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Radiation recovery

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Comments

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited June 2014

    image

    Horsebackriding in kentucky
  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited June 2014

    image

    Andy couldnt contain his excitement!!

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited June 2014


    Got to meet up with Joan today as she passed through St. Louis. We met for lunch.I was so excited to meet her.What a sweetlady.

    we asked someone to take a pic of us.Maybe Joan can post it later.Hope everyone is having a good Sunday.

  • BigDBeatingBigC
    BigDBeatingBigC Member Posts: 228
    edited June 2014

    RunFree:  Glad you had a successful college trip.  Have fun in the UK!  That is one place I would love to see.  Thanks for coming along for the ride with me next week.  Will let you know how it goes. 

    Josie:  LOVE the photos of your family!  A beautiful family.  Thanks for sharing them with us.  And so nice you met up with Joan!  That is special.  Good luck to you next week at work.  Are you getting July 4 off?

    Hugs to everyone!

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited June 2014

    Thanks Joan/ Big D glad you liked them

  • SusannahW
    SusannahW Member Posts: 375
    edited June 2014

    great photos Josie, thanks for posting. I loved seeing the happy faces of your family.

  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 1,983
    edited June 2014

    Josie, your vacation looks like so much fun! Love the photos..thanks for sharing with us.

    At work and have to check my voice mail...never a fun part of my day as after the weekend, there are usually quite a few of them, so I bid you adieu for now.

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Member Posts: 1,432
    edited June 2014

    Josie and Joan, so wonderful that you had a chance to meet in person.  Joan and I got together last year--we both have children who live in Connecticut, something like five miles apart, and if we both ever manage to be visiting those kids at the same time. . . . .  Joan, I know lyou've also met a couple of the west coast ladies.  Slowly but surely, it seems you'll get to meet each and every one of us. 

    BigD/Joan, you're still waiting for that biopsy to be scheduled?  Would drive me absolutely nuts, as, no doubt, it does you.  I imagine you post biopsy with a stick on jewel in the middle of your forehead, maybe over a little bandaid?

    I'm going to send Kate a note with an enclosed SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope).  I imagine she wants to feel better before she logs back on (remember, she put off visiting her children until her hair could handle extensions), but maybe if it is really easy, she'll feel up to taking that first step.

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Member Posts: 1,432
    edited June 2014

    April, I'm handling the Monday messages quite well--playing hooky.  I have my laptop, and no emails just yet.  Will check my phone later.  Meanwhile, I am doing exactly nothing.  Smiles.

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited June 2014

    Susannah, April glad you liked the pics.Yes it was a great time.

    Brookside, yes I'm so glad we could find the time to meet up yesterday.It worked out perfectly.I had just gotten home from church and she was just getting back into St.Louis.We pulled up at the restraunt at the same time.Good timing.

    Got anouther busy day today.Trying not to panic about it.Better go face the music.Have a good day everyone.

  • Dogsneverlie
    Dogsneverlie Member Posts: 164
    edited June 2014

    RMlulu:  THAT IS SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!!!  So very happy for you.

    All:  So wonderful to see all your pups out here!  I can tell you, they keep me distracted and focused on them and not myself.  I feel such a sense of peace and happiness with them.  Bentley was struck with severe vestibular during my last two weeks in radiation and the ER did not think he was going to make it after being there for 6 days.  I could not have carried that grief so we picked him up, they showed us how to care for him and he came back for me - at least that's what I decided to believe!

    Happy

  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568
    edited June 2014

    Dogsnever.. Just wondering, who is Kate? Not our Kate? We have all been anxiously hoping she will post or we will hear something about her. Hyper-sensitive about her until we know something. 

    Josie- cool pics and great you and Joan hooked up. Now you need to head down south Joan,  as in Tennessee where I live. 

    Great birthday party for my father-in-law yesterday; 90 years young! 

    Diane 

  • Dogsneverlie
    Dogsneverlie Member Posts: 164
    edited June 2014

    Hi Diane,

    I meant that note for RMlulu and her post on the previous page (about the MRI) - for some reason I wrote Kate because at the end of her post she put Kate Happy Birthday and the name just stuck in my head.  Very sorry, I changed it.

    Donna

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited July 2014

    image

    Joan and I at our lunch.
  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568
    edited July 2014

    No worries Donna as I said kind of hypersensitive about Kate. 

    Diane 

  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568
    edited July 2014

    Cute pic Josie and Joan! 

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited July 2014

    Hey Josie, thanks for posting!  What a whirlwind lunch date...but so worth it.  I cut it pretty close at the airport and my bags arrived with bright tags that said "late check-in" .
    Josie, as you can see, is a beautiful lady and even prettier in person!  What I love about our relationsihps on BCO is that we really do get to know people so when we meet, it is like we've been friends for a long time. 
    Diane, you never know...I have a friend in the Nashville area that I have not seen in many years.  And a brother in Ohio who I also have not seen...time for another road trip??

    I am in Chicago visiting with my son.  I do love walking the big city while he is at work.  We planned to go to a White Sox game but had severe storms last night.  Game was canceled and my DS advised me correctly not to buy those tickets.    Maybe tonight.... I finished grading my summer course and submitted from my hotel yesterday morning.  Then I really felt like my vacation was real.  I cannot sleep for some reason...

    I have to get breakfast before the line for omelettes gets too long....I love having time off at last.
    hugs to all...

  • Dogsneverlie
    Dogsneverlie Member Posts: 164
    edited July 2014

    Great photo!!!!!

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited July 2014

    Joan, your welcome.Thanks for sending me the picture so I could post it.Great time meeting you.We could have talked for hours.I hope you didn't cut it too close at the airport.Thanks for the compliment.But your very beautiful yourself.I need a haircut and color bad.Glad you didn't get caught in the storms.Enjoy your break.You sound more relaxed already.

    Diane and dogsneverlie thanks for the compliment about the picture.

  • Blessedteacher37
    Blessedteacher37 Member Posts: 297
    edited July 2014

    Ten days post -radiation......still peeling but discomfort is gone. Still using the good ol' Aquafor and prescription cream. I had an itchy rash early on at the upper part but it too is much less red and beginning to peel. Oncologist visit went well...he had ordered a bone density test because of the change in medication...that result was good.  I start Arimedex today. Anyone who needs a pick me up during radiation, remember this...you have lots of sympathetic company! But I hold on to  this fact, after going through this twice now...it does get better!ll!

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited July 2014

    Blessedteacher, sounds like your doing alright.Any fatigue?

  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 1,568
    edited July 2014

    Joan Nashville is only 3 hours r so from us. My son has been to several Titans games there. Had a blast! My nephew lives n Chicago and loves it. My sister and her husband lived n Naperville for many years. They moved to Georgia a few years ago. Talk about your culture shock! 

    Blessed teacher- glad the RADs went well and the bone density test. I did have fatigue about halfway through the treatments. 

     I did well on Arimidex. 

    Diane 

  • gigil
    gigil Member Posts: 916
    edited July 2014

    Just a note to say hi.  Back from Boston.  The wedding was beautiful and yesterday we spent the day with DD and Grandkids at the aquarium on Boston Harbor.  Late flight last night!!  Delighted to see Joan and Josie got together.  I loved the picture. You are both lovely.   BigD I will be there whenever they decide to do that biopsy.  I still have a positive feeling about it.  I think it will be something benign, for some reason.  I hope I am right.   We have had to reschedule my father's memorial service which was originally planned for July 5.  My brother who has business in Africa couldn't get back here in time.  It will be mid-autumn.  That is probably a better time anyway.  Now we have the 4th of July to relax.  That is new for us.   DH usually always works that holiday.  What is everyone planning?

  • Blessedteacher37
    Blessedteacher37 Member Posts: 297
    edited July 2014

    I had fatigue during the first few weeks this time...doesn't seem as bad now. Of course, I'm out of school and can get a little more rest. The first time I went through it, the fatigue didn't hit me until the last. I don't know if the dosages were different. Hang in there!

  • BigDBeatingBigC
    BigDBeatingBigC Member Posts: 228
    edited July 2014

    Hi everyone:  I am writing with a heavy heart tonight, but I wanted to let you know what happened with my neuro appt. today.

    The lesion in my forehead has been growing and has invaded my sinus cavity.  The doctor showed me all of the photos and explained why sometimes it is hard to detect something in the skull by either bone scan or by MRI.  He said the CT was much clearer and he carefully rotated the photos and showed me where the tumor is.  There are also little spots around the skull that are abnormal, they should not be there.

    He said that because the tumor has invaded the sinus cavity, it has breached a barrier that could potentially lead to a brain infection, and for that reason, it is his recommendation that he operate, remove the tumor, plug the hole with a little fat from my belly (that will be easy), and put a piece of titanium over that and screw it in so there is no scar or dent in my head.  The incision will be across the top of my scalp so it will not show.

    It was his opinion that he does not believe this is breast cancer that has metastasized.  He cannot be sure until the biopsy, but he said this is not behaving like bc metastasis.  It still could be a plasmacytoma or it could be a condition called eosinophilic granuloma, which is a benign condition.  I will have to have a couple of tests prior to the surgery as he wants to look at the blood vessels feeding the brain and he wants another clearer look at the sinus area.  I cannot remember the name of the test, it was long, but it is something like a CT or PET where you just go in a machine and pictures are taken.

    The surgery lasts about two hours and I will be in the hospital about three days.  The problem is recovery.  He said he tells his patients they will be out of work for a month, but if I feel good, he will let me go back after two weeks.  My boss is going to freak.  I have maybe 2 days left with pay, then no pay, and I do not have much money saved.  Plus the cost of what I will have to pay and the ding on our insurance is going to be terrible for everyone at my office.  I see my MO on Thursday and will talk more with him.  He had several consults with this doctor and he was asking if I could get just a needle biopsy, but this doctor says he doubts that radiology would want to do one that way based on the invasion in to the sinus because if something goes wrong and they hit the brain, that would be big trouble. 

    I had to agree with this man, he is very knowledgeable and I feel confident in his skills.  He said he will always tell me like it is, which is the way I like it. He of course has no idea why I am falling and he said I have had to deal with a lot in the past six months.  But I have to get this done and deal with whatever it is.  If it is cancer of some sort, and I need chemo, that may be the last straw with my boss.  He may force me into disability and that would be disastrous for me.  I would lose my insurance and I doubt I can live on disability and be able to afford Obamacare. 

    Anyway, just wanted to let you all know and ask for your prayers.  I am pretty scared right now.

    Love you all,

    BigD/Joan

  • LiLi-RI
    LiLi-RI Member Posts: 160
    edited July 2014

    Joan-

    I am so sorry to read your news. At least, you have a diagnoses and a treatment plan. I am sure it feels like "one more thing to struggle through". 

    We are here for you!  Your boss will understand if you miss a few days.

    You are in my prayers.

    Lisa

  • josie123
    josie123 Member Posts: 1,749
    edited July 2014

    Joan, I'm so sorry hun.Please don't worry about your job.Your health is the most important.Can't you use FMLA?Please try to keep a positive attitude and know we will be with you every step of the way.Let us know.

  • rmlulu
    rmlulu Member Posts: 1,501
    edited July 2014

    (((BigD))) Oh Joan, my heart is heavy reading your post. Grateful that your Dr was thorough and spoke truthfully and direct as hard as that may be...we want the truth.  We are in your pocket {{{squeeze}}} and you are in my thoughts&prayers 

    Does your BC Center have a medical social worker who you might speak with and help discuss options...FMLA, disability, insurance, and your well being...if so please go.  Praying your employer will be sensitive to your situation...does your employer permit others to donate their sick or vacation time to your account...? An option with some employers. 

    We're holding you...wish we could make that scared feeling go away...

    Much Love

    Cindy

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Member Posts: 1,432
    edited July 2014

    So sorry, BigD/Joan; this is a lot to process.  It's lucky that BC mets seem to be pretty much off the board, and that at least one benign condition is a contender.  As for me, I'm voting for that benign whatever it is!  Not that I know anything about this stuff, of course, but I'm guessing it's maybe the sinus involvement that's going to keep you out of work.  Possibly he wants you to stay pretty still until that repair is nicely healing.  If your boss is any kind of human being, he'll take this all in stride and protect your job.  You will get through this, and shine.

     

  • rmlulu
    rmlulu Member Posts: 1,501
    edited July 2014

    Josie and Joan - love the pic :))) and being friends:D 

    So true...

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