Any 40-ish survivors?
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just checking in with everyone. crappy rainy morning here outside Boston. definitely not walking outside today.. trying to get the motivation to get on the treadmill. we shall see
Meegan, just my opinion, but i say go for the red dress!! you can always get a nice wrap to go over it if your chilly.
not following any program, but trying to do 3 miles at least 3 times a week with pilates 3 times a week. its so hard to get motivated sometimes, but managing at least 5 work outs a week, so I gues that's something. guess i'll go get on the treadmill. i definitely always feel so much better when i workout. definitely feels like i'm doing something good for myself.
have a great day ladies!
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Hi everyone- i was wondering if i could join your group. I am 46 and have a 12 year old son. I was just DX last week. So i am a bit newer than some here. I am having BMX to take out 9cm tumor and all nodes removed on one side in a few days Feb.2nd
I am learning and feeling better reading many of your posts.
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Hi Beth....I'm sorry you have to be here ,but I am glad you found this group. This is a wonderful group of ladies and some of us are further along,but others are starting so ...feel free to post and I look forward to reading. I also had BMX may 2010 3 days ( or so ) before my birthday. I'm sure we could be here to at least cheer you on to the finish....
Tracy...did you get the treadmill workout in?? I really agree about exercises..I feel lots better too.
I did do the PIYO class today and met another gal ( this one is our age ....not that theres anything wrong with older people..Lol) but we are going to do some kind of water workout class ..I really look forward to that.
Take care girls..we have an interview with a school we may select..then we are going to the boat/rv show ..I will catch all you tomorrow!!
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Welcom Beth. I am so sorry you have to join us but am glad you did. This is a great group and I hope you will find as much information & comfort in these boards as I have. Sending big hugs and prayers for a successful & smooth surgery.
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Welcome Beth! I hate that you have to join us, but glad you did. Will be thinking about you next week with your surgery. Feel free to ask questions or vent or whatever you need on here. The girls here are good at listening. I too had a BMX in 2010.
Meegan- I agree with the rest, red dress!!!!! I hope that my tummy will be flat, but not holding out high hopes. My goal to lose 10-15lbs. by surgery has blossomed into gaining 4. I need to use you all as my motivation and at least get out there and walk. In fact I think I might just do that while we are on a lunch break. Have a good afternoon all! Kim -I hope you find a school that fits your needs!
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Welcome Beth!
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Hi all!
Firstly, so pleased that your scan was clear for bc, Kim! The back issues sound nasty, nonetheless, hopefully they will heal on their own through time. You must be so relieved, though!
Welcome to Beth - we're a great group!
Love, Sarah xx
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Thanks Sarah!!! Yes..it is a relief.. my back has always been not great,but before I never had to think about it being something else. How was your birthday?? I hope you had something yummy to eat.
We had our interview and now we are off to the RV/boat show....we have looked at RV's about as long as we have been married..but have not bought one yet!!
Have a good night all!!
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Hi all! I've been logging in and reading, but this is the first week back to work for me....ACK! So, it's been nuts.
Happy birthday, Sarah! Kim, so glad it isn't bc, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be an easy fix. Take care of yourself. Go buy an RV! You can make a roadtrip loop of all of us ladies! LOL! Welcome, Beth. Tracy, good on you! I'm having a tough time making it to the gym twice a week--there's just so much to do. Kim, good for you for going to a counselor. I've been flipping out lately mood swings on the Tamox, and my ejection fraction is down so they may take me off Herceptin for a bit--has me freaked out. I thought Herceptin was supposed to be the miracle drug and now I can't take it?! ugh. Anyway, I SO understand the PTSD! Love to you all..sorry to be so scattered. Weekend guests arriving any minute.
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profbee, hope you enjoy your company. definitely feeling the side affects of tamoxifen myself lately. mostly miserable with hot flashes!
welcome Beth! relatively new here myself, but a great group to touch base with. I had a bmx in sept this past year, so can relate. it's a crazy scary time, but just try to get prepared for what's to come and things will be ok. it's tough while your going through it, but time flies by so fast, you'll be healthy again in no time.
kmur, (don't know whether to refer to you as kmur or kim, lol!) fought the rainy day blues and did get on the treadmill. i've been feeling really sore since i've been working out. so slowed down to 3 miles in 1 hour. hopefully i'll be able to keep it up a little easier. but def glad i got it in today. hope you get an RV! i camp with my family a lot! we have a 30 ft. two behind with all the amenities. it's so much fun, I'm sure you'd love it, especially in your neck of the woods! beautiful part of the country
have a great Friday night!
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Beth, I just realized you were diagnosed last week! I'm so sorry, hon. I had my BMX at the end of August, exchange surgery last month in December, and I'm doing well. Take care, and let us know how we can help.
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It just realized the title of the thread is 40-ish survivors. I am still at the beginning of my journey but definately plan to be a survivor.
Sounds like alot of people are doing well this is very inspiring to read all the posts.
Its strange how the DX 's can be so different with different types of breast cancer(i always thought there was just one kind) stages,grades etc...but we are all so alike as we all have similar goals-like staying alive and trying to go on to live a healthy happy life if it is possible.
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Beth, You are a survivor and welcome here. I think we are the best group on the boards, and here to support you in anyway we can. Where are you in your "journey"?
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christine-i am at the biginning. I have had DX and am having BMX and all my nodes removed on one side feb.2nd and chemo after
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Beth, big hugs to you. I had my BMX and node removal (cancer side) about 13 months ago, then on to chemo. No fun, but I am feeling well and very optimistic. Will you do any reconstruction? Let us know if there are any questions we can help you with. I know you will have a long week waiting for 2/2, we are here for you. Pop in anytime for support.
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Beth, welcome to the group, although we are all sorry we had to meet this way, but we are the best group (if we do say so ourselves!).
Kmur - what is PIYO? You sound like you are trying alot of classes, that is great. We only do the exercise machines, warm-up bikes and stretching, which is fine with me. We can try any other classes, but I do not have the energy to do that right now.
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Beth welcome to the group! My mom had ILC 13 years ago, and she's doing great. If I understand correctly that's sometimes a harder one to see on film etc....between us all here on this thread, we've collectively most surely have been though everything you are about to go through. Lean here, ask here, whatever you need.
Ladies my friend had brain surgery to remove the tumor on Wednesday, she is home today. She PM'd me on fb that it is cancer. She hasn't put it out on fb yet....They successfully removed the tumor but found a much smaller one, to small to take out, so she's sees an MO on Monday for the next course of treatment, radiation is certain, that's all she knows at this point.
I've asked her if it's BC mets to brain or different.....I have been heartbroken by this, but she is in really good spirits, and is already joking about the whole in her head. She does rely on prayers, so if you would include her if you are so inclined - we'll call her LM.
Thank you all again for your virtual hugs, they got me through the week. Will be road tripping next weekend has DH had to drive to NC on business. He flies back tomorrow.
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Hi Girls...
First..just had to say Gina ..I have been thinking of you all week and just talking to the big guy..I have been waiting for you to post,wanted to give you this info ..try to make it a short story...my PS talked to me quite a bit about BC..I was scared to death..she assured me treatments are so good even if it is found in places you would think would be not good at all...her patient had brain mets and was treated and she is now years out from DX. So we will pray and hope.
Hi Tracy..You can call me either ..there are two kims...Burley and then me....We did not buy an RV ( Lol) but we continue to look..we love to canoe/fish/hike and all. Good for you with the walk!! It was hard to get motivated after surgeries but you all keep me thinking about it!! OH..and doing it so that is very good
Proofbee....Is it good to be back at school?? Thought about you too.
Beth... You are a survivor...Gosh I think that starts the day you hear the news. Just as the others have said...anything you need feel free to ask. I think most of us have had some kind of chemo cocktail..so feel free to ask..the conversations we have had here involve just about everything. I also did 6 rounds of chemo and 28 rads. It is all doable .
Meegan...PIYO is a class that blends Yoga/Pilates. I went in with my back wrenched like an old lady,but came out feeling better. I am trying to do as much as I can to see if it is worth joining..I think I will join. I want to do the body pump class with weights next week. You are doing much more than I did following surgery and my surgery was not too much. I think you are doing great!! Did you see if your children can go??
Enough for me I swear I can not just say a word or two...sorry.
Hugs to each of you ..prayers will continue Gina..we can add her to the prayer line here if you would like .
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Hi Ladies.. I have been so busy I have read but not posted and had to skim a couple of pages...
Welcome Beth... I had a BMX in July and had chemo last spring... so I have hair again and am totally on the roa to recovery as you will be too very soon... I have looked at the treatment as having my check list.. with each step I could check it off the list and move on. I was diagnosed 11/10, had a lumpectomy, then chemo and then decided to get BMX and forgo radiation (all 4 doctors agreed that was ok although all thought it drastic)... no looking back, it was the right decision for me.
Tracy... I missed you joining us too... I guess I am way behind.
Meegan... I missed something about a red dress??
Prof.. I saw your post on FB that you were back... YAY!!! right??
Gina... Sorry about your friend. We hate hearing that stuff.
So.. I have been soooo good going to the gym like 3-4 times a week... I am determined to have this whole BC crap have a silver lining for me and encourage me to get back to my fitness... so far so good... Funny though (and I am sure you all can appreciate this).. I use the ellipical machine at the gym, and you know how it tracks distance, calories etc.. well one of the features is METs.. I have to lock the machine on calories or distance because if I see it scan through everything and say 10.6 METs, it freaks me out.. I know METs isn't mets, obviously, but just seeing those words bothers me... I guess I am a little OCD.
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Hi everyone. First day of my combo staycation and vacation. Slept till 9. So far so good. I do have to go into the office for a few hours today and wrap up a few things I ran out of time with yesterday. But after that I am done until next monday. Yippie!!
Gina - So sorry about your friend. It is hard enough to have a friend go through that, but even harder when it stirs your own fears.
Betsy - you Mets story reminded me of a funny moment in my treatment. Not sure why it did - I think I was imagining me on the elliptical and exclaiming "10 METs?!" I have this sort of lump shaped area just above my right breast. I have had it for a long time. To tell you the truth, it crossed my mind years go that it could be cancer but I never got to the point of checking it out. When I went to my first MO appointment (before all the scans that confirmed no other cancers) I pointed it out to her nurse practioner who was doing a breast exam. She felt it and then found some similar, although not as pronounced, tissue on the other side and says "You have the same thing over here." I understood she was trying to illustrate for me the "if it is on both sides probably not cancer" thing. I was completely joking when I did this, but I looked at her all fake panicked and exclaimed "Oh my God, there's two of them?!" This story is not translating well in writing but all three of us started cracking up (my mom was there too).
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Lisa.. I get it... What was her initial reaction?? Was she laughing or at first think you were serious?
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Betsy! I love you! I have the same irritation from the Mets message on the treadmill at the gym. I wanted to even ask if they could somehow get rid of it. It is like it's haunting me! STOP with mets talk!!! I'm trying to avoid thinking about mets! I trying to stop obsessing over possibly developing mets, and just as I'm working out...there's the flashing "mets" message. I'm so glad I'm not alone on this. LOL!
Hilarious story, Lisa. I was so easily freaked at the beginning.
Kim and Betsy, since you asked about work...yes, I'm back. It's good. I'm sure I'll be DEAD tired by next week, but the first week is always fun meeting the students, and there's no homework to read or anything yet.
I'm nervous about keeping up since I get so tired at night, and I know I'll need to do some night work in order to get my stuff done, but I'm optimistic! And, it's good to feel a bit of normalcy again--even if it's in the form of others' expectations. 0 -
hey all. slow and easy sunday morning for me. empty house this afternoon. i should be out walking, it's such a nice day.
hey kmur. yes got my walk friday and even my pilates saturday, so feeling good about that. wish the scale reflected all the hard work lately. don't know if it's the tamoxifen but the scale seems to go up no matter what i'm doing. just one of the many things you've got to take on the chin with this cancer bs.
profbee, good for you for being back at work! dont be afraid to put yourself first. i highly recommend naps if you can squeeze one in
your up in nh near me, any snow?? hey betsy! good for you with the working out. i definitely have to keep checking in here for motivation. you and kmur are seriously kicking butt! hit my work out goals last week, hoping for another good week.
and beth, thinking of you. it's so scary at first, but it does get easier. just do whatever it takes to get through each day and keep moving on!
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Happy Sunday to all my favorite chicks!
profbee, enjoy your time back at work, I do think work is good in returning to "normal".
You all crack me up with you talk of "METS", funny how that takes on new meaning now.
So I am heading out to the gym for some fun, gotta keep up with all of you. I also am finding it hard to drop weight, I have been so good and scale is hardly moving.
Any of you on Zometa? I am seeing an endocrinologist this week and will ask him about this, my primary physician is concerned about my bone health because of my low D level (I need to take 50,000 u of D two times per week, just to achieve low normal levels). Always something.
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Hi to Everyone,
I just wanted to hop on the "I can not get this weight off train" with you all. I have really been exercising,but the scale here is much like everyone else....not budging ( I don't like that scale very much) I just wanted to share once again my warped view...Lol ... I have never had a butt...it kind of has always just hooked on to my leggs somewhere...well I have been doing weights (squats) and I do have a butt now ..I really didn't want one like this though??? I have gained 10 pounds since chemo start.
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Beth - I understand that your journey is just starting. I just want to tell you to look into the Penguin Cold Caps as a way to keep your hair despite the chemo. You can google them and there is a very helpful board here of people who have or are using them. I saved my hair using them and am so grateful my MO told me about them. Good luck with everything!
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i just wanted to say thanik-you for the warm welcome everyone
i feel like i just got a huge group hug
momof4girls thank-you so much for the info i have a few weeks i think 3-4 weeks to learn about these cold caps before i start chemo it is great to know there may be other options than losing hair. Did you lose any hair did it thin out at all when you used them or does it totally prevent the hair loss?
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Beth - everyone's experience is different but I can say that I barely lost any hair. My profile picture was taken four months after chemo finished. I lost more hair in the two months after chemo than during chemo but I only lost a little on the sides above my ears. It really wasn't noticable and is growing back quite nicely. Not all hospitals or doctors are aware of their benefits and some are downright skeptical. But if you read the board here you will find many women who have had great success with them. I just want to increase awareness about them and empower other women. Your hair is one thing (among many) that cancer can't take away from you.
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Beth.. Playing devils advocate....Before you invest in cold caps do run it by your oncologist.. Mine was against the idea due to the risk of scalp mets. What he said made sense, and I didn't want to risk a metastasis just to save my hair for a few months... I lost it in January and was going without a wig in July.. small price to pay for reassurance that the chemo went where it needed to go.
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hey ladies.
i know its so hard to decide which paths to take, and there are many, just try to do your homework and make the best decision for yourself you can. hopefully you have a doctor you trust and they'll also have some good info.
got my 3 miles in this morning. actually saw a couple of snowflakes flying around while out there. had to laugh at myself. had a mad hot flash in the middle of my walk and started stripping off layers like a crazy person. it had to be about 20 with the wind chill!!
this tamoxifen sucks. anyone opt for ovary removal or hysterectomy with ovary removal instead of medications? just hard to think i have to take this med to help keep cancer from coming back, but at the same time all these side affects, weight gain being one and being over weight increases chances of recurrence. crazy!!
hope everyone has a good day!
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