Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
Comments
-
To my secret pal,
Thank you so much for the unbelievable chocolates! I have never had any quite like this. I am limiting myself to one per day however. They are too good and I am afraid that I will be spoiled for anything else! Thanks so much!!
( BTW: They survived very well.... hubby brought them in when they got here, and they were in a cool place all week.)
Thanks again!
0 -
Oh Leah...I am so very very very glad for you. What a relief. You must be elated with your good news.
0 -
Hi everybody! Hope you are well. I havent posted in a while, but still hanging around.
I do want to say a big congrats to Leah - 
Not a lot going on here. We are having a overcast rain off and on kind of day. Cooled way down to the 90's, bring on the sweaters!
I see the BS and the Med Onc next week. I assume both will be uneventful. These are my first follow ups after completing tx. As I'm sure the other trip negs know, it is a bit of a strange feeling to hear everyone gearing up for hormone and other txs and we're just done....hmmmm
Been hanging out at Gina's new board. One of the Circle Girls posted a wonderful pix of the San Diego crowd who all got together for lunch. Jan was able to meet up with them. She looks great!
SP stuff seems to be going well and is basically adminstrating itself, so let's let it go thru mid Oct. If everyone still wants to do it, we'll reshuffle and let some new folks in too.
Not too much else new - just enjoying my lazy day.
((((Hugs))))0 -
Hi from beautiful San Diego! It was a crazy time with our son as things are happening that might let him get past recruit to become a marine but then things could happen that might have him medically discharge. He is supposed to run 3 miles under 27 minutes with his leg brace on that may determine what happens next. Anyway I had a crying jag after saying goodbyes yesterday. We got to spend a long day Thursday with him and a short day Friday. Met the San Diego girls at lunch today, was so nice to be able to talk freely about breast cancer with those who are on that crazy trip called cancer. I had shrimp enchilidas, man those were fantastic. We head for home in the morning so just relaxing today, worn out from all the walking on the marine base. San Diego is a beautiful area but the car drivers are crazy!!! And OMG the price of homes out here...! We went to the Maritime Museum on the bay then San Diego Zoo on Wednesday.
LEAH>I'm so happy to hear your wonderful news!!!
CATHERINE>I had been on Trail Ridge Road in a car when I was a teen, my parents took us kids on a vacation there. Today some of Colorado's roads including there on Trail Ridge scare the h out of me on a bike or trike! I refused to go on Trail Ridge after seeing recent photos from other bikers.
I will share some pics as I have lots of them, probably put a bunch on shutterfly so not to overwhelm my family's email. I started taking pics as we flew out of Phoenix, AZ after we changed planes there. I know one thing, I will never take a trip on a bike from Tulsa to Phoenix to San Diego...too much desert!
0 -
That's really great news Leah, you must be over the moon.
To my secret Pal. How did you get a card sent from GERMANY? That is so confusing. Loved the card. I have some Hellebores flowering at present. When I first saw the post stamp I thought - that must be a place in PA, then I looked at the stamp!!!!
It is midday Sunday here. DH has just tried to trip on the carpet which we lifted round the edges yesterday when we started on the redecoration of the hallway. He is about to start pulling nails out of the walls, we are relining one side of the hall then will paint and paper. Wall paper is great in very old hoouses as it hides much.
We have to go up to his sisters to get a water blaster- it is all go here. Weddings to make you finish projects around the house.
Tomorrow I am having my port out so that is another stage reached. Here it is done under a general anaesthetic so will be in hospital for the day.
Had better find some shoes it must be getting warmer as I haven't had any on since coming in from Church.
Have a restful day
Alyson
0 -
Well, I lost my post to cyberland. Weird.
It seems like everyone is really getting busy and isn't that great? I have a lot of energy and am really feeling good. I did yard work today and really felt great.
Alyson, sounds like you are moving right along with your remodeling. I am hoping to have some done after the first of the year. The lady I use for remodeling is booked for the rest of this year. I am willing to wait as she is very good. I am going to have all the wallpaper removed in my kitchen and the walls textured and painted. I am also going to have the ceiling replaced with new texture that is more up to date. Depending on cost, I may have the fur downs removed,which will open up the kitchen and make it look
larger. I would like new counter tops, but mine are in very good condition and the tile back splash is like new. We will see when the bid comes in.
Terry, sounds like things are busy in your world. I am hoping to join you in giving up the wig soon. LOL. Congrats to your daughter on her homecoming honors. My grandson, who is a very small,chubby freshman in the band, has been nominated for homecoming court. He is so cute and everyone just loves him. He is so unaware of all the fuss. He probably won't win as the football players usually win.
But it is an honor to be nominated.
I am going to sew a long dress for my DGD, who is a sophomore at UNC. They have a huge Halloween party on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. Seems as if many universities in the area all congregate there for this. Last year there were 100,000 people there. My daughter didn't ask me to make the dress as she worries about me overdoing. But i really want to do it. Lauren is thrilled that I will be making the dress. It will be a fond memory for both of us.
I hope all of you are having a great weekend. I had to LOL at you, Carynn about getting the sweaters out. That is how it is here. We drag those sweaters out when the highs are in the low 70's. I can't wait. Am so ready for cooler weather.
Love to all, Sammie Kay
0 -
A beautiful Sunday morning to you all. Just stopping by for a quick post, then heading off on an hour and a half drive to visit DS, DDIL and DGD.
Leah - congrats on the good news (and the Lexus). Great to hear the job is going well.
Sammie Kay - I'm so envious of your new girls. Can't wait.
Marsha - good to hear from you also. I'll be thinking about you next week.
GI Jel - welcome back.
Catherine - enjoyed the pics and posts about your time with your sister. Wishing DH well.
Greetings to Alyson, Terry, Twink, Hillary, Carynn, Karen (where is she, by the way?) and to anyone else I may have missed.
I have been falling behind on the posts so I tried to catch up a bit this morning. I think about you all daily. btw, I have an appt tomorrow morning with my BS for the joint BS/PS surgery. Hopefully after meeting with him tomorrow, we can get me on the schedule in December or January.
Hugs to all!
Phyl
0 -
Good morning!
It's nice to hear everyone's good news! We still have some challenges ahead, but I'm sure that we'll all pull through. Sounds like we've got some operations ahead, starting with Marsha's. We'll all be there in virtual spirit with you.
For the rest of us, especially those of us that are triple neg, we start our routine of follow-up checkups. Next week, I have my first post-chemo MRI and chest X-ray. My tumor was close to the chest wall and the bs was unable to get clean margins (without digging into the muscle), I'm trying to remain calm about this scan, and of course, am second-guessing myself about mastectomies. I keep telling myself that I'm SO small-breasted that I'll be able to find any new tumor quickly. Of couse, one might wonder why I don't want to get myself some new *girls* -- LOL!
The weather is cooling off here as well, although that means 50's at night, not 90, like in AZ (Hello Carynn!). Soccer has started, so our Sunday morning ritual is getting ready for the 10:30 am practice/game. My ds is still getting used to 1st grade. Last week was the first week of homework. I think he was getting into the swing by the end of the week, but it was a bit of a struggle. He does spend more time bellyaching about it then actually doing it - LOL!
I don't know if you remember my terrific weight loss at the beginning of rads, only to be told by the rad techs not to lose anymore. Well, I put that weight back on and then some. Now that I'm *allowed* to lose weight, I can't -- my sweet tooth has gotten totally out of control. (Could it be due to chemopuase????)
I think that I need to restart my excercise program once my work load decreases at the end of the month. I have to give some presentations and NONE of my clothes fit!! I'm not buying a larger size. I'll just squeeze in and use that as motivation to stop eating all those sweets!!
Hugs to all,
Hillary0 -
Hi Ladies,
Leah.... Great news. Congrats.
Hillary, I know what you mean about the weight and the sweets. It is easy to get attached to the comfort foods. Best of luck with your scans, I am sure you will do great. I will keep you in my prayers.
All the best.
GI Jel
0 -
Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for a while but I have been trying to keep up with you all. I absolutely do not like the new board look but I'm trying to work with it.
Everything is going great since last chemo on 7-3-07.Thank goodness ALL the fatigue, all the neuropathy is all gone and I've been back to work full force.This week I'll be transferring from the outpatient surgery area to the PACU (recovery room) and looking forward to it. My daughter graduates in Dec. from the surgical tech program so we have that to look forward to as well.
Love,Pat
0 -
"For the rest of us, especially those of us that are triple neg, we start our routine of follow-up checkups. Next week, I have my first post-chemo MRI and chest X-ray. My tumor was close to the chest wall and the bs was unable to get clean margins (without digging into the muscle), I'm trying to remain calm about this scan, and of course, am second-guessing myself about mastectomies." (Quote from Hillary)
I'm in the same boat as you regarding the tumor close to the wall.Something like 3 of the margins were clean, and 1 was "close" not clean. So of course it gives us something additional to worry about huh? I'm also trip neg. My oncologist didn't seem real concerned about the close margin...she just said she would keep a close eye on things.Next visit with her is in November where they will do tumor markers and talk about a possible scan just to see how things are going.
Pat
0 -
Hi Gals. Just posting again today to share good news - prophy RM and TRAM reconstruction scheduled for December 5th so I will get my new foobs for Christmas. Implants in stage 2 probably shortly after getting home from the FCC get-together/Bike Week. Now I'm excited again - one more step!
Hugs,
Phyl
0 -
Sorry. I have been following all of you since Feb. and I think it is all that got me through. I really didn't join in much. My chemo was extended from 3 mos to 4 1/2 due to problems with Taxol. I had to do the last 3 dose dense in 9 weekly. My rads did not end until Sept 12.
I do have a question for all of you as we are all getting our hair back. I was told that I shouldn't dye my hair for 6 mos;preferable a year. Did anyone else get discouraged from using dye?
0 -
Phyl,
foobs... are those fake boobs? Clearly yours will be quite real!
0 -
Kimberly,
nope. the woman from Look Good Feel Good, who is a beautician, encouraged me to do it when my hair was like 2 weeks old. I have done it since growing back... didn't ask anyone. Having to find out what my real color is was a trauma I wasn't willing to undergo! Better living through chemistry! was how I felt. Just one woman's opinion!
0 -
Thanks, Leah! I am only 46 and didn't realize my hair was almost totally gray until it came back in. I probably have a few new ones from this ordeal. I kind of like the color for now and will wait a while to color...just don't know if more chemicals are a good idea yet.
There has been a lot talk about eyelash loss and several ladies have had them come out 2 or 3 times. I had a friend tell me about a product for lashes that has been a real lifesaver. There is an eye doctor in Ventura, CA whose wife went through breast cancer and lost all her lashes so he got together with a cosmetic company and created a product for lashes. I wish I could afford to use it on my head! My lashes used to be light, thin and short. Now they are black, thick and the lower ones are as long as the top ones used to be. I also used it to fill in my eyebrows. I don't know if we are supposed to mention product names here...and I wouldn't want to get in trouble but would be happy to share with anyone. I am hoping that since this works so well, I won't lose my lashes a second time. We will see.
0 -
Leah, I LOVE your smile... as contagious as ever...
I've been busy here, between work, the new van (camper), visits... It's grey and coldish today, but not much rain... we need it badly though. We did not go anywhere this week-end since the weather turned nasty in the mountains, but enjoyed a lazy, homy Sunday. Peter did not learn anything else about his "brain spot" (unspecific, so they truly do not know... not a tumor. Stroke or MS: the internist cannot tell, that will be for the neurologist on Nov. 13. In the meantime DH is on beta blockers (very mild dose) for a slightly elevated blood pressure... overall, we think it is good news, and he even biked to Walgreen's to get his prescription and loved it...
Thinking of you all... Marsha, how was your trip on the boathouse? Carynn, how is your RA with your new drug?
Jan, Sammie Kay, Hillary, Twink, Alyson, Phyl, Pat, G.I. Gel, Kimberly, good to read your posts.
Wishing you all a nice evening...
Hugs,
Catherine
0 -
Back from Disney!Leah; What wonderful wonderful news! Now, you can truly enjoy your Italy trip and the rest of your long long life!
Catherine; I love you pics. You are such a lovely lady.
I am a bit tired after the last 5 days of chasing my 2 yo granddaughter and my friend's 3 yo. I actually would take the 2 of them by myself most afternoons. It was so enjoyable just watching them play in the water.
I am trying to post a pic of myself and Natalie, but I am not sure it uploaded correctly. It is a rather "Goofy" look for me, but quite appropriate given the locale.
I will post more later!
This is the 2 of them on the Halloween party night....so adorable
BTW...this is the daughter of my dear friend that I have spoke of earlier that was dx'd last June. She is doing great now, after chemo, and her surgeries.
0 -
LOL...I have a few more minutes to post as I am waiting for DH to get through with his phone call and go out to dinner. I have to admit that it will be nice to have an adult meal...no sippy cups, no spilled milk and no rush to finish.
I just wanted to say congrats to Phyl. I am sure the new "foobs" will look ma va lus darlin'.
Sammie; I hope you are still pain free from your fill.
Marsha; I am thinking of you as your surgery nears.
As I read about your husbands and I think about mine, I think how coincidental what so many of us are going through right now. Just as we finish our chemo, we are all right there to take care of these new challenges...just as we would before. Amazing women! It is such a pleasure that our paths have crossed, albeit in a way we each wish would have been different. I have always believed there is a reason for everything...
0 -
Melanie -- Your comment about crossed paths brought a smile to my face ... I am in total agreement!
Your picture is great -- I can't believe that you are old enough to have grandkids!!
Kimberly -- I didn't have enough hair to color until about 12 weeks after my last chemo. I went to my salon. My hairstylist has worked with lots of post-chemo women and knew what kind of color to use for *new* hair. BTW, I didn't use that product, but found my eyelashes came back thicker. They have thinned a tiny bit, but I have not lost them again. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Phyl -- Love the idea of foobs!
Hugs,
Hillary
P.S. Catherine -- What's for dinner? Now that the days have cooled, I hope to hear about comforting food ....0 -
Hi all! Nice to see everyone posting!
Jan - Good to see you over in "the Hamptons!" Hope you have a safe and uneventful trip home.
Since I picked on you before about the desert, I'll leave you alone here. Alyson - Sounds like you have been BUSY! When will you be through with the re-modeling? We have one more room we want to do, but will probably wait until after the holidays.
SammieKay - More remodeling! Sounds like some of us got the "bug." Got a kick out of the fact that you can appreciate my sweater comment. I've spent some time in Texas, yup, we're on the same page!
Phyl - How nice to hear from you! How did your visit with the family go? Sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday. Foobs huh? I dare you to work that into the All I want for Christmas song.
Congrats tho on getting the date set. One step closer to being done!Hillary - I have my follow up with the BS tomorrow, the Med Onc on Thurday. I assume that's where will discuss scans, etc. We'll have to compare notes.
GI Jel! So nice to see you posting again. Do hope all is well, please don't be a stranger!
Ok Pat, fess up! Have you and Jel been going out without the rest of us?
Really nice to hear from you too. Hillary and I will have to keep you posted as to what our Oncs say about what's next for us triple negs. I'm really curious to see if the blueprint for us is similar.....Hi Kimberly - I think I've read enough to feel comfortable coloring my hair. There are a lot of good gentle products out there. I'm only holding off a bit to see what mine will do. I was a natural blond before chemo and while I still wouldn't call myself a brunette, it's considerably darker. I'm going to give it another couple of weeks to see what happens. If I don't like it, I will be coloring it back to my old natural color.
Leah - LOVE the new avatar! You look marvelous!
Catherine - How's the van coming? Do you have your first trip planned yet? Sounds like so much fun. Still sending good wishes for Peter. As for my RA, the Enbrel does seem to be keeping it at bay. I see the Rheumy in October to evaluate it, but I don't anticipate any changes. Thanks for asking.
Melanie - Welcome home! Some race yesterday, eh? Sounds like you had a great trip. I love the pix you posted. Your hair looks great!!
Marsha, Karen where are you hiding?
Well, I'm off to post quickly in the Hamptons. Wish you all a good night!
(((Hugs)))
0 -
Good morning to my Family.
Hillary - Isn't that weird with the weight loss and rads - I managed to lose at least a pound a week throughout rads and then put 5 pounds back on after I finished. I'm pretty sure it's the Femara as it seems to be a well-known SE. It seems to have leveled off tho. Sure hope so.
Kim - I been wondering how you were doing - you were our 2nd chemo cruiser right after Leah and then you disappeared. I'm 55 so I have a few years on you, but I too am amazed at how gray my hair came back. I do think it may be getting darker tho - like it's maybe going from translucent to a color now. I dearly, dearly want to put some color on it but my DH claims he really likes it the way it is so I'm going to let it go a bit yet. As soon as he tells me I look 'distinguished' tho, it's GONE! Also, I used Reviatlash after I finished chemo and I have not lost my lashes again but I don't know if it's because of that or whether it's maybe too soon - I had my last chemo May 21st.
Leah - I too love your new avatar. And yes, that's 'fake boobs'. It was either that or footers.
Catherine - I do hope you really enjoy taking the pups camping. Sounds like a great time.
Melanie - what beautiful girls. And you look great too!
Carynn - I'll work on the song. You're right - what a race. I thought we'd never get thru the last 10 laps.
Hillary & Twink - I'm still hoping for a trip to Philly Oct 17th but I'll wait till closer in. I'm being evaluated for a laser procedure on my right eye and that's about the time it would happen. I want to make sure I don't set up too close to my surgery date so I need to get it done as soon as possible.
Marsha - hope you're ok and not too stressed out. Hope to see some pics from the houseboat.
Back to work! Hugs to all!
Phyl
0 -
Melanie, so nice to have you back... you look fabulous with your short hair, too. Seems to be growing back very thick and healthy... You certainly do not look like a granny. These little girls are absolute darlings, sweet faces and lovely hair do's (sp?). I can understand why you love having them, I would too...
Hillary, since you asked: dinner was a roasted chicken (with the liver inside, garlic cloves, thyme and tarragon, inside and outside, and a dash of curry), a good crispy boston lettuce with fresh thinly cut white and red cabbage, fresh basil and flat parsley, with a good shitake+sesame seeds dressing we like (in a bottle), and an apple pie which was pretty good, I must say (I scalloped the apples in a tiny bit of butter + sprinkle of brown sugar, I made a frangipane with almond meal to spread on the crust before putting the carameled apples on it. Then cooked another 30 minutes. I adapted a recipie found on the back of the almond meal package, and I use frozen crust from WFoods, so it is easy and quick). Now I better go walk that off with Toby and Zoe, the infernal tandem... It is cool this morning (upper thirties... brr)... I'll make it a brisk one...
Friday should be beautiful and we are planning to drive to the mountains to go and admire the fall colors. DH loves the van, easy to drive. Neighboors came "visit" the interior this w-e... wandering lust is in all of us, nomadic tribe genes...
Well, dear friends, enjoy the day...
Love,
Catherine
0 -
Without the little flag popping up, it's hard to know when you have a pm. Twilah -- Check your pm about plans for tomorrow ...
Gotta run ...
Hugs to all,
Hillary0 -
Here's the links to the pics from our trip if your bored and have time to play...I was surprised to see the desert and mountains are so close to San Diego and the ocean. They give 3 region weather forcasts as they are so close together. The weather was great, I had to buy me a Marine hoodie as it was too cold in the shade for me. We had to wait for our son at a picnic table under a huge tree near his barracks that was unbelievably thick with leaves. Son sleeps right next to an open window, he said they have never closed it the whole time he's been there.
Phoenix to San Diego flight
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMnDNw2Yuhg&emid=sharshar&linkid=link4
James
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMnDNw2YuSg&emid=sharshar&linkid=link2
San Diego Base
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMnDNw2YuaA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link4
Maritime Museum
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMnDNw2YupA&emid=sharshar&linkid=link4
San Diego Zoo
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0MaMnDNw2Yuwg&emid=sharshar&linkid=link2
MELANIE>I can't wait to see how our Grandaughter reacts when she sees the huge teddy bear in his Marine dress blues that our son bought for her. We had to check in another bag just to get it home with some of his stuff he sent home with us.
KIMBERLY>I went ahead and colored my hair when my curls were standing about an inch from my head. The gray was coming in more than the black and it made me look so OLD!
I'm still so excited for our son who passed his 3 mile run with 30 seconds to spare. He will finally graduate Oct 12th, come home on 10 day leave and then go back to boot camp officially as a marine to wait for surgery to be done there. We weren't able to pick up our trike from the dealership yet as they are still working on the running boards.
0 -
Jan; So far...the pics are beautiful. I am sure your grandbaby will be thrilled with the bear. It's amazing what we will go through for those little ones.
Carynn; I did not get to see the race...I hate that I missed a good one! We have a Arkansas Children's Hospital charity event coming up in late October. Mr. Martin sent us some nice donations. I don't seem to have the time for much fundraising, but I make the time for this one. The timber industry here does so much for the hospital. It's humbling.
Catherine; It's amusing to me when folks comment about my not looking like a grandma. I look back at pics of me from a year ago and I see such a difference. This year has really aged me. Not only in my appearance, but in how I feel. I asked the onc about it and he says I have another 6 to 8 months of feeling "achy". I hope he is right and that it is not permanent. Time will tell. At the same time, I feel so fortunate and these worries seem trivial in the big scheme of things.
Secret Pal; Thanks for the uplifting card! It made my day!
0 -
Jan -- Wonderful news about your son finally graduating -- Are you sure that you won't be able to get out and see him graduate?
Catherine -- Thanks for the dinner description. I've got to get back into cooking and your posts are so inspirational ...
Phyl -- I've got the weight gain without femara. I think mine is due to chemopause and work-stress (which makes me eat). I do hope that you can visit with Twink and me on Oct. 17th. Also, there's a Philly-area get-together this Saturday. Check out the get-togethers thread for more info. I'm definitely going and hope that Twink can go too.
Carynn -- Glad you found a drug to keep the RA in check. Alyson -- how is yours doing?
OK, eyelash loss. I've so pleased with my eyelashes without having used any particular product. HOWEVER, I think that I'm on the way to loosing them, boo hoo. Last night, three felt out on one eye and this morning, one fell out on the other eye. I can image being eye-lash-less in a week. Oh well, I've gotten a lot better with eyeliner and shadow and will just have to "hide it". This whole experience has done wonders for my self care. I'm taking better care of my skin and my face has never looked better. I can now put on mascara without clumps (thank you, LGFB lesson!). The big news is that I finally broke the nail-biting habit, one that has plagued me all of my life. I think that I am so grateful and having kept my nails during taxol that I've been working hard to keep them nice. I tell you, folks walk right past me at work without recognizing me!
Had a wonderful lunch with Twilah, who looks as gorgeous and glamorous as ever. I never looked that good on my chemo days! I also had my chest X-ray/breast MRI this morning. It only took the nurse two tries to get the IV line in, and she was very nice about it. The MRI techs will also great about talking to me during the procedure. I should know the results in a day or two. I next see my onc end of November, and he'll schedule the mammogram/US for January. Then, I just keep alternating X-ray/MRI and mammo/US annually, but staggered by six months (if that makes sense -- I'll be scanned one way or another every six months). So, that's the standard of care my onc is giving me as a triple negative with LCIS in the "good" breast.
Marsha, drop in to let us know how you are coping before your surgery. Can your dh phone someone to let us know who you do after the operation?
Hugs,
Hillary0 -
Today is a Wonderful day!!!
I got the call this morning that my BRCA test was NEGATIVE!
I just can't explain how relieved I am that my daughter does not have to go through the testing now. I cried. Happy tears of relief! Somehow, my being triple neg...I just knew I would be positive.
Today feels like a new beginning...
0 -
Melanie --
Wonderful news! I remember phoning my sisters when I found out was BRCA negative. I, too, was worried for them and my two nieces.
Hugs,
Hillary0 -
All,
The "spot" on the lung may be a reoccurrence. They are trying to figure out what to do/how to find out short of a lung biopsy. Waiting 8 weeks for a re-scan when you have grade 3 cancer cells is probably not a good idea. I am absolutely exhausted, and very very sad. Will keep you posted.
0
