Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
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Hi Twink, make some room for my arms to go around you with Hillary's... will be with you in thoughts for tomorrow... I know the infusion is not the bad part, it's the aches and pains that follow... hopefully they'll be mild and under control. Thinking of you all the time and looking forward to reading your posts...
Things are stable here, Peter lives normally and was told today he could stop the shots (had 10 out of 14)... he sure is happy about that. His clotting factor is close to what they want it to be (1.9, should be between 2 and 3... whatever that means...??). So he is on Coumadin for 6 months and goes in again next week. His leg is not as swollen and the color is back to normal... keeping our fingers crossed for no traveling clot...
Thinking of you all, love,
Catherine
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Evening, all.
Not much to report here except that it was an exquisitely beautiful day outside. No humidity and 81 degrees! How lovely! Made me appreciate the summer which has been lousy so far!
Twilah, hope all went well with treatment.
As Hillary said, she and I will be spending Sunday evening together, so we are hoping to Skype... so please let us know who can be on from like 6-10 p.m. EST.
Love to you all.
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A beautiful Friday morning in central PA. Thought I'd get an early-morning post in since I finally managed to roll my ass out of bed at an appropriate time (5:00 for the first time this week) and was able to get some work done already.
Leah & Hillary - enjoy yourselves Sunday. I assume wine's on the menu?? I'll be thinking about you.
Terry - the garden sounds wonderful. We have a few items out (tomatoes, peppers -all hot varieties, zucchini, etc. We don't have real good soil, although we do plow in some stuff from the compost pile. I think the garden is too close to the tree-line and it doesn't get enough of the morning sun to really thrive. The plants are looking pretty good tho and the rain has cooperated - seems we get a little every day. DD and I did a farmers market last week and I picked up lots of fresh veggies. Made some fresh salsa yesterday - used all market items except for the cilantro - took that from my herb plot.
Sammie Kay - yes, the CFR kayak is a regular recreational boat. The CFR version is an angler - has fishing pole holders and a paddle holder for when you're fishing. I'm hoping to pick up the package this afternoon - we were waiting for my vest to come in. I paddled on the river Tuesday evening for awhile - it was terribly humid and I seem to shed buckets of water from my head without any effort - don't know if that may be a SE of the Femara.
Catherine - so good to hear DH's issue appears to be better. Waiting to read about some delectable dishes from your garden.
Melanie - I do hope your DM is doing better.
Twink - you're always on my mind. I do hope we can do an extended lunch. Was hoping to be closer to Allentown as that's significantly closer for me too. Actually, I was thinking about maybe Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe??
Ok - I've used up my free moments for the day and I want to get out of here early and get the weekend underway. Greetings to all - Marsha (my turn - where are you?), Carynn, Jan, Pat and everyone else.
Love you guys!
Phyl
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HELLO ALL
TONIGHT CAN BE A SKYPE NIGHT! Hillary and I will be together! We will be on from tonight... so call us!
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Good Morning everyone! DH & I have been sooo busy with this remodel! I've been reading, but no time to post. There's no way I can go back thru a weeks worth of posts, so looks like I will be starting here!
Catherine - Glad to hear that your DH is on the mend. Wishing a complete and speedy recovery and no more clots!!
Leah - Are you still on vacation? How is/was it? I'm so ready for a vacation, but it's going to be a while yet.
Phyl - I've sure missed talking to you! How the heck are ya?
Melanie - I was very sorry to hear of your Mother's illness. How is she doing now? Praying for a full and speedy reovery. Keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers. Check in when you can and let us know how you all are doing. (((Melanie)))
Twink - How are you feeling? Still thinking of you daily and hoping that all is well with you and yours. Catch a hug from me (((Twink)))
Only other news is that DH and I are going to a fundraiser next Saturday that looks to be so much fun! Our Sheriff and County Attorney are having a duel of sorts. It's at a huge and locally famous steak house with a very large outdoor area. They will be squaring off with paint balls. Ahh... I just love living in the "Wild West!"
DH & I are hoping to enjoy our first lazy day in a long time. The carpet is set to go in sometime early next week - they will confirm the date tomorrow. The blinds should be arriving by Wednesday, and we'll arrange to have the furniture delivered once we have a firm date on the carpet. I cannot tell you how happy I will be to have this DONE!
I know that I've missed many, know that you're in my daily thoughts and prayers.
Talk to you soon. TTFN0 -
Carynn, how are you feeling with your RA?? The remodelling must be terribly tiring for you. Hope you are feeling OK. When do you come visit on Skype? I could chat with Leah (briefly) and Hillary last night... it is so nice to be able to communicate that way. The connexion was excellent.
Sammie Kay, Alyson... where are you (not on line much...). Sammie Kay, your sailing adventures you told us about a while ago made me laugh... we grounded our Cape Dory in the big Clear Lake Bay near Red Fish island... and it is another, identical, cape dory that pulled us out (what was the probability of that, zero... and yet). No harm done then...
Marsha... you are opposed to Skype?? would be fun to see you, too... How is the beach these days (dreaming of blue waters... without sharks). Enjoying the theater? Do you still work in real estate? Hope it is going well for you both...
Phyl, Terry... I do not have an edible garden, only flowers and bushes for now... each Spring I had "glitches" (chemo, surgery... :-) ) making me miss the window of opportunity for planting veggies and herbs properly... Denver is the 4th driest it has ever been...
Jan, did you alredy come to Colorado on your bike with DH? How is his leg? Your pictures are a treat... hope you are feeling good and your family is OK.
Melanie, how is your mom doing?
Twink, I wish your silence is not because you are feeling too miserable to come here... you know you are in the center of our "wagon circle"... wishing your DH a good stay in Dallas to finalize your plans... sending you warm hugs and all my affection.
Take care, sweet ladies out there... Love,
Catherine
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Hi Catherine ... it was so much fun to Skype with you last night. For everyone who has not had the privilege, Catherine has a delightful French accent!! And she is just as articulate in person as she is in her messages!! Now that I've used Skype on Leah's machine, I'm hoping to get my act together to use it at home.
And Leah was the most wonderful host! In honor of Twilah, Melanie, and Marsha, Leah introduced me to my first Cosmopolitan. It was fantastic, but I'm told that this particular bar makes outstanding drinks and will spoil me for lesser drinks elsewhere!
Leah and I talked till well past her bedtime ... unfortunately, I had to get home today and Leah had to go off to work. But, I'm hoping to see her again on a Philly trip.
Hugs out to Twilah (hoping your last chemo was uneventful), Melanie (well wishes for your mom), Allyson (how are you doing sweetie?), Phyl and Terry (my PA neighbors), SammieKay, Carynn, Marsha, Jan (check in again and let us know how you're doing!). Leah - you got my "real" hugs this morning!!
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Hugging you all....especially Twilah! ((((((Twilah))))))
Busy as usual...baseball playoffs this week. The won their 1st round games....second round starts tomorrow. They play the top seed....so we will see.
Getting DD ready for college....dorm room decorating, supplies etc.
Just a quick post....hope everyone is well...especially Twilah.
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Twilah...you are on my mind daily.
I should have already posted before now. What a bunch of sweethearts you are for thinking of my mother. Nothing conclusive right now. She is off the respirator and is slightly improved. She will probably go on a feeding tube. Not what she would want. But, she is conscious and I cannot phathom her starving. I was chatting with Catherine a few mins ago and explained that even though she is 67, her body is many years older. Her health has not been good for quite a few years. We will just keep trying to get her better.
I am trying to read and catch up on all of the posting. Everyone is certainly busy!
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Hi CATHERINE. Thank you for remembering! We didn't go to Colorado this 4th of July. DH found out a few days before the leave date that he has a stress fracture in his bad leg's knee! He has been home for two weeks keeping off the leg working from home. Today he goes to the bone doc to see if he can return to work. As it was the event was much smaller this year probably due to the gas prices they didn't have as many bikers show like in past years.
I wish I could talk to you guys in SKYPE but since I'm hard of hearing with two aides it just won't work for me as I can't understand what is being said. My DH and I went to upgrade our cell phones last week and we found one that was loud enough for me to understand some of the conversation using both my aides and the phone or its speakerphone. With my old one (about 6 years old as I got it as a hand me down) I could only use it for texting as I have lost about half of my remaining hearing since chemo and could no longer hear/understand anything being said. Anyway looks like many of you are enjoying SKPYE. Reading forums and text messaging opened lot of worlds for those of us that are hard or hearing or completely deaf, but SKYPE isn't one of them.
HI NABERTHMOM! My bs got my insurance to okay a MRI I will have done in a couple of weeks. Just another checkup to be sure things are all clear since my mammo and ultrasound done a few weeks ago were fine. This will be the first one since January 07's MRI dx my second cancer.
I've been busy playing with my camera, DH bought me a telephoto lens for my birthday and I found some filter lenses on ebay cheap to play with. Here's a pic of sailboats I took a few days ago at the lake using one of the new lenses that cuts the glare. I'd like to get back to the lake during a sunrise or sunset to take photos. I have never used extra lenses on a camera before so this is all new to me! Plus I bought a couple of digital photography books that give you tips the pro's use. I just finished reading one and waiting on the other to arrive in the mail.
Think of you gals often and remember the support you gave during chemo/rads that meant alot to me. This thread still going on shows what good friends we have made here. I don't know why but this year I've wanted to stay home more than travel. We were fortunate to see our Marine son once again aboiut a week before the 4th. He was home on leave before he had his second surgery on his knee to take out a broken screw. Yep he's still in San Diego, been there since Febuary 07! I'm sure everyone that works at that base knows him well by now!
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Hugs all around and thank you thank you for the warm and healing good wishes you're all sending my way. I'm vastly improved over a couple of weeks ago. Very few aches and pains to complain about, sleeping much less and starting to feel almost normal. Still a little spaced out during the day and still having difficulty sleeping, despite all the chemical aids. I haven't heard back from the CBC work done on Monday but am assuming the results were as good or better than last week's. 2nd of this round of chemo is scheduled for tomorrow, that'll make 5 under my belt. I won't get the Avastin tomorrow but I think they'll give me the Zometa if the first round was typical. I'm glad to hear you DH is improving Catherine and that your mother is off the respirator Melanie. I'm getting excited about the possiblity of a visit from Leah and a lunch with Hillary and Phyl. I hope we're able to work out the logitics as I have not been driving myself for more than one month now. I'm also still not back to work and am plotting some way to retire or go on disability. This promotion and the move to Dallas has complicated the situation immensely so I've engaged an employment law attorney just to be sure I don't screw myself out of something I'm entitled to. The prospect of moving and continuing to work drags on me something terrible. I have to figure this out soon. Love you all.
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Twilah, thank you so much for posting... I like what I read here... Those tx have got to work for us... Your strategy sounds quite reasonable to me regarding benefits and rights at your level of employment... hope your lawyer will work out a good deal for you and take all this stress off your shoulders... wishing you a gentle week and minimal discomfort from all this... Big hugs,
Catherine
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Hi all
Arrived back yesterday from Australia. Had 10 days there which was a great break.Enjoyed seeing my brother in Melbourne for a couple of days. Only problem it was really cold - well for us it was cold.
If you have skype do try to get me as I am home most of this week as I would love to have a chat. No-one is on line at present but will look later to see what time it is in your part of the world.
Twinlk so pleased things are going sort of OK, good luck for tomorrow. (((((Twilah))))).
My daffodils are beginning to come through the grass which is great and this year I intend planting some veges. Things here have got so pricey that we have to do something. I have grown tomatoes in the class house othwer years but don't bother theses days as DH gets them from the packhouse.
Must go and do some marking for school - it might be holidays at present but I have so much to do. I think daily about how long I am going to continue full-time teaching as I get so tired and there is so much paperwork in my Head of Faculty role.
Hhugs to all
Alyson
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Alyson -- I have a vague memory of you promising to visit the US in the fall ... something about how you couldn't do it last fall. Is my memory correct? It's a great time to visit the US, what with the dollar being so weak.
Twilah -- Wishing that your chemo was uneventful today. I also hope that we can work out the lunch date next weekend. I'm not big on driving, but I could probably make it to Allentown. Could we convince Phyl to meet us there?
(BTW Leah -- no train service to Allentown, unless Twilah knows a secret that I don't know!).
Hugs,
Hillary
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Hi guys,
Just a short note to say hi. Hope everyone is doing well.
I am really tired as I have not been having a day off in the middle of the week.
So glad to hear you are feeling better Twink. Hope you can retire. Sounds like a very good idea.
I will try to Skype this weekend and post more. Just wanted to let ya'll (that is Texan for all of you). LOL. , know that I am alive and kicking. Albeit, kicking very slowly.
Hugs and warm wishes to all. Sammie Kay
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Good morning girls. My good news for the day is that all bloodwork came back normal except the hemaglobin....the markers are way down, the liver function is normal, platelets are normal, etc. Hard to believe the onc is now talking about a chemo vacation and carrying on with avastin alone. I go for a follow PET/CT scan next wednesday before my next chemo. Hope the news from that is as good. Hugs all around my little piglets. I'm thinking about you all. Sending special energetic hugs to Sammie Kay.
Twilah
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Twink... great news, indeed... you must be thrilled... do you feel that you got energy back? How are your summer days? Well, will keep our fingers and toes crossed for the scans... In the meantime, what about a good aged, grass fed juicy ribeye steak for your hemoglobin??
Just got my blood work and markers back today, too, and everything checked out great (2729 marker is 7.2 from 8.2 in April... but was 5 before chemo last year... so... whatever that means, the trend is downward, and that's what we all want). DH doing fine on Coumadin... life is pretty normal again... I just don't feel like working.
Sammie Kay, hope you get your joie de vivre back soon... heat and humidity must not help... if only we could have some rain... Skype me if you need company... anything that can take me off my boring glossary work is welcome :-) I skyped for an hour with a friend in Paris who got connected yesterday: she showed me the Eifel Tower from her window... how cool is this??
Well, guys, I've got to go... hugs to all, and Hurrah for Twilah!!!!
Catherine
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Morning
Wish I could give you some cool relief Sammie Kay - its another wet dull day here.
Hillary, yes we had hoped to get to the States this year but things in the horticultural business have not been so great lately so we had to modify our holiday plans. It is a real problem in this game as things can be very unpredictable and you are so dependent on weather conditions etc.
Actually the financial situation here is not so great with huge price rises for basic items. I wonder how young couples with families manage.
Twink what great news, hope you are enjoying the Summer.
Have a great weekend
Alyson
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Hallelujah Twink!!!! Sounds so encouraging. That in itself raises my energy level.
My DGD is here for the weekend, so will not be online much. She is 17 and we are going shopping and hanging out. Watch some movies etc.
I bet you will be giving your niece some stats to compute while she is there.LOL We always are looking at our odds, right? One day at a time.
Hey Allison, hmmmm which is worse cold and cloomy or hot and humid. I take cold and gloomy. I hate the hot and muggy. More so as I have gotten older. We have a pool, but I am not a sun worshipper anymore. I hardly ever get in the pool. Now remember girls, I am 68. I know it would be good exercise, but not my cup of tea.
Hugs out to everyoe. I will write more later. Awesome sailboat pics Jan. Didn't realize you wer HOH. That would make SKYPE dirricult, but you can instant message on SKYPE and then you could read what the other person was saying and see them also. Just a thought. Catch you guys later.
Oh, I hired a housekeeper. That makes me feel muich better. She will come tomorrow afternoon and I have been told by a mutual friend that she is very, very particular and keeps an immaculate house. So, I have high hopes. My last one was not so good.
Love to all, Sammie Kay
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Twilah that is great news on your labs. I just tknow when you go in for that PET it will show great improvement! Really glad to hear you are feeling better physically. Love you girlfriend.
Hey hey to everyone...... I've read back some and will try to catch up with everyone this weekend. Hugs all around.
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Oink oink.....
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NICE Oink slippers!! Congrats to you Twilah on your good labs! It is absolutely amazing what those chemicals can do and here's hoping you are feeling stronger.
I've been working M-F 50-70 hours a week and I'm pooped by the time Saturday comes around. Next thing you know it's Monday again and the rat race starts again. So I have decided to leave the outpatient surgery area and head back to the emergency room where I'll do 3 twelve hour shifts a week. Yes the shift are long and hard but I remember having so much time off I used to think "what do I do today?' And I absolutely love doing the shopping during a weekday as opposed to Sat or Sunday....so back I go.
Physically, the rib aches finally went away and I can cough laugh or sneeze againg without much discomfort.I'm just still dealing with scar tissue buildup and nerve pain-- having tightness to the mastectomy area.I've made it a routine now to massage the entire area with vitamin E oil before I go to sleep every night. Not sure if its working or not. Next mammo on left boob is aug 1st.
Speaking of not liking the summertime SammieKay....I'm with you! It's like the heat just makes me drag, not wanting to do anything. Give me rain, cold, whatever. Anything but heat.
Well take care all!
Pat
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Great news, Twilah....I am sooo happy for you!
I am with the "out with the hot & humid" girls....it is stiffling and muggy here. I can't stand it and am constantly soaked, unless I am at work in the air conditioning.
DS is still playing baseball. They are down 2-0 in a 5 game series between the top 2 teams for the championship. Got rained out tonite, so have a double header tomorrow. Do or die for them. Then a tournament starts on Thursday...the top 2 teams go.
DH has his family reunion next weekend. The running around never stops.
I have been so worried about you Twink, and I am feeling relieved....I know you must be too!
Love to all.
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I just wanted to do a quick post to say how much "lighter" I feel just hearing Twilah's news. When I read your latest results I wanted to hop around and sing...and some of you know just how badly I sing
. What a turnaround. I wouldn't expect anything less from you...On a heavier note...we make the decision today to remove my mother off her support systems. She is unresponsive and she has made it clear that she never wanted to be on a feeding tube. It still seems that neither option is "right". I just have to abide by her wishes as the doctors have said she will not improve significantly with the tube. Still...it is difficult. We have been told we will have 7 to 10 days with her now.
I drop in and read almost daily. It is so good to keep up with what all of you are doing.
Love you all...
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AHHHH Melanie, my heart is breaking for you. What an awful feeling for you to have to make that decision. Or, I should say, do what she would want. Big hugs sweetie. I remember the conversations we had about your mom while you guys were here. She has depended on you for a long time, but still hard to have to do this. Is she alert at all? Does she know you are there? Love ya girlfiend.
Twink, your piglets look fabulous on you! OINK OINK. Did you see my signature line? LOL
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Oh Melanie,
Bless your heart. I am so sorry you are going through this. {{{{{{{{{{Melanie}}}}}}}}}}}}}.
I will be praying for you and your Mom. Makes me realize I need to sign an Advance Directive. One never knows. What a gift your Mom gave you by taking care of this. It takes it out of your hands. She let her wishes be known. That is truly unselfish of her. I know it is still very, very hard for you and yours. May God bless and keep you in His loving care. Love you, Sammie Kay
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Melanie I know this is a very difficult time for you and your family. My heart is with you.
Twilah
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Melanie,
I am so sorry you and your family are going through this...my heart is with you. My brothers and I too had to respect our mother's wishes. The only thing I can tell you is that it was an honor to take care of her to help her with her transition. It was an opportunity to somehow give back to her what she gave to us. It wasn't easy, however, it was, believe it or not, one of my most cherished memories I have. The love and, yes even laughter, during her final days will forever be in my heart.
I will keep your mother, you and your family in my prayers.
Elizabeth
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Evening all – hope everyone is well.
Catherine – Thanks for asking. Fatigue is a nasty companion to RA. I seem to be finally getting over the additional fatigue from tx, and back to the level of what was a normal part of RA. That just means I tire very easy to that good old bone tired feeling we’ve all felt during tx. I haven’t had a chance to fire up Skype lately at all. Had to laugh tho, my staff all has Skype for our 800 number conference calls. So, you may see me on during the day, unfortunately tho, that would be for work.
Is your cousin visiting now?
Hillary – It sounds like your trip was wonderful! I hope you and Leah had a Cosmo for me, I LOVE ‘em.
Terry – You sound busy. How are the play-offs going?
Melanie – I am so sorry to hear of your Mother’s illness. I hope that she is comfortable and at peace. (((Melanie))) You and yours are in my thoughts and prayers.
Jan – You need to give Skype a try. As I think someone else mentioned, you can fire up the video portion and talk with others using the text feature, instead of voice. While I don’t get to use it much, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed “meeting” all my friends here.
Twink – How did chemo go the other day? I hope that you are feeling well and that the side effects are kind. Any news on the retirement front? Is your PET tomorrow? Sending hugs and good wishes your way. BTW… love the slippers!
Alyson – It’s been 115 degrees + here, must mean winter for you. Hope you’re staying warm and enjoying the season. When does school start again for you?
SammieKay – Thinking of you and hoping that Dolly is far far away from you. Stay safe during the storms. Check in and let us know how you’re doing. How was the visit with your GD?
Marsha – Nice to see you. How’s things?
Pat – Long time no see! Sounds like congrats are in order on your tansfer!Well as soon as the last blind order comes in, we are done remodling. I cannot tell you how happy that will make us. We found out today it hasnt shipped yet, so it will probably be another week.
Thinking of you all and sending hugs from AZ to you.
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God bless you and your family Melanie.....how terribly hard this must be. I will praying for all of you and for peace for your mother.
Love
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