2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Anonymous

Gigi -
I LOVE THE PHOTOS! You are gorgeous! You are the typical all american girl! Love the leopard shirt too! You are so funny with the camera in the mirror. LOL I've been working on posting some of my wedding pics but I'm afraid you girls will LOL - I looked awul that day...I hated my up-do LOL

Kelly -
Love your photos as well! Your hair really has grown quite a bit since last year at this time! You and Teryn are both really photogenic.

Victoria -
I hope everything works out with your markers. Keep us posted.

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Everyone -
Hi there. I'm still having really bad post Mast. pain! I lost it today and told Roy I simply cannot go on like this. I feel like there's a blow torch pointed at my chest. I'm sick and tired of pain meds. They make me tired and I worry about what they're doing to my stomach lining, as I don't have a great appetite even under normal circumstances. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...A week from tomorrow I have an appt w/a pain management Dr., but am petrified to have the pain blocker injections again, but I will if he poses no other choice. Roy stayed home with me today and researched some Accupuncture Drs. We found one that's a Naturapath and not far from here - Roy said there's only 1500 of them in the entire U.S. I'm going to call tomorrow morning and see if this is something I should pursue. Also, my body aches are really bad! Hips, knees and feet. "Uptake" showed up on my last bone scan (June) - but my Onc said it's probably arthritis (bone density showed Osteopor.). I have an appt. on Val. Day with the Rheumotologist, but I worry it's bone mets. Today, I was actually limping when I walked because my knees were so bad. I have hyperthyroidism too and was wondering if I should be seeing an Endocrinologist. I read here that some of the girls are. Do any of you see one? I hate complaining, but I am so physically miserable...I'm also wondering if the weather change from CA weather to IL weather has worsened my leg pain also? I'm a mess!
Laura

Anonymous

Laura, come back here and we'll take a cruise in the Porshe to the beach?

Anonymous

OMG - Kelly that would be great!

maryannecb

AWWW Laura. I was wondering how you were doing with your mastectomy. It is only 4 weeks out so I am sure you will get this pain under control and it will be gone soon. Getting a good sleep is important. Being tired and worn out intensifies any pain you might have.

Can you guys fit me in the back seat? Is there a back seat in a Porsche?LOL.

Fists up!

Anonymous

Sorry, Mary-Anne, no back seat but we can always take Herbie the Motorhome and pile in!! My sister is borrowing my RV this summer and she is going to Doheny Beach with it ..... that RV is going on a trip for a week and it's only a 45 minute trip over there! hehe.

Anonymous

maryanne - victoria - kelly -
How about towing Herbie, packed with the Rocktober Girls, with the Porsche! We'll all take turns driving the Porsche! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the wind through our hair...we have hair...how wonderful. You girls take my mind off my pain. Roy just called...my bath is ready. It too takes my mind off the pain.

but one more thing...

maryanne -
I'm so sorry you have to have the MRI again. Yes, take the pain meds, I hope they help you. Hang in there. I didn't realize you had such an invasive incision with the skin ca. Only an inch...I NV your attitude, you are an inspiration and a source of strength. A 3" incision is a big one!!! Please let us know the results as soon as you do. Is a definite - "I'll be there in August" too much to ask? LOL

Love you all...
Laura

Anonymous

Mary-Anne, I didn't mean to be non-supportive. I know that having skin cancer, mri's and such is not easy. How 'bout you come here and you and Laura take the Porshe, I'll drive Herbie and V and anybody else who wants to come!!

Hey, let's have a cyber vacation!!!!!!!!

Anonymous

I've got him washing the car for our trip!!!!

ravdeb

I'm packing my bikini (this is virtual..I can wear whatever I want!)and I'm going to sunbathe on this trip. I wanna drive that porche with that guy who is washing it for us, and I wanna wear a halter top and get a suntan. I can do this cuz this is virtual and there is no such thing as skin cancer in cyberspace.

Mary-Anne..I'm soooooooooooooooo sorry you have to do that MRI again. I think that would have led me to drink! I can get my nerve up for one test but not a rerun of it! I do suggest you take some kind of muscle relaxant for this.
And a THREE INCH SCAR??? They must have taken everything out and then some! Wow!!!!!!

I'm like you..I roam the boards and help when I can. I don't read everything. Some things strike me and I feel I can help. Sometimes people just post funny things. Last night I found myself going to the Furbaby picture post that Diane 3strikes started. It's a nice way to remember Diane in a fun way and to see some really cute pets that the women have here. Makes you smile.

Laura..I hope you get rid of that pain. I can say one thing..if my dh was running a bath for me, I think my pain would subside! Feel better.Your pains other than the mast pains sound like arthritis and not mets. From what I've learned, mets usually is on the long part of the bone and not the joints. Joints tend to be arthritis. But, anyone here can correct me if I'm wrong.

Kelly...what a sad story. You are so nice!

I'm leaving soon for the funeral.
No, Tracy..my dh won't go for me nor would my kids. This funeral, on top of everything else, is about an hour from our house. I guess the congregant's family is from this little town where the funeral is. I have to get in touch with this one guy who said that either he or his wife will be going for sure. And I promised this elderly woman that I'd make sure she had a ride. I always take her to everything (even though she is the strangest person I've ever met in my life!).

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...just called the guy..I should have known he would not make sure..AFTER I ASKED HIM...that I'd be able to go with them. In the meantime, his wife made plans to go with another woman. Okay..I think I have it organized now..but why is it always ME that wants to make sure people have rides, etc..and when I ask for a ride, it doesn't come through. I am so angry. And this couple..they are on my caring committee AND this wife..SHE was the one that was complaining that nobody was around to help out for HER for who knows what. It was HER idea to have this caring committee! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Have a good day everybody.
Feel good.

RoseMarie

I can go days without losing a post and I'm forever copying before sending just in case...wouldn't ya know I just lost a post - wasn't very long but still annoying!

In short - I'm up for the Porsche and RV ride! Don't know what I'll wear though, hmmmm....
Laura - soooo impressed with your dh drawing a bath for you!! Holy smokes! and then calling you when it's ready???!! Wow! I hope you feel better today!!
Ravdeb - ugh! Hope you have a chance at the end of the day to kick up your feet and enjoy a glass of wine.
Victoria - what a process!!! Good luck - hoping you find exactly what you want!!
I don't remember what else I wrote...
Know I'm thinking about each of you !!

Lots of love...

TracySeattle

Ravdeb - we will all be over to visit when you get home from the Funeral. I will bring the wine, who is bringing the chocolate and chick flicks?

Yes! I am in for the RV trip too! Save some space for me!

Laura - I am so sorry that you are dealing with pain. It sounds like Roy is taking good care of you.

MaryAnne - Sorry about the MRI - I hate those things so I know how tramatic it can be. Wow - you do have a big incision! I hope it is healing OK....

XGirl - I understand what you are going thru considering this move. I know it has to be a difficult decision, but think how much less maintenance you will have with the Townhome. More time for you and your hubby to spend together!

Dave and I are going to the Boat show tonight. He has had several boats over his lifetime and he loves them (doesn't have one now). He is like a little kid - so excited about the boat show! It will be fun exploring part of his world with him tonight and learning all about his favorite thing. We are going out for a nice dinner too!

Hey - where is Mary? I miss Amy...

Love you all!

Anonymous

Quote:

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I'm up for the Porsche and RV ride! Don't know what I'll wear though, hmmmm....

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Anonymous

We can really can make it to see our sisters abroad!

Anonymous

This is our cabana boy who will be in charge of keeping the MH and Porsche clean and of course serving drinks!


But I am going to force him to shave off that 'fur' under his lower lip!!!! I hate those !!!
things, don't know what they call those.

debbie444

Hey - is that me driving the motorhome??

Anonymous

OMG - KELLY!
You are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo funny! I love the RV! OMG! And cabana boy...purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect!

Debbie -
NO WAY IN HELL ARE YOU GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL! LOL

Laura

marymelodi

Hi, everyone: I have been keeping up with you but have not been able to write a message until now.

I would so much love to be on a real vacation to SoCal, but this cyber-jaunt will do very nicely!

I agree, Debbie, You can only drive on stright roads with a crash helmet on your head!

Victoria: I am reading between the lines that you are making this move from necessity, not so much from a desire for townhome living. I am sympathetic to the sense of loss I also feel from your posts. However, one thing I have noted about you is your spirit of making the lemonade out of lemons. I think of you a a woman who can find the silver lining. Perhaps there will be a neighbor in your new locale who needs you or you may need them. And, a new home can be away of reorganizing life in away that suits your changing needs and priorities. Perhaps with less time spent on upkeep of the buildings and grounds, you can spend more time on upkeep of relationships and your inner souls . . . I mean you and Dave together may find a chance for new directions with the time you might find. I hope it will be the best thing for you in the long run.

Oh, Laura: Unrelenting pain is so awful, as I found out a few weeks ago with the mystery headache. I am so sorry. I have a friend, another BC survivor, who has use naturpathic medicine and acupunture for years and she swears by it. I would explore that if the regular medicine techniques do not help or if you are uncomfortable with them. I also agree with MaryAnne that fatigue, stress (even the good stress of happiness or lots of things to do) can make pain more intense. I wouldn't be surprised if the surgery affected some nerve bundles and now they are "angry". I also wonder if some massage techniques might help you? I found alot of relief in the massage I got with the physical therapy for the lymphadema in my breast.

Tracy: Have fun with the boats and Dave. I am always happy to read of the success you are having in your new life. Give the dog a pat on the head for me. I love Labs.

Ravdeb: I'm concerned about you taking on this sad duty. Please know that we are all thinking of you lovingly and wishing we could go with you to do this. I would come arm in arm with you if I could.

Hi to Rosemarie, MaryAnne, Michele, Tadah, Debbie, Kelly, and Paula, Gracie, Cathy, and Brenda . . . dang, I am forgetting someone (mental-pause) but I have to return to work soon.

Love you all,
Mary

marymelodi

Oh, I forgot to tell you something.

One of my wo-workers has been diligently working on losing weight and getting healthy this last year. She's lost 40 pounds with Weight Watchers. In our community, the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester holds a 5K Run and Walk on Mother's Day for fundraising. Last year, she ran her first race in honor of her friend's mother who is a survivor. Today she made a deal with me that if I would walk the 5K she would run it in honor of me.

I have to get more exercise and having this goal and deal with my co-worker will help me be more consistent, I hope. I need to get the endurance to do the walk, which I really want to do.

Since Mother's Day is always kind of bittersweet for me, having no kids of my own, this seems like a better way to spend the day.

Mary

TracyNY

The little patch of hair under a man's bottom lip is called a soul patch in NYC. There are other names for it but they escape me now.

Debbie? Driving? Awww hell no!! I think you are the most accident prone person I have ever encountered. I hope you are making notes for when you write your novel! It'll be very entertaining.

Is it the coldest day ever today? NYC is like a brick!! Cold but no snow, what is the point?!

TracySeattle

Mary - you always have such sweet things to say. I think your plans for Mother's day are very cool and it will be rewarding!

Tracy - WOW - stay warm!!! We are actually having a SUNNY weekend here in Seattle! That is kinda rare for us this time of year!

maryannecb

Hi , Mary, that is a great goal to set for Mother's Day. I nominate you Rock-tober Mom. Your advice is often Motherly and you would have made a wonderful one.

Tracy I am snuggled in during a winter storm. We are having heavy(30cm) snow fall with high winds over the next 24 hours. The kids had the day off, even though there wasn't a flake when I went to work. Mid-aft now and the foecasters are right, it is a blizzard. Made it home slowly. I will have a fire in the woodstove tonight in case the power goes out. After what happened in New Orleans a few years back I am much better prepared for a catastrophe. We would be so at risk here in the winter. I now have a wood stove and a generator, just in case.

Victoria, I am not sure I could go from your home to a townhouse...work would be less but you will surely miss the space and freedom. No wonder you aren't very excited. Is there perhaps a smaller home available?

Deb, your funeral must be over, try to go through the next few days. It is so kind of you to help one of your congregation.

I have the weekend off and have no plans. I really miss my husband, my teens are great but they could care less if they ever talk to me.LOL. Tonight iI will snuggle in front of the wood stove with a Gin and tonic and my book. I am reading two at the moment. Sue Grafton's "S is for Silence"- it is light and easy reading. And"Snow" by Orhan Pamuk- it is dark and slow-going but very interesting. It is set in small town Turkey. It provides a good insight into the political/ religious/social problems that plague that country. I will read Sue tonight I think.

How did your acupuncture session go today Laura?

I will put on my Animal print stuff tonight and take some pics. I have a coat(10 years old) and a silk PJ set. WARNING-I do not look like some of those models.LOL.

Amy, Hi ,if you are lurking.

Fists up!

TracySeattle

Oh MaryAnne I Love Blizzards!!!! I miss snow days snuggled by the fire! Stay warm, safe and enjoy!

**sniff** I don't have any animal print stuff yet!!! I have to get going on that one!

RoseMarie

Mary, did I ever mention I have a cousin who works at the Univ. of Rochester on some sort of mega-laser. Small world!
Laura, I'm packing!!
OMG- you all crack me up!! Well, I DO look like that model in the bathing suit...in my dreams...
Debbie, when you take the wheel of the Porshe, I'll be brave and ride with you!! But, like Laura said, no curvy roads or hills!!
MaryAnne - when do you get to visit your dh??? You are amazing - I know you wish things could be different and I'm right there wishing with you!!
Had my follow up today with the PS - I drove 45 minutes for a 5 min. appt. oh well, everything looks good - I'm very "perky" (so watch out, I'm coming with head lights on!!!) but he assures me everything will settle down with time. I'll get tattoed in 2 months!! Yay, the end is in sight!
Ravdeb-thinking about you!!
Everyone else - lots of love!!!!!

marymelodi

Hi! Rosemarie and Debbie . . . I see you are both reading messages right now.
Mary

marymelodi

MaryAnne: I just read "S is for Silence". I love the Sue Grafton books and had them all until I generously gave A thru G to someone to read and she never returned them! Now I could wite the book, "M is for Mad that you didn't return my books!".

I am planning todo the same thing, snuggled up to a good book. I have a big fat one called "Helen of Troy." It is a novel, but tells the story from the point of view of Helen herself, starting from when she is a little girl. Very interesting and so far, well written enough to hold my interest. I have someone who will loan me "My Sisters Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. Right now my co-workers (nurses, social workers, and teachers) are all Jodi Picoult fans and when one of us gets a book of hers, we pass it around to everybody.

If you have never read any of her books, you should. She deals with current topics in an engaging and very sensitive manner.

I'm also a fan about Elizabeth Peters right now. She writes mysteries in which the main character is Amelia Peabody Emerson, an Egyptologist and her family of characters. I just discovered this series and to my delight, my library carries most of the titles and many on recorded books. I love to listen to a good book because I can knit and read at the same time. That is heaven to me.

I just started listening today to a history of Abraham Lincoln, "Team of Rivals", by Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of my favorite writers.

If I could have nine lives like a cat, one of them would have been spent as a historian, another as an opera singer, another as a mom, another as a teacher of reading, another as a dancer on Broadway, and on and on.

Hey, that's a good game for our group here.

If you could have nine lives . . . how would you spend them??

Okay, let's see what everyone would be or might be when they grow up!! lol

Leaving to go home from work now. It is 9 degrees outside and icy as can be. We've had snow every day this week, Tadah! Br-r-r-r-r!! I have extra pants, 2 hats, and 3 pairs of gloves to put on now.

bye~~
Mary

TracySeattle

Oh Girls!!! Stay warm!!!!

I am on the run, but want to play the 9 lives game later!

Off to the Boat show! Love you all!

Anonymous

Well, I bet TaDah will have some fun stuff to bring along on this cyber trip. And I bet she has some ideas about what we should do when our RV stops!! Hopefully, we have lots of coffee and Lemon Drop Martinis to keep us awake and partying!!!

debbie444

Hey - my drivings not that bad !! Its just when i do have a prang i do it good style - well if i am using the insurance i may as well make it worth their time processing the claim!! In fact if you dont count people reversing into me , i have only ever pranged one other car. Just after passing my test ( finally) i ripped the side skirts off of Rogers beloved Manta in a multi story carpark - but in my defence i did pay for another ticket to go back in and pick the parts back up!! Rose Marie - you will be perfectly safe with me - it will be like Thelma and Louise!!- its just that cars in America seem to have one of the pedals and a gear stick missing!!
Mary - i know you read a lot - have you read anything by Stephen Booth? Thety are set where i live - 'Dancing with the virgins' is a good one.
Just been to pick th ekids up as they were out last night. We were going out but felt rough with the cold so Rog ran me a bath with some candles and went to fetch a couple of bottles of wine and an Indian.
Hope everyone has a good weekend
Deb

debbie444

In Britain this is what Cheetah print means - this is what i am afraid of looking like!!

TracyNY

When the RV stops we'll be at a seafood restaurant on the water. Handsome, attentive waiters will attend to our every need and the wine and conversation will be flowing freely and sweetly.

I'm pondering the nine lives. I've already had at least four if I count the person I've been at different points in my life, I like this one the most though. In fantasy though one of my lives would involve being a kept woman!!