Calling all TNs
Comments
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Sherry - thanks for the heads up.
My heart goes out to you and your family.0 -
Karen, I strongly endorse the purchase of the red mary janes--clearly an essential component of any woman's wardrobe. And some purples ones too! One of my new pairs is purple, and coincidentally matches the dark purple nail polish that I've been advised to wear to protext my nails during the Taxotere. I enjoy pointing out this exceptional display of colour coordination to anyone who will listen when I'm wearing them! I'll be thinking of you today as I get my chemo.
I've gone a bit mad recently and given myself a complete wardrobe/image overhaul. I've thrown out nearly all of my old clothes and decided to become a bit more trendy. If I feel like crap, it helps me to know that I don't look like a sack of potatoes. I go in to every chemo session, wig on, fully made up, wearing my best outfit. I find it easier to cope when I don't look ill. I must stop soon though because the bank balance is suffering and I'm trying to save for a decent family hoiday next summer. By that time, we'll all need some proper time off, together, preferably on a Greek Island, the waves lapping on the beach and someone called Costas bringing me cocktails at the click of my fingers. That's a thought to hold on to.
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To all you lovely ladies. Our being strong and positive for our families and friens is one of the hardest parts of this battle. For me the hardest was when my DH cried and then went immediately back into his soldier mode. I am also bipolar so have to avoid negativity where I can.
One of the things I do, and it really helps me, is plan for the coming seasons. So instead of being depressed about the winter I am looking forward to big roaring fires, all the beautiful autumn colours and the warm snuggly clothing. That and the mulled wine.
As I have said before, this thread is my lifeline. Anything I have needed I have found here.
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Dear Bernie - yes - our lifeline - I totally agree. Whenever things go great, I can't wait to share with all of you. When things do not go well, I run to the shelter all of you provide. I love you guys, I truly do.
Sherry
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OBXX - The same to you and yours. I thought of you when I awoke this a.m. (Just tossed out more useless stuff - lol). I really do not think we are being morbid. I know I may think differently about this in the future, but I really do not think so -I have honestly accepted this horrid disease and actually am at peace with all of it. I truly feel free to live each day as I want to. I receive a very small teacher's pension each month and Aflac benefits. I have worked since I was 14, so I definitely qualify for Soc. Sec. Dis. I contacted them this week. They were so very, very nice to me, as mets are on their "rush-through" list. They prob. appreciate having a true claim to process instead of all the BS claims many people I know have tried to get approved. I have a lovely little cabin at the base of a small mountain and lower Saranac Lake right across the street from me! The best part is that my grandchildren live one mile away - in fact, a trail at the top of "my mountain" connects to their townhouse complex!
In addition, although I am not worth much money-wise while here, I have some great insurance policies in effect for my family. My children and d-iin-law have all worked very hard all their lives - no inheritances, or family money. I am so glad I will be able to provide a good financial jump-start for them when I pass on.
Ok - enough about passing-on. Its Halloween! It's pouring rain here, but not cold, not windy and no snow, so the celebration will go on. Trick or treating after school on Main St. with grandchildren. Its a lot of fun to see the looks on the faces of out-of-towners who do not understand why the heck our Main St. is closed for three hours on Halloween!
Thanks for the great idea, Bernie. My D hates holidays - she is planning on moving out soon, so I will decorate the heck out of my cabin for the holidays - Even if she does not move out, too bad for her, I will decorate anyway. I will decorate so much that my cabin will be seen from space! Yep - that's the spirit! I have recently had no Christmas tree or tiny ones. My gchildren asked me to have a big tree this year - You bet I will - it will be huge - I can't wait.
Love you guys
Sherry (have not completed my info profile yet - just to give everyone abit of info about me, I am a retired (was forced to retire six yrs early by obnoxious principal - did not feel like fighting it- Union encouraged me to - I wouldn't - Karma bit his a** - he was "forced" to retire by a nice new superintendent! Now he is selling used cars....). I am 58 - in great health besides the cancer crap. Have three adult children and three wonderful grandchildren - I live a very simple life and enjoy each and every day!
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English Rose - I just painted my toes "Plumberry".
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Love to all you wonderful ladies. Welcome newbies...it is hard, it is he'll but you can do it.
Haven't been on I awhile, needed to take a break then got a break with no power from Sandy....
Wishing everyone a wonderful day and a super Halloween for those of you who celebrate. We carve wild pumpkins. May post later. Hope I can find our utube video to post...EI.d, short, crazy pumpkin carving.0 -
Good Morning Girl Friends - Love all the posts today.
Wondering if I can ask DH to get me some wild color nail polish. Plumberry sounds perfect.
Thinking of the millions of people in the eastern third of US. Wishing all the very best. Jan
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Happy Halloween to everyone. I got the "all-clear" on my PET/CT scan. I am so happy. I feel I can move on now that I know the treatments worked.
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jenndurk; I wasn't sure if I should post. I also had 4x AC DD and have one more (4x) DD Taxol. Compared to the Taxol I breezed through the AC. I have terrible body pain but the onc has given me a new drug which is a nerve blocker which seems to have helped. Also my hemoglobin slipped below the 80 threshold and I had to have 2 units of blood yesterday.
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Hi everyone. Wonderful posts today. Great news from CatWhispurrer and inspiring ideas for enjoying life from the other sisters. Clearing out our possessions MAY seem a bit negative and/or morbid but perhaps it's us just realizing that there are much more meaningful things to concentrate on, whether we have a year or 20 left - having fun with colour (plumberry nails), decorating (HUGE Christmas tree in the Adirondacks), spending time with family and friends (trick or treating with the grandchildren) and planning for the future (trips we plan to take, things we want to do). The main theme is ENJOY LIFE!!
Doreen
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Happy Halloween or Samhain as we old strange Celts would say.
Like I said earlier i try to live in the positive ( I know it doesn't always work like that).
An update for the new Ladies.
I live in Southern Ireland, very rural. Nearest neighbour quarter of a mile. Nearest little shop and pub three miles. Kilkenny city 14 miles.
Try to eat and drink healthily (doesn't always work like that). I like the odd glass or bottle of red wine. Will admit to the occasional cigarette (not proud of that).
Have a small amount of land - keep chickens, guinea fowl, turkey (didn't have the nerve to eat him last christmas), goats, connemara pony, three mad dogs and hubby.
Try to see the good in people and live a quiet life (doesn't always work like that).
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Two nuns, Sister Mary Agnes and Sister Mary Vincent, are traveling through Europe in their car, sightseeing in Transylvania. As they are stopped at a traffic light, out of nowhere, a small vampire jumps onto the hood of the car and hisses at them through the windshield.
"Quick, quick!" shouts Sister Mary Agnes, "What should we do?"
"Turn the windshield wipers on. That will get rid of the abomination," says Sister Mary Vincent.
Sister Mary Agnes switches on the wipers, which knock the mini-Dracula around. But, he hangs on and continues hissing at the nuns. "What shall I do now?" she shouts.
"Try the windshield washer. I filled it with holy water before we left the Vatican," replies Sister Mary Vincent.
Sister Mary Agnes turns on the windshield washer. The vampire screams as the water burns his skin, but he hangs on and continues hissing at the nuns.
"Now what?" shouts Sister Mary Agnes.
"Show him your cross," says Sister Mary Vincent.
"Now you're talking," says Sister Mary Agnes. She then opens the window and shouts, "Get the f**cking hell off our car!"
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Bernie - it sounds beautiful in the south of Ireland!! I also enjoy a glass (or more) of a good red wine - just wondering if that will be a no-no while I do chemotherapy. I forgot to ask about that - any input?
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Adagio, I asked the nutritionist about drinking wine while on chemo. She said No Problem. But it didn't taste right until about 10 days after TX. So I did have a glass or two when the mood struck me.
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Good to know that. Perhaps I won't even feel like having a glass of wine. Did you get a metallic taste in the mouth. Did your doctor give you a mouthwash? My oncologist gave me a prescription for magic mouth wash - swish it around the mouth and then spit it out - but I believe this if for the mouth ulcers.
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Cat - wonderful news!!! Go celebrate.
Tooky- I hope the transfusion gives you a nice energy boost!
I left home at 10:30 arrived home at 6:15. Had to wait an hour for chemo ( storm back -up ) and they run it very slowly the first day. So far, only a wicked headache, but the pain meds have lessened it a bit. It is not helping that my yappy one, barks like mad, with each trick or treater. After being gone all day, I don't have the heart to lock him up.
Hugs all around...0 -
Karen give him something to chew!!!
Hope your headaches goes soon.
I have just realized how depressing my job is. I have been typing about cancer patients all day even a 24 year old with carcinoma of the stomach and a poor prognosis. Puts my problems into perspective.
Not taking my lap top to the cake conference so will catch up with you all on Monday when I get home. In the meantime keep well ladies and hopefully away from any side effects. Annie
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Have fun at the cake conference CS.
As for putting things in perspective. Another lady on this board had her rad treatment delayed whilst they dealt with a 2 month old baby that needed the machine for an hour for the next 3 days. Yep these things make us realise there are always people way worse off than us.
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Just found a message on my phone from my surgeon, not his nurse but him personally asking me to call him. Now l'm scared. What other bad news is he going to tell me.
How soon after surgery do most people start chemo? I have not seen a MO yet. Did any of you see the MO before surgery? I've already had the lumpectomy and SNB but waiting to have remaining nodes removed.0 -
5th. So sorry you have to worry about what your surgeon wanted to speak to you about.
Hopefully it was just to check on you. My surgeon and oncologist both were very much involved in speaking to me personally several times.
I had my chemo first then lumpectomy and SNB so I can't answer your question on how quickly they do chemo after surgery.0 -
5thSib - I think I waited 6 weeks the first time and 4 weeks the second. Try not to borrow trouble. I know ... Easier said than done! Keep us posted.
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Just love this. Todays giggle
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really like these recent posts..love how we just sit around and chat like you are sitting right next to me..and maybe having a glass of wine or two...
Brower..I hear you with the kids..my daughter was 21 at the time and was by my side most of the time..she was in college but came home to be with me. on weekends .even went to chemo with me...my son distanced himself but he is coming around now...they do handle it in different ways but I understand them both...
ok..got two appts tomorrow..one with the onc and one with the bs..actually it will be with the pa for the oncs office..I'm going to ask her alot of questions about tn..about the ovarian connection..just want to see if she knows anything...maybe I will send her screaming to the onc...we will see...do you notice that I have a bit of mean streak to me?? LOL
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I made it!!!! Had my surgery Friday or I should say surgeries! Lots of pain the first 3 days but it's getting better. My breast are on fire, it feels like a 300 pound man is standing on my chest. The ovary surgery was easier but the gaz you get after is ridiculous. That's what causes most of the pain but I did! I'm alive and kicking, well not kicking but smiling.
Life is good, life is grand and I can do anything.0 -
Happy Halloween!!!
Hello to all the new ladies!! I hope you find this thread as informative and inspiring as I have.
5thSib - my surgeon likes to call late in the evening. Wish they wouldn't so they could return calls!!
Met with my MO Monday for the first time. Found out that I am stage 1 (questions arised after CT scan wasn't clear about liver). Will be starting chemo in a few weeks. They asked if I wanted to join a clinical trial. It is a nationwide trial to see if docetaxel and cyclophosphamide is as effective as doxorubicin and cyclyophosphamide with docetaxel or paclitaxel. Still reading but there is no new drugs involved. MO said that they the study combo for women that have heart problems before chemo. Anyone heard of this trial???
DH just read the clinical trial info. I can tell from our conversation that he is scared of me having chemo. Besides the obvious hair loss, he is concerned with the more serious side effects. Said he will support my decision but I can tell he is afraid of how I will handle the treatments. Any suggestions on how to help him??
Hope everyone has a good evening/day.
Dx IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 3, 0/4 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2-Surgery 10/08/2012 Lumpectomy (Right)
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Hi Ladies.. when TNBC comes back does it usually come back for good? My mom's had a recurrence 4 years after her first go round and this time its Stage 4. However after a short stint on GemCysplat, 3x FEC-100 and 3x Taxotere, she's showing signs of improvement - lungs completely clear, liver met shrunk and bone mets shrunk. Im happy for that but my mom and the whole fam are reeling at the thought of more chemo. Trying to be positive bc this is such a good thing, but Taxotere has really done a number on her - like, very little she can do, quality of life out the door. I keep saying to her and my fam, that we have to push on thru, otherwise its like leaving a job half done.
Anyhoo just wanted to know if there are any TN sisters who've had a recurrence and did okay...
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Hi everyone! I am having my last dose of AC tomorrow! Half way through! Then onto Taxol! My doctor said I should do well on it. But I'm reading that some of you have had bone pain. Does taking a Claritin really help?
Im feeling good though although my eyes look a little funny! Kinda glassy eyed!
Anyways, trying to keep it positive cause I feel too good to let this cancer get me down!
CatWhispurr...congratulations to you. Must be a great feeling!
Happy Halloween everyone!0 -
Hello ladies- just a quick post to welcome all the newbies. I am sad you have to be here, but these women are pure gold! I am past 2 years now and don't feel the need to post as often anymore, but I think of you all and read the thread regularly. I still think about cancer everyday, but it no longer consumes me.
Bernie you are hilarious!
Hoping to see something from Hope or Inmate soon!
Happy Halloween!
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