please help

portiasproudmom

Just wanted to pop in to wish our dear Sue good luck tomorrow.  This time tomorrow, Sue, you'll be able to say, "only one left!!!"  It's been a long, hard road, but you've done so well and have been such a trooper!  You're one of the most amazing people I've ever known.  Oz is just over the horizon, Sue!!!!!!!!!

Love and hugs to everyone.

Karen

AnneW

HI, all,

Sue, I'm thinking about you!

Spring in the Rockies--ya got to love it. Woke up today to 3 inches of heavy, wet snow. (Raining at the lower elevations.) Roads are fine, but the last of my daffodils are buried and broken, I'm sure. Looks like Thursday's hike will be a snow shoe outing instead!

Work is quiet. I work at a student health center at a local college. It's a small school, and summer session is always slow. I can only clean so much, and organize so much. Thank god for the internet!

Sheila, I'm so glad you're getting time with your son! I'll be in the area Aug 6-13. We're having a big neighborhood reunion on the 10th, for all us "kids" who grew up together. I can't wait, except for the humidity!

All for now!

Anne

Shirlann

Hi everybody, believe it or not, I AM going to clean out my closet.  I am, I am, I am.

I go in, look around, quietly close the door, and it is a MESS.

Love you all, Shirlann

my3girls

Hi sisters!

I am back and back to work. Tried to catch up on all of the posts..but I can't remember everything...lol. I can't see the pics till I get home.

I do remember seeing the pic of Melody's son and g/f...very nice Mel. Btw..how was your graduation party and your drive?

Mostly, I just wanted to check in and see how our Sue is doing?  One more girlfriend!! WOOOOOHOOOO!!! and no rads, I bet.  You are almost there sweetie! Before you know it, you will be complaining about your curly hair!! haha

Suebee...I hope you are resting well. Check in soon and let us know how your surgery went. Is that avatar of your family at the beach?

Sheila..I am so glad you are enjoying your time with your son.  Sunday sounded very special for you both.

I am so tired.  I think my body is not used to staying out till 2am...drinking and traveling!  I fell beat!

Ok..back to work.

Love to all my ladies here!

xoxo

Lisa

lvtwoqlt

Anne, let me tell you what John did on his trip East. He left Honolulu on the evening of May 2 to fly to Seattle through Denver. He called me on May 3 saying he was freezing, he was in shorts and a t-shirt and the temp at the airport was in the 20's! An honor student and didn't have the common sense to check weather.com for the forcast in Denver. When he arrived in Charlotte on Friday he had his blue jeans and a t-shirt on. I guess he planned ahead. The temps here on Friday morning were in the 60's. Today we got in the 70's and sunny. yesterday it was 60's and cloudy.

I thought you were going to try and come in before the temps and humidity got unberable? Can't wait to meet you in August!

Suebee, let us know how your surgery went.

Back many years ago, I stripped a spindle bedframe of layers of white paint and the dresser. The Donald broke one of the spindles out from the footboard so we got rid of the bed but my sister is turning the bedframe into a daybed with the footboard cut in half and bolted to the headboard to make the arms of the daybed. It was the bed that we had when we were growing up. I kept the dresser. I don't know if I will be stripping anything else, those groves in the spindles were hard to strip.

I need to get back to work.

Sheila

sueps

Hello Sisters xxx

A qucik hello... xxx I am feeling so whacked out tonight...ohhh dear...my energy is zilch and me heart feels dodgy ... xxx

So I have one more to go next Tues...then 4 weeks time a toxicity test ...NO RADS.... and erm what else ..oh yeah a mammo in September...no hormone meds...nuffin ....that is SCAREY MARY  !!!

TO ME YOU ALL ARE EVERYTHING...THANKYOU FOR HAVING ME HERE X X X

lvtwoqlt

Thought I would check in one more time before I left the office.

Great news Sue - one treatment down and one more to go, no rads, you are almost to the Emerald City!!!

Sheila

sueps

You girls here put me to shame on the DIY front...I wouldnt know a spanner if it looked me in the eye...  hehehehe xxxx Sheila you are one gal!!!

So lovely to hear about John....xxx

AnnNYC

Oh my goodness, Sue!!!!  One to go and no rads!!!!

"We're out of the woods, we're out of the dark, we're out of the night,

Step into the sun, step into the light..."

Or just about!

Hugs,

Ann

livesstrong

Sue,

NO RADS!!!!!

But what's a toxicity test???  And no Tamoxifen???  WOW!!!

I'm so happy for you!!

AE 

sueps

Is it scarey mary though not having hormone meds etc ...having nuffin is gonna be soooooooo strange!! an very scarey marey!!

Toxicity test...I think they just check to see if the poison is going ..lol...I dunnt know xxx But the deep margins that my shifty onky told me in my first meeting ...well they weren't deep deep,,, his colleague whom I saw today read my notes and my bootface was on the border of a margin not in it...silly tart my onky is!!!! hehehe

I am going to wash my face ...try wake up ...xxxx

geebung

Sue - I'm sorry you are feeling zonked but the rest is all good news! One more rads and then you can start to recover! The poison has squished bootface into oblivion and that is so great about the margins not being deep! I don't think your onc described it clearly to you in the first place.

Love to everyone else. I have an assignment to finish before tonight so I am going to cut my post short and start work on it.

Jane xxx 

Shirlann

Sue,  dear lovey, don't worry about the hormone meds, they work poorly or not at all on us.  Triple Negs. are estrogen/progesterone receptor negative, so there is NO NEED for this.  I did not take them either.  There has been some talk of doing the hormone anyway, but I didn't.  And I was glad.

Now, as to the radiation, I am sure they whacked you with enough chemo to thoroughly rid you of BOOTFACE!!!

It is a bit scary to be told, "Goodbye" to the people who have been watching you and been with you so long, every one of us felt like this.  Sorta, "Well, goodbye to you too, but, but, but, but....."

You have all of us.  And they are there for you if you need them.  This is a little like separation anxiety, no one is watching meeeeeee!.

Perfectly normal.  I was done and done.  I went every 6 months for a mammo for 5 years, and now, just once a year. 

Sweetie, you will come along just fine.

You are so strong and brave.

Hugs, and kisses, Shirlann 

portiasproudmom

Yipppeeeeee!!!!!!!!!  One more to go and you'll be DONE, Sue!  I am so happy for you!  Shirlann's right--they pumped so much chemo into you that any little stray bootface cell was blown to smitherines!  I know it's scary to think that this is IT!  No more tx's.  You're going to be fine though.  I just KNOW it!

Hope you're feeling a bit more energized tomorrow, sweetie. 

Love and hugs to you and all my beautiful sisters!

Karen

Wren

Sue, you are allllmost there!  I am soooo happy for you! Hooray!

All you furniture refinishers--I am amazed... I do not have the patience to sand anything and I can't take the odor of the chemicals. What a great skill you all have. (I just crochet things... LOL... soft yarn, no smell )

Nancy, I know what you mean about those MRI noises... I will have to take some kind of tranqulizer on my next one. Never again can I just white knuckle through it... I just get to frazzled. I can even feel some of my fillings in my teeth get tingly. I just hate that noisy tube!

I spent the last three days with my 21 year old daughter who showed up on Mother's Day with a raging ear infection (where she'd just come from Urgent Care)... then she got worse, so instead of going back to college on Monday I took her back to Urgent Care... and she got some different ear drops... well, her friends drove her back to college Monday night (for final presentations and papers due) only to have her become unable to walk or stand, etc.... sooo..... after I took myself to my allergist today to get meds for a sinus infection for myself, I got a reference to an ear specialist---got her an appointment; drove an hour to her college, picked her up and took her in an hour drive back here....

The doctor debrided her ear and put in a wick and more meds... but she is really unstable (balance) poor kid.... then I got her some Thai Noodle soup and drove her BACK to college where her friends are monitoring her and perhaps she can get to class. I put four hours driving on my car today!!!

Somewhere in there I got my sinus meds and can now get my sinsues cleared up so I can have my implant surgery on time...

What a whirlwind three days. If my daughter is not significantly better by Thursday I get to go back and get her for a follow up debridement. Never in all my 23 years+ of motherhood have I had a child get this ear thing; and now this.

At least I was needed and could actually drive... It was a good feeling even if I was sick myself; I got to do the 'mom' thing; and believe me, I had my hackles up by the third doctor visit in three days for my daughter.

Now I'm trying to unwind and rest up--and heal up.

Hugs!

Anonymous

Wren, I used to strip, but when no one wanted to watch anymore, I started knitting. I also used to crochet but did more knitting. Remember Princess Di's red sweaterwith rows of white sheep and a single black one? I knitted that thing for a friend using very fine wool yarn. Those were the good ol' days!

Poor baby girl with an earache. Those things hurt!!! She's lucky to have mom nearby. Finals are over...Hooray for our kids! Get some rest now.

I guess you must be finished with your Tuesday chemo, Sue. Wow...one more. Remember when you couldn't face the idea of all those months on chemo? How thrilling to be on the home stretch.

Are you a nurse, Anne? Working in a student health center would be interesting for me. How do you like it?

Shirlann, don't let that closet intimidate you. You are in charge. Harumph...that closet is trying to steal the spotlight.

Looking forward to a report from Suebee. I truly hope all went well for her.

Welcome "home" Lisa. Don't you just love those men we call sons? My youngest arrived home from college yesterday. I get to see him for an hour or so on Thursday morning. We're going to take a long 1-day, possibly an overnight next week to the Olympic Peninsula for a bit of "bonding" time. He'll fish, I'll shoot birds (camera, of course) and we'll eat American junk food.

I can just see your son's bewilderment when he got to Denver, Sheila. His shivers gave me a good chuckle.

Hit those books, Jane!!! My mind is blank...what is it you're studying? A senior moment cuddled in a nice, warm, hot flash. Life is good. I think. What defines good? I forget.

Karen, you are always my ray of sunshine. I know why your home is filled with so much light. You live there! What is Portia going to do with her upcoming summer? It's always a kind of love/hate thing this time of year.

It is now 1:30 am in my world. I've been getting to bed later and later. The past week it has usually been between 4 and 6 am. I hit the sack at 3 Monday and got up at 11. A solid 8 hours of really solid sleep. That was the last of it...haven't slept since. Still don't feel particularly sleepy, but do feel crappy physically. I don't usually have any trouble at all sleeping like a baby. I think it's probably the AI kicking in since I can hardly move. I hurt in places I forgot I had. So I've pretty much been living in my room for a week or so. I'm already taking antidepressants and seeing a counselor, so just need to ride it out. No biggie.

BTW, my dil and her parents are from Chongqin in Sechuan Province. Luckily, it wasn't hit too badly and their family and friends are all okay. Can you just see me running around the house trying to communicate with them to tell them about the quake? I finally found news in Chinese on the Google news site. The pictures looked like the story was about the quake, so I printed it out for them. So scary. So many disasters with huge loss of life the past few years.

On that note, I'm going to attempt to crash and burn. I figure I can sleep all day tomorrow and be up bright and early Thursday for my "date" with a college man!!!

Hugs...

Judie

Anonymous

Judie-you might be right about the AI's kicking in...Ive always been a light sleeper but never had real sleep issues until all this BC crap....I fought it through my entire treatment and until just recently...

I finally agreed to start taking meds to help me sleep....I have been on them for about 6 wks or so now and am SHOCKED at how well I feel....I had no idea I felt so crappy until I felt better.....

You are so sweet with your in-laws..Im sure they were scared silly about their family and friends!!!!!

You are a blessing to us Judie!!

Hugs

Jule

Anonymous

It just dawned on me that I just read this entire page and there is not one single post from Ulla...where are ya sweetie...did I miss something?

I just read back to see when she posted last and it was on the 11th saying she had her 1st followup visit on the 13th, but nothing since....has anyone heard from her????

Ulla-come tell us how things went!!!!!

AnneW

I see the strangest attires at the Denver airport. In the winter, I'll be in my puffy coat. Others come in wearing shorts and sandals--they're obviously going to Florida, and got dropped off at the door, rather than waiting for the bus at the parking lot! Too funny.

Judie, I'm a family nurse practitioner. Student health is a blast. I love the age group. I didn't have kids of my own, so maybe it's easier for me to love adolescents!!

Sheila, I tried to avoid NC in August, but that's when my friend from Jersey is coming, and my sister from NYC. So, I'll just sweat, then freeze in the A/C. I don't miss A/C. We don't need it in our mountain home.

Sue--keep the faith, girl! You are on the home stretch. WooHoo!!

Where's Ulla??

I love hearing about what crafts/projects everyone's doing. I'm into beading/jewelry making. And I want to learn to quilt (I'm adopting Sheila so she can teach me!) What does everyone else do for their creative outlet?

Anne

Forgive any bad spelling. Spell check is not on, and I'm still a bit impaired from my Lyrica for nerve pain!

livesstrong

Jule - I think Ulla's husband might have come home.  Maybe she is spending time with him.  Sure would like to hear about her doc's appoint though.

AE

Ulla

hi sisters..sorry for being away,,its just so manythings to catch up with ..i talked with the A$$ h0le onky and he was as helpless as used to be,,i was realy angrey ,,then in tuesday i met my surgeon hi is a gyn also,,she was a great help for me ,,she guided me to reach to the decission of have the zoladex inj be4 the tamox  she thinks that this will make the conflict in my body easier ,,she said i can go with the zoladex and tamox for 30months(2years and a half)then to satrt a monitored pregnency after that ,,she was realy great ,,she suggested also to try the tamox again yeasterday as i had my period ..she thinks that me bad sever reaction was due to bad timing of my start with the pills ,,she said it can really affects wen my body floating with estrogen and start the pills in those particular days..i found her idea very logical..

i left the hospital trying to feel better so i started doing my favorate thing in the wourld,shopping,,i bought new cloths for summer as i feel better about my body i felt really good trying new cloths and watching myself in the morror again,,then i just burst into tears thinking that i wont be here to wear these new cloths as i will die be4 that,,it was such a long hard day but i made my mind ,,i will try the medicine again..

so i tried my luck last night again..thank god that i just had less side effects this time..nausiea.upset stomach.headache..ut less depression,,i wasnt crying like a crazy,,just upset,,and depressed lil bit,,

DH is comming 2moro,,he asked me not to take the injection till he com he was scared of me having any side effects while am alone ,,so i will wait till tomorrow to take it..

i am afarid,exhausted,and feeling really down..thats why i couldnt post any word..u know me girles,,just lose the ability of talking wen i feel so down!!!

i took my 2nd pill 30min ago and am typing this post as i can feel my stomach pain starts,,

i love u so mch sisters,,love u really ..

ugghhh its very depressing to think that i will be on medication for the next 30 moonths,,but my surgeon said that it will cut my recurrency risk by 20% which deserves to be considered wen take the decission..

oh i forgot to tell u that she will make the refer for the PS,,she said that the common procedure is the latissimus dorsi flap..this is another thing i didnt expect,,i thought i would have an implant but she said i may have no good results with it as i had rads,,another scar in my back which is more depressing,,she said that she agree with me to have a reduction in my other breast as it will realy make me feel better..all these things will be arranged for me and she said she will send me a post to tell me the detailes,,

she said that she will arrange an appointment for me with a professor who made all his reserches on tumors like mine *low hormon +ve)just to know wat he think about pregnency,,,

so practically i have so much more to do,,,and am just tired..

i love u sisters

Ulla

thank u sisters for asking about me..it makes me feel better ..

i do love u..

i think that my mother continouse preyers for me helped so much in my tolerating the tamox

prey for me sisters,,it hurts to feel like i do

lvtwoqlt

Ulla, I am glad that you posted before I left work. I also am praying for you to tolerate the tamox. I am glad to hear that your gyn is sympathetic to you wanting a child and agreeing to 30 months of tamox instead of the 60 months.

Sheila

livesstrong

Ulla,

Someone posted on a forum that I'm on that she has terrible nausea with the Tamoxifen.  She had her ocky lower the dosage and she is fine now.  Maybe you can try that. 

AE 

Anonymous

Oh Ulla, Im sorry you are having such a rough time.....I wish there were something I can do to help you.

Have you tried taking 1/2 the pill in the morning and the other 1/2 at night??thats what my doctor had me do...I just recently changed to the full 20mg pill and I take it moments before I go to bed.

Hugs Sweetie, just think your husband will be home soon and he is going to give you many many hugs from him and from all of us...

Jule

Shirlann

So good to hear from our dear Ulla!  Keep on trying, honey, you will come up with what will work for you.  We are all so different.  And you have the added stress of the family being so far away and DH not always able to be with you.  I wish you were nearer.

Yesterday, Sue, on Ellen DeGeneres' show she had on Hugh Laurie, we have all fallen in love with him over here, and he is a Brit.  But absolutely NO accent on the show, but he spoke his normal voice with her.  And they compared words.  The first one he came up with was "chin wag", and thanks to precious Sue, I KNEW what it was!  I was ecstatic, then Ellen came up with a few words supposedly, US slang, and I had never heard of ANY of them.  I think she cheated.

Anyway, sweetie, hope you are chugging along.  This will be over soon.  Soon, soon, soon,  Almost through the poppy field.

EAR ACHES, one of lifes most painful things.  Only time I had a baby that wouldn't stop crying.  And she also, obviously, has middle ear issues with this infection, so she has trouble walking.  Bummer.  You are such a good mom.  God bless you.

I got on a 5 hour flight to Hawaii once, I had pants but just a little stringy top.  (Back in my thinner days).  It was FREEZING on this plane and I almost died of frostbite, never took another flight without sox and a jacket.  Hard lesson.

Love you all, Shirlann 

honeygirl

Hi everyone. I am tired and need to lay down. Maybe a power nap. My O/H had surgery today , so I was at the hospital all day. He had another blockage in the vein they replaced before. They were going to open it back up with the baloon-plasty , but they found it to be a total occusion(blockage) so they couldn't do it. But because they go into the main artery in the groin , he has to lay flat for 5 hours. Hes resting now. We have to go see the surgeon next week to find out what can be done.

Ulla , good to hear from you honey. Sorry you are still feeling sick from the tamox. But your gyn has a good plan for you. Which includes children in the future. Thats great news. Tell your hubby hello. You and your family are in my prayers.

OK , I need to go unwind. Hope you are all having a good evening. Love to you all.

Suebee , hope you are OK. Please let us know as soon as you can.

xxxx Melody

honeygirl

Shirlann! I saw Ellen too , and I thought the same thing. I know that word! Sue taught it to me!

geebung

Wren, you are are sweet, kind mom. Your poor daughter - ear infections are so painful! My kids were plagued with middle ear infections when they were young and suffered so much pain. Outer ear infections can really hurt too - mine sometimes got them when they swam in public pools. Glad you were able to get your own meds so you can be ready for your implant surgery. When are you having it?

I love knitting - I'm not very advanced but I find it so relaxing - did a lot last year when I was getting over my surgery. I wish I could crochet! I can do the basic chain but I haven't progressed!

Karen, I know you said something about your new house just recently but my scatty brain can't remember. You are building I think? How long do you think it will be before you be able to move in?

Judie - I'm sorry you are having sleep problems. I don't have any problems falling asleep but tend to wake up at 2 or 3 am with a hot flash and find I'm unable to go back to sleep. It's so frustrating and then I feel tired all day. The last couple of nights I have slept through though. I put that down to a fabulous MLD massage I had on Tuesday and all the laughter last night. I'm doing a mental health course. Last night we had to do some roll play. Some of my classmates are natural actors - they were so funny! Our teacher told us to try not to laugh so much and I nearly imploded trying to stifle my mirth. It was so much fun. I am so glad your in-laws are safe in China. There have been so many tragedies in Asia lately - it's heartbreaking watching the news.

Ann - I don't understand why people wear the things they do! Last night was chilly and the younger people in my class were complaining of the cold - but they only had thin, cotton tops on! I had a cotton top, lightweight cardigan and a thick woolly jacket (that way, I can peel off for hot flashes!).

Ulla - I'm so sorry to hear that you are feeling down and having worries about tamoxifen. However, your surgeon sounds wise and empathic. I hope you and she can work out a plan for your meds that mimimises side effects. 

Melody, I am saying prayers for you, your husband and for the doctors who will operate on him. You must be exhausted after being at the hospital for so long.

Love to everybody. Sorry I haven't mentioned all your names - am racing around this morning.

Hugs,

Jane xxx 

portiasproudmom

Hi ladies.  It's past 10 here, so I know you're all sleeping (at least you should be). 

Ulla, I'm glad you checked in even if you're feeling kind of low.  You know we're big worry warts when we don't hear from someone for a few days.  I'm glad you're ok.  It sounds like your surgeon has been much more helpful to you than stupid Mr. Onky.  I'm glad that you have a plan.  Hopefully it will work well for you. 

Judie!!  You cracked me up with the comment about not stripping anymore because people aren't interested in watching.  LOL!!!!!!!  I'm glad you still have your sense of humor even though you're feeling crummy.  You know, I've been feeling kind of bad physically this past week too.  I think I'm fighting something off.  Portia has been feeling kind of achy and tired too.  Hopefully it's just a little bug and we'll feel better by the weekend.  I'd like to enjoy the near 90 degree weather.  Yep--you heard me right ladies!  We're going to have a heat wave!!!  Time to dig out the fans and portable air conditioner!

I'm sorry to hear about your o/h Mel.  I hope they can figure out some way to help him.  Poor guy!  And poor you--it must have been a long, exhausting day. 

Yes, you remembered right, Jane.  We are getting ready to build.  The problem we're having right now is deciding on one of three house plans.  Each has things we like and don't like about it.  We're going to try and modify one to suit our needs.  I can't wait to get started!  My d/h is stressed to the max.  I think once we get going, he'll calm down a bit.

Love to Sue, Shirlann, Nancy, Lisa, AnnNYC, Sheila, Wren, AE, Anne,  Jule, and anyone I may be forgetting.  It's late and my brain is mush.

Hugs,

Karen