Posted on:
Jan 13, 2007 03:10AM
- edited
Jan 9, 2009 08:29AM
by
ritajean
Bloomington, IL
Joined:
Nov 2006
Posts:
4,186
Latest activity:
Dec 4, 2017
ritajean
wrote:
I'm very curious about all the Illinois ladies who are making this breast cancer journey or who have finished it. Where are you located? What's your diagnosis? Where are you in your treatment plan? How's it going for you?
I thought we might be surprised to find somebody right in our own back yard that could use some encouragement or company.
I'll start us out. I live in Bloomington. I was diagnosed in Nov. 2006 with IDC cancer, 1.4 cm. er-, pr+, her2-. Stage 1 but that horrid Grade 3. Had an excisional biopsy that came back without clear margins. Went to Peoria to an excellent breast surgeon. Had a lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy. Nodes and margins were both clear. Now I'm headed for my first CMF chemo on Jan. 26th. I'm very nervous about the chemo, which I dread more than any other part of the journey, I think.
Hop on here and tell us about yourself. There may be some of us that are even close enough we could meet for an outing some time.
Rita
Dx
11/21/2006, IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 3, 0/4 nodes, ER-/PR+, HER2-
Log in to post a reply
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 7, 2020 08:30AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
- generally attributed to Chief Seattle
but actually written by Ted Perry in 1972
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 8, 2020 08:16AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Any path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to
others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you. . . .Look
at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as
you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone,
one question. . . . Does this path have a heart? If it does,
the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use.

Carlos Castaneda
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 9, 2020 08:26AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
The present moment is never intolerable. It is always what
is coming in five minutes or five days that makes people
despair. The Law of Life is to live in the present, and this
applies to both time and place. Keep your attention to the
present moment, and in the place where your body is now.

Emmet Fox
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 10, 2020 08:02AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Some people confuse acceptance with apathy but there's all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish what can and cannot be helped; acceptance makes the distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens. -Arthur Gordon
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 11, 2020 08:20AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:
__ There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
__ or, you will be taught how to fly.
Faith © Patrick Overton from his book of poems: The Leaning Tree, 1975
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 12, 2020 12:58PM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
In no way can we so effectively hasten the dawning of the inner consciousness of another, as by showing forth the divinity within ourselves simply by the way we live. By example and not by precept. By living not by preaching. By doing not professing. -Ralph Waldo Trine
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 13, 2020 07:17AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Over the years I have come to believe that life
is full of unchosen circumstances, that being
human has to do with the evolution of our
individual consciousness and with it,
responsibilities for choice. Pain and joy
both come with life. I believe that how we
respond to what happens to us and around us
shapes who we become and has to do with
the psyche or the soul's growth.

Jean Shinoda Bolen
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 14, 2020 07:29AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Life is simple.
Everything happens for you, not to you.
Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late.
You don't have to like it... it's just easier if you do.
- Byron Katie
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 15, 2020 08:38AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Time is . . . Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice;
But for those who love. . . Time is Eternity!
-Henry van Dyke
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 16, 2020 07:51AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
The more we care for the happiness of others,
the greater is our own sense of well-being.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 17, 2020 07:11AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Our relationships are our sacred
responsibilities, for they are the framework within which life is lived. They show us where we have more learning
and loving to do. Our interactions with others call up the disabling
beliefs and negative patterns of behavior we need to release—the cynicism,
anger, resentment, and jealousy that block love's flow. Our relationships are our mirrors; they
reflect where we are in consciousness.
And if we are willing to face the truth about ourselves, our
relationships offer the lessons that lead to our greatest
transformation. -
Susan
L. Taylor
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 18, 2020 08:31AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
He who experiences the unity of life
sees his own Self in all beings,
and all beings in his own Self.
- The Buddha
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 19, 2020 08:14AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Celebrating a birthday reminds us of the goodness of life, and in this spirit we really need to celebrate people's birthdays every day, by showing gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, and affection. These are ways of saying: "It's good that you are alive; it's good that you are walking with me on this earth. Let's be glad and rejoice. This is the day God has made for us to be and to be together." -Henri J.M. Nouwen
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 20, 2020 08:17AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
This is my simple religion.
There is no need for temples;
no need for complicated philosophy.
Our own brain, our own heart is our temple;
the philosophy is kindness.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
ChiSandy
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Joined:
Sep 2015
Posts:
12,337
Latest activity:
Jan 16, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 20, 2020 04:37PM
- edited
Oct 20, 2020 04:38PM
by
ChiSandy
Jackie, sorry to hear your town is in a county in IL region 5, which--because its positivity rate exceeded 8% for more than 7 days--today went back into Phase 3 mitigation (no indoor restaurant or bar service, distanced outdoor table service limited to the lesser of 25 people or 25% of capacity, and indoor gatherings limited to 10 or fewer people). Chicago (city limits) has one of the lower positivity rates (6%) in the state (which is now at 5.5%), but has been rising for the past 10 days; the west and south suburbs are also subject to those new mitigations--which will stay in place at least 14 days and will not be lifted thereafter unless rates have declined sufficiently for three days in a row. The city is threatening to reimpose those restrictions, not waiting till we hit 8%, should cases still be rising by Friday. Our winemaker dinner is Thurs. night--perhaps the only night this week (maybe till spring) warm enough for patio/open tent dining. Cellars will go into "hibernation" from the week before Thanksgiving till outdoor dining season officially resumes this spring. So we'll be going back to takeout from other places, or home cooking.
Diagnosed at 64 on routine annual mammo, no lump. OncotypeDX 16. I cried because I had no shoes...but then again, I won’t get blisters....
Dx
9/9/2015, IDC, Right, 1cm, Stage IA, Grade 2, 0/4 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- (IHC)
Surgery
9/23/2015 Lumpectomy: Right
Radiation Therapy
11/2/2015 3DCRT: Breast
Hormonal Therapy
12/31/2015 Femara (letrozole)
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 21, 2020 07:54AM
- edited
Oct 21, 2020 07:56AM
by
IllinoisLady
That has been my personal relationship with God--a connection with the powerful, loving, wise energy in all of us, in all creation. It is the life force itself. We can all have contact with it each moment in our lives, but it takes commitment and practice. We must be willing to move through all our deepest fears, doubts, and misunderstandings.

Shakti Gawain
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 22, 2020 08:16AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
And how will I do this?
Henceforth will I look on all things with love and be born again.
I will love the sun for it warms my bones;
yet I will love the rain for it cleanses my spirit.
I will love the light for it shows me the way;
yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars.
I will welcome happiness as it enlarges my heart;
yet I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.
I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due;
yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
- Og Mandino
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 23, 2020 08:38AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it! When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, and not loss; good, and not evil; success, and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it. -unattributed
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 24, 2020 05:19AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
If it can be verified, we don't need faith. . . . Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys. -Madeleine L'Engle
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 25, 2020 07:08AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Two things fill my mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. -Immanuel Kant
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 26, 2020 08:39AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Measure wealth not by the things which you have,
but by the things you have for which you would not take money.

anonymous

Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 27, 2020 08:35AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity. -Barbara De Angelis
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 28, 2020 08:13AM
- edited
Oct 28, 2020 08:14AM
by
IllinoisLady
I am optimistic and confident in all that I do. I affirm only the best for myself and others. I am the creator of my life and my world. I meet daily challenges gracefully and with complete confidence. I fill my mind with positive, nurturing, and healing thoughts. -Alice Potter
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 29, 2020 08:19AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Whether one is twenty, forty, or sixty; whether
one has succeeded, failed, or just muddled along;
whether yesterday was full of sun or storm,
or one of those dull days with no weather at
all, life begins each morning!

Leigh Mitchell Hodges
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 30, 2020 08:03AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind. You are as old as your doubt, your fear, your despair. The way to keep young is to keep your faith young. Keep your self-confidence young. Keep your hope young. -Luella F. Phean
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Oct 31, 2020 08:06AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
In real life I have qualms, a moral code, a sense of duty. I live within confines. In books, I am free to soar and to explore. There are no limits to my being.
Books, with their secret knowledge, free me from myself. I'm never alone. The greatest minds in history wait by my bed, sit patiently in bookcases, respond to my touch. I reach out and they are there, waiting to transport me to another realm. -Linda Weltner
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Nov 1, 2020 05:20AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it.

William James
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Nov 1, 2020 05:27AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Realize that each soul is related to you. When you recognize that everyone is a part of you, you will find you cannot withdraw from another. Elsie Morgan
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Nov 2, 2020 07:50AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
Imagine how our lives might be if everyone had even a bit more of the Wisdom that comes from seeing clearly. Suppose people everywhere, simultaneously, stopped what they were doing and paid attention for only as long as it took to recognize their shared humanity. Surely the heartbreak of the world's pain, visible to all, would convert everyone to kindness. What a gift that would be.

Sylvia Boorstein
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-
IllinoisLad…
Centralia, Il
Joined:
Dec 2007
Posts:
39,989
Latest activity:
Jan 17, 2021
Log in to post a reply
Nov 3, 2020 07:36AM
IllinoisLady
wrote:
To bring forth and preserve, to produce without possessing, to act without hope of reward, and to expand without waste, this is the supreme virtue. -Lao-tzu
Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love. ~~~Elizabeth Kuebler-Ross
Dx
9/27/2007, IDC, 5cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-