Starting Chemo in June 2005

NancyM

Hey Junesters....a couple of the Junies need some Towanda Power!  Gather forces and send love and healing prayers out that they will be well...

LizFL

Nancy, with all our prayers behind them they will get through this...they are Junies!

Sending hugs and prayers and mustering up all the Towanda Power I have and forwarding it to those in need.

Liz

SuzCA

Sending prayers to our Dear Watson.

nosurrender

    TOWANDA!

 The Junersterettes are one tough bunch of chicks!

STABLE THEN NED...STABLE THEN NED.... STABLE THEN NED....! 

That is our new chant.

Love you girls, and still watching out for you.

g 

Analemma

Hi, Ladies, the few times I had tried to find the thread it had vanished.  I thought maybe it was gone to Never Land.  Watson and I were dx with mets within a couple of weeks of each other.  We meet on the Mets board, as well as on tnbcfoundation.org.  Liz, I got your card yesterday, thanks so much!  I got Jen's card and Christmas.  I never knew there was a list of addresses - how did I miss that?

Anyway, I'm glad to know that some still check in here.  I heard from JoMac at Christmas.  She's well, but I had to tell her that I had recurred, and that was really scary for her.  Thanks for the cards.

Brenda

Watson

Helloooooooooooooooo!

Thanks for all the kind thoughts.  Yes it sucks.  Brenda and I were both diagnosed with mets.  Crap! 

I'm doing great.  No symptoms or anything.  So life as usual for now.  Liz, thanks for the card! 

Later gators!

Watson

LizFL

Brenda, I got yours and Watson's addresses from Nancy since I remembered she was the one who had the list for the box (the roaming mystery box) when it was circulating. 

I was thinking back to how helpful we all were to each other when we were first facing chemo and were still fairly naive about this disease, and just wanted to let you both know I care and wanted to send good thoughts your way. 

Liz

Fi_in_oz

Hi Ladies

Life is so odd...... anyone know where the flat track parts of the roller coaster ride are hiding?

Best wishes to those going through more trials,  and to those that aren't.

I truly am sorry that the box got lost between hemisphere's,  I didn't plan it that way,  honest.

I was clearing stuff out in my home the other day,  and found the stash of Australian things I'd gathered for it,  hummm.

take care, 

Fi

rmmom

Hey Watson and Brenda-just checking how  you are doing?  It has been ages since I checked on you both.  Sending lots of prayers and love.

Bev

Analemma

This is funny, I almost never remember to check for "active threads" but I did, and here we are!

Watson and I spend a lot of time over on the metastatic board.  I hope everyone is ok here.

I've had three chemos and am scheduled for a PET scan on Thursday.  I'm getting anxious, afraid of progression.

Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts.

LizFL

Brenda...who wouldn't be anxious...those scans always produce anxiety....and naturally you are worried.  My prayers are with you that the chemo is kicking the crap out of the cancer and you will get good scan results.

Hugs,
Liz

Watson

Hey Junebugs,

I'm still around!  Hang out on mets board and in chats.  I'm still feeling fine.  No real side effects from the Xeloda i'm taking for lung mets.   Hope you are all feeling great!

Watson

NancyM

Brenda and Watson - I think of you just about every day, and I hope you still feel that we are all here for you, even if it's a bit quiet in here these days!

Liz, Bev, Fi, Jenster, Scout, Dana, Jo, RebeccaH, and of course Towanda (aka NoSurrender)...(please forgive me if I left out anyone's name!!) I think about all of you, too!! 

Liz, I like what you said about when we were first starting and still fairly naive about the disease - gosh, I miss being that way - I feel like I know way too much about this &*%^ disease now!  Whenever I hear someone has been diagnosed with cancer it feels like a jab right to my heart. 

And although I would NEVER want to go back to the days of chemo, I treasure the time we all were here together.   It was such a lifeline to me.  Which reminds me, since the June box never made it all the way around, I think a few people were able to get copies of our addresses, and others did not.  Did anyone still need a copy of that list?  You can PM me and I'll mail it out - I think I promised to send it to Brenda?  Dang the chemobrain!!!!  

  

I hope (and pray) that the day comes that we are all celebrating 10 or 20 years of survivorship!  Cognitive abilities intact!

rmmom

Thought I would check back in.  I agree with Nancy- I hold all  of you close to my heart.  It has been so wonderful to meet such beautiful brave women.   Brenda and Watson you both are with me whenever I pray.

Nancy everytime I meet someone who has survived this longer than I have I feel hope.  But everytime I meet someone going through something I feel so...

DD -Megan wants to be a biochemist- she wants to completely rid the world of cancer.  Last year she had to draw herself from a picture.  She choose her glamor shot from when she was three-yes three-when she thought she was a true princess and we wanted her to be treated like a princess. (they did) anyway she did a beautiful job with the drawing, which she had to surround with words of her dreams for the future as a three year old(since the was the age she drew).  I can read the words to myself but not out loud because she wrote "this girl will graduate college at 14 and become a doctor at 21 when she discovers the cure to hunger and every cancer known to man."   Needless to say she isn't going to graduate at 15!- I just hope she passes 10th grade (having to much fun now days).  But the words are so special to me.  I see that picture every morning when I wake up.

Sorry I got lost there for a while. 

Brenda would that be the beautiful prayer shawl on your signture?

I haven't tried yo yet-is it hard to do?  I am not very good at yarn skills yet but people are to polite to say anything bad about my poor skills. (just dh who I think is jealous)

Hugs and love

Bev

NancyM

Bev, I just made up some random stiches to put in the signature line on a whim, but since you mentioned it I changed it to be the first pattern row of the shawl - now it has meaning!!  YO is not hard as you are just wrapping the yarn once around the needle before you do the next stitch.  But then you have to knit 2 stitches together somewhere (depending on the pattern) so that the total number of stitches is still the same.  The YO stitches will feel a bit "loose" on the following row, but then they smooth out and you get that open look.  You should try it!!  I'm sure your skills are wonderful!  Yes, your DH probably is jealous - mine is always going "how do you do THAT?" whenever I try a new pattern.  (He's easily impressed!)  I once taught a boyfriend to knit - he found a toy soldier pattern for a stuffed doll and SOLD about 10 of them in Sun Valley, Idaho at a ski resort.  Guess who was jealous then??  LOL

Your daughter sounds like a fantastic person!!!  I'll bet you are SO proud of her.  I wish her all the BEST and tell her we are all rooting for her to go for it!  I hope Owen and the rest of your family are well these days, too.

danahollis

Hi Junies!

Brenda & Watson... my prayers are with you both. I know just how easily it could be me in your position and my heart aches for you. Hang tough! We all have an expiration date... live each day fully and with conviction... that's the best any of us can do!!!!  HUGS!!!!

Mindy... oh my gosh!  A baby? Update, please. How are you?

Girls... I think of you all often. You all hold a special place in my heart!

Nancy... send me that list of addresses, pretty please.

I'll try to check in more often.

XOXO.

Dana 

NancyM

Dana, I know you don't post often, so I hope you check back here soon - I don't have your address!!  Please PM me with it and I will add it to the list that we had for the June box last year.  It's good to see your smiling face and I hope you are doing well!!

Analemma

Hey, ladies, I posted my scan results on the mets board.  "Complete metabolic response!"  Nothing that was visible before could be seen.  The plan is to do three (well, two, now) more chemos and check again, and then a chemo holiday until there is further progression.  I know it's a reprieve, not a cure, but it's nice to think that I might not be on chemo all summer.

rmmom

Brenda wonderful news! We will keep on praying for you

Bev

RebeccaH

It's been so long since I've posted!  My life has been hectic thanks to my 19 yo daughter doing some stupid things in Oct 07.  Fortunately, she has pulled her head out of her butt, and got focused on college and attempting to make better grades.

Watson and Brenda,  I can't believe that you are going thru this crap again.  I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers....even though I'm finding out so late in the game.  I'm just glad this website is here to provide much needed support and information. 

Nancy, I'd love to have a copy of the addresses, too. 

Mindy, Mindy, Mindy....when I first read your posts in the fall, I just sat back and was a little baffled.  THEN, I was at a support group dinner with some younger survivors.  I asked one of the girls if she had ever heard of chemopause, followed by a cycle, followed by no cycle....because that was what was going on with me.  Another girl piped in...."oh, you must be pregnant."  WTF?????  Because it had been over a year since I've seen my PCM, I decided to just make an appoinment.  Told her my story, did a pregnancy test, and praise God, I'm NOT pregnant.  The worst thing was the lack of information out there about the situation.  Then, I go back and read your post....so it could have been me...except I'm not taking Zolodex.  I also knew that the odds of me pregnant were very slim, especially with the wonderful hot flashes I'd been having.

I have an appointment with onc the end of March, and I want some answers.  My sister was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and I don't see the need to keep the baby factory opened.  I've been wanting a hysterectomy for a few years, and this scare really brought that need to the front of my brain.

I've lost 36 pounds with weight watchers, and I feel amazing.  I have started walking at the gym, and I am very excited that I am finally enjoying it.  I watch tv while walking, and I run during the commercials.  I have a goal to be able to walk the Komen 5K without feeling like I've been run over by a Mack truck.  Now, I trying to decide if I think running it will be a better goal.

Happy Easter to all of you....looking forward to spring and the hope that better days are ahead for all of us!

Analemma

Hi, dear Junies,

I was searching for nail lifting on taxotere, and our old thread came up.  Yep, my nails look way worse on taxotere than they did on taxol in 2005.  But other side effects aren't as bad.

I got the list of addresses, Nancy.  Thanks.

I have chemo this week, then one more, and more scans.  If the scans are still clear, then I'm off chemo, and will scan every three months.  Hope for a long remission for me, please!

Watson has her first scans next week, and I know she's getting pretty anxious, so maybe you could send her a note!

Brenda

LizFL

Rebecca...Congratulations on the weight loss...but are you sure you didn't send those pounds to me?  I had lost about 30 lbs. with no change in diet and have now gained most of it back.  Kept if off for over a year and bought lots of new clothes...have to get on the ball and start taking it off again.

Brenda...praying for a super, duper long remission.  Will send Watson a PM.

Liz

rmmom

Hi

I haven't checked in in a while. 

Nancy thank you for sending me the list again.  One of my dear children grabbed the mail and I have just found your note !  Thank you.

We are having a beautiful day here is NE Ohio- Brenda I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

It is my three year surgery day!

I brought myself some pink roses.

Love all of you

Bev

RebeccaH

Liz, there are a lot of people who are accusing me of throwing my pounds their way!  I just hope no one decides that I need to find the weight they lost!  I'm enjoying a healthier lifestyle for sure!

Since I last posted, my dear sister, after being diagnosed with uterine cancer last March, had her colonoscopy, and yep, she was diagnosed with colon cancer.  I was extremely mad at her because I have fought with everything I have, and I'm sick of her giving me even MORE risk factors.  She only had to have surgery for the uterine cancer.  She only had one polyp that was cancerous that was removed during the colonscopy.  The follow-up CT scan showed they removed all the cancer.  She only has to have colonoscopies every three months.  No chemo, no radiation, no surgery.  She is really lucky.  She has yet to have a mammo (no insurance), but she is scheduled for one in the near future.  Can't believe with all the cancer in her body, and my own diagnosis that the doctors haven't demanded one.  I don't think she'd be lucky enough to avoid any treatment if she got bc. 

Nancy, can you PM the addresses for the junsterettes???

Rebecca

Fi_in_oz

Nancy....oh Nancy...

dear Nancy......

(insert cheeky smile here)

did you send me "the list"  by slow boat?

regards

Fi

NancyM

Tomorrow is the first of June...another year between us and that certain June.  Thinking of all of you!

Analemma

I'm still here!  Hello, everyone.

Brenda

nosurrender

HEY JUNESTERETTES....

It has been THREE YEARS!

You all have come a long way since then!

I am sorry about those who are back in the ring fighting the miserable beast- but remember, you beat it once, you will beat it again.... I am right with you fighting.

Love to all... I think of you often,

g

rmmom

Three years!!

Thinking of all of you!

Prayers and hugs

Bev

2frogs1princess

Well, it has been so long since I posted. I'm sitting here holding my miracle little girl, Addelyn Faith. She was born May 6th, weighing in at 8lb 13oz and 21 in long. Thank you for all your prayers! Since her birth I had a follow up at my oncologist and had labs drawn. My tumor marker jumped up to 68.5. Onc wanted to wait a month then re-draw. I was on maternity leave still and requested to do scans instead. Onc agreed to and I had a CT and Bone scans. Both were normal-praise God. So sorry I haven't popped in sooner to let you all know how things were going. Prayers to you all......three years and counting!