Anyone In Phoenix, AZ Area?

ebann

Cindy Rose-it was very nice meeting you for lunch today. I hope you had a good rest of the day. See you and your mom on Saturday.

Cindy-Rose

ebann: I had a wonder lunch and even better I had a wonderful time talking with you. You made me feel very good about how I'm handling things right now and gave me a little bit more courage than I thought I had. You are a truly beautiful person and you've encouraged me to think things through a little more without focusing only on the bad things. Thank you. I'll definately be there on Saturday.

cin

o2bhealthy

Ebann - my sister is out of town so I will just drive down, visit and drive back...gonna be a long day but worth it

Cindy-Rose

Rick here. Cindy is back in the hospital again. She has double pnuemonia again, or still. They are trying to figure out how to fix the lung issue before Thursday (her mastectomy date) so that she can start on her road to recovery. She is very thankful for her port, otherwise the incompetent nurse last night would have poked her alot to get an IV in. She said to tell you that she had a great time meeting everyone last night. She has the E-Pad with her. As soon as it gets some charge on it she will post personally. (Cindy says this just proves the 1% theroy)

o2bhealthy

Cindy I hope the doctors can get the pneumonia under control and your surgery can move forward as planned.   You looked and sounded so well on Saturday...  Please know you and Rick are in my prayers...

ebann

Cindy we wish you the best and hope for a quick recovery. I think I would personally be lary about getting my surgery done on Thursday. I think I would find me another Dr. I am worried about you even attempting this surgery and give yourself time to heal. I know it would not be as planned. Sometimes there are reason things do not go according to plan. I let the girls know and thank Rick he was so kind enough to give me your room number. Keep us posted. It was great to see you at the ornament exchange. I would like to please get your email address so you can be on the list with the other girls. You can PM that to me if you are okay in doing that. If not I do respect that. Your in my prayers and thoughts.

KinAZ

Cindy-Rose,  enjoyed meeting you saturday, i am so glad you came.  sorry to hear about the setback, i personally know all about being that 1%....but hang in there, and know that i am praying for you and rick.... please stay in touch with us!

healing hugs, karen

Cindy-Rose

Rick here.: Cindy has had her mastectomy. She is still in the hospital in alot of pain. The doctor's finally put all thier heads together and found out that because she has a pain clinic and it may take more meds than they orignally thought because she may hurt more than the common person......well DUH!!!! I could have told them that 2 days ago if I had gone to med school and they would listen. She is going to be there atleast through today. To her Az Sistahs: She recieved your flowers and loves them. I have been in the hospital with her up until about an hour or two ago. She is highly medicated and has "waking dreams". Meaning she doesn't close her eyes but talks about stuff she is dreaming. It gets very confusing to hold a conversation. Genereally I say "Yes, dear" alot and she is happier that way. I am making sure she has all the necessary items that a lady needs in the hospital ( I am waiting for the dryer to give me back her under garments) including TP from home. (We all know that single ply stuff they get doesn't hold up well) I will be returning to the hospital for thier delicious (<---sarcasm) dinner and another comfortable night of sleeping in the recliner right by my wife's side (where I belong). My brother arrives from Hawaii at midnight here. If they have not released her by then we are going to take a 2 foot tall Christmas tree from my mother-in-laws house, and some of Cindy's Christmas presents so she may have some type of Christmas morning with me. I am thankful to all of you for your words of encouragement and support. I truly need and apprieciate them at this place in my life. I will be here again tomorrow, if I am not I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas. Hug and kiss the ones in your life that mean the most.......Rick

A1B1

Cindy I am sorry for all your going through. Just hang in there, it will be all over soon, at least you are one step closer to recovery. It is good to know that you have a great supporting husband, God bless both of you. Merry Christmas. 

A1B1

Merry Christmas to you all, I wish you all and and my mom a healhy, Happy New Year. 

ebann

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Cindy-Rose & Rick; so sorry to hear you are in a lot of pain. I am glad you received your flowers. Hang in there and give it your all and fight fight fight. We are here for you.

Rick thanks for being there for your wife. She especially needs your support. So I take it that you decided not to do your surgery? I was wondering about that. All that matter is you are with Cindy Rose. Did she get to come home or are you celebrating it in the hospital? Please take care and may  there be many blessings upon you.

o2bhealthy

Wishing you both a very Merry Christmas!  I hope you Cindy is feeling better and gets to go home soon!

Cindy-Rose

I just came home tonignt and I'm very tired and in a ton of pain but I just had to say thank you for the most beautiful flowers a girl ever did get. I think I'll have lots to tell you all about but I think for now I had better get some rest.

Merry Christmas

cin

Cindy-Rose

ebann: I just saw that you asked about Rick's surgery and he has been reset for the 5th of Jan. You are so right about doing it at the same time...it would have been a train wreck! I still have the drains but they are coming out in a few days and the bandages soon after. I think because I had spoken to you I'm not having a difficult time with the loss of another body part, but I'll be so glad to be done with this whole thing. I even feel a bit more at ease about the coming chemo and I've purposely not started it yet because I want to make sure I'm not sick at all when I do. I see all the Dr.s next week so I'll just be resting and healing til then. The flowers you all sent came with the most beautiful vase that I'll be keeping over my fireplace to remind me of all of you. Thank you again...lots of love,

cin

ebann

Hi Cindy Rose,

Thank you for the update. I am glad that I was able to meet  with you and put you at ease. It is never an easy process. It is difficult to loose a body part of any kind. We girls understand. Chemo from what you experienced before will be so different. twenty five years ago they were not this advanced. My mother is a survivor of colon cancer 36 years ago. She went on a 5 year trail. I am so glad that you love the flowers and vase. Rick was great in telling me what you liked. So that is what I went on. I sent the girls a picture and they contributed. I am so glad to hear that Rick decided not to go with the surgery as well. I was concerned about that several of us were. I wish you the best with  your appts. Did you  look up my Dr. Dr. Sharon Ondreyco with Arizona Oncology 7200 W. Bell Rd. Glendale,  AZ 72nd/Bell Rd Glendale,  AZ 623-487-3700 She is  one of the best. I would check her out. She does just about everything in her offiice. Labs, Injections, Chemo, Exams, Follow Ups. She is planning to move to another location in 6 months they want to be able to have many other services there. Keep us updated. Ondreyco is also taking new patients. If you do see her I hope you like her as much as I do. She is straight forward and take this seriously and is aggressive too. I have had success with her.

(((hugs)))

Cindy-Rose

I havn't called her because I'm letting Rick handle all the appiontments for me...I can't seem to make myself call them. I know I should call her because I really don't like my onco at all...I don't think I would like any onco to be honest because I hate the whole idea of chemo. I promised Rick I would do it and I will but I don't know how to get myself to be positive about it. I'm trying to take it all one day at a time so I don't make myself crazy. I'll talk to Rick about going to see her, maybe she can help me with dealing with all of this. It can't hurt to find out. Thanks for the info on her.

cin

o2bhealthy

Today I filled out paperwork for my 2nd job...as I was leaving I was asked do I go by an alias to which I promptly replied 'no'!.   After I left I realized that my o2bhealthy is an alias and, depending on how thorough the background check, they will find me here!  Freaky!

It's a good thing I don't post all my crazy thoughts here

ebann

Hi Michelle, What is your 2nd job? I never did think about my username being an alias. Wow the things people can find out now a days. Rather scary. Now I will remember that.

Hi Cindy Rose, glad you got the information that you needed for Ondreyco. I just hope that you follow through with it especially since you do not like your oncologist. It is important to have a good team and believe in what they are doing for you. I hope that Rick will make the call. I know you do not want to face this and your experience from years ago was a bad one. I do not blame you. Only time will tell. I believe Cisplatin is not that bad. Thinning of the hair, some nausea, which ginger capsules are great for nausea. Wheatgrass shots are wonderful for energy. You can get wheatgrass shots at Whole Foods in the freezer section. You just put a cube in a glass with some warm water and let it melt. Melatonin is good for the immune system since chemo breaks it down. I can give you a list of other things that my naturopath and the other Cindy told me about. Keep us updated. Know that you are in my prayers.

o2bhealthy

I will be working for a local charity in the Foster Care division as part time admin assist...finger printing & background checks are mandatory (which is great considering the program I am working in). 

KinAZ

cindy rose,,, happy your home, and on the mend.... i would like to encourage you to call another oncologist... we all know how you feel..... you might be surprised to find that once you have made the first step it will get easier,,,, the fear can be paralyzing, but it is very important that you have a good relationship with the oncologist..... we will help you thru it

michelle,,,, omg .... is no place safe anymore????  crapola,,,

Cindy-Rose

Rick here;

 ebann, I have left a message today for Francine at Dr. Sharon Ondreyco's office, she is the new patient advocate(???), I am hoping for a call back today.

 o2bhealthy, I am so jealous of you. Not only do you have one job but now you are getting a second. Since my injury last year I have not been able to return to work. I am one of those guys that thinks a 16 hour day is just the beginning of a good week. I believe that a person should work as long and as hard as they can handle it. This not working and just "surviving" is really trying my patience. I mean I was brought up to be the bread winner and provider for my home and the people in it. I was taught to take care of all the needs and wants in my home. Needless to say this not working is adding to my feeling of helplessness with the medical issues compounding it. I know things will get better, I just want it all to be better now. I guess that is just my generation talking through me, you know, the instant gratification generation? 

 Now on to the positive, upbeat side of me. (sorry for unloading) Cindy is being well taken care of (grilled-turkey and cheese sandwiches with tomato soup followed by a heavy dose of M&M's). She told me today that I do not make her feel the lest bit uncomfortable about how she looks. I replied "I love you for who you are not what you look like." I think I did well with that statement as it is the truth. I am wondering how other significant others are coping with all that is going on. I still have not heard of or from any others. Maybe we could all get together and do like a "group date night"? I am sure you ladies would appreciate a night where we all get together and do a group thing that does not involve focussing on the issues of our day to day circumstances. You know, kinda like hanging out like "normal" people? I know that the Az women get together, maybe we could swing a thing with the people that are in our support groups and make it more of a family oriented thing?? I know that girls like to get together and do the "girl-talk", I am soooo OK with that. I think that maybe if the significant others got involved with others going through this maybe we could help each other emotionally? Guys don't like to do the crying thing that often, maybe if they had others that are going through this with them they would be more able to come to terms with their emotions? Or maybe I am just more "in-touch" than most men, I don't know.

o2bhealthy

Rick - you are definately more in touch than most men

My DH is wonderful but he prefers to keep his head in the sand unless absolutely necessary and is not the most forth coming about taking to others about his emotions...

Anonymous

Hi All,

I finished chemo last week and am hoping to join the Phoenix ladies next event.

Nice to hear how Cindy is being taken care of!  Rick, I agree that you are very in touch!  I think your idea sounds nice.  I am realizing how hard the whole bc thing can be on loved ones.  I am fortunate to have a very supportive husband and know he needs support too.

Anyway just checking in.

Sara ♥

ebann

Hi there everyone, I do hope all is well with everyone.

JANUARY MEET UP

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH 6PM

AS YOU WISH

21001 N Tatum Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85050
(Loop 101 and Tatum Blvd)
480-585-0041
M-Thu 10-9
Fri & Sat 10-10
Sun 11-6

PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP SO THAT I CAN GET OUR TABLE RESERVED. YOU CAN SEND ME A PM OR CONTRACT ME BY PHONE OR EMAIL. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THOSE THEN JUST PM AND I WILL GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION. PLEASE RSVP BY THE BY THE 18TH

Thank you have a blessed day, Elizabeth

ebann

Hi there Rick, I am glad that you called Dr. Ondreyco's office. I do hope that they contacted you. If you call them you will get Stacie she is in charge of all the scheduling. As far as the get together with our spouses that is something we have done. I do one about two to three times a year. I think it is important for the spouses to meet the other men who are going through this as well. It has been successful for some. Some women who are single are disturbed by it. So they feel like they do not get to be involved. So that makes it difficult. Some have choosen to stay in the group some have choosen to move on elsewhere because of it. I ask the ladies to bring a friend, relative if they would like as well. I think it is important that supporters come. Give Cindy Rose my blessings. I hope she gets in to Ondreyco. I go to chemo on Wednesday's maybe if she goes there we will see each other. My husband is a wonderful man and has been through my journey every step of the way. His support is amazing. He is very in touch with his feelings and very sensitive to my needs. sometimes I think he has sympathy  pains for me too. LOL

Sara so nice to hear from you. I am so happy you are done with chemo. I look forward to seeing you. I have missed not having you hang out with us from the first time. I just took off my nail polish on my toes the other day from that. LOL I know terrible. With winter no one sees my toes. LOL Hope you can make it to AS YOU WISH. Next month we will just be meeting for coffee.  A good time to chat.

Everyone any suggestions for the future meet ups let me know. I am open. We have a few things already planned. I will run some ideas to everyone next week.

Blessings, Elizabeth

Cindy-Rose

my appt is on the 24th, i'm looking forward to meeting her and when she found out that i wasn't happy with the one i had(and who i was seeing) she said she would love to help me out.

ebann

Hi Cindy Rose, I am so glad that you got a response from Ondreyco. It is great that you got an appt on the 24th. I hope that you like her as much as I do. I know you are discouraged and that is difficult when you are dealing with this. I do hope that you do chemo. I feel it is your hope and destiny to follow through. I know your past was a bad experience.  Each experience is different and things are so different now a days. Ondreyco is a fighter and believes in her patients. I hope that you are healing well and able to get around okay. I am sure that  Rick will be there for your support. You are blessed and I am sure you  know that. I am doing good and am on pre maintenance at this time. We are looking at maintenance in April hopefully and doing a pet scan in Febraury. I see Ondreyco on the 25th to go over some things. I am curious what all she has to say. Very informative woman. She has quite a story about how her career started as a Dr and all that she went through. Maybe she will share it with you someday.

Will I need to go and take my dog to the vet. She has been dx with glaucoma. Poor thing!

Cindy-Rose

When I grow up I wanna be just like you Elizabeth! I am willing to keep an open mind and see what she has to say only because of what you've told me about her and how she is with her patients. I do hope that she can pull out her magic wand and fix me right up. I know that I'm blessed even though I've had so much to deal with because Rick is absolutely wonderful to me and he makes me want to get better. I think if it weren't for you and him I wouldn't go to any more Dr appts at all, but I'm gonna give it my best shot and see what happens. Thank you so much for pushing me a little bit, you obviously saw that I needed it. People come into your life when you need them and you had very good timing.

cin

ebann

Evening Cindy-Rose,

Thank you for the thoughtful words. It is amazing who God does put in our lives. I do hope your appt does go well with Dr. Ondreyco. I know you said you see her on the 24th I see her on the 25th and then off to chemo. You have to let me know how it goes for you. I understand not wanting to go to appts anymore. I get there too. I think because it is neverending at this point in our lives. I am doing better now that I am going every other week. I am still tired but that seems to be the norm. I do a little around the house and then have to rest. While you are on chemo be sure to rest and take your meds. I take ginger capsules for my nausea. They work will for me. You may want to consider them as well. I am sure the nurses will go through everything with you. They are very detailed. Wonderful staff. My dog has been sick. She has been dx with glaucoma in her right eye. We are having to put drops in her eyes throughout the day. A added expense but God has provided for us and we are so blessed. There are a few places I wanted to tell you about.

You can go to the American Cancer Society and get a free wig if that is something you are going to wear. http://www.cancer.org

You can also go to some great classes that show you how to apply your make up if  you plan to wear any. http://www.feelbetterlookgreat.org  and there is also http://www.faceinthemirror.org they put on tea parties and also will give you a free wig. I enjoy going to the tea parties just to get all kinds of information. Maybe we can plan a time to go together. The other girls might want to join us as well. You can be a cancer patient, cancer survivor, etc.

There is a great program out there that is called Chemo Angels. I belonged to it my first time around and then joined again. You can be in it up to 18 months. You do a monthly check in through emails. You get to chemo angels, they send you gifts and cards in the mail almost each week. They always seem to have perfect timing for me. http://www.chemoangels.net

There is also a program called heavenly hats. They will send you up to five free hats. Some are good and some are funny.   So you take what you can get. http://www.heavenlyhats.com

I hope these help you. Have a blessed evening.

Cindy-Rose

I'm praying that she has something...anything that I can do other than chemo. I believe in my heart that my body just can't take it again. I don't know how to gat past the fear long enough to have treatments. I'll make sure she knows how I feel before she pulls out the big guns, I know that Rick already told her about me not wanting chemo and she's ok with that...so far. I'm still so very confused.Tuesday won't come fast enough for me not to lose my mind waiting.

cin