Illinois ladies facing bc

Hi Cyber - I just finished four rounds of TC - so send me a PM with any questions.

A Happy Fourth to you all, and a special hug to all who are in treatment. I'm thinking of all of you, and will catch up later this week with all the posts. I've been frantically busy, but in a good way, and will share it with you all soon!

Hello Ladies.  Have I told you all how amazing you are lately....?

Wendy. Your incredible   what can I say..but thank you.

I have been reading the link and its attachments for a couple of hours.

It never fails.  when I have no one else to turn to.. I always come here.  You gals never let me down.  Thank you oodles and oodles.  Love the Budder

Susan - Hope your back is better.

Wendrew - You were in Wauconda and you didn't call me! Sniff, sniff! It's about 5 minutes from my house.

blackjack - That FISH DISH is amazing! Wow...you must be one proud Momma!

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Those in treatment, etc. - HANG IN THERE...wishing you all the very best.

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Had a nice weekend. It was AriAnna's 1 year b-day party. TOO CUTE! I can't believe how this past year has flown by.

Have a nice day girls! 

Good morning everyone,

I see there may be some negative weather going on in the Chicago area.  While I hate to say it, I think I am going to glad when we get some rain later this week.  Some of our heat is drifting back in.  The year remains very odd weather-wise. 

I am anxious to hear what you have been up to Smerf.  I am still up to my eyeballs in cats, but it is not bad.  I'm putting down flea control in the yard yesterday and today and trying to catch up on some laundry and other goodies.   If I keep plodding along I'm sure to get there --- just hope by the time I do I haven't forgotten where I'm going.

Off to start my day and hope you all will have one that is ok.  I'm thinking about you.

Hugs, Jackie

Good morning, ladies!  Trying to do a post-holiday catch up with everything this morning, before going to work this afternoon.

Carolyn - I'm glad you were able to have some laughs with your hairdresser about your hair.  It's just one of those big steps that we all have to go through, but it helps to remember that it WILL be back, and often in interesting ways.  I got such a kick out of my short curly hair for the short time that it lasted before returning to it's naturally bone-straight state.  

Rita - $5300!  Wow.  Good for you and your friend... and good for all of us.  Thank you.

Jackie - Aww.. another kitty?  I hope you can post a picture.  My Lily cat was an abandoned kitty.  She's the one we are sure is at least part Maine Coon.  She finally seems to have slowed down growing though - which is a relief.

Brat - Welcome to you (and any other newbies out there that I've missed).  You are near where I work - right by NWC hospital.  I'm glad to hear that your treatments are going so well.  

Susan - Big (gentle) hugs for the back pain.  I know how miserable that can be.  The exercises that Wendy mentioned above are SO important for people with chronic back issues.  I'm still having bad neck pain, but I'm going straight for the steroid injections. 

Wendy -  I have a small netbook that I use for travel, and just to have set up in the family room.  It's very convenient, even if I do still hate the touchpad.  Good for your hubby getting into the workout thing.  I'm still doing the same at Lifetime, and feeling pretty good about it.  Not loving it yet, but it does assuage some of my lazy guilt. Speaking of your hubby - I was at a birthday party in town a month or so ago and while talking with some other parents about our kids and the local schools,  your hubby was brought up.   The mom mentioned that her kids attended his school when they were younger and what a wonderful principal they thought he was.  Thought you'd like to hear that.

Smerf - Now you have me very curious about what you are up to!  

Laura - I used to sign my kids up for all kinds of art classes when they were young.  I think art education and exposure is so important.  What a wonderful job you are doing and I bet you're fabulous at it too.  

BJ - What kind of fish is that in the dish?  And the sauce?  It looks SO yummy, like an entree I'd order.  Hope you're having a great time on the lake, and how wonderful that you could spend time with both of your kids.  

We had a crazy busy holiday weekend.  First was our anniversary on the 2nd (27th) , then Ribfest in Naperville (fun, but the crowds are insane),  and of course, the Festival doings in our town that we always attend at least a few days.   The weather couldn't have been better!

We are going to Ocean City, MD in a few days to visit my daughter who is working there for the summer.  I miss her so much, even if she does tend to drive me crazy when she's here.  LOL, typical, I'm sure.  Not long after that, I'm going to SanDiego, then our BIG trip in September.  I feel like I still  have so much research and organizing to do.

My neck pain is still bad - daily.  I was trying to wait it out, but I really wonder if the bone spurs shown on the MRI are just even more aggravated because of the Femara.  It gives me aches and pains in so many of my other joints, maybe it's making this one worse too?  I don't know, but I do know that I am going to have to get it injected, at the very least.  It's driving my crazy.  

Thanks to advice from Jan Clare (and Wendy!), I did get a compression sleeve and gauntlet for my upcoming trips.  I am 5 years out, as of last month, and I've never worn a sleeve before, but with 3 flights coming up, I thought it was time for me to exercise a little precaution.  My b.s. commented on the puffiness at the front of my right shoulder/chest area and it worried me a bit.  Besides, one of those flights is transatlantic and that's a looong time to be in a plane.  

Speaking of good food: My hubby is our "chef" and he made so much good food this weekend.  One of the new recipes he tried was SO great and SO healthy that I thought I'd share it with everyone.  It's easy too, which is a bonus. 

Corn and Black Bean Salad

* Dressing
* 1 small clove garlic
* Pinch salt, plus 2 teaspoons
* Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* Salad
* 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears - grilled if possible)

* 1 orange bell pepper, diced
* 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1 small hass avocado, halved, seeded and diced
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Directions

Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

Okay, enough babbling, time to get ready for work.   Have a great day everyone!

Hi girls...hope you all had a nice weekend.

Irene - I love that recipe...thanks for sharing! You have some nice trips ahead of you. Have fun! Hope your neck is better SOON.

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My art classes don't resume until Friday...due to the holiday, so I have been quite bored! Arghhh!

Hope you are all having a nice day.

Morning....those thunderstorms never reached us, just a few drops of rain.  I guess it is hose-time today!

Rene....recipe sounded wonderful!  I have saved it on the new netbook, which I am slowly getting used to.  I think you already have an ortho/pain doc  for inj's, correct?  I went to the Geneva pain clinic 2 years ago for my back inj's and Fox Valley Ortho's for my thumb inj...I was more than pleased with both.  They are on Randall out here in Geneva if you need someone.  I thought back/thumb pain would be pretty bad but now that I am thinking about it....neck pain sounds pretty bad too...and it can affect your back, shoulders, arm etc.  And you need all those, esp. with your job.  Keep us posted and wishing you a speedy resolution!

Laura.....glad you are enjoying your classes and if you are bored, let me know!  I have a basement that needs cleaning out....!  Wow...that private island is nice, but I think....out of my price range!

Susan....glad that you had such a nice 4th! Really.....please consider PT tho....it won't last very long, each session is pretty short and you will learn so much and get so much pain relief.

Marina....glad you are enjoyng your time off with your family!  I just heard from a firend of mine yesterday that her friend's daughter just had a bil mx and will soon start chemo and she's only 34, with a young daughter.  I passed along this website and hopefully she can join us...I figure with your baby girl you could help out with the child issues.  I sure hope she finds us!

Smerf....OK...enough is enough!!!   You tease us and then tell us nothing!!!!!  A wedding????  A retirement beach home????  A new grandbaby?????  A new, much younger husband with a yacht????  (ok...that was a stretch.....)

BJ....your house recovered yet from the weekend?

Jan...how's your LE?

Budders...how's your arm?  You don't have dead corn anymore do you?  LOL

Time to get my butt in gear (which reminds me....guess whose DH did NOT listen to her regarding his diet and once again has to have a little OP surgery for 3 hemorrhoids on Monday????  Hmmmm....wonder who that could be )  Onc appt this am but I am feeling pretty OK about it I think...you know, after checking every single lymph node I could find, doing about 16 thousand breast exams and poking my abd/liver over and over.  Was a "little" upset tho yesterday when his ofc called me and told me I would have to reschedule my appt cuz I never got the mamm, DEXA and labwork that I was told to get and shame on me.  HUH?????  Then where exactly did I get my results???  This girl would just not believe me so I gave up and simply faxed her all the results.  I guess when they switched over from paper to electronic records my chart never got scanned.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone....and eat your fiber...LOL !

Marina and others.....

Nothing in life is to be feared.  It is only to be understood.  ~Marie Curie


Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop.  ~Usman B. Asif

I'm back and here is an update: my blood levels are decreasing but still good enough to get tx.. My doc felt my breast and said that it's so improved that there is NO way anything is wrong with my liver.. and my liver enzyme numbers were fine.. so he thinks it's some pull or something.. Scans still end of month.. and then it looks like he wants to do 2 more cycles or 6 more treatments ie 2 months.. so I will still end before my vacation!!  but.. if the scan comes back clean then won't have to.. so crossing my fingers..

Evening all....Marina, glorious news!!!!  Yay!!!!

Now....this is really short notice but we are doing a lunch bunch on Friday the 9th at Maggiano's between 12:30 and 1pm, in Schaumburg right by Woodfield.  All are invited!  So far we have...Juliechicago, BJ, Laura, Smerf and yours truly.....anybody else free?  Carolyn....up to it?  Marina...would love to meet you!

Please come if you can.....

Hi All!

Can't do lunch on the 9th as I just had chemo today and I'm expecting that the 9th will be my first day feeling ill.    Oh well.  Not much I can do about that.  I'm already pretty tired out this evening.  It was a looong day today. 

I'm at my sisters now.  The kids got a kick out of their bald Auntie! I just have stubble on my head so they keep asking to rub my head.  LOL 

Great news for you Marina!  Hope things continue to go well.

Take care.

Carolyn

Morning girls....so humid out and foggy and rainy and sunny....all at the same time!  But...no watering so YAY for the rain last night.

OK...coming to a bunch of wonderful, intelligent women...need opinions, please!

Saw my onc yesterday for my now-yearly appt and he was extremely pleased with everything...and then he starts with the bi-phosphonate talk.  My one and only DEXA last October was -1.3 so just entering into osteopenia.  Since then I have found out that my D level was extremely low so have begun 50,000 U per week, retest to be done in early September.  His rationale is that arimidex is weakening my bones and he wants them stronger to reduce my risk of bone mets in the future, esp. being Her2+ (BTW, I was node-neg).  He did of course run thru all the se's including jaw necrosis which he then stated is very low percentage but that he has FOUR patients with that se, just since I began with him...almost 4 years ago.  So...gee...one patient per year, huh?  I said at this time I would rather wait until next year and redo the DEXA and see what's what and he was more than fine with that.

Now here's my dilemma...you know how our minds work now so no sleep last night for little Wendy.  Do I or don't I?  DH and I talked it over last night and he said he would like me to do everything possible to reduce my risk of mets but this was pretty big step.  So after a long talk with BJ and numerous emails between Kater and I....I THINK I have made somewhat of a decision.

I will repeat the DEXA this year in early October instead of waiting until next year and by then I will also have my D levels done.  Then depending on where I stand, I will make the decision as to whether I will take the drug and if I decide that yes, I will....I will go back to the onc and together we will decide which to take.  He did say that there was a new drug out there, just waiting for FDA approval which had much lless se's...with the hope that it would be out some time next year.

By then too I will have had my mamm and seen my dentist for my full mouth x-rays.

So....what would you guys do, faced with this decision?  I figure I have a few months to research this and then I would love to hear from Rene who did the zometa and Connie and Mich101 who are taking the pills.  I know Rene had osteoporosis but I can't remember about you other guys...what your T scores were.

Just when I should be celebrating a good report....here we go again.  Yuck.

Thanks in advance...you guys are the best!

Good morning! Yay...the sun is out! Heading to the "Y" and then to the pool.

Marina - Good news for you. Hope your scans are spotless. And it's nice to have a vacation lined up. The finish line is in sight for you.

Susan - Hope your back is feeling better.

Wendrew - No comment on the bone meds other than...I am totally against all of them, until more research is done. Weight bearing exercise is enough for me. Best wishes with your decision.

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Have a nice day!

Marina.....was that Irina that was looking for help?  She's been here before and I think Susan sent her to Highland Park.  I thought ACS found drivers altho roundtrip from Rockford to Highland Park is quite the haul.  50,000 U of D3 is what I take, always have taken ONLY D3 but the 50,000 U is not available in gel caps (or if they are, I couldn't find them anywhere) so since I only take it once a week on a Friday...I eat something fatty with it!  I think salami works best personally......

Yeah Laura...just not sure about these drugs...not sure about any of them.  But I have months to decide!  Or not decide....or just move to that island of yours!

Arghhhhhhhhh!  So since tomorrow is Friday and I will be eating healthy, sort of, at Maggiano's I bought salami for lunch and will take my D3 with that.  Yum!

And the first one of you that warns me that processed meats cause breast cancer will get smacked silly......