Who here is from Ontario??

Kyta

I'm in Greely, just a few short minutes east of Manotick...small world.

BMac

Hi Sugar, my sister-in-law lives in Meadowvale and I used to work in Winston Park.  It's a stone's throw from my house.  How do you like Credit Valley?  It's nice and close for you.  I'm downtown and although I grumble about having to go down there I'm very happy with my doctors.

I attended a fitness program this spring at Wellspring.  It was awesome.  It was a brand new program at the time and it really helped me kick start getting back into fitness and losing the added steroid weight.

Sugar77

Mary Louise, I don't know about treatment plans yet.  I know for sure I need radiation and have an appt. about that on Thursday.  As far as chemo therapy goes, I'm not sure. My surgeon says to be prepared that they'll want to treat aggressively due to my age (I'm 45) but I won't know for sure until I meet with the medical oncologist next week. He didn't indicate it was because of it being TN but you never know!

BTW, my sister-in-law was treated in London two years ago for endometrial cancer and they were very good.  You are getting top notch care so I wouldn't worry about that.

Sherri 

  

Marple

Mich, sheesh, it sure is a small world!!

Sugar77

BMac, So far I like Credit Valley as I was diagnosed quickly through their relatively new diagnostic assessment unit.  My surgeon is wonderful and never wasted any time. My biopsy showed Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia and because of that, he did a lumpectomy in case there was any DCIS in the area near the calcifications.  Low and behold, to everyone's surprise, an area of invasive turned up on the path report and we had to then back track and do another operation to check the sentinel node.  Both surgeries took place in less than a week of me meeting with the surgeon for results. Therefore, no complaints at my end.  I've not met with any of the oncologist yet but will be doing so starting on Thursday,  I've heard really good things about Credit Valley's new regional cancer centre so I'm hoping for the best.

Sherri 

Sugar77

fmakj, I sent you a private message about your appt. Not sure if I sent correctly it but maybe check to see if you got an email from me.

Sherri 

fmakj

Sherri,  I did get your PM and sent you one back.  Good luck with your upcoming appointments!  I guess I better get ready for mine today!

lassie11

Don't you just love those days with not one, not even one, medical appointment?!

rinna40

You said it Leslie!!

 Although I'm in the middle of rads now - I am celebrating because I had my last home care visit today. My wound is finally closed!! I've been having daily and then every other day home care since Easter!!!! I only wish the cosmetic results were better - the breast sort of looks folded over on itself. At it is about two cup sizes smaller than my healthy breast. Maybe I'll look into some  cosmetic surgery in a year or two.

Well, I'm off to rad #5!! Still have not made it to the library to get a book on tape, so it's me and CBC again. I hope its not an hour of gardening advice. I did learn about how the Catholics persecuted Galileo for spreading rumors that the Earth was not the centre of the universe.  At least I learned something.

lassie11

Well done for remembering what you heard Rinna! More often I listen to something that seems interesting at the time but have no recall of even the topic afterwards. I wonder how long we can blam chemo brain for these lapses (even if they started before chemo)? My thought is forever if it suits me.

Congratulations on the healed wound - sounds like a long run with that. If you don't want surgery, there is a fine pattern for a knitted boob that can be whatever size you want to bring you back to balanced. http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html

I have a fancy expensive plastic/rubbery thing and much prefer the replacements my daughter knitted for me.

micheleboots

what is the deal with the knitty titty. Does it stay in place better? Is it warmer?  I guess I just don't get it.

rinna40

knitty titty - lol

I actually wouldn't mind the surgery as I used to be a DD on both sides. I quite like the idea of being a B or a C. But maybe in the interim a knitty tittyt would do the trick 

lassie11

The tit bit is lighter in weight (can be weighted if you like), can easily be stuffed to whatever dimensions you want, fits into a mastectomy bra the same as the prosthetic sort and is way less expensive. I haven't worn the plastic one in winter so don't know about temperatures. My daughter knit me one in cashmere and one in cotton wool - I'll experiment in winter. Also, I still have a seroma which makes wearing the big plastic thing quite uncomfortable after a while. If nothing else, the pattern is fun to read, even for a non knitter like me!

Luah

Hi ladies, just wanted to check in and add my name to the Ontario cohort.  I'm in mid-town Toronto, very fortunate to be within a half-hour walk of Sunnybrook where I will shortly be starting chemo, followed by rads.  Had surgery at North York General -- lumpectomy and SNB (1 of 4 nodes with micromets) in October, followed by an ALND two weeks ago (10 more nodes, all clear.).

Sugar 77 and Mary Louise: I am trip neg too!   Onco left me with choice of triweekly FEC x 3, then taxotere x 3... or dense dose AC x 4, then weekly taxol x 12.  I think I'm going with the second, though it sure won't be a picnic.  Going for PICC line this week, then chemo starts. 

Hope everyone's having a nice weekend. 

Anonymous

Hey Luah,

I am also about a 30min walk from Sunnybrook at Bayview and Eglinton.  Dr Dent is my onc and Spayne for rads.  I am 6 months out of chemo ( I had the FEC-T) and I had my rads first so am 10months out of that.  What I learned through chemo was "be patient".  There is so much waiting around,, but the chemo nurses were great.  I arranged it so that I would see doc the day before for bloods and then the chemo day was faster-sometimes.  Any questions, just PM me

Sig

hey Micheleboots, I have the same drs as you, I have dr Segal for chemo and Dr Cross for radiation. I had 4x AC chemo and 4x Taxol every three weeks plus Herceptin for 1 year and had 6 weeks of radiation and now I am on femara.

Sig

hrf

Hi Luah, I'm also in mid-town Toronto ... a 15 minute drive to Sunnybrook. All my docs and treatments have been at Sunnybrook. Best of luck as you start on your treatment.

Luah

Hey thisisme and hrf:  Very nice to meet you neighbours and to know you're doing well.  I'm in Wanless Park area... it is indeed a small world, isn't it?  My onco is Dr. Petrella (she treated my sister last year) and rad onco is Dr. Pignol.  I do remember how long the day can be for chemo treatment, as I went with my sister most times.  It's amazing how patient you have to learn to be with this disease.  It's also amazing to see the crowded wait areas at Odette and realize: wow, all these people have cancer!  Very sobering.  

   

Mantra

I was referred to an oncologist at Sunnybrook too and saw Dr. Vesperini.

hrf

Luah, I'm not far from you in the Ave/Eglinton area. I'm with Drs. Eisen & Rakovitch. You have to be very patient at Odette because as much as they try, there is a lot of waiting. I think they put through over 100 people a day for chemo.

micheleboots

Sig,  What a small world.  How did you like them?  I quite like them both.  I have only met Dr. Cross the once, before I started chemo...I like how Dr. Segal works...she is super nice.  I like that she takes notes for you and then gives them to me...

I am starting Toxeter(sp?) my next treatment...I am a bit nervous.  How did it go for you?  I guess it is the unknown..So far everything is going great...I think the worst SE is yucky mouth.  I can hardly wait until my food tastes good again...Not even water tastes good.  It makes it hard to enjy drinking all I need to drink..at least that only lasts for about 10 days..

What part of Ottawa are you in.  I am in Orleans...at least it is not to far from the General.  Are you enjoying the snow?  At least it is only on the grass.

Michele

lassie11

Michele - I found even water tasting bad with Taxotere as well. Two things that worked were to mix gingerale with juice and to have a wide selection of decaf herbal teas hot or on ice. At least that got some fluids in me. Fortunately, I never had to give up coffee even when it didn't taste as good as it should. That would have been tragic.

Taxotere wasn't too bad for me although I know that it, like everything else, affects everyone differently. Be sure to get the ice booties and mittens to keep the nail damage to a minimum.

Kyta

Not thrilled to wake up to snow in Ottawa today.....really hoping it doesn't stay otherwise we'll be in for one very long winter!!!!

Marple

It's slowly melting a little south of Ottawa Mich.  But not fast enough for me.  To be honest, I thought it looked quite pretty out this morning.  But okay, I confess, I've had enough!!!

crazy4carrots

I'm going to be an optimist and say that (thanks to El Nino) we're going to have a rather mild winter in Ontario!  Where I live (the little micro-climate that is Niagara) we haven't even had frost yet -- my geraniums and a couple of rose bushes are still blooming!  This time last year, we'd had about 15 cms of snow -- and it stayed....and stayed.

Cheers, Linda

micheleboots

Ok Lindasa, that is quite enough of trying to make us jealous...I hate snow and the small dusting we have here is enough for me...I want to see spring now..I figure each week with out snow is one week closer to summer..

Michele

crazy4carrots

I start hankering for spring just after December 21, when the days start getting longer......!

Sorry Michele, didn't mean to turn your pink hair green (with envy)!!

Hugs, Linda

lassie11

Well -  you got me going. I just put up the string of festive blue lights on my front porch. And I ordered snow tires which will get put on tomorrow. If there is going to be a winter, might as well be ready for it. Down here in the sunny climes of Bay of Quinte area, my son in law reported a dusting of snow early in the morning. He gets up way too early; I don't so I missed it.

micheleboots

Lassie, My Dh is from Belleville,  we spent a week at Sandbanks last year and loved it..We love Picton area...Want to rent a cottage, but to much money this year...not working and all..perhaps a staycation is in order.

lassie11

Sandbanks is spectacular in the early fall too.

There was a poster at the hospital in Kingston about cottages being made available free for families where one person has had cancer - can't find a link right now but maybe your hospital has the same poster - it seemed to be provincial and might be worth tracking down if you'd like a cottage stay. Does anyone else have the info? I don't know if it includes "the County" or not.  As both of my brothers have cottages north of here, I'm covered.