2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Curlylocks

I just wanted to say that Deb that I am also joining the Elephant Circle for our sister that feels left out. Victoria....I have always enjoyed your posts and you are welcome here! Please reconsider coming to Chicago as I was looking forward to meeting you. I thought you had booked your reservation already?

Have to go back to work but wanted to let our sister know that she is loved...

Michele

Love Your Bc Sister
Michele

Anonymous

Ravdeb, Victoria announced her cancellation via email and her reasons in that email as well. She did it off the board so I think this whole thing is confusing to others.

Of course, I support her. We are a group of sisters and she should not have to feel unsupported, unloved or unwanted.

On a side note: I don't want to be called an elephant, having a hard enough time with this weight gain, calling myself an elephant sister does not bring me a beautiful picture in my mind. I know what you are talking about when it comes to support, penguins do much the same thing...if you saw that movie and they are so much cuter. So, I can't put myself in and call myself an Elephant Sister. :`) Roctober sister is the best sister for me.

TracyNY

I went for the ultrasound yesterday and the technician told me that I have two beautiful ovaries, I need to forget the C word and go live my life. Apparently I have two small fibroids that could be the cause of my pelvic pain and I will have them monitored annually.

It is rather hot here in NYC at the moment, in the 80's. I have a tornado fan in my bathroom to blow directly on my face when I'm applying my make up so that the powder doesn't turn to paste! I don't mind the heat one bit, I'm an island girl at heart and enjoy the warm weather. All the better for wearing halter tops!!

I just got my bonus check so yes, I will be shopping this weekend!

ake

i'm 100% in the elephant circle and here for you, victoria. you know how i feel about you i'm here for all of my bc sisters....no matter what. isn't that why we continued this group after chemo?

i'm sorry i've been absent for a while. this puppy is kicking my arse! i have my cast still on my foot, which is making it hard. my husband has a pinched nerve in his neck, so he's miserable. i'm feeling a bit lower than usual just because i have no physical outlet at the gym because of my foot, i'm exhausted from the puppy, and feeling helpless in making my husband better. so, i'm doing the best that i can, but know that i read all your posts, i think about you all every day, and love you all

RoseMarie

TracyNy - so happy to hear about your perfect ovaries! Go spend your money!
Michele - have a wonderful weekend!
Amy - thinking about you and your dh!
Laura - can't wait to hear/see more about the news coverage - do you mean we'll all get to be famous?? Lol
TracyS- GOOD LUCK!!!!!
ok - brownie's are almost out of the oven...NO WONDER I've got a TRUE elephant behind!!! UGH!!
Have a great and restful weekend everyone!!!

Anonymous

I'm in the elephant circle as well, Victoria. We don't want you to fall! Rocktober sisters are here to put you up, not down!

Rosemarie: Brownies... yummy. I like mine with walnuts.

I went to have my nails done yesterday and for the first time in 20 years my manicurist said, "You have to see the doctor about your nails. I can't put the acrylic powder on until the doctor says it's okay!" Of course I panicked. I was puzzled why I was only now having problems with my nails when chemo was 2 years ago. Because I was very upset my doctor saw me right away. He looked at my nails and said they all looked good except for one, which he wasn't really worried about. He suggested to rest my nails from acrylic for six months. I'm okay with that. While I was with him we got to talking about my snoring. His battery of questions led to an application to go to a sleep study. Wouldn't it be interesting if my depression was caused by lack of sleep?

Anonymous

I would think that sleep deprivation could certainly cause depression.

chumfry

We're thinking about having my DH do a sleep study because I'm certain he has sleep apnea. Some nights he snores more than others, but when it's really bad, he almost sounds like he's got the hiccups as he gasps for air. Scary!

(I have lots and LOTS of earplugs.) (But I *do* make him roll over when he's doing that gulping for air thing.)

Had my 8th of 12 treatments this morning. Took a nice nap this afternoon and am feeling really good, so far. I can't see the finish line yet, but I definitely feel like I'm in the home stretch. Yay!

Anonymous

Isn't it weird how you even get accustomed to going to chemo? I know after the first few under my belt, it was just part of life. Thankfully, I am past it but you, Cindy, are doing so well!

chumfry

Yeah, I plan my life around how I'm going to feel each day. Luckily, it follows a pattern. On Saturdays, I have bright red cheeks and higher energy. (Courtesy of the pre-chemo steroids.) Sundays, I sleep all day. Mondays, I'm weak and wobbly. I have a little neuropathy, but very little muscle/joint pain. Doing pretty good!

Anonymous

Cindy: You're almost done! I'm pulling for you. You have been a trooper throughout all this.

Kelly: I remembered you while I was buying two cantaloupes today. How've you been?

ravdeb

Mornin',

RoseMarie...brownies...yum. Just the smell in the house is good enough for me!

Cindy..I remember that chemo schedule of the red cheeks, the crash and feeling better except for wobbly legs. You are a trooper, though, because you are in such good spirits the second time around. I applaud you!!

And send your hubby for a sleep test. I know many guys with this problem. It can be serious. Have him checked out.

And Brenda..you, too. You need your sleep and if this is the cause of your depression..well..find out!

Amy..oy. A puppy, a cast and a pinched nerve. What a combo! Good luck. When do you get the cast off?

Gotta run...

Paula15089

Count me in a circle as well! but i am with Kelly, dont call me an elephant... i'll settle for a penguin though...

Brenda, i've got my acrylics off before my recon op, and for the first time in my life i have grown my own nails without breaking them!! The answer - Dr Lewinns Revitanail. Its THE ONLY nail strenghtening treatment that has actually worked for me. Its made in Australia though, so not sure if you can find it in US..

chumfry

I kind of like being an elephant sister. I shared the story behind it with my May chemo sisters and they really liked it, too. I guess I see elephants as being very strong and I like the image of them making a circle around a sick sister and leaning in, so she has no room to fall down. It's almost like they're saying: "Yeah, I don't care if you *do* want to fall down. We're not going to let you. Too bad for you."

ravdeb

I like the elephants, too. Penquins are always dressed in suits and never seem to relax! Elephants are also holy animals in some religions. I don't know why that is. But they are strong and I like the way they are big and tough but still caring.

However..my algebra teacher freshman year in high school walked like a penquin and I liked him!

Tracy in Seattle...hope Aquafest is going well!

cathy987

An Essay on Elephants

Some sisters love elephants.

Some sisters even collect elephants.

Many sisters relate to elephants positively, especially the image of them surrounding an elephant sister so she can’t fall.

A few sisters relate to elephants negatively, especially as in “as big as an e…”

At least one sister googled “skinny elephant” (than would be me!)

She found “elephant jokes” which she had all but forgotten.

She laughed out loud at one she didn’t remember.

What do you get if you cross an elephant and a kangaroo?
Big holes all over Australia!

She googled “elephant jokes history” because she has an obsessive need to know when these jokes started. Answer—1962.

She googled on. Elephants blind men—and found a fondly remembered story, She surfed a bit here because she found the history of the story interesting.

She googled “elephant in the room”

And concluded that”

Some sisters ignore an elephant in the room. While

Some sisters don’t know there is an elephant in the room.

And at any given time or place any one of us could be one or the other of these sisters.

Conclusion: some days I have way too much time on my hands but Elephant sisters, Rocktober sisters or just plain sisters, love and support are the most important words here.

And please don't get me started on penguins.



Have a fun weekend friends.

cathy987

P.S. Thanks Brenda for originally sharing the elephant circle story. Something I learned from a sister and not from google.

Anonymous

Cathy, you crack me up!

Anonymous

RoseMarie

Love it - thanks Cathy!

Amy - hope you and your dh are feeling well today!! We are going back to tennis tommorow - we have Lilly sponsored court side tickets! Never heard of Andy Roddick before but I'll get to see him up close! And we have a sitter - woohoo, a date!
Cindy - I truly admire your attitude through all of this and YES the end is in sight!!
Mary - thinking about you - how are you doing??? Hope your having a wonderful and restful weekend.
Debbie - hope Legoland and camping are working out!!

Ok, got to go...

Have a great day ladies!!

Anonymous

I never thought of the Elephant Circle in relation to size...I thought of it as a demonstration of strength not size.

Afterall, a Mouse Circle could hold up an ailing mouse.

Anonymous

That's cuz you're so tiny my dear!! I am just self conscious, that's all .... going to talk to the dr about my thyroid and no hormones any more. The good thing is that Little Girl has learned to ride a bike so we are buying a new bike, courtesy of my dad, for her since he kept hers in Palm Springs. We are going bike riding on the beach tomorrow with her new bike and Mommy will get some much needed exercize.

ravdeb

You go Girl, Kelly! Ride that bike. I'm in so much need of exercise it's pathetic. I now have a "granny middle" without the grandchildren. I used to exercise obsessively and I now show that I obsessively do NOT exercise. I've got my helmet and big fanny seat on the bike but no will to use it. Haven't walked on the beach for a week because of the excessive heat here. They say the temps will go down to maybe 90 or below tomorrow so I'll walk the beach tomorrow I hope.

Cathy...lovely essay. Thanks!

I'm off to see a surgeon who is a specialist (not in bc but all I need is that word next to his name and a "hello" from our local nurse) to see if he will refer me to an LE therapist so that my insurance will pay for it. I don't have much time..am leaving in about 2 weeks and I wanted to see if I could get a sleeve and glove before then. I know. I should have pushed for this long ago. But, I didn't because I couldn't get a letter from any doctor last year but I apparently went about it the wrong way. So, we'll see. Our local nurse said that if I can get the surgeon to say it's an emergency, then they will push it and I'll have it before I leave. She said it all depends on this doctor. hmmmmm.... I am friendly with the nurses who work where this doctor is..one of them has a daughter who had bc...so they may push me through, too. I will see what I can do. Wish me luck! My biggest problem is explaining what I want in Hebrew. I explained it to the local nurse and she sorta understood me. ugh.

My youngest son just told me that his friend's mom was just diagnosed with bc. My son and this kid and some others were just on a cruise and the whole time his mom was trying to get a hold of her son to tell him. But, he didn't have his phone. She got a hold of my older son and somehow they were connected. I told my son to have her call me if she wants support.

In the meantime, a prominent resident here in our village died yesterday evening from lung cancer. He had been diagnosed a month ago and it had spread all over. He had a heart attack a week ago and had been in the hospital ever since. My FIL is in the hospital and so we saw the family as we were leaving...we saw his grandson who was a student of mine.

This disease doesn't give up. I will say that he was a heavy smoker but many heavy smokers never get this disease and non-smokers are getting it...He was 74.

TracyNY

I believe everyone has a touch of cancer in them. Its just a matter of the environmental triggers align in the "right" combination to make it manifest itself. No other explanation makes sense to me. There are health nuts who get it and people who smoke like chimneys that don't. Its unfortunate either way.

I am slaving over the stove so that I can avoid the kitchen for the rest of the week, its too hot for all this. I've made arroz y gandules, roast pork, corn pudding, sausage and ricotta bake so far. I think its time for a nap!

ravdeb

I think, Tracy, that we each have a DNA make up that will either allow cells to progress to cancerous growths or now. I suppose environment has something to do with it,too, but I honestly believe that some people will get it and others not just because of their DNA make up.

Anonymous

Cathy: I learned about elephants' empathy for each other in my other support group. When I researched this I also found out that they seem to mourn other elephants who have died.

Kelly: I admire male penguins for their enthusiasm and determination to help in the caring of their offspring. I learned from you that they (penguins, regardless of gender) are also capable of sympathizing with each other. Thanks for the info.

TracyNY and Ravdeb: My opinion is that there is a stress factor. Some people react to stress better than others. At my lowest point I actually felt activity below my left armpit! My anger reached those cells and made them crazy. I even told my little ones about the funny feeling in my left chest before taking the next day off. Of course they all spread a rumor that I was having a heart attack! It is only now that I am stress free that I can laugh about it.

Anonymous

Hi Girls,
Just poppin' in to say hi. dh and I have spent the entire weekend in the forest. We created two additional paths and be cleared lots of bad vegetation. I AM EXHAUSTED! 6 acres is a ton of work!

Hope you're all doing well...and having a great weekend...I wish I was at LegoLand with the Wards...I bet they're having a great time!

Anonymous

Laura: FYI there's a Legoland right here in Southern CA. Next time you visit, let me know, and I might be able to take you there. Sean thinks he's too old for Legoland (He'll be 12 in Aug.). I'm not!

Anonymous

Brenda -
I might be in San Fran in Sept. maybe Roy and I can drive down the coast and visit LegoLand with you and your darling little ones! My plans are sketchy at this point, but hey...maybe!

Graycie

Cathy, That's a good one........love it too.........lol

Cindy, I agree you have the best attitude, you are a real trooper.

Ravdeb, I can relate to the granny middle and I'm a granny to go along with it.......lol ... I keep forgetting about the sleeve. Should we all have one if we are going to fly?

TracyNY, I agree about the cancer cell's laying dormant in our bodies and something comes along in our environment that can trigger them to wake-up sort of speak. Ravdeb, you could be right too about the DNA.......I wish they knew. But now I am reading what Brenda wrote and I am beginning to think stress does play a part in it too. I wish they would just figure it out so maybe we can do something about it before it happens.

OMG Laura, That's a lot of work.......I wish I had half your energy.

I have been going myself since Friday but no physical labor.............lol.........Just a lot of running around in the car, out to eat a couple times with friends. I am so mad that I didn't get a chance to work outside in the yard and now it is back to work tomorrow. Actually I have an appointment in the morning with the ENT doctor and of course the dizzy spell's have finally gone away. I am still going to see what he has to say.

I forgot the Wards are in Legoland. I hope they are having fun. I agree Brenda you are never too old.