Chemo in Sept 08
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Tanzie, (Lei)
Your cellulite keeps saying "hello" to me!!! (Your card is on my desk and cracks me up every time I look at it!!)
Spring.
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Jane,
My rad doc told me to put cornstarch under the girls to keep down oiliness...course I'm not as perky as I was 40 years ago and I do itch a lot...Maybe cornstarch will help a bit Juli...hugs to ya..
bettys girl, If you can't vent on the Breast Cancer boards then where...My actor fan boards would not appreciate reading very much of what I post here, though I do catch them up when I finish a treatment. I have a huge grandma crush on Jake Gyllenhaal and couldn't subject some of his boards and my friends on them with all my chemo/cancer/insurance angst or about my very real SE"s... I have a son who is battling his way free of his own situation and I Have to be very strong for him, I'm a divorced mom who is disabled for too long and whose husband got tired of his responsibilities and so dropped all divorce provisions I have to battle him after rads of 2.5 years of Child support.
I'm grateful for much in my life...especially the co-op my mom left me but I am not above letting go on these boards... I care about all of you and I love sending you all love and God's blessings before I go to sleep...you are all in my thoughts everyday.
I am sending up prayers for your friend's 14 year old daughter. I can't imagine her pain and fear for her daughter. I sat with a friend whose 2 year old was dxed with Leukemia 10 years ago. He's been well since he finished his treatment... I've seen a parents pain up close and I pray God is with her and will hold her close and her family.
Juli sending you lots of hugs and no more rashes.
OT
Woody Allen new film "Whatever Works" opens the Tribeca Film Festival tonight. The festival is here until until 5/3/09...maybe I can find a film opening to attend. Tribeca is very easy going...maybe the prices are adjusted this year too... I was at a bus stop, on the Upper East Side coming home from my rheumy today. I looked behindme and noted an entire block of stores all closed up but three... so sad for me..though I'm far from well off, I love the shops and all the glamour and whatever used to be... I also love frugality...oh well...time for frugality for all of us who will.
Genia looks like we'll be going through our rads together.I start Wednesday... was tatted last week
Stopping for a while at page 104 to preserve my arm's steroid effectiveness.
love you all,
mina
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Hi girls,
I THINK, I forgot to take my tamoxafin this morning. I got all the vitamins out at the breakfast table with my tamox, then had fun bouncing the pills across the table to my son. I was in the car later and it struck me that I don't remember actually taking the tamox. It is now 4 in the afternoon and I haven't had any hot flashes today, (most unusual). I don't want to take it now, just in case I did take it. I have heard of lots of different ways to remember to take you pill, but didn't think I needed it. I am assuming that all will be well and that I won't die.
Sending healing vibes to you poor rads girls.
Take Care, Singapore Chris x
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Mina - Thanks for the hugs! I don't have any rashes though, just stinging pain when my body heats up.
I went to my 1st line dancing class last night. a class of 47 seniors! Wow! It was so much fun, except when the stinging pain started on my hands and arms. But after my body cooled down, the pain went away, and luckily, the last dance wasn't as strenuous as the first one and I didn't heat up. At the break I told the instructor about the pain when I get hot and that I might go outside and finish a dance just to cool off. LOL
I kept my hat on the entire time, which didn't help with the heat problem. Maybe next week I will have the nerve to take it off.
Chris - every night I put the next day's pill in a little pill box, so I remember if I took all my pills.
Hoping for good results of my lung scan today.
Genia - How are you doing?
hugs!
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Mina, good to hear from you.
Chris, I am sure you won't explode!
I forgot it one night and woke up at 3AM and took it! I take mine at bed time....Spring...
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I'm doin ok Juli....thanks for askin!!!
I found this while doing some reading this morning.....thought you all might be interested in reading it.
Waltz Studies Protein and Breast Cancer
A Department of Surgery scientist has won a five-year, $1.5 million National Cancer Institute grant to study the link between one of the body's naturally occurring "receptor" proteins and breast cancer.Associate Professor Susan Waltz, PhD, will investigate the function of the Ron receptor tyrosine kinase. This protein occurs normally in epithelial cells, which form the covering and lining of tissues in the body.
Receptors are specialized parts of a cell whose job is to respond to the chemical signals that control the function of the cell. Specifically, the Ron receptor tyrosine kinase is believed to regulate cell division and migration.
Recently, Italian researchers noticed that a large fraction of breast tumors contained a significant over-production (20 fold) of the Ron receptor compared with normal breast tissue. This finding, and subsequent studies by Dr. Waltz's team, raised the possibility that over-production of the Ron receptor might actually be involved in the cause or progression of breast cancer.
Although no one can yet explain the connection between increased Ron receptor protein and breast cancer, it does exist, and Dr. Waltz and her team have been able to reproduce this association in laboratory mice.
"It's a very promising direction," Dr. Waltz says, "and obviously a new target for investigation and therapy, so we jumped on it."0 -
Ron receptor tyrosine kinase - this is a new on me!!!! Amazing. Hopeful! I just wonder if it will be something like this that cracks the nut of it all...
Spring.
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That's what I was thinking too Bev.....kinda like the Herceptin discovery. I sure hope they find a cure soon........tooooo many lives being lost to this beast!!!
Lost a friend last week. She wasn't a close friend...but I talked to her at times. She was only 31.....just so sad....she left a 3 year old son.
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Genia - My step-dad's name is Ron, so I told my mom I was blaming my breast cancer on him and his receptors! LOL
The problem with having 2 oncs in the same office is they disagree on my treatment. One said Tamoxifen, the other said Arimidex, and now, since it's time to pick one, I got a script for Tamoxifen. He said if I was tested now to see if I am postmenopausal, the results wouldn't be accurate because I haven't been off chemo long enough. So it's Tamox for a year, then switch. Sound familiar Beverly?
The good news... my lungs have improved. The bad news... nothing can be done for the stinging pain in my hands and arms when I get hot flashes or exercise. Thank you Taxol.
I thought I might be able to get my port out, but one onc says I might do Herceptin again some day... the other one says I won't.
hugs
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Juli....do your Oncologist rotate or something? Why do you see both of them? I could see where that would be a problem......and just how long does he say you have to keep your port in? SOMEDAY??? I sound like the overprotective sister here don't I?
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Oh Genia, sorry about your friend. 31 is so young, and a tot too.
(((Jules, another big sister here!!! Does the port bug you at all? (Like it drove Genia and me nutzo? I say it was worth a bilateral Mx to get that thing OUT!) Anyhow, if it bugs you, I'd get it out. Good grief, "someday"? Genia, are you getting herceptin without a port? I mean really!!! Julie is not your pin cushion medical play doll people!!!
but yes, the Tamoxifen for a year or so sounds like what I'll be doing. Hey, you should ask them, Jules, for the test that sees how well you metabolize Tamoxifen. It is a test of an enzyme, like a genetic thing. If you are not a good metabolizer, you may want to skip and go straignt to the AI? Just a thought!!
Hey Genia, are you on anything like Tamox. or an AI now?
And Jules, what Genia, said, how come there are two oncs? (Is this like rotating when you are pregnant and need ot see each doctor in the office?) lol
Spring.
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Oh Jane, I heard back from my Dr. on the Tamoxifen and my ER+/PR- It is basically because I am an extreme metabolizer that she wants to do this. She says, it is not known at all, the didn't separate out (in the other studies) the extreme metablizers, and some people feel the metabolizm thing is *very* important, though, it is not proven yet.
She said, I can move to an AI any time I want if I am not comfortable with this. I am thinking to stay on it for 1-2 years and get the benefit, then switch to another, and suck that one dry too!!!
Just call me a guinea pig! laws.
Spring.
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Genia - I have no idea how my office decides who will see me. I don't know who it is until one walks in the room. I don't go back for a month (to get my port flushed). Maybe I'll ask then. Right now I'm too tired to think about it. Must be the rads...#24 today! 0
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Almost done Jules!!!
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Spring - Never had a problem with my port. I am grateful for that because I have well-hidden veins. LOL
...And how did you decide whether to take the Tamox in the morning or at night?
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My husband's name is Ron...he always was a boob man! My port comes out next Tuesday. I'm on Femara and I think mine rolled onto the floor last night. My dd has a friend who works at our local CVS where we get our prescriptions, and greeting cards and OTC meds, etc. I guess the store just got a list from headquarters of the store's top 25 customers I'm number 12. Does that mean my family and I spend that much more in Rx than the rest of our town?
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Jane - Congrats on being #12! Maybe you can make it onto the Top Ten List! LOL
Maybe you will get a preferred customer discount!
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I can only imagine what #1 buys! I'll have to get my daughter to pry that info out of her friend!
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Well, I finally got brave enough to go to work with out my wig or a hat. It is just too hot hear for a wig and the hats are just too much trouble. My hair has gotton about 3/4 inch long. Hope it just keeps on growing.
Juli - good for you, line dancing is a great exercise. Take it easy to build up your strength, but that should help your lungs and heart. Wow, I would dump the port. My onc said we should keep it in for a while......b..s...my surgeon offered to take it out....I agreed. It feels so much better to have it gone !!
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Jules, I read on a bunch of Tamox threads here that most take TAmoxifen at night thinking they sleep through the symptoms. So it seems to work for me.
Trude, 3/4 inch is about when I ditched the wig. It will grow! People say I can pull off a short pixie, lol.
Jane, top 10!! Wooot! What Jules said! lol!!!! We actually had so many medical expenses this last year, from yours truly, that we were able to itemize and deduct on the income taxes!!! ugh.
I am off this weekend for a Women's retreat with my church! Lots of great GFs and getting away will be nice. I get picked up at 3 or 330!!! Won't be back until Sunday.
Make it a great wkend you beauties!!!
Love love love, Spring.
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Spring - Sounds wonderful, a retreat! Have a great time!
I will get to deduct my medical expenses again for this year. I hope next year I won't!
Happy Friday! Hugs
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I ranked a deduction, too.
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Hi girls,
Trude, well done for going commando, it is so much cooler, I am sure you look fantastic.
Spring, how lovely, a retreat, the word makes me feel relaxed. Hope you are having a wonderful time.
Jane, I take it a deduction is good,
I have no idea of what you girls are talking about when it comes to medical as it's different here. Juli, you take care, there won't be many medical bills for any of us next year.
Genia, how are you doing?
Mina, what's happening with you, are you feeling alright.
I am so happy your rads are coming to an end. Jane how many more?
All is well with me, I have just had a nice swim and am off to a wine tasting in 5 mins with dh. Tomorrow night I leave for the UK, so am packed and looking forward to that, I will probably check in with you guys as there is a computer in the hotel I am staying at.
Have a good weekend girls. Singapore Chris x
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Chris - Sounds like a great weekend ahead for you. Hope you have a wonderful time in England.
It's Robin and I that are doing rads right now. I have 11 more and I think Robin has 9. Mina and Genia will be starting rads soon, I think.
My best friend is moving to Montana next month. I am very sad about that. She is having a yard sale today, so I think I will go visit.
Have a great weekend!
hugs!
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Hi Girls,
Juli, I knew that! Jane is in the middle of healing or hopefully at the end. You and Robin are almost there, are you feeling tired at all, what with working and everything? I hope you are going to find a nice way to celebrate the end of your treatment. Sorry to hear about your best friend moving, it's always so hard to leave people behind. I left my best friend in Holland, she moves back to the UK this summer. When I am home this week, I will catch up with another best friend I made years ago.
Have a good day girls. Singapore Chris x
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i dn't know if it's a sign of spring or if we are all getting to that point where we are beginning to move on to other things that we are back on page two again.
I have been in a funk not sure if it is tamox or just stress and fatigue. Life can be such a pain some days.
I hope that all are doing well and that life is looking up for you. I wish you cool breezes and sunny days. Have a great week.
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Chris - Just tired of working. I typed 4 reports this weekend. I did spend 2 hours at my friend's yard sale, and got to see pics of her visit to Montana a couple weeks ago. It looks beautiful there, but I keep wondering how a California girl is going to survive a Montana winter! brrr..
Lisa - How long have you been on Tamox? Any other SE's?
Yesterday I booked the 4-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas that I am going on Oct. 29th.
Wish y'all were going too!hugs!
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Just added up my hospital/tests/doctors' bills for my little vacation last month...$117,232.37, of which I have to pay $6,129.00. Thank you insurance! 0
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Don't forget about me. I'm on rad #18 of 28. So far, so good.
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I'm here...just mighty busy with unpacking from the move, church, and rads. It's been raining so much here, that I've considered building an ark, just in case!
8 more rads to go...I'm looking at those orange construction cones and wondering whether the Dept of Transportation would let me use one to keep my radiated boob safe from random bumps!
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