Class of 2009 - Sisters in the same time frame
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Jen - I had my first birthday since dx at the end of October. It coincided with the end of chemo and I had planned to have a party, mostly to celebrate the end of chemo, but also acknowledge a birthday. However I felt so tired from the chemo that I didn't bother. So not sure how I will feel about the next birthday, done with tx etc.
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Hope you have a terrific birthday Jen!
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Happy Birthday Jen! I too had my 52nd at the end of January. I like to think that birthdays don't really mean that much to me and rarely do I do any type of celebration. This time we were in the Yucatan during my birthday, the moon was full, the air was warm and I found myself continually looking around and thinking, "remember this moment, remember what that view is like, remember how this feels, etc." I think since BC I'm doing that more often in all aspects of my life.
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Happy Birthday Jen!! I'm not sure how I will feel, I have a birthday coming up in March. I'll let you know a little closer to the day. :=)
Renee
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Happy Birthday JEN !!! I hope you have a great birthday weekend ~~~~
Echo ~ Happy Belated Birthday to YOU !
Hugs ~
Alicia
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Happy birthday Jen, I had one in November and I like Don23 am just glad to be celebrating them. Age isn't important anymore.
Echo, I had my port out today and am so glad. I was beginning to have problems with my arm and everyone wanted to make sure it wasn't the port. My Med Onc wanted me to wait until radiation was over, but with the arm problems gave the go ahead. I had my rads this morning, then went for the port removal. It is a relief. Good luck to you.
Alicia, hoping your DH results are negative.
I am 9 weeks PFC and even though I only have 6 more radiation treatments, I am feeling good. The fatigue has not set in, but I am going to bed earlier. My fatigue from my chemo didn't go away until at least 4 weeks PFC. That was when I noticed that I could go up and down the stairs without stopping to rest between trips. It was such a good feeling. I have not started exercising yet, but plan to as soon as radiation is over.
There is light at the end of the tunnel and you are all getting there. I know several have finished chemo and radiation and that must be a really good feeling. I am almost there and am so ready to get on with my new "normal".
Hope all is going well for everyone.
Juannelle
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Hi Juanelle,
For those of us who did not do chemo it is amazing how you all cope with everything. I had no idea they left the port in so long! Bless all of you for what you have been through. I hope rads are a non-event. Is the leak damage all repaired? Thinking of you...
pam
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Jen, have a great birthday...Celebrate like crazy.
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Pam, yes we are all put back together. It was a mess, but we had it taken care of really fast and there wasn't as much damage as we thought there would be. I managed to keep the furniture dry and the carpet only got damp in a few places, so we didn't have to replace it.
I am almost finished with rads, only 6 boosts to go. I am just now turning red and beginning to have some pain. I think that is very good since I have had 27 rad treatments so far. This went so much faster than chemo. When I first asked about having the port removed, they said they usually leave it in for two years. Two years, whats with that? You have to go have it flushed every month or two and that is just lots of trouble. So I was glad when they said it could be removed after radiation, but really glad when she let me get it removed before radiation was over. One more thing I don't have to worry about.
Juannelle
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Juannell, glad to hear your port is out...one more check in the box.
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Two years!!! So glad your onc said ok to removing it now. Horrible.. the whole thing is just horrible. We all deserve a medal!
pam
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Jen - have a wonderful birthday this weekend.
Juanelle - wow, your radiaton is sure going fast - at least for me anyway. lol
Monday will be three weeks since my last chemo. I wonder when I'll see the five o'clock shadow of my hair coming in? I'm so anxious to see some growth.
I'm so enjoying the Olympics. It's a good diversion. Have a great evening all.
Sherri
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michele, yes one more thing checked off. I am so excited about getting this part of the journey over.
pam, I understand the ladies that have higher stages keep their ports in and may not ever have them removed.
Sherri, the radiation is going by really fast. I know it is a little shorter than chemo, but going every day and not being so sick really makes a difference. You should start to see hair growth soon. Mine is about 1/2 in on the sides and back and about 1/4 on top. It just needs to get long enough to cover the scalp. It will probably be about another month or two before that happens. I may get tired of wigs and scarves before then and just give in and go nude. It starts our looking like baby chicken fuzz.
Juannelle
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I have chicken fuzz now and the sides and back are fuller than the top. I still have hair all over but it's very thin, especially on top. Sort of mail pattern baldness. I can't wait til I can't see my scalp on top anymore.
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Mine seemed to be thin on top until the last couple of weeks and I can really see it coming in. It feels really good, just needs to be a little longer. I may just spike it up when it is about an inch all over. That would really make me look different. Maybe they will call me "hip" or whatever. Maybe I am too old to be "hip".
Juannelle
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HI JUANNELLE
Wow rads for you seem to have gone fast i know you said that your only just started to see the skin being effected is your skin fair in colour or medium they say the fairer the skin the more blistery and red you get .
HAPPY B DAY
JEN HIP HIP HORRAY
JOJO
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Juanelle, I am so glad to hear that you haven't had major skin problems with your rads. I think I just had a crazy RADS Onc that wanted to truly fry my breast and my skin. I agree with everyone else it seems like only yesterday that you were starting rads... my how time has flown. You are almost done. Woo Hoo!!!
Take Care
Renee
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Well, dear friends, today I am feeling more rested and am much encouraged by all your kind words. I am so thankful for all of you who post your thoughts and experiences, you have taught, guided and encouraged so many! I found BCO accidentally when I was researching bc symptoms and in reading those earlier posts was given the strength to push for screenings when my GYN thought my symptoms were just from having dense, fibrocystic breast tissue and gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory medicine and told me to decreas caffeine!
Princess JOJO, I am praying for your daughter to have negative results----and even if they are negative and you and she are not comfortable/satisfied, PLEASE push for further tests! We here know best how to listen to our bodies and should encourage others to do the same. What was the test she had done? and when will you have results? (((JOJO & Daughter)))
Shelby, sorry to hear about your DH & the argument---know what you mean. Mine asked about my day, which I then told him about. He then told me all I had done since getting home from work was complain!! Weeeeellll, if you don't want to know...don't ask! In looking back, I was feeling bad and everything that had happened that day was just magnified and I guess I COULD have been blowing things out of proportion?! He did remind me of my decision not to worry about the little things. Wonderful when they use our words against us, huh? The same day, just before leaving work, the Janitor told me he hadn't recognized me, because of my new hair cut & the weight I had gained......seriously! I am self-conscious about the wig & chemo-weight both---maybe he thought I hadn't noticed I had gained weight & was just trying to help? HA!
Jen, Happy Happy Birthday!! Sending you a birthday wish for no side effects and a joyously happy celebration! When I had my breast MRI, I was so anxious that I would need to move and mess up the scan! I said Psalm 121 out loud, over and over and over. My back did not hurt and I didn't need to scratch an itch anywhere! I think the technician may have been able to hear me, but at the time it didn't even occur to me that she could. When she was walking me back to the lobby I asked her if she could tell me anything and she said no, but that I had done the right thing in pursuing testing because of my symptoms and said "God is with you"! I get chill bumps now when I think of that. I had my 45th birthday 18 days after my mastectomy....I remember the sun was shining that day, I didn't go anywhere, but my family called and I received flowers from a friend and another came by to see me. I remember it as being one of my happiest birthdays and it was one of the simplest!
Hey there, Alicia! Praying for you & your family. You're an inspiration to us all!
Thanks everyone, for welcoming me.....I am honored to be a member of such awesomeness!!
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Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I truely appreciate each and every one of you ladies! Thank you for being such an awesome source of strength and support! I will look forward and have a good birthday celebration tonight with my husband and my friends. They all know what I have been thru and are bound and determined for me to have a good time
Juanelle-I am so happy to hear rads are almost over for you and that you are taking the treatment so well. You will be in your "new normal" reall soon, and god bless you!
Thinking of all of you today and wishing you all a day filled with peace.
Hugs
Jen
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PSALM 121
HI there thanks for your support My daughter had an ultra sound and a momo and they couldn't see any thing but you can feel it its the size of your palm of your hand may be its just a mass of normal breast tissue we will wait till we get the final result and yeah most certain is were not satisfied we will get more testing done
Well i hope all you ladies are feeling well enough to be enjoying this great weekend .
JOJO
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Happy birthday Jen!
Jojo -- so glad your daughter's lump is looking benign!
Ladies -- hope you are all having a great weekend. I JUST got my internet back after two days off line due to a local blizzard. I kept thinking: but I had cancer this year! I've HAD my share of troubles!
Lilah
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Ugh, Lilah, MORE blizzards?!
Jojo, still sending good thoughts re: your daughter.
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I know Michele -- it's ridiculous! I heard a statistic on the radio yesterday while I was out: the last time NJ had THIS much snow in February was in 1896!
Lilah
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND MANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0
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Happy Birthday Jen. Happy Birthday Echo!
I sure am glad I found this topic. I think my July Chemo. group has moved on as well as my Oct. Rad ladies. Seems many are here and that's great.
Okay, question for you with a signif. other. How do you handle the guilt of putting them through this?Sometime I just don't talk about it at all when it's really bothering me and he will tell me later, things like, "yesterday was hard on you wasn't it?" He just seems to know and I feel so badly about it. I know I'm damn lucky to have him but hate that he has to ride this journey with me and it's so painful for him too. He found out Friday that a good friend of his is trying to prepare for the results from his wife's biopsy. It doesn't look good, but we are trying to keep positive.
Okay done whining. I crashed the Young Survivor Conference Friday night at Hard Rock Cafe. LOL What a great group of women! I've signed up for next years Conference/Party. These women really look like they know how to throw a party!
Okay Spring, bring it on!!! I'm pretty sure everyone here is ready for daffodils and crocus. In the mean time I'm sending each of you a ray of sunshine!
Pink Hugs, Lisa
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Lisa, sounds like you have a great DH. We are so lucky to have someone great stand by us during this time. Strange as this sounds, but I think this has brought us closer together. I always thought we were close, but our relationship has gotten stronger. Remember too that you would stand by him and be his shoulder to lean on if this was happening to him.
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Yep, that's what he always says, and it's true. I guess I never expected to be in this situation. I don't know how some of these women do it. They are much stronger than I.
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Lisa, I think our DH's are similar. Mine always is asking how I feel, and I hate to complain to him, so I often just say something like "I'm OK". We are trying to work this out, and he's agreed to go to counseling with me. The counseling is mainly for me to figure out how to deal with everything, but he's willing to go and ask any questions he might have. I'm hopeful that this alleviates the tension between us lately.
Lilah, I have a lot of friends in the PA/NJ area (I am originally from Philadelphia) and I have to say, y'all have been slammed this year! Makes me more glad that I'm a Texan now, no crazy weather like that snow you've had. Floods, yes, snow, no.
Jojo, what have you and your DD decided to do about further testing? I'm glad the initial testing went well, but I know you still have concerns. I'd want to know what the lump is, too!
Well, I'm off to do more homework. Seems like it never ends! I'll be SO glad when I graduate next year!
Peace to all,
Shelby
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Lisa -- you should not feel guilty for, as you said it, putting your DH through this. It's not your fault that you got BC and as someone else posted, it could have been him needing you. Being needed (and giving) is part of a relationship and certainly seeing you through this is his pride right now... imagine how helpless he feels to protect you. It seems to me we marry, we mate, with the hope that we will not ever have to be sick but also with the knowledge that being there for each other in the hard times is part of the deal. Do something nice/special for him to let him know you appreciate him. It will make you feel less guilty and he'll be so surprised!
Lilah
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