Calling all TNs
Comments
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you know I been thinking about how scared we call can get with this disease but also how scared newbies would be coming on here and seeing several dying or have already gone. I can't help but wonder myself if some of our sisters are dying from something other than the cancer........Do we know? Like with Naan we all know how much cancer had taken over her body but was it cancer that claimed her life or was it pneumonia? With Michelle do we know? I am just curious as I know that in the statics for the survival even though cancer is not what takes a person they still include them as one being lost to it. I hope this makes sense and does not totally sound cold because I do not mean it that way at all.0 -
I am new to this group also but want to send my condolences to Michelle's family. My prayers for her & her family. May she be in God's loving arms.0 -
Marsha how you doing today?0 -
Stupidboob, you have a very valid point re how our sisters are passing. I keep trying to be positive but it is hard.
Thoughts with Michelles family. I have been reading some of her posts, such a lovely lady.
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Stupidboob,
Doing good. Out with my daughter & grandson getting Halloween decorations & goodies. Now this year is going to be hard as I had the habit of eating leftover trick or treat goodies. So far been doing real well. My Birthday is tomorrow & thought I might not see another so I'm on a natural high!!!
))
Thank you for asking.
I spoil myself on just a few items & my iPhone is one. So I not tied down in reading or to reply. We should all dress up this year & celebrate the child within!!0 -
So very sad and sorry to hear about Michelle - this is terrifying and so very depressing ! My thoughts and prayers are with Michelle - may she be free from pain and feel surrounded and supported by love and peace during her final days on this earth. May God give us all strength and courage to face the future - none of us knows what it holds for us.0 -
Just received this from a breast cancer survivor in my yoga class. She does not have TNBC but we all understand this bugger of a disease.
This is AWESOME ... something we should all remember.
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who
is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait..'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.
Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.
It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice;
I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life..
Old age is like a bank account.
You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!
Thank you all for your part in filling my Memory Bank.
I am still depositing.
'Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans. Thank you ladies & one (Al) husband for adding to my memory bank.
God Bless.0 -
thanks scouser47 it is very hard and I try to say well they are not me and I won't go until my time but for some reason that just does not bring me any comfort. Well, not a lot anyways. Everytime I hear of someone passing and especially since my returned it makes me wonder if it truly can be beat and if it is the chemo that is saving us or if it just was not our time.....I think you know what I am saying0 -
lookingforward66 I hope you have a WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY TOMORROW.................I totally understand about not knowing if you would be here..........that is how I feel too0 -
Nice post, Lookingforward. Thank you.
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Very welcome. Figure we need all the boosts we can get. Especially knowing down days. Just have to grab boot straps & plunge forward.0 -
Just logged on after a fun weekend out of town and now have heard about Michelle. I am just numb. May she be comfortable and pain free as she is surrounded by her family's love and adoration. I am so....hurt, sad, angry. I hate you cancer.0 -
sorry to hear about Luv...but you know she certainly enjoyed every minute..and loved us all to pieces..
and we were all newbies once...it takes alot to come on here and read about our friends dying of this crap....but what can you do...this forum offers alot of support and love...I have seen so many friends die of this but I have also seen many friends survive and thrive...
reading about Michelle...I think her treatment may have something to do with what is going on right now...chemo drugs are so hard on your body...but what do we do..go without? that's a decision we all have to make and live with...I honestly do not know if I would go through chemo again if I had too...it would be a rough decision0 -
You make a good point Titan and I have often said the very same thing about chemo. This scares my husband because we do have to face the reality we may have to make that decision again in the future. I watched my mother in law suffer with kidney cancer and I often said that I wouldn't take any kind of treatment but when I was actually diagnosed I was the first one to tell them to give me the works - I guess our natural instinct is to survive but knowing what to expect the second time around and that (for me anyway) the treatment seemed worse than the disease. So sorry to hear about Luv and I think that at some point our bodies just says "enough".0 -
Titan and Jcolford the first thing I said to my surgeon was I am not having my breast off, not having radiation and no chemo. He said ok we will see and I thought yea we will cause I'm not having them. Then I got home and told my eldest girl and said he mentioned chemo and radiation and she said of course you will have it and I thought yes of course I will because of you and your sister and the old feller. I don't actually think it becomes your decision. I think it's your families decision and you have it for them. Not that I regret it now, I have gone through it with the help of these ladies here and have come out the other side. I don't know what the future holds I guess we will just have to wait and see but I feel I have given it all that I have. I am left with a weeping left eye, no taste, hardly any smell (can't smell the flowers in my garden much anymore unless they have a strong perfume) and a swollen arm from lymphoedema but I am still here and grateful for every day. I still think I prefer this cancer than motor neurone disease because that to me is cruel and a terrible thing to get and suffer with. My family and my wonderful sisters on here brought me though this as we all will with our newbies. Sure we lose some and that is heart breaking but it happens and we have to get on and live with what we are given. Hope I don't offend anyone, this was not intended to.0 -
Hi Everyone,
I'm just signing on to respond to a couple of posts - I know everyone is sad, shocked and worried with what happened to Julie, and now learning of Michelle. And I wanted to respond to what someone asked a few pages back, were there extenuating circumstances or other contributors?It is truly two very sad and heartbreaking situations to read about on here, and let's all please keep Michelle in our thoughts and very fond memories of Julie as well.
If you are scared and reading about these recent updates you will likely feel some anxiety. Fear is hard to conquer but can be done. First off, I do recommend taking a break from the boards when you feel overly anxious. Second, do small things during the day that boost your immunity and decrease your risk of recurrence. Start small and just focus on each little accomplishment. Third, do something you absolutely love today Get yourself back on track to where you were before the recent turn of events. Even if it takes your mind off this for only a little while you will be doing something good for your body. Remember that stress and anxiety are not good for our immune systems, so find a way to release the anxiety. Music and laughter are good.
I wish all of you comfort and peace - and hope that soon you will start to see the beautiful day and future that is ahead of you!
xoxo0 -
Ladies my wife has a t-shirt that says, "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have!". I can tell you that having already been through the worst chemo there is 16 years ago, if my wife said it once, she said it a thousand times, "If I ever get cancer again, I am NOT going through chemo again." It would always make me scared to hear her say that. Then this past April the unthinkable happened and she was diagnosed with her TNBC. Let me tell you, she never once even considered not having chemo. And she went through it like a champ and came out on the other side. I guess my point is maybe none of us should think about what we will or won't do when and if something happens in the future. Let's try and think about, and enjoy, TODAY, because it's the only sure thing ANY OF US has! I don't have cancer today. My wife has no signs of cancer today. I may get cancer tomorrow! She may get hit by a bus! NONE OF US KNOWS! But if something undesired happens, ""You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have!" and we'll all be strong, and we'll all get through it.0 -
Thank you ALH, You said it perfectly.
Debra, thanks for your message and the insight from Michelle. I'm holding her close.
Yes, today I can be strong. J0 -
inspired - thanks so much for those encouraging words. I can only speak for myself in saying that I have been quite discouraged about my own progress and future from reading about naan and Luv - it all seemed to happen so suddenly and it has kind of left me in a spin not knowing what lies ahead. But you put things in perspective for me - living each day as it comes and to the full - not putting off anything, but grasping opportunities as they arise. Good point about stress and anxiety lowering our immune system. Thanks for taking the time to write the post! Hugs!!!0 -
Alhusband,
Thank you for your encouraging words.0 -
So I am now two months past chemo and am preparing for reconstructive surgery which is scheduled for Oct. 30th. However my labs: platelets and neutrophils are low....in fact lower than when I was recieving chemo. I will be having labs again the day before surgery to make sure I am no lower than 103 for platelets....my wbc's were low too, but I did recieve a immune booster shot last week with my vaccination( I am in a study, that is trying a vaccination to prevent reoocurance)....I called my Dr. spoke with the nurse and she said generally lab levels bounce back within a month after chemo, but she said she woul try get a hold of my Dr. and see what he had to say.....so here I sit, worried sick. Has anyone experienced a delay ofnormal lab levels after chemo??? Blah....it is so hard not to worry.......Deb, I loved loved loved your post, I need to really take your suggestions and work on being more at peace. I seem to be more worried in general....Take Care Everyone...0 -
Inspired, thank you for your encouraging words, you have such a positive way about you and you do so much to help us all through. So sad to hear about Michelle and Julie!! Our only real choice is to live in the moment and make the best choices we can for ourselves.
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Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum. I was diagnosed withTN BC in June. Had a lumpectomy, made it through A/C now Taxol DD 4 tx. It is the hardest thing I ever have to deal with in life. Seems like the only person who really understands what I'm going through is my husband. All I get is a bunch of text messages and phone calls asking how I'm doing. Also, keep hearing if you need something let me know....why do I have to let you know. Why can't people just do things for you without you telling them? When I say I'm not able to cook I get the response "oh you don't have little kids, your kids are grown". So what about me don't I need to eat? Very disappointed in my best friend mostly, she cried like a baby when I told her my news and she said she would be here for me and hasn't. I'm sorry to vent here, but I figured some of you may have experienced the same. I feel like I get more support from this website than my own family and friends.
Hope everyone is doing ok....prayers and thoughts are with you all. Please keep me in your prayers.
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Inspired, thank you so much for that, like Adagio I was losing hope, I had decided not to viisit this thread again and then whilst looking for something else saw your post. How awful for Michelle but your explanation of her circumstances has helped.She is in my thoughts.Also Naan was a shock but who knows for sure what happened.
al husband, thanks to you too. We must all just soldier as none of us know what will happen tomorrow.
Edi.
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Oh you all have inspired me back just as much, to know I could help, thank you for your nice comments about the post. In case you all have wondered, I do get concerns sometimes and anxiety does get the best of me as well at times. But when I'm struggling, my best defense is often helping others. Or going out somewhere and causing a lot of trouble. LOL
ALH sure is right. When I first got this, and was in shock, I asked a friend of mine how was I going to handle this, and he said "with grace and class like you do everything else." It made me realize that a) he doesn't really know me .. what grace and class? LOL and b) the only option I do have, is as ALH put it, "you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
By the way, I've always been very independent, but now that I'm feeling so good with my body recovering from chemo (did take 18 months or longer) I'm back to being my feisty self and everyone in a mile of here has probably heard that I'm back in action!
But it reminds me of a signature line I saw on someone's profile here at the bc forums a while ago, and I totally loved it. It said something like 'they didn't want to arrive at at the end all neat and proper, but rather sliding in sideways yelling with a "Oh yeah, what a trip that was!" Well, I didn't do the bc member justice here, lol, but you get the drift. It made me laugh and smile, and sometimes I think of that when I decide to have my way and do what I want.
Hope it can also inspire all of you to make it a fun trip!
Hugs ladies and 1 ALH!0 -
Candi - That's funny and I agree ... why do we have to let them know? Why can't people really be more insightful and take a guess at what we might need. How about a phone call just because, not one to check our pulse.
I know everyone means well, but after a bc diagnosis, I've noticed I've taken issue with things. The latest for me now is when someone calls and says "how are you?" emphasizing the word you, with the connection to it meaning in reference to the bc. I'm back to normal, just call and start talking now, we don't have to start off with the how are youuuuuuu question anymore.
Regarding the post about blood counts, I have researched that it can take a body 18 months to 24 months to fully recover from chemo, and that you could even have new norms for you that weren't the norm before. Search with some identifying key words in the search section and see if you can find any discussions about it. I had implant exchange 7 weeks later.
Everyone have a nice evening. I'm off to eat some broccoli, red pepper, artichoke hearts and green beans.0 -
OMG!!!!! What terrible news about our lovely Naan, shit shitty shit!!
Love and thoughts to her family and friends and the TNS network, such a kick in the guts to everyone who knew her whether in person or online
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OFF TOPIC
My heart is really sad and partially broken..............Our beloved Skittles got diagnosed with Lymphoma and we may have about 4 to 6 weeks with her. THIS BREAKS MY HEART but for now I am thankful I still have her today. Knowing in a way sucks and then in a way it lets me know to spend every minute with her that I can....(not that I did not do that anyway) I think now she is just like.....Mama Please get off of me. We will meet with the oncologist this week to see if they have any options but not sure of what we will do for her and for our finances.....why must everything come down to money......I only want what is best for her, but not ready to say goodbye. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND!!!
Thanks for letting me vent0 -
In reference to vitamins, I have reduced my intake as well. No one had to tell me, but I was getting the feeling that I was approaching the overboard point. However, what is one to do?
Stupidbood- HBD as the young people would say.0 -
After posting I am now reading a Luv. Heavy heart right, I was logging in to catch and didn't want to read this, but as we know life itself is terminal.
What else can I say?? This crap never gets easier.
I often wonder how doctors deal with this, they have to be strong and remove feelings; because I would be a nervous wreck.0
