August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
Comments
-
Texas: High today will be 65. It is NOT beginning to feel a lot like Christmas
Lizzy: Glad to know I'm not the only one sitting outside in the middle of the night with my robe open to catch some cool air
Everybody have a Merry Christmas. My brother will be here in a couple of days, so I'm not sure if I'll be on the boards for a few days. Love you all and appreciate all your support, funny stories and encouragement as we travel this road together.
0 -
Merry Christmas Lady!!!!0
-
Lady where is your brother comin in from???
Lizzy- the visit with the in laws went well enough- saw the ones we still talk to and also my bro n law that was in japan for the last 2 yrs, his new baby who is the cutest thing! But funny because i havent seen or spoken to him in the last 2 yrs but he has spoken with the infamous in laws that you've heard so much about, so he descreetly (thank goodness it wasnt in front of me LOL i might have bit his head off) talked with my husband about it- my husband gave him nothing but facts and didnt even ask to hear what their "side" of the story is.... But it sorta ripped off an old scab... family is family and i miss them, but of course not what they do...
Anyhow, got back today and had to run a million and one errands! We are thinking of doing the same trip next week on my DH's days off... that'll be fun!
0 -
Warriors: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. It sure is nice this year to have hair and be off chemo!
Tex: family wears me out. So much stupid drama. I can't stand it! I am glad you, with open arms, embrace the inlaw situation! That is to your credit. I think one of the reasons I never had kids was A) having to stay with him and
having to smile at a$$holes for the sake of the kids! Try as I may, I know it just ain't in my DNA!!!Lady: speaking of drama, I hope your's is drama-free and you have a nice visit with your brother ;)Hope you are feeling good these days and those little dogs are keeping you happy!
That is all, that is all! Have a great one, everybody
0 -
Merry Christmas to everyone. May 2012 be a year of health and happiness. Rachel xo
0 -
Hi everyone. I am sorry I don't keep up and post anymore. thot i would today cuz i year ago today i finished chemo. I have enough hair now even tho it is different - straight and fine on top- very curly in the back. toenails are not quite back to normal. my right eye has been going blurry on me on and off since july. i have been through evey test known to modern medicine and no major problem but no cure either. my second opthmalogist just says my eyes are dry.....but none of his suggestions for that are helping. i am discouraged and typing this with my right eye closed as it is blurry today. still pain in former port area. pt said it could take 3 years or more for the nerves to recover. read a few random posts and seems like y'all are doing fine. hot flashes from arimidex drive me crazy as well as the joint pain. On the positive side I have no recurrence, no mets so just have to keep taking a little pill for 4 more years. back to work, making money....oh and i may be a grandmother next year!!! merry christmas and happy new year to all of you!
0 -
Hi ladies, I'm thinking of you today and all we've each been through this year as we struggle to get back to our regular selves. I'm not on here very often these days but I really wanted to stop by and say Merry Christmas to each of you. May 2012 be a wonderful year for every single one of us. Have a wonderful holiday! With love, Sweeney.
0 -
Merry Christmas chemo sisters, wow has it really been a year since my last chemo treatment? Time really does fly by. I wish each and everyone of you the best in 2012!! Miss you ladies!!!
0 -
Shall we all have an online New Year's Eve party?
0 -
Merry Christmas ladies! We're still kicking!!!
Carolyn
0 -
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
Omaz, I will be around.
Debbi
0 -
My dearest warriors!
I hope you all had a lovely, peaceful and pleasant day!
I realized last week, when cleaning and packing for a short trip I have not worn a bra in 1.5 years. I had some pretty expensive bras. In any case, I had no clue what to do with them and they would not fit my sister (C and I was DD!) so I donated them to Goodwill! I felt so weird, especially because there was a young man in the "donation" area They were in a bag but I felt like perhaps I should tell him anyway! I donated easily over $300 worth of bras and 2 actually still had the $65 tags on them! I hope someone can use them. I felt so weird donating bras but what else was I to do with them?!
May 2012 be so much better for all of us. I am so looking forward to putting this mess all behind me. It has been a long time.
Happy trails, girls!
0 -
Lizzy- open arms is the same as closed fist, no? LMBO... i try and thats all i can do.
Thanks Rachel you too!
Zenith- My eyes were doing that too, went to untold number of appointments and the best they could do for me is give me readiung glasses which doesnt even help LOL i just dont read often anymore. i switched to auto books. The optomotrist thinks the chemo or meds caused me to have some muscle weakness behind my eye... And yup i do the close my right eye thing to make it better an that does help. Good luck with all that. 3 yrs for the nerves to heal??? Sorry to hear of you having pain- it'd be nice to get back to normal soon! Whoop whoop on Grandmotherhood!
Hey Sween and Sue nice to hear from y'all!!!
Omaz sounds good to me!
Hey Debbi and Carolyn!
Lizzy thats too funny, i had the same problem, i never spent THAT much on a bra but still had a lot of good quality ones- i tried to give them to my nursing sister, but they were still too big!!!! Um not sure what she did with them. BTW i despise the goodwill, but hopefully someone in need will get a good deal on the bras!
Well i am packing to go back to visit the inlaws. thought i'd check in and see how everyone was doing and there was actually a bit of new posts! Dont be strangers ladies! I know that we are moving beyond our cancer, but y'all are more than welcome to talk about anything and everything!!!!!
0 -
Merry CHristmas and a Happy 2012 to all of my sisters.
Lizzy I just can't find a comfortable bra. I am a dd on one side and probably a d on the other now. Nothing feels comfortable except maybe a sleep bra. Ugh. In my hippie days I didn't wear a bra but I was young. I wish I could go without now.
I think your donation will be happily received Lizzy. I need to get in my closet and thin it down.
We had our Dd, SIL and DGD here over night for Christmas and it was so nice! DGD had fun with her new toys. She is walking and trying very hard to make all of her words understood. It was really nice to have them here.
Hugs and love to everybody
Ginger
0 -
Hi all, just wanted to say hello, hope everybody had a good Christmas, I did. Here's hoping we all have a healthy 2012.
0 -
Texas - did any dr say if ur eye mite return2 normal? Mine said it was chemo & dryness that is causing this. Liz i had 2 rid myself of all preop bras. Can u deduct on ur taxes? We cant do sch. A anymore. I had a hell of a time getting a mascetomy swimsuit...(no recon) finslly got one.
0 -
Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I am back to work tomorrow for two days then we are flying off to Cabo San Lucas for one week. Checking the weather and it is not boiling hot but sunny and warm--far cry from the freezing rain/snow that we are having today. Go figure--two days after Christmas and we finally get some snow.
Have a wonderful New Years to everyone...I will have a drink on the beach for you all!
0 -
zenith- nope they didnt say it would or wouldnt get better LOL kinda like lets take a wait and see approch to it.
I think we can still deduct donated things, but they want an itemized list. I dont think about writing everything down, i just put it in a box or bag and then take it to the trash and treasure when its full (my fav thrift shop here cuz it donates ALL its proceeds to the food bank and ppl vol. there so no paychecks going out oh and they are reasonable priced too- i get so much stuff therer for under 2 bucks!) Anyhow so yeah we can deduct donated items.
If we buy specific items for mastectomy wear is that concidered a medical deduction?
rachel have fun in cabo!
I finally tracked down an immunization in order to go back to college in Jan. Funny because i have insurance and all these immunization places were like oh you're insured so either we charge you double the price or just dont allow it. I dont have a PCP, just onco and gyno both whom dont give out immunizations so i was looking for a PCP today and this one office asked me all sorts of questions for a new patient appointment like if i work (whats that got to do with anything, my husband works and supports us... Any how after all that they were like oh we dont do immunizations here, after the dept of health and given me their number. I think because one of the questions was what meds am i on and i listed a bunch they were thinking drug addict LOL and just turned me away. Sorry i have to take all this crap LOL
SO anyhow i have an almost 1 hr drive each way tomorrow to get it done, and the positive thing is they only charge $5 an immunization. This other place was $20 for the shot and $15 for the fee cuz i have insurance LOL the things we go through!
oh saw THE HELP great movie! I will never look at a chocholate pie again!
Later Ladies
0 -
Hi Everyone!
Tex: Sorry you are getting the run around, but it is all worth it. You are doing a great thing for yourself and setting an amazing example for your children by continuing your education. And your life experience is going to make you one H*LL of a nurse! I am reading that book, The Help. It's pretty good so far but I am only about 1/3 way done.
Rachel. Have a great time in Cabo!!
Lady: Glad to hear your Christmas went well, you deserve it.
Ginger: Enjoy that granddaughter! I hear from some of my friends who have become grandparents that grandkids are even better than kids.
Omaz: How's the driving lessons going for your daughter? Have you taken her out on the road yet? And how is your weight loss going? I have reached my goal so I am switching my exercise more towards the weightlifting on the advice of my doctor. Guess I am going to "bulk up" now...LOL. I met with a nutritionist today too. She gave me a healthy diet plan for weight maintenance so my new goal is to try to stick to that and eat healthier. Lucky for me, she allowed for something "sweet" everyday.
Carolyn and Lizzie: How are you doing these days?
I am hanging in there. Working, cooking, driving, working, sleeping.....then doing it all again the next day...LOL! I hope everyone is having a great holiday!
Debbi
0 -
Debbi - Well the 'official' first driving lesson with the teacher in an automatic (all our vehicles are manuals) was a complete disaster. I told the guy that she hadn't really driven a car before and he basically took her out on the main road in rush hour traffic after only 30 minutes in the park/neighborhood. I was actually super proud of her because she held it together for the whole 90 minutes while feeling all the while like she was going to get in an accident. Needless to say we have cancelled the rest of the lessons with that company and just decided to take more time and teach her slowly. Today we went out for the 4 time and she drove around for 40 minutes. I think the clutch is giving her the most trouble but she'll get it.
Congratulations on reaching your weight goal! That's great!! I am still working on it. It was a slow learning curve for me to figure out this menopausal body - I basically have to eat nearly half of what I used to to lose weight. I am truely counting calories everyday now using the fitday download software. It's nice because it also tracks nutrients so I can see where i fall short (vit D and E are chronically low). I also can keep track of saturated fat (a baddie for my cholesterol). Still doing weights and enjoying it.
I am on Arizona time which is the same as MST right now if you want to plan to be on at the same time on new years eve.
0 -
Good evening, warriors!
I hope everyone is doing well and had a nice Christmas
Tex: why do you dislike Goodwill? I could not figure out what else to do with those bras. Everyone spends on something, for me, pre-bmx, it was bras and the like! A sad story: when I worked in Manhattan, I accidentally had a *sleep-over* at a guy's apartment that I really was very well acquainted with! In any case, in my Coyote Ugly attempt to get out in a hurry, I left my several hundred dollar bra in his apartment! Of course, I failed to have interest in seeing him again (!) and coerced my friend Teresa into going back to Bull and Bear the next night and the plan was she would have a *sleep over* with that guy and find my bra!!!!!! In any case, that did not work! That was the most expensive piece of lingerie I ever failed to retrieve before making a hasty retreat!!
Sptmm: I am ok, back from holiday. It was nice but honestly, next year I want to be in Key West! I have seriously had it with the bs holidays! I am so tired of everyone being upset about what they did or did not get...it is disgusting. So much acrimony....next year, mark my words, I will either be on a cruise or in Key West. I will be sending cards on the 15th and flying out on the 23rd. Done..this year did it!
I have an MRI on my liver next week. Tired of this crap, too, but I do have pain in my liver. Who the hell knows?
Deb, did you ever hear of "Slim in 6?" It is a set of DVDs that should be done for 6 weeks straight. Apparently it is pretty successful. When I saw that Janet Jackson is plugging NutriSystem, I checked out there site just a few minutes ago and saw a bunch talking about this DVD set in the discussion room. I might try it. Will let you know.
I *might* do the ball drop this year, Deb! Should be fun!!! Not sure yet as there are some parties but there is nothing like the spirit in Times Square NYE! Actually, though, I want to go XC skiing on NY so will have to see if I can work it all out!
Omaz: She is driving?! That is sooo cool! We did not have a family car because my father had sports cars. We all got cars at 16. I will never, ever forget getting home from DMV on my 16th birthday and having a car waiting for me!!!! It was the best. My BMW had dual transmission and a lot of cars are made with that now. That is stick for dummies, however! I got a little more proficient at stick over the years but will never forget flying into JFK and my friend had flown out. She gave me a cc of her key before I left so I could drive her car back and then get her at the aiport the following week. Problem: her car was stick! What a ride I had! Congratulations to your dd! So nice!
Ginger: One of the few things I was happy about getting a bmx was no more bras. I am so happy not to have to ever wear one again. I have been giving away some old suits and coats, shoes etc.. and now bras. I have been giving steadily all year because I have time and have been able to go through closets, the basement etc.. It is good to get rid of crap. An ex left his golf clubs = goodbye! Old skis= goodbye! Tons of Plantronics headsets and amplifiers=goodbye! CDs have been selling on Amazon= goodbye, goodbye, goodbye! You feel better when it is done, I promise you! Glad you are having fun with your dgd!
Zenith: as for write-offs, yes, they give us receipts but I could care less about that this year as I have not worked. I am just happy to get rid of stuff. I must admit, I miss your very funny posts! The one about when you fell in the road, I still laugh about the way you told the story! Hys-terical! Happy New Year, woman!
Tex: yes, mastectomy wear is a write-off...unless somehow your Gov has screwed you out of it!! He he he! Tex, you are going to school for becoming a translator, correct? Did you decide to go back to nursing? Just wondering.
OMG...Christmas: got a new Jack LaLane power juicer!!! Also got a bike(very happy about this) and I actually bought myself one of those things to jump your car battery and it also has a light on it, an AC adapter and an air hose to put air in tires? It is pretty cool. It was $150 but a few friends have them and swear by them so I thought it was a practical gift to me and won't have to wait for road service! I got some Calphalon also! Oh yeah, and I got Shape Ups which I wanted but only for doing their workout and using on my treadmill in the house. There is a number of reports about hip injuries from using them regularly so I will certainly be avoiding that. One thing I did want was the Tiffany heart-tag toggle necklace which I thought was like $2000 but it is actually $500 so I will get it for my birthday!
Feel good story: google "Piper Killen." Kids...unbelievable.
I hope everyone is doing well and having an healthy and happy holiday season. PLEASE, everyone, send me some good vibes next Tuesday....I am nervous about this. If there was no mass on the sonogram this summer I would not be so scared but that combined with pain, ugh, hate this. Oh well....we shall see. I had to scare myself further by doing some research on liver cancer tonight. Of the 564K diagnosed last year, 99% died within 1 year! Effin cancer!
Sweet dreams, everyone
0 -
Lizzie, I will surely keep you in my thoughts and prayers on tuesday and right now too!. The stats that you mentioned are of course horrifying, but does that include mets? I have somehow thought mets were different than a primary tumor. Less dangerous perhaps? I read of women on here who taking chemo have liver mets disappear. Still, who wouldn't be afraid, of course you are.
Remember most of the time it is something else. I had weird abdominal pains along the outer edges near my hips and my MO said to use this cream on the labial area and the pains would go away. Turns out it did, it was from the estrogen depletion. I pray that a cure will be found so nomore people will have to go through this, a cure is what we need!
Love everybody
Ginger
0 -
Lizzie I know you will be worried until results are in but try to remain calm. Remember when you told me not to worry about a spot on my rib? Well that turned out to be nothing and all the worry and lost sleep was not worth it. It will be what it is and you will go on from there....the strong and beautiful person you are. I loved "the help" and just recently finished listening to the audio book. I saw the movie on dvd but as usual the book adds so much more depth to the characters! I felt close to the skeeter character in that i am always wanting to be accepted by the cool kids, the in crowd even tho i know intellectually that that is not necessary. Well gotta go call in sick. left work sick yesterday with a slight headache and blurred vision but woke up with a monster migraine this AM.
0 -
Liz - are your tumor markers within normal limits?
0 -
Lizzie - could be gall bladder pain, not liver possibly. Clogged duct or something?
Are you taking vitamin A - that can also aggravate the liver. ((((hugs))))
0 -
Good morning warriors-
Ckptry: I thank god for my GP because everything originates with him. I tell him I have pain etc.. and he listens and orders tests. He is the only one that listens and orders tests. He ordered a sonogram in the summer which led to them finding "something" in my liver. A CT scan without contrast was inconclusive. At my check up with the onc they ordered blood work but I don't know if "tumor" markers were done. To my knowledge they were not. It seems no matter what I say when I am there there is an air of dismissiviness. It was not until I told them I continue to have pain and they received copies of the CT scan results and the sonogram that they moved to MRI. My GP wanted to MRI in the summer but that useless PS left the failed TE in my chest which of course has metal in it. For this reason, and because my GP is the one who found my bc and listens and orders subsequent tests, and as he is not an onc, tumor markers are not run. Someone asked me the other day why I did not just go to MSK. I fail to have a good answer except that I am lazy and did not want to deal with 1.5 hours of commutation going back and forth. I hope that decision does not cost me my life.
On a much brighter note, how is that adorable little Aidan doing?!
Zenith: The VNA made a good point in that it could be muscular now that I am getting more pain since surgery. They cut the sides of my (lack of) breasts and skin and muscle was dragged around. I am not losing sleep. If I were to let this upset me, I would be completely out of touch with reality. I am nervous but only about what might come if it is mets which is goodbye hair and back to the poison factory. I am most likely going for a second opinion.
Omaz: I would go with gall bladder but the pain is in the upper liver region, under my ribs. Also, for weeks now I have been getting a side stitch when not doing anything. In case you don't know, the side stitch is that pain like when we were children and ran too fast quickly. Who knows? Next week I will know more.
Thanks girls! I appreciate you all weighing in on this! Have a good day-
0 -
Thanks Debbi- I actually changed my major but i'll explain that when i have time.
Lizzy- My dislike for the goodwill is 2 things mainly- they get most everything for free (i think some of the larger goodwill buys close out items) and then they turn around and sell it for more than these things are worth sometimes. Our good will has 1 price for like items. All the jeans are 5 or 6 bucks, which is a great deal when you're buying a name brand pair, but unfortunetly i live in a town where Walmart is our only store for the most part so its walmart brands at more than walmart prices! Blouses are the same story- 4 bucks per shirt when if i shop clearance i usually pay $1 for something new. I have seen low end furniture in there price well over what i KNOW it cost new- so how is this supposed to help those that cant afford to shop at the new stores???
Plus they arent this huge non profit they claim to be (from wiki- i know not the most reliable source)
In 2005, Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette (GICW), Goodwill's Portland, Oregon branch, came under scrutiny due to executive compensation that the Oregon attorney general's office concluded was "unreasonable." President Michael Miller received $838,508 in pay and benefits for fiscal year 2004, which was reportedly out of line in comparison to other charity executives and placed him in the top one percent of American wage earners. After being confronted with the state's findings, Miller agreed to a 24% reduction in pay, and GICW formed a new committee and policy for handling matters of employee compensation.[12][13]
I was shocked when I read this a few years back (i know there are other articles about this out there) Almost a million dollars to one individual compleatly shocked me... Well not really thats why their items prob cost so much
The thrift stores I like to go to are Salvation Army- their proceeds go to homeless shelters and other things like that, our local thrift shop which 100% of their money goes to the local food bank and is ran by voulnteers. So no one has a motive to price the things for an outrageous amount of money. As for being one the familes under the poverty line it's nice to know that i can save a buck somewhere AND help out my local community
Well i can smell dinner burning lol i only had a qucik sec and i started rambling LOL i'll be back (think arnold here)
0 -
Omaz- Fitday? I am going to look into that. I also worry about if i am getting enough of this or that... I think I also have to eat about 1/2 of what i normally eat to lose weight, just eating healthy and excercising isnt enough. I need to cut back!
Lizzy- About leaving your bra- that is the most hilarious story ever! SO your friend bit the bullet and had a sleep over with this guy and still couldnt find the bra... Wonder what he did with it?!?!?
Slim in 6 is part of the beach body company. They are the ones that put our p90x, insanity ect.... they also have a website that you can use. I have thought about it but know those dvds would just be collecting dust on my shelf LOL
You're correct about me changing my major- I had breifly Pm'd you about it but hadnt had the chance to get to tell the group.
I have time now LOL- kids are driving my crazy from their being off for what seems liked forever.
As all of you know I have 2 young children whom I devote my time to, now they are in school I went back to school. I was doing pretty well with everything- 2 Bs and 2 As, although I would study my arse off and still only get a 70something on my tests. If it wasnt something i had basic knowledge of before cancer it just isnt sticking in my head LOL. ANd of course I would NEED to memorize some of these things in the nursing field. Well that in addition to the nursing schedule at first (long hours sometimes 12 or 14 hr shifts) wouldnt go well with me and my parenting. I made a promise to myself that I am going to go bck to school and such only if it doesnt interfere with my children.
So I prayed about it and it came to me that both my parents are deaf and I am fluent in American Sign Language. Its also a 2 yr degree so its not any extra time to compleat. And the shcedule is a lot better than the nursing program which was M-TH 8 am to 5 pm. My new schedule is only Monday (9-5) and Weds (9-12) so really gives me 2 days. The only drawback is I have to drive an hour each way more like 45 minutes to get to the school because the college near me doesnt offer that program. All the classes I took this last semester transfered over to my electives.
Maybe in another life I could have been a nurse. (before this chemo brain) LOL
Re Piper- that is a very awesome thing she did. Most children around that age are all about what they are getting and def not about giving. I am happy you shared that with us!
Lizzy- I know is easier said than done but try not to think about the results until you get them. And chnaces are its nothing. The stats are for liver cancer right, not metastatic breast cancer. On the stage 4 fourum there are quite a few women living with mets to their livers. I know the anxiety that comes with tests. (my scans are on the 11th) I figure whats done is done no need to worry about it right this second, go and enjoy your bike (if its not icy or snowy over there) or just juice up everything in your house! LOL
I feel like crap after my immunizations- now i know why my kids always were cranky for the next few days- i think the nurse put it in my bone instead of muscle LOL Well i gotta go
the kids have been baking in front of the tv just long enough for me to catch up and post!!!!0 -
Liz - the tests are CEA and CA15-3.(aka tumor markers for breast ca). The reason they are good to have done is that if you have symptoms and the markers are rising it's a better indicator that you may be dealing with a recurrence and vice versa. E.g if your baseline markers are WNL they can check them very 3 mos at follow up and then if they start to rise have a barometer of how aggressively to investigate any symptoms you may be having or which test to order. Tumor markers aren't perfect , once in a while you can have someone whose markers don't rise with a recurrence or have false positives but they're reliable more often than not. It's not to late to have them done!
I was being seen at MSK Basking Ridge,when I had to go every 3 weeks for chemo. Now that I am at 3 mo follow up I am going back to NY. It is a pain to arrange child care, deal w/ commuting. Honestly when I called and asked about chemo brain/ cognitive changes in bc and the nurse told me she wasn't aware of any studies - and it turns out they have a Dr at the NY campus who is not only doing a study but specializes in this I decided I owed it to myself to get out of there. it made me doubt I was getting the best care. I think Yale has really done you wrong a few times and I think you owe it to yourself to get your a$$ to MSK at least for a second opinion and to have a good oncologist review your chart. You are a tough cookie who shoots from the hip, so why are you letting them give you a dismissive attitude. You are a consumer paying for a service they are not delivering. (a little tough love here;-)
Omaz, Sue, Zenith, Sweeney, Debbi, Texas, Kel, Ginger, Liz - hope I'm not forgetting anyone - have a wonderfully healthy and happy New Year. I'm excited b/c my sister is having a party and it's the first time we are letting the kids stay up! (last year told them it was New Year's at 8 and I think I might have been in bed soon after)
Carolyn
0 -
Liz - just wanted to add I know I have the advantage of having a background in oncology. I think as patients we're afraid to piss off the people who we are counting on to save our lives and sometimes the staff can encourage that b/c it makes their lives easier. I've felt it myself at times and it's almost easier for me having the kids b/c I just feel I can't let them down and I think about them when I need to confront people (which doesn't come easily to this nice Catholic girl;-) Take your sister or your friend who is a nurse along for support; that may also make the staff less dismissive.
0
