2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Graycie

Oh good it worked...I am not writing long posts anymore in fear of losing them..
Kate, Sure I remember you. I am sorry to hear you are having so many health issues. Good Luck with the Taxol.
Rosemarie and Amy, I also have some pain and itching under my arm sometimes plus the side of my breast. What is cording?
Marymelodi, I see you have a picture now. That's great, I think we are the only thread with almost everyone having a picture. Brenda, I am praying for you. I see you haven't been on in a couple days. I hope everything is all right.
I am glad to see everybody is still pretty healthy. I really am going to try and get on here more often. Just a couple days and you miss alot. I just realized I missed over a week. Now that is bad. You are all a big part of my life and I love you all...
Graycie

ake

graycie....glad to see you're back we missed you!

sherryhaire

Finally have an appointment to have my port removed next week---Hope it is easier taking it out than putting it in

Anonymous

Hi Everyone -

Wow - Everything from Degrees to Oopherectomies to Nipples to Piercings...we are a wild and crazy group! But that's why we're called the ROCKTOBER GIRLS!

Debbie -
So happy you're surgery went well!

Sherryhaire -
All I can say is PORT BE GONE! I loathed mine! I demanded it be taken out 1 week after chemo ended (my Onc. wasn't too happy, but oh well!). What goes in - must come out. LOL And yes, removing it is easier and faster than having it put in.

Laura

Graycie

I still have my port.....My ONC doesn't seem to be too anxious to take it out.....
TDA.....pierced fake nipples? How do you do that? Don't get it......HA

marymelodi

Hello! To everyone:
I’ve been unable to write for a couple of days. Last night I gave the talk about getting mammograms to my church women’s group and I had spent the previous couple of nights making notes, getting my thoughts organized, etc. Then today is my husband’s 50th birthday so I was doing some preparations for that, also.

Graycie: good to “hear” from you again. I am writing my posts now in my word processing program and then copying it into the discussion board. That way I can go back and forth and answer people without losing what I just wrote.

Amy: okay – I do think that is kind of a weird appointment to schedule – but, aren’t you glad that you can schedule the procedure? I hope it will be easy and the result will be just what you want.

Debbie: I am so glad you are doing well and can waddle around. Hope your healing is swift and successful.

Tracy (tda): you work for the Salvation Army? Oh my, that would be quite something to have one of your colleagues spot you in one of “those” shops. I’ll be interested to hear about your adventures.

Sherryhaire: when I had my port taken out it was MUCH easier and faster than when they put it in. I just needed one dose of the anesthetic and the “relaxing” meds. When they put the thing in I had to have a second dose because they took so long and then I had to wait awhile for them to take x-rays to be sure it was all in the right position. In the procedure for the removal the longest part was the putting in the stitches to close up the incision. Hope it goes well for you. I agree with Laura, I was glad to get it out one week after the last chemo.

Ravdeb: when do you start your trip? Will you be able to send us any messages while you travel? How will we get along without you?

Terynsmom & Laura: how are you doing? Gone out topless yet? Now, new people that meet me at work think I just chose to have this shorty hairdo. Last week a lady said, “Oh, I wish I was brave enough to wear my hair that short.” I just said, “I like it this way.” She doesn’t know how brave I had to be to get this hairdo, right?

So, my little talk about getting mammograms was well received. There were about 30 women who attended and I repeated over and over, “Go get your mammogram.” I had some pink post-its with the breast cancer ribbon on them and I gave everyone a note to put in their date book to remind them. One gal came to me afterward. She is 43 and has never had a mammo. She has been procrastinating. I offered to schedule my follow-up for the same day so we could go together but she is going to a different facility than I use. She asked me to help her by asking her each Sunday, “when is your appointment?” so that she will just make the call and get it scheduled. If she hasn’t done it in a couple of weeks, I’ll offer to take her to lunch and sweeten the deal. Her daughter was in my Youth Group class and I feel close to the family so I want to help this mom be sure she is healthy and not to worry about BC. There were also some older ladies who wondered if they should keep getting mammos and I said, “Yes, yes, yes” since the chance of getting BC increases with age. Another gal made the comment that she just thinks she is too busy working, kids, etc. I just said, “It takes much more time to get treated for cancer than it takes to get a mammogram and cancer hurts a lot more, too.” So, I tried encouraging everybody and I plan to raise my hand at all future women’s meetings during the announcements and say, “Just reminding everyone to do their self-check and get their mammograms.” They’ll probably get sick of me in a couple of months but I don’t care. I’m glad to be a nag about mammograms and breast health so that no one I know in that group will have this experience. Sadly, with the statistic of a 1 in 8 chance, probably at least 2 or 3 of them could get BC in their lifetimes.

I did use the suggestions you all gave to me and I thank you gratefully for them. You’ll never know how important you sharing, open hearts are to me. Love to all,

debbie444

Welcome back Gracie - you should know by now not to take your eyes off of us for too long!

Mary - you should feel so proud of yourself for what you have done / are doing. You have the knowledge now that you will probably save someones life - that is one big acheivement and I for one wish I had had someone like you 'before'. I am just glad I have you now!
Kelly - are you doing the oophrectomy too? The scars look good. I had had a keyhole before for an ectopic so they used the tiny cross scar in my tummy button again, I have a small cross scar yo the left of my abdomen and they went in through my ectopic surgery scar for the actual removal and that is just under an inch long. I could have been out earlier but they put a litre and a half of fluid into my abdomen to stop things sticking together (lovely!) and by all accounts in some cases this leaks out through scars. Well, with my track record - yes it all leaked out. I thought if i was going to continuously leak for 24 hrs i would rather it be on their bed than mine!! Now i feel great, just have to keep reminding myself to go steady. Hoping my stomach goes down enough to get into some decent clothes for Marks Communion this Saturday!
Cant wait to hear about Traceys nipple trip. Can you imagine going through customs " and whats in this bag miss?""oh just my nipples!" Fantastic!
Take care everyone
Debbie

TracyNY

Quote:

---

TDA.....pierced fake nipples? How do you do that? Don't get it......HA

---

Nah, I'm going to pierce the new ones that my PS is going to make later in the year. In the meantime, I plan to purchase fake nipples so that I can test drive before I buy!

I was considering not getting nipples done so that I could be braless forever. When I was discussing this with my PS and telling him about a dream I had where I was getting my nipples pierced, he told me that he could do the piercing for me. That piqued my interest and started me looking for fake nipples.

I'll definitely get them this weekend and report to the Rocktober girls how they work!

Graycie

TDA, You are too FUNNY! Keep us posted.....

ake

as always, you crack me up, tda

it's so funny with nipple reconstruction...i'm so excited to have surgery scheduled, but I always have to remind myself that it's not always the most appropriate thing to talk about with people outside the breast cancer world such a weird life we live!

i'm off to virignia beach this weekend to hang out with my parents and my husband and relax and enjoy the sun. my parents live at the oceanfront, so it's going to be beach for the entire weekend. have a great weekend everyone!!!

RoseMarie

Hello everyone!!! I haven't heard from my ps's "scheduling lady" yet...all this talk of nipples and ports...I was told a week and a half ago that the scheduling nurse would get up with me to schedule surgery...I guess I need to follow up - feeling a little jealous I had considered no nipples too but my husband thinks I should go for the nipples. He'll go along with whatever I want but I thought it was funny...

lots of love to all..

RoseMarie

Debbie - so glad to hear you're getting around, by the way!!!!!

TracyNY

Don't be jealous Rosemarie, we'll be right here cheering you on when you get to reveal your newness!!

I just came back from my onc. Sweet as a nut, as we say in England!! Don't have to go back until October. I stopped at Ann Taylor on my way back, bought my first dress in about 15 years (I'm a separates girl) and its a halter!!

Y'all are going to be sick of me and my cuteness before this summer is out!!

Have fun in Virginia Beach, Amy. I need to go there one day, so many people go and have a good time, I want to see what its all about.

ake

it's my hometown...it's the best

ake

the randomness of my life continues...i was selected with some other young women on young survival coalition to have my picture featured on Nutra Nail products during October. it's for breast cancer awareness in young women and online, there will be a link from Nutra Nails' website to my survivor story on young survival coalition

here's the link to my survivor story on YSC...it was therapeutic to write

http://youngsurvival.org/young-women-and-bc/survivor-stories/?itemid=1049

Anonymous

Thank you for your posts. You made me cry, but in a good way. I remember feeling the same way when I went in for my "healing touch" session at the hospital. I felt MERCY. I asked the holistic nurse if she felt sorry for me. She said, "No, it is all channeled through me. Mercy came from a higher place."

debbie444

Amy - from cancer diagnosis to pin up in under a year - what a strange and bizarre world you live in!
P.S shouldnt you be listed as Dr Amy now??

Debbie

ake

hee hee i've been dr. amy actually for 2 years (got my doctorate in 2004) but now i'm licensed dr. amy

ravdeb

You ladies crack me up!!! I'm sitting here laughing and my daughter thinks I'm nuts!

I think that the license makes you much more official, Dr. Amy :-)

I wish you all luck on your nipples!

Graycie..good to read you :-)

Debbie...hope you stop waddling soon. Sounds like you are doing okay.

You all sound so good and I feel fine but today I got an e-mail from my bc friend here in Israel..she has 4 more Taxols out of 12...did 4 AC every 3 weeks and is doing herceptin. She went yesterday to the onc (same onc I have) for a check up and the onc found a lump in her other breast! Not all that small, either. Her last physical check up was April 30th.

She's in shock. They couldn't get her in for an ultrasound yesterday and her name is on an urgent list.

Can this be after all that chemo and herceptin? She's hormone neg, node neg and tumor was 2.5 cm. I am in shock! Maybe it's a cyst???

She said that the onc was so tired as it was the end of the day and she's 8 months pregnant that she didn't even try to cheer my friend up and she hardly smiled which is so unlike this onc..all she does is smile when I see her and I just saw her this week.

So worried about my friend and feeling so badly for her. I met her on these boards actually and she lurks here but doesn't post much.

What do all you ladies think???

And please send some prayers her way...........

Anonymous

ravdeb -
I hope everything goes well for your friend. Please keep us posted.
Laura

Anonymous

Ravdeb,
I bet it's just a cyst. After all the treatments she has gone through, it can't be that deadly. I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

marymelodi

Ravdeb:
I also hope that your friend's new "lump" is benign. I was reading up for my talk earlier in the week and re-read that more than 80% of "lumps" turn out to be benign. I pray she is in that category.
blessings -

TracyNY

Someone wrote in a posting "Breast cancer, the gift that keeps on giving..." It never seems to end does it? I hope things work out for your friend Ravdeb. I pray that its not God's plan for me to have to travel this path again. However, I was thinking about this in the Rite Aid just now, its like having an employee or co-worker that gets on your nerves. When they take the day off you feel so good that you don't have to deal with them for a while.

That's how I feel about cancer. Its gone now, whether its temporarily or forever, I'm going to enjoy my time without it. I won't let it spoil the time I have while its gone.

What was I doing in Rite Aid? Filling my ativan prescription. I couldn't stand how it made me feel while I was on chemo, too sleepy, but now that that's over, I like to take one at night every once in a while.

I needed one last night when the people two doors down (the neighborhood weed spot!) decided that they were going to cuss each other out for about four hours straight. Loud. The cops came and left and they were still at it! He cussed her about her $2 weave and $7 sneakers!! I was rolling!! It would have been funnier if I wasn't trying to get some sleep!!

Anonymous

The neighborhood weed spot!! tda, you should write for David Letterman!! Now I realize why I come to this particular forum: to get nourished and entertained!

Anonymous

GIRLS -

I don't know how much more I can deal with!

Yesterday I had my 3 month post-chemo Onc appt. Back in April (right b/4 I left for my trip to MX) I had a CT of my chest. Results read: "Multiple tiny nodules are noted throughout both lungs. 3 month follow-up CT advised for possible growth/change". So, I will be having the follow-up CT within the next two weeks. I'm trying not to freak out. Onc said "nodules" show up all the time and it does not necessarily indicate mets.

Moving right along...I am also due for my 6 month mammo on my remaining right breast. Since mammos failed me miserably on the left side, I requested a breast MRI, mainly because my breast tissue is extremely dense and fibrocystic. (My largest tumor, 3.9 cm wasn't palpable nor did it show on a mammo. Unfortunately, by the time it was discovered it was invasive/infiltrating and multi-focal.) So, I will also be having the MRI done within the next two weeks.

Here's the part that really shocked me:

He suggested I consider a Mast. of the right breast - regardless of the breast MRI results, due to having had ILC and because ILC is such a sneaky SOB and because of my dense tissue.

I have a decision to make. This is a tough one. Damn, I hate this. I had severe pain which lasted for months after the first Mast. I am quite upset and frightened, yet realistically I know what my decision should be.

I just needed to vent and reach out to you girls for support.

Laura

ravdeb

Laura...
I'm really sorry to hear about the new decision you will have to make. I can't help you here but I can listen as you talk it out here on the boards.

I'm sending you many many big hugs from across the seas, Laura, and thinking of you.........

And to marymelodi, Brenda, tda and Laura..thanks for the good wishes for my friend. She won't talk to me on the phone. I had left a message on her cell phone and I e-mailed her. She e-mailed me back that she is too depressed to talk right now but was going to push to get an ultrasound to check out the lump tomorrow. I am sure I'll hear from her after that.

tda..keep up your good humor. You are something!!!

debbie444

Ravdeb, thinking of your friend - she is lucky to have you and i am sure she gets comfort from knowing you will be there when she is ready.
Laura, I really dont know what to say only I am ready to listen. If it makes it any easier my first surgery was horrendous with multiple complications and pain. This last surgery ( admitedly for something different) couldnt have been more different. I now realise why the hospital staff said i had it rough last time if this is how its supposed to go. I sort of know how you feel, my ovary was sent off for testing as it was enlarged ( hopefully with a cyst) and the nurse thinks my smear test will come back needing doing again but because it is a new system it will be 10 weeks before i know anything!
On another note, today was Marks communion. Was too swollen to get into the dress i was planning to wear but apart from that had a lovely day with family over for lunch after. My dad was even well enough to be brought over for half an hour which was nice, he hasnt been anywhere except thehospital for weeks, we hope his anti depressants kick in soon and that will help him.



I no longer waddle ( stagger a bit but no waddle!) and went into work to see the kids on Fri afternoon which was nice. Back at work on Tues.
Hope you all have a good weekend,
Debbie

Anonymous

Laura... I am praying for you. Hang in there...
Debbie, what a nice photo! Your kids look like angels. Your hair is amazingly dark! (For some reason I thought you were a redhead.)

I've been writing like a fiend in my journal. It seems to help.

TracyNY

Oh Laura, I am so sorry that you have this mess to wrestle with. I will pray that it is nothing.

On the other hand, think about this. When I was diagnosed, I had lumpectomies first and then was told I had to have bilateral. Had my first news been that both my breasts had to go, trust me, I would not be here sharing all my frivolities with you guys. I'd be banging my head on a padded wall down at Bellevue somewhere.

I think that having a bit of time to process the whole cancer situation made it less devastating for me. I know we October girls are getting to the end of treatment and looking forward to life without the cloud hanging over our heads. Perhaps you have this hurdle to jump before this happens for you.

I hope not. I will send up a fervent prayer for you tomorrow. My morning prayers are much stronger than my night prayers, plus it will be Sunday too?! God will be well listening!

RoseMarie

Laura,
My prayers will be with you too!! I had a prophylactic (sp?) mast. on the right side and that side gave me much less trouble than my left. Possibly because no lymph nodes were removed...anyway, I WILL be praying for you!!!!!

Feeling so flipping down today...hate it!! My neighbor across the street is having a cook out/party. Another neighbor told me about it - sounded like an invite and then she ended the conversation by saying, "just in case you're wondering what we're doing over there." Too weird - ok I'm like my 8 year old complaining about not having friends...geesh, what is wrong with me?!!! (Oh yeah, why did I move here again???) AHHHHHHHHHH