Illinois ladies facing bc

Rene23

Adey - Effing cancer, indeed.  Condolences to you and your family.

BJ - Condolences to you as well, my friend. 

Joan - My son is recently recovered from a virus from hell, (still waiting for the West Nile testing results).  Take care of yourself!  

Hugs to all of you in treatment.  One day at a time, ladies... 

Not much to share.  Feeling fat and lazy lately, and not enjoying it.  Looking forward to see seeing/meeting some of you at the ACS walk with the IL Ladies team!

lago

Graceembrace I was on Nuelasta so during chemo I never got sick even when DH was sick. After chemo when I wasn't doing Nuelasta and just Herceptin is when I kept getting colds. I usually never get colds. Stopped getting colds just shy of 1 year PFC and a few months PFH (herceptin).

Joan now that I am back to "normal" I don't get colds, I get the occasional cold sore instead. Ironically I had one last week that I caught in time by treating with Abreva. Love that stuff.

This had to be the most perfect weekend weatherwise! Hope everyone had a chance to enjoy part of it.

joan888

Darn, now I am running a low grade fever. I haven't had any kind of fever anytime in my adulthood, so this is rare. I have heard that there is a nasty virus going around. And I am supposed to head out of town to a HS reunion this Wednesday. Hmmm.... And I am the lead organizer. Bad timing.



Grace.... How is your DH doing? Rene... How long did your son's virus last?

Timbuktu

So sorry Adey.  I haven't been on the site in a long time.  Trying to return to normal, whatever that was.  Hope you're doing ok.

Rene23

Joan - His fever ran from Tues through Friday, when he finally started feeling better. He was running 102-103 which had me really worried. He also broke out in a body rash as the fever was breaking. His WBC count plummeted, but is almost back up to normal now.



HOPEFULLY, you don't have the same virus he did and you'll beat this back before you know it. You know the drill...get lots of rest and push fluids.

mdg

My thoughts and prayers are with those of you that have lost loved ones.  BC sucks!  It breaks my heart every time I hear of another sister falling to this disease.  I pray every night for a cure......maybe one day my prayers will be answered. 

I hope you all had a good weekend.  I spent time out with friends and at my DS's football game.  It feels like fall, doesn't it? 

camillegal

I remember getring colds,fever, and viruses, most of the time I got antibiotics, but if u'r going to catch something (I hope u don't) u will and u'r doing ll u can not to--Vitamin C and Zinc are OK to use, Other than that not much u can do--and everybody when they had something stayed away--but they could have had it and not known it.  Who knows why we catch some and not others.

kjiberty

BJ:  Sending warm thoughts and prayers your way...

So this is the big week for me:  Rads ending on Friday--yeah!!!!!  Heading for Chicago on Thursday for the big wedding.  It's nice to have happy thoughts and something to look forward to.  Can't wait!  

lago

kjiberty where in Chicago? In the city? Bet you can't wait for Friday!

blackjack

Thank you all for your kind words. It has been a week of sadness and happiness. My gf's daughter got married Sat in the most beautiful venue in Chicago. It was at the Newberry Library. I had so much fun with long time family and friends that it helped with the sadness. My motto is to live your live to the fullest and party like there is no tomorrow. Enjoy your life and make happy memories for all you love.

If you would like to be invited to the Annual Holiday Get together, please send your info to Lago. All are welcome to come and enjoy some new friends, wonderful food and lots of laughs. Invites are going out soon.

To all in tx there will be an end, rest and be kind to yourself.

Jackie, thank you again for the wonderful quotes..very uplifting...very needed. You are special!!

Well it is jammie time for me....much needed sleep....sweet dreams all

BJ

camillegal

kj---right where in Chicago?---Glad about u'r rads. U sound so happy and it's always fun to go where everybody knows u'r name--OOPS-going into song again.

lago

Camillegal that's Boston where everyone knows your name. I think you mean: linky

camillegal

hhaha I know Lago--I still watch cheers, still enjoy it especially when I can't sleep and no one is on line.

 

HeidiK

Morning!



Wish me luck, I cut about 16 inches of hair off last night and am heading into work without anyone knowing. Oddly enough I'm more freaked about this than going in without boobies the first time...



Made it through my first post chemo weekend with minimal SEs, mostly acid reflux and the inability to stay awake for more than an hour. I hope and pray (but know better) that this is all I get.



Happy Monday!



HeidiK

IllinoisLady

If you go that extra mile, there's never a traffic jam!

IllinoisLady

Hang in there Heidi.  You are doing things you've never HAD to do before, and hopefully after this never will again......so take deep breaths, breathe in lots of confidence and a whole lot of 'this' is what it takes to get me well again and keep remembering that all of this has limits and you will get through it -- and look back feeling more than likely quite positive that you handled it all right.  Always nice to remember that all these unpleasant parts do have a time limit.

Hope you all have a great day.

Hugs, Jackie

hopefulhealing

heidi good luck. Scary when not sure of reactions you will get. 

Those facing viruses I hope they pass quickly!

kjiberty congrats on finishing rads and enjoy your weekend in Chi town!

Any of us going through this BC journey are doing as you said and feeling and learning things we never thought or wanted to learn. But in this journey we find that we have a strength and sense of determination that can move mountains. We keep moving forward when we are sad, scared, anxious and in pain.  And we reach in deep and find that place where we can go to find the peace we need to face things no one should have to face. And we find out the true nature of friends and family.  We find that we can share and care and support those that are new in this journey and do it even when we too are in the midst of it all.  That is true giving and we do it often for our sisters that walk along beside us.

EnglishMajor

Hi Illinois friends....

Many of you know that I volunteer with the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, (MBCN), an all-volunteer, non-profit group that serves the 150,000 U.S. people currently living with metastatic breast cancer. In 2006, the group held its first conference at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The conference was a huge success with more than 300 attendees from 19 states and Canada. Subsequent conferences have been held at M.D. Anderson, Dana-Farber, Indiana University's Simon Cancer Center and at Johns Hopkins. This year's conference will be held in Chicago on Oct. 13 at at Northwestern University's Lurie Center.

Please help us spread the news to people with Stage IV and their caretakers and supporters!

Along with medical presentations, attendees will hear testimonials from people living with MBC. We will share our struggles, triumphs and coping mechanisms. A Friday night pizza party at Chicago's famous Gino's East is a great chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Before I attended the 2009 conference in Indiana, I hadn't met any MBC patients in person. It made a tremendous difference to actually see I was not alone.

We have expert speakers from Northwestern, University of Chicago, Rush University the National Cancer Institute and more.

Please share this flyer with your cancer treatment center.

If you attend a center that has support groups for people with metastatic breast cancer, would you please let them know about this conference? If your cancer center has a Nurse Navigator for breast cancer patients, it would be great if you could let them know. If you'll be seeing your onclolgist, please bring along a copy of this flyer. (If you go to Rush, Northwestern and U of C, you may know some of our speakers!  

Thanks for your help.

camillegal

Heidi u'r doing fine and if u are working I think it's more difficult cuz they might be questions and personally I'm not crazy about questions but maybe it doesn't bother u and that's better. When I worked The first time I had chemo on Monday--we were closed on Monday and Tues, worked a 12 hr day and wed. I had more energy than ever, and everyone was like u really got chemo??? Then Thurs. came and I was out for the count LOL that lasted 4 months weekly so everyone knew then Sometimes I'd make Sat. it was only 4 hrs. and I go in and thump dow on some desk and barely moved but I answered all problems and told everyone what to do.(if they asked)So u do what u can and that's all u can do.

And hopeful that was great what u said.

Graceembraced

Heidi,

So glad you are feeling up to working! I like Camillegal was good for a few days and then down for the count - but you will figure it out too. Don't push yourself physically and don't allow others stares to bother you. I was at a meeting last week with a scarf and hat on and I felt everyone in the room was uncomfortable but me. My office staff is used to it but others are not - so I've started wearing a wig to help others, but as soon as I get in my car, the hair comes off. You quickly get use to this stage. I had to cut off 15 inches and I have not had hair shorter than my shoulders since grade school, so it was a huge change. Now I look at pics and take a second look. Hang tough and let the chemo kill those cancer cells!!

EnglishMajor

For those with early stage breast cancer, note that the free Lynn Sage Town Hall Meeting is Sept 30

Sunday, September 30, 2012
Exhibits and registration open at 12 noon
Program: 1pm - 4pm

Arthur Rubloff Building, 375 E. Chicago Ave. (Corner of Lake Shore Dr. & Chicago Ave.-
enter on Chicago Ave.)

Moderator:
William Gradishar, MD - Director of the Maggie Daley Center for Women's Cancer Care

Panel & Topics:
Nora Hansen, MD - Understanding Breast Cancer Surgery Options
Virginia Kaklamani, MD, DSc - Cancer Risk & Genetics
Virginia Nothnagel, MS, RD, LDN - Eating Well & Staying Active
Timothy Pearman, PhD - Facing Forward: Life after Cancer 

EnglishMajor

Do my posts not show up here? I feel invisible.

camillegal

EM I;ve read all of u'r posts--it's just that

   so maybe we're all funky today.

EnglishMajor

LOL

lago

Just a quick note since I'm sitting in the waiting room at Weiss. DH is in the process of rotator cuff surgery.



English I see your posts. Headed to Rush later this week and ironically I am meeting the patient navigator after my scan. I will be sure to print out a few flyers.



Heidi you're doing great. Make sure you get the meds for reflux. It will continue to get worse if you don't. I had that issue. I was on 2 types of meds by tx 5

hopefulhealing

lago hope it goes well for your hubby.  That is a tough recovery.  I had shoulder surgery.  Be sure he does his exercises

tlangston07

lago, hope all goes well with your DH..My DH had it done 3 years ago and it was a lot of PT but he is doing great.

English..thank you for your post..wish I was closer.

Heidi, I worked all thru chemo. The only day I took off was for the chemo itself. I also took neulasta shots and they helped so much. Just rest when you need it and don't push yourself. Your body will let you know. Praying you have no problems.

I have my last rad on Thursday and then more scans to see if any progression.  If no progression(Prayers I don't) then I am planning on having a liver resection. Really scared about this but I know that I am not going thru this alone. Hope everyone has a wonderful week with this great weather!

Terry 

Graceembraced

Terry, hope everything goes well, your in our thoughts!

Lago, best wishes to your DH, rest for full recovery!

lago

DH is fine but in some pain… but wait till tomorrow when the PT starts abusing him! His surgeon already warned me about getting on him regarding the PT and exercises. Just got back at about 6:30 then off to walgreens to get his scripts filled. We were at Weis at 9am. Long day. Had I known I could have just gone home at 12 and returned at 5. We live 2 miles away!

kjiberty

Lago:  Glad to hear he's doing okay.  I bet you are tired.

The wedding is actually at Ravisloe CC in Homewood.  We are staying DT at the at the Conrad Thursday, move to the Ritz on Friday, rehearsal dinner at DaVinci's.  The bridal party and mom's are having our makeup and those lucky enough to have hair done By Sonya Roselli on Saturday am.  I am going to have her do false eyelashes on me.  Pics will be taken around the city and then we are off around 1 for the wedding/reception all at the same place.  I am so excited!