August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Hi folks, for those of you who just come to this page I have some news. Marybe, our long term stage four lady has gone into a coma. So many on here were greeted and comforted by Marybe that I thought I would let you know. Her thread is "between the devil (the red one) and the deep blue sea". Posts regarding her condition are there. The turn in her condition was very fast, just yesterday she talked in her room with her friend for two hours. Barb A is on her way there from Florida.
I am still stunned by this. Marybe was a light for me. Ginger
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Ginger - Thanks for posting about Marybe. I enjoyed her posts and hearing about her activities. It makes me very sad.0
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Thank you, Ginger. That is awful news about Marybe. I had read some of her posts over the past few years. I appreciate you letting us know.
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Ginger--thanks for posting about Marybe. She was one of the first to answer one of my crazied, worried posts. I am so saddened to hear. Cancer sucks.
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Hi Everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying this weekend as much as I am. I have no work from my second job, and of course I am off from my 9-5, so I am truly enjoying some time off for the first time in a very long time! It is great to have all this time to get things done and a little bit of time to do whatever I want.
Tex: Glad to hear the "bug" has run its course. I am also glad that the kids are going back to school (that pic is abolutely adorable!), so maybe now you can get some rest while they are at school. Please take advantage of that time to take care of yourself. You do not want to spread yourself too thin while undergoing chemo...so like Lizzy said...NAP!! Please! On the grocery store, I am not going through chemo anymore and I do that all the time. I go shopping, with a list, every Friday and still end up going back everyday because I don't have something..LOL! I think that is just a function of the chaos that automatically comes with having all those kids.
Lady: Have fun in Montgomery! And thanks for that yoga link. I have been having problems with my right hip that just won't go away and the docs have tested me up and down and back around and can't give me a diagnosis. I was talking to the yoga instructor at the gym one day and she showed me a pigeon stretch...OMG, it worked! Made the pain go away. So, now I do it after I run, as that seems to be when it flares up. I am now a yoga convert and I think I might take a look at that link, especially for the lower back pain I have been experiencing lately, thanks.
Ginger: Thanks for the info on Marybe, she seemed to have a very calming positive influence on many people here on this board. BTW, how did the doggie make out? Is he okay?
Cal: Sorry to hear about your neighbor. It is scary how quickly it all sneaks up on you. I can't believe the chickens are almost grown...wow that happens quick! Sounds like a lot of hard work though, but I am sure much healthier for you and your family.
Rachel: Good luck with all your appointments this week. I will be sending positive vibes up north for you!
Lizzy: That pillow comment was hysterical. I have one of those neck pillows for on the plane, I will just have to get a strap for it...LOL! I certainly hope, however, that I do not get one of those icky strap to the leg drains however. Just reading your description of the clots made my stomach turn, and I had just eaten breakfast, YUCK! LOL! Is it working though, is the swelling going down? Hope you are feeling better.
I am off now to the gym. They were supposed to be open only for workouts today, no classes, but then yesterday one of the instructors posted on facebook and asked if any members would come to class today if there was one. In a couple of hours that had grown to 3 instructors and a zumba instructor. So now they are all donating their time for a "MASH UP PARTY" of all the different classes offered at the gym. Starts at 9:15 and should be a lot of fun. So sad, I have officially turned into a gym rat, because I am really looking forward to it..LOL!
Have a great day everyone!
Debbi
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Good day, warriors!
It is beautiful here today! Of course with my gross leg clot bag I am not going out to enjoy my usual fest of liquid fun and the subsequent bad decisions that go along with such activities but the weather is nice so for this I am grateful! A friend has an annual party and I usually attend but with my luck some rabid animal will jump out of the bushes and attack my gross drain bag!! Also don't want to wear long pants and hide it so whatever! Have to forego fun. There is a touch of cool in the air that is making me not too happy! I am watching "House Hunters" and (Calamtykel) they are Tybee Island, GA which, as some of you might recall, is one of my fav, and unspoiled, vaca spots. All I know is it is warm there....not looking forward to winter!
Sptmm: your hip problem is most likely coming from running. It is an overuse injury and you just have to deal. Mobic might help and it is not necessary you take it every day but rather just when you run. As soon as I started training for the Couch my Achilles started really complaining. I think they call these pains "the price we pay" for the joy of running!!!Deb, GYM RAT is the best life ever!! Also, those "mosh up" classes are the best!!! I love them. Port Chester Bally's used to do such a wicked step class, I was nothing short of addicted. Invariably, and definitely on holiday weekends, they would segue into a "strength" class and then follow that up with yoga. It was the best 3 hours in the gym EVER!!! Deb, you are killing me with all your gym talk! I am so desperate to get back to the gym, I am going berserk! I miss the gym like I can't even tell you.
Speaking of holiday weekends, one Bally's in CT would do a 5K through such a bucolic state park trail and I loved it! I ate everything and anything I wanted on Thanksgiving as I started my day the right way!! Man, I totally miss being in great shape. BTW, if I win Mega Bazillions, I am flying over to the island to pick you up as we are going to go scouting properties in Westchester to build our DREAM fitness center and this also means you can quit both your jobs! I will toss some millions at the project and that includes hiring your for 10 years!
I actually the entire gym mapped out and the whole plan in order. I know *exactly* what I would build. There was a great gym in my hometown when I was growing up. It had tennis courts (2), racquetball courts (5), indoor pool, sauna, steam, sauna in ladies locker room upper and lower levels, same in men's locker rooms, towel service, smaller pool for water aerobics, upper and lower cardio rooms, spin room, yoga studio, 2 class rooms, upper and lower free weight areas and a lounge! I love, love, loved that place! In fact when my partying in Manhattan would wear me out by weekend and I would come back to CT to "dry out" and get ready for the next week's antics (including 12 hour workdays!), I would look so forward to going to that gym even with being on the magic island with the likes of "Planet Reebok" and Bally's Vertical clubs. I just loved that fitness center. That is the kind of place I would build. Oh yeah, and there would be a separate rooms for abs and stretching! This is my dream, woman! One more thing about our gym, women and men will have their own separate whirlpools!
I hope you had a blast at the gym! (I am so jealous!!) You know, I think I am going to write up a proposal to build this fitness center. I need to get moving on this. It is a long held dream and one that could be replicated, not necessarily franchised but established elsewhere.
Your post totally energized me and I am so glad you have time off from both jobs. Deb, I did not know you have 2 jobs. I am going to have to get cooking on winning that Mega Bazillions so we can do what we love, get moving on buildling our flagship fitness center and you can dump BOTH jobs!!
I hope everyone has a nice day!0 -
I have cytoxan and taxotere every fri and it has me going through it.
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felisaragland - I am sorry that you are having a tough time! I think it is important to let your oncologist know how you are doing. I would keep a list of how I felt after each chemo and bring it to me at the next appointment. The oncologist has many medicines that they can give you to help you manage the side effects. You shouldn't have to suffer. They can try one medication and if that doesn't help with the symptoms they can try another. ((((hugs))))0
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He have me on alot of medicine to help with my stomach I'm just dizzy alot.
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felisaragland - Are you able to drink enough water? Sometimes you can get dizzy if you don't drink enough and your blood pressure gets too low. How is your blood pressure? Also, are you eating small meals? If you eat small amounts but more often it can help your stomach.0
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i drink alot of water all the time. i do eat small meals even then its hard for me to eat. my blood pressure is great. sometimes i dont think i can get through this im trying.
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Felisaragland42: it does seem daunting at times but alas we have no choice when it comes to bc (our intra-site acronym for breast cancer). I used "Boost" when I was on chemo just to get liquid nutrition in me. It is a tough, tough battle but rest assured, you are not alone.
I just wanted to explain to you how this site works. Our group all went through chemo in 2010. We still communicate through this thread but are no longer going through chemo (at least for now!) but there is a group on this site where women are going through chemo right now, just as you are. I feel you can get good support there and can identify with others going through exactly what you are now. The link to the August 2012 group is: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/790539?page=14#post_3190371
To activate the link, right click on it and select "open in new window" or "open in new tab." That will get you to the thread for the August 2012 chemo girls.
If you go to that thread and introduce yourself, you will find a nice support system. Of course, you are more than welcome to continue posting here as we are more than happy to help you out
Chemo is hard, there is no doubt about it but the one thing you can take away from our group is we all made it through and we are all doing fine. This, my friend, should fill you with hope
Best of luck and we are here for you-
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thank you so much.
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No problem
I hope you find what you need there and, for the record, you are forever an honorary member of our group as well!!! 0 -
felis - You can do it!! Just hang in there each day.0
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ty.
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Debbi, my dog is okay now. The vet felt it was a bad sprain. This little dog, about 16 lbs now runs faster than our standard poodle. He is like the wind. My DH mows our paddock for the dogs to play in and who know, maybe Harry twisted his leg in a hole or something. It's two acres so they get going really fast. It was so pitiful to see Harry walking on three legs. Thanks for asking.
I am really sad that Marybe has gotten so sick. I really wanted her to be able to go on her trip. She was worried about waiting to long and that was one of the reasons she went ahead and planned it. Her meds were messed up last week and that set all of this off. SHe was already ill but given the wrong medical advice and wrong info.
Laters when I am human. Ginger
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Hi
My surgery was July 29th I was doing fine now my left breast is very sore and has swollen back up is this normal.
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felisaragland - Sounds like it would be a good idea to give your surgeon a call - it could be an infection or an accumulation of fluid but it would probably be a good idea to have the doctor check it out.0
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ok im on antibiotics already i had said i wasnt going to take them. my onco has me taking them four times a day. when he did my blood work and it came back he put me on antibiotics.
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Felisa: when I get a chance, I am going to walk you through how to complete your signature so we all know what you have been through and what treatment (tx) you are on. Also, I am going to list the "starter" link so you can go and see what our acronyms are etc... and get acquainted with how to use this site. In parenthesis, I am listing some of our commonly used acronyms as a little cheat sheet!
Did you have a lumpectomy? If you had a mastectomy (mx), or bilateral mastectomy (bmx), did you also have immediate reconstruction? If you had a mx or bmx without immediate recon, you should be going back to your breast surgeon (bs) about the issue. If, however, you had immediate reconstruction involving a plastic surgeon (ps), you need to see your ps about the swelling.
Swelling at the mx/bmx site is all too common but it absolutely needs to be brought to the attn of your surgeon. Your onc knows something is going on which is why they put you on antibiotics and stopped chemo. Sometimes they have to do a fine needle aspiration to draw fluid out, it all depends. If you did get immediate recon, get back to your PS asap to address this issue. I had quite a time with an infected tissue expander (TS). I won't tell you the story now as it is just scary and unnecessary at this point!!
In long, whomever did the surgery on you needs to be made aware of your swelling issue. That should be the first thing you do this week.
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ok i will call him tomorrow. i had a lumpectomy with three removal of nodes
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also im on cytoxan and taxotere
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its warm to the touch no fever though
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Felis, you said you weren't going to take the antibiotics. You said the DR told you to take them four times a day. Are you taking the antibiotics? You need to take them exactly how the DR said to take them. If you did not take them, you need to let the DR know exactly what you took, and when, so he can give you what you need to help you heal now. Antibiotics work differently than many other medicines and our DR's need to know what we are doing.
I hope you heal soon.
Ginger
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Hope everyone is well. I had my checkup today to review my scans and doc said all clear. I am still having pains in my rib cage area. My doc said he is 95% positive that it is nothing ominous (his words). He said I don't present as symptoms of bone issues and he doesn't want to scan again. I would be lying if I wasn't completely comfortable but I know I have to try to move on and take this time to get healthy. Another patient in my onco office came out and was making next appt and said "I have license to live". I guess he was right;)
The weekend is almost here...although short week at work..feels like it has dragged on!0 -
Rachel- glad to hear that. Live it up girl!!!! with that new license and all
kel- good luck with the chickens
i always pictured them as pre plucked when they were that size LOL ugly as heck! felis- just caught up on your posts... how is everything going? did you talk with your dr? are you taking the antibiotics????
hello to everyone else i have a migrane but wanted to stop in and say hello... No nap as of yet unless you want to count the ten minutes i took after chemo wed... i got home at 2:50 and had to pick up the kids at 3:15 so i set my alarm for 3 so yeah thats basically all i got in.... tomorrow though! my last chance for a nap until after the weekend!
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Texas I hope you are napping.
Ginger
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Good day, warriors!
I hope everyone is well! Hot and humid here today but no complaints as I am clinging to the vestiges of summer!
Rachel-SO, SO, SO VERY HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!!! I am so glad those scans were clean. I know what you mean about constantly feeling like you have to look over your shoulder with cancer. When we were young, there was a generic cartoon and they had the "mother-in-law" car! It was funny and it was like an extension off the back of the car that was the length of the vehicle itself and then there was an egg type of container there. That is where the mother-in-law sat!! More to this point, since bc, I feel like my life is that car and in the egg is the shadow of cancer, always one car's length behind me. I do, however, seek solace in knowing that I will stay ahead of it!!!!! IN long, we all feel the same way and the busier we keep ourselves, the more we can hopefully keep it far away.
I hope you have a great weekend and if I were you, I would treat myself to a massage!!!!!
Tex: my hero!!!!! Geez, girl, I just don't know what to say! I think so much of you! I cannot believe what you have undertaken, with a smile on your face, being positive and very spirited right through. I just love ya! I hope next week you schedule some afternoon naps and perhaps a bath or 2!!! Maybe your niece can help you out a bit. I totally am against kids becoming family servants but b/c of the amount of people in your household now, and the chemo, perhaps she can chip in a bit. I am just so glad they are back together and with you. I can safely say I think you are one of the greatest people I have ever come to know and I am glad I have made your acquaintance on that note! You give me hope for all the dastardly others in this world!!!
Sweeney: I think the bears won!!!!! I am wondering where you are!! This thread is about support, through good and bad, so if, forbid, anything came up on that bone scan, come back and talk about it. Let us know what is going on. To be honest, we are all at the 2 year mark so, and most unfortunately, all of our news may not be good going forward. We might have questionable scans and we need to talk to each other about this stuff. Only we collectively know the true nature of this battle. I am really typing this message to everybody. I want us all to get so busy we are not around here so much and that we all revisit and healthy, non-cancer existence but at the same time this thread was always about support and we are all here for you and each and every one of us, through good and bad.
Now, having said that, I just hope you are wicked busy and forgot about us!!!!!! Please do come back when you have a chance and let us know how you are. Miss you-
Sptmm: I can only imagine you are running a 20K as I type (!!!!) and hope you have a nice weekend, woman! Someone else who I have met in this cyber-capacity who is completely remarkable and fills me with hope for more athletic days again!!!!
Ok, I have to go shower as the nurses are coming to check my "hissances?" whatever those are and I am not even going to trouble you all with too many details about my "seroma" NOT CLOSING. I am, however, going to share with you all the latest technique they are going to try to use to close it and, of course, if this fails back to surgery I go. In another post this weekend I will share the details so you all will know about this should you ever need it going forward.
Good day girls and wonderful weekend to all-0
