Illinois ladies facing bc

 For younger people near Champaign Urbana: Young Survivors Coaltion is presenting this seminar ($10 registration fee).

http://www.youngsurvival.org/champaignurbana

You Are Not Alone - Young Women's Breast Cancer Symposium
Saturday, November 6, 2010
8 AM - 4 PM

Parkland College
2400 W. Bradley Ave.
Champaign, IL 61821-1899

lago - Very cute! You have a great attitude! Thanks for sharing.

Lago, sophisticated and chic!

Sorry to hear that Joan.  I think I missed Lago's picture.  Just got home from work -- really late as usual.  Anyway, isn't a nice long soak in Epsom salt supposed to be good for things like what you have or do I have it all wrong.  Actually --- sitting in a hard tub to soak doesn't sound so hot right now ---maybe in a few days. Anyway --- hope it gets on the mend real soon. 

See you all later.

Hugs, Jackie

Ginger - You're so gorgeous in that pink dress!  What a great smile you have.  You look like a professional model.  

BJ - Painting is done!  Now to get the room put back together.  It's very different, but I like it.  Hope you're doing well.  Call me sometime and give me an update. 

WendyTY - I'm glad you come here to vent.  Venting is good, and venting to people who can understand the depth of the complex emotions involved in all this is even better.  Hoping you get through all this treatment soon!

Iago - Your haircut is adorable.  Losing the hair is traumatic, but I found that I felt better once that hurdle was behind me.  I remember when the strands started to fall, just a few at a time at first, I got all dolled up and had my husband take some glamour shots of me with my hair done "just right."  Then, I had him shave it off.  My kids were there and it helped me to be less sad knowing that I had all that support behind me. 

I will tell you that having a warm night cap to wear to bed is very important.  My head was warm during the day from my wig, but at night it was always cold.  I wore a wrap hat, from when I got home until bedtime.  At bedtime, I put on a soft, snug cap to sleep in.  

On a different but related note, I found out that one of my college-aged nieces who is very much a unique personality shaved her head - just because.  At first, I was like, "REALLY? WTH?"  But then, I just shook my head and remembered how young she is.  I thought it would be a fun poke for me to call her up and tell her I have a few wigs if she needs to borrow one.   (No, I won't really do that, but I did think about it.)

Susan - Thank you for that information about Irina.  What a sad story.  I hate hearing about anyone not getting the care they need when they need it.  

Laura - Thanks for that link about the Bone Health conference.  Since I'm due to have my 2nd Zometa next month, I think I'll listen in.  

Some good news - I did recheck my dexa scan at work today (even though it's technically too early, I was curious if the Zometa made any difference).  Yay, my numbers were ever so slightly improved.  Just a tad, but hey, at least they aren't continuing to dive!  I was very pleased and less worried about my 1.5 years left on Femara. 

Also, talked my BS into ordering one more breast MRI this year, before going to yearly mammos for my routine.  He thinks this is sufficient for where I'm at -  5 years out.   I told him I'm a little nervous about less monitoring, so I'm reserving the right to change my mind if I have a freak-out down the road.

Joan - Oh no! I hope it isn't long lasting! Maybe just slightly bruised?

Irene - My friend's daughter left for college in August. Just before she left, she shaved her head bald too! I was shocked...but like you...chalked it up to her age. lol

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Okay...something is wrong with my brain - BIG TIME! I just checked my calender (thank goodness I did!) - my Onc appt is NEXT Friday! My memory/concentration is horrible! Soooooo...Mother and I have more time to shop and dine. lol

Have a nice day girls!

Don't forget - Next dinner get together is Nov 11th - 6:00 pm and the Annual IL Girl Holiday get-together is Dec 4th - 1:00 pm

Good morning everyone... We have a runny nose and sneezes.. which means no sleep for me or my DH last night.. seems like either teeth or a mild cold.. I guess it's that time of the year, even if she's at HOME.. no idea where it came from other than maybe one of the older ones who is immune to it carried it over..

My daughter is visiting U of I today and tomorrow... she was planning to take the bus there and Amtrack back.. when my parents heard about it they flipped and are now doing the drive.. and PROMISED her to have NO interaction with her while she visits her cousin and friends.. and takes the tour.  This is a big deal as I really want her to go there as I pre-paid it..but of course she has her eye on New York or somewhere ridiculous that she has another year to grow out of.. crossing my fingers..

Not much going on for me.. other than more lunches with my friends and walks in the park for me.. looks like another nice day for this..

Enjoy the day everyone..

Marina

I'm not bald yet but don't plan on wearing baseball caps. A friend of mine said she once met with a bunch of friends wearing a baseball cap with her short hair. They all thought she was going through chemo :-)  No chemo caps for me. I'll stick to the scarf thing. More feminine.

Joan are you on hormone suppression therapy? That might be slowing it down a bit.

Joan, mine pretty much came back white and got the pigment a little later....so a nice color shade could be on the way who knows....give it a bit more time.

Hugs, Jackie

Hi everybody.  I was supposed to be in Cancun but Hurricane Richard has messed everything up.  We have already rescheduled for December.  What crummy luck.  So I am having a little pity party for myself.  This was a trip to celebrate out 25th wedding anniversay.  ahh, patience.  I've become very good at being patient.  Also saw my onc on Monday.  I have just been "off"  My armpit hurts, I  am gaining more weight even though I am back to a regular workout routine, the hot flashes seem worse instead of better.........I could go on and on.  Anyway, she did some blood work and I had the dreaded PET scan on Wednesday.    (I was supposed to leave for vacation the very next day and leave the scanxiety at home)......  So just waiting around for Thursday to get here so I can get my results and keep on going! 

But I also just wanted to take a minute to say thanks to everyone for sharing their lives on this thread.  It is such a lifeline at times.  I appreciate all of you.  I pray for all of you.  Those in treatment.....You will get through it and the mind has a very squirly way of letting you forget some the hard stuff.  And for those of us with treatment behind us.........strength to not think about BC everyday but to enjoy life like we should. 

Remember to tell the people you care about that you love them. 

Navy

Laura,    I did not wear baseball caps.    I had one I liked but didn't care for the way it exposed the back of my head (the cut out) and rode a little high for me.   I have mostly done scarves, bandanas or newsboy type hats, they are a little deeper, give more coverage and don't have that hole cut out in back.

Morning all!  Gray and dark out, but no rain here...yet.  Warm out and I saw 76 for tomorrow????  Glad I kept out a few pairs of shorts, just in case!

I am so behind but I thought I would start with the alkaline diet.  I did read thru and at first I thought you girls were totally NUTS!  But then I actually read Marina's post and it's all about BALANCE.  OK...now it makes sense!  Total, healthy sense!  Personally, I am gonna keep on doing what I am doing and have been doing for most of my adult life. Eat anything I want, in moderation.  And oh....cheat once a week and have something I really crave, be it a cheeseburger or a salami (low-fat kind) on rye bread!  I keep going to the gym and I've pretty much stopped alcohol...just a glass per week.  I really don't know where my cancer came from.  My Dad and his sister both had it but dx'd in their mid-80's.  I don't carry either mutation.  The only thing I did was for 3 years before dx take over-the-counter Estroven for the hot flashes and I would take them for 3 months then stop, then start again.  And of course now modern medicine is saying that there could very well be a link there as well as with HRT.  So...there you go.  ARGGGGHHHHHHHHH.  That was me screaming....

Navymom....I am so sorry that you had to cancel your anniversary trip...what a bummer.  BUT....Happy 25th!  And may you have a hundred more anniversaries to celebrate!

Joan...so sorry about your fall!  Ouch!  And count me in...mine came back white at first too...very fuzzy.  But then it was grey and then it wasn't!  Wink-wink!

Donna....when are you moving?  Ah...no more snow.  What an idea!

BJ....I bet you are missing your care-free summer boating days!  I cannot believe that I have actually started Christmas shopping.  What has happened to the year????

Rita...a Christmas getaway sounds like just the ticket!  What fun!  Just a headsup tho...it's getting to be that time....make sure you have all the ingredients for sleigh rides!!! 

Jackie....You haven't mentioned your granddaughter is a while...how is she doing?

Elf...any news on DH and the job?  Any new shoes to share with us?

Lago...haven't had a chance to check out your pic but will do that after I finish here...sounds like you look really cute!

Laura...you are so funny!  Good thing you checked your appt book!  And why oh why do these young girls think shaving their hair off is a good idea?  Just really wondering why....is it a statement or something?  I did like the ease of a wig tho...just pick one, pop it on and you are out the door.  Every day was a good hair day.  BUT....I still like having mine, even tho I grouse about it...every single day!

JulieChicago....still loving your FB posts!  Your kids are sooooo funny! 

For those of you not on FB, remember Sharon, motheroffoursons?  Well...she is off to S. Africa to speak at a conference and then is going to SWIM WITH SHARKS!  And that is for all of you, wondering is there is life after BC.  Well....yes there is!  OMG!  Now there is an example of not letting a cancer dx get in your way of living!!!!

Well...I promised myself that today is the day.  I am going down into the dungeon (read: basement) and start to organize/clean/straighten up.  I need to have the furance guy out and I would be so embarrassed to have him see the mess down there.  I am sure it would be a much different story if the basement were finished but we just use it to throw things down there when we don't know where else to put them.  If I don't get down there I am afraid I am going to show up on the Hoarders Show....

And...lest I not forget....

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IRENE !!!!!!!!!!!  You enjoy this day...and may you always be this happy and full of life!  Wishing you many, many more!

And now....off to the dungeon.  If you don't hear from me soon, please send out the rescue party!

I lost my first post....so here I go again.  I too am sorry to hear Navy that your trip had to postpone due to weather.  The bright side hopefully is that when we 'could' be having nasty weather here --- you'll be off sunning yourself in Cancun while the rest of us sit in the cold and drool -- big time.  Still, it's a pain  for sure. 

It is good to remember that this is such a great place.  It still sort of amazes me that out of all the disease processes we can and do go through  ---  this is the one that is hardest to deal with in the aftermath.  Hard for those not having it to "help" us, and just so difficult when it comes time to try to find the niche' in life that was there without thinking before.  We do get to a place where most of the time it moves to the back-ground somewhat -- we conquer most of the fear and move out into the sun again --- and it is special to make friends with those who understand you best.  It is JOY. 

I am on the next page now so now sure what all I need to address.  Have not heard from GD in quite some time.  Sort of typical for the age, but her Mom says she is doing ok. 

I hope you are all going to enjoy a lovely Fall day.  I will be out at House of Hope working -- is usually Maggie's day but got a desperation call yesterday evening so I'll go out there.  Hopefully, today a fence will go up.  That way, ( so much so for us ahem -- more mature ladies ) the dogs can be let out a few at a time to exercise, go to the bathroom, and work off some of the pent up energy that comes from long hours of confinement in a relative small area.  So hard for the older ladies ( Lordy, that is me ) to walk them when they have been in the pen overnight.  The new play yards will be such a blessing.

At any rate.....hope you are all looking forward to a stunning week-end.....the right temps. with no rain.  We will get some in about a week or so I think.  Probably time.  See you all later.

Hugs, Jackie