Illinois ladies facing bc

Glad you made it through Madismom!  I hope you get a good nights sleep tonight!   You will probably feel yucky in a couple days but you will make it through.  Once you have a few treatments under your belt you will know more what to expect.   I found that anything lemon helped with the metallic taste - loved lemon ice.  That was one of the worst side effects - everything tasted horrible.

Night everyone!

Morning! Looks like the heat is back for a few days...in the 90's Th and Fri...



MadJenn....see! We told you it would be ok! That was so sweet of Lago and Adey to hook up with you...I bet it really helped to connect with those two yesterday. I do remember that metallic taste but I called it the dirty penny taste. It lasted about 5-7 days after each chemo. Anything citrus was great. Lemon Ice was wonderful for me too...look for it at the grocery store...Luigi's.



Lago...are you enjoying the project? Last Herceptin??? YAY! I was sitting in the infusion chair, calling my surgeons office, arranging to get my port out the following week...with my onc's blessing!



Rita...glad your birthday was good but not happy you were sick. That's just not fair! Wireless printers are great...fun to sit downstairs with my phone and print photos.



Adey/Lago....you girls rock!



Mdg....Geneva is a great town and the schools are fantastic! Did you look in Mill Creek? They have new homes available right now with lots of upgrades at good prices.



Mak...how did treatment go? How are you feeling this round?



Gotta scoot....waving at you WendyTY...keep the faith, Sweets! I vote for the golf cart too...but no speeding, Young Lady!

Lago....Teri told me that too....flush every 3 months. We can go together and than meet up with Adey for margaritas!!!! . I'm starving this morning....tummy rumbles and all....hmmm? What do I eat? Maybe a yogurt? I took an Ativan about 1/2 an hour ago to get ahead of any nausea.... And my neulasta is around lunch. My cousin is going to do it....her little boy has diabetes and she's been injecting him 3-5 times a day for almost 4 years.....same type of syringe. A little cousin bounding huh? LOL.



Thanks so much everyone getting me through thus first infusion....I was a terrified mess and all of your insight, and calming calls and visits made me SO much better....I think I'll go back? LOL...might as well since my hairs a goner anyways....,



Mdg...maybe we can plan a morning mid week next week??? I'm hoping if I do have any bad s/e's they should be pretty gone by than at day 7 and beyond, I hope anyway.... Are you on the east or west side of the river?? We can brainstorm our walking place of choice....there's SO many.... if we go atleast once next week you should be guaranteed to see me one time for sure with hair.... Than it's scarves and alter egos for me!!!! Genevas a great town to live in.... We love it. And I grew up in Batavia and they were total rivals..... I'm a traitor!!! Lol



Lago....best of luck with your project!!!! And your bone scan results!!



Connie and wendyk.....lemon ice might be a must purchase today....before it gets worse or I start feeling like crap (which I'm still hoping I WONT!!)





Everyone have a great day today......hugs to Mak and WendyTY!!!!!

Before the quote today -- Lago congrats on your 1 yr. NED.  We love the milestones don't we ?? Keep em' coming.

Hugs, Jackie

Lago.......Happy NED anniversary!!!!!



And Happy NO NEED A BRA anniversary!!!!



I love not wearing one too....I'm going to have a hard time choosing nipples because than I'll probably need a bra..... And I'm not sure I want one? We'll see how perky they are after my exchange and go from there????

Just a quick pop in to say hi to all. Belated birthday wiishes to Rita...

Wishing all well on treatments. Etc. Lago good luck on job.

I just got a new ipad2 and am still learning. Our employer gave them to all full time employees as a fringe benefit! I love it but have lots to learn. Have a great day all!

Marsha

Good morning all!

It is so lovely today and I hope all are feeling well.

 Jackie, I too love to hear your thoughts.  I think it is easier for people our age to accept a world where luck and chance do not play a part and that all  that happens is simply destined to happen (when it happens in our own lives).  If I were a young mom with cancer or if I were a mom with a child with cancer, I might feel that cancer is damn unfair and would feel no obligation to think otherwise (no matter how old the child or mother).  I feel better able to weather at least my own destiny at  63 than I did thirty years ago.  The book that most helped me deal with agony was one by Rabbi Kushner (When Bad Things Happen to Good People).  He lost a child to a hideous disease and spent years finding a reason for that event  that helped him move from anger to reluctant acceptance that indeed bad things do happen to good people.  Small but powerful book.  My oncologist actually suggested it, although i had already read it.

Lago, I hope the job becomes clearer.  You are creative and I am confident you  can probably problem-solve your way to success.  Scary to be outside of one's element.  I taught 8th grade for like 25 years.  I was asked to watch a group  of kindergartners for a few hours and was a mess. I still feel much more confident when I know what is going on and what I need to do to be successful.

Happy day to all. 

Jenn:  I am east of the river but I will drive wherever...nothing seems to far from here.  You pick the spot for walking....and the day and time.  I am open!  I can't wait!   Oh and the whole bra thing.....I love not wearing one but know when I get nips I will have to wear one again.  I went and shopped for bras yesterday for the first time since exchange (I have been going "commando" since June 23rd!).  I had no idea I was a D! My foobs don't look that big but the implants seem so wide they just dont' fit in bras.  How long after chemo do you need to wait for exchange?  Any idea when you can have exchange surgery?  I had to wait 6 weeks.

Wendy:  We have been looking at already built homes in Mill Creek.  Everything we wanted to see already sold...there are very few that are still active.  I did not look at anything to build....seems like it would be one more stressful thing to deal with although if they have good deals it may be worth looking into.  I will check it out.  Heck my life has been crazy stressful for so long....what's one more thing?

Lago:  One whole year!?!?!  THat's great. Time has gone so fast with this whole BC thing.  I can't believe it has been 9 mo's since my diagnosis.

I am also trying to start to find myself some doctors.  I prefer to be at an NCI...any med onc referrals for me at Chicago or NW? (both are NCI's, right???).  I need a very patient med onc as I am a big reader and understand clinical crap from my previous jobs.  I ask a ton of questions and am very thorough.  I don't want a doc that can't deal with it...oh and to top it off, DH is an engineer.....he has more questions than I do.  Any recs???  I have AETNA PPO so most docs are in network. 

Madismommy, One down!  Your story about your daughter was heartbreaking.

Mak, It's good to hear that the 2nd went better than the first.  If I remember right I was a lot more nauseous on Gemzar than any other drug.  It was easy to learn how to manage.

Jackie, I loved your thought.  I figure I live here in a world of cancer for a reason.  It's my life and I will live it well.  The only control I have is how I react to the circumstances and the decisions I make about my journey?!

Lago, Congratulations!

Wendy and Zap, Thank You!

It's weird to not have treatment, of course it scares the hell out of me.  Loving the sleep!  I'm trying to do more but it only seems to wear me out quicker.  Pacing myself isn't easy especially when I don't feel the impact until the fatigue hits me.  It's better than feeling miserable most of the day!  I enjoyed sitting in the backyard yesterday with my Dad.  It was too hot today.

Stay strong ladies!

So good to hear from you WendyTY.  I can just picture you with your dad in the back yard.  Your family has always sounded so wonderful. Thank you for your insights.  You never cease to inspire me!

Lisa, the hair cutting for locks is touching.  Your kids sound so good.

Mak, glad today went better.

Jenn, are we hanging?

Plerase forgive the deletes!  My "puder" as my grandchild calls the computer, is jumping on me.

This seems to be a difficult time for some.  My thoughts and prayers are ongoing.

Susan

Thanks everyone. I have to admit it's nice to be working again. These people are really nice. I hope I can land a full-time gig where the people are nice.

FYI my PS wouldn't even do expansions on me till my white counts were normal. I'm sure the same goes for exchange. You don't want an infection. I have mixed emotions about the nipples but I'm in no rush right now. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get them. I hear if they stick out too much you can get them trimmed.

Makmak glad to hear this week was a little easier.

Lago...that just sounds hilarious "if they stick out too much you can have them trimmed".  LOL! 

Just finished getting caught up after a week on the run.  Always so much happening here.  So glad that Madismom got through that first treatment.... you are a pro now!  I had very minimal SE's with the first treatment.  Mr favorite find to counteract the taste issues were Edey's frozen fruit bars, fresh oranges and lemons.  Lemons in EVERYTHING. Yummm.  Then as the taste buds got back to normal, I always craved beef which was so wierd as I hadn't eaten a hamburger in years until then.  I had my DH grilling steaks a couple times a week last summer while I was going through chemo.

We had a great time in Seattle with family and friends.  I just got home yesterday. It was a perfect time for my DH and me to think through this retirement opportunity.  So, he is officially retired as of tomorrow. Yikes!  It is going to take time for me to adjust to him not flying out of town every week, but we will be fine and are looking forward to being able to travel more together.  Our kids are absolutely thrilled that dear old dad is retired!

I have been thinking so much of all of you and especially you gals going through treatments.  Makmak.. glad you are doing better. Hope to see you soon.  Rita... happy belated birthday to our leader.  This forum means so much to me and I am so grateful that I found you all!