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Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?
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Hi all,
Belinda, I have mild lymphedema and went for therapy and was instructed in lymph massage, which I perform on myself at home. Also, they fitted me for sleeve and gauntlet. Of course my insurance company has managed to cheat me on the payment. I called and told them I was going to another hospital in town and they assured me that I didn't need to precert because it was outpatient. Now they are only paying 25 dollars of 118 dollars. Oh well, they pay very well on most things. I am on 100% pay for this year. I have met the 2500 dollar out of pocket. But it is the principle, they told me I was o.k. and then renegged,
Good to hear from you Belinda. Keep in touch.
Catherine, "8 miles" wow. No wonder you are sore. Keep up the good work. Can we expect to read about you? Let us know the name of the magazine. You are becoming quite the celebrity. LOL. I know you are excited about your sister's visit. My sister will visit me the end of Sept. We are traveling to the Rio Grande Valley for the 100th anniversary of the town where we both were born. That is down on the Mexican border. Quite a colorful area. My high school class is having a reunion also. Can't believe next year will be 50th class reunion. I still fell like a teenager at heart. Your plants sound beautiful.
Hillary, I am with you about the hair. I don't have enough to go topless yet. But I do feel a little prickly something up there. I still wear my wig. When real hot, i wear a baseball cap.
Leah and Tink, thinking about both of you. Keep us posted on your upcoming events.
I am going to work tomorrow. I really need to and have been available, however, the hospital is in a slump as far as surgerical cases go, so I have not been able to work. I am parttime and the hours go to fulltime employees first. So happy to get an opportunity to work. It helps pay for my insurance premiums.
My granddaughter, who is sixteen is coming tomorrow evening and staying with me until Mon. We will have a great time. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with her.
Marsha, Carynn, Alyson, Twink, Vegas, MelanieW,Jan,Terry,hmmmm has chemobrain struck, if I forgot someone please forgive me. I love all of you. Oh yeah, can't forget Phyl. And haven't heard from Pat lately.
SammieKayxxooxx.0 -
Twink; I am not sure when I will schedule BRCA testing. I am from a large family of mostly women and other than a distant cousin, I am the first to have cancer on either my maternal or paternal sides. Weird. I would not do the testing if it weren't for my daughter. My onc really doesn't see the need, but I need to know for her sake. I don't think it is relevant right now for my granddaughter as I hope the future brings an end to this nasty disease.
Jan; I gave up mowing years ago. My "lawn ranger" can get my 8 acres mowed in a day....works for me!
Catherine; 8 miles! Impressive! I had BP rises all during chemo. The nurses were not worried at all. Even though I didn't feel anxious, just being there must have made it rise. Even though I am not on follow up treatment, I still have achy joints. My granddaughters want me in the floor playing with them. Of course I sit there and play their little piano and do puzzles, but boy it is tough to get up!
Vegas; I thought about the prenatals, but haven't done that yet. I can imagine the look of disbelief on your son's face! Shame on you! LOL!
Hillary; Hoooooray for finishing rads! I say that if you are ready to go topless...go for it! Today is my second "topless" day. I don't have much hair, but I have eyebrows and eyelashes now so I don't feel so "alien". I have an appointment today to get it colored and to do something with the neckline. It still looks very boyish, but it is hot to wear my hat.
Belinda; Congrats on finishing chemo!
Sammie Kay; I look forward to my granddaughters getting old enough for me to do all the girly things that I used to do with my daughter. I really feel like that is possible now! It sounds like you truly enjoy the time you spend with yours. I love every minute, but being toddlers...they wear me out chasing them!
Carynn; Your driver is getting into all sorts of trouble lately. That whole deal week before last was wrong. They should have given him his spot back.
The weekend is almost here! I hope everyone has a great one!0 -
I know this sounds trivial in the big picture, but does anyone notice Andy Rooney eyebrows developing? I just noticed my eyebrows are getting rather long (and that's ok) but many of them are standing straight out or going every which way.
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HEEHEEHEE Phyl that is too funny. Yes, me, I do!!!! And you know what? I hate to pluck em. Decided it wasn't any rooney but Brooke Sheilds! haha
I am back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So yesterday the director of the theatre here calls me and asks me if I would sit on a panel of actors for this adult education class they were holding, answer questions about auditioning, rehersal, backstage (got some stories there!) etc etc. Anyhooooooo...........you know what? I'm the funny one. I like being the funny one. I guess I just didn't feel like laughing so didn't feel like making anybody else laugh either. But man, people coming up to me afterwards telling me how much they have enjoyed my performances and one said had already picked out the role this season that I would be perfect for. Made me remember that I like that feeling. They are just smiling away at us and soooooooooo enjoying getting a "look backstage".
Any way enough about all that stuff. Ladies, it is up to you to remind me that life is so much better when you just let it goooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Whatever happens will happen and today is today.
Catherine, I expect you to come on here and say, Thank God there is our Marsha! Love to all, Marsha0 -
Belinda, girlfriend where have you been? Do you know we are planning a get together in Feb 2008???????
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You know Melanie, looking at your picture, I bet you look great with your topless self. That looks like a nice bone structure to me! So glad to see you posting!
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Oh, Marsha, I'm so glad that you're getting interested in theater again. If anything can snap you out of a funk, it is that! I hope you throw yourself into your roles this fall!
Hugs,
Hillary0 -
Yes, Marsha, very pleased to see you back here...
I do not know where to post anymore, we are all over the place... between the Circle the wagons girls, the Crispy Cruisers, etc. I read Gina's (NoSurrender) blog about Pinkstock, and this is such a wonderful page. I do a lot of reading still, on the various forums, but it seems I am back in always rushing to do something else...
Marsha... yes, I love you in this brighter mood... go for it, girlfriend, theater is your thing, don't miss any opportunity to enjoy it. Did you get your OBGY results? Is you skin getting a little better? Is Tamoxifen bearable? Did you find out more info about support for a new surgery? I cannot stand the idea of you being so depressed and "just wanting your mommy"...
Guys, I have been enjoying everybody's posts, wherever I could find them. Carynn, sweetie, have a great wedding party time and hopefully you will forget your aches and pains... How are the kittens doing? What kind of project are you working on?
Leah, did you secure some contracts or are you going to restart that "marketing campaign" after your dream trip to Italy? Are you working on your Italian? I bet you can access anything you want "Live" on the Internet... RAI Uno, etc. Will be thinking of you for the RFA procedure to zap your liver spot. I look at the beautiful pics of your lush hair... and I am green with envy... I look like a 13 year-old tomboy (in spite of the salt and pepper hair), and it is still very short...
Melanie, so nice to have you post again. I love your avatar pic, you are radiant... pure sunshine... enjoy your summer with the little ones. Hope you are feeling good.
Twink, Hillary, Sammie Kay, Phyl, Karen, Terry... loved your posts, too. Hoping you are all enjoying your summer, too. We just had 2 great showers to cool things down a bit and water the yard... I noticed that I have all kinds of holyhock and cosmos seeds sprouting all over the place after all this rain... I am trying to have a perennial yard... the climate seems perfect here... Just hope not to be bit by a mosquitoe with West Nile virus...
The house is filled with the fragrance of lavender: feels like being in Provence, with the cicadas/cigales (locust?) outside and this lovely smell... I cut it all now (at 3 different times during the growing season), and made bouquets to dry in the basement... now I will get all this to make sachets to freshen up drawers... The job I was supposed to do this week has been delayed so I can keep playing outside and read thrillers...
I have been sticking to my biking routine and can feel the good effect. I feel full of energy, and my legs are stronger (my abs too).
Well, everybody, thinking of you all and sending big hugs. I wish we could find out about Tink and her baby... Are you out here, Tink? I hope "no news = good news"...
A nice evening to all,
CatherineH0 -
Gee - I have just read back over the past couple of weeks of posts. I reckon we have the full range of twists and turns going on here. Marsha - just read your story about the second mastectomy. I've prob said, I had the second one off really quickly after the first - no regrets. I hope you get what you want from your surgeon. And your acting class sounds fantastic - so good to start to hear stories about how we are getting on with life.
Are things atsrting to warm up in NZ Alyson?
And Hillary - congrats on the end of rads.
I love everyone's stories of hair and eyelashes...and lives in general.
Today I woke up for the first time, having only had herceptin (not taxol) yesterday, not feeling like my pee was toxic and my body was full of poison. It's a good feeling but I am very very tired right now.
I am overdoing it at work. I started back quite a few weeks ago, went back to my small team of 8 which since then has doubled in size. I work in the public service, and my CE seems so glad to have me back, he's given me a heap of new projects to manage. I am responsible, at the moment, for cutting red tape for business in our State by 25% by next June, reforming the State's land use planning system, and they are just the biggest projects! We don't actually do all the work of course - we co-ordinate the rest of Government through some public committee's that lead the charge.
So, I am right back into my old workaholic ways...it's been good for the past few weeks because it leaves no room for the fear of bc and all it can wreak, but I am gonna take stock now and work out what is sustainable.
Does anyone have a view about whether good, healthy, satisfying work stress can cause bc to recurr?
My daughter (5 yo) has circus school this am (it's Saturday here) and a birthday party later today - the rest of the weekend is for resting, and for playing with designs for a new house we are building - in an eco-village on the river close to the CBD (Look Up Lochiel Park South Australia and check the uilder allocation plans if you are interested).
Love the sound of the get together in Feb - brother works for Qantas so I can get cheap fares - just a case of planning ahead and being able to get time off work (I used all my leave during chemo).
Hugs to you all and hope you have lovely weekends.
Belindaxxx0 -
HELLOOOOooooooo my bosom buddies!! Long time no post but I have been keeping up with all of you. I'm back working full time and have been feeling really good now that I'm paying more attention to my health. I'm eating better and I'm on my feet all day at work. The mediport is out and no further treatments since I'm trip neg. My oncol. just wants to see me every 3 months for tumor makers and then after a few cycles of that every 6 then yearly and so on.
At first I had thought of not having reconstruction done but now I think some time next summer (after I build up enough sick and vacation time) I'll go ahead and do it. My oncologist says she wants me to consider very strongly having my right breast also removed since there's already a history of dcis there. I'm gonna do it.
Oh yea, I had my yearly mammo done on the only boob left, last week, and thank GOD it was 'normal'!! I was praying hard as I waited there while the radiologist read the films. Then she calls me into her office and I thought I was going to faint since they never talk to you right then and there unless something's wrong. Well I sit on her chair and she shows me my mammo films and "says don't worry, everything is fine". Then she shows me my mammo and ultrasound films from the right breast BEFORE I had my mastectomy done and there's a white glob almost the size of a golf ball that was the mass. The thing that amazed her was how fast the tumor had grown since the previous mammo just 6 months ago was totally clear! Weird.
Anyway....things are getting back to normal whatever that is. My hair is growing everyday but still a couple of patches of scalp showing so not topless yet, but close.
Thanks you all for being here and sharing your lives, the good, bad and the ugly.
Love, Pat0 -
Pat, hi, you sound great! And congrats on your clear scans. We all know the fear of sitting and wating for the "word". LOL
Belinda, you think you might could come in Feb?? It will be the end of the month. Phyl is coming to Florida for Bike Week the first of March so that is how this got started. We are thinking beach house somewhere. I know that is along way for you but we would so love to meet you too. WOW your job sounds important. I think there are different kinds of stress and they each work on the body different. The one that worries about life and death is the one that probably isn't good for us BC gals! But what do I know for sure? Just try leaving work stress at your desk when you leave the office everyday.
Hillary how is your skin doing? Since I can't wear a bra I feel like I am wearing the same baggy shirt all the time. My chest is still radiating some serious heat, 8 days after my last zap!
On the hair front someone told me the other day mine looked ALMOST like a really short hair cut. hahaha
Catherine, I'm sure there will be alot of I want my mommy days LOL but I'm trying really hard to let go of what I can't control. You have been so sweet and so supportive to all of us. I haven't gotten the gyn results yet so am thinking with my history, no news is good news. If that pelvic ultrasound and transvaginal U/S had been bad someone would have called by now! I gotta say tho, when that tech handed me the "wand" with the golfball like thing on the end and said insert it like a tampon I about died. Man the indignaties we go thru. LOL My only SE from tamox seems to be the night sweats/hot flashes. Oh and I had blood drawn, she calls to tell me my cholestrol is high (never has been before) and I should start watching my diet. Well I of course googled that and found out that test should have been a fasting test and I had it done right after lunch. Decided not to worry with that crap right now!
Carynn how is that booby doing? Most people I've talked to that had lump and rads say it is under the boob that will get sore. Thinking about you.
Leah, you OK?
SammieKay, hope you are having fun with your granddaughter. bet you spoil her rotten.
Hi Vegas, Twink, Karen, Terry, Jan and anyone I may have missed. Hugs all around, Marsha0 -
Marsha, so glad the acting is bringing you up and making you happy! It sounds wonderful - of course in my mind I am THE world's greatest stage actress, but put me in front of a "real" audience and I do the deer in the headlights thing! I give lots of credit to people like you who can do that - what a wonderful gift, and even more so to be able to make people laugh. Cause as we know all too well here, laughter IS the best medicine.
Belinda, I think that work stress can be a good stress if it is the kind you enjoy. I love the challenge of doing 16 things at once and making stuff happen much of the time, and even though I bi**h about it, I really do like most of what I do. My muscles are not knotted at all and I don't need a massage. That would be a good stress.
The kind where your stomach hurts and you are all tensed up would be a bad kind of work stress. Sounds like you do enjoy your work perhaps? So I think your type of stress is probably good for you.
Catherine, you always sound so relaxed and so INTERESTING! Riding bikes, raising flowers and making sachets, fixing gourmet feasts. I think I want to be YOU when I grow up! LOL
Melanie, I am jealous - I am so ready for grandkids, especially after my oldest got engaged this past week. Of course they are not getting married for a year yet, and I don't think they plan on having kids for a couple of years after that even, but I am READY! I love babies and toddlers, and I really intend to ENJOY my grandkids and spoil them rotten!!0 -
Hi, Vegas... you are so sweet... and fun... Don't despair, the grand-kids may come sooner than planned...
Little ones certainly ground us in the magic of the simplest things in life... and their future depends on what is being transmitted to them... they need everybody to share this big responsibility... I sound a bit grandiloquent here, but I am in the middle of a fascinating book by a contemporary French philosopher (André Comte-Sponville, "The Spirit of Atheism") which has extremely interesting pages about the duty of transmission of what made/makes our civilization...
The summer is lovely in Denver...
I wish you all a gentle Sunday...
Hugs all around,
CatherineH0 -
Just home from the ranch. It was a great time. Not only was the wedding going on, but it was round up time as well.
I have a lot of posts to catch up with, but I thought I would tell you that I went topless to the wedding. I didnt plan on it, brought my favorite wig, but it was so warm yesterday (over 100 which is really hot for up there) and the wedding was outside in the heat of the day. So, we got ready and I thought what the hell...I joked with DH that I was afraid if I wore the wig I'd faint in the heat, knocking my wig off and scaring people that my head had come off.
So I got all the "you can really pull that look off" comments (I'm starting to think that is the standard comment to all chemo paitients!), but I really enjoyed myself. Unfortunately, DH didnt take any pix, but I'll try and post one soon.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Carynn0 -
Good for you, Carynn... over 100 degrees... hope you could stay in the shade. This week, I have done all my walks "topless" and I enjoy the comfort... I keep my straw hat on my back for too sunny spots, otherwise just let the breeze play with what cannot be called real hair yet, but it is getting there... I just wonder whether the Tamox will hamper this revival effort of my hair system...
How is your RA doing? Did the new shots help? How often will you need them... Hope you are enjoying your pool... take care, both of you, and enjoy the sweetness of being "back home"... (who took care of the kittens?)... have a great week at work...
Hugs,
Catherine0 -
Carynn, I second Catherine's congrats! I have one week until T-Day (i.e. topless day). I've got an appointment next Saturday to get my hair colored. If I'm going to go out with a very, very, very, very, very short "haircut", I don't want to also have gray!!! I've been preparing my son, by going topless at home. This is a fairly recent development -- previously he had wanted me to wear a cap around the house, as he doesn't like to be reminded about my "sickness", as he calls it. He's still worried about what his friends are going to say about my short 'do, but I tell him that they will not possibly think that I had been bald.
Hugs,
Hillary0 -
Hillary and Carynn, good for you! Once you do the bog T you forget about it and people are basically nice anyway don't you think? Hillary, the young son thingy is different so good for you breaking him a little at a time. His fiends may think you look "cool" hee hee!
Vegas, you sound like you ready for life in general! Good for you and so good to see you more often!
Catherine, my dear earth mother, I am conforted just to know you care about me.
Love ya all, Marsha0 -
Carynn, glad you had such a great time at the wedding and certainly don't blame you for deciding to go topless. It sure IS hot with the wigs on in the 100+ heat! I played golf both Saturday and Sunday and thought I was going to melt. But until this curly kinky fuzz gets back to something a little more normal I am going to have to suffer in silence. Ah well, winter is coming! 0
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Great to hear all the positive things that are going on. I had a real downer last week, was so tired and everything just got on top of me. It surprises me when it happens because on the whole I have managed to be very positive through out this incredible journey.
You are brave ladies to go topless. I manage to do so around the house these days and have even gone to good friends across the road but haven't been brave enough to go out without my wig yet. DH makes fun about my hair ll the time as it is whiter than his, never mind I will change its colour as soon as I can. I am so pleased that I didn't have to wear my wig in the middle of summer.
My eyelashes are growing really quickly which is great. Do have hair elsewhere and it is darker than before - it was ginger!! Still no hair on my legs as yet but have had a little of the white downy hair on my face which I removed.
It has been a beautiful day here but still cool out of the sun and the wind was very chill. I have a few daffodils out and my hyacinths are flowering. The beautiful colours make me so thankful to be alive. The magnolia tree is about to break into flower which to me indicates that spring is almost here. It is almost 5pm here and it is getting decidedly cool. My sister has lit the fire in the front room so will go in there as soon as I have finished this and warm up.
Hugs to all
Alyson0 -
It's so nice to read everybody's updates -- in general, you all sound so good. More ups than downs lately and almost everyone talking about going topless. I'm travelling this week on business and decided that I'm not going to bring a wig...so, topless it is for me! Heading to Philly this morning for my second opinion at U Penn. Although I'm looking forward to getting the information from that appointment I think I'm more excited about meeting Hillary for lunch. I must remember to bring my camera!
I'll be scarce until the weekend when I return from Vancouver. Then, this Sunday, it's our 26th anniversary and we'll likely be out celebrating that auspicious occasion. Wow!
Hugs for every one of you.0 -
Twink, "Why limit happy to an hour?" Tooooo funnnnny!
You and Hillary have a great lunch. Someone better take a camera! Marsha0 -
Whooo hooo Carynn went topless! And looks like Twink is next!
Some of you may remember my hubby cut off all his long hair in support of me before I had chemo. He's decided to let it grow back. Its coming in fast and dark but salt and pepper on the sides near his ears. Going to be interesting to see what color he ends up with as it looks black! He had dark auburn hair!0 -
Hi! I'm just back from lunch with Twilah. Our Twilah is tall, blonde and glamorous! She went topless; I'm still in my wig, but I bared it for some pictures. We had lots of pictures taken of the two of us!
More later ...
Hugs,
Hillary0 -
Hillary, Twilah... can't wait to see the pics... so nice that you could meet for lunch... something that would probably not have happened without these boards...
Have all a nice day,
CatherineH 0 -
What fun! I'm so glad we met...here we are at the restaurant (Hillary wasn't yet topless). I don't think there was a single moment of uncomfortable silence...yak yak yak.
Then, at the doctor's office...I was so lucky to have a personal tour guide (this is where Hillary's onc is too). Now we're both topless.
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I'm getting excited about February in Florida.
Now, for the update. The second opinion was mostly like the first opinion. The only difference is that today's onc suggested she might lean ever so slightly toward radiation. I'll be making an appointment with a radiation oncologist to check that out. The benefit would be minor and not without risk (because of the left side). No more chemo for me though...a mixed blessing I suppose.0 -
Catherine,
Thanks for asking about the work situation. While I was radiating, it was nigh impossible to go for interviews. So I did a lot of networking and internet searches. I had a 5 hour interview last Friday and actually landed the work. Even though they wanted a full time employee, I talked them into long term contract work. However, I am not sure I want the work at this point. I feel a real tendency towards self-protection, and this work has the potential to be 20X7, with lots of domestic travel. I can work around the clock, so I would rather try and find something else. It would have been right at other times in my career; might not be right now. Not sure why the universe sent me the work- I will have to think long and hard about all the signs.
Two other possibilities will be pursued in the coming weeks, so I asked for some time to get back to them with an answer. I can't think much about beyond my procedure next Tuesday, and then a few days of runaway time at the end of the week next week.
I am played hooky today and went fishing with some old guy-friends. We had a ball. What a beautiful day to be out on the Connecticut River. We are having some terrific weather, and I wanted to enjoy it.It was great!
Marsha, so good to have you back. I missed you. SO now I can bug you about Florida in good conscience! I need to X out the week now, so we need to put a stake in it. Would also like to explore tix, as this is the Northeast school vacation week in February, and plane tix to FLorida are booked months in advance.
Have some "normal" doctor appointments tomorrow- gyn, teeth, etc. so I will be doing that. Back to work for thes rest of the week, and I will probably bid adios to this contract and just skate until 8/27, when I go for a week to another client for a short stint of work.
I told everyone with whom I am interviewing that the first two weeks of October are non-negotiable vacation, so I can be guilt free! I am trying some elementary Italian through a free Rosetta Stone subscription through my local library sytem. It is learning as you learned as a child, and I seem to be jsut breezing right along!
Thinking of you all while I am in alternate universes...
Love.0 -
Onc called to say that based on her review of the Johns Hopkins path report, combined with the opinion (mixed) of the tumor board, she now recommends radiation and more chemo. I start again on Wednesday (carboplatin this time) -- 4 rounds, 3 weeks apart. Bah...I don't care, I'm sticking with the Feb chemo cruisers...not jumping to the August group now.
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The pictures are wonderful. Twink and Hillary you look fabulous. I think it is wonderful you have met. Wished you all lived closer to Ohio!!
Twink-sorry to hear about more treatment but good to have the best of everything to wipe IT all out!! We will be here for you!!
One more dose of rads tomorrow.
Catherine, I want you to be my neighbor. You are so delightful!!
Karen0 -
Twink - I got on to tell you and Hillary how beautiful you both look and how great it is that you got to meet!
Having said that, I just read your lastest post, and I'm shocked! Did they tell you why they thought radiation alone wasnt enough? The good news is that they are catching everything now and not letting you wait 6 months thinking you've got the all clear, only to have to start all over again.
And dont even think about jumping to August! We are not letting you disembark - you are stuck with us for the duration. I'm sending you a big hug and telling you again what you already know - we've got your back girlfriend.
((((Twink)))0 -
Twink and Hillary, you both look fabulous! If my hair looked that good I would go topless too! Unfortunately it is just a mass of unruly cowlicks that stick out at weird places. I even tried gelling it, and my son told me I looked like something related to Wolfman Jack.
Twink, I am shocked too and SO sorry you have to go thru yet more chemo. But Carynn is right - you are not allowed off the boat! You are stuck with us for the duration and we will be here to keep you company.
Karen, congrats on being almost done!0
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