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February 2012 Chemo

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Comments

  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 644

    Gritgirl, you make me laugh i love how you tell it! i agree stay away from stage 4 until we need too. I do talk to Cindy but she's  not a normal stage 4 girl  - so funny.

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,022

    Ali, Cindy is metastatic 'cause she's gonna live, damnit. :-)

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    i think that grit meant her post to MLB not Lumpy!

    MLB-also- sign her up with the chemoangels.com group- i received wonderful greeting cards and positive notes weekly-it's a bit of fluff maybe at her stage however-gosh it made me feel so great to know taht someone (besides all of you!) cared enough ...i think that you as a friend can sign her up--the sign up is simple.

  • FLDREAMER
    FLDREAMER Member Posts: 136

    Just a quick post here to update some info.  Then, I gotta take a nap.  Very sleepy, been up since very early.

    Daughter just got back from Iowa City.  Remember, she has a grape sized, fluid filled cyst in the brain.   Evaluation by a specialist determined it is nothing to be worried about.   She is to have another MRI in six months or a year to just check it out.  As for the nodule on her thyroid gland, that should be removed but it isn't urgent.   She can do it here in our area or after she moves.

    She rented a place in Arizona in late October and has now paid Nov & Dec rent.  She will be moving soon with her dog, five cats, and numerous chickens (about 30 or more).  This means the tent in the back yard can be taken down and stored, I will have my 360 sq ft house back to me, myself and I.   And, she will be leaving this area where she has a mentally abusive, alcoholic, crappy 'boyfriend' who treats her like shit.  Hopefully, she will have a new start and stay there.   

    Anyway, for today the main thing is no major surgery or worse is needed for her.  Hooray!

  • FLDREAMER
    FLDREAMER Member Posts: 136

    Oh, something else... My port removal is scheduled for this year yet on December 18.   Hooray Hooray.  A perfect ending to a crappy year.  Was put in on December 27 last year when they did the MX.   Now, it can come out!   

    If it weren't for the death of that friend of mine recently, I would say the year is ending way better than it started.  I am still very sad over that.  And the complications for her daughter and son go on and on.

    For now, gotta take that nap.   be back later....

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,022

    Fldreamer, congrats on all of this.  And so sorry about your friend.

    Susan

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938

    Fldrmr, glad things are turning around for you.

    My MIL passed this morning in her sleep. Better place better for her now.



    Much love to all

  • Myleftboob
    Myleftboob Member Posts: 983

    Moonflwer

    My sympathies for your loss.  So hard losing someone particularly at this time of year.  May she rest in peace.

    Grit

    Thanks for the awesome feedback re TX for my friend.  Her and I have a message thread on FB and I pasted your message to her.  She says thank you and it actually confirmed what her MO told her so she's feeling a little more optimistic about trying the Tamoxifen for 3 months. I see my MO tommorrow and I told her I would ask his thoughts as well on the subject.  I'm definatley going to spend some time with her even if its just for coffee. LIke I said to her at least whatever she tells me won't be greek to me. 

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,022

    moonflwr, i'm so sorry

  • Hildy910
    Hildy910 Member Posts: 227

    Moon flwr, I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL.

    Happy to hear about the port removal and your daughter's good health news, FLDreamer--so nice to get some good stuff going on! 

    Thanks you guys for all the good wishes about DH and his job. Fingers crossed, he could hear about a new position by Friday. 

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938

    Hildy, fingers crossed here too!

  • AEM47
    AEM47 Member Posts: 177

    Had my one year mamo yesterday. Fortunately I go to the one and only place in Mass. that has the new Digital Tomosynthesis mamo. I think I spent the day before grinding my teeth. One year down !!.....another 40-50 to go :-)

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,022

    ooops. sorry lumpy and mlb.



    aem, congratulations!

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    picture help please!

    am at work so very difficult but i have changed my avatar ---today is the day!!!

    ala naturalle!!!

    so how do i rotate the picture now? i can't do it at work in this program-any ideas???

    anyhow- have to go back and read the posts but wante dto share the enlightening experience of coming wigless to work!!!!!!!!(tho the wig did come in a bag in case i got chicken!!!)

  • gonegirl
    gonegirl Member Posts: 1,022

    lumpy, got no idea, but love the sideways do. :-)

  • Myleftboob
    Myleftboob Member Posts: 983

    Lumpy

    Well now we know what you look like lying down LOL!  You look great! Very chic.

    AEM

    Congrats on the 1 year milestone.  I'm booking mine this week.  We slow down at work over the holidays so I'll get it done then.

    Had my bloodwork, appointment with my Mo and Herceptin today.  3 more TX to go!!!  I wont' be seeing my MO now until around May he said today!!  He said I'm not getting rid of him that easy.  Bloodwork and SYMA results still all good! 

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    moon...prayers to your family.

    flddrmr...your year has been better --your feelings about your loss of your friend will, uinfortunately, stay with you for awhile....go ahead and grieve.

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    mlb-leave it to you to put a great"spin" on my pic!!! love your humour!

  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 644

    Hi everyone, well I picked up my lovely new car and on the way to take grandad to doc's a group of teenagers started throwing stones and snow. The guy behind me stopped and shouted at them but me I saw red. Parked my car and marched into the grounds of a troubled school. I chased the kids and cornered them and told them what I thought of them. The teachers came out and I told them what had happened. She was very sorry and then said I needed to calm down. Then these teenagers started again but on the teacher, she shouted at them to stop and they told her to f**** off. She then saw red and I told her I was off. To top it all another person was there who I hate and she feels the same about me.

    Why do I have no luck

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938

    Ali, wow,, 2013, come on down, bet you can't wait. Keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of this year just LEAVES YOU THE HELL ALONE!



    Much love.

  • Hildy910
    Hildy910 Member Posts: 227

    But I'm a little bit in awe that you had the guts to chase those kids down and give them what for, Ali. 

    Did the car get scratched?

  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 644

    Hildy, I have to say I've had enough and it was the biscuit. I'm very strong and I don't take much messing, my car was ok.

    Today spent two hours at docs with DH dad and they are going to do a CT scan at last. So next week lots more hospital apt to go too,as If i haven't had enough.



    Today is the day they told me i had cancer, it's been a year and not sure how to feel.

  • Myleftboob
    Myleftboob Member Posts: 983

    Ali

    Those kids will talking about the lady that was going to kick our ass for a long time. Good for you! I know what you mean about the "anniversary" of our DX coming up. Such a surreal year to say the least.



    I had a nice message today on FB from a relative in Dublin. His wife was DX in March. My cousin put us in touch originally and although she wasn't one to go online, we chatted througout the last 7 months or so back and forth while she was having TX. I was happy to pass along anything I could from an info or support perspective. Anyway she was told she was NED today! Nice to hear a good news story.

  • christina0001
    christina0001 Member Posts: 449

    @ hospital, MIL fractured her "good" hip (she was still recovering from her other hip fracture from October). She was high risk but we did decide to proceed with surgery. She got through surgery well but they have her on a vent; hoping to wean her off today. Tired but glad to be here with family. *phew* this year cannot end soon enough. I hope everyone is doing well.

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    hugs to christina!

    mlb thanx for sharing a positive!

    had an absolute blast yesterday on the train excursion with my 7 yo grandson and my sweetie (tho the weather and the train seats were hard on his hip). i think i had more fun than Aidan did!!!!!

    still not taking the granddaughter to the craft thing from last weekend-now she and her sister have headbugs--uuuuggggghhhhhh...i told son they have to be gone by next weekend or the other daughter doesn't go to the cookie baking either...i don't even want to go into this discussion further on here it is an ancient history in this family and it disgusts me.

    did some quick grocery shopping today and now i'm doing laundry - the weekends go so quickly!i have a scratchy throat-hoping it doesn't turn into something worse!

    hugs prayers and snickerdoodles!

  • firstcall
    firstcall Member Posts: 201

    Hope everyone is doing well.  I've been meeting with my OT, and working on my LE. It isn't too bad, but I think its important to be proactive with it, and not let it get bad.  I have exercises, and I'm swimming regularly, as well as having her do specific therapies.  I also have compression sleeves which I wear regularly.  I have to say, the therapy has been very helpful, not only for the LE, but it has helped my Range of Motion in my shoulder,quite a bit. 

  • lumpynme
    lumpynme Member Posts: 497

    firstcall; how did you first notice the LE?

  • firstcall
    firstcall Member Posts: 201

    lumpynme - I've noticed a little swelling in my right arm all along.  Its not too bad, and I was tending to just get by with it, but my MO reminded me of the importance of not letting it get bad.  I fly fairly frequently, and I'm very active, and he felt that I was at risk for it to worsen.  So I met with an OT at our hospital who is LE certified, and she did detailed measurements of my arms.  My right arm came out 6.8% bigger than my left arm.  Its normal to be a little bigger in your dominant arm, like 3% or so, so the difference is from LE.  Again, its not bad, but I wanted to be proactive and keep it from getting worse.  In that I had a second lymph node surgery, I have a bit of scarring.  Shes helping me with exercises that keep the lymph fluid moving, and she is working on my scars and the underlying tissues to break down the scar tissue and adhesions, etc.  She measured my Range of motion (in my shoulder) before and during treatments, and its improved quite a bit.  The most impressive thing is the difference I've noticed when swimming.  I've been swimming laps regularly to help, and since starting therapy, I swim 10% further in a half hour than I did before.  I guess I'm not dragging my arm as much.  I'm going to continue with therapies for at least the next month, because I can tell it has helped quite a bit. 

  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 644

    I get my arm measured but I think I need some help like " firstcall" I will asked next week.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938

    My PT, measured my arms and checks them occasionally now. No sign of LE yet. She is a cancer rehab specialist and was happily surprised when I told her I get my BP done on my legs. She said that was smart and not enougH BMX patients do that. Much love