Starting Chemo May 2008
Comments
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I am thinking about you guys every 12 minutes.
Big farm equipment sale on Sat. My friend's double proph masect is on Friday. Just a lot going on.
It's okay. Just very intense at points.And you know,family.
I am getting good skype-experience. here's the thing with me: I don't like to use it very long because I get tongue-tied and self-conscious and my heart starts to race! So I'm happy to try to skype, provided people understand if I wanna hang up after a few minutes!
xoxoxoxo
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Hi Everyone,
I havent posted in a while- just reading and trying to catch up on my crazy job- I do IT work for HR so year end is 2 months long and absolutely crazy.
Hysterectomy is delayed until insurance and doctors work it all out- so Thanksgiving will be nice instead of in recovery.
Noelle's bath boms are the bomb- oh my gosh, I splurged last night on myself after months of showers only- well I had one month between chemo and rads when I could take a bath but that has been it since last March. It was absolutely luxurious and my skin feels so much better! I ordered some to use as gifts and my daughters and I are wondering how many we will really give away now lol.
Gotta run- got a new PC at work and Im checking to make sure everything I need is installed on the new one- since I cna work at home when I need to I have to make absolutely sure my configuration is right!
It was GREAT talking to Noelle and my accent is definitely Texas (East Texas at that!).
Kristy
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Hi,
Hope everyone is having a good morning so far, just got my daughter off to school and enjoying that peacefull second cup of coffee...ahhhhhh
Gracie , I hope your husband is ok and things are smelling like roses again !
Roxi , I'm sure your hair looks beautiful, I think i might have to go that route too as there are far to many greys coming in for my liking.
Sue i hopes there is room on that porch for a northener..eh ?
Ellenoire i don't know how you find the energy to do what you do!
Sable i hope things cool down for you and the meds work.
Kerry have a great trip to melbourne and a wonderful visit with your dad.
Cristine way to go with almost finishing rads, nice to be done before christmas!
Rock I hope your friends surgery goes ok, she will have great support with you alongside.
Sorry if i forgot anyone.
Had my onc follow up this week, checked me all over and everything seemed fine. Have been having a few heart flutters so he had me get an ECG just to rule out any problems. It's probablly just going into shock cause there's no chemicals or radiation flowing through my body !
He said he doesn't do follow up scans unless there is a symptom to look into....i'm ok with that there is no point in looking for things that aren't there...makes it easier to move on. He said i have to be diligent with the followup doc visits and mamo's and just be aware of odd symptoms that last longer than they should. So he's sending an ok to the surgeon for my port to be taken out..yipee ! Only problem is it's just a local anistetic, he makes the incision and he pulls it out and sews me back up .... yikes!
.......Suck it up princess ...right !Every year we get together with our neighbours to celebrate all our birthdays which are all close together...it turns out its at our house this year on Sat. so have to pull out the cook books for something fun to make. I just have to handle the main meal and the rest bring appys , dessert and salad. It's just nice to be able to have enough energy to do this fun stuff again ! One of the gals makes the wickedest peach belinis...yummmmm!
Thanks to those who invited me into your facebook world and i will try and find the rest of you out there. I'm just finding it hard to find the time to do anything with it.
Wow ... i kinda rambled on sorry about that...Happy Thursday everyone.
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Hello Ladies! I just caught up on the post - laughing and smiling. I have been studying for a certification test, but it is much more enjoyable to visit with you all!
Chris - on the home stretch with the rads - yeah!!
The porch in Georgia sounds fantastic - count me in!
Awesome photos on facebook - you ladies look marvelous!
Exhausted and headed to bed, but wanted to say hello. Good night all!
Jean
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damn kitten is missing again. Last time it was kids and a babysitter that did not notice her get out.. now there is snow on the ground and I was home... I have no idea how she got out!
I have a hell of a headache. Off to bed. I almost have the burial planned. Trained new staff yesterday and today and got the mortgage app done with the bank ( on the anniversary of mom's death I have to buy this house from the estate)
This Nov and Dec will have a lot of milestones in them.
Bury moms ashes? check! Buy first house? check! Celebrate one year after finding lump in my breast? check! Turn 42? check! Sell more than I ever have in the store in the Holiday season? Here's hoping! Fall on my face with exhaustion on Dec 26th? you better fecking believe it.
Day 27 here I come... day 28 is my last day then I get 2 days off.
Wooo hoooo
N
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Come on, Noelle, warrior woman, you can do it!!!!!! Only two more work days, then a rest. But, wait, will you rest? Be honest....
Hope everyone's day goes well. Off to an early shift.
Love,
Sue
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Noelle, I am exhausted on your behalf. Do you sometimes have the sense that "I have to keep moving because if I pause I may not re-start again?" Just wonderin'... I consider myself a pretty busy person, but am feeling like I am standing still when I think about what you've got on your plate (can I mix a few more metaphors??!!)
Angels -- A treat to see you posting again! Come find us on Facebook!
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"boat trip up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga"... I think I will repeat that phrase when I need to relaaaaaaaaaaaaax.
(Congrats, Gracie! Though I hope hubby's nose comes around. One's nose is hard to ignore.)
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DH is doing ok. The graph that was put in didn't take, so that is where the odor was coming from. Doc removed it, so now we have to let the cartilage heal, which he said could take awhile. Mild infection, so was put on another round of antibiotics. He hates taking medicine.
It feels really strange not having any doc appts until Dec 2. But after that there will be a follow up CT/PET scan, port removal and appts with rads onc. Somewhere in there I may get to do a little Christmas shopping. Luckily DD is going to help me. Got to get this house cleaned before son gets home! (Oldest DD may regret moving closer to home--going to put both of the girls to work!)
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Well, it's Friday afternoon, I just got home from work and my dh is at the gliderport, and he took the dogs. Feet up, in the recliner. Just me and the cat. I had CT scans of my chest/abdomen and a bone scan on Wednesday and was hoping not to have to wait the weekend for the results, but it looks like that's the way it's going to go. No symptoms, my onc just wanted to repeat them because the insurance is paying for 100% of everything until the end of the year. I am relatively sane about these, but it's always just that little bit scary.....and I hate being afraid.
Noelle, did you find your kitten?
Rock, howyadoin?
I think I might need a cookie.
Sue
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Cookies . . . toward the end of the day at work, a secretary from another department came through hawking cookies. (There'd been a bake sale/craft show over the lunch hour.) These were peanut butter cookies . . . homemade, extra peanut chunks . . . criss-crossed fork imprint in the middle . . .
Hungry yet, Sue?? I'll save one for you!
Jackie, that dead-mouse-in-the-nose image is too vivid and too funny. My cats once hid a dead mouse in my living room (if you have to know, they placed it, very delicately, on the lap of an antique Japanese doll) and it took me forever to locate it. So I know that dead mouse smell very well. (Shudder.) Seriously, I'm glad your husband is doing ok, though it's got to be frustrating to run into these problems. (I guess we all know a little about that.)
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Linda
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A quicky. My big sister will be here any minute, and my little brother may be right behind her.
PB cookie image is very soothing. Right up there with boat trips down rivers.
My friend's surgery took 2 hours longer than anticipated. Still don't know many details. Mom is sick with a fever of 100+. Mom is never sick. She never stops. She doesn't even slow down. But today she did. I made dinner, made sandwiches for the farm sale tomorrow, and baked brownies. Dealing with a lot of things, and it feels good to be useful. Still, I could do with less family drama.
I have 4 pieces of good news regarding my book, including a starred review in Publisher's Weekly (online). But compared to the other stuff going on... well, I'm just not feeling it.
Gotta go. Someone is home! (My little brother!)
love, rock
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Compared to everyone else's news, mine is pretty weak: I had my colonoscopy yesterday. I did it! I did it!
Yes, everything was fine. There wasn't even a reason to do any biopsies. The prep wasn't so much fun--I managed to get seriously nauseous an hour after the 2nd dose of Phospho-soda, and ... (TMI warning) ... I "lost" (orally) most of that dose plus the liquids I'd consumed afterward. I felt much better after getting rid of the Phospho-soda, but spent the rest of the night (what was left of it) worried I'd messed up the prep and they wouldn't do the 'oscopy.
The nurses were so sweet--I felt like I was at an expensive hotel. Well, a weird hotel, maybe, but an expensive one. They wanted to know if I was warm enough--I ended up bundled under 2 heated blankets. They were oh-so-careful about my left arm (LE side)--the first thing they did was put a bright pink LE warning band on it. Everything else was done on my right arm. They even wanted to know if I liked the music they were playing--it was a really upbeat Allman Brothers tune that I remembered from my youth. (They probably do that to appeal to the age-50+ crowd.)
They gave me some Phenergan in the i.v. because I had said Demerol makes me nauseous. Then they started dripping the good stuff ... and the next thing I knew, I was sitting up on the gurney, sipping a Coke, back in the pre-op cubicle where my dh had been waiting for me. I thought maybe they had cancelled the whole thing because of the bad prep.
Nope. I was done. Passed, with flying colors. YAY!
Rock, I hope your visit goes well. You know that I know how traumatic that family stuff can be. Take care of your mom--she sounds like a very special person. Did I miss something? Is this your family's farm that's being sold? Gosh, I hope not. Tell us the rest of your good news when you get a chance.
Hugs to everybody... Cookies? Who's got cookies?
otter
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Selling farm equipment, but still keeping the farm for now. (It's because of retirement, not destitution, thank god.)
Sue: I forgot to say that I am sorry about the scanxiety. I think cookies are definitely the way to go. Cookies, and a cigar on a porch.
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Hi Everyone,
Just thought I would check in and actually post- I usually read but it has been crazy the last couple of weeks- we are swamped for the last 2 months of the year doing year end IT stuff.
Surgery got delayed- insurance declined it and then oncologist appealed. Was scheduled for 7 AM Thursday Nov 20 and they approved it at Noon on Thursday Nov 20- guess that schedule just wasnt meant to be. I told the docs to schedule me before Dec 5 or in January since I really dont want to come home from the hospital to 5 kids who are home 24/7 on Christmas holidays. They called back with a Dec 18 date - the day before school lets out- and I told them No Way would I do it then---- so no final date yet but January is looking really good at this point. Definitely cant argue about a little more healing time for those white and red blood counts and everything else that is whacked from chemo and rads!
Lots of things to do today- cleaning the fireplace, baking sweet potatoes, making pancakes- none of it related to work and none related to bc.
Noelles bath boms are WONDERFUL!
Kristy
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no kitten yet, I hope she made to someones warm house and the posters and ads out there will bring her home... something about the timing of the time she showed up to me( from the BF's family farm) has helped recovery... I want her back. If I get her back, she gets a computer chip inserted in her...
Have to run.. day 8 million and 5... but I get tomorrow and Monday off.
Monday I have to arrange a mortgage and bury my mom and deal with my asshole family, but I don't have to be at the store.
N
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Okay, rock. I had a cheese danish, and a cigar on the porch, and went to the library, and the dog park, and walked with my friend. What do I do now? I know, laundry!!!!!
Love you all
Sue
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Sue -- oganize photos? Get started on Christmas cards? Go hat shopping? Plan retirement party? Plan how you are going to treat yourself?
I have 2 or 3 more tests ahead myself. It is helping a lot to know that 10 days after the last one I will be hopping on a plane. I need something "beyond" (and I don't mean an afterlife) to keep me from getting mired down in anxiety of the here and now.
OTTER: CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THROUGH THE COLONOSCOPY!!!! (Poor choice of words, sorry.) The warm blankets-- ah, I forgot about those! I LOVE the warm blankets part of procedures!
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Noelle, I hope that you find your kitty! Psycho dog drives me crazy sometimes, but he has been a huge comfort during all of this, plus he can be very entertaining. I know that I would miss him terribly.
Rock-how did dthe sale go?
Been a quiet weekend. Oldest DD's grandpa on her sperm donor side passed away so she is on her way to Indiana-She is excited and nervous about getting to meet relatives that she hasn;t met yet. (She didn't meet her "other" family until she was 18) I'm going to try not to worry about her, but it's not that easy.
Think that I am trying to get a cold. Have to beat it quick since last chemo is just a little over a week away! ( POLE DANCE!) Been using Zicam to try to head it off.
Love you ladies!
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Hey lovely women,
It is nice to catch up with you. I love seeing you on Facebook too. I love that we've integrated into one another's "other" lives. Gorgeous autumn day in Seattle. Going for a walk with my usual Sunday partner then heading for a second walk. My computer and car blew up on the same day. Work will buy me my new computer --already have and it is working well but I tried to get them to buy me a car too. Not happening. Buying a Prius. Delivery Jan 2 so I can get Washington Sate write-off. Talk to you all through Facebook and those not on Facebook here. Ciao.
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I had my last radiation treatment, on monday, so I'm all cooked and done!!!! Does anyone, know what happens now? How often, do we have follow up appointments? I saw my oncologist, on thurs. but something came up, and I had to have a CT Scan,(blood clot in the lungs scare), everthings, ok, but we didn't get into, the future.
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Heather,
I'd like to send you a holiday card. Could you send me your address PM...If you want holiday cards from other folks, send your address to Sable/Jen and she'll add you on to the holiday card list...anyone else?
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yes, angels and RanD's addresses please!
Night! Love N
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Noelle how did today (Monday) go? You had rather an eclectic list of difficult tasks to perform. Feck! I bet you'll be glad when this year is over. I guess that can be said for all of us, but your challenging shite keeps on keeping on. Talk about The Year of One More Fecking Thing! I really hope your pre-Christmas sales go THROUGH THE ROOF and you laugh all the way to the bank. I personally am worn out on your behalf too..Rock, how fares your Ma? I hope that temp has come down a bit..I (WE!) know about THAT harbinger! I think I've got pneumonia again 10 times per night..but then I realise it's just the fecking Femara....sigh....We had a great 4 days in Melbourne and up country catching up with my family. My nieces..the two that I saw.. are so cool. One is 20 and one is turning 18 next week. She had a BIG interview on Saturday to get into fashion-school in Melbourne. Her folio, particularly her drawings, was fantastic. Her sister has got herself a job in a childcare centre and had saved $4000 in 5 months. (for a house). Country gals...you just can't beat 'em. Otter! well done on the 'up-periscope'! Even though we have all had a million tests between us, it is still fantastic to hear the good-newsy results so...yay!!!! So nice to catch up. RanD? I'm worried about and the Fecking Fifteen...XXXX
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Jan,
I see my oncologist every 3 months this year since I am finished with chemo and rads. I will see the rad onc two months after the last rad treatment, have a MUGA every 3 months (since I am on Herceptin)- I am enjoying the break of not being at the cancer center every day!
Taught my youngest how to make rice kristy treats yesterday- he decorated them with sprinkles- he puts sprinkles on anything he can LOL!
2 days until Thanksgiving!
Kristy
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Morning!
Been working on Christmas cards-a little at a time. The taxotere is really doing a number on my fingers. It's bad when it becomes difficult to open a bottle of water.
DD & I are going grocery shopping for Thanksgiving this afternoon. Dh thinks that I should use the motorized shopping cart to make it easier on my legs. Might be fun!
Rice Krispy Treats--one of my favorites!
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rice crispy treats. Yum. And yams and turkey and stuffing. MMMMMMMMMMMM
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Thanks, Kristy Ann,
Yes, it is wonderful, to be finished, with chemo. and radiation. Just a moment ago, I got a call from, my oncologist's nurse, and she said my CT scan, showed that my heart, has been compromised. Now, I'm waiting for her to, call me back, after she talks, to my doctor. But, it's beyond my control, so I will not panic....sheez if it's not one thing, it's another.
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jan -- that is hard news re: heart. I am really sorry to hear that. There are other ways, though, that your heart can never be compromised and that's important to remember too.
Jacki - if your fingers don't cooperate, don't worry about it. you can just put a thumbprint on your card or heck, just VISUALIZE sending the cards and we will understand! And heck, use the motorized shopping cart, just because you CAN! (And then report back whether it was as much fun as it looks like it is. I think you should wear a ridiculous hat for the occasion, possibly one with streamers.)
Kristy -- On Thursday <<I >> made Rice Krispies treats with sprinkles on them. Something I haven't done in probably 30+ years. And Kerry, don't mean to freak you out but last night I had the most vivid dream about you and me, and me having a huge mullet that you were trying to be supportive of but were also trying to delicately let me know that it was just plain strange. And while I'm thinking of you, I believe today is the anniversary of Abel Tasman discovering Tasmania, right?
Eddie -- Glad you're rolling with the sh*tty news. And even gladder that you'll be rolling in a Prius soon. (Your photo is really really cute, btw. Any thought to hanging on to the shorter do? It suits you!)
My news is that today something I wrote was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was supposed to be in Sunday's paper but then they decided to use it to "anchor" the op-ed section in today's paper. AND my friend is home from her double masectomy and recovering well so far. I am hugely relieved.
Love to all of yous. I was thinking of you, Sue, as we landed at LaGuardia this afternoon. I watched the tower during the whole descent and just thought of you. (Do you have results yet?)
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so I am dazed and tired.
Mummy is buried. A few tears were shed, but not many by me... I said my goodbyes long long ago. I got the funeral home guys to take some ashes out for me to keep for my brother (who could not make it in the end-threw his back out) sister, etc.. and I will get a piece of jewelery custom made with a few ashes mixed into the molten metal. My dad( who divorced mom looong B4 she died) dropped the box in the hole with a thud( the box was little, the hole was HUGE!) Mom would have laughed outloud. I met my sisters' new BF briefly, as long as he is nicer to her than her husband was I will like him.We all had tea and scones at a lovely local place afterwards -everyone thought mom would have liked that, in fact she hated tea... tea is English and she was Scottish born and raised. My Dad and her best friend picked the place and I did not argue. If Mom was there she would have asked where the gin was... but we took care of the drinking at her funeral.
Love to all... I am 99.9% sure I spotted the kitten in the 'hood last night and she was not at the shelter. Hopefully she will come home soon- dirty slut ;P
Gotta run. DS is trying to make his own steak dinner.
N
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