, the sadness, the disbelief). I took this nap this afternoon and when I woke up, all these same feelings just swept over me. I woke up and at first I thought it was all a bad dream. Then that same dread when I knew it was true and that I had to deal with it. They are our best friends and I know we have to deal with it and be good friends. I feel just awful. Has anyone had this type of experience? My prognosis is more optimistic, yet my reaction was an exact flashback to my own cancer. Weird!

    On the brighter side, I am taking a yoga/meditation class and it has turned out to be such a cool thing. Again, enjoy a wonderful fourth of July.
    Susan
  • Mazy1959
    Mazy1959 Member Posts: 254
    edited July 2007
    Rita,
    The reason you feel this way is because you are acompassionate person who easily empathizes whith other's pain. So sorry you have to experience this and I will pray for your friend and for you. Hugs...Mazy
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4,011
    edited July 2007
    Susan -
    In the past year two of my friends have been dx'd with Colon Cancer...both are doing fine. I don't know if they were advance but both had portions of their Colons removed. They are both NED.

    Where there is hope there are possibilities!
  • conniehar
    conniehar Member Posts: 585
    edited July 2007
    Happy 4th everyone!!

    So sorry to hear about your friend, Susan. He and his family will be in my prayers.
  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007
    Thank you for your kind words. It just seems like there is a heck of a lot of cancer these days or is it just that I have BC and am a part of the baby boomer generation and thus more likely to encounter it?

    I have a question. I want to start that genetic testing for BC as I have two daughters and their father's mother had BC which creates a history for them, and now there is me. I will ask my doctor where and what to do. Has anyone,however, had any exerience with genetic testing or know a thread I could access to guide me. I know it is very expensive and insurance is reluctant to cover it.I feel we are genetically in the clear, yet I need to be sure of that.

    Have a lovely day!
    Susan

    PS: i know Ineed to do a profile for this, yet I need tof figure out how to do that. I know it is easy, I just need a space of time to do it as I am a technological klutz.
  • kater
    kater Member Posts: 447
    edited July 2007

    Post deleted by kater

  • Mich101
    Mich101 Member Posts: 489
    edited July 2007
    Laura-Good luck in the gardening contest. Let us know how it goes. Do you have pictures?

    Susan-I am sorry about your friend. He will be in my prayers.
    I was thinking about a yoga class too-I keep putting it off- I should just go and sign up. It would be good for me.

    Kater-Yes, I went to Elgin. I play downstairs because it's nonsmoking. I'm not sure if they have 2cent machines on the main floor. I believe they do.

    Kater & Laura-I love rocks too. My kids used to tease me about it !We went to a farm field and collected a truck load-the kids thought I was crazy!

    Everyone-hope you had a great 4th!
    Michele
  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007
    Kater: Thank you for responding to the genetic counseling issues. My doctor gave me the brochure, now I need to get focused. My oldest daughter is expecting (her due date is actually tomorrow) and there is a part of me that just doesn't want to deal with the whole subject. Real mature, huh?

    The whole rocks things is so funny for me. I love rocks too! I get teased too as I have rocks randomly displayed around the house. They are not gorgeous rocks, just rocks that I spotted and admired. I get my best rocks in Wisconsin! My husband and I love to cycle around the rural areas of Wisconsin and the only thing I stop for (beyond a breath these days) is a rock!

    Thanks also to everyone who mentioned my friend who is newly diagnosed with colon cancer. We spent the fourth with him and his family. It has spread to so many places, yet he remains hopeful.
    Susan
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    Good afternoon ladies!

    Laura...I am rooting for you in the Parade gardening contest! It would be wonderful to actually know a "celebrity." I love planting flowers and digging in the dirt, too but I don't have the knack of putting things together well. My yard always looks rather "helter skelter" and never has that manicured look. Maybe one of these days I will discover the key (which I think is probably to hire a professional )

    Susan....so sorry to hear about your friend. One of my friends gave me a book when I was diagnosed that I heartily recommend. It's called "There's No Place Like Hope..A Guide to Beating Cancer in MInd-Sized Bites" by Vickie Girard. She is a cancer survivor that had an especially hard journey and this book is so inspirational. It is not a step-by-step story of her journey but a collection of inspirational thoughts that she learned as she went through the process. I still get it out and read parts of it when I'm down a little, scared, or upset about something. Perhaps some of you other gals might like it, too.

    Hey, I think there are several ladies on this thread that have "rocks in their heads." I taught JH science for many years and the rock unit was my very favorite. I had rocks that I had collected from everywhere. When I retired, I left many of the rocks for the next teacher. Although I know that they had lots of use in the classroom, I still wish I wouldn't have parted with some of them.

    Well, I hope everyone had a nice holiday and that you're enjoying the great weather today. I have one more week of chemo holiday and I plan on enjoying every one of these days!

    Take care ladies!

    Rita
  • kater
    kater Member Posts: 447
    edited July 2007

    Rocks. Thanks for being so sweet all. I have been sick from chemo since Tuesday afternoon. This afternoon my uncle's caregiver said, meds don't help? I had not even thought to take compazine! Although it didnt seem to help today, i realized how chemo brained i am, i had taken 3 days of emend, 3 days of katril...but...then forgot? anyways..I was looking for a reason to build the shed I always wanted, I had bought my uncle's leon rock picker FROM AN auction last year so I would love to go in business! Did i tell you that friends on the highway let their kids sell rocks for $1 and they use it for college fund, 1000 so far! If you need a tractor they are $25 a piece! I was at surgeon's asking what i can do with arm and he said, "what do you have to lift rocks for?" i said I'M A FARM GIRL!....he reiterated how we have to take care of our arms for the rest of our lives...anyways, a tax deductible shed with rock weight lifting in spring and fall sounds heavenly to me, if i ever feel better again! headed for the couch...thanks for this thread!

  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007

    Kater:
    You will feel better and very soon. I forgot that so many of "Us" are still in chemo. I left it in December. Your today was my day in hell in that I wondered IF I would ever see a rock AGAIN , let alone be able to pick one up. I wishI could reassure you that this will be over soon. I wake up each day now and I do not feel like my head will explode from the chemo. My hair is growing and I have curls for the first time in my life. I walk every day and I can taste food! I do the latter only too well. I hope you are feeling better tomorrow. If you are not feeling better, do not despair. Feeling well can happen within 24 hours.

    Susan
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    OH Kate, I'm so sorry that you're feeling terrible after the chemo. Believe me, it gets better. It's been 9 weeks since my last chemo and I feel great....even after going through radiation. That's part of the reason I don't want to go back to the last two chemos even though I know I need to do them. It's also proof for you that the terrible chemo feeling does pass and you do get back to feeling normal. Hang in there.

    Rita
  • kater
    kater Member Posts: 447
    edited July 2007
    jan clare, we talked about bracelets that wont hurt our arms, there is a link i just found http://lymphnet.org/usefulLinks/NLNStore/alertBracelet.htm

    lymphnet.org
  • JanClare
    JanClare Member Posts: 267
    edited July 2007
    Quote:

    jan clare, we talked about bracelets that wont hurt our arms, there is a link i just found http://lymphnet.org/usefulLinks/NLNStore/alertBracelet.htm

    lymphnet.org




    Thanks, Kate! That looks nice too. I'm still not sure if I'm going to get one since I'm so petrified of lymphedema and they say any scrape/ scratch could trigger it. I keep remembering all the times I wore a bracelet, I usually ended up with some kind of scratch- I'm just rough on my wrists, I guess. Maybe I should just go with a medic alert necklace. LOL.
  • CherrylH
    CherrylH Member Posts: 189
    edited July 2007
    JanClare,
    I want to apologize for not getting in touch with you about last Saturday's gathering. I moved on Thursday and when my computer was put back together on Friday, we discovered only two of the five jacks in the apt were active and neither of the two were a good place for my computer. I didn't have your last name and couldn't get in tuch with you. I am a transplanted Southerner and RSVPing is such a big deal with us. It sounds as if everyone had a great time and I really like the picture. I hope to definitely be at the next gathering. Take care everyone.

    Cherryl
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 2,728
    edited July 2007
    image

    Good Morning: Trying to catch up - have been enjoying this whole week off from work. It sure has been great.

    Susan: I had genetic testing. It was covered my my insurance because my mom had breast cancer, and one of my sisters had cancer of the ovary. My surgeon sent me to a genetic counsellor and she drew the blood. Mine did come back brca2 positive.

    Hoping eveyrone has a great Saturday.

    Nicki
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4,011
    edited July 2007
    Nicki -
    Cute graphic!

    -------------------------

    Hi Girls!
    Hope you all had a nice Sunday. I have been busy as usual, it doesn't help that our village built a huge water park - 5 minutes from my house! LOL

    Hope you all have a great Monday!

    ------------------
    Kater -
    I hope you're feeling better by now.

    Rita -
    Do you have chemo #1 this week? I think you said the 12th.
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    Hi gals!

    Hope you're feeling better, Kate.

    Laura, you're right. My next chemo is Thursday. I'm really dreading it but just need to get it over with. Then I'm free until Aug. 2nd and then hopefully they are all over. I went today and got my hair trimmed and colored before this next series begins so I look and feel alot better. Isn't it amazing what a trip to the beauty shop can do for us?

    How are you doing, Michelle? Still getting through the treatments reasonably well?

    Nicki, I loved your last graphic! Hope all is going well with you and that you're finding some time for yourself.

    Hope all the rest of you are doing well and staying cool!

    Rita
  • Mich101
    Mich101 Member Posts: 489
    edited July 2007
    Rita-tomorrow is #10 of 12 taxol/herc. Each one is getting harder. I feel I have so little energy. I do continue to work part time (mornings) but then the rest of the day I don't accomplish much. Looking forward to July 24th.

    Wishing you the best with your upcoming treatments-

    Michele
  • conniehar
    conniehar Member Posts: 585
    edited July 2007
    Hi girls -

    Just checking in. Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July holiday. As usual we were up at our lake home in MI. I went up on Tuesday and stayed until late last night. Had to come home for chemo today.

    Today I had #12 of my weekly AC - 3 more to go - it's getting close!! This afternoon I took the kiddies bowling. We had a good time, but I think this whole thing changed my curve! My ball has ALWAYS curved to the right and now it curves to the left. It was really strange. I think the ball wants to make up for the missing breast on the left!

    Rita - glad you chose to continue chemo, but sorry that you have to go through it. Good luck!

    Lots of storms moving through Aurora right now!
  • UnderFortyPam
    UnderFortyPam Member Posts: 16
    edited July 2007

    Just checking in again. Made all my 1 year doctor appointments for August. Boy everyone wants to see you at the 1 yr mark. My radiation onc, the surgeon, and the med onc. And I am having an MRI too. I think I am going to have to start spreading these out more next year.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4,011
    edited July 2007
    Michele -
    Hang in there! It's tough...I know it, but you will soon be able to put all this behind you. Best wishes to you with the remaining sessions...

    Connie -
    You are almost done too! Hang in there...nice that you headed up to MI - sounds like fun.

    Pam -
    Glad you checked in...good luck with all your appts.

    ----------------------

    Hi Girls...have a great Tuesday...Shelby Laura is here for the week...having lots of fun!
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    Michele...Hang in there. You can see the end of the tunnel now. You're MY inspiration now. Here I am whining about having to do 6 chemos and you're doing double that! Let's look at it this way. By the end of the first week in August, we will both have this behind us and can begin to regain our strength....and you're going to beat me done! I'm jealous! As for now, just do what you can and don't stress about all the things you want to get accomplished. They will be there waiting for you in a few weeks.

    Connie..I'm so glad that you're enjoying your "get-aways!" Just think! It won't be long and you won't have to make a special trip back for chemos!

    Pam...so glad you checked back in. Keep us posted on your one-year results so we can help you celebrate! :-)

    Well ladies, I have a lot to get accomplished today. I need to hit the grocery store (not my favorite job) and stock up on some chemo comfort foods that I've been able to tolerate in the past and clean this house.

    I hope everyone is doing well. It's always good to read a post from you, Laura. I think you've helped us all much more than you could ever realize!

    Rita
  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007
    Hi all:

    Pam I am one month after you in terms of action on the BC. So I found out in mid August. No one is calling me. Maybe I need to call them. I will need the MRI. It should be a "squirmy" time for me.

    I wish all the chemo participants good luck. Rita, I am glad you decided to go the full monty on this. Now you can say you did what all you could to stop this sucker.


    I have the summer off from work. I ditched the wig on the last day of school. The teachers got together today and I showed my chemo curls to them for the first time. Some loved it and others did not say a word about it. HMMMMM. I am just happy I have hair again. Now I know why they made so much of the importance of hair that someone wrote a musical celebrating just it!

    Take car and stay happy.
    Susan
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 4,011
    edited July 2007
    Hi Girls!

    Rita -
    Awww...thanks for the kind words. Best wishes to you, heck, you're a pro at this point...for some reason, rice pudding was my chemo comfort food. You may want to try some.

    kater -
    I checked out the Gator...hey that ryhmes! LOL IT IS FAB...I would love to own one...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...my wedding anniversary is coming up, maybe dh will get me one! LOL Not romantic, but certainly practical. Hope you're feeling okay.

    Susan,
    Any day with hair, is a good day! LOL

    JanClare -
    I missed not walking yesterday because my niece is here for the week. I managed to sneak out at 6:00 am b/4 she awoke and headed over to the "Y" though. Maybe next Monday?

    -------------------

    Hope you all have a great evening. We had some pretty major storms up north here today...
  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 1,850
    edited July 2007
    Chemo-active ladies:
    I ate beef, garlicky mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts during chemo. I ate this every night for at least two weeks.
    One evening I pulled a beef tenderloin from the meat counter and I showed up at the checkout. My bill was nearly $90 as the beef tenderloin was over $85.00 alone.

    I served dinner that evening and my husband commented on how well I had tenderized the meat...it was so good. I never told him the truth. It was a lovely meal and I enjoyed it so much. I did return to regular beef, garlicky mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts the next night.

    INDULGE!

    Feel good...Susan

    Susan
  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited July 2007
    Good afternoon!

    Susan...I got a real chuckle out of your beef tenderloin story! That was a good one!!!

    Well, our club had Guest Day today and one of my long-time friends from Macomb got up at 4 a.m. to drive over and play as my guest. We had a ball! We've never had to win to have fun and I guess it's a good thing!

    I have myself psyched for tomorrow. I'm just going in there and getting it over with as gracefully as possible.

    How are you doing now, Kate? Michele....you've had a long haul of it. Hang in there! When you're through we really need to celebrate. I will drive up and meet you, Kate, and anyone else who wants to join us and we'll hit the casino in Elgin and win a little money and enjoy the buffet!!! Won't it be fun just to be able to pig out and eat what we want???? I bet we could talk some of the others into joining us, too. We'll all deserve a celebration!

    I think we need a completion date schedule. Jan Clare is done! I'm through August 2nd. When is everybody's last treatment day? We'll put this into perspective!

    Hope everyone is doing well this week. We didn't get any of the storms that evidentally hit your area this week. We had some rain but it was mild compared to the more violent storms around us and today was a simply beautiful day!

    Take care ladies. We are beating this, one day at a time!

    Rita
  • conniehar
    conniehar Member Posts: 585
    edited July 2007
    Good luck tomorrow, Rita.

    I wish I could give a last tx day. I'm going to guess Oct 22nd, but not exactly sure. I have 3 more weeks of AC so I know that will end on July 30th. Then I THINK I have 2 weeks off before I start my 6 doses of Taxol.

    Anyway, I am up for a trip to Elgin anytime !!