Australian Sisters
Comments
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Hi Girls
I'm ok with what I've been prescribed as far as chemo goes. My onc is supposed to be very good. One intersting fact about Canberra is that it has the highest incidence of bs in Australia (that's scary) but it also has the highest recovery rate in Australia too. So obviously the treatment is working. So - I'm going to trust my specialists. I really don't have the knowledge to be able to make those sorts of decisions. Also - all my treatment team (and what I'm on) has been checked out by work - and to be honest, if there were any questions, I'd be told to go somewhere else, but the Canberra Hospital has the best reputation. Don't get me wrong, I do ask questions when I'm not sure about something, and ask for explanations.
Something that isn't clear from my signature is that actually had two different sorts of cancer in the same breast - the IDC as well as ILC. The ILC wasn't HER2+ but was ER and PR+. Not that that made a huge difference.
And thanks for worrying about me Sue - we all need to look out for eachother :-)
Pirategirl - did you not have to make a co-payment at all? Anything that I get that is "expensive" I get charged around $33.00 for. If it's a "cheap" drug (I would guess less than $40) then I don't get charged at all.
We've had a pretty cold day here today - and I felt so good I went out and did some gardening! It felt so good to be able to do that - I'm one of those weird people who actually like to weed lol
Trish
xoxo
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Hello Trish,
It is sad news about your breast surgeon. The book i am reading is very interesting. In this book the doctor/oncologist ( DR Richard Beliveau) decided to help one of his patient who had pancreatic cancer and only months to live. It was also an experiment. He decided to treat his patient by STRICTLY changing his diet. He had to eat ONLY anti-cancer foods, stops using omega 6 enriched fatty oils which are also unfortunately found in most food products (they promote inflamation, therefore growth of cancer). Also drinking lots of green tea which stops the growth of new blood vessels with which the tumors need to feed and grow. This patient survived for 4 and 1/2 more years.
Anyway that's just a thought, while reading my book.
Take care.
xoxo
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How are all the Assie girls going?
I'm enjoying my weekend as much as I can before going in for another round of Taxotere on Tuesday. I feel so good at the moment (ok - I'm pretty tired, but otherwise good lol) I want this weekend to last forever!
Trish
xox
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Hi Trish, glad to hear you are feeling okay.........pity the weekend can't last longer...lol....but I agree with you re the good things not seeming to last long enough. Just been relaxing today, caught up with a friend who popped in unexpectedly so had a nice cup of coffee and a chat. Compared projects we have been working on....we are both mad quilters so had heaps to chat about. Good luck with your next Taxotere hope it doesn't knock you back too far.
Chrissy
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Glad you are feeling good Trish, lap it up and enjoy! I'm 14 out of 21 rads and I've got to say that I'm feeling great, my energy is returning and I'm nearly feeling normal - OMG. I think after next week I'll be hit by some fatigue, it's really wierd cause you can't feel rads but it has all these side effects.
Hope all the aussie sisters are OK. I'm watching Collingwood vs Carlton right now and can't believe that it's footy season again so soon... Oh well, I'll have to endure (I say that because I'm a Tiger fan, oh woe is me) xoxo
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GO LIONS!!!!
I've got 12 rads to go out of 30. Skin is looking really good - I love Moo Goo!!!
Trish - it's a pain that you just start to feel good and have to go and do it all over again - I remember only too well. Hope it goes OK on Tuesday.
Chrissie - I'm making a story quilt. It's all iron on applique - gorgeous fabric. My mother bought it in Alaska. I must say I've been very slack and haven't worked on it much, but recently I got back into it in a big way. Then I abandoned it again to work on a new cross stitch I ordered from England. I did make a sampler quilt for our bed many years ago - took me a year to make it. This story quilt won't be any use, it's not big enough to put on a bed - I think you are supposed to hang it up.
Sue
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Hi Girls,
Trish - good luck with your next round on Tuesday (another one you won't have to do again!!).
LML - Nearly there!!!!! So excited for you I remember that feeling of counting down and it's soooo nice when you're down to single digits.
I've had a bit of a crazy week overall - Am officially back at work full time and this was my first full week with the kids. Am quite tired this weekend but am so proud that I've managed to get through the week ok. Slowly getting back into the swing of things but have noticed that I can't multi-task as efficiently as what I used to - hopefully with time and I can get that 'sharpness' back.
Though I'm tired sleep is not being kind to me at the moment - I have my first check up on monday mammo and ultrasound and I think I'm freaking a bit. The week hasn't even started and I just want it to be over with!
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Welcome Nerida - I'm so sorry you are StageIV right from the start. Cancer is crap!!! You've come to the right place - we're here for you. The support of the women on these boards is just incredible, I don't know what I would have done without them.
(((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))
Sue
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Hi Sue, have you checked out the thread 'sewing it all together'? It's a good thread about the craft people do. I've posted a few pics of a couple of the quilts I've done so if you want a look, go check them out. You should post a pic of your projects so we can all share. I started a tumbling block quilt top about two years ago but moved house and forgot where I out it. I was sorting through some boxes from the shed a few weeks back and what did I find? yup you guessed it.....the tumbling block top! Needless to say, I have begun to work on it once more....hopefully, I will get it finished before it gets put away again. It's takng ages as it is paper pieced and all done by hand so it's a bit slow going but should be nice when completed. I'll take a pic of it and post it in the sewing thread. I don't know about you, but I need to be doing something with my hands when I sit or I get bored silly!
Hi Nerida and welcome to the Aussie girls thread!
To all the othergirls, hope you have a great week and if you are in treatment at the moment, I hope it treats you gently.
Peace, strength, love n hugs to all. Chrissyb
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Hi all
Welcome Nerida - sorry for the reason that you're here - cancer really is horrible isn't it.
I haven't posted for a couple of days as I worked for 3 days last week and worked again today. It's only a casual job. I sold my business in August last year because it was all just too hard with chemo etc. Had my regular Herceptin on Thurs last week...only 4 to go now. I've now got to organise my annual mammogram. It will be my first since diagnosis last year and I'm feeling a bit wobbly about it. Hard to believe how much has happened in the last 11 months. The joint aches from Tamoxifen seem to have calmed down but I'm having big problems sleeping so I think I might look into the Glycine that the girls talk about on the Tamoxifen thread. Anyone here tried it? I'm soooo tired I'm having an early night knowing I'll probably be up during the night several times with hot flushes and going to the loo. The fun never ends!!
hugs to all
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Had my second Taxotere and Herceptin yesterday. So far so good. They reduced the dose by 10% and while I'm not feeling on top of the world, and it's only day two, I'm hopeful that this time won't be so bad :-)
Everything tastes awful, except for chocolate ice cream lol. And I made up a big batch of creamed rice - so far that's not too bad either.
Hope eveyone else is travelling ok.
One more Taxoterrible to go yay!!
Trish
xoxo
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Hang in there Trish, choc icecream sounds Mmmmmmmmmmm
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Trish - White chocolate KitKat tasted good. I was wondering how you went yesterday. Good to hear there's only one more after this.
Sue
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Wow Sue, new avatar! You look great!!!
Trish, hang in there you are doing well! One to go.....yahoo!!!
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Hi Chrissy - yes I had a hair cut last week and like to update my avatar when I get a new look. It's still really curly but I can manage it. Only 9 zaps to go and I guess I'll have to start thinking about going back to work. Not sure how long I should have off after the rads are done - maybe a couple of weeks. I've virtually not been at work for 16 months. I was back to 4 days a week when I got the 2nd diagnosis. I've forgotten what work is like
Sue
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Have come into work this morning for a meeting, and then going home. Flu like symptoms starting to hit hard :-(
White chocolate kit kats on the list to get before I go home Sue - had forgotten about that - thanks for the reminder! lol
Trish
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Trish - you shouldn't be trying to work - go home to bed and stay there!!! you might not like the white choc though but I guess you could try it.
Sue
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Sue - yes Mum!! Have come home - about to go to bed, promise lol
Forgot the bloody kitkats though "sigh" They'll have to wait now until DH goes out again.
Trish
xoxo
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Thinking of you Trish, (((((((hugs))))))) coming your way. Chrissy
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Trish - hope you're not too bad this time
(((((((HUGS))))))
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Going ok girls. Not fantastic - but so much better than last time. Shuffling around like an old, old lady, have a bit more pain in my legs this time, but managable. Worst thing at the moment (apart from water tasting like mud again, which makes it hard to force it down) is the bleeding hard boogers in my nose - they are painful!
Not sure if this is from the Taxotere or the Herceptin - will have a look at those boards when I get some more energy.
Trish
xoxo
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Hello, Ssters from down under. I live in Southern California, however, my best friend over 30 years lives in Perth .. and has for about 15 years. Also, my older sister married an Aussie .. she met while on vacation there .. and she is in Adelaide with 3 children. So both my sister, and BFF are transplants from America.
Also, my breast cancer specialist from St. Joseph's hospital of Orange .. Dr. Jay Harness .. teaches in Australia several months out of the year -- sharing clinical trials data, and educating .. his wife is from Perth, whom he married 25 years, ago
Vicki Sam
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Hi Pirate Girl, I would love to know if the Glycine hepls with sleeping as I am still taking sleeping tablets and would like to stop them.
Hi Trish, The nose is a real bother, mine was more so in the mornings. It gradually improved after I finished Taxol. I am still having Herceptin and my nose gets a bit dry for which I sometimes use Sorbelene. Hope yours improves after the Taxotere. If I sit for any length of time I find It difficult to get out of the chair, just like an old lady. I don't know it this is due to the Herceptin or the Femara that I am on. Hoping it is the Hercptin which finishes in June rather than the Femara which goes for 5 years.
Vicky
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Hi Girls
Slowly emerging from my cocoon. Yesterday was pretty horrible, and had the "feeling sorry for myself's" in a bad way. Wan't to be healthy again.Feeling much stronger today - I can actually walk without shuffling, and water doesn't taste quite so bad. Still feeling a bit like a dried up old prune though.
I so want to go out in the garden and do some picking - after all the rain and sun we've had, we have tomatos going mad. We've also got buckets of apples to pick, but I have no idea what I'm going to do with them all. I do have some idea - but we have way, way too much. At least I'm starting to think about picking veggies again, so I guess that's a step forward.
VickiSam - wow - you sure do have a great Aussie connection!
How's everyone else going?
Trishxox
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Hi Trish, so glad you are feeling much better and I can realy relate to wanting to be heathy again...........alas for me, not going to happen.......so I just keep on keeping on.....lol. Oooo your garden sounds heavenly! It sounds like the one I used to have before BC decided to come back, lots of veggies in particular tomatoes.....just love home grown tomatoes........and a real assortment of fruit trees. I used to make preserves and sauces, jams and jellies and my pantry was always full! When you mung out on your produce, please think of me! Going green with envy here....lol! Have a great day and welcome back to the land of the living!
xox Chrissy
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Oh Chrissy
I'm sorry - here I am feeling sorry for myself, and I forget about all the wonderful ladies like you who's disease has spread far beyond what I have. I try to keep a perspective on that - no matter how bad I am, there's always someone (many someones) who are far worse off than me. xoxo
I'll think of you everytime I eat from our wonderful garden. We are blessed - we are on 8.5 acres and have a beautiful veggie garden. I love this time of year when we eat almost totally from the garden - lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, asparagus, corn, capsicum. We had a bad year with the fruit though and lost pretty much all our nectrines, plums, apricots, pears, quinces and almonds. Have lots and lots of apples though and had kilos and kilos of cherries. Yes - I too always have a pantry full of jams, chutneys, sauces and relishes. Wish you weren't so far away - I could send you some lol
Trish
xoxo
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Trish, please , you don't need to be apologetic re feeling sorry for yourself as you have every right to feel that way. What you are enduring is terrible and does make you feel very ill. The one thing that you can be sure of though, and that is it will end and each one you do is definately one less that you have to do. Your property sounds just wonderful, can you take some vista pics and post them for all to see? I bet the Autumn is very pretty there too with all the fruit trees in Autumn colour! Wow! My imagination is running wild. Thank for thinking of me.
xo Chrissy
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Chrissy - my garden is an absolute mess. With all the rain the weeds have gone mad too. Our ride on mower has broken down, and with all the medical bills we can't afford to replace it just at the moment, so my poor DH is hand mowing, with a bad back.
Before BC I was a pretty keen enthusiast photographer, but haven't had the motivation or energy to pick my camera up lately. But as soon as chemo is over, I'm intending to get back into it, and will take some pics - promise. We do live in a very pretty spot - it is a lovely place to recuperate.
At the moment I fantasise about having a gardener for a week to do all the heavy work, just someone to do the whippersnippering would be wonderful.
Trish
xox
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Hi all,
Can anyone tell me about brain mets and what happens after whole brain radiation treatment wise? Not for me but for a family member? WBR was about 7 months ago now for 3-4 small tumors and things are looking good so far but I'm confused about what treatment options are left after that. I heard that you can't irradiate an area twice. I can't give specifics about er/pr etc but know that she has been on herceptin for a matter of years now if that gives you any clues. I understand herceptin doesn't break the blood brain barrier so I'm presuming she is now on something that does but I don't understand if that's chemo as such or if it's hormonal treatment. Info is patchy I know but someone out there may be able to fill in the gaps for a confused relative! THanks.
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Hi 2010, I can't answer your question re the brain mets but could I suggest you start a new thread by asking your question in the STAGE IV FORUM here. I know there are quite a few of the girls in the Stage IV area have brain mets and I'm sure, they will be only too happy to answer your question.
Peace, stremgth, love n hugs. Chrissyb
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