2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

RoseMarie

Hello ladies!
Debbie got your secret do-not-open envelope...I promise to be good. Justin and I picked up a few goodies for Sam - will ship it out today. He was very excited and kept throwing more stuff into the buggy!
BTW - Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'll have to take a pic of the tablecloth the kids and I made for Thanksgiving. Very cute, IMHO.
Amy - ((((hugs))) I'm sorry you're going through a tough time! Holidays are always the best and worst times!
Victoria - love the picture! You're so thoughtful and kind btw! Your artistic flavor always comes through writing and I enjoy your posts!
MaryAnne - glad your tests are over and happy for the good results!
Linny and Michelle - please pm me your addresses and I'll add you to our list
Ravdeb - do you guys celebrate Thanksgiving? I know you grew up in the states, just curious if you'll be eating turkey too.
I have a HUGE family and it'll be so weird being up here all alone for the holiday. My childhood was such a big-fat-greek-wedding type childhood...with a hispanic flair! Turkey...with black beans and rice...(black beans and rice at every holiday!)

ravdeb

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Rosemarie..we don't celebrate it. I tried to do that once but because it's just a regular day here and everybody is busy working and going to school and so on..it's very hard to stop and celebrate! I miss it terribly as it was one of my favorite holidays. I almost made a surprise visit to my parents' in Florida but it didn't work out.

There are some Americans who do celebrate. You have to order your turkey special because you can't buy a whole turkey in the grocery store. I've never been a part of the group of americans who do this even though I have several American friends here.

I will think of all you in the United States on this happy holiday weekend. Enjoy.

TracySeattle

Hi All!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all have wonderful holidays! My Mom is cooking dinner. Dave, my son, Matt and I will be going over there. Just a small gathering but it will be nice just to relax, eat and watch football or a movie. Friday Dave and I are headed over the Mountains (it is snowing!) to Wenatchee, WA where we will visit our friends' brand new house on the River. We will stay over night and come back on Saturday.

I have been feeling icky, so I hope I can stuff myself full of vitamin C today and start to feel better for the weekend!

MaryAnne glad your tests went well. The prep is the worst part!

Ravdeb - I am sorry you will be missing out on Thanksgiving.

Amy - hang in there, just remember to enjoy each day to it's fullest. Worrying about things is not going to change them and why let it ruin the good days? You are going to be JUST FINE! We love you!

Debbie - Good job on carrying those weights! Just think how far we have all come in one year! We are so much better this year and we have so much to be Thankful for!

Everyone else - Hi! and Have a great Holiday!

Well, I have to run. Love you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Anonymous

Well, I have some good news and some good news.

The other day, we finally heated the pool and went SWIMMING! It was a lovely hot day and Teryn and I were jumping in and swimming. With my short hair, it sure is easy. She had me pretending to be a bird and fly into the water!! Then her little friend, Benjamin, came over and the two of them swam for a long time and really had so much fun!! I have used the hot tub a whole bunch already.

The other good news is that I went with my girlfriends to the Pechanga Resort and Casino. About 1/2 hour from here. We went and got massages, got in the hot tub, went out to dinner and then on to dancing! I met a very nice gentleman and refused to give him my number but I told him where I worked. He called yesterday at 9:30 and around 11am I got a dozen long stemmed red roses. So, I called him to thank him and finally gave him my phone number. He called last night and we are going to go on a date. Boy has it been a long time since I had a real date!! I am so excited. My friends really liked him and thought he was cute ..... He has a job and everything!! LOL (my ex would never work).

Happy Turkey Day everyone ..... I love you all so much. I am so Thankful to have each and everyone of my Roctober sisters (our original ones plus our newest ones who just make us a more perfect family).

TracyNY

Radeb: I think you should renew your marriage at the same time you renew your driver's licence. Either re-up or let it expire!! Bwahhh!!

TracySeattle

Kelly!!! How cool!!! I am so excited for you! We will need all of the details!

ravdeb

Tracy NY..you crack me up!!! Can't get along without my drivers licence so.............

kelly..wow...more new love on the board! Wooohoo!!! And roses. Where do these romantic guys come from????

Okay..so when I was dating my husband and it was my birthday...he and his cousin climbed on a ladder up to the second floor of my parents' house where I was still living, and they put helium balloons outside my bedroom window. What a surprise THAT was and boy were my parents upset... they kept saying.."Do you know that you could have gotten hurt???"

Congrats on the opening of your pool. So..when is the Rock-tober pool party???

Tracy in Seattle..sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Rosemarie..can't wait to see the tablecloth!

Be well everybody and enjoy the holiday. Don't eat too much turkey though!

TracySeattle

Wow!!! You got that so fast!!! We just mailed them on Monday!!!! Glad you liked it! I have listened to it a million times and I love it!

Hope everyone else enjoys them too! :-)

debbie444

Kelly - you have your own delightful Dave! Good for you.

TracySeattle

Wouldn't it be funny if his name as Dave? LOL!

My Dave calls himself "Disaster Dave" because at his job he was always in charge of ensuring that the school was ready and trained for a natural disaster..... So we are headed over the Mountains in the snow on Friday--Disaster Dave has the car equiped and ready for anything that might come our way!

CherylG

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for posting on the map
Cherylg

marymelodi

Tracy:
I love, love, love the CD that was in my mailbox this evening!!!!! You don't know how much I needed that pick-me-up. It is a work of art. . . well, I know a work of Tracy and Dave . . . but really it is smashing! And I simply love the "surprise" at the end. What a wonderful gift you have given us all.

Now, I am intensely curious about what the selections mean to each of us. Sure I could wait until I see you next fall, but, in the interest of my burning curiosity . . . spill the bean, gals. Why did you pick the song that is included on the CD? Inquiring minds want to know.

I'll start it off. My song is: "One Moment In Time." This was first release during the Atlanta Olympics. I'm always a sucker for athletes and achievement. This song has moved me many times, but especially in the toughest challenge of my life I really found inspiration in the words "when I'm I'm more than I thought I could be." I've never really achieved anything special but in enduring treatment and fighting for my health, this song and others, helped me to find more in me than I knew I had. There was something in me that I didn't know I would find and I found my "one moment in time." I also sugggested "We Are The Champions" because I do think that we are all CHAMPIONS in our own lives and as examples to all we know. Yeah!!!!!

Thanks to Tracy for the memories and the inspiration and the love. Sisters are really doing it all.

Happy day of Thanks!!!
Mary

Graycie

I got home today and I also had a wonderful surprise when I got the mail......Tracy thanks so much.......You did a beautiful job. I just love it. Traveling to my sister-in-law's tomorrow and I am going to listen to it all the way there......

Mary, I am not sure why I picked that song except for the message it sends. In other word's, don't let life pass you by. Enjoy everyday you have.....

Everyone, Have a Happy Thanksgiving.........

Gail

Paula15089

Kelly, you go girl!!! Keep us posted!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, we dont celebrate it here, but i will be virtually with everyone of you eating your turkey...

ravdeb

Paula...we can NOT eat turkey together...with Jill,Cheryl, Debbie, maryanne and Linda! Did I miss a non-USA person???

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!! I'm grateful to have found all of you and will forever be amazed at the beauty of it all.

Be well.

ravdeb

OH...POOH! I broke a tooth. Well..it was a tooth with a big filling and it just broke off..I didn't actually break it!

Just so mad. I knew I had to see my dentist but just kept putting it off. Now I'll be there this afternoon and for who knows how many more weeks as I have something else that needs taking care of..it wasn't this one.

I hate going to the dentist and he knows this. I can't go to any other one because he's the only one who knows how much I suffer. I really suffer. I can't tolerate having anyone's hands in my mouth. So, it makes no difference what they are doing in there and whether it hurts or not..I just can't stand it.

It is worse than my chemo drips..
Worse than the gyne...

I really hate this. Makes me feel sick.
Worse than when they can't find a vein for an IV or blood test.

And I'm so sick of seeing yet another doctor...
Okay..I'm venting. But frankly..I'm so nervous that I can't eat. I made the appt. the minute it happened because otherwise I would have put it off since it doesn't hurt.

I do try to do meditation when I'm in the chair. It's tiring for me, though.

I just got Olivia Newton John's cd in the mail from my girlfriend so I'm listening to it...Grace and Gratitude..it's really a beautiful cd. Hope others were able to get it.

Happy Turkey Day.

debbie444

Ravdeb - i symapthise - i REALLY do. I am petrified of the dentist, I have 'nervous patient' stamped on my cards and they allow twice as long for each appointment. I even have to have an extra dental nurse there - to hold my head still as i shake so much. I reallsy should go. Just before my diagnosis i went and he broke a back tooth trying to fill it. He put a temporary crown on , and then all of this kicked off so i havent been back. This temporary crown has been on 19 months now. I am loathe to go as they always find other things to do. It makes it worse that Roger has perfect teeth, never had anything done at all. He even strips wire and opens bottles with his teeth!!

I will be having a non turkey day - come join me!!

Disaster Dave - is he related to me?
I am excited now, will watch for the postman.

Debbie

debbie444

Rosemarie - Sam is excited too!! He used to love barking at the postman so much that we have to have a radio playing behind the door now so he doesnt hear it and go haywire while we arent in! Wont let him open it tho as i did do once and then he went and opened and ate one of Catherines parcels from a friend - oops!!

Graycie

Ravdeb, sorry about your tooth. I have to say that is one doctor I am not afraid of. Just afraid of the bill..lol.. I also broke off a filling in a tooth last week. Eating popcorn. All fixed so I am good for another 6 months.

I wish you luck. Do you have anything you can take to help you relax? Maybe that would help you.

Gail

TracyNY

I went to the dentist yesterday to get some crowns re-cemented. One is an implant that I started about 2 years ago and I couldn't face anymore poking and prodding after all the surgeries so I had the temporary put on and have been working with it since.

The other is a root canal with a crown and post and the entire thing came completely out. I said damn, here we go again, another implant to do. Them suckers cost a lot of money and it is a lot of work on the mouth. So I go to my periodontist, he looks at it and says "Shucks, lets deal with this later", he plonks some cement in the hole and shoves the whole crown and post back in there. Better yet, he never charged me a cent either!

Well they both came loose and I had to get them reset because I am eating my way across Georgia!! Turkey, barbeque, collards, macaroni cheese, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, ice cream, bring it to me!! Happy turkey day folks! I'm going eat the place down because I'm having lipo next week so any fat I gain will be gone on Wednesday!! Bwahhh!!!

Anonymous

Hi Girls!
Happy turkey day, y'all!

Tracy -
Got the cd yesterday! Love it, love it...you did a FAB job. The packaging, everything...It's so special. Thank you so much!

Victoria -
Love your avatar!...pretty in pink.

-----------------

Everyone -

I have been very busy preparing today's meal. Last year at this time, I was horizontal and very sick from chemo. My hair was starting to fall out...I was a mess with a capitol M. We were all either sick or just starting to be sick. I can't believe a whole year has gone by. The only thing that's gotten worse since then is my paranoia. My family is coming here for dinner...my older bro's g-friend is comin too. I'm anxious to get an update on her situation. Although I know that she's had 32 radiation treatments and her tumor hasn't shrunk. I think she's having a Mast. next week, but will find out more today. Hope we can all make the most of this day and every day! Love you all.

------------------

Gobble, gobble!

Cheers to many more Thanksgiving Days.

marymelodi

Hello everyone;
My hubby is downstairs doing the cooking and I'm relaxing like a lady of leisure. How about that? lol So good to have 4 days off work.

My turn will come when it is time to do the dishes.

Listened to the Rocktober Girls CD 3 times last night. I want to memorize every song. Love it, love it.

Yesterday at physical therapy the verdict was that my scar tissue and lymphedema is doing very well. When I raise my arm now I do not feel the tightness and the aches in and around my lumpectomy site have subsided. Also, the appearance of the scarring is much better. After radiation I got some unattractive skin changes. I don't have to go back for 2 weeks. In the meantime, it is my job to do the massage techniques every day. I don't think I'll do it as effectively as the PT, but insurance certainly would not give me a "freebie" for life, I'm afraid.

If you are having lumpectomy aches I suggest telling your doctor or NP about my experience with the physical therapy and ask for treatment. It has helped me alot.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Mary

ravdeb

Yes Laura..amazing how things are different and so much better and we have new friends, too. I'm very grateful.

Okay Debbie..it must be the name! We both hate the dentist. I used to not be able to open my mouth for him. I don't shake but I have cried!

My appt was really not that bad and I have a great dentist. He said he hoped that a broken filling/tooth would be the worst of my problems after what I went through last year. I told him getting this fixed is worse than chemo and he said it's really not but he understood I had this "situation". Nice guy.

Will return to him. He fixed the tooth and is trying to avoid root canal so he wants to see how it goes.. he said he just did the same thing for his wife!

TracyNY..that is really a pain. I hate teeth. I think it was G-d's one big mistake.

Glad to hear the good news Mary. and that your dh is cooking..how nice!

I had written a long message but I got disconnected from the site...very weird.

Anyway..
Happy Turkey Day. Happy Non-Turkey Day to the rest of us.

Curlylocks

Hi Ladies,

Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. sisters! We had our turkey back in October here in Canada, so its a normal day for us. I am still on a part time schedule since my return to work on Oct 2 working 3 days a week. I am off today and tomorrow and got to sleep in this morning. I am so exhausted these days.

It is a unsually warm day for this time of year here, sunny and 10 degrees celcius. I may put up this christmas lights today just to get in the festive spirit, I love Christmas it is my favourite time of the year.

I am struggling with the downward spiral of a coworker who is 49 years old and has lung cancer. He is not doing well, at this point is not eating and sleeps alot. I am hoping to go and visit him tomorrow to say my final goodbyes if he is up to it. This disease really is hard to comprehend sometimes and effects way too many good people in this world. I hope that a cure is found in our life time....

Ravdeb - That is so romantic about the hellium ballons. I met my husband 17 1/2 years ago and on our first date he took me out to a really fancy restaurant for dinner. He also really loves to cook so he was always calling his sister for recipes prior to our dates, too funny! Hope your tooth is feeling better. I'm like you would rather go to the doctors everyday of the week than visit the dentist.

Tracy Seattle - Thank you so much for the offer of sending me a CD. I'm happy that your life is going well with your new love and it continues for many years. Drive safely on Friday, love snow but it can be tricky driving in it. My husband spent a bundle on new winter/ice tires and rims for my Rav4. Now I am all set and have a mini tractor on my hands that has no hubcaps. It looks pretty funny. I told my husband someone is going to think we live in a bad neighbourhood and someone stole all of them.

Gracyie - safe travels on the way to your sister. I just love turning up the radio in the car and pretending I can sing, thankfully there is no one in my car on the way to work to judge the quality of my singing.

Paul74 - I saw your new thread, it will be such a huge inspiration for the ladies just starting chemo and loosing their hair. I remember watching the progress of your hair while I was waiting for mine to grow back. I did chemo from Dec 8 - May 5/06, so you were quite a bit ahead of you. Your picture of your hair in the avtar looks like mine. Mine is dark and really curly. I am going to let it grow a little to see what the curls look like, perhaps Shirley Temple?

Debbie444 - Sam sounds like our late shephard Bear who should have been called Hoover. He would eat everything in site, frozen porkchops, chicken legs out of the kitchen sink, steal hamburgers off the bbq, eat $20 bills (not kidding on that one!). How is Sam doing? Poor baby looks pretty beat up in the most recent picture you posted.

TracyNy - I sure could use some lipo on my stomach, my post menopausal belly is awful. Any one else have this?

Laura - It is amazing how much difference a year makes in the way we feel about this disease. I was just starting out my journey this time last year, having had my surgery on Nov 17/05. Enjoy our turkey day with your family.

Mary - I also had physical theraphy done on my affected arm, went three times a week for a few months. It really helped out as at the time I was having severe problems stretching or even typing without the pain. Do you still do the wall crawling excercises? I dont know how long we are suppose to continue those to prevent lymphodema.

Rosemarie - Love the pictures of your kids. I sent my address to you by pm not realizing that you were collecting them for Tracy Seattle for the CDs. I already pm'd my address to her. Sorry my bad, chemo brain. How long can I blame my poor memory on chemo brain or is it menopause? I cant remember, hee hee:) I read a post awhile back that said that women can suffer from chemobrain for up to 10 years, wouldnt that be something.

Amy - I hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving with your wonderful supportive dh and your lovely family. I hope you are well.

Victoria - love your new avtar and the shirt looks great too!

Kelly - what a wonderful surprise receiving roses from your new friend. Enjoy!

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Michele Wenz

Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving from me and my family. That includes the handsome one below:

debbie444

Hey - know what i learnt today ? That in Turkey they call a turkey an Indian!
There you go!
Heres Sam today doing his windswept look - his ear hair keeps getting stuck on his stubbly head!


A friend sent me this - i knew there had been a good side to having no hair!!

http://www.firstfoot.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71

tracey - eat something really nice for me too.

Debbie

RoseMarie

Debbie - ROFL!! That link - oh my goodness! (By the way, poor Sam will have to wait another day as I never made it the Post Office...)
Tracy - THANK YOU soooo much for the cd!!! Thank you so much for all of your hard work!! I hope you're having a wonderful day with Delightful Dave!!
Kelly - wooohooo! so happy for you! Sounds exciting!
TaDah - sounds like you're having a great time! We'll be thinking about you next week.
BTW - My official journey into nippledom will take place on the 19th of January!! I can't wait.
Today was so quiet but so nice. My husband brought tears to my eyes when he said grace because he made mention of Thanksgiving last year (which I truly can't even remember!! Chemo brain???) and how much we've overcome and I just got very emotional...
Ladies, have a great night!! Lots of love to all of you!!
(I'll be back to post the pic of my tablecloth...)

RoseMarie

ok...none of the pictures came out great but here goes...

We all traced our hand to make turkeys then wrote what we were thankful for. I also had the kids tell me things that reminded them of Thanksgiving and I wrote those all around the table...still an elementary school teacher at heart!

maryannecb

Rosemarie that is the best tablecloth ever. You are an awesome Mom. I am amazed!

Brenda, your dof looks very distinguished! Hope your Holidays are peaceful.

Michelle, I almost bought a turkey toady to enjoy Thanksgiving again but...it is just too much work. Sorry about your friend.

Oh my Goodness, I got real mail. It was not a bill and it was from England. The angel is great Debbie. How cool to have all the right feature on it. It is in my purse and is yet another symbol of the bond we have formed. Thanks so much.

Kelly, yeah keep us updated! Best of luck. Go slow...

Tadah I loved your ideas on marriage. I think the renewal should come every seven years...

Tracy, can't wait for my CD...

Had parent teacher night tonight. Kids are doing well in their studies with no great concerns. I sometimes feel so guilty to have subjected them to the terror of this last year. But it seems they have adjusted and carried on which is a good thing. Time will tell how they have been affected.

After Xmas I plan to resume full duties at work, hope I can keep up the pace. It will add about 15 extra hours to my work week, but I will recover my income which is a good thing.

Fists up!

ravdeb

Mornin' Ladies...
Some of you, I suppose, are stuffed to the dickens from all that turkey!! Hope it was YUMMY!
And Victoria, who celebrates Thanksgiving minus turkey but with a lot of great veggie recipes, one of which is on the healthy recipes thread...hope it was super delicious and nice.

Tadah..hope your lipo doesn't cost more after this weekend holiday with them having to suck more out than planned!!!

Michele..so sorry to hear about your friend. I have 2 "friends" with lung cancer and when I talked to my onc about it and how horrible it is, the one thing she did say was that it's NOT breast cancer. Lung cancer is really a tough one. Very scary. And very sad...

BTW..I also carry my October angel in my purse with me all the time. In fact, she escaped from the little bag she came in and I swear..I panicked and emptied out my whole purse..but she was just having a snooze on the bottom of my bag..I carry a small bag but still couldn't find her! I guess I was doing okay and she was taking a rest from guarding me!

Rosemarie...that is THE most BEAUTIFUL Thanksgiving tablecloth I've ever seen. You are wonderful to do this with your kids. They will always remember this!

And your dh...with the grace... I was really touched.

I've been reading this "rebuilding your marriage" site (I was looking for something to help my friend out)and one of the things they have is a Love Bank. You have to deposit things in there for your spouse that will make him/her happy. You first have to decide what those things are..anywhere from domestic help and taking care of the kids, to conversation and fun...whatever it is.

Just was thinking that you and your dh deposited a lot over this weekend for YOUR Love Bank..you enjoying the kids and doing such memory-saver things and your dh making you so important and showing how much he cares about you.

Lovely...

And glad to hear you'll be making the journey to Nippledom soon!!!

Debbie..I got that wax story in the e-mail a long time ago and was ROFL! Great story! I love it! I cracked up laughing once again!!! And..Sam looks great with his windswept look!!!

Brenda..what a gorgeous dog you have!!!

Hope everyone else is having a good weekend...