CALLING ALL STAGE I SISTERS
Comments
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sunnyfornow ~ Congrats on finishing your Rads! I remember how good it felt the last time I left that room, sooooo good! You made it!!
hugs
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Nicole you must be your Happy Place. There is nothing more exciting than peace of mind.
Yes, she is flying in from Honolulu tomorrow night and will be here at NY time Wednesday Morning. You are much closer by distance to her. She reminds me that even she is 10 hours away still om US soil. Its the same distance from here to Istanbul where I was born and raised.
I'm very happy almost overwhelmed. You see you asked one little question i gave a full post.
I wish my carpet was cleaned up too.
Now it comes the other question to Meece. I read about Tattoos all the time, I had radiation, but what is the tatoo means? I must have had them right?
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Valjean and sunnyfornow, all I remember how cold that room was, I also had it from December to mid January. One day they had to cover me with a blanket I was shivering. and couldnt stay still.
Radiation didn't bother me except I was very crisp and burned at the end, I healed but that area of my breast remained purple.
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Good to hear Sheila, I am excited for you to spend time with your daughter, what a joy!
The tattoos, we all got them when we went in for the fist consult and they lined up everything, do you remember the little needle?
Needless to say, I have one "real" tattoo also
Truly, I am conservative, but on my honeymoon, 13 years ago and many pounds lighter, I got a tattoo on my right side of my abdomen rght above my bikini line... looked good when I was thin, but mom was always right, as you grow older and add a few pounds, not so cute (and a few pregnancies watching that rose grow)! Thank goodness it is small0 -
Nicole maybe at 2005 they did it differently? All I remember the technologist marking them with a special marker which almost washed away on the weekends. They actually covered it with that skin type tape.
Don't laugh they made me a breast cast in another freezing room because my breast wasn't cooperating. So every day Monday-Friday i had to put the cast on. If There was a little needle that I wouldn't forget. Its strange why didn't get the dots. Now I have to google it.
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Shelia - Please be careful when you google breast dots...you know what happened the last time you googled something
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Michelle- that is funny, wasn't it some sort of anal fisions we were fixated on?!?
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Michelle refresh my memory because Im always googling something. Was that the one with anal...?
Good to see you, pauldingmom posted today imagine it was 4th of July when i first met you all TRiple J's. Time really flies.
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I heard from denverdiva-Susan . She wants me to say hello to everyone.
As soon as she can get hold on a computer she will start posting again.
Sheila
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Sheila,
My rads was Jan-mid Feb & it was so frigging cold in that room, they said they had to keep it cold because the machine gets hot, they covered me with a sheet every day, except for when I got the boosts. I used to just shake I would be so cold. The most fun part (not), was sitting in the waiting room with that thin gown on while there were other people who were dressed & even had their coats on!! Not pleasant! I have two tiny tatoos, they look like little blue blackheads, one between the breasts & the other on the right side. I hope they fade in time...
good-night all
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Its been a while since Ive last glanced through the boards.. Stage one, done with rads ( JULY) on Tomaxifen.. Next month will be my 6 month follow up mammo ( kinda nervous about that)... and then follwed by tissue expander/implant swap in late Jan or ealry Feb.... Feb will be my one year out from diagnosis celebration.
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Hi, All!
Sending quick hugs in the morning here at NJ.
Hi Nicole! I'm here, happy and healthy...NO MORE pain in my kidneys/bladder (well eensy weensy in the bladder, but really almost nil!)...I'm outta my "dark" place too! It's nice to hear good news from the doctors for a change! I posted to you probably 3 pages ago...us sistas talk a lot right? I love it!
I spent as much as you on Christmas presents Nicole...waiiting on 3 more gifts for the kiddies. I attributed my "overspending" to post traumatic stress disorder, ha ha! I LOVED this therapeutic shopping! Now I'm going to buy me a SNOWBLOWER for this 20 inches of snow we got! I cant turn my outside Christmas lights on because they are buried waaaaaaa!
Sunny--SO GLAD you'll be done with rads! What a great day! What a great Christmas present too...no more trips to the rads center! Woo hoo!
More soon...gotta get the 4 kiddies up for school. I am SO THANKFUL this Christmas to watch their happy faces and visit with family. My mom in law has mets colon cancer and is NED, and she will be here from SC. Her cancer kept her from coming last year. My father in law has Parkinsons but he will be here too. I am so excited to cook and EAT and enjoy family.
Hey...how do you make a peppermint cosmopolitan....sounds YUMMY!
I'm babbling arent I?
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Hello to all, hope all going thru treatment this week have a good week and area able to enjoy their special holiday. I am starting to feel stronger, the fatigue is getting better. I have tried to stop the ambien but cannot sleep, I guess there is to merit to as one said, better living thru chemistry!! Going to PT right now my walk has been really unbalanced. Between the hip surgery and then the breast surgery all ont he right side I cannot walk for very long without getting really sore all over. Hope this works I like walking and really want to lose some weight. Of course I love all those Christmas goodies so hoping to not gain for the rest of the year. My sons will both be home form out west for Christmas. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to ALL.
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Congrats Sunny!!! CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!
Sheila, Deb had anal fissures and you googled it. Remember? It wasw funny! (Well, not for Deb). Love ya Deb!!
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I hope Deb doesn't get THAT gift back at Christmas! You girls got really got takative last night. There was hardley any talk going on when I logged off.
I finished all Christmas shopping and have it wrapped and under the tree. I now need to get started on getting Christmas dinner ready. I haven't done any of that shopping yet. I'd better get going or it will be like "Christmas with the Cranks".
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I'm doing the same here today, Meece. Happy shopping and cooking!
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To seylaa888, and the rest of my Stage One sisters...dropping by with a
Been reading all of your holiday exploits. I'm very happy for those who have just finished up their treatments. To those right in the midst of treatment, I hope your holidays will be a time to recharge the batteries and relax with family.
I think I'm pretty much on track with everything, once I get the gifts wrapped up today, then tackle some baking. I've never made a rum cake, so I'm going to make an attempt at that. Wish me luck!
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Selya88, you said you remained purple? I am crisp now but I sure hope I don't stay discolored!
Thank you all for your congrats, I feel this was my first and I am going to celebrate. We had our Christmas this last weekend so I am totally done and can enjoy the freedom of having no commitments of my time of course unles my baby grandaughter wants to see me.
I do think the pink cosmo should come with directions so we all can enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that we all need.
Happy Holidays to all!
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cargiver
Hi Susan!
I also got to skip the chemo & rads by choosing the bilateral mastectomy.
I used to feel like I was cheating until I realized that I was not!
Had I stopped at the lumpectomy I was going to have radiation and I was ok with that, but my pathology made me take a different course of action.
Sure I get to skip chemo and rads, but I lost my breasts - no cheating there!
In the long run, your doctors will not let you make a bad choice.
I am so pleased with my choices and results!
Kimberly
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I don't think there is any "cheating" cancer. You need to make the choice of treatments that best fits your situation. I was not well informed about the options between Mastectomy or Lumpectomy, so I chose lumpectomy and chemo and rads. Your doctor can't force you to take a treatment you don't want, but they will recommend what they feel is best for you.
I am glad you are happy with your choice and results, Kimberly. Happy Holidays!
Meece
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I haven't posted here for a few days. Been blogging away on TE site and arimidex site and checking out Exhange City site.
Again, you gals are troopers. For some reason this TE did not bother me today. Maybe its the medication.
Merry Christmas to all of you and these lousy memories fade from us forever.
Have a great evening.
P.S. I recently saw Julie and Julia, (the gal who blogs for a year about Julia Child) Could you imagine if these sites were ever made into a book. Our blogs could win the Pulizer Prize for bravery.
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I wanted to ask those of you who have been through the 4 rounds of TC. Are you able to work full time? How many days after treatment do you start to feel well again? My HR dept told me today that unless I am out 6 consecutive business days I will have to use my vacation time for my treatments. That sent me over the edge. I have been crying uncontrollably all day. My onc is so sweet. She told me they would put me down whatever I wanted. I hate to stay out of work all that time, but I don't want to use the little vacation time I have on chemo and rads, and when those run out it will be unpaid leave.
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Vegasdiva: From my initial mastectomy surgery (3/17/09) until Sept. 28 I was out of work on short-term disability. Double mastectomy followed by the 4 rounds of TC, 3 weeks apart. I was not able to work. I was not nauseous and had no vomiting (that was well controlled with meds) but I was so TIRED, had some bone and joint pain, and back spasms. There were days that I literally did not move out of my chair except for the bathroom. The first two days after treatment were pretty good (cuz of the steroids), day three I began to feel tired, and by day four (usually Sunday) I was too tired to move.
Are you sure you are not entitled to short-term disability? I was able to collect my full pay the entire time I was out, and they were not allowed to hire someone to take my place permanently. They held my job open for me, but used a temp. My onc told me the same thing--that she would write whatever I wanted her to say. She said some people work thru it all, and some don't. It is up to you. Now, I am 51 yrs old, so if you are younger, you may do better than I did. I had a lot of complications following my surgery also (wound infections, removal of TEs, chronic diarrhea from meds, etc). I didn't have rads, so I can't speak to how you will feel after that.
I hope you find a workable solution and don't have to use all of your vacation time--or worse--take time off without pay.
Hope this helps a little.
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HI all... I just found this thread... don't have time to read all the posts here, but I'll just start here, and add comments here, and hope to catch up with everyone soon.
I'm Stage I also. Hi Linda!
Congrats. on finishing rads, sunny!
I'm switching from Tamoxifen to Femara, starting Jan. 1st, and I'm scared. I just had a bone density test and I have osteopenia in the hip. Should I start taking an AI, since they wreak havoc on our bones??
Great to find a place where I belong...
Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!!
Harley
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Hi Harley....There nothing to be scare about Femara. Im on it since March of 2006. Bone Density Test I had shows osteopenia too. I take Caltrate+D. The Dr wants to wait for the next Bone Density test see if I need to start taking Boniva or some other pill.
You have a Happy Holiday to and i hope we see you here.
Sheila
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VegasDiva,
My company allowed me to take an "intermittent' leave of absence. I am not sure if that is out company policy or something allowable by State or Federal Law.. For me that meant I needed to take 3 days of benefit time (which is used during the initial biopsy) -- then the remaining was short term disability for the hours I needed to be off, which was -- 2 weeks after lumpectomy, few doctor's appts, chemo days (Thursdays) and the day after - sometimes Monday too, and then 2 hours a day for Rads ( i had to travel 70 miles one way)-- then an oopherectomy two months after that and a raft of Dr. appointments along the way I was able to work full time through chemo. TCx6. Chemo day and the day after are pretty tolerable -- you're a bit woogy from the steroids. Once the steroids are done, you feel kind of yucky for a few days ( I planned that for the weekend) -- with each day getting a little better.. By about day 6, you feel pretty good. Each cycle is different - once you figure out which side effects, if any, you will get, you can learn how to manage then so you feel as good as you can. For me, work was the distraction I needed -- I'm sure I wasn;t 100% every day, and I was tired when I got home -- which usually meant I slept well. And part of me didn;t want to stay home and play the sick role..
If I had it to do over, I would probably cut to part-time during chemo, maybe work 6 hours a day and then spend some time both resting and exercising. I've read (now that I'm done) that a regular exercise routine helps your body metabolize the chemo and it keeps your mood and feelings more upbeat and is just generally good for your recovery. I found I was to tired after a 8-9 hour day to exercise -- but I think that would have helped.
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Sunnyfornow: Congrats! No more rads!
Ronqt1: I am so happy to hear that your TE discomfort has improved. If you need the meds, keep taking them. It's hard enough to deal with what we are going through without having to endure pain. I think it is good that your PS decided to wait for your fill. I have read that many people lengthen the time between fills due to pain. I know that we want to get through the process ASAP but we have to be able to get through the day to day without being miserable--glad you found out what works for you.
Harley44: Welcome. I don't know about the AI's. I'll be interested in what you find out because I am on tamoxifen but since I just had out ovaries/tubes asnd hysterectomy 2 weeks ago, I don't know when they will switch me to an AI.
VegasDiva: I hope someone on here can help you with your question about chemo. I know it is frustrating enough without having to worry about work issues. Good luck.
Elimar: Cute reindeer
How'd the rum cake turn out? I did some baking yesterday and today too. I went by work to drop off some goodies this afternoon. I have been off work since my surgery 2 weeks ago. I'm feeling pretty good so it was nice to see my coworkersfor a little visit. The three good things about having my surgery this month were 1-helping to prevent recurrence, 2-no more periods, and 3-I get to have this week and next week off while my daughter is out of school for the holidays.I hope everyone else is having a good week. Christmas is almost here! TCK
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Hi, I haven't written for quite a while, but have been reading and keeping up the whole time. I start rads on the 4th. I just went in today for the CT scan, tattoos and mapping. 30 rads, 3 boosts. I am very fair and worry about the burning. MY DR. has said nothing about creams or anything else to help. What have you ladies done? After rads,on 3/6 I go on Tomoxifen. My onco said I would probably have hot flashes and possibly spotting being that I still have all my parts there. Sisters, I am 65 and the last thing I want to do is revisit THOSE days. What experiances have you ladies had on tomoxifen? Merry Christmas everyone!
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Hi grama5 ~
I used Aloe Vera lotion (big bottle I bought at a Meijer store-it is also available at Wal-Mart in a smaller size) every day in the changing room at Rads immediately after tx, before I got dressed to leave. And used it several times a day, it is cooling & healing at the same time. As I started to itch, I used Cortizone 10 Plus, that really helped! As I started to burn in the last full week & through the boosts (I had 28 reg. treatments & 5 boosts), I used a prescription Silvadene which really helped. I slathered it on, put on a non-stick gauze pad & my loose bra-camisole, & I was good to go. All of the above were recommended by my Rads Dr. Some gals have used different things, I used what my Rads Dr. prescribed.
In fact, I'm still using the aloe vera on the affected breast. It is a healing lotion, after all. And, I had two full bottles left when I was finished with tx! lol
I found Rads very doable, I was never tired. If I hadn't had to make that trip everyday, I would have never known I was having anything done because I felt no different until I started to burn & then I had to deal with that. Seven days after my last tx, I went to my DD's seven hours north for my granddaughter's birthday & I was back to normal.
I am on an AI, Aromasin, because I am post-menopausal & am doing well, minor SE's. (I still have all my parts)
Good luck on the Rads, if you have any questions/concerns, feel free to ask anything. You can PM me if you'd like anytime.
{{hugs}}
Valerie
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I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & a Joyous Holiday Season! You are all so wonderful & I could not make it through some days without knowing that I have this supportive group to come to.
I hope 2010 will be our best year yet!
Love & Blessings,
Valerie
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