Illinois ladies facing bc
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Well, darn it. My surgery is now scheduled for 1pm tomorrow. And of course, no food or drink after midnight tonight. Told them I would be one dehydrated and starving woman by 1pm. I will be layering on the Chapstick. So my plan is to stay up late tonight and sleep in tomorrow morning to make the wait a little shorter. DH and I went out for a late dinner tonight and I stuffed myself. I am going to top that off with a couple pieces of dark chocolate and maybe some ice cream. Hah!
Zap, thanks for the book suggestion. I am a terrible reader as I spend too much time doing that for a living. But my DH is an avid reader and he liked the suggestion. I did the Alcatraz tour a few years ago and did enjoy it, as gruesome as you might think it would be.
Adey... congrats your deportation. I have a PICC line these days for my IV and just finished my last IV infusion tonight. The good thing is that they will be using my PICC line during surgery tomorrow, so no new IV stick!
Thanks everyone for your ((hugs)) and prayers tomorrow. I know I will be thinking of all of you. I figure with this late surgery, that it will be fairly late in the afternoon before I get out of recovery and into a room. Looks like I will not be going home until Friday. Will try to let you know how it went as soon as I am up to it.
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Jumping on here to send my well wishes and positive vibes to Joan on a speedy recovery!!!!! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!!!!!!
Waving hi to everyone!!! I leave for Mexico at 5:30am Friday morning so I've been busy busy trying to get ready and work, etc.... Why is it so stressful right before vacation?0 -
Morning! 27 on the deck.....
Zap...oh Susan! You should have called! Also....never go that far afield with no credit card! You never know what could happen (or what you might find to buy!)
Joan.....HUGS!
Lago.... At my last Herceptin my onc came back in the infusion room, gave me a hug and told me to go ahead and get the port out. I actually called the surgeon from my chair and I was deported the following week.
Welcome to all you "newbies"...this is quite the journey we've undertaken but I think you will find that you've found a soft (and safe) spot to land!0 -
Invisible2 - Being type A in this journey and trying to keep peace of mind is difficult. When things were interminally slow to happen, anxiety kicked in for me because of the lack of control and action. I see that you are ER+. Has an oncotype been ordered yet? If not, just a suggestion, ask your MO or BS to order it NOW. Mine got lost, delayed, or forgotten for 3 weeks somewhere between the ordering dr and the CA company (not pulling the name out of my brain right now). Hang in there!
Everyone, just a tip about "deportation." Make sure you insist that whoever removes it does it through the original scar. I'd read this was the normal practice and didn't confirm this with the surgeon. Guess not with every surgeon. I have a 2nd port scar on my chest an inch below the first. My BS was furious when he saw this. I wasn't too thrilled myself, but at least it was lower.
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Joan not sure if you are reading this (hopefully you are still sleeping) but my BMX was after 2pm. I think they finished around 8:30/9pm! I too get headaches if dehydrated. I did fine. They also fill you up with fluids during surgery. BTW I too visited Alcatraz back in 2001. You'll love it but it does get chilly out there even in the summer. Granted SF is colder in the summer than in the fall.
Wendy my onc said I could have it out too but she prefers I keep it in. She said 2 more years. I specifically asked 2 more years or 2 years total. She said 2 more but maybe I'm wrong.
MadMomMexico! have fun.
C-squared I wish I could answer your question but I had taxotere & carboplatin. Again I have read everyone is different. Some folks actually thought the T was worse than the AC. You might just do fine.
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Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all.
Khalil Gibran
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Thinking of you (((((((((Joan)))))))))). with thoughts of total success.
c-squared.....I had A/C but it was rough for me ---- mainly because I failed to get a handle on nausea and vomiting.......since we are all so different, I just hated to say it. If it helps though, my system was so sensitive ( tummy ) in this area I also did the same thing with my Taxotere and basically that is not really a se for T.
I think the big test for me -- maybe for anyone, I definitely would not hesitate if I needed to do it again, to do so and not look back for a moment. Saying that though.....I try to see everything (because it really is that way ) in a new unit of time. Even if something happened before, you were slightly different then......whatever the reasons, so this is a different time and things could be vastly better. Personally.....all chemo for the most part has the possibility of presenting some real difficult times....but you are going to be stronger, wiser, and so much more able when you are done.
I also had the privilege of looking back after I had completed my chemo with such a huge sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I did things I thought I could not or would not be able to do or manage --- and I helped save my own life. I wanted ( ok, in truth for an amt. of time it was iffy ) to see the positive portions of what I did rather than those things that were the negatives of it.
I hope you will as well reach a point where you marvel at your determination and tenacity.....at all the spunk and grit you put into this fight because every one here has proved the same thing.....that you can get there from here.
Si MadMom.....enjoy, enjoy.
Hope you all have a really fantastic day. Prayers, hugs and healing vibrations.
Hugs, Jackie
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Joan, thinking of you, and sending positive vibes and all best wishes for a quick recovery. Sorry for such a late time for your surgery, but they will "feed" you with IV fluids while you're waiting. I had my surgery at 1PM, and time did go faster than I imagined it would. Hope it does for you too!
By the way, may have to get the scarf out today. Thought spring had sprung, but 29 on my deck this AM. Brrrrr
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Best wishes to all going through tx and surgeries, etc. AND welcome to the new gals.
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KEEP THE DATE OPEN:
Thursday, April 26th, Illinois Girl Dinner Get Together
6ish - Schaumburg - Details Soon
Would love to see everyone & meet the new gals!
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Lago ~ Are liver lesions a common thing that they find in the scans? They told my Mom that her "spot" was indeterminant and it would require a rescan in 3 months to rule out cancer there. No mention of a cyst or anything else.
Any links on that?0 -
westie - I've had a couple of "spots" on my liver for many years. After follow up scans (over several years) they showed no growth. My Drs have assured me they're cysts/lesions/nothing cancerous. I have also had some show up on my lungs with the same determination.
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westieluv we get cysts all the time in many places in our bodies. (I had some on my ovaries but they went away several years ago). Lesion is a general term. There is a chance I may have had these since I was a kid.
The problem is once they scan you they keep scanning you for a while just to be sure. I'm sure if mine grew (know on wood) my onc would probably order a PET scan instead of a CT. When they are small (like mine) it's really hard to tell for sure. And that's the other problem with scans. Not good for the small stuff.
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http://www.idealist.org/explore/HMBjJtBzm4w4/connections#listings
Hi all
Immerman Angels has some openings in Chicago---looks like a a couple are unpaid internships but there's also a paid position (marketing/admin) for a cancer survivor. Just passing this along.
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Drove home from school today and I was offering A PRAYER for you, Joan. I looked at the clock and it was 1:30! Susan
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DH posting for Joan - Everything went very well, according to Dr. Kim. Joan's in her room at Northwestern - nice south-facing exposure - and will likely be released tomorrow pm, or Friday. She hasn't eaten for 24 hrs. and is actually looking forward to her hospital meal. To ensure that she doesn't tear her sutures, she has to keep her right arm immobilized, so DH may be doing most of her posts for her, so please be patient. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
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Yeah, Joan. Surgery over, bright sunny window, food again, and DH has to take care of you! .
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joan888 - How sweet that your DH is posting for you. Great you are doing well.
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Good, good, good Joan! Glad to hear you are OK. You'll see those 2 residents of Dr. Kim's team tomorrow am bright and early. Follow his instructions on that right arm and take it easy. Enjoy the night view! Praying that you get continued pain relief and no little glitches arise so you can get out of there when you feel ready to go.
Thank you DH for letting us know. She has been on my mind all day.
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robo ~ I'm feeling it.....based on my experience, she deserves the diamonds, definitely!0
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Keep up the good work Joan, prayers and healing thoughts coming your way. Thanks DH for posting, been thinking about her all day.
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Yay for Joan and Dh too for being so kind to post and let us know. Very much appreciated. Thanks so very much....we won't all be hanging on wishing we knew something.
See you all in the morning.
Hugs, Jackie
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So glad Joan is doing well. Thanks DH for the update. Joan if you're reading this big hug from me.
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Any suggestions on where I might do Radiation? I live in the Niles area and work in Bloomingdale. I have seen docs downtown and in the south suburbs, neither of which are anywhere near my home or workplace. ( I grew up in the south burbs and still see doctors down there) I can't see driving 2 hr a day round trip daily 5 weeks for rads.
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judy did any of your doctors down town have a recommendation for something closer to your home?0
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Robo, you live at schmale and bloomingdale? I know right where that is....I used to work off Wise Rd right by the Elgin Ohare for years!!!
not a bad drive either....
YAY Joan for being on the flip side of surgery and for DH for keeping us all posted!!! Definitely give her big hugs from all of us!!!
Jd...sorry I don't have any recommendations either but I bet somewhere here will.... That is a really long commute for rads! I had chemo at Rush and had I needed rads I was going to do them back out in the burbs for the same reason!0 -
A loving heart is the truest wisdom.
Charles Dickens0 -
So glad Joan is doing so well!!!!!
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Robo-of course I belive you were a model-you're gorgeous. What a wonderful experience to live the cosmopolitan life! Do not be confused-I attended a fahsion show, wasn't in it...
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My DH takes dictation well. It' me today. Had a very restless night with the parade in and out of my room. They had me on a morphine pump until a couple hours ago. Could not tolerate that stuff. Let's just say that I have a good start to my diet. Back on Norco for pain and something for nausea. PS is thrilled with the results so I am sure that I will be also. Surgery took 4 hours. Lots and lots of scar tissue to remove. Just steri strips in place and I get to take a shower this evening. PICC is out and IV is done, so I am feeling much more mobile.Yeah! Going home tomorrow morning.
Thanks for all your support, prayers and cyber hugs. Knowing that you are there with me makes a big difference.0 -
That's fantastic Joan. I don't believe they let people sleep in hospitals. There is always the parade. For some reason even the nurses that work the night shift feel they need to wake you at 12am to let you know they started their shift. Thank goodness home tomorrow.
robo a model… no surprise there.
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