March 2011 chemo-lounge
Comments
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Yeah Lily - brilliant news. You need to have fun for a while after you get rid of that nasty Taxotere
I have also just heard from a friend who was in hospital with me when I had my second surgery. She had serious family history with this Bl**dy disease, and she had surgery last year - she has just had scans and they have come back all clear. Its obviously a week for good news.
Hair doesn't matter does it - its just an annoyance.
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Lily- thanks for sharing GREAT news. I am so glad that the treatments are working SO well.
Interesting about the hair...mine is coming back fine, but I found that when I lost it and now that it's growing back, it's really thick at the crown of my head. So much so that while the rest of my ridiculous curls are starting to lay down, it just swirls up on my crown. Somehow related to pattern baldness.
Keep all the good news coming!
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It is amazing how far we have all come since our first posts about starting chemo. I am finally in a place where I can give back. Is anyone doing any BC fundraising? I am doing The Strides for Breast Cancer walk here in Chicago on Oct 20th. I am trying to raise $2000 but for now have about $900. Don't think I will reach my goal but I will keep trying. I am also starting to teach some fitness classes for cancer patients/survivors at our local cancer resource center. I also recruited a friend to teach some Zumba there! I am also going to volunteer to speak at their breast cancer boot camp program. I can't wait to get started and offer these gals at the beginning of this road some hope. It will feel good to give back. Are we all ready for Pinktober? I am already seeing all the pink crap in the stores......blech!
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Lily - I'm beyond psyched for you! It's all worth it to have these awesome results. Thank God Perjeta was developed. I'm sure it'll feel good to get back to work. Updating your jeans was a fine idea - I need to do the same.
Thx all for chiming in w your hair situations. I'm going to buy a Fall gat or two this weekend.
Maria - great for your involvement w the cancer support. You will add so much to the boot camp!0 -
Lily - I'm beyond psyched for you! It's all worth it to have these awesome results. Thank God Perjeta was developed. I'm sure it'll feel good to get back to work. Updating your jeans was a fine idea - I need to do the same.
Thx all for chiming in w your hair situations. I'm going to buy a Fall gat or two this weekend.
Maria - great for your involvement w the cancer support. You will add so much to the boot camp!0 -
Lily-woot! Woot for you!
Mdg-do you know Lago? She is on the triple positive thread and the Illinois ladies one. She is doing the walk in Chicago and has raised a ton of money.0 -
We get to go and choose our puppy on Sunday. She can't come home with us yet but we can decide which of the 3 girls left we want. We hadn't expected a choice but 2 of the people before us had bots instead.
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Fluff-I am doing the walk with Lago and the other Illinois ladies. She is a sweetie and We have gotten together several times. She has done a great job raising money. I have only raised $1000 so far.
Penny we don't get to meet the pups until early November. I have been getting pictures though and they are adorable. They are three weeks old now. I can't wait to get our pup. My son and I already went shopping for her. We spent $200 on toys, treats, dishes, etc... He is so excited!!0 -
Maria - Have fun with your walk.
Penny - What's a bot?? Glad you get to select your puppy soon!
Lily - How are you doing?
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That would be a boy not a bot
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Boy - ha! Would you believe I actually took a minute to say to myself "bot, bot, bot - what could she have meant?..." Was it easy to select your puppy?! BTW, Penny - not sure your photo is new but I haven't seen it before. Sometimes on my iPhone, I don't see pictures. You look fabulous. I think you said your hair's still thin but it looks great!
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Thanks Silia - its a picture from our Thailand holiday. I have a carefully arranged "comb forward" hairstyle to cover the thin bits at the front!
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So this is Lily (2). She comes home with us on 26th October
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Oh my gosh - Lily's adorable!! and her name suits her well. Keep us posted on developments once you get her home, Penny.
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Lily looks like a blonde-is her mother light also? My Mom's current Golden is more of the red color. She looks so precious-I bet you can't wait to get her home. I think your profile picture looks great also. Probably no one but you notices if you have thin spots.
mdg-a $1000 is nothing to sneeze at. That is serious cash. Asking people to donate money isn't that easy especially in todays economy. I think it is wonderful that you are doing the walk and how fun that you are doing it with some people from the boards. I learned a lot about Her2 from Lago. She was a great soure of information. She was finishing up as we were starting.
I am going back to work Oct 23 so I have 2 weeks to do all the things I thought I would get done while I was off---and haven't!! In order to keep my same job at work I have to be back by the end of the month. I only have 2 more tx with the taxotere in it so I will just grit my teeth and get thru it. May have to hang in the bathroom some days but they will be OK with that.
We have been getting some serious fall weather here-and I am hating it. Cold and damp and worse to come. I am a sunshine/warm weather gal. Todays job-sort out the garden shed and start putting away all the doo-dads scattered thru-out the yard.
I get my next tx Tuesday. The insurance duds have now paid for my first tx so hopefully that means the rest will be covered also. The new drug is very expensive and I supect they have no idea that I wil be on it indefintely. My current bill was up to $160,000 for the first 4 tx-it really is ridiculous what these drugs cost. I am doing well-wishing for hair and taste buds but those days will be here before I know it.
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Lilylady - I love your attitude with getting back to work and powering through the 2 remainings Tx's. Glad the folks at work with be okay if you're sub-par and needing to be in the bathroom. Bless them! Here in Jersey we also need to gather everything from the lawn, deck, porch. We put it off because we don't want to admit the cold weather is upon us - ah well...
Maria - Congrats on the money you've raised - agree it's an impressive amount. BTW, I think Lago had the posts about losing her nails that helped me calm the heck down when mine started disappearing. She's a good egg!
Happy weekend to all. Putting Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" on the jukebox -- LOVE that song!
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Lily - Lily2's mum is blonde, but our Lily's ears have some more golden patches so she will probably be gold, but certainly not reddish. I can't wait to get her home.
Hope the work goes OK - I guess its just try and get by and hope they really are are understanding. Hard to concentrate on work though when you feel so bad. The drug companies are criminal charging that much - I know research is expensive but really, who can afford that.Maria - you have done really well raising 1,000. My niece is doing a 200Km bike ride in aid of the Cancer Council next week. She has found it hard to raise contributions - I think there are so many charities asking for people's money these days there is not enough to go round.
We are in Spring now and I am loving it, mind you once it gets to 40 deg C I will be whinging about how hot it is
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Penny, the puppy is adorable. We leave for Thailand on October 30. I am trying to decide between a hotel or what looks like a really nice apartment on the river. There is a big festival on November 9, with the Royal Navy going down the river with 50 barges that are the dragon things. Should be cool. I wanted to go to Chiang-Mai also, but We think we would rather take our time and do some neat things within a couple hours of Bangkok. Chiang-Mai would be a minimum two day trip and that is if we fly.
I want to do a cooking class, zipline in hua hin and see the monkeys. Found a neat bike ride that takes us about 30 miles outside bangkok to some villages,etc. that along with the normal tourist things in Bangkok.
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Fluff - I reckon there probably enough to do around Bangkok without flying out, be aware when I went the traffic was very unpredictable, sometimes gridlock and sometime ok. I spent ages at the market - I think it was Chatuchak, and the floating markets are fun - just don't fall in that water. I found some hotels looked lovely from the outside and publc areas but very grotty in the rooms. Appartment on the river sounds fun - there would always be something going on. You will have a wonderful time!
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Penny-bitterly jealous of your spring coming. We are starting fall with too many days of wet gray cold weather. I am a spring/summer gal-hate anything about fall because it means winter is behind it.
Got a question for all of you. I have been on a long overdue clothing purge. Problem is I really need new jeans and have shopped til I am sick of it. I am 5'7"-high waisted-long legged. No real waistline or hips and I have lost my ass too. If I could describe my shape I would say picture a rectangle. I am between a 12 and 14 size wise. All I wanted was a pair of dark washed straight legged jeans that looked nice. They either gap huge at the back of the waistband, sag in the butt, too stretchy or so long I would have to wear 6 inch stilettos!! I think bathing suit shopping with no breasts was easier. I see all these women with way weirder shapes than mine in jeans that look great. I am willing to spend the bucks if I can find that pair that fits.
So heres my question-what brand jeans are you buying lately?
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I have a big mix. INC-Macy's, style and co, also Macy. Chico platinum line, and a pair of Tahari jeans. Are my favorites
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Eclos is another reasonable one I use from Walgreens.
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Oops. Sorry about the Eclos post. Wrong thread! Lol
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lil, I have a completely different body shape than you. But have you tried a store like American Eagle? Even tho they seem more for the younger crowd, perhaps your measurements might best fit in their jeans. Have you goggle something like "finding jeans that fit" to see if that can steer you in the direction of finding ones that look and feel good? I've gained weight in the last year since chemo ended and am up a size. Don't have a pair of jeans that fit right now, and know what you mean about finding a nice pair of dark wash that with the right fit...such a wardrobe staple.
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Fluff - a whole load of Bangkok advice from my colleague who has a Thai wifeAncient city of Ayutthaya http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_(city) is great (assuming it is not under water - check first). Personally I think its worth more than a day trip but many day trips are offered. You can get there by river which I have never done but it sounds good.
The bike ride sounds like it might be Phra Pradaeng http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Pradaeng_District? If not then it is a must. Real jungle in the heart of a major city! You can stay at the Bangkok Tree House http://www.bangkoktreehouse.com/index.php the hotel I told you about that encourages you to lock your mobile phone away. Bikes are also available to hire with and without tour escort.
There are many roof top dining venues in Bangkok but SIam@#Siam http://www.bangkoktreehouse.com/index.php is my favourite.
China Town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaowarat_Road is a must as is the Grand Palace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace but watch out for touts at the palace. Listen carefully to the announcements on the loud speakers outside and don't rent/buy/go with and if you can avoid it don't speak to the touts.
MBK http://www.mbk-center.co.th/th/home/index.php is the famous shopping centre that has all the knock-off products etc. Bargain hard. Work on the basis of a 100% mark up for foreigners (sometimes 200%). Siam Square http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siam_Square around MBK used to be a delightful low-rise shopping are that was partially burned down in the riots. Still has some charm remaining though.
Naturally no trip to Bangkok is really complete without checking out the sleaze. Interestingly most tourists seem to want to but I don't know your friend so I'll leave it up to you whether you pass it on
Nana Plaza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_plaza and/or Soi Cowboy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soi_Cowboy should give them a good idea of how low Krung Thep (Thai name for Bangkok translates as "City of Angels") can sink!!!Have fun!!!
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Trying to go back and catch up on reading lots of posts...sounds like we're all doing well and moving on with our lives. A friend was recently diagnosed with BC...takes me back to the "early" days..panic, insomnia, "Am I going to die soon ?"...I'm sure she doesn't believe me when I tell her I now have many days I don't think about it at all !!! Just had another 3 month checkup...no news is good news !!! Have started an exercise class with BC survivors and going to the gym has really become a habit...wrote myself a note for the back door (where I'll see it)...BREAST CANCER HATES EXERCISE !!! and BREAST CANCER LOVES JUNK FOOD !!!... wow the weight is hard to get off...I'm thinking after 50 it just turns to concrete !!!
Penny, Fluff...love your pictures !!!
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Penny...thanks so much! We leave next Monday and will hit the ground running. We engaged a personal tour guide for the first two days to see all the major sites, and also a couple outside of town...the railroad market and floating market. They all sure like to show you those markets! Lol. Maybe swimming monkeys too. We should be comatose with the time difference.
Sunday is attuyaha, although I haven't set up exactly the method. You can actually take a bus there, and the boat back which I was considering.
Monday, morning is free but late afternoon is a Thai cooking class in a lady's home. We get to pick out four dishes to prepare.
Tuesday and Wednesday is kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the River Kwai, cemetery, hellfire pass, Erawan falls, elephant bathing and or monkey school.
Tuesday is free...might do a bike ride, or might just shop around.
Friday is the most exciting....it is a big holiday...the Royal Barge Festival. The Royal Navy gets out the all the longboats and 2000 oarsmen row 50 barges with the dragon heads down the river to present the monks with their robes. We have a riverside room that should look out on the activities.
We are staying from Saturday to Friday in a corner apartment overlooking the river. It has a claw footed tub in the bathroom right by the full glass windows. Good thing we are on the 27th floor, lol, as I plan to take a bath every night and enjoy the view!
Finally, we leave Saturday and get into Hong Kong at 4:00. We don't leave until the next day at 11:30 in the morning, so we are going to see what we can do for about 8 hours.
I have copied all your info and am checking it out to make sure we aren't missing anything.
It is going to take me a month to recover.
Lily...hope all is going well for you.
Stilts...I think you are correct.0 -
My dog Sadie lol0 -
ks - How could you resist that face!
Brought Lily home with us on Sunday, so far we have only had one sleepless night which I think is pretty good. There will be no furniture left unchewed by the end of the week, but she is gorgeous - pics to follow
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Sawadee, Penny! Greetings from Thailand. Just got in tonight and we are wiped out!
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