August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
Comments
-
Lady. Have you in my thoughts as you go for the full deal. Post as soon as you feel up to it. Thinking happy path reports and a swift recovery. You are a tough one and will kick azz. May the force be with you and DH too. Libraylil
0 -
OK I took a picture this morning of my hair growth - 7 weeks post chemo. It is coming along!
" 0 -
JSW- you look awesome! Seriously, that will start growing like crazy in the next few weeks.
0 -
Lisa--You mentioned about that Latisse--you got it through your eye doc. I think here it is only sold at cosmetic surgeons. I lost all my eyebrows/eyelashes and my eyebrows have grown back nicely (need a little fill in with pencil) and my eyelashes have grown back but are short. I was going to check out that Latisse.
Hair--I haven't done anything extra other than waiting for the hair to grow. I read that page with all the hair updates and some are using all different types of shampoo etc. I started taking Biotin so hopefully that will help.
I am walk/running a 5km on May 14th and timed myself again yesterday and am down by 2 min. I am trying to do more running---Hopefully I can get myself down to a decent time for the 5km.
0 -
rachel - Some eye doctors sell Latisse as well. My ophthomologist had to send me to a different eye dr. to pick it up.
jsw - You are gorgeous!
0 -
Good day, girls! I hope everyone had a nice weekend-
Lady: when is the next surgery and implant surgery? Are you definitely getting them down at the same time? On brows and lashes, my brows thinned and I may have lost a few lashes. I am really glad I was spared the full monty on hair loss!
JSW: GREAT PIC! You look fantastic! I am not even sure you need hair! I mean it is nice to have as it keeps our heads warm...! It is such a ruckus to pick up and move. I know you have to. I don't know what the family situation is like where you are at, but if you don't have people to come over and help you pack, in NYC I used a temp agency who sent over workers to pack the whole place...good stuff! Also, some moving companies, like the ones my mother's employer used, come in and pack and move your entire house. I know it might seem costly but, and although my mother never paid for any of that, it is such a relief to have others do it. In any case, best of luck on the house sale.
Ckptry: I would say I have 98% sensation in my upper arm and pit area on the cancer side. That is why I can feel that packing discomfort but I am not worried about it. It is amazing that I have so much feeling. Rippling is par for the course. I am only pretty sure I am going to have it and am totally not worried about it. After this entire trip, my last concern is rippling! The thought that my pre-bc breasts were soon going to turn into knee warmers, and reach penant flag status on their way there, I will take no more bras, no more mammos and rippling any day!
Calamtykel: yes, I do think about the 1 year anniversary. My trip to Ireland was cancelled b/c of bc so I definitely think about it. I don't give a ___ about a stupid trip; my life is way more important but it is a dual-reminder shall I say. I dread tax season every year. One thing I did was keep very good files on all medical stuff last year. I had to b/c I knew about all the write-offs and I am so glad I did not make things hard on myself. What I did misplace, like a total jackass, was a few of the tax statements from brokerage accounts. I cannot believe it. I have been hunting high and low for those. So aggravated.
BTW, OMAZ has been officially promoted to "IT Director" for our thread! Thanks for making our lives easier!
Well, I have to go study biology now!
Good day, all
0 -
My surgery is Wednesday afternoon. They are doing both my implants and removing my omentum to test for ovarian cancer. My docs are "piggy backing." One will do his thing and then the other will come in and do his. I've got to stay at least one night, maybe two. But I'll check in and let you know how it's going as soon as I'm back home to my PC.
Omaz: Congratulations? What does our official IT director do
0 -
PS: JSW, you look great! Has everybody noticed how pretty and BIG our eyes look when we are bald??
0 -
Lady - Are you asking what I do for real? I have been doing asthma and allergy research at the University for about 20+ years. Last year I became the director of our IT group, no kidding, though the folks in our group know far more about IT than me. My experience is really analyzing/managing data and writing papers. I love learning new things and working with researchers around the country and the world. One of my new projects is to learn how to analyze gene expression data.0
-
Lady - I am a nerd.0
-
Lady: I will be thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way while you go through this next surgery. Godspeed, woman, on the next leg of this venture.
Omaz: that is sooo funny that you are in IT! I elected you b/c of your continued support in posting directions for people to post pics! I think that is very IT-ish of you!
Two things have made me happy today: I received my notice from my gyn about my annual "test" and it was clear! YAY!! Second thing is I actually found a few scholarships for "women" who have had bc and they are geared for adults! Double YAY!
0 -
Lizzy - after all this time I think you have me figured out!!0
-
Lizzy that is super that you found some scholarships that might apply. How about US Government programs for people going into nursing? Avon is also good at funding scholarships. Also ask the financial aid office at the school you are most likely to attend if there are any scholorships, in their experience, that mature students most often seem to receive.
You will hate me for this, but I have to tell you that grad school was only $5,000.00 a year in 80 to 82. My DD may never be out of grad school debt. It took us 7 years to pay off her Soph through Senior years at a very competitive school. Her grad school has been since she married and her loans are on hold for a little while more. It is just so difficult to fund education today I really feel for you. When I was an undergrad my state scholarship and fed grant would pay my tuition almost entirely, now it would be a ten percent down payment, if that! Okay, I will my rant on the excessive cost of education and try to think of what other doom and gloom I can bring to you. So Sorry about that.
My flowering bushes are blooming and I have never had ones like these before. Yhey are huge and the flowers look incredible. Not Azaleas but the others that are like them but bigger. Brain freeze here. I am from the midwest so nothing grows as big there as in Washington, except maybe the corn.
I have no medical appointment this week and I am loving it.
Omaz techies are my favorite people in the entire world. Without techies we would all be writing long letters and waiting weeks for a response.
GInger
0 -
I am trying to post a facebook photo here that before I could only get the thumbnail. It is my DGD with her cheeks stuffed full of banana at 7 mo.
Well didn't work.
Where do you all get the codes for big pictures please?
0 -
Ginger: congrats on the bushes! Sounds so pretty and spring-like...as I type this it is 22 degrees outside! As for college, I don't mind paying for it but if I can score some scholarships I will gladly take them! A friend who is a nurse at Johns Hopkins actually is the one who told me to start looking into scholarships because of the bc and my age etc... Well, she was right and that is some of the most valuable advice I have gotten in a long time. They are not all need based. In fact, a lot of them are for a certain demographic like women w/bc over 40 etc...
On the pics, at the end of Omaz's post she explained you have to have the pic saved at www.photobucket.com to be able to post it here. I think you can move pics off of FB onto photobucket and then here. I don't know b/c I am not on FB but if the pics are on your computer just start a photobucket account (free I believe) and move the pics there. Then you can post directly into these emails from what I understand.
Happy trails-
0 -
Ginger - Yes photobucket. If you click on the picture once you get it up there copy the html code ( I think) and then use it here. I think those flowers are rhododendrons.0
-
Good evening, girls-
I was doing some research on spirulina and found this woman's story. I thought it was interesting and for Kel, it drives home the "natural" approach to dealing with bc. It is brief and some of you might find it interesting:
0 -
Ginger: Rhododendrons?
Omaz: Cool. I'm a writer too (or was when I was working).
It's rainy here again today, but that's fine. I need to stay inside and get my house as much in order as I can before I head to the hospital tomorrow. Everybody have a good day.
0 -
LadyB- Just wanted you to know I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers all day. Hope it all goes really, really well. Come and let us know how you're doing when you can. Big hug. Sweeney.0
-
Lady- prayers and healing vibes for tomorrow.
I'm done with rads, woot!!!
0 -
Is anyone else thinking of doing the Avon B.C. walk this year? It is going to be in San Francisco July 10-11, and I'm thinking of doing it. It is a really big commitment - you have to commit to raise $1,800.00. But, after seeing the Harry Connick, Jr. Herceptin movie on Lifetime, I realized the Avon walk was started in order to get Herceptin off the ground. Since Herceptin has literally saved my life, I feel like I want to support them.
0 -
2 rads down, 32 to go! My rad onc kept telling me not to use any creams not authorized by them and that they would give me cream when I need it. Well I thought that sounded silly, why wait to use a cream until I am having a problem. So today I told her that I burn easily (which is true) and got her to go ahead and give me the special cream that they recommend. Hopefully this will help limit the damage to my skin.
Lady Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. Hopefully everything will go well and you'll be on the road to recovery in no time!
Ginger I followed Omaz's excellent instructions to get my picture posted. I used Flickr instead of Photobucket but the key point I discovered is that it gives you an option of a web address or HTML code and you want the HTML code, not the web address. I'm pretty sure Omaz said that about the HTML code but my chemo brain kept thinking that I wanted the web address, I think the http and HTML were getting mixed up in my head and I ended up having to try it 5 or 6 times before I finally figured out what I was doing wrong!
Thanks ladies for all the compliments on my hair picture. Last night I compared yesterday's picture to one I took last Monday and I was amazed at the difference I could see in just a week. It is so exciting to see it coming back!
0 -
It is official....JSW has been promoted to "assistant" to the IT Director, Omaz!!!!! Teamwork, girls, teamwork!!!! In all seriousness, the instructions that you two have provided on pic posting is very helpful.
Lady: thinking of you and may all go very well for you tomorrow.
Adey: congrats on being done with rads! Super big YAY!!!
Lisa: I am going to do some relays here in CT this summer with a friend who is a 2x cancer survivor. $1800 is a lot but if it is not until the summer, and you could start now, it is entirely feasible you could raise that much. I would try my best to raise the funds and, if you fall short, at least you tried. This economy is so unforgiving, it could well be a daunting task. Good luck.
Question for the truly committed pre-kindle readers: did you all move to a kindle and, if so, how do you like it? I *like* traditional books. I know for traveling etc.. a kindle is nice but for just relaxing and reading, I like a book. The only reason I bring this up is now I am reading "Team of Rivals" which is a book about Lincoln winning his presidency and forming a cabinet of all his rivals, just as Obama did in many ways. In any case, it is a thick book and last night I was thinking a kindle might be nice right now! So, has anyone who regularly reads gone to a kindle and how do you like it?
0 -
Lizzy- I am a BIG fan of my Kindle. I started reading ebooks when we lived overseas and I couldn't get my hands on any traditional paper books. I quickly became addicted to ereading. The Kindle is so lightweight and excellent in the sunlight. The other thing I love about my Kindle is that I read several books at a time. I might have a biography, a couple of novels and a business book all on the go at the same time. I used to think, "darn I wish I had XYZ book with me right now..." With the Kindle, you do! I think I have over 300 books in mine right now. And you're completely right on about the weight of it- reading in bed is so easy b/c you're not lifting a heavy book.
Adey: Big Congrats!!:) What I liked best about finishing Rads was that I didn't have to do the trek to the hospital everyday.
0 -
Lady---Good luck with the surgery. Will be thinking of you. Speedy recovery!
Walks--Last year, I started a team for our local Run for the Cure for breast cancer. It took place around the same time as my 2nd chemo. Our team raised over $25,000 (highest for a family/friends team--not sponsored by a workplace etc). It is amazing once you reach out how many people will donate. I am doing a 5km walk/run on May 14th in support of the support centre that I attend and will do the Run for the Cure again in October.
Kindle--I LOVE my kindle. I read a lot and was always dragging books around. I have an IPAD but use the Kindle for reading as it is so light and easy to read. I take it to the gym sometimes and sit on the recumbent bike and read. Highly recommend it!
0 -
lady lots of prayers aned positive vibes for tomorrow.
Carolyn
0 -
Thanks all, you are the best! I'll check in as soon as I can after surgery.
0 -
Rachel and Sweeney: thanks for the feedback on the kindle. You all make me want to buy one now!
0 -
Good Luck Lady!!
I want a kindle too. I didn't know they were so light. I get tired of holding books in bed.
0 -
Good Luck tomorrow Lady!! I will keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery!
Debbi
0
