August 2015 Chemo Group
Comments
-
... thinking of setting up a new thread called 'dreams' for superius...
0 -
That's wonderful news, RavenSally!
0 -
Superius-share your dreams. Maybe worrywart will give you a big Easter bunny with a love note attached, followed by a romantic supper for your Birthday?
RavenSally-that is the best news. Such a relief....
Kate-I'm glad you are doing well. I can't believe how straight your hair is. It is coming in nicely. Any progress with the new house? Have you moved in yet?
I have had a rough couple of months dealing with emotional stuff. I finally feel like I have turned a corner and I'm going to be OK. When I was diagnosed I jumped in with both feet and hit the road running. I didn't process what I was going through. I have decided to go back to work in April. That has been weighing heavily on me as well. Time to get back to real life. I will put on my big girl panties and deal with whatever shitstorm I have to. Sitting at home won't change the situation. So onward and upward!
0 -
DeeRatz, I'm with you on the emotional stuff. I look at it this way: for the first few months (this includes all of chemo), the focus was on getting through one day, and then the next, and so on. It was all-out survival mode. Then that ended, and it became all about rebuilding and learning to live without chemicals coursing through the old veins.
Then rads happened (at least for me), and it was one of the most miserable times of my life. Not because of the RT itself--it honestly wasn't half as bad as I'd feared--but because the whole thing hit me like a truck. The grim reality of it all started to sink in, and I tanked pretty hard from the positive-Polly I was during chemo.
But now that's over, too, and I feel like I'm waking up from some weird hibernation experience. Breast cancer is a chronic condition, yes, that we all have to monitor for the rest of our lives (regardless of what stage we were at dx), but I'm finally finding that there are longer stretches when I don't think about it at all. And that's the goal.
As for the house--I'm so excited--we're closing sometime in mid-April. I said I'd never move in the middle of a semester again; clearly that was a lie. Yay for moving forward, one step at a time.
I love you ladies. That bears repeating.
0 -
So my sweet DH has been trying to run the household the past 8 months and up until today we were all surviving. But in his exhaustion he grabbed the wrong box of granola bars the last time he went to the store. My baby, who has never ingested peanut in his 8+ years, ate a peanut butter granola bar just before lunchtime today. We discovered his food allergies when he was 9 months old and his first round of testing came back positive for nuts. As a toddler he had touched a peanut butter jar a time or two and just touching the oil on the outside of the container caused him to break out in hives. But today... I left to see my PS and my DH was gone to a business lunch--so we were both gone for about 15 minutes and in that time DS starting feeling sick and went to his bed. He must have been scared! DH found him in his bed complaining about his tummy as the rash started appearing. And of course it's allergy season and we were down to 1 kids Benadryl. I got a text about all this when I was leaving the PS to go to rads. I love my hubby, but when my baby is sick I want to be there. But I stayed calm and went on to rads. In the meantime the hives got so bad his entire torso turned bright red, up his neck, down his arms. Thankfully he has never had anaphalactic breathing issues! The rash got worse over the course of about 4 hours, and DH ran out to get more Benadryl while I rubbed Lavender oil on the rash (and cut his fingernails to try stop him scratching so much!). So we haven't seen our pediatric allergist since 2010, but little guy is going in in two weeks! Obviously we don't need to test for peanuts now (which hubby has been dying to do for 2 years) but I want to test for almonds because an "all clear" on those would open up so many doors for us! He and I are both allergic to soy and peanuts so my momma's gut tells me his allergy is truly a legume allergy. Despite my hubby's doubts on the peanuts for the past two years I am so glad he has always stood by my NO nuts policy. And I am so grateful today turned out okay. DH got home quickly, before the allergy hit it's hardest, and little guy didn't have trouble breathing at any point. Having never ingested peanuts we didn't know what his reaction would be--thankfully it was just stomach ache and severe hives. DH feels so bad and apologized to me and little guy several times--it truly was an accident--but I did text my sister and say my hubby poisoned my baby! Funny how poison isn't quite as scary as pre-cancer. Instead of rushing to the ER I was good calling the pediatrician and the allergist and making sure we had done everything we should!
So that was my day. How are y'all?0 -
RavenSally, Yay for the good news! & what a crazy day you have, Musosgirl! And I can definitely sense the "lightness" (& playfulness) around me (someone pointed out it might be spring fever?) & wait! Did we really play catch with water bottles last night after Mass in church?!
But we did got in trouble with the "choir elders" -- I usually the first one in, so I set up the books, the lamp on the piano for evening rehearsals. I also take care of the hymn board, & doing lots of little things around. So recently added "getting water bottle from sacristy" to the list (I have the key). All was well until WorryWart wanting water right before service last week & signaled me (he's playing at the piano). And afterward I got the disapproval earful / eyeful from the choir elders that I shouldn't do that, that he should have gone & get it himself, blah blah blah... Same happened this past Wed rehearsal, then last night during Mass (needing the lamp). I don't get it... I mean, obviously he can't get away WHILE playing the piano... so what's the big deal?
0 -
Hmm...superius. That is weird. Why are they so upset? They need to have better solutions than the organist leaving the organ!
Little guy is right as rain today. Very grumpy and fighting with the birthday boy. At least I get to leave for rads in a couple minutes. Peace and quiet!
Blessed Good Friday everyone!0 -
Blessed Good Friday indeed. Glad the little guy survived for more fights.
I think we should sell the TV/film rights to this thread - the storms we ladies ride as well as doing the breast cancer journey would make a series that would put Friends to shame...
I want Helen Mirren to play my mother in law. Rowan Atkinson can be WorryWart perhaps...
0 -
Saw MO this morning. Everything good. Mammography in May, Follow up with Surgeon June. Will have CT in Aug (has a 2mm nodule in the lung, which she said totally not worrisome). MO again Sept. & then she reminds me that, if my "facebook status" (my words) changes, let her know," because one needs to be careful about getting preggy on Tamoxifen. She said no period doesn't mean not fertile er..... right, ok.... Now it's a reminder for the rest of you. LOL.
I brought up the tenderness on my breast. She thinks it's hormone, because it comes & go, pretty on time with the cycle. Lost some weight. "are you trying to?" no... but cutting down on carbs & I can now actually move! "ok, as long as you are not losing 10lb in a month, that's fine." LOL. She also said for some, it might take up to a year after chemo for the energy to come back 100%
I think the Choir Elders think that I shouldn't be doing all these stuff for him; that he should be "the man" & taking care of the stuff himself; that he should say please? I don't know how one would say it when you supposed to keep quiet. so he was pretty much, look at me & make the movement like drinking water (& hands back to the piano/organ).
0 -
I get that--he totally owes you flowers for every water bottle! Glad everything is good and "way to go!" on the weight loss! I started drinking Dr. Pepper at the end of chemo and have been chugging it through surgery and rads, but it is starting to negatively affect me again--heart racing, dehydrated, stomach ache--so I think I'll be able to give it up again pretty soon!
Ladies when I had hyperemesis gravidarum the craziest stuff happened. We had an ant infestation--as in my bathroom countertop was black with ants just pouring out of the wall. A snake got in the house and ended up trapped in the air ducts. And my favorite were the mice. My hubby wanted to catch and release them--but the humane traps weren't working. So he used sticky traps! The racket those critters made once they were stuck was awful--and then he would take the trap to a creek close by, pull them off, and release them. Poor guys were hairless! I kid you not! I have avoided my MIL through cancer pretty well but with HG I was supposed to be in complete sensory deprivation. She kept bringing smelly food over, cleaning my house with toxic chemicals (that she brought over), unloading the dirty dishwasher, misplacing my wedding ring, not just hugging me-but petting and rubbing me, and just in general causing me to literally throw-up. Nothing like illness to cause crazy stories! Hubby is currently laughing at me because I caked lotion on after rads and Frankenboob is so hot the lotion liquified like butter and is bubbling up like sweat. No joke! But he is letting me lay here while he scrubs the house for the party tomorrow so he can joke all he wants!0 -
Ugh! I'm sick! I think I have a fever... & I'm congested...
Not good. busy tomorrow & Sunday!0 -
MsBrompton, how's the bike? Getting many miles in?
Superius, sorry you are sick. This is bad timing for you! Hydrate, sleep, and feel better!0 -
Ah, the bike. I've ridden it once! Septicaemia set me back a long way. But soon....
0 -
Happy Easter all, hugs to all who are sick or tired or both. Superius, hang in there.
0 -
I survived Easter! I had fever of 103 on Friday. I'm still amazed that I didn't panic & call the on-call nurse & calmly took Tylenol & slept it off. Still congested & have a cough. Losing my voice... I had to conduct & lead the singing at the same time. Trying to focus, while Someone try to get me smile/ laugh at every turn!! "why you look so serious? smile!" "yup, that's it. more!" Ugh! <roll eyes> <cough... cough...>
I did get something new for Prelude - loud & trumpet-y
0 -
Superius, it sounds like you have the plague that I had a while back. I took antibiotics for the first time in about fifteen years with that one; they were worried it'd turn from flu/bronchitis to pneumonia, I think.
MsBrompton, I like the way you think. I think Reese Witherspoon should play my well-meaning-but-annoying BFF, whom I still haven't called back (she called me on Friday).
0 -
Kate, how are you now that your surgeries and rads are over? If I remember correctly you decided not to reconstruct, at least not now? I am just a couple weeks behind you finishing rads and starting Tamoxifen. I am putting off my symmetry surgery till July--I need a break from treatment but I'll leave enough recovery time before the new school year.
Superius, glad you are feeling better. Please be careful with a fever! Happy Resurrection Day.
MsBrompton, things are hopefully only looking up from here!
Who else is hanging out here still? RavenSally, DeeRatz, vickirides? How was your holiday weekend?0 -
I'm still here. I have one week of rads left. My collar bone and arm pit are on fire! I'm so ready for this to be done. Today I am feeling very grateful for my family, especially my daughter and husband who have stepped up to do all the housework and my sister in law who cooked a full Easter dinner for us.
I hope you are all feeling well.
0 -
I'm still hanging out. My boob ache is going away as the new skin takes over. I finished rads about 7 weeks ago. The in laws are over for Easter. I'm stuffed and sleepy. Happy Easter everyone.
0 -
Vickirides, I hear you! I hurt and way over did it this weekend. I told DH, practically in tears, I just don't want to do this week--last full week of regular rads, boosts still to come. I just don't have it in me. I want to go to bed for a few days and forget BC. But my mom did Easter lunch today and all I did was show up, eat, sleep through the guys watching Captain American, come home, and go to bed for a bit. Up now enjoying just sitting at home with my men. Birthday boy and little brother are busy with new Legos and weapons (I am used to light sabers but the giant, inflatable boxing gloves can get puncture wounds sooner rather than later). DH says we are starting season 3 of Orphan Black tonight.
0 -
Great news, RavenSally!
I'm still here--I finished rads two weeks ago, and I start hormonal therapy (Femara) today. I had an infusion of Zometa (a bisphosphonate) last week, and so far, no side effects.
I had to start exercising after my diagnosis (per my MO's instructions), so I've been walking for the past 8 months. I'm trying to step it up by learning how to run, which is less intuitive than you would think (at least for me!). I still have bone and joint pain from chemo, etc., so I'm taking it slow, but I'm moving!!
0 -
Musosgirl, I'm feeling great--and I mean that more than I ever have in my life. It's amazing what all of this crap will do to a person, in terms of shifting perspective.
As I mentioned, radiation was very, very hard on me, emotionally speaking--I'd just started getting to the point where I didn't think about BC every day, and there I was, getting zapped every day. It just didn't compute. Physically, I did just fine (much to everyone's surprise, given that I get a summer sunburn if I even THINK about going outside without sunscreen), other than the nasty flu bug that took me out of commission for a week or so.
Getting Herceptin every three weeks is kind of a bummer, as are the quarterly echocardiograms, but now that the appointments have slowed down, I'm starting to get a picture of what "new normal" looks like for me. It's kind of exciting, all told!
0 -
Musosgirl-I'm doing ok. I have recovered from my exchange surgery. That surgery was a piece of cake compared to my BMX. I have been struggling with some issues emotionally but I am doing better. Feeling like I am coming out of the fog. My biggest complaint is that is STILL have fatigue. When will it go away? I shouldn't feel exhausted all the time. I'm planning on heading back to the gym today. I have been unable to go due to my surgery in Feb. I'm hoping that will perk me up a bit.
Superius-Happy Birthday 🎂
Kate-I'm glad you are doing so well. That is great to hear.
MSBrompton-glad you are doing a bit better. Hang in there.
Vickirides-I hope your last week of Rads goes well. You got this!
JenPam-good luck with the running. Keep moving!
I hope you all have a great week. I'm going for no more snow. I saw my first robin here yesterday and the geese are coming back. 2 sure signs spring is here. I am sick of the slushy, sloppy mess outside. It is impossible to keep a vehicle clean. I know, first world problems! Happy I am here to see another spring
0 -
We all went out to champagne tea yesterday, 3 women who have had cancer and 6 friends who have been supporting us. It was absolutely brilliant! I'm the one in the white shirt and glasses.
0 -
That is a lovely group of ladies!0
-
Here is the Dream I had few weeks ago. Definitely lots of details. & a theme of healing and renewal...
The morning sun streams through the glasses of the large church, bright and airy.The place is packed with people. Is this a concert? Service? The event hasn't started, people are talking & moving around.
Apparently she knows where "her people" are, as she makes her way through the crowd and into the pew. It must be winter, as he has to remove his coat and scarf before she can sit down at his right. Since there's no extra space, they have their coats and scarves on their laps. Soon after that the event begins. There are speakers and organ music.
Sometimes during the organ playing, he reaches out & takes her hand into his & gives it a squeeze. No one else sees it because they are all listening to the music & because the pile of coats on their laps. She looks up, surprised & questions him with her eyes. And he smiles. She takes a deep breath, looks down at their clasped hands & squeeze back. He exhales with a sigh & seems to relax a little.
The event continues outside. It's like a spring festival, bright and joyful. different booths with food, games and such. But there are also booths where priests offer anointment & sprinkling of holy water. They decided they would both receive the anointment & sprinkling rite. The food in the booths are different kinds of bread, sausages, fruit & eggs (like Easter Baskets). Someone asks them to help cut the Bread, & the alarm went off.
0 -
"And then thealarm went off..." Aaaah! It's like when an episode of your favorite show leaves you with a cliffhanger until the next season.
I so wanted to know what happens next. 0 -
Me too!!!
0 -
BlueFrog, exactly! But I especially like the part where she takes a deep breath and he relaxes! That is what we all need, a deep sigh of relief.
So I am giving up Dr. Pepper. Again. I had gone off it last year when I was working on making lifestyle changes. Then I got the BC diagnosis. But it tasted awful through chemo so I thought I'd stay off it. Well, then surgery. And rads. Still have 9 days of rads but now feels good. And I ran out of Dr. Pepper tonight. Timing is everything, right? Cue caffeine withdrawl headache 24 hours...0 -
From what I read on one of the dream website, there's definitely a theme, a theme of retrospective, reflection, renewal & new beginning; of healing, joy, love and connection with others.
0
