Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
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HEY!
I won't know anything until after noon tomorrow. It is usually 24 hours to do the PET/CT, so it should be up tomorrow a.m. I will let you all know as soon as I do!
They were on a slow boat, and it took all morning, but hopefully this is it for a while!! Have onc appt on Sept. 3rd and I am going to try and talk him into a 4 month minimum wait for the next scan!
Talk to you all tomorrow. Sweet dreams!
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Thanks Leah for letting us know. Now, try to behave yourself.
edited to add, I laugh everytime I see your avatar. haha SO appropriate!
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Hello gang.
I think i have good news!
Other than a small lung spot that will get another CT scan in 6-8 weeks (whoever heard of lower respiratory infection???), I have a clean bill of health! Liver looking good, no cancer reoccurrences of any kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for all your support and love...0 -
Wonderful news, Leah!
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LEAH and PAT so glad to hear you had some good news!!!!
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Oh Leah, that's wonderful! Congrats!
Tell the Doc we need a bigger room for the scan next time. It got kinda crowded in there with all of us holding your hands.
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WOOHOO Leah! I'm so relieved!
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GREAT news Leah!! Congrats!
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Awesome Leah!
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Just what we wanted to hear Leah!
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Yipppeeee!!!!!! Leah. Great news.
Pat, glad you are getting the show on the road. I have a SIL that has had plueral effusion on two occasions. The first one was 13 years after her mastectomy. Back then, 23 years ago, she had surgery with no chemo or radiation. Weird huh? She has had fluid drained twice and a window procedure in the lining around her heart. She continues on an aromatase inhibitor and is going well. She is 70 and she was on Tamoxifen first for 5 years and then switched to AI. Hope this is encouraging to you. She has inoperable lung tumors, but the AI seems to keep them in check. She cares for my brother who is disabled due to brain damage from hydrocephalus. She is truly amazing.
I was in Austin, TX for a family wedding. All six of we "Taylor Kids" were together. Had not happened since my Mom passed in 1999. Had a great time. My sister came back to Victoria with me on Sun. and I took her to Houston on Wed. to catch her plane for Atlanta. What a great time.
Marsha, I was planning to come to Dallas for the get-together. The only problem would be if it is at the same time I have to be in Las Vegas. We will leave on Sept. 27th and come home on Wed., Oct. 1. What is the date for the gathering in Dallas? I sure hope I can make it.
Catherine, I envy the cool weather. We have been so hot and humid here. ick! Do you plan to come to Dallas? It is a quick flight from Denver. Sure hope you can make it.
Twink, hope you are over the reaction to the chemo by now. I know it is rough. Just relax and take it easy. Go with the flow and give yourself lots of rest. Let others do the moving for you. I know that is hard, but do it girl. I know it will be a pleasure for your family to help you. Arrive in Dallas and take you "position" in the beautiful back yard by the pool. LOL.
I am going to see the onc. next week. This is the one that gave my chemo. I received an EOB with a charge for a cancer marker blood test. I have never received the results. So will ask about that. As I mentioned before, the onc from MDA doesn't do any blood testing. Of course I get a full blood workup every 3 months by my Internist. I am due for a bone density to see what the Arimidex is doing to my bones.
I just read two full pages of posts and thoroughly enjoyed hearing what all of you are up to.
Terry, congrats on getting the kids off to school. I know you will miss them.
Melanie, so glad to hear from you. I know you are still feeling the loss. Glad to hear you are enjoying the grandchildren and Disney. If that plane is one of those small jets, I LOVE THEM. Once I was lucky to be jettted to Indiana by a supplier to our hospital. They picked us up in Victoria and away we went. I didn't want to fly commercial anymore. But alas, reality is I fly commercial.LOL.
A big hi to Hillary, Carynn, Phyl,and all the FCCers.
Love and hugs to all, Sammie Kay
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Hello, All!
What a fabulous week of weather we have had after a totally miserable summer! It is absolutely perfect, with zero humidity, 80 during day and 55 at night. Perfection!
I have beach plans for Sunday, but am undecided about whether to drive to an IKEA (about an hour away) or to go to the beach by myself and not miss this weather. Such a dilemna! I feel positively giddy about the choice... must be the adrenaline relief from my news this week. I feel positively **light**.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. For those with empty nests for the first time, enjoy it! I remember that first weekend.. made whatever we wanted for dinner,and I think I walked around the whole house with no clothes on !!!!!
Love.
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Leah, so happy to "sense" the giddiness in you from exhilarating news... can't you first go to the beach, and then stop by Ikea? We do not have any Ikea here... We liked these (and Habitat) in the 80's-90's...
I love your description of the wind of freedom that blows through a home when the kids leave to go on with their own life...
Stay in this blissful frame of mind as long as you can...
Wishing you all the best of week-end, enjoying a great weather here, too... but sitting at my computer, unfortunately... more work landed in my mailbox...
Hillary, how was the beach? Did you see the link I posted of the exact part of the coast where we lived before coming to Denver? You'll understand how much I miss the sea...
SammieKay, hi... your family reunion seems to have been a big success... take care.
(((((((((((((Twink)))))))))))))), ((((((((((((((((Pat)))))))))))))))
Here is some Greek music to prolong the feeling of vacation... Mousiko kanali is the real thing... get the Ouzo or retsina wine...
http://www.e-radio.gr/categories/traditional.asp
Catherine
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I had to go to page 2 to get this thread! Can we all check in please?
HAHAHAThanks for the email Twi, Love ya.
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Bad storm here - so I cant stay online. Just checking on Twink, Pat, and everyone. Take care girls - See you all soon.
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Marsha; Lol...ok...checking in! Still thinking about joining us at Disney?
Twilah; How was Megan's first day as a Texas senior? And...how are you?
Let's all talk soon about our get together date! If we need to wait a few weeks to let Twilah get settled...no problem.
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i have a few minutes before class to drop by. Have had some lovely Spring weather but it is cooler again today. Do hope the rain will stay away as we have had plenty. the house is really quiet now. DS has been in New York, he will leave for the UK tomorrow. DD2 and SIL have moved into their little house and are busy sorting out belongings. DD1 is off again this week as vocal coach to the national National Youth choir so she won't be popping around for a while. So it is just DH and me. We celebrated our 36th wedding aniversary yesterday. The bell has gone so I had better go and look at Royal finances in 17th century.
Hope all are well
Alyson
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Happy Anniversary Alyson!!!!
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checking in...just paying bills...yuck!
Hugs to Twilah (chemo tomorrow?) and Pat....Love you both!
Another one of my customers diagnosed this month....she had lumectomy and will habe rads. But no chemo.
Too many of us.
Happy Anniversary, Alyson!
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Hi fellow piggies.....quick post to say all is going ok, daily rads with 29 left to go. I know it's early but some days it feels like "HEY, I feel better already" and then like today, no, still got short of breath walking to the car. So I guess I have to be patient and stop looking at the highs and lows of each moment. This past weekend my daughter--who is NOT a yard person--got out the lawn mower and mowed front and back yards after she saw me looking at the newspaper for someone to come take care of it. She said "you're not going to pay someone while I'm able-bodied"!!! She is such a treasure to me!!
Talk later,
Pat
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Pat, thank you for checking in... don't try to do too much... your daughter seems to have her heart at the right place... so comforting... big hugs to you, hang in there... ((((((((((((((((Pat)))))))))))))
Twink, houhou... are you in Dallas or still in PA? Isn'it tx day, today? I hope you're feeling decently well and that you'll take it easy, no matter what... ((((((((((((((Twink))))))))))))))
Carynn your hair looks lovely (= you look lovely)... Marsha, hope this darn storm did not bring damage where you are and that you are both in a dry house with your doggies.
Hugs all around, take care...
got to go back to work...
Catherine
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Hi girls,
I am checking in. I had to go to page 2 once also, however today we were on page 1.
Pat, thanks for giving us an update. So sweet of your daughter helping you out with the lawn. That a biggie for a young woman. So glad you have her support. {{{{{{{Pat}}}}}}}} Take it easy and let the radiation do it's job. Remember the radiation in itself can make you very tired.
Wondering if Twink has arrived in Dallas. Know you are very busy. {{{{{{{Twy}}}}}} Do take care of yourself.
Congrats on the anniversay Alyson. What a wonderful thing to make a marriage work.
Well, Catherine, how is Denver. Convention fever huh? I have been watching some of the coverage. Have it on now for the roll call vote. I need to drag out my microphone and camera and Skype.
I have had a horrible time lately. I started with a low grade fever on Sat. afternoon. Headache, nausea etc. So I sat around Sat, Sun, Mon, sipping on sprite and eating crackers. I didn't pay attention to my elimination process. I was taking my pain pills. Long story short I got impacted, terribly. I was up all night, early Tues. Finally I awakened my DH at 5 am and sent him to the store for some aids. Didn't work. Thought I was going to have to go to ER. Finally I got some relief. It is no laughing matter. I will NEVER let that happen again. It was AWFUL. I was wringing wet with sweat, feeling faint and weak in my legs. I now have sore muscles all around my rib cage from the strain. It really took it out of me. My doctor had me come in today, but the fever was gone and she didn't recommend anything but what I was doing. I should know better, but honestly it just slipped my mind and slipped up on me. I feel better this afternoon. I had to call in sick to work for Tues, and Wed. and I am off Thurs. Back to work on Fri. Now I know why my elderly patients would get so freaked out if they missed a bowel movement. LOL. I will be one of those from now on.
Sounds like some of you are getting nice Fall days. I can't wait. Think I may have hurricane weather before we have Fall. Pray for all the folks that are at risk. Those storms are so destructive. I pray it hits a sparsely populated area.
Love and hugs to everyone. Sammie Kay
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Another FCCer checking in – with good news!
I just had my quarterly checkup with my oncologist, and he is very pleased with how I’m doing. Gone are most of my chemo-related issues - fatigue, malaise, memory loss! I don’t see him again until the first week of December, and I’ve got no scans scheduled between now and then, so I can just focus on getting through the semester!!
Other good news – I had a delightful time yesterday visiting with Twilah, her dh, and her SIL. Twilah looks wonderful, seems very chipper, and is completely on top of the massive move (she really does have a menagerie at home, between kids and pets!). She even forgave the fact that I left the chocolate at home (I had hidden it so that my dh wouldn’t get at it, and out of sight, out of mind …). I get to see Twilah about three more times at her chemo sessions before she wings her way to Dallas, so I’ll have three more chances to ply her with chocolate!
It also looks like the childcare fairies are smiling down and everything is falling into place for being able to take my classes without my dh having a conniption! So, depending on some other factors, I * might * be able make it to Dallas .. we’ll have to see …
Oh SammieKay, I hear you on the impaction – it happened to me several times during chemo and I remember crying in the bathroom. I’m hoping that the hurricane season manages to fizzle out and miss you (and everyone else in that area)!
Catherine – what are you translating these days? Anything fun/important?
Pat – Given that I’m writing several days past your post, you must have only 27 rads left to go!! And I agree, your daughter sounds like a dear …
Terry – Want to pay some of my bills – LOL! Hope all is well at the other end of PA!
Alyson – I join in on the happy anniversary wishes …
Carynn – I hope that the storm didn’t have much impact. What hairdo is Catherine talking about? Can we see a photo?
Leah – a belated congrats on your benign liver results!
To all mentioned above, as well as Marsha, Melanie, Jan, Phyl – sending great big hugs,
Hillary
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Hip hip hip, hourra!!! for the news, Hillary, yours, and Twink's... wonderful... Twilah, you are amazing...
Hillary, I can understand the thrill of immerging yourself in a new degree plan... could be an eternal student myself (and my profession makes me feel that way). Go for it!
SammieKay, boy, do I sympathize... Aromasin and calcium supplements (whichever kind I try) are killing me on that front... I tried psylium... but it seems, like you, this is going to be my fate as long as I am on Aromasin and, therefore, need calcium supplements. I walk and bike as much as I can and stay in the sun with no sunscreen (in the morning 8 to 11 at the latest) to optimize the D side of the equation... and I have not been so tanned in a long time... feels like the good old days... I intend to add more olive oil to my food... :-)
Hillary, I am still working almost exclusively in the field of radiotherapy (tons of work because of the low dollar, exports are booming I would think). It is not fun, but I view that as being more important than videogames IFU's... Now, you never know what you'll be asked to do next: I just turned down (and passed on to a friend in NY, who is a translator at the UN) a request for translating BO's tonight speech in Denver... the person in NY who sent the request has already translated the first one, published in the French press, and this is a big marketing thing for his agency... Not my line of business... sorry... I'll listen on TV, though... Hard to believe that they did not have anybody to do it... go figure!
Well, going back to my work... but I want to go play outside...
Big hugs to all,
Catherine
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Grrrrr! Lost my post. I had copied part of it and can't even get that back. Yuk!!! Sometimes sitting here with the laptop in a poorly lit room, I hit the wrong key and voila, it's gone.
I am recovered from the "episode". Won't let that happen again. Aaaarrrrrggh!
Catherine, amen about the calcium. I am scheduled for a bone density next week or so. We will see how the Arimidex is affecting my bones. Hope it is good news.
I saw the onc here last week and all is well. They did some blood work and it was normal. My BC markers were negative. I understand they are not very accurate.
I will see the onc at MD Anderson in Houston in Sept. He does a very good physical exam. The local onc leaves it to his RN and she is lousy at exams. I know as a RN myself, she skims over it very quickly, like shes afraid to leave her stethoscope on you for more than 1 sec. LOL. But I enjoy visiting with the onc and he does do blood work. So between the two oncs I get a pretty good follow up.
Hallelujah Hillary!!! Good report. Congrats on your continuing your education. Keeps that brain in good shape. I may take some more classes after I retire. I have a passion for talking to young mothers about the importance of holding marriages together to give children the two people in the world who care more about them than anyone else, Mom and Dad. As a divorcee myself and having 4 of our 6 children divorced and remarried and being a stepmom myself, I have seen the effect on our children and grandchildren. I don't advocate staying with abusers or addicts, but a lot of the problems in relationships are fixable with work and children are so vulnerable when their parents divorce. O.K. maybe counseling in my future. LOL
Twink, sounds like you are doing well. That makes me EXTREMELY happy. Can't wait to have you become a Texan! You will be saying ya'll before you know it. LOL. Hang in there with those treatments. Blast the Beast!
Speaking of hair, mine is still curly. I am just letting it grow. It is very low maintenance for the first time in my life. It isn't the most stylish, but I will take low maintenance any day.
Catherine, sounds like you stay busy with your work. That really is a good brain exercise. I too try to get the Vit.D from the sun. They say it is insurance against a recurrance, getting plenty of Vit D I mean.
Well, watching the hurricane closely. Should know more tomorrow about how much prep we have to do. We have a plan. Tomorrow will tell us if we need to implement. I have gone to bed before being told we would get a direct hit, only to wake up early next a.m. to hear it took a turn. It is really diffucult to exactly predict landfall. So we are on alert and waiting to see. We definetly would leave if we were told to evacuate. We are inland 30 miles, so we don't get a storm surge from the gulf, but we get wind damage and flooding rains. I pray for all in danger.
Pat, hope you are doing o.k. {{{{{{{{Pat}}}}}}}}}.
{{{{{{{{{Melanie, Caryn, Alyson, Marsha, Catherine, Terry, Leah, Phyl, Pat, Hillary, Lucky Mel, Jan, Twink, and I know I must be forgetting someone, please forgive me}}}}}}}}}}}, Love to all, Sammie Kay
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Hi all... hope you are enjoying a nice Labor Day week-end... SammieKay, keeping my fingers crossed for no hurricane in Corpus... or anywhere else for that matter, but it looks like a nasty one again...
Here are some very encouraging news which illustrates the good outcome of US-French cooperation:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080829/hl_afp/healthdiseasecancerbrain
Leah, is RFA the same idea?
Apparently they expect to use this laser+MRI technique for spine mets and liver mets...
We need those news...
Hugs to all,
Catherine
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Hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend. Going to the lake tomorrow, boating with friends. Hope the hurricane misses all, thinking of you Sammie Kay!
Catherine, that sounds like good news. Pat, how are you? Twilah, thinking of you as usual. Hillary when does your classes start? Carynn did I miss a new picture of you? I'm still seeing your sassy miss piggy avatar. Mel....guess I will miss the Disney trip this time. Hope you guys have a grand time. Knowing you, I'm sure you will. Have you rented out the park again?? LOL What are you up to this weekend Leah? Happy belated anniversary Alyson. Terry, how you doing with empty nest syndrome? You still have one at home, right?
Love you guys! Marsha
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WOW I'm glad August is over!! While I really feel better just after 8 radiation treatments (25 left to go) and my "crisis" period is over, two days ago we experienced another shock. Our beloved pet dog "Petey" suddenly became very ill and had to be euthanized. My daughter is naturally taking this very hard since she's had Petey for 12 years, since she was 12 herself. She chose to be with him during the procedure and we both held him and talked to him as he fell off to eternal sleep, very peacefully.
Other than THAT things are ok. I'm not working right now until rads is over since it makes me feel like I'm Gumby with rubber legs and arms (fatigue big time!). After that then we see what progress has been made and go from there. But I'm breathing so much better and have not had to go back in for more fluid removal---so it must be shrinking the mass already!!
So glad to see/read everyones happy goings and comings and continue to wish all of you the very best.
Pat
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Pat, so sorry for your doggy, it is such a difficult decision to make and the grief is so deep... big hugs to you both... and when you are ready, there will be another wonderful doggy waiting to be taken into your home... we lost our Pipin 2 years ago (15+) and have had Zoe from the shelter soon after and she helped us tremendously (young, sweet and fun). Hope the rads won't get you too too exhausted... try to rest as much as you can...
Catherine
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HI all,
High and dry here in South Texas. Praying for the folks in Louisiana and all the Gulf Coast. And of course now the Eastern Atlantic Coast. I have a granddaughter in North Carolina at school.
We dodged the bullet once again. Hallelujah.
So sorry to hear about your dear "Petey". I know you and your daughter are so sad. They are such a part of our families and leave such a big hole in the heart. I am glad you don't have to work during rads. I didn't have rads, but hear from others how hard they are on one. Especially the tiredness. Take good care of yourself and rest, rest,rest. {{{{{{{{{Pat}}}}}}}}} Pat is my younger sister's name, very special name to me.
I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I re-potted a bunch of plants for my patio. I have somewhat of a green thumb and everything outgrows the pots. So I bought bigger pots and moved everyone on up a size. It is so very hot and humid here. Hard to go outside and work.
I will check out the link you sent Catherine. Always interested in new treatments.
We lost our dear retired Chief Nursing Officer. She had been DON, then Administrative Assistant and then the HIPPA Official for our hospital. She worked until she was about 75. Retired and got cancer. It was pancreatic and liver. She lived about 9 months.
Well Marsha, looks like you could be in the path of Hanna. Take care and do your Hurricane Dance to send her on her way back out into the Atlantic. LOL
Well, better go to bed. Have to work tomorrow.
Hugs to all, love you all, Sammie Kay
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