Chemo in Sept 08
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Excellent New Jane!
Singapore Chris x
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Jane - That's great! Your tide is turning!
hugs
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Look Ma, no cavities!
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Jane- glad to hear the visit went well this time. and I hear ya when it comes to quality of life- whats living if pain rules every day??
Chris- I think we all have our moments like that. Someone today was talking about a family member that had been dx'd with pulmonary hypertention and was talking about the statistics...i told her that they were just numbers...BUT you know in the bak of your mind there are days when the numbers do mumble at you a little..However my BP numbers let me know that it could get me just as quick as the BC numbers...you know my boss got upset with me because she had heard about someone that was dx'd with cancer( extensive) and said how horribe it woud be to know you could die any day...I told her that was true for all of us and she bout blew her lid. None of us like to be reminded that life is fragile...but we have to forge ahead. Maybe it's the anniversary time for a lot of us..I will be 2 yrs in June...I think that time of yr always makes us think a little.
Girls i hope all of you have a great day and i hope you cruise ladies are packing and getting ready for lots of fun!!!
Love you all
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My son's fiance's cousin passed away Saturday night. He was 28 years old and very overweight. He went to sleep and never woke up. Yes, we never know when our time is up.
Unfortunately, my son's fiance's music recital is tomorrow night. She is graduating with her Master's degree in music from USC in May. Her relatives from Sacramento were coming down to see her perform, but instead they are preparing for a funeral. Even her parents have gone up there and will miss the recital. So my mom and I will be attending, along with my son, and he will video it. She plays the trumpet and will play "Taps" at the funeral. Her cousin was an Eagle Scout.
hugs
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Juli - I'm so sorry for your future DIL's loss. On the positive side, we are now in our TEENs for the cruise!!! Can you believe it. I've started packing. I've read every list imaginable. I'm packing extension cords, extra outlets, duct tape, anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, anti-motion-sickness, excedrin, highlighters, post-it notes, mini sewing kit, travel steamer, clothespins....all sorts of weird stuff they say we MIGHT needs. I'm always prepared. My pocketbook usually looks like Mary Poppins'. My kids laugh at all of the strange things I carry with me, but they always know where to go when they need something
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...and my own pillow...
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Jane - you need to go on "Let's Make a Deal" with that pocketbook! lol
Actually, I can't really think about the cruise till after Saturday, when my b/f goes back to Quebec.
I'm trying to make every last minute together count.
hugs
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Oh, Jules...how long will he be gone for?
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He will be back in October. He can only be out of the country for 6 months total. I will be going there for 2 weeks (7/20 - 8/4), so we can spend our birthdays together, and break up the 6 months into 3 months without seeing each other.
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when we went on our cruise (royal carribbean) there was a game called quest that adults played in one of the lounges. you had teams and they called for all kinds of stuff...safety pins, underear..bras..all kinds of stuff kind of like the lets make a deal thing...so Jane if we go again im taking you and your pocketbook!!! LOL
Beautiful weather here. Sun and 80's..kind of cool in the ams..it has been nice.
I am having touble with a knee that started this weekend while we are gone. Not real sure what it is but OUCH!! having lots of trouble walking.
Jules- be thinking of you for all the reasons you listed. Sounds like your plate is kinda full right now. HUGS to you.
Have a great Wednesday tomorrow!!
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I saw the onc this AM and he wants me to try Tamoxifen. He said I can wait until we get back from the cruise to start it, though, as I still have to get that nasty Aromasin out of my system. I'll give the Tamoxifen a shot, but I'm done suffering, so let's hope there are no SEs.
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I hope you can take it Jane. I think I'm gonna try to get back on it and do the 10mg's in the morning and 10 at night. My Onco said a lot of people tolerate it better that way.
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Jane, that is great news!!!
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With Femara I had awful pain in the beginning. Even taking short trips to the store, I'd be picking my legs up to get them out of the car. I had to stop and think before standing up, etc. But I have to say, lately, I'm not having so much pain. So in some cases, I think you just have to keep going and then your body adjusts. It has taken almost a year, but I feel fairly normal now.
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Jane, I take Tamoxifen and have minimal side effects. I've figured out the vaginal dryness/atrophy, and the hot flashes, well, I started getting them in the midst of chemo anyway, when my period stopped. I have more "eye floaters" and sometimes I am blinking my eyes a lot.
I hope you can take it... I am glad the onc did not try and scare you or talk you into staying on it.
Colleen, how long did you take Femara before you noticed the symptoms getting a big better?
My 2 year anniversary is July! I have my Onc appt next week. It sure feels good not going there all the time like before....
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Thanks, Lisa - hope your knee feels better soon!
Colleen - a whole year to feel normal? wow!
Jane & Genia - Don't forget...you can start out at 10 mg of Tamox, and increase it if you don't have any SE's. I'm sticking to 10 mg. I don't have any SE's other than hot flashes, and I believe the studies that say a reduced dose is just as effective.
My friend who was just diagnosed with BC is having her lumpectomy next Wednesday. At her pre-op today with her PCP, they got upset when she refused the referral to my original oncs. So she explained how they were always disagreeing on my tx and didn't give the the most recent "standard of care" chemo. I would love it if that got back to those oncs! :P
hugs
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Spring/Juli, it was a slow process of feeling better, but I no longer lift my legs out of the car, and I usually no longer have to think before I stand up. For a while, if I just stood up, I would almost instantly collapse in pain.
We are all at different stations in life, and as a single parent to a 17 year old, quantity of life is perhaps more important to me than quality at this point. That's why I just stuck it out and kept going. My onc said Femara was the best for my particular type of cancer, so I went with it.
I know that in Sept when we went to an indoor water park (Great Wolf Lodge - you gotta try it), I was only able to go down two of the bigger slides because of all the steps. By the time I got to the slide, I was exhausted and had to wait for awhile to gather enough energy. We went back last month, and when I got to the slide, I wasn't dying. I was even able to climb up to a higher slide. It was a world of difference between Sept and March. When exactly it started changing over, I'm not really sure. I still have minor aches/pains, but I do not feel like an old lady now when I have to get out of the car.
I've also noticed my mysterious cough is getting better. I remember in the Dec timeframe people still telling me that they hoped my cough got better. Occasionally cough, but a world of difference from last year. No doc has still been able to say what that was all about. I don't care, just glad that it is improving.
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Colleen - that is great that the SE's are going away. They say it can take a year and I believe it! It is exactly 1 year ago that my stinging started during rads, so I'm sure it will be gone soon.
hugs
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Happy Weekend!!! Lets enjoy it! I hope the weather is good where you are.
PCP for knee on Wed- he thinks it's a tear of the meniscus..steroids and hope it will heal on it's on..come back in a week if not...BP was good for him but sky high for onco go figure....
Port Flush Thurs and shopping...got the girls some really cute summer outfits..
Boss is going to be out of town next week but the schedule is so filled with court we won't be able to enjoy it
Been a funky mood day for me- I think the transmission in the car is going out again and even though it is under warranty that means being without a car again for almost two weeks..We have had the car for 8 yrs 85K miles...I hope we don't have to think about it....
I also bit the bullet and was fitted for prostheses this week..that was an experience..not a bad one as i had a good fitter BUT after two yrs of going natural i don't know if i will be on the wagon with them..BUT will have them if i decide to try.
I SOOO want to go to the beach this yr for vacation and DH wants to do another long road trip (out west this time) ...Maybe i can send all of them west and stay home..
Cruise girls- are you packed???? ITS GONNA BE SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you all and hope you have a great weekend.
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Hi Girls,
Glad to see that most of you are feeling good, or starting to. I feel pretty normal most of the time, just a few joint aches now and then,but I can do anything I want, go to the gym, play a short game of golf etc. My affected arm does sometimes feel achy and a bit heavy, so lympedema is always on my mind. I bought myself a granny pull along trolly bag thing, for shopping, as my biggest problem is not being able to get my shopping into the house, as. It is bright orange, so I think it look pretty cool anyway.
My sister in law is here in Holland from England and can't get back as all the flight are cancelled over europe due to this ash cloud from the volcano, she may be able to get a ferry in a few days, but it is unpresidented for all the airports to be closed for days at the same time all over europe. I am so glad my boys got home safely last weekend from the States and here. My sons girlfriend is stuck in Mexico and can't get back for uni.
Good job your trip is on a boat girls, have you got everything packed? How long is the cruise and where do you join the boat?
Take Care everyone and it is a relief to me that you ladies are/willl be continuing with your medication.
Singapore Chris x
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Chris - we leave out of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday May 2nd and return Saturday May 8th.
I haven't thought about packing yet. My b/f spent all week packing his stuff, and this morning I dropped him off at the airport. Tomorrow he will get to see his (almost) 3 yr old grandson that he hasn't seen in 6 months. I can't wait to hear how much he has grown and all that he can say (in French)!
hugs
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Hi girls,
Juli, you must be feeling sad with you b/f gone, but you have lots to look forward to and it is approaching really fast, it is time YOU packed now. You all have a double celebration to look forward to as just meeting each other will be wonderful and then you have the cruise! I am sure there will be an internet area on the boat, so please let us know when you have met up and what you all thought, if you all cried or drank champagne or whatever, I am so excited for you.
Have a good sunday ladies. Singapore Chris x
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LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TO GO! I am over the top with excitement! I don't drink alcohol, but I'm hoping to share a non-alcoholic daqueri (sp?) with the girls. I told Genia that if she didn't have her pain controlled, I'd just keep her "pain-free" with alcohol. lol. I have started packing my purple suitcases. We got our travel documents over the weekend and they have a lot planned for us bc "thrivers" I feel bad for Juli as she will be dealling with jet leg and a night-time flight. I hope she gets to rest some time.
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Jane - you got my brain on cruise mode. lol. I woke up at 5:30 am and started thinking about the trip. Like...after I get my luggage, where will I go to wait for you two? I don't know how big this airport is in comparison to the ones here. I'm sure it will be fine. I will just have to wing it.
hugs
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Jules - You have a 3 hour wait! I hope you can find someplace comfortable. I have been to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale before and it is quite large, but if I remember correctly (what's the chance of that?), the baggage all comes into the same area and that's where the shuttles are set up.
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Maybe I'll sit on a carousel and go round and round and round... LOL
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JULI....that made me laugh hysterically. You on the carousel going around in circles.
I'm dreading this flying thing. Never been on a plane. Never been in an airport. To say I'm scared is putting it mildly. I'll be like a little kid asking for help every where I go. Hey...wonder if I'm too old to have a travel companion??? lmbo!!!
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Genia, everyone will help you, don't worry! If you are really freaked, tell them when you check in you need a wheel chair (you might anyway) and someone will take you everywhere you need to be!
Chris, I have been following the Ash Clouds and the no fly zones. AMAZING. Luckily, this won't impact the "Cruise Ladies"!!!
Jane, I can't believe it is less than 2 weeks now! Time flew!
Juli, sorry about your BF leaving. I too am glad you have the cruise to look forward to!
I have my ONC appt on Wednesday. i am not looking forward to it. I guess looking forward to it would be very odd, now that I come to think of it! I am hoping my blood counts are better. Please think good thoughts for me! Up near normal would be nice....
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Hi Girls,
Crusie fever coming over the boards loud and clear, it will be amazing, Genia ask for help, if necessary.
Spring, you WILL be fine whatever the blood count, I had a really high blood count BEFORE BC, what a lot of good that did, that nast C, crept around them, so what are they all about anyway, I actually do know, but you know what I mean. Mind was normal last time I checked, but only just. Keep us informed.
Have a good day ladies, Singapore Chris, sending good vibes from below the ash clouds...
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