2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

ravdeb

CINDY...THINKING OF YOU TODAY!!!

Laura..beautiful house. We also have a house full of windows and when we built it everybody told us we were nuts...who would wash the windows??? It's very sandy and dusty here so our windows are ALWAYS dirty. It used to take me a week to wash all the windows and then they'd just be dusty again. Now I have somebody come in and wash them all for me. A whole crew comes in, takes all the windows out (cats come running in through the house!) and they do it all in a day.

Debbie..that was quite a wild day at the nursery! I waited a month to have the follow up ultrasound after the mammogram showed what they said appeared to be benign. It doesn't make any difference. Two weeks just means you have to wait longer. Sounds like it's really nothing, though. Hope so..

Tracy..hope you get a job in your area! And at Susan Komen?? Sounds perfect for you. Good luck!!

Kelly...That's great that you got your date! You are going to be one sexy lady (as though you aren't already!) when this is over. I wish you the best!!!

Wow..lots of surgeries and tests going on, huh??

I see my doctor this afternoon about my thyroid. I'm still weak and pushing liquids but am eating a bit more and will try to force more food down to give me strength. I won't make it to the beach today (haven't been there in such a long time) because I have some other things to do and feel so weak, still. Hopefully this will pass. I just had some oatmeal but that really didn't make me feel stronger.

Mary..enjoy your dog sitting!!!

V..glad the tail bone is feeling better!

Sorry if I'm missing people...Not meaning to...

How is Brenda these days???

Mary-Anne..I've never been on a walk. Am I the only one? They don't have them here. And if they do, then they aren't advertised. They are always looking for money for cancer and I'm always giving money to something but no walks that I know of.

Be well Ladies.
Best wishes to Cindy.

debbie444

OMG - perhaps thats it - they are all going to grow up like me!!!!! LOL
Laura - lovely house , are the photo colours 'true' or are they different? It looks lovely in th ewoods. We had a bird fly into the conservatory windows the other day - it left a perfect grease print of a bird in flight.
Tracey - noone would be more perfect for that job than you!!!!!
Maryanne - your weather is doing what ours is. Its rained the past few days - the first time in about 6 weeks - i think our Summer is over and done with now!
Mary - Sam would like to book you in for dog sitting while we are away - now just the small prob of getting hime to you! When i was little my gran used to carry her little dog Suki around in her shopping bag, decades before it got trendy ( we just thought she was losing it) perhaps i can squeeze him in a case?? He is in disgrace anyway - popped home for lunch and he disappeared , found him with his head stuck in a tub of sweets, - they were the sour gummy sort , he had fizzy stuff stuck all over his face and he ate about a pound in weight!! Why are little dogs so greedy?????
Have a good day ladies
Debbie
Kelly - glad you have date set up for surgery - i bet Teryn is already thinking of those meals out with Grand dad!!

RoseMarie

"checking in" and saying a prayer for Cindy.
Kelly - so happy for you. I will say that the exchange part was real easy for me - I believe you'll do great and look fabulous!

Will be back later - hope you all wake up to a wonderful day - it's raining here but we sure needed it!

ravdeb

Debbie...does Sam have a tummy ache now? Casey does this all the time but not for sweets of any kind. She waits til somebody forgets to close the cabinet where the garbage bag is. Then she makes a dash for it to see if there are any nice bones to steal! She will sometimes grab a plastic bag that somebody will leave in the pantry filled with cereal or crackers or biscuits and take them to her bed and eat them in bed! HOw spoiled is that???

Hi RoseMarie..have a good day!

ake

good luck cindy i'm thinking of you!!!!!!!

Paula15089

Cindy - adding to the list of well-wishers! Good luck honey, you'll do just fine.

Amy, its weird seeing your new avatar - where is the hubby??!!

Laura, that house is stunning...

Victoria, lol, relocate to US?? you guys dont exactly give green cards away easily.. so i guess i am 'stuck' in good old Oz.

Kelly, your op is 2 days before mine! Good luck, hope everything goes well.

Mary-Anne, so, another Lat Flap in our group! Well at least i should be able to let you know what you can expect. Hehehe, i told my surgeon - if in doubt, go SMALLER. I must be the odd one out. I was never huge - C cup, but want to go down to a B. Am i crazy??

Graycie

Cindy, add me to the list..I am thinking of you today and I hope all goes well for you.

Paula, I am a C now since I gained weight but I liked being a B which has alway's been my size.

I'm supposed to be cleaning so I better run. I will catch-up later.

Anonymous

Hope everything goes well Cindy!

Rosemarie, loved the pictures of the Walk. Ours won't be til Sept, I think. But we will be doing it again. I hope everyone posts their pictures as we go on our walks this year. It's great your whole family did it with you!!!

Paula, I am so excited. I won't end up with a nipple on my mast side but I am still so excited since I am getting the other one lifted at the same time! My daughter is excited, too, she asked if they were going to be the same height!!! ROFL. When I also explained the other one would be soft again, she said that was good so she could lay on it again. She is still my 'boobie baby' LOL.

Debbie, your dog is a riot. I could just imagine him with candy all over his face!!

V-- hope you had fun shopping. I love shopping but I hate that I have had to shop since my size has increased since all this started out.

ravdeb

Just checking in...again, and thinking about Cindy...

Next week we will be busy with Kelly and Paula.

And my father in law has surgery next week..definitely not the same kind of surgery but he is having a valve replaced so a bit of reconstruction of a valve is on the menu...

debbie444

Posting with Cindy in mind - heres hoping to a speedy recovery.
Wow - what with all of these reconstructives ( my new word) going on , i can see we will have an awful lot of people parading around in flimsy swim wear in Aug !! Good luck to you all.
Paula - dont leave Oz - it will soon be full of Brits and you might not get back in!
Sam doesnt have a bad stomach - he seems a bit hyper tho - must be all of the e numbers.
Better go and water in my green house before it all fries
Debbie

cathy987

Don't have much time to post but also wanted to remember Cindy today.

Promise I'll catch up after work.

RoseMarie

On a sad note, Mike's Uncle Pete (the musician with the geoblastoma - brain tumor) died today. After surgery, radiation and chemo it really seemed like he was on the road to recovery. He even worked 1 more "gig." After the gig he developed all sorts of complications. He has been fighting staff infections, blot clots in his lungs, hematomas, even bed sores the size of his fist. It has been awful the last few weeks. His central nervous system was all out of whack - circulatory/respiratory systems where giving out. I am sooo glad we went down to see him in October. My dh is pretty sad - Pete was more like a dad than an uncle as his dad was pretty much out of the picture. Please keep his wife Pam in your prayers. Thanks!
I guess this is my way of grieving, please forgive. I have such awesome memories of visiting Pete and Pam and hanging out in the paradise that was their home. I know it's just meaningful to me but at peteharrismusic.com if you click "Meet Pete" there's a short video clip of him talking. That's Pete - relaxation king. I can't believe he's gone. I think Mike will probably fly down tomorrow and the kids and I will just stay here. I don't know what we'll do...

Graycie

Rosemarie, I am so sorry. I feel like I know him after visiting his site the last time you posted it. I have it in my favorites because I liked his music. He was very talented and he loved life to the fullest. He will be sadly missed. My thought's and prayer's will be with his wife Pam and you and your family.

cathy987

RoseMarie You don’t have to ask for forgiveness for sharing your grief here. As much as it is possible we understand your feelings. I’ve just finished listening to Pete’s video. It really tells what he was all about. What a nice man. Know that I too will add his wife Pam and your family to my prayers. ((((hugs)))) to you.

maryannecb

Hey V, any sign of Path report? How many more sleeps until Hawaii?

Cindy, don't expect to hear from you tonight but do hope you are a nice lala land of medication.

Ok, here are the pics of my latest sister gift. I love them, thanks so much Laura. I don't think I can wear them to work but they may turn up in Chicago. LOL.

chumfry

(This is Joel, Cindy's husband, posting in her stead while she recuperates at the hospital.)

And lo, it came to pass that the appointed hour draweth nigh, that hour of eight-and-thirty in a not-quite-warm-enough-to-be-pleasant evening. With baited breath, Cindy did dial the phone and inquire of the hour required for pre-surgery arrival. With agitated breath, she hung up, turned unto me, and said "Five forty-five in the morning!"

And lo, we were wroth. Even She Of The Morning did not abide the thought of wakening before even the birds. He Of the Night was further wroth, knowing full well that this would require breaking his fast at four-and-thirty, and knowing further well that his sleep schedule would be tossed into a cocked hat.

And yet, sleep did o'ertake this Pair in just time for proper REM cycles.

(Ahem. I'll can the overwrought stuff now. )

Anyway, we did get about five or six hours in, got to the hospital in time, and got checked in. Bonus: the parking lot was as barren as the dry desert. Further bonus: Cindy was the first surgery scheduled for her doc that day.

She went into pre-op around 7AM, and started in the OR about 45 minutes later. I went home and kept myself occupied, for the waiting room staff both encouraged it and pointed out how uncomfortable those chairs would get after three hours. Around noon, she got out, and I went up to her room around 2PM, which is when she got out of the recovery suites.

Results: tumor banished, breast tissue examined (nothing found), 4 sentinel nodes removed with nothing found, and tissue expander in place. Now she's up in her room, cruising on some good meds, already eating soup and oatmeal, and already preparing to go for a walk around the ward later this evening. You could make a movie title out of this: "So I Married an Amazon" or something.

So, all's well, in short. I'm going to be dropping off to bed here in a bit, but Cindy did want me to post an update for all of you before I did.

maryannecb

Thanks so much Joel. Glad she did well. are you sure you aren't taking some of Cindy's meds with the thee and thou stuff. ?LOL.

Fists up!

RoseMarie

Thank you so much Joel!!
Cindy - we love you gal!

Thanks for you kind words, ladies - love you all.

maryannecb

Rosemarie, just went back and read your post . So said about DH uncle. I liked his website. The letter from his family was touching. My computer is so old I couldn't get the video to play...

Fists up!

Anonymous

I only have time to address a few of you, but I will be hanging out, sipping a Mojito at the Internet Cafe at my resort in MX - so I will check in with you periodically!

Cindy -
Hoping the very best for you and dh. I hope you're resting comfortably and that you have a quick, painfree recovery.

RoseMarie -
My deepest sympathy to you, your dh and family. How tragic...and so very sad. I hope you all will find comfort in your memories of him. So sorry.

Mary-Anne -
FISTS UP - PINK ONES THAT IS! I just couldn't resist! Thanks for posting the pics! You look great! Since I have a pair too, do you want to have a boxing match in August! LOL Ladies...place your bets! LOL

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

EVERYONE (and I do mean everyone) -
Gosh...I have missed you all today! I am crazy busy preparing to leave. Between work and packing and pedicure and basement painters, and general contractor and etc.! It took me 8 hours (on and off) to pack, but then dh comes home and packs in 20 minutes! Arghhhhh...
I'm dealing with pre-flight jitters right now, it happens every time I fly. But I also am dealing with an unusual numbness/creepy pain near my clavicals. It's scaring me a little, but there's nothing that I can do about it until I get back. And hopefully, it will be gone by then and in the meantime, I will try to not worry about it. My next post will be from MX! Yay!

Michele -
The painters are done in the basement!. I love the colors...will post photos when I get back...hope you're done with the final touches on your masterpiece! You have been an inspiration!

maryannecb

V, if you can't self calm, then nothing like Ativan to help you out. 1mg sublingually works like a charm for most. Not good for longterm use as it is highly addictive.

Are they planning rads?

Fists up!

Paula15089

Joel, thanks so much for updating us! I struggled with the fist half of your post though i have to admit...

V., i second the Ativan suggestion. Good stuff with no hangover side effects.

Mary-Anne, love the gloves and the HAIR is adorable. Does your curl show any sign of relaxing? Hey, check out this website: www .naturallycurly.com. Great tips for curly heads.

maryannecb

No, my hair gets wilder by the day.Believe it or not I had a heavy waxy type cream on those bangs this morning to keep them to the side. By lunch time , BOING!!!!!!! I will check out the tips. I guess I need to just go with them somehow. I think my hair looks like yours, you are two months ahead though. Any sign of your relaxing?

Have a great trip Laura. And.. I only fight cancer, not my chemo sisters.LOL.

Fists up!

Curlylocks

Hello my dear sisters!

I found out yesterday that the resort that we are going to for our trip in the fall charged us 5 Deposit Reservations of $400 U.S. = $2000 U.S.

We were having problems with booking the trip online through the resort but in the end it only gave me one confirmation #. The girl called me yesterday and told me the lovely news that we were being charged $2000 U.S. for 5 reservations of $400 U.S. for the same date!! I said well that would be nice if my dh and 3 other friends could come but we can only afford the one deposit right now. She said they would put through the refund for $1600 U.S but it could take up to 1 week. They are a very reputable resort and don’t know why we were charged for five bookings except for when I was having problems and thought it wasn’t accepting our credit card it was.LOL. I looked at our credit card statement online and sure enough we have been charged for it already….argh!!! We have been so busy with organizing everything for our listing on Friday I haven’t had a chance to tell my DH yet, he’s gonna flip….

Our neighbour two doors over is putting up her home for sale. It has a bit more property that ours put is a tiny, tiny old war home with siding. My dh thinks it is good as it will be good competition having two homes for sale so close to each other, we will see.

Today was a pretty busy day at work and had a 2 ½ hour HR conference call this afternoon, it was enough to make me want to fall asleep.

Okay we are totally stressed right now and worrying about something else besides bc for a change…

I got home and was working on wallpapering the dining room, have 2 walls left and then we are done with renovating, just cleaning up left to do. My hubby was out and is still out setting fires in the backyard, no seriously he is raking up the twings on the lot and burning them. We are not having any showings until Monday, just the real estate agent coming to list the house on Friday night but it does have to look presentable for the pictures. Geez I have so tired and will be so glad when the weekend is over and we are fully organized for this crap…

I lost my lymphodema sleeve, cant find it anywhere!! Don’t even remember where I took if off, if I did I would know where it was….OMG some days it feels like I am loosing my marbels.

Joel – thanks for updating us on Cindy. Glad to hear that she made it through surgery uneventfully and is recuperating now. Rest my dear sister.

Maryanne – no not related to Mike Holmes in anyway. I wish I knew him would make things so much easier and a lot less work. Are you catching up on your sleep from your son’s awake over, that’s funny…teenagers have so much energy? I owe the government money this year as they didn’t take off enough tax when I was off on disability but the good news is that my dh got his refund so I will now do mine this weekend.

Are you talking about the relay for Life with the lit candles?

Love the pink boxing gloves, how perfect….FISTS UP, PINK ONES TOO!!!!

Victoria – thanks for the compliment on the cupboards, we are very pleased with the way it turned out well worth the hassles and inconvenience but I don’t know how people live in renovation land for months on end…

We are in this together suffering the lack of hormones. I use to be able to rhyme off numbers, names no problem and was quick to think on my feet. I struggle now to do simple tasks at work due to lack of concentration and poor memory.. sometimes it gets so frustrating. You are right though I am glad to be alive but do miss the old carefree days prior to bc.

So you are going to Hawaii after all, you will love it…think I told you that my youngest sister has been with my parents.

Amy – I had been watching the bachelor but have missed the past few episodes due to been so busy around the house here. I watch it too as it is mindless and is an escape from the real world just like my Young and The Restless. Love that soap!

Laura – thanks for the pm and advice on the driveway! Enjoy your trip and have a few pina coladas for me. I can remember wearing my first survivor pink tshirt at the “Run for the Cure” last October at my first year anniversary. It was so surreal and when the speaker announcing us “survivors” were marching into the area I had to think twice, yeah that’s me standing there that everyone is clapping for. Last year “victim” would have fit the bill, but I don’t feel that way most days now. We are all “SURVIVORS”!!!

Your dog sounds like a real charm, stealing candy out of people’s purses. Our puppy would just chew the purse. She got a hold of my older sister’s running shoes a few weeks ago and chewed a nice little hole in the top of them, whoops! I did warn her not to leave her shoes in the front hallway…

Your home looks like my idea of a dream house, very, very nice! Love the benches with the way they are set around the fire pit.

Gracyie – glad to hear I;m not the only one missing part of my brain.LOL. What are the symptoms of cataracts?

Paula – sounds like you would have to be pretty well off to own a home in Sydney.

Debbie444 – What is the conversion from pounds to U.S. dollars? Trying to figure out the cost of a home in England…. It is best that your medical team errs on the side of caution and checks out the lump. How frustrating to have to wait 2 weeks for them to even check it out! You must have a lot of patience to deal with those little ones all day.

Sam is a little naughty dog, I can picture him with his face in the candy and his fur all sticky.

Deb – thanks we are almost done the kitchen/dining room, just have to finish 1 ½ walls and that whole area of the house is done!

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Mary – I agree with you the reality shows may be trashy but they are a really good escape from reality. We don’t watch much tv but enjoy watching “Survivor” together and the “Amazing Race”.

Kelly – glad to hear that your surgery has come up quickly, you are right…no time to think about being nervous if it happens so soon. May 2nd, that is soon!

Rosemarie – that sucks that your appt got messed up. That happened to me back in March, the office let on that I got things confused but were able to amazingly book me another appt 2 hours later, had to go home and come back…so it was there mistake as my GP is not that easy to get into see. I’m laughing about your remote control in your purse, did you find the house phone yet?

Tracyseattle – I wish you the best in finding a new job. Stress is not good for you if it starts to affect you physically.

Gosh, I;m getting tired and will have to catch up on the rest of the posts tomorrow….serves me right for missing one day.LOL.

Love you all.
Michele

Graycie

Thanks Joel for the update on Cindy. Glad she is doing well. Let her know they we are all thinking of her and wishing for a speedy recovery.

Maryanne, I love the gloves and your hair. It looks really cute....

Victoria or is it Veronica? lol...... Good New's, glad you got a good report with clean margin's.

Michele, What a story about the reservations. I would have been freaking out if that happened to me. Glad they aren't giving you a hard time getting your money back and good thing it wasn't airline ticket's. I think with cataracts things start looking cloudy. I just have the start so I can still see pretty good. You are too young and actually so am I. You usually get cataracts when you are older so no need to worry yet. Steroids from the nasal spray is what caused mine. I worried about the steroids during chemo but I don't think we were on them long enough to do any damage to our eyes.

Kelly, I'm happy that you got your surgery date and so soon. May 2nd is a good day. It is my sister's birthday.

Maryanne, Sorry you have to wait so long for your surgery. Can't they give you a professional courtesy and move it up a little? lol

I guess I should go to bed it's been a long day......goodnight everyone.

debbie444

Michelle - whats a siding ? Over here its where you park trains! The conversion at the moment is nearly 2 US$ to the 1£.
Joel - thanks for letting us know about Cindy - of course she is up and about - you married a Rocktoberite!!
Laura / Maryanne - the gloves are super , I bet you really couldnt guess what was in that parcel!! I cant see th epics - I am relying on the atvar.
Rosemarie - so sorry for you and your family. From reading the site ( i too have a clockwork computer so didnt see the video) I think he would be real chuffed to think that he has left you a legacy of fab memories - what more could a guy like that ask for?
Laura - have a good trip - have a paddle for me ( not jealous in the slightest hmmmmmmmmmmmmm)!!!!!!
where are the worldly one and the wise one today ? Brenda is AWOL again too.
To all my assorted friends - have a good day!!
Debbie

ravdeb

Joel..thanks for the update. I love your post. Great funny writer. I'm happy that Cindy so far has a good report. Keep us posted. You two must have lots of fun together! Please send Cindy my warmest wishes for a complete and easy recovery.

Laura..have a safe trip and have fun!

RoseMarie..I'm so sorry to hear about your dh's uncle. I haven't revisted the site yet but I marked it down and will revisit when I have more time. Very sad. This beast is horrible.

MaryAnne..I don't get the pics you posted but I see your avatar and you look great! Love the pink boxing gloves. Fists up Sister!

VeronicaNM...Have a good time away. Will miss you here...I hope the flight is not hard for you. Guess it's time for some druggies...

I have been learning a Torah reading on the computer (must chant it and have it practically memorized in 2 weeks)and roaming the boards and I have a million things I want to get done today so I must get going. Although I haven't eaten much yet, I am slowly eating more and feeling better. So, with that better feeling, it's time to clean my house, bake a cake, make some soup and then run off to a meeting later this evening.

So...have a good day everybody.

Curlylocks

Good Morning,

Awoke at 4:20 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep but slept really good from 10:00 p.m. until then. I will finish my post here and try to go back to sleep for another hour.

Tracyseattle – I missed the fact that you applied for an event coordinator position with Komen, how cool would that be. You would be perfectly suited to that!

Paula – it doesn’t seem like such a bad place to be stuck in Australia. The weather is perfect in my books, no winter or snow! I will have to check out the website for curly heads as mine has relaxed a little since it has gotten longer but is still sooo soo curly!!

Kelly – Teryn makes such cute remarks, I laughed out loud when I read the comment about your breast being the same height…

Deb – all the best to your father in law for his surgery next week. You must be feeling a little better if you can bake a cake. Send a piece our way, what kind are you making?

Rosemarie – condolences to your family on the death of Mike’s uncle. He seemed to really enjoy life by looking at his website, so not fair….

Victoria – wonderful news about your path report and thankfully no surprises. So I guess rads are the final part of your treament, what a relief! We will be hollering from our little small town of Acton once we sell the house, it will be a major accomplishment after all the work we have done.

Laura – woo hoo, they are done painting the basement already but I guess it does help when these guys do the work for a living---they are much quicker then the average person. Take your body and its worries and put them away for a week and RELAX, and enjoy your trip!

Gracyie – thanks for the explanation on the cataracts. Think I am okay but I always go to my annual eye docs appts, next one is in the Fall.

Debbie444 – siding is an aluminum covering that is put on the side of some homes here. Some have a combination of both like ours. It is all brick with aluminum siding on the top part. The all brick looks more attractive and last longer. Gosh that is expensive when I think of the conversion to Canadian dollars.

Have to go back for a quick snooze.

Hello to all my sisters missing in action and anyone that I have forgotten, not intentionally though.

Love
Michele

Graycie

Good morning everyone,
Laura you must be on your way to sunny Mexico, very envious, believe me. It has been doing nothing but rain for the past 2 days and they are calling for 2 more. I am getting pretty sick of it. What I wouldn't do for a vacation right about now.

Ravdeb, That must be hard having to learn Torah and be able to chant it especially in two weeks. I don't know if I could do that especially since I have a short attention span but you are smart so I bet it will come easy for you.

Michele, I was up a 4:00 am also but I did manage to go back to sleep and then I overslept. I hate that when that happen's. Are you getting the rain too? arghhhhhh

Everyone seem's to be talking about Ativan. Does it really work? I was given that once years ago but never took it and during chemo I was given Xanax. Which one work's better? I took a Xanax and I didn't think it did anything for me. Actually I took it before bed and I thought it kept me awake. Could that be possible?

I guess I better go and get something done around here. I have off from work but I have a lot of errands to do.
I hope everyone has a nice day!

Gracyie/Gail

ravdeb

Michele..hope you got some sleep! I am feeling better. I'm making a chocolate cake for my son's 21st birthday. Haven't made it yet cuz i was cleaning the house and playing on the computer and learning this Torah reading.

Gail..you are funny. I am not smart. Just familiar with this and I took a class and I learned to read Hebrew when I was young and it's just a thing I like to to. So, I keep coming to the computer where I can hear the cd and can practice it. Have to practice it every day up until the moment or it will slip from my menopausal mind.

We have hot, hot, hot, dry, dry, dry (10% humidity I think) weather. It's awful. I hate this weather. It's dusty and windy, too. My house really needed to be cleaned! My car, too. My son washed both my daughter's car and my van. Now I'll be able to see out the windows. It was just full of dust. YUCK!