Stage 2 Sisters Club
Comments
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Hi just Julie, you remind me of "me". I was just talking to my mom and asked when I would feel "Normal". Like you I have dose dense AC x4 and will start my TH regimen next month. All of these weird chemo side effects are a constant reminder and so it makes it hard to shift focus away from our diagnoses. I have 2 young boys and so I try to concentrate on their laughter, their faces, their homework, etc. I keep reminding myself that chemo is short in the grand scheme of things. I think that what we're all gong through must be normal. Focus with the end in sight. If we can get through chemo, all the other stuff sounds easy......or at least easier
. Big hugs to you. Stay strong, time will pass and I am certain that it will get better. 0 -
I was diagnosed with stage IIB LLC on August 17, 2012. I had bilateral mastectomy, 4 dose desnse AC treatments followed by 1 dose dense Taxol treatment and 9 weekly Taxol treatments (Bad reaction to the dose dense so had to be switched to weekly).
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Hi Julie..... I know you want it over, but you are still in the middle of the last chemo CYCLE. So give it a couple more weeks. I remember that by Week 5, I noticed I was power walking again.
You will get there. I was so done by the last two Taxol. I got 6 DD of each, and I knew I would end up just fine. But I was beyond done long before the last treatment. And then I had to wait for the whole cycle.....
It seemed like an eternity. Hang in there. - Claire
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Everything I read said that however long your treatment was, expect it to take that long again to feel 'normal'. From personal experience, I'd say double that time. Not that you don't start, little by little, feeling better. But it is definitely a slow process.
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Girlstrong-you are so right. It's so hard not to focus on the situation, when we are plagued by the effects of chemo. When I tell my ONC or nurse about how I am feeling, they act like I am the only one with this kind of SE. Of course my mind goes straight to..."is it the chemo or is it cancer?" Hearing the laughter of my girls is the sweetest sound though. You sound like you are in such a good place! Congratulations at being almost done with your AC
Debbieninja- Thank you for sharing. It must be a great feeling to be out over a year since dx, Congratulations!
Claire in Seattle- Thank you for the encouragement! It does feel like an eternity already, and I am over it, like you were! I hope to be power walking in 5 weeks too! That's part of my problem, I ran 5-6 days a week and worked out for the last 21 years of my life.-I shouldn't have read how people were doing 5ks and biking during chemo, because I thought that would be me for sure...and it hasn't been AT ALL! I feel like mush most of the time...
Ruthbru-I have not read that before. Thank you! At least I know someday I will feel normal right?!
Thank you all for giving me encouragement and real life great people to identify with! I am so thankful, and feeling much better mentally after reading all of your responses! So it's Normal not to feel Normal...so now I feel Normal
Julie
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For me, it took nearly two years before I felt like my life had returned to something resembling "normal". The first year was filled with surgery, treatment and, then, recovering from treatment. The physical stuff. Then the second year was filled with trying to get my head around what had just happened and how I wanted to move forward with it. Frankly, the physical recovery was so much easier! The emotional recovery was much more fraught with pitfalls, but - somehow - I managed to push through it and here I am: two years post-diagnosis and doing well.
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Absolutely, Selena! It took me a whole year before I could even start to process what had happened. A couple things you can do that help are to keep moving, do more things you enjoy (and use the 'cancer card' to get out of some of the things you dond't enjoy), try some things that you've always wanted to do but never took the time for, start planning a fun trip (make those reservations.....it scared the heck out of me to make reservations for something months away), exercise, update the wardrobe, hair color, whatever......give yourself permission to have more fun!
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Thank you Selena and Ruthbru. Emotionally it is so difficult. I feel like there are days were not a minute goes by and I am thinking about it...like I have been punched in the stomach, or who's life is this.... It's so reassuring to see that the two of you have been through this and are years later helping others like me. To know that one day I can get there too, is my light at the end of the tunnel.
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Just-Julie - you said it so well. I am immensely greatful to the women (like Selena, Ruthbru, SpeacialK and others) who have rebuilt their lives and moved on, and yet are choosing to hang out here with us to provide a light at the end of the tunnel.
In keeping with Ruthbru's suggestions, today I joined a book club. And I am thinking about travel reservations for November... Sometimes you need a little push to get going...
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Good for you Nisa. I love my Book Club (particularly the wine and desserts that follow the discussions
). Have you ever checked out the Book Lovers thread on BCO? It will give you some good book suggestions.Quick, make your reservations before you chicken out! (Where are you going?)
Julie, it will get better. Go do something fun or indulgent and report back.
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Awesome advice from all! After my shopping therapy & nails I booked us a trip to florida! Its time for a much deserved break & a little r&r before my corrective surgery in november.
I think everyone gets lost in this disease and dr appts, but this puts your whole life in a new perspective - wanting to live life to the fullest.
I appreciate being able to share with all of you and am glad i finally got the courage to share on here. Hard to do when you believe you can do everything alone - this is something you shouldnt do alone!0 -
I'm glad too. And I think BCO helps in a way that other friends, who haven't had cancer, can't. As much as I appreciated their concern, the people who it helped me the most were those who had 'been there, done that'.
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I want to piggyback on what Just-Julie said. I too so appreciate women like Claire, Ruth, Selena and others who have stayed on these boards and have taken time to offer advise and hope to those in the middle or just starting the journey. Looking at some of the DX dates it looks like there are alot of us here that are at the same point in time, and its comforting that we can draw from these wonderful women. Thanks so much!
We too are looking forward to going to Florida after treatment. We were planning to go in May but that was cancelled when she was DX'd. We WILL get there! Marco Island beware we plan to celebrate!
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Look out, Florida! There's gonna be some partying going on!
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LOL, who we kidding, we will be asleep by 9pm!
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Everybody in Florida is asleep by 9pm!
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ruthbru - not at my house!
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Ruthbru.....think those book club discussions might be even more interesting if the wine was served first!
Agree on doing/seeing/experiencing life to the fullest. Especially travel. I am off to Vermont in 5 days!! This after lots of cycling adventures all summer. I will do one more major ride on Sunday if the weather is fair. But not if I see a rainbow during the ferry crossing. This really did happen once, and yes a memorable ride.....not in a good way.
Need to clear my brain and get back to work. YIKES....still buried. Monday deadline, and something else fell out of the sky yesterday, so just finishing that.
It's fun to be back at it....but equally important to provide a glimpse of life at the other end of the tunnel. Because for me, it really is just great now. - Claire
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Yep...I will be in bed by 9.
Sounds like everyone has awesome plans!!! I can't wait to hear about Florida from all of you! Haha!
Claire VT is going to be awesome! I hope you catch up on work or at least don't take it with you there is no room on your bike for a laptop anyway!
I have nothing exciting to report back yet...except I did go for a 3mile walk. Wasn't fast but I feel good0 -
I must have hung out with the wrong crowd when I was in Florida.......it was the retirement condo group.......
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ruthbru - Lol!
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You Ruth asked what my travel plan is. I was thinking about CO in November. However, with everybody from this forum going to FL...thats where I want to go now! True most of us will be in bed by 9pm but think of the fun we will have over breakfast and lunch, LoL
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You gals are funny! Love it. Yup, thinking Marco Island in May. We stayed at the Marriot and we had a great time when we went before. Love to sit in the water with our drinks in hand! Come join us!
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Heading to Muskoka (north Ontario) for a week soon. Going to hike, bike, ride, golf, canoe and enjoy!
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We're going to Hawaii in November for a few weeks. We're thinking that we'll probably end up on Molokai, but haven't actually decided yet. Normally we already know and have stuff booked. This is a different tack for us. We've got our airfare (to and from Honolulu) but nothing else.
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I've never posted on this thread before. I've sort of stuck to the Triple Negative threads but lately they have been freaking me out. I will be a year out from diagnosis next week and "cancer-free" as of October 24. Yesterday it all began to hit me. I think I was inundated with the colour pink when I went shopping and that did it. I also got a request to participate in a study of "young" women diagnosed with BC here in Ontario. So wham! All the emotions got cranked up.
I've had been doing really well until yesterday. I am taking French at the local university and decided to throw caution to the wind and sign up for next semester too. We've planned a trip to Jamaica for February and a trip to Quebec for next summer. We are even going to a resort north (Northern Ontario) of us in mid-October for a weekend away from the kids. I have three kids 6,6,and9. Yes, I have a set of identical twin girls and an older boy. None of whom listen to a darn thing we say.
I joke that I am too busy to think about BC what with the kids and all that goes with them. I am also busy with my French class and I like to workout, too. I am also in the midst of starting to clean up the house from a year of neglect while I underwent chemo. I just sorted out 4 bags of kids' clothes and 2 bags of school "art". I've figured out that none of my kids is going to art school!
But yesterday it got me and I am dreading the month of October. I am dreading it so much that I signed up to to run the Halloween Fun Day at my kids' school. It's a big project. I figure while the world is dressed in pink next month, I will be dressing my small part in orange and black. I find keeping busy to be the best tonic.
Not sure if any of this makes sense but I thought I would contribute.
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HHCats - same for me. I have been overwhelmed by my upcoming 1 year and all the pink crap everywhere and messages.
Some one else said above 1st yr was treatment/healing and 2nd year was processing. That is completely what I am experiencing right now. I'm still so fearful. I feel guilty since slacked off on exercising (I do chase 2 kids) and eating better. I know I will feel better if I do this but lack complete motivation. I just need to jump back at it and move on!
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I tell them "I've already donated" when asked. What about Halloween???
Anyway, I was at a Wine and Tassels event last night. Yep....burlesque at the wine bar. So fun, and no I was NOT one of the performers.
HH Cats....what about Paris as a goal? I need to get back as spent a year there back in the day. I am far too busy with other stuff to do French classes right now. Shame, as the Alliance Francaise has an outpost here in Seattle.
Speaking of France, off to a marvelous patisserie. This is a retirement job for a former pastry chef of 5 star restaurants. What an amazing place. I will walk there and back to get in a spot of exercise.
Lots more exercise next weekend in VT where I plan to do some serious hiking and view the foliage from above. - Claire
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Here are some interesting facts about WATER. I've posted them on some of my other favorite threads (exercise, diet & Arimidex), but thought you all might find them interesting too:
WATER
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 30%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
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Jenjenl - I've slacked off a little bit this week, too. I do have a cold though. First time I've been sick since I don't know when. Unless you count cancer this time last year! Ha! At least I still have a weird sense of humour. You were diagnosed a week after I had my lumpectomy. It's such a weird feeling. My husband says only time will tell and that this will take time. I know he's right but it really does suck sometimes. Last night I was complaining that my hair is all wacky right now and he said "This time last year you would have never thought this would be your big worry right now." He's right. Chasing kids is exercise by the way. It's like a perpetual 5K.
Claire - Paris is on the radar screen. My kids need to get a bit bigger and we are off to Europe. We are trying the dreaded family car trip next summer. That will give us some idea of how they will cope on a flight longer than 5 hours. All of us trapped together in the van for 10 days. Doesn't that sound like fun?
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