For those starting chemo in June

janie44

Hey everyone,

Nancy Lee, So those big cylinder shaped bundles of hay out in the fields on farms were done by a swather. I think I will casually mention that the next time I am riding with someone and we see those. They will be impressed....."Oh look, someone has been doing some swathering."

PJ/Mary - Open communication is supposed to be key, but sometimes you have to wonder about that......I do not always practice what I preach -- Dr. J (I also used to play a mean game of basketball).

Everybody have a great day!

janie44

Hey again! Well, my reconstruction surgery has finally been set. Since the PS was booked this summer, I set it 3 days before I am off for a week in October. I will have to do pre-op on the afternoon of the 17th and then surgery on the 18th. Recovery is supposed to be short so I should only have to take the 3 and 1/2 days since I am off the following week.

PJB

Janie, i'm glad you got that scheduled. not that it'll be fun, just something else to get past and move on. it sounds like mary had a lot of the same symptoms you did with that flu. sounds AWFUL.

Mary, i hear you about your daughter. i'm not sure how much good that "honest" email did, but we'll see when i get up there. we tend not to talk TO each other but freely talk ABOUT each other, so while that's fun, it leads to lots of misunderstandings. probably will stay the same.

it's sad to hear about your relationship with your daughter. my sister and mom (who live in the same town and that's probably the reason) also have a strained relationship. ok, we all have strained relationships at various times, but this one is sticking. and it's tough to watch.

anyway, at 2:30 tomorrow i'll be headed up there. so we'll see what i've stirred up.

later gators,
paula

PattyCzarny

I start my chemo on June 9, 2006. My 2nd treatment was harder than the first. I will be doing 6 AC and then 6 Taxol. Will each treatment continue to get worse? I have been doing fine and have been able to continue working, doing necessary things around the house, and etc. I'm just a little nervous about how much worse things will get before I'm done.

Thanks for letting my jump on your board!!

Patty

janie44

Hi Patty

I had AC x 4 and Taxol x 12. AC pretty much stayed the same for me, as I was nauseous and my counts bottomed out. Taxol caused bone/joint pain so I scheduled on Wednesday in order to hit the worst of it on the weekend. I continued to work throughout everything, with the exception of when I had to do treatment. Everyone reacts differently. It sounds like you are doing fine. Taxol caused me to have a rash and swelling near the end. That is all I can remember as far as anything becoming worse. Good luck with your treatment. It will be over before you know it.

mary1220

Hey Girls, Patty, mine got a little worse each time on the A/C but the Taxol was not as bad and I went back to work on Taxol. I had to stop working on the A/C for a couple months because I didn't feel up to par. I had to stay away from Hospitals and germs because my blood counts bottomed out and I landed in the hosp. I just had joint and bone pain with the taxol. The farther away from the A/C I got the better I felt. Good Luck. Hey P.J. have a safe trip. If you can post when you and Rene are getting together and what town, I may try to get up there. Janie, I am wondering if I have a spurr in my heal. I think if it is not better next wk. I am getting it checked out. It feels like it could be a spurr although I have never had one but pts. would describe them to me in the hosp. and thats what it feels like I think. May just be nerve damage too. Thats what they keep telling me. I have always had a listening problem. Hey Nancy, are close to Billings? Are you affraid of snakes? Somehow I really don't think you are. They like to get into the hay around here. Later little sparklers, Mary

NancyLee13

Hi, Patty, you can jump onto our thread anytime you want to chat. I think that you just have to see how you yourself react to the different treatments but after the first 2 AC's I think it kinda evened out for me. I think I was spending so much time watching the wonder of all the hair on my body disappearing that I forgot about all the other side effects. I also was able to work all thru the AC and the Taxol that followed. The Taxol has a whole different set of issues, but you can cross that bridge when you come to it. I did take some mini breaks the day of chemo to drive up to the hospital and drive back, but I was able to work the afternoons of treatment days. Just think, you're almost half way done with the AC--YAY!! Life is Good-- Smiles NancyLee

NancyLee13

Hi, Mary, we are obviously here at the same time for once. Yes, I'm 3 hours away from Billings. It's the closest big city to Baker. It's also where my oncologists are and where I have all my MUGAs and major surgeries. I'm not particularly afraid of snakes except rattlers. In fact, there is a big bull snake named Gary who lives under my front steps. I just let him be because they eat mice and he does nothing to hurt me. He has startled me a few times, but nothing more. I have to be careful when I mow the lawn that I don't accidently do away with him. I used to play with garter snakes as a child. We'd pick them up by their tails and let them tie themselves in knots trying to crawl up their own bodies to get to their tails. But on the other hand, I kill a rattlesnake if I see it even if it was minding its own business. My cousin got bitten by a rattler once and almost died. Snakes also get in the hay around here. Thanks for reminding me. It's HOT here. We just had a thunderstorm go north of us up by Glendive with golf ball sized hail. Glad it missed us. Well, gonna whip up some supper. I went to work at the daycare today to pay the troops and ended working till 6:30. Hope everyone had a super Friday. Life is Good-- Smiles NancyLee

PJB

I've got to say I've pretty much blanked out the chemo experience, except those things that are still hanging around. Mostly I remember the need to inhale water on AC and the terrible tastes of the taxanes. And the hair thing, of course. Oh, and the horrible ache on Taxol that I think was really the Neupogen/Neulasta shots. Hmmmm. It seems to be coming back to me.

Mary, I'm not sure we'll get out of Madison except for the shopping trip to Schaumberg on Sunday. We were thinking of going to Chicago, but no one wants to deal with the traffic and apparently high hotel prices. I don't guess Madison is anywhere close to you?

Speaking of being cheap, I'll have to be better about spending money now that I got thousands from the credit card company (at 3.9 percent) for our new kitchen. The cabinet guy's coming tomorrow for a final planning session. I'm very excited.

Scans on July 10 (2 days after I get back) and the good news from the doc on the 11th.

My mom and all my siblings are still talking to me, so I guess the email wasn't taken TOO badly...

Talk to you girls soon. I"ll check in from Wisc.

Paula

janie44

Hail, hail the gang's almost all here tonight! Mary, I have heard that spurs are very painful. The center of my back keeps giving me fits. I hope it is not disc degeneration. Would that have not showed up on the bone scan?

Nancy, remind me not to jump in a bale of hay. I used to have a phobia about snakes. I am better about them now, but I still don't like them.

PJ, Have a great trip. Maybe you will run into Renee.

mary1220

Janie, They probably didn't note it if it did because they were not looking for it. MIR would be a better scan for that. If it was a bone density no it would not show. If a reg. bone scan it might but your Dr. did not mention it because he thought you may be aware of it. You could call and ask them to see if anything was noted. They just may not have noted it, so if they say it is clear, it might be the Rad-oligest just did not think it important to note it. If you have had an MRI of your spine recently like in the past year you can call and get the reading at the Radiology dept. where it was done and it will tell you what was seen. It would be a typed page of everything they saw. I always do that so I will know for myself what was in it. It is pretty easy to read and what you don't know you can look up on the puter. The disc part you would understand easily. There shouldn't be a cost and if there is, say it is for a Dr. second opinion and give them the name of your fam. Dr. They don't check it out and they will probably tell to do that if theres a charge. You just have to ask for a copy of the MRI report not the films. I did that for my Mom-in-law and she found out she had Spinal Stenosis no one ever told her about(thats a narrowing of the spine due to age thats painful). I get a copy of the report of anything I have done and at no charge because it is my right to get one. It is amazing what the Dr. sometimes doesn't tell ya. Later ya little Southern gator, Mary

janie44

A few months ago they checked for bone mets and found six arthritis spots (4 additional since starting treatment); however, I think some of those have gotten better since ending treatment. I have had two bone density tests that were quite good, especially since my Mom's bones and discs were so bad she had to have surgery. My back has always given problems but it is getting worse especially in the one spot. Looks like we could all feel really good for a change. I hope your aches and pains have gotten better.

Everyone traveling, have a good and safe trip.

NancyLee13

Hi Junies--If you have some spare time, go to the Humor board and find out what your stripper name is. It's a very funny thread. My name is Heidi GlitterTush. My sister says that sounds like you have an accident while decorating the gym for a prom and fall tush first into the glitter. I have spots of arthritis in my back too that were detected when they did the MRI and bone scans looking for mets. When it gets really bad, I have Celebrex which I hate to take because it upsets my stomach. I take Tylenol Arthritis most of the time if it bothers me too much. I guess I've just gotten used to the dull ache. I'm supposed to be doing the billing for June for the daycare so I'd better get busy. I want to drive to Plentywood tomorrow to spend the 4th with my mom. Bye for now--Happy 4th in case I don't get back here till after that. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

janie44

Another Heidi here: Heidi Glitzhooter. Well, Nancy since you live in the mountains of Montana and I come from the nountains of TN, I guess it is appropriate that we are Heidi's. The book takes on a whole new meaning.

PattyCzarny

Thank you all for your responses on the AC treatments!!

My husband was harrasing me this morning about being recruited by the skin heads in western Montana. I just told him that they probably wouldn't want me because I wasn't a true skin head, but was a chemo head. I do have a patch of hair on each side of my head... makes it look as if I have a set of handles. I'm sure that future treatments will also take care of my handles.


Have a happy 4th of July!!!

janie44

Hi Patty,

Yep, you can be sure that your two patches are in jeopardy, if not from AC, then you can rest assurred Taxol will get them and every other hair on your bod, including brows and eyelashes. Never fear, they grow back quickly. Just remember, whatever the treatment does to you, it is also doing to any cancer cells that may be lurking around. It will be over before you know it.

NancyLee13

Patty, I don't know how it is in Billings, but it's been hotter than heck here in Baker so I think I'd appreciate having less hair at this point. Tell your husband, very funny, I thought that those no hair guys were mostly in Idaho and not so much in western Montana. My orthopedic surgeon is leaving Glendive and moving to Hamilton. He's bald---HMMMMMMMMMMMMM?????????? Janie--I loved the book Heidi as a child. My best friend Cindy has a daughter Heidi and Cindy's stripper name is Heidi too. The real Heidi is 19 and has this uncanny ability to reach anyone on the cell phone even when they have NO signal. We call it "pulling a Heidi". Maybe that'll rub off on us now that we've been adopted by the name. One can always hope. I'd just like to find my cell phone much less use it. I'm still searching. I had to get a bunch of Relay for Life stuff done today and it took all the extra time I had. Well, I obviously never left for Plentywood yet. I plan to leave early tomorrow morning. I just ran out of hours in this day. Bye for now--Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

mary1220

Hey Heidi and Heidi, I can see you girls in pig tails and plaid skirts running around Nancy Lees farm. Thats a porn movie waiting to be filmed. You gals can wash the Jeep like Paris Hilton did in that comercial or Jessica Simpson. My name is Sugar Heavenridge. Now that sounds like place to climb on and enjoy the view. Only problem is I have more ridges than ruffles. I wrote earlier and it said my time expired so I e-d the board to find out why it keeps saying that but I haven't heard why yet. My cell is almost glued to my ear sometimes. Hey I better post before I get "expired" again. I got to spend 3 hours at the E.R. with M-in-law, constipated from morphine. Oh what a way to spend the night. She has her 1 year down to the minute. She called hubby and told him she has 4 kids and they don't spend enough time with her. Hubby said I am on my way to Texas, do you want to meet me there today or Little Rock tomorrow? Shes a drama Queen. She doesn't visit or call anyone but expects us all to visit and call her. She don't work but all the kids do. Please shoot me now. Hugs, Sugar

janie44

Hey Heidi and Sugar and other June bunnies,

My cell is just one of the many little gadgets I have acquired in the last few years -- some from work, some on my own. It is hard to try to keep them all up-to-date. I haven't hooked my palm to the computer in a coon's age.

Mary, maybe we should let my Dad and your MIL talk to one another. She could tell him that nobody comes to see her, and he could tell her we don't feed him (he forgets he just consumed a huge meal and says he has not eaten all day).

Everybody have a great Fourth of July. I am going to my first-born's later along with the rest of the gang and we are going to grill some hamburgers and hotdogs. I am taking my Nutri System dogs and burgers with me...I do try to lose this stomach, but it continues to haunt me even with my weight loss.

mary1220

Everyone have a good 4th. Hubby got home for 3 hours on way to Chicago. He will be back again on Fri. or about. Later you Little Red, White and Bluebies. Mary

rlswkndr

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. We watched a few fireworks from our house and then some on TV. Must be getting old as hubby hates fighting the crowds at the real thing.
Once again, NancyLea I get tired from all the work YOU do! You must be an iron woman. Janie, do you get to pick out your new boobs? do they have pictures for you to choose from? Mary and Paula, I have that same mom/daughter thing going on. A few years back, I let her and my siblings have it and it did clear the air for quite a few issues. Boy, did that feel good and I didn't care what they thought.
The Danskin Triathlon is this weekend.. ready or not.... here I come! This is my take it easy week so I'm enjoying that part of the training. We did go on a few short-14 mile- bike rides. It is beautiful riding weather because we have no humidity right now for some strange reason. But hey, I'm not going to complain it is great here -June was just about perfect.
Looking forward to seeing Paula this week!
Renee

rlswkndr

Okay, I just checked out my new name. I've joined the Heidi group. Heidi SunnyJugs.
Renee

janie44

Renee and PJ - have a great time.

Renee, no, I get to redo what's left of my old ones. I had a lumpectomry double/breast reduction. Two very uncomfortable "pillows" were left under each arm that are going to be removed and damage caused by rads is going to be repaired. My PC told me the name of the procedure I had done, but it went out of my head just as quickly as it went in. He said they are leaning towards it more and more. One has to have ample breast tissue in order to do it and get clear margins. I have been happy with it other than the pillows. I will be happy to get rid of them.

PattyCzarny

NancyLee,

I haven't heard much about the skin heads lately, I hope they have moved on. I don't know if they are still in Idaho or not. We did have someone in Bozeman from the Communist party trying to get into politics. He was soundly defeated. I don't know why people with this type of agenda think that they can come to Montana and have their way.

It's starting to get warm in Billings. We are supposed to be in the low 90's all week... that's getting hot for me. I'm not a fan of the heat!!

mary1220

Well I guess if I am going to be a stripper I ought to get my 3 prong cane out and practice pole dancing because thats about as much pole as I can dance around. Ah Rene, 14 miles on a bike???? WOW, I can't go 3 miles and thats with a lot of stops. I have a ballgame tonight(grandson) gotta get. Sugar

NancyLee13

Hi Sugar and all the Heidi's--It's because the third letter of all of our names is N. NaNcy, ReNee, and JaNie. I'm in Plentywood at my brother's place so I borrowed his computer. Today is his little boy's 3rd birthday. He got a wooden train set. Tons of fun. What a cutie. I got a call from DBC today and my ultrasound biopsy is set for the 11th. HMMM?? I guess another week of wondering is not going to do me in. I saw my mom. She's doing well although she thinks she's alternately dead or 103 years old. But she's happy and she knew who I am again this time so I still feel good about her being here. Gotta go get some shuteye--Bye for now--Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

mary1220

Hey you little Heidis, have a great wk. end and if you don't....just fake it, I am. Hope P.J. is enjoying a great visit. Hugs, Mary

NancyLee13

So this morning I was sitting reading a book and half watching the Tour de France on OLN and the phone rang and it was my Oncologist's nurse. They wanted me to come up there and have a blood test to check my anemia situation. I drove up there and met with the vampires in the lab and then went and had a pizza with about 100 little boys dressed up in baseball uniforms. They're having some sort of tournament in Glendive this weekend. Anyhow, after lunch I went back and my oncologist from Billings was actually at GMC. He's supposed to be there the 2nd Friday of every month and that's not til the 14th, but he was there today because he's going on vacation--I guess. So I saw him today and I'm not supposed to see him until August. Anyway, he wrote out a paper and on Tuesday before I go for my biopsy, I'm going to go to another clinic in Billings in the morning and have an MRI brain scan with contrast. SIGH!! I told him now he's going to find out for sure that I have rocks in my head. They set the scan up for 7:30 am so I have to go up on Monday and stay at a hotel that night. It's either that or leave Baker at 3:30 am. I already called and made a reservation at a hotel. Early morning driving is not my idea of a really good time. You know there are moments when I'd like to have my port back--Like when they stick you with a needle a whole bunch of times just to get a little blood out. Oh, and my HGB was 13.3 this time. WOOHOO--over 12 so no Aranesp shot. On to something more interesting--Tonight after work I dug a hole in the backyard with a post hole digger--the manual kind with the two handles and two shovel blades at the bottom. I wet down the ground and dug about 2 feet down and put the bird feeder post back up. Did I tell you that it fell over in November? It just toppled in the wind. We have this post outside the living room window with a lighthouse birdfeeder on top of it. I called it Cat TV because the cat sits in the window and watches the birds and growls. It's funny. Now he can do that again because I finally got the energy to put it back up. I went for a walk tonight too for the first time since I got back from Oregon. It felt good. May you all have a super weekend. Bye for now. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

PJB

Howdy girls,

I'll have to go check out my stripper name one of these times. Just got back from the trip. It was fun (with a little family drama thrown in). Cooler up there and got lots of money spent on things I don't need.

Had a fun lunch with Renee. As you'd expect, since she's our exerciser, she is beautiful and really nice to talk to. Her boys sound great and she is off today doing a TRIATHLON! Whew.

Gotta go unpack stuff and toss it all in the washer. (Except the new shoes and food we brought back) But I wanted to check in on everyone. Nancy, we've got your back. I'm in for scans Monday and find out Tuesday. Figuring everything's gonna be fine for all of us.

Later,
Paula

NancyLee13

Hi, Paula, welcome back. I'm glad you had fun and got to see Renee. I'll be sending good thoughts down south to you in Texas on Monday. I drove over to Dickinson, ND today to shop at the new Walmart Superstore they just finished. It was nice--Yes, I admit--I like to shop at Walmart. It's 125 miles to drive to Dickieville from Baker, but it was a nice day and a nice drive if you ignore the ever-present summertime road construction. Hope you all had super Saturdays too. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee