August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
Comments
-
Good evening warriors!!!
LADY: IT IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!!!!!! YAHOOEEEE! I hope you are having a great night and resting comfortably. May you have the most minimal/no SEs for this very last tx. I wish you the best. Please stop by and post to let us know how you are during this recovery.
Texas: did your kids melt at school?! I cannot believe they had to go to school. Speaking of which, I spoke to my nephew from Houston last night and totally forgot to ask him if they were back in school yet. Poor, poor Tex's kids!
Calamtykel: my day was equally as berserk. I woke at 7AM for no apparent reason and shortly thereafter my phone rang. It was my sister to tell me my nephew and his wife were in a head-on collision. Thankfully the baby was not with them. What a day...I was flying out of bed, fumbling in the closet and before I knew it I was on the highway en route the hospital.
Kel, it is awful when an emergency strikes and the house is a mess!!! Geesh, makes you feel really great, doesn't it?! I am just really glad to hear your son is ok. Your DH's heart must have skipped a few beats seeing all that activity at your house. How scary to drive up to such a scene. I am just so glad your son's eyes are ok.
Sweeney: did you ever see "Canadian Bacon" with John Candy and Rick Moranis? It is a hysterical movie where the US goes to war with Canada basically because we are bored and have no one to fight with!! It is very funny and you should do a $1 rental if you can find it. It is roughly 15 years old but you can probably get it at Amazon for less than a $1!
Gingerbrew: welcome back, woman! I wondered where you have been! I cannot believe it was your GD's first birthday already! YAY! I was holding my great niece today, who is all of 3 months old, and she is so beautiful, I just love her! I am just so glad you are doing well and had a nice party for her. The kids must have absolutely adored that pool with the balls in it! What a great idea.
As for me, still packing the wound but it is getting close enough to being closed that they will now open the other side, in September, take out that failed TE and then I will have to pack that manmade hole for several more months...and the beat goes on! All I know is I have Yankee tickets for LATE SEPTEMBER v Red Sox and I have fantastic seats!!! I am not missing that game for anything! I am going to see my PS next week and will be discussing doing surgery the last week in September. Honestly, though, if she says I need to go sooner, I will. Either way, surgery or not, I am making that game!
Stop by and keep in touch, woman! Great to hear from you.
Omaz: as noted above, I am still packing the wound but it has gotten much smaller. After they open the other side, we have to wait 4-6 months for that wound, which I will be packing again daily, to heal before she can start the last and final phase of reconstruction. All things considered, I should be fully reconstructed by May of next year and then the last surgery, which who knows when that will take place, is nipple recon and that probably won't be for 1 year from now. This has been the longest road ever and I am so petrified with having these massive open wounds that I will get an infection etc... it is just scary but alas I have no choice.
How are you doing these days? Your hair sounds just great. I know you asked Ginger about her numbness and I am wondering how you are doing with that? I am still, to this day, getting alternating numbness in both hands, affecting the first 3 fingers on each hand and sometimes, rarely, the 4th finger. It is quite intermittent but like yesterday I got scared because when it happened I could not seem to wake my hand up for quite a while. I just don't know, woman! Weird stuff, indeed. I always have to remind myself any residual peccadillos, including the inconvenience of numb fingers, is wicked better than the alternative!
As for law school, just studying for the LSATs now. I want to take a Kaplan prep-course but have to wait for this next surgery to be done and get 3 months or so out from that. I think I will probably take a prep course in January. I hope to start law school in January of 2013. I don't think I am going to be ready to get the ball rolling for September 2012. I am probably going to end up in the Boston area. As much as I talk about moving to a warmer climate, I will probably buy a house in FL and rent in Boston when I start school. Thanks for asking. I am so excited about this! I am really looking forward to it.
Question for everyone: my lips have been awfully chapped and burnt since about 1-2 months after chemo ended. My GP said I might be allergic to something in those juicy tubes I love and to lay off and just use Bert's or vaseline. Well I did that and still they are burnt and chapped. I don't what is going on. I called Yale to get an appt with my excellent dermatologist but like any excellent doctor, she is booked so I can't get in until September. It is the strangest thing. Anyone else rowing this boat with me?! Somehow I don't think so...!
Sweet dreams, everyone!
0 -
Got all clear from Oncologist #1. Doc free until Jan 2012! Work is good--picking up speed. I work 3 days this week and for the next couple then it adds another day for Sept.
Heading to the beach tomorrow with the kids. My kids start their preseason hockey training next week--we know summers coming to an end when that camp starts. Back to the cold arenas!0 -
Lizzy- sorry...not rowing that boat with you. But I bet that's not fun. Hope you get relief soon.
Rachel- yay, hockey season!! I can feel it in my bones that the Senators will take the Cup this year;)0 -
Hi ladies, just wanted to stop by and thank you for all the warm wishes. Yesterday went fine, even went out to eat with DH for dinner last night to celebrate the end of chemo. I go back 9/13 for what my onc called baseline scans to see where I am at the end of treatment, and bloodwork. Go back on 9/20 to see what the tests said. I'm tired, so everyone have a good night and thanks again!
0 -
Sweeney...I would say Go Leafs Go but who am I kidding
0 -
Congrats Lady!!!! What a relief to be done!!! Hope you start feeling better soon.0
-
Good day, warriors-
Lady: GREAT NEWS! I am so glad you are done with that mess! Good for you. By Christmas you will have some nice Christopher Walken hair and all will be right with the world again!
Rachel: Congrats on the all clear! WHEW!! Glad you are back to work. It sort of restores a sense of normalcy and purpose I can only imagine.
Good weekend everyone-
0 -
Good weekend to You too Lizzy! We had a whopping storm earlier this week, the rain was coming in sheets sideways and rivers were flowing through the yard. It was great!0
-
KEL- oh my gosh! Glad your little boy is okay.
Lizzy- no chapped lips here,
Rachel i was just thinkin about your boys and their hockey lol i just watched the movie the town with afflec in it and theres a small bit of kids playing hockey and i though "i wonder when rachels boys start up again and if its hot up there!" Glad to hear no dr appointments for a while!!!!
Got the college thing straightened out, turns out my stuff was in a file, but not put into the computer...
0 -
Hi Texas, Omaz, Lizzie, Calamity. Rachel, Lady, Sweenty and everyone.
Omaz, my feet are still numb. I get these jolts that are like a toeor two being electrocuted. No fun. I have now offocially lost 9 toenails. Only the big toe looks weird because the new nails are only halfway grown out. Hands are still partly numb. I am getting about 10 or so hot flashes a day.
Texas, YeeHaw on those found papers! You are going to love school. Well, okay, I loved going back to school. I was this awful truent in high school, went back to school .l and just loved every minute. Except for the third week of every semester when I would be sure I was going to have to drop half my classes. Just a little third week panic. When do you think you might get back up this way? Any idea?
Calamity. I have three boys and one girl, all grown. I understand. Oh boy what a real scare at your house. I am happy to hear your son's eyes are not damaged.
Lizzy sounds like you are making progress toward reconstruction. Good news. Yeah make that ball game and have some beer and brats. Yes our grand daughter is a year old now. Sheis also saying lots of individual words and has learned to ask, "What's that?" Sheis keeping us busy and is so much fun.
My puppy figured out how to get the litter box filter out and made a big mess. We now have three doggie gates and will soon add one on the stairway to keep Stewie out of the upstairs. I will post a photo of him soon. He is so fluffy and is poodle red. I think he should be a lion for Halloween
LOve and hugs all
Ginger
0 -
Hi all,
We are back from vacation - had a great time, beautiful weather and so relaxing:-) Aidan lost his first tooth, so cute, he asked if I was proud of him for growing up.
have a lot of catching up to do, hope everyone is well. Kell so sorry to see abouyt your son, that must've been so scary! Hope he is ok.
Carolyn
0 -
Today was such a beautiful day here in NJ , 80 and no humidity -unfortunately days like this are getting rarer. Is there anyplace where it's like that all summer long (or am I dreaming:-)? I just realized how much more energy I have when it's not humid and in the 90's.
Carolyn
0 -
Hi all - a real whirlwind week here! First, my son's 13th b'day was yesterday - we had company and a cool little party. Today we saw a neurologlist for him because he's been exhibiting some repetitive behavior and has some social problems - he was diagnosed w/ asperger's symdrome. It wasn't a surprise - it was sort of what we were looking for. The neuro seems to think we're doing the best thing for him with homeschooling and to just keep doing what we are. But it's rough - the pieces shift yet again underneath us............
And that leads us to me and a new thing - I had no period between last Aug and May, then it came back. THe first one was normal, second one was 15 days long. Next one was normal but came 6 weeks later. Then I had two, two weeks apart. After the last one, now here we are 16 days later and I'm on the rag again. I've had spotting in between this and the prev one that never really stopped - it would stop for a day and then would be "there" when I wiped so honesty I don't even know WHEN This one started.
I'm very frustrated - I called and made an app't with the oncologlist for Friday. I already have the endo biopsy which was normal and a normal pap so I guess she may want an ultrasound to if there's any fibroids or polyps or ovarian stuff going on. I'm scared and frankly pissed off completely that I'm bleeding so much. It's running me down - I guess she will also do bloodwork. I did read on line about perimenopause and how chemo can mess stuff up but it doesn't make it easier to deal with.
I have the dentist tomorrow - a real banner week for appointments!
0 -
Good day, warriors!
I hope you all are well! We are having splendid weather in the Northeast! Just amazing! It was so chilly last night I wore a sweat jacket while watching "Design Star!!"
Omaz: I **love** rain storms! When I was young, we lived in a shorefront town and my mom would take us down to the shore in some serious tropical storms! It was great. Of course, everyone was balking at her doing such a thing but, having gotten to know me, you might understand my lineage which would give you a myopic view into what my mother had to say about that!!!!!!!!! Glad you had some great storms! FL has some real whoppers and what a sky show you get there!
Rachel and Sweeney: well, I personally think the Ottawa Shenanigans are going to whip the Montreal Ducks!
Tex: does this mean you are starting school in September? Get moving....that freakin' Perry will have the whole of the country on min wage jobs and NO FINANCIAL AID for anyone!
Ginger: my friend wanted to bring her boys and I was like "forgedaboudit!!!" We *are* going to be having some beers and having ourselves a damn good time! This is an adults-only show! Plus, to be honest, I would bring my adult nephews/nieces to the game but would not bring anyone under 18 to a Yankee v Red Sox game that close to Oct baseball!!!! Anything could happen!
Your dog should definitely be a lion for Halloween!!!!!!! I am sure glad you are doing well these days so as to be able to navigate your home, with ease, with all those puppy gates. I just think the world of people who take care of animals so kudos to you, woman!
Ckptry: I am so glad to read you had a nice vacation! That is great. You sure deserved it. As for the weather, unbelievable! I had *every* window in my house open yesterday! Good times!
That is so cute about Aidan and his tooth! Did the tooth very come to the Caribbean?!
As for 80s all summer, New Hampshire! As for 80s year-round, I was watching HGTV yesterday and they were in S America and I forget the locale of course but it was 80s all year! You know what is funny, though? People in 3-4 season climates are more productive than those in perpetually cold or perpetually warm climates.
Calamtykel: Sorry to hear about the Asperger's dx. I wish you well with that. As for the spotting, I am glad you made an appt with the onc. Please keep us posted on that. Life is not about the starting or end points but very much about the ride in between. I just don't know why this entire thread seems to be on one of the craziest roller coasters ever made, however!!!!!
Dentist...I have to go soon. I finally made an eye appt as well. I know my rx has changed since chemo but was waiting for 6 months beyond chemo to get that checked.
Ladyinbama: hope you are doing well, woman! Thinking of you.
Well, girls, I have some nice weather to enjoy!
Happy trails all-
0 -
Hi ladies...did anyone else just feel that earthquake??? All the way from Virginia and we felt it up here in Ottawa. Hope everyone is well.:)
0 -
Sweeney: I felt nothing. Thanks for letting me know. I am tuned into CNN now.0
-
Last herceptin infusion DONE!!!
0 -
Dear East Coast Friends: I HOPE EVERYONE IS OK-
Sweeney: my sister felt it 20 miles away and my friend felt it 5 miles away but nothing here. My cat is quietly sleeping on her gargantuan perch in my office. If there was even the least rumble she would have been jarred.
0 -
Omaz: congratulations, woman! GOOD NEWS!
0 -
Congrats Omaz, that is AMAZING news.:)
0 -
Thanks Lizzy and sweeney! My port is scheduled to come out on Friday.0
-
Two wonderful pieces of news Omaz! (c:
0 -
Lizzy i actually start school tomorrow- ya know how we roll in the south, starting hella early! my daughter started on the 9th!
take it youre not a perry fan LOL, i dont really stay current with politics but i will say texas wasnt hit very hard in the econoic turmoil where other states were (like AZ)
Congrats Omaz! glad they are removing hte port too!
Well i have an odd symptom that has been bugging me for the last 2 weeks- my left arm keeps going numb at odd intervals from my bicep to fingertips... i mentioned it to my onco today and he said we'll see what the c/t shows- i am scheduled for next friday, then if i am still having this issue then we'll do a spinal mri thingy- no worries
I am nervous and excited for school tomorrow, wed and mon are my slow days- only 1 class, tue and thur i have 3 classes so busy all day. friday is my day off. i am going on my first date in 6 years!!!! hubby and i are gonna catch a movie friday afternoon. So glad the kids are in school (finally)
0 -
Yea for dates!!!!!!!
0 -
Have you all seen this? The new NCCN breast cancer follow up guidelines! About how they are now discouraging whole body scans in stages 1, 2 and operable stage 3 breast cancer. What do you ladies think of this? I was always told scans are fairly accurate- this says no!
I'm confused - so this means that there should be no initial scans upon diagnosis ? I think that's kinda weird but I guess these people know what they're talking about?!
source: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718398
No Longer Silent About PET/CT
Previous NCCN breast cancer guidelines were "silent" about positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), said Dr. Carlson. But not any longer, because Dr. Carlson and his colleagues felt compelled to make a number of recommendations about the imaging technology in the current update.
"PET/CT is overused in breast cancer," opined Dr. Carlson, providing an overview of the recommendations for reporters.
PET/CT should not be used at all in early breast cancer, he said.
The use of PET or the combined PET/CT is not indicated in the staging of clinical stage I, II, or operable stage III breast cancer, according to a footnote added to the invasive breast cancer workup section.
The reasons for the exclusion include one of the "major problems" with PET/CT, said Dr. Carlson. "There is a remarkably high frequency of false positives" with the technology, he explained.
Dr. Carlson cited a breast cancer staging study from the University of Kansas as part of the evidence. Fifteen of the 83 women in the retrospective study had a "suspicious" FDG-PET/CT. Of those 15 women, 2 (13%) had confirmed metastatic disease, but the other 13 (87%) had false-positive scans.
Dr. Carlson also cited a set of studies that indicated that PET/CT was "not sensitive" in detecting nodal disease in early breast cancer. "The sensitivity is very poor," he said, referring to 5 studies in which the sensitivity of the technology was as low as 20% and no higher than 61% in research that used SLNB as the comparator, mostly.
However, PET/CT does have a role to play in locally advance disease.
It is cited as an "additional study" to bone scan and CT scan in the optional workup section of the guideline for locally advanced (stage III) disease.
"FDG-PET/CT is most helpful where standard staging studies are equivocal or suspicious, especially in locally advanced or metastatic disease" said Dr. Carlson, reading aloud the guideline. In various studies, the technology has identified distant metastases in 10% to 21% of patients, and might be able to identify extra-axial nodes, he said.
Even when PET or PET/CT scanning is encouraged in the case of metastatic disease with equivocal or suspicious standard staging results, the guideline is not enthusiastic. "Even in these situations, biopsy of equivocal or suspicious sites is more likely to provide useful information," it states.
"A positive result on a PET is just as likely to mislead you as help you," said Dr. Carlson, in reference to staging recurrent/metastatic disease when other results were equivocal/suspicious.
Joan S. McClure, MS, senior vice president of clinical information and publications for the NCCN, agreed with Dr. Carlson's summary assessment of PET/CT. "Overall, it's been used excessively," she told Medscape Oncology in an interview.
Dr. Carlson said that PET/CT has benefited from being a "new technology."
"Everybody likes to do the new thing," Dr. Carlson said. It is also simple to order, provides financial rewards for clinicians who order it, and is irrationally overvalued because of its "high price tag," he added.
0 -
Texas- Good luck today at school!
0 -
Omaz...Congrats on finishing!
Cal.....I didn't have any whole body scans....not protocol here in Canada unless you are having some concerns or symptoms. Also, PET scans seem to be rarely used here. Lots of BC patients that I have met....never had one.0 -
Cal: I'm not a believer in scans since I had CT Scans and a PET Scan last summer that did not show my ovarian cancer. When I asked the doc why, he said that they don't always show small or low grade disease. So if the cancer has to be big or agressive to even show up on a scan, what benefit are they really giving us? They aren't showing it in an early stage to help with cure ... I don't know, I just have lost faith that they do much good. That said, my onc is sending me for chest, abdominal and pelvic scans in a couple of weeks to get a baseline for us to work with from here on out. So what do I know?
I've felt good the last couple of days, the first days since end of chemo that I haven't been totally exhausted, so I hope I'm on the way to getting better. Hope everyone is doing well!
0 -
Lady - I agree with you. The reason I happened to be reading these new guidelines is that my onc wants me to have more scans this month. She said since I'm not on tamox...she thought it would be a good idea. I already had baselines last August....
But I agree with you - apparently they can miss a ton, so what's the point of the extra rads exposure if it will only show larger disease. I think I read that it has to be 1/2 cm or bigger but that it can definitely hide, which is what this article is saying about accuracy. Think I'm going to pass on the scans --every time I go in there I feel like I'm in for an argument!
I'm glad you're feeling good--hang in there. Been one heck of a year for you and I think you've handled it amazingly well!!
0 -
Good evening warriors-
Omaz: ridding yourself of that port!!!! Nice job! I think you should have a nice glass of wine when all of this is over tomorrow! You must be so glad. The nicest thing about the port removal is you know "it's" over.
Tex: how was your first day? I hope you had a good one. I am so happy for you! I am so proud of you also! Good job, woman...go get em'! BTW, the 9th is wicked early for tots to start school in wicked temps like TX summers...poor thing! Are their schools air conditioned? In the northeast no schools were air conditioned. Private schools are but not public.
Does anyone remember the smell of their new TRAPPER KEEPERS???!?! I loved that smell! Also a good pencil box?! Good stuff!
Ckptry: thanks for bringing the hurricanes back from the islands....! Unelievable...we get a few stellar days and now we must pay for it with first an earthquake and now a hurricane!!!
Sptmm: how are things going on the island? How are you feeling these days? Thinking of you.
Calamtykel: thanks so much for posting that article. Who knows why they do these scans? It seems like a lot of money for nothing because the irrefutable fact is the technology can't detect any cancers early enough for tx. Great that, because you don't want to do these scans, you have to feel like you are in for an argument! I would prefer to tell them it will be our secret and you can just bill the insurance co meanwhile I will SKIP IT!
Well, almost time for Chelsea Lately! Goodnight all-
0
