~* The Waiting Room *~
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The baby blanket is already three inches long! Knitting relaxes me and I take it with me to all my waiting rooms.
Tonda, I am glad your biopsy is over. How long do you have to wait for the results?
Bette
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Alright...I'm waiting..AGAIN!
My genetic testing results are in for the BRCA genes. I will get them in 7 days, Tuesday Aug 11th.
I'm now nervous.It has been 1 year since I drew the blood for that test. I met with a genetic councellor and she said my chances of being a gene carrier is maybe 10% due to my low family history. My grandmother,fathers mom,sister had BC in her 60's.She passed from Alzheimers.
I'm just having second thoughts now about getting them before my vacation. Should I wait till I get back for the results? What would you ladies do? I'm gone for 7 weeks...I want to enjoy my vacation regardless of the results.
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Okay, so you want me to tell you a story while we wait? Okay, ( I'll assume it's a yes). Since dx, I have stayed at home till my last radiation tx. Needless to say, I am quite ready to go out and have a bit of fun with my friends.Two weeks later, I am having dinner at a restaurant about an hour away from home. I bring my cell in and notice it's not a good connection, but figure all would be okay. My 17 yr old dd is at home with her dog and brand new camera. We live in the country, so there are lots of cool pics to take. DD is fairly independent, so I don't worry, but lately I am a bit jumpy (gee, I wonder why????) So, halfway thru the meal I get a call. It goes like this:
"mom?" in a shrill voice. It's my dd. Click the phone goes dead. Oh no, I think, dd is hurt.
I run outside with the phone in hand and call back. "Honey????"
"mom???!!!! It's muddle,muddle shriek Roxy!!!!" Roxy is our dog. And of course click-the phone goes dead.
Right about now I figure it's time to hop in the car and high tail back to my house, but I just had finished a glass of wine and I am stressed....so.....one more call. Of course my friends are in the background of my consciousness and are babbling at me and I honestly have no idea what they are saying. But I decide it's time to call one more time and try to figure out if I should be calling 911......and I realize that my daughter mentioned Roxy her dog and I am not going to call 911 if the dog was somehow hurt because I don't want to pay anymore bills than I am already sucking up and out already.
So, I call and this time I hear my dd explains that the dog was attacked by a viscious critter and the poor thing is foaming at the mouth. Hm........... I think to myself. A critter?
"Honey", I ask, "what about this critter?"
"mom, it was a viscous animal. It attacked Roxy"
"Where is Roxy?"
She's in the house! The house doesn't smell tood bad, mom!""
"NO!!!! what do you mean????" Now, I am shrieking.
Whereupon my dd-17 years old, and knows everything retorts 'Mom , I thought it was a vicious animal and I had no idea she would run into the house and rub the foam all over her face onto the carpet!!! She seemed desperate and in need of protection!!!" (Yeah, right---a 40 pound lab needs protection from a 7 pound "critter"! ) "I've opened the windows and my eyes still burn.
I am thinking my dd got sprayed too, but I have to say I am now so relieved I don't have to call 911 or take the dog to the vets that I tell her how to clean out the rug and I even start to laugh a bit.
I have to say I went back into the restaurant and finished my dinner after a couple of orders for my dd to try and wash out the skunk smell as much as she could. OUr dog got banded to the dog house for a couple of days, we used tomato juice on the dog and baking soda, white vinegar and dish soap on the carpet to get the worst of the smell out and then I borrowed a cleaner......Was actually hoping for an excuse to buy new carpet, but the vinegar and baking soda really worked!
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lol....thanks I needed that.
Critter..lol.
Speaking of carpet...I'm contimplating about hardwood floor now.I'm sick of stains and following everyone with my OxyClean bottle...ugh!
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JRG- Great story LOL!!
LLove- Wow I know you have been looking forward to this vacation, and it would be nice not to carry the burden with you. You know we have talked before and I really understand your perspective. You know I hate tests and scans etc blah blah and worry a lot, but I did not worry too much about the genetic test. You had about the same chance of it being positive that I did, It was my Father's sister. I had maybe a 10% chance, also she stated that most HER2 was not a gene carrier. Even if you were a gene carrier, my genetice counselor tells me this is not the worst thing, and in mnay cases Braca1's do better with treatment.
So that being said maybe it is just best to find out and go on your wonderful vacation with nothing hanging over your head.
That being said if by some remote chance you are positive I would hate that you spend the whole vacation wondering about the implications and researching the internet instead of having fun.
I bet you are negative, so I hope you will be able to get your answers and go and have a great time.
Post on the HER2 site, I bet you will find that most Her2 gals are negative.
Be well
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mmm5,
Thank you!!! I had no idea that Her2 gals are most likely not gene carriers. Maybe I'm just over thinking things..I'll get my results and either way enjoy my vacation!
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yeah, Lexi.....a hard wood floor.
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What a great site, I had my bx today and instead of getting the results tomorrow as I expected, I will have to wait until Monday at the earliest. boy did the tears flow then. It has been 3 yrs and one month since I last waited to hear if it was cancer or not. I had bil mast so I wouldn't have to worry about this again. God really seems to have wicked sense of humor these days
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Hang in there Zorros spouse....
Damn waiting...rest up, rent a good movie..pamper yourself this weekend. Do anything to keep your mind of results!
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My bone scan was negative. No bone mets! Woohoo!
Now I have to wait for the PARP trial appointment tomorrow and to find out if I get into it. the bag is packed for VA.
Bette
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BetteLou..
I posted under the Stage 4 forum..but I just wanted to say this is great news for you!!!
Thanks for coming back to the waiting room to give us all updates.
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That is wonderful BetteLou. that has got to feel great!!!!Good luck on the PARP trial tomorrow.
HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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OMG Jess that was a very funny critter story!
LLove, I don't know what you should do except find a way to have a fabulous vacation!
Bette, that is great knews one thing to be relieved about yeah!!!!!!!!!!
I am scheduled for my BMX on August 27th,,,I let you know how it goes.
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Bette that is great news.
Zorrospouse, waiting is the hardest part, remember you are not alone, we are here with you.
My preliminary results are in, Oncologist called me to come in after office hours last night to talk to me. The report said no cancer in the sample they took but onc isn't completely convinced. He checked the area they took the biopsy from and told me there was no way they could have reached either of the masses on my left side from the area on the right they did the biopsy. He is going to take my case to the cancer board on Tuesday and discuss it with other doctors and surgeons to see what they think. I still think it is negative so we will see.
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Omigosh Tonda. I am with you;it is negative. So we will wait. i am ready for the pedicure!!!!
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Just got back from VA. Desperately tired, but doing laundry anyway.The PARP trial looks good. We signed the consent papers. Now have to wait to see if I get in. We stayed an extra night because they wanted some tests and were able to schedule them on Friday. Our hotel had a lovely pool and a king size bed, so the afternoons and evenings were like a little vacation.For anyone who is curious, the drug is BSI-201. It is a Phase III trial comparing it with gemcitabine and carboplatin in triple negative metastatic breast cancer.If we get in, there will be many more trips to VA. Three hour drive. But this is my life we are talking about, so Tom is willing to do it. What a blessing he is!Bette0
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Bette, get some rest. Tom sounds like a godsend to you. I am with you, a 3 hour drive is nothing when it is your life you are dealing with. Keeping my fingers crossed that you get in the trial.
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Blessings Bette - We are all behind you and I have a good feeling that you will be getting what you need, you are already half way there with such wonderful support from your lovely husband.
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Rainy Sunday, and we are going to church rejoicing, because after a six week wait, PA has finally paid its employees.
This week the waiting will be to hear about the PARP trial.
Bette
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Hi ladies, I'm popping in for a 10 day wait. I had a "restaging" PET/CT scan on Friday and won't find out the results until I see my onc on 8/17. I think the term restaging was used for insurance purposes...it's been a year now since I finished chemo, and this scan was just to check to make sure eveything's OK. And if it is, I will 1) have my port removed and 2) more forward with breast reconstruction.
I will stay busy with work all week and plenty of things to do on the weekend. Five days after my onc appt, I leave on vacation for a week, so there's getting ready for that on top of the usual stuff.
But I'm pulling in an extra chair and would like to sit around with you for a while. I love the stories.
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Good luck and many prayers I feel strongly you will have a worry free vacation.
Please check in and let us know you are well!
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Hello everyone,
I'm back from my vacation, a good one, with beautiful scenery and beautiful people. It looks like I have a lot to catch up on and some new people to meet.
Bette, that's quite a roller coaster, and I'm so sorry about the latest turn. I was so hoping it would be different. You are one of the strongest and most positive people I have met on this site, and I am glad you have such wonderful support, personally, spiritually and medically.
Hugs to all.
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Still waiting to hear about PARP trial. They called today needing more medical information.
Tom is off today and we are enjoying fresh banana bread and coffee. I am also knitting up a storm.
Bette
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Ithought I should ask---do any of you want to hear another story while we wait????/
I wonder if the medical oncologist I see will say anything to me about a bone scan. Shouldn't that be standard ?????0 -
Hi all. My wait to start rads is over and now I will wait to finish on September 23.
fortunate1- Welcome back! Glad you had a good vacation.
Bette- your such an inspiration thank you for sharing your journey with us.
jrgolomb-would love another story, you made me laugh!
Well off I go to unpack, I'm staying at a lodge near my treatment centre as it is a 2hr drive one way. I haven't even been here for 12 hours and I aready miss my hubby, and my fur babies.
Cheers
Sherry
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Well, I was struck by how wonderful the simple things in life are; like Betty eating warm banana bread and knitting. I am impressed with that, Betty. Whenever I consider or hearken back to the "good ol" days of my knitting experiences I remember little success in middle school and even fewer accolades in high school. I do have clear memories of a 7th grade teacher grinning at me in sort of a grimace, a forced toothy smile as I handed her a half yarn ball half knitted scarf a kitten would have more luck with. My mom tried to show me now, my sister the "she who could copy Jacobsen's clothes guru" tried, my next door neighbor tried to no avail. My teachers always would ended up clucking at me and mumbling some sort of odd explanation and shook their head as they tried to unravel my mess. I knew from the get go I would have to strive for something else. I truly believe the home economics teachers passed me on because they truly couldn't help me with knitting.
I did however, have a bit more success with cooking/baking. I have fond smiling memories of receiving pats on the backs and scrawling "As" on my grade slip. One time during my 7th grade year I learned how to make Baked Alaska. Karen , a 5' 10" very strong girl, was my partner. I was the pip squeak compared to her at about 4'11" at the time. We were so successful , and indeed got the "best" score for that desert. That awarded us the delightful and very crunched time to be able to eat our desert before our next class. Of course we had to eat it, clean up and be on time for the next period. I'll never forget shoveling in Baked Alaska into my mouth along with tall Karen, and then running down the hall laughing and holding our stomachs. I am certain I was fairly useless the next class period.
years later when I just happened to meet up with Karen again, we reminised. Of course she stood 6 feet tall and I at 5'4" , but we still were able to laugh at our fun time, especially the shoveling of the food. Gosh, maybe I should try to make Baked Alaskan again!!!
Favorite recipes anyone?????
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Baked Alaska! Wow, I am impressed!
I have been knitting since 4th grade. My mother taught me how. I remember I used to take my knitting to school, and knit under my desk. So now I am able to do many projects by feel, without even looking at my hands. Right now my project is a baby blanket for a couple at church who is adopting.
Bette
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Oh I used to knit up a storm, too. At various stages, I've knit, crocheted, sewn, embroidered, needlepointed...almost every kind of crafty thing. But I do have a funny knitting story.
When I was in college in the early 70s, the hippy movement was still very strong, both in dress and culture. I decided that a light yellow knitted shawl would go perfectly with my peasant dress, so I started a simple triangle. One night while I was working on it, my roommate lit a strobe candle, the better to go with her psychedelic music, lol.
Now if you don't know what a strobe candle is, it's a short candle with a very fat wick. The flame flickers constantly while it burns, hence the strobe effect. But it also produces lots of soot...black soot.
I didn't think anything of sitting there in the dark with the music playing and the candle burning, while I continued to knit. The next day, though, as I finished several more rows, I realised that all that I had knit that night was a strange gray color. The soot had settled in my yarn and changed the color. Yikes, I am now thinking about what it did to my lungs! I was never able to get the gray stripe out.
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I got my BRACA results this morning.....NEGATIVE !!! 0
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Congratulations Lexi!!!!
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