Chemo in Sept 08
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Crap, Jane, 76% woman! What a heart!
Hi all - I had my yearly GYN checkup yesterday, it was an anniversary thing, as last year this is when the lump was discovered, and you all know what hell broke loose after that... Come a long way in a year. Now I have curly hair! LOL. IT was not as bad as I thought. the appt and all, I was sort of dreading it. Hope the pap comes back normal.
I need to go in on Friday for an abdominal ultrasound. The GYN said it's probably nothing, but felt something thick in my gut area. And given my dx history, is taking no chances. So here we go, back to the hospital!!!
Jane, get the Zometa infusion. Piece of cake! I have osteopenia too. You are not along.
Chris, I love it that they did IV's on each other! We need more of this.
Jules, Woot on the new Doc! WHen you get somebody you like, and feel confident in, doesn't it just make all the difference!!!
Genia, echoing the others, how goes our girl's burns and blisters? I cannot wait for this to be over for you. You SO deserve a break.
Mina, almost done now??? Nearing the RADS finishing line?? HORRIBLE about that woman and her tumor going from 2.2 to 7cm!!!! I am horrified!!! This is when I just want to scream! I am glad she made a spectacle of herself and got help from her congressman. Ugh. What a world!
Miss Lisa, have a fun R&R!!!
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Evening everyone,
It's been raining all day long and it's a cold rain. Where is June in NYC?
Jane, I'm glad you got your reports...just imagine waiting forever. and ever. Glad you can get Zometa; I've read good things about it.
I'm nearly finished and just found out I may lose my skin. I met another AF/am woman whose skin is leather like and real dark under her dangly boob; her skin is lifting. Whew!
I keep my cool rag on and this poor lady didn't have my cream and no Lupus and she's post lymphoma from five years ago...I felt so bad for her...I showed her my red top breasts for this past week...she was like that's not burned...I'm like it hurts girl...then she showed me hers...in the room...hilarious comparing war wounds...she looked underneath the girls and said OMG...you're gong to peel too..maybe. I sure hope not! But her skin is burned charred and approximately 4 inches of skin has lifted....She is grateful to be alive and I'm with her.
Juli glad you're getting your scans ...good doc at last.
Well, one more day girls, off Monday, mapping Tuesday at 2:30PM and 7 boosts starting Wednesday.
take care and love,
Mina
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Dr. still has not called to discuss reports and still no report from PFT.
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Hi girls,
Wow Jane what a lot of information for you to digest, I am sure the next report will be fine. Spring, hope all your test come back clear, I am sure your pap will be clear. Keep us posted.
I can't believe how often these test come around, I have my next check in two weeks. Not expecting anything bad, but I suppose we will always be a bit nervous after last time.
Mina, sorry to hear about your skin, lets hope it won't be as bad as the other lady!
Take care, girls
Singapore Chris x
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Mina, laws hang in there woman! You and Genia will have to do a dance about the end of June I am thinking....
Had the ultrasound, and the technician didn't seem freaked out so I take this to be a good indication. ha! She said it was marked "routine" so the results won't be in until early next week. Will just try not to think about it!
Have a great wkend everyone!!
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bags are packed, have to load the car, finish some things in the house and we will be on our way. 1 yr ago (tomorrow) i will mark the one yr anniversary of the call from the surgeon telling me the biopsy was malignant. What a year and what a lot of water under the bridge. You girls have been there since the beginning and i appreciate it so much. I will miss posting and checking in. Maybe someone will bring their laptop. If not i will check in with you all when i get back. it make take me days to catch up.
Have a great weekend ladies and i will talk to you again soon.
Lisa/BG
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Hope all is clear with your ultra sound Bev.....and Lisa......have a good, relaxing time sweetie!
I'm still beet red and hurting. I have one more boost then the remaining 6 regular tx's. I broke down and took a pain pill this evening. I'm tired of hurting.........ugh
love to you all
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My husband's "bff"'s wife is a bc survivor - prob 6 years. We just found out she has mets. Same husband, different friend....lost 1st wife to bc. 2nd wife dx bc almost 5 yrs. New lump. Biopsy on Mon. Where I work, we have to change our computer password every 90 days. Anybody wonder why my newpassword is "bc_sucks?"
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Wow, Jane, that really sux!
My 3rd son, who is 21 yrs old, left today for a week in Idaho to see his g/f. My oldest son (age 25) just opened escrow on a condo and I went shopping with him today to look at flooring and appliances. How did my little boys grow up so fast??? LOL
hugs
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H Girls,
Spring, no news is good news, I am sure you will be fine. I think this is something we will have to try to get used to for the rest of our lives, tests and waiting for the results. Not easy, but no point in worrying.
Genia, hang in there, only just over a week and it will be all over, don't worry about taking pain meds if you have pain, it's not weak, it's sensible, why suffer, you have been through enough, you poor thing. Do you have to take herceptin after rads?
Jane, what bad news, lets hope they can control you friends situation. Try not to take it too personally yourself, we have to remain detatched and strong, but it is so awful to hear when anyone is just diagnoised let alone when it is someone we know or in our family. Have I missed something, have you done your run for life, or is it coming up soon?
Juli, I agree with you, how can our little boys grow up so fast, I feel so lucky to have had my boys and such a wonderful life with them. My middle son went off on holiday yesterday to thailand with the and the rest of his year as they have now finished school for ever! Let's hope he gets the right grades to get into university in september. I will then have to say goodbye to him to, as he will also go off to the UK. Thank god I still have one little one left (12).
I am doing well, still dragon boating every weekend, it is so good to be part of a team and even better to be in a bc one!
I realised I have been putting on weight, even though I don't actually think I have been eating any more, then I suddenly realised that I heard that people on tamoxafine usually put on 15lbs, so I have been really good this week, cut out carbs and sugar and have lost a few lbs already. Must watch myself, there is no way I am going to put on weight!
Have a fantastic day ladies, and Happy Fathers Day to all those daddies out there.
Singapore Chris x
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Lisa, one year ago and here you are woman!
Have a great trip! Cripes Genia! sounds like another week or so for you. July will be here soon and all this will be behind you. You take the flippin pills!!! No heroics!
Jane, that does suck. Crap. I hate it. BC does suck.
You're right Chris, we will have to deal with this "waiting for test results" business!!! I am trying not to think about it. Hey, great on the "dragon boating" Chris!!
Chris, I am on Tamoxifen too, and have lost a little weight, but I am walking about 20 miles a week, and one night of Yoga. Just seems we can't eat as much or at least need to move way more. I can't believe the scale does not go down more, but then I remind myself, it is not going up!
My daughter is doing a college internship in DC this summer and she and a couple of other interns got tickets to the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast (which must have been funny for her, she's fair and blue eyed, oh well!!) She saw the president! She says he looks exactly like he does on TV!!!
Spring.
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I GOT MY TEST RESULTS!! I AM FINE!!!! I called and left a message and thank goodness they took pitty on me, tracked down the results, and called me back! It showed nothing!! Woot! Just wanted you all to know...Thank you for your support. THey said that they couldn't see my pancreas b/c my bowel was blocking it. lol. whatever. phew.0
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Beverly - Woo Hoo! Congrats!!!
My gyno's office just called. He wants to see me tomorrow morning to discuss my bone density test. Couldn't do it over the phone?
Genia, Mina - How's the skin doing?
Yesterday, I went with my sister to visit her friend who just had a baby girl. She weighs 5 lbs... it was like holding a feather.
hugs
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Thanks Jules,
Awe, like holding a feather... My sister was teensy when first born, 5lbs something. My Mother used to say the same thing! LOL. She's fine. She just came a bit early is all....
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Spring! That's great news!
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Congratulations Spring, wonderful News! Now just relax and enjoy your life!
Take care everyone. Singapore Chris x
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Great news Spring.............6 more tx's left!!!
Will add more later.......gotta get ready for my frying!!!
love you girls
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Oh Genia, ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!! Let us know how the old skin is doing??
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My skin is sore and very very red......no blisters right now tho. I hope I can make it through 5 more without the blisters again. I'm hoping so......
The fatigue doesn't seem so bad today......maybe it's the ginseng tea my Dr. gave me yesterday. lol......she took me in her office and gave me some of her private stash of ginseng in these little packets that she got at and Asian health food store. I made a cup of it today.....and it wasn't bad at all. Really it didn't have much taste. Did perk me up some....lol. If it helps me....I'm gonna have her get me a box of it....if it's not too expensive. There aren't any Asian health food stores here.....actually there aren't ANY health food stores here......lol. Not sure where she got it.
I'm starting to dread the Tamoxifen already.......I had my Herceptin last Thursday. No problems with that so far. I was supposed to have my echo done yesterday....but I was up most of the night the night before and I felt awful....so I changed the appt.
hugsss
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Genia - gentle hugs to you!
Results of my bone density...Lumbar spine: -4.3, Femoral neck: -3.5, Fracture risk: High.
He said Evista is not strong enough. I have to go on Actonel. He said it will take awhile to build up the bone density, so they will test me again in a year or two.
hugs
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Hi Genia,
I will keep any eye out for Ginseng Tea. Not long now and it will all be over. I am sure the tamoxafin will be fine, I have had no problems.
Juli, sorry to hear that you are high risk of fracture, not what you wanted to hear I am sure. You will just have to take extra care until your bones strengthen up.
Take care girls, Singapore Chris x
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Genia, no blisters! 5 more! What is ginseng, exactly? Sounds like it perked you up...Genia, I am going to do one big big HAPPY DANCY for you when you finish with RADS, woman!!! And Chris? Will you jump in the pool for Genia??
We need to plan our celebration. Mina, are you there? Will you also be done soon, as in any day? Happy Dance plans for you too..
Jules, would you please ask about infustions of Zometa for your bone thing? It also prevents (helps prevent) Bone Mets! And I think it is some serious stuff for the osteopenia/osteoperosis. I am osteopenic (if that is a word! LOL!) and I will get the Zometa every 6 months. It is a 15 minute infustion, easy as pie for those of us who've done chemo! This is the same as that commercial you see on TV for "Reclast" - they are the same type of infusion based bone builder....
I know not all of us had RADS, but many of us did. I found this on another thread and wanted to share...
http://www.oncolink.org/experts/article.cfm?c=5&s=31&ss=117&id=1611
>>Lawrence J. Solin, MD, FACR, Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, responds:
Patients who have undergone radiation treatment for breast cancer should be careful about sun exposure in the radiated areas, especially for the first few years after treatment. Areas of skin in the radiated fields will react more easily to sun exposure than areas of non-radiated skin. Patients who have undergone chest wall radiation are even more likely to react to sun exposure. Significant sun exposure can cause a "recall" of the radiation skin reaction, even after the acute skin reaction has resolved. If a patient is going to be outside and exposed to the sun, then the radiated skin should be covered with clothing or covered with sun block of SPF 15 or higher. Although sun protection is especially important if the patient is currently undergoing a course of radiation treatment, sun protection is also prudent for the first few years after radiation treatment.
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Beverly - Thanks for the info. I didn't know you had to be careful for a few years. Also, I will ask my onc about Zometa.
hugs
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Spring that's splendid news...Way to GO girl!
Juli, Thank God for that street fair... though I'm sorry about your fx stats...Please take care.
I had today off plus Monday plus Tuesday per docs orders. I was mapped yesterday after which my doc added one more day of boosts...for a total of eight. YIKES! I didn't ask why...yet.
Cool cloths are wonderful. TY TY TY
I'm shedding some of my burned skin but the charred parts are still there and they are going to get worse when they zap my surgical scar x 8 days. 0 -
My friend Joannie's cyst was B9, PTL!
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Jane - Great news!!!
Mina - Thanks, wish I could heal yours and Genia's skin. It's just so not right. You have had enough pain already.
My MRI has been postponed... still waiting for pre-authorization.
hugs
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Jules, don't you love the insurance companies? I guess I should not complain, lucky to have insurance...
Yay Janie pooh!!! So glad for Joannie!
Mina, I was hoping you'd be done in June!!!
(((( Sounds like you will span into the mid July time frame. Not too long now. Hang in there!Genia, how many more now??? What is the countdown??
Oh I had no issues at all with TAmoxifen, like Chris said. Three months now coming up. I get hot flashes, but I was getting them since chemo when my period just stopped.
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Jules, don't you love the insurance companies? I guess I should not complain, lucky to have insurance...
Yay Janie pooh!!! So glad for Joannie!
Mina, I was hoping you'd be done in June!!!
(((( Sounds like you will span into the mid July time frame. Not too long now. Hang in there!Genia, how many more now??? What is the countdown??
Oh I had no issues at all with TAmoxifen, like Chris said. Three months now coming up. I get hot flashes, but I was getting them since chemo when my period just stopped.
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Speaking of hot flashes, has anybody noticed that they are more intense now than before? I had already started having pre-menopausal hot flashes before the cancer/chemo/Femara. The after chemo/cancer/Femara hot flashes are even worse, IMHO.
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Yes they are worse Jane.....I told my sister that the last time I went to see her. She has them too...because the Dr. took her off her hormone replacement because of my breast cancer being estrogen positive. So she and I sit and fan constantly.....lol
I have THREE more rounds of rads to go............WOOHOO. I'm gonna be the happiest person on earth Tuesday!!!! I'm still very red....but no blisters....so I can handle red!
Glad to hear your friends test was b9 Jane.....b9 is such a good thing.
Keep hangin on Mina.....it will over soon sweetie
Chris the Asian Ginseng DOES help my fatigue. I realize nothing is gonna make it go away right now.....but it does help me to not be totally wiped out!!!
I figured out that Biafine is my best friend right now. I didn't notice how well it worked until my skin started to feel like leather. Slap it on......and walla.......soft and smooth again!!!
love you all........hugsssss
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