anyone starting chemo in Nov 2005

Anonymous

Margerie, you seem so calm about it! Are you, or am I reading your post with the wrong interpretation (so hard to read emotions online!). I will keep you in my prayers. I am so glad that you have been keeping on top of things. Please keep us posted!!!!!!
Love and prayers, Debbie

kim825

MaryLou, You've been on my mind a lot lately and I am hoping and praying for B9 results. We are all with you tomorrow and holding your hand.
Nargerie, I am hoping and praying for B9 results also.
love and lots of hugs,
Kim

Anonymous

Mary Lou, I didn't look at the previous page until after I wrote a post to Margerie. Oh my gosh. I just don't even know what to think. I'd be scared, too. I of course will be praying intensely for you, too. This really sucks-I want nothing but happiness and health for all of us. Sometimes, I just don't get it, but like you said, it is in God's hands. He LOVES us. Your strong faith and trust in Him will carry you through this.

I know you and Margerie don't want to hear the usual awkward condolences that people sometimes utter in these situations....at least I know I wouldn't. I am just so deeply sorry that your journey keeps taking detours. It seems like lots of us have been taking those detours and searching desperately for a map to get back on track!
Wow, for once, I am at a loss for words.....I LOVE you all.
Love and prayers, Debbie

Margerie

Thanks Debbie, but please no one worry for me!

Alright, my oncologist called the ENT guy and they both said it is 99% probably "just" a multi-nodal goiter. I read up and only like 5% of thyroid nodules are cancerous. Even if it is the beast again, surgery and one radiation treatment is it and you are "cured". I can't believe if they tell me I have a goiter I will be happily excited.

I was just crossing things off my list, but new things keep getting added to this darn list.

Like Melissa Etheridge says "Well, it ain't chemo."

Tata,

Margerie

Odalys

Marjorie and Mary Lou - Both of you have gone thru so much and now this. No one should have to worry about mets or cancer returning. I am so sorry. I'll pray for B9 results too. Cancer will not win!!!!! keep us posted.

Love and Hugs...

pconn03

Mary Lou,
Holding you up in prayer for good results tomorrow!!! Please let us know when you can.
Hugs,Blessings and Prayers,
Pat

Nancy-SanDiego

Hello ladies. Mary Lou, we are all awaiting your news and sending tons of positive energy your way for a good outcome. I'm also hoping you don't have to wait long for the results. Wish we could give you lots of hugs tonight.

Sounds like "Tingle Toes" applies to many of us now. Carol, did you choose the name based on effects of chemo. I'd rather think it was because you were an avid dancer. This neuropathy is truly annoying and its encouraging to hear that it is going away, "OMAG". I can't open bottles, work small buttons/zippers anymore and it is getting harder to write or keyboard. When I stand (especially at night) I have to make sure I am centered before I start walking. I was supposed to get Taxol #11 today, but wbc went from 11 to 2 and neutrafills from 1500 to 600, so only got Herceptin. Will now do 3 Neupogens per week and add missing Taxol to week 13. This is new for me and ironically, it was such a good week. Felt good, no fevers, more energy, etc. Still have a bladder infection that is now 9 weeks old and on its fourth antibiotic with no luck. Odayl, I have my rad consult on 4/25 and am looking forward to seven weeks of uneventful treatment.

Anna, I love that you will let the doctor now and then let it go. Good advise for all of us.

Easter promises to be beautiful and I am doing brunch for the family and egg hunt(assuming no surprises between now and then) . Deb, sounds like Daniel will also be visited by the Easter Bunny. Wish you were closer, we would really make it an event.

Hope you all feel good (or better). Mary Lou, we are with you.

Nancy

kim825

MaryLou, was thinking of you today and waiting for your update.
Nancy, sorry to hear about the "bump" in treatment. Hope those WBC go up fat.

hugs for all,
Kim

Anonymous

Mary Lou-HOW ARE YOU?! Yes, I am screaming it so that maybe you can hear me from far far away! We are all so worried about you! Praying hard for you, my bc sister.

Kim-I have to giggle at your small typo "hope those WBC go up fat." It made me think of how I sometimes wish my perpetually skinny best friend would "go up fat." I know that isn't what you meant....sorry, it is totally the chemo brain. I referred to the volunteer at the onco. center today as Shelley (I've known her for 6 months now)and her name is SHIRLEY. Oh is that embarrassing, because I did it like, a thousand times!

Anyway, Nancy, I too am sorry about the small fork in your road of treatment. I don't know if you have had Neupogen before or not, but if not, I offer a small piece of advice, to get pain killers prescribed to you right away! It gave me more pain and misery than chemo did!

I'm imagine-planning a year reunion/get together in my head. How many of us would be interested in that? I think it would be great, because I just love you all dearly. It could be a family thing, too.

Gotta go to bed, Love and prayers, Debbie

kim825

That is what I get for hitting the post button before I reread everything. LOL!!!

AnnaM

Love to all my sisters on this sad sad night. Mary Lou, I'm still beeping you!

Anna

Anonymous

I want to wish you all a MOST blessed Easter! I have to go, promised hubby I'd get off the computer 10 minutes ago....love you all, Debbie

Odalys

Wishing everyone a great Easter. Love and hugs....

Odalys

Mary Lou - I'm thinking of you and hoping all went well with your surgery. Hope to hear from you soon.

Ladies, I noticed that some of us are done with chemo and others will be done soon. I am wondering if you all want to continue communicating on this board after we are all done with chemo?

I enjoy talking with you all and feel very blessed to have found you. You have all touched my heart and I will never forget all the love and encouragement I have received here. I hope that you all want to continue communicating here. Any thoughts??

Debbie, I like your idea of a one year reunion. Count me in.

Hugs.....

Margerie

Odalys,

I like it here too. So I vote to continue checking in here. How are you? Started rads yet?

I am feeling great. Out of chemo officially a week now. Skin has almost healed from rads which ended 2 weeks ago. Have been on tamoxifen for almost a week. First few days I had a lot of muscle tightness and soreness, in my legs especially. It was like I had been skiing. Now that is almost gone. I am having much less hot flashes than I did on chemo. Ovaries coming out next Friday and then I switch to Arimidex.

When naked on the head today. Butchy hairdo, but my DH thinks I look like a supermodel. He is so nice! It is something to pull off (have people think I did it on purpose) that is for sure.

Anyway, hope all of my November friends had a great holiday weekend and are healing body and soul.

Off to Legoland Monday- wish me luck!

Margerie

AnnaM

I am still beeping you, Mary Lou!

I would like to stay here and I hope all of you keep checking in. I mean it when I call you my sisters. Although I got my last Taxol last Monday, I will be going in once a week for Herceptin, so I don't feel like I have finished chemo. Here we are Monday morning and I have the same weepy attitude as with the A/C and the Taxol. I think it has to do with the needles, the port, the smells, the reminders. It seems I will be at this till next January.

Time to get ready.

Anna

Odalys

Margerie, Glad to see you want to stay on this board. You are so insightful and caring. I value your input. Congratulations on finishing chemo and rads...yeah!!! Glad to hear your skin is healing. It's amazing how resilient our bodies can be. FYI-There is an entire discussion on Tamoxifen and the SE’s. Some ladies experienced muscle soreness but they said it went away after a few days/weeks. If you get a chance check out the discussion. Yesterday we were discussing whether to ooph or not to ooph. How was your Easter vacation? Do you have a pic of your new hair?

I’m doing great! Thanks for asking. Trying to juggle work, family and rads. So far the first week of rads was easy. I did get a little sore from holding the position for so long and my boob looks like a treasure map, but no SE’s. I did feel very sleepy and I don’t know if it’s the rads or the Effexor. Did have an emberasing moment. While getting ready for treatment the wig flew off in front of the tech. Thank God she was so professional and did not even blink. I was soooooo embarrassed. God, I would love to go topless but I don’t have enough hair yet. The sides are filling in nicely (mainly salt and pepper) but the top has not caught up yet. I keeping repeating what someone else said…”come on guys grow!”

Don’t know what Legoland is, but I always wish you the best. I’ll be praying that your surgeries go well and you recup quickly.

Sending love and many hugs your way.

Odalys

Anna,
Glad to hear you plan to continue checking in; I will too. Soon we will be celebrating the end of your chemo. Congratulations on finishing Taxol. You have conquered one more obstacle on this journey.

I know what you mean about “the needles, the port, the smells, the reminders”. Every time I went into the chemo room I had the same reaction. One day I was crying uncontrollably and had to wait a few minutes before I could go in. It can all be so painfully depressing. When it all got to be too much, I would look at the others around me and got so much inspiration by seeing what they are going through that somehow it made my own battle more doable. I don’t know if these words bring any comfort to you but please remember this is only a means to an end. The evil needs to be destroyed and at the end you will win!!!!! During the most difficult times I would picture myself kneeling in front of God with my head down allowing His wonderful light to shine on me. I always felt calmer and stronger afterwards.

Have you discussed your sad feeling with your doctor? I know we have talked about this before and I sure don’t want to come across too pushy. Perhaps, there is something s/he can do to help you feel better. Just a thought. I hate to see one of my sisters suffering. I don’t think God wants us to suffer.

Hope your treatment goes well today with no SE’s. Take care. May God shine on you and keep you strong and healthy. Hugs…

kim825

I definately want to stay here. You all have and will always be my chemo sisters. I will be doing chemo for a while and would love to keep communicating here.
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

love,
Kim

Nancy-SanDiego

Hope you all had a beautiful Passover/Easter. The weather was gorgeous here (Margerie, I'm about 10 minutes from Legoland and hope you had a terrific time) and it was full of family/friends, wonderful food, and having my grandchildren here. Paid a price last night--guess I was just too tired for the neurontin to take effect. Hands/feet are just a mess. Debbie, I have been taking weekly Neupogen, now 3X/week to get me some "fat wbc's".

I vote we stay here as a central communication site. I want to hear about all of you as we get beyond chemo, rads, surgery or whatever and on to the next chapter in our survivor stories.

OK Mary Lou, we need to know how you are doing.

Wishing you all a week free of pain, sadness, ugly side effects, etc. or at least some of the above.

Nancy

Mary-Lou

NED!!!!!!!!!!

All the test came back negative. I had the tube taken out today, so just have to wait for the staples to be out in a week or so.

My reg Dr took my tube out, the surgeon was out of town. I also asked him to check and see what the test said.

He came back into the room running, pulled me into his arms, kissed me on my BALD head, and said the test were NEGITIVE!!!!!!!

I almost fell off the table. But I was so happy.

Now I can get on with my life.

Also have more good news, my son and his wife are going to have a baby!!!!!! I have wanted this for awhile. And they have tried so hard.

Just having a great week!

God is good, and he loves us so. I could not have had a better Easter. All your prayers were answered. and mine!

Thank you all .

I agree, I need this board to talk to my sisters. And I mean always. Not just for the cancer.

We also have a life.

I want to keep up with "all" of life. I think I have given enough time to cancer.

I want to know how life is going for each and everyone. Even if it seems like this will never end.

I couldn't imagine coming here and no one was posting anymore.

Now that would be a sad day for me.:(:(:(

Check out my web site, new wig from one of our own It is at the end, Easter 2006 wig. I feel like me again.

Love to all, and I'm sorry I was out for so long. I have to go and catch up.

Mary Lou (((HUGS)))

Mary-Lou

Hey, did I say I was HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope all of you are doing well this week.

Nancy-SanDiego

Congratulations, Grandma!!!!! What a week you have had, ultimately full of so many blessings. We are just thrilled for all your news. Now, that's life.

Nancy

Chiahead

bcmary49,
So glad to hear your GREAT news! I'm so happy for you. It is sad that this beast never really goes away. But you missed it! Congratulations on your NED!

kim825

Oh Mary Lou I am crying tears of joy for you and your whole family. You had such wonderful news. NED and becoming a grandma!! Woo Hoo!!!

lots of hugs,
Kim

Odalys

Mary Lou, YES!!!!! All the prayers were answered. I am so happy for you and your family. Congratulations x 2. Wow.. you will be a grandma soon; what a beautiful gift. When is the baby due?



Hugs...

Odalys

Mary Lou, The wig looks great, just like your real hair. Enjoy it!

Mary-Lou

Girls, the baby will be here in late Dec, early Jan. Would be so nice to have it Jan 12th for my birthday. My boys are 7 years apart, so my grandchildren will be 12 years apart. My granddaughter will be 12 May 20th!

I'm glad you liked the wig Odalys. It fits to a tee! I wore it all week end. Then today I go to the Dr. with no make up and no hair. Guess I'm not to vain LOL.

I'm so glad I didn't have to turn around and have chemo again. I just had a little set back. And I think the Neuropathy is better. Has been 5 weeks, I have my fingers and toes crossed.

Nancy, you are so right, this is life! The true meaning of living!

Please remember our special Kaye too. I think of her all the time. She has been having headaches again. I pray she will be able to enjoy this summer as free from pain as she can be, for as long as she can.

Deb, Kim, Anna , Marg and everybody I forgot,(chemo brain) love and hugs to you all too. Thanks for the prayers, and the tears of joy. I love you all. The best sisters I could ever have.

Anonymous

WOO HOO!!!! Excellent news Mary Lou! I got chills when I read your message.

As usual, I can't write much right now-took Ambien and am nodding off at the moment, but I also vote that we keep checking in here. I am too attached to all of you! You are all my chemo family and I want to share the tears, joy, elation (as in YOU'RE GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!!!!) and frustration of this stupid disease.

Good night! Love and prayers, Debbie

Anonymous

Oh gheesh, I forgot....I get an MRI done on the 24th to determine if I get any more rounds of chemo. If you all can please send lots of prayers and positive thoughts and anti-tumor vibes my way that day, I'd be grateful! So, hopefully my last treatment is THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deb