Anyone starting chemo in Aug. 08?

Misty1

Oh, Girls, I thought I was the only one thinking about the one year marker coming up.  All I keep thinking is... one year ago I had no clue that I would ever go through this-spring was about to start.  I had my mammo in May and it all went downhill from there.  I am so glad to be past most of this.  I know we are all probably thinking the same thing.

I may not post every day, but I do check this thread each day to hear about everyone's news.

You should have a great walk, Jeannine.  I am going to be out of town that weekend in May.

Hope everyone has a good night!

~Misty

Anonymous

I am feeling better about my surgery now. Several women on other threads who have had similar surgeries have assured me that it was easy, and that they felt much better afterward with the TE gone.

Today I have an appointment at 10, and the final fitting for my gown at 4. After that I will head back down to Maryland and Hopkins to be there for pre-op testing tomorrow morning.

I have two bridal  showers this weekend. That should distract me, and give me plenty of thank you notes to write!

I have received close to 30 engagement congratulation cards from Chemo Angels. Many of them are handmade and quite elaborate. These volunteers are talented!

I decided to start a thread on Chemo Angels. If just one person signs up and gets encouraged through chemo, it is worth it.

Bette 

TXBadboob

Hi, everyone

Thanks for your thoughts!

  My BS's office faxed me the path report, and it shows everything negative!  I haven't spoken with the BS since last week, so I'm assuming I don't need to with the lymph nodes neg.  I'm always scared to get my hopes up, but I think this means I don't have to do rads.  My PS will be happy about that, too.

Bette, where do you get all this energy?!LOL

Jeannine, congrats on your new team!  I walk my bad feelings off, too!

Deanna, I have been following the fitness thread, too.(just lurking:), and I will join ya'll when I can start exercising again, soon!  You've already inspired me to start walking now.  About all I can do now, though.

Have a great day,

Deen

Roya

Bette, I just saw your ChemoAngels link.  Thank you for the info.

Roya

After reading Bette's link, I have decided that I would like to become a chemo angel too someday.  It seems that it would be a wonderful way to give back.  I am soooo grateful.

Corinne6

just because I have not posted does not mean that I have not been reading EVERY DAY!!!  I did day 8 of RAD's today. It is going okay. My spirits are a little low from all of this. Going to see my Naturopathic Dr tomorrow. I took that body PH test today and found my body to be acidic. Guess I am going to have to et more alkaline.  Will find out tomorrow

Deen: So happy your path report is negative. Yipppeeee!!!!

Lashon: Have not heard from you in a while. Anything new with your dr's?

Misty: You look great!! How are your hot flashes? Ugh!!! mine are driving me insane.

Bette: Won't be long now!!! Can't wait to see those pic's!!!

Have a great day. It is sunny and in the 30's here in CT. Going to go out to ride my horse.

Hugs

Anonymous

Asking for prayer for my surgery tomorrow morning at 9:30, EDT.

Hoping to feel good enough on Saturday to attend a bridal shower at which I am the guest of honor!

Bette

dlb823

Bette ~ I will be up (6:30 here) and praying for you.  Thanks for giving us the time.  I'm sure you can count on a chorus of prayers from your bc sisters here.  We want you to be well enough to enjoy that bridal shower!   Deanna

Hood1980

Hi Bette!  I'll be praying for you!  I hope all goes well!

g94u67

May God be with you Bette throughout your surgery and heal you quickly.  We're all praying for you.

 Misty:  I'm still experiencing those darn hot flashes along w/some headaches (have any of you experienced that too?  ) Still very emotional but hangin' in there!  Gotta keep walking.

Deen:  Whoo Who! I'm so happy to hear you've got a clean Path report.  I hope you don't have to do Rads now. What a relief huh?

Corrine:  I hope you're feeling better. How many more Rads for you?

Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

 Jeannine

DesertRider

Hi Everyone,

Bette, Thinking & praying for you today!

I'm at the airport - flight to Brazil leaves soon - will check back in 2 weeks to see how everyone is doing. Was wondering if the southern Calif. girls are still coming to Palm Springs in April? Jeannine, Misty, Deanna (or anyone who can join) - would love to know your plans if we're all in town - let's go the the Indian Canyons to look at the flowers or a spa or sidewalk cafe? What do you think?

Hugs,

Gail

Roya

Bette, you remain in my prayers. 

Jeanine, I did have occasional hot flashes back when I was on chemo but haven't had any since then.  

Gail, please have a safe journey to Brazil.  Hope you have a really good time even though it is work.

I went to the doc yesterday for a check up and am doing fine.  I was , however, disappointed to learn that I can't get my lift until one year from the end of radiation.  I had thought previously that I could get it one year from my lumpectomy which was last June.  Now I found out I can't get it until next February.   My doc said that having it too soon after radiation can lead to skin and healing complications.  Even though I felt a bit of disappointment, I remain very grateful for everything having turned out the way it has. 

dlb823

Bette ~  Thinking of you this morning, and wondering if you will be at your shower or are possibly stuck in the hospital or at your DD's house.  I hope the shower will go on with the glowing bride-to-be in attendance, but since you've had one complication after another, I'm anxiously waiting to hear if you were well enough today to enjoy it.

Roya ~ I'm glad you mentioned the one year thing.  I finished rads last month -- after a long delay due to indecision and then the holiday schedule, so didn't start until January.  My DH is very anxious for me to make an app't. with my PS for what they refer to as Stage 2 Diep flap surgery, but I remember my PS saying I'd have to wait 3 to 6 months minimum.  Now I wonder if they were just giving me the extreme best scenario, and if it will turn out to be more like a year.  I'm willing to be patient to be sure it's the best possible job, but it would be wonderful to get that step behind us!    

I hope everyone's enjoying the weekend!   Deanna

Roya

Deanna, I will pm you.

swindham

I was looking up chemo pills on the internet and found your discussion group.  Wish I had found it last year, but it never occured to me to look for one.  I had 2 lumps, I just over 3 cm and one just over 1 cm.  First, I had a lumpectomy in June, but no clear margins, so had an expanded incision done in July.  Still no clear margins (DCIS), so had a right mastectomy done in September.  They discovered another type cancer (lobular).  2 of 11 lymph nodes were affected.  Began chemo in October:  cytoxin and ellance, 4 treatments every 3 weeks.  Then, started  4 cyles of 2 treatments of taxol in January.  Still have 1 cycle to go.  Supposed to have been every week, but wbc hasn't been high enough, so have had to skip 1-2 weeks inbetween treatments. Then, I have to take chemo pills for 5 years.

 I didn't read all 47 pages, but I did read the first 6 pages and the last 3 pages of this discussion and was amazed that most of you had the same feeling that I had during all the changes.  I, too, had a very hard time with the hair loss.  It devastated me!  I had very long hair and it came out in large clumps,  Even though I am 62 years old, I had sworn that as soon as I graduated from college in 1968, I would never have short hair again, and I hadn't until now.  It reminded me of my grandmother who had throat cancer when she was about 60 years old, and how she had never even cut her hair until she was forced to in order to have her surgery.  I can relate to everything you've discussed and wish I had been on it from the beginning. 

My husband has been very supportive of me, and is a wonderful nurse as his 1st wife had an enlarged heart and his 2nd wife died from cancer.  He's had lots of practice.  We had only been married 8 months when we discovered I had breast cancer.  I don't know what I would have done without him. 

Hope you all don't mind me joining at this late date, but I couldn't resist.  For those of you from Texas, I live 2 miles from Toledo Bend, which is on the Texas/Louisiana line.  We love to fish, but we haven't been able to do much of that since I started the chemo.

dlb823

Hi, Sharon ~  You are welcome to join us, and I'm sorry you didn't find us earlier, too.  The gal who started this thread (Stacy) is also from Texas, so I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you the next time she checks in here.  And Deen is also from TX.  Because those of us in this group have all finished chemo, I want to suggest that you may also want to find one of the more recently started chemo groups (there's one for each month) because those women will be at a similar place in treatment, so would be great support, even though you only have 1 chemo tx left to go. I know some of the women in the January chemo group are just moving into the Taxol phase of their treatment.  And you can post on multiple threads, but there's a limit of 5 posts per 24 hr. period when you first join.  If you haven't found the other threads yet, click on Forum Index above, and then if you click on any forum, you'll see literally dozens of threads.

When you say "chemo pills," do you mean an Aromatese Inhibitor?  They're more like a hormonal treatment that you take for 5 years to surpress estrogen.  I have an app't. with my oncologist tomorrow to discuss those too, and there are also threads on here about them.

Well, just wanted to say that it's nice to meet you and we're happy that you want to join us!   Deanna

Anonymous

The two bridal showers went great! I took long naps after each, and will take it easy today

Am no longer needing the narcotics for the pain.

No I have a week to rest at home, with no car until my post-op appointment on Monday, March 23. Someone from church is doing my laundry, and I have rides wherever I need to go. Only a few details left for the wedding.

Bette 

alibug05

Hey girlies!!!! Sorry I haven't posted for awhile - been busy with the cruise (which went WONDERFUL!!!)  and been busy with my work and kiddies!!!!  My cruise with my mom, sister and I went great.  We had a wonderful time and I couldn't have asked for a nicer time.  It was sooooo relaxing, no kids, no husband, no cancer, just me my mom and my sis!!!!!!  My son is starting baseball and my daughter started her summer basketball already so I am just busy, busy busy.  I may not post but I try to check daily to keep up on everyone.   I go Thursday for my 1st genetic testing appointment and then will go back in 2 weeks to get the results.  You'd think I's be worried but honestly I am not.  If it comes back positive I will know and that will be a great relief cause then I can take the precautionary steps to make sure I keep that darn cancer AWAY!!!!! I will let you all know how it goes.....Glad to see everyone is doing good!!!! Loves to all.........

Misty1

Welcome to you, Sharon.  As Deanna mentioned, you may also want to post on a group that is current with your situation.  I am glad all of our posts helped you. 

Bette-glad you had fun showers!!  Good for you!!

Alibug-glad to hear from you.  Sounds like you really enjoyed the well-deserved cruise.  Let us know how the testing goes.

As for me, I go for Herceptin #12 on Thursday (then I will be 2/3 done with that) and an onc check-up.  Still loving the hair growing in except slight curls are at the ends around my face and back of the neck.  I am not a curly girl kind of person!!!!  However, I don't want to sound like I am complaining about my hair.  

Hi to everyone!

~Misty

swindham

Thanks, Deanna & Misty, for the welcome.  I don't know what the 5-years of chemo pills are - my onc only gives me a little info at a time, and I never think of the right questions when I am in her office, even when I write them down.  I am usually very nervous.  I go back on Apr. 20th for my next ov.  She did say I would come in every 3 months after that for a check-up (or whatever).  I'll check the other "threads" you mentioned.

Anonymous

Today I paid for my weekend of activity with a day of pain. Back to the narcotics.

I did manage to sit up for a while and write thank you notes. We received many lovely gifts, including one from  a group of friends who chipped in to buy a beautiful bed ensemble. It looks like something from a magazine!

I have an appointment next Monday at Hopkins to have my incision checked and (hopefully) drains removed. If they are not removed at that visit, I will have them for the wedding (and honeymoon).  I have to call my rad onc and see how long after surgery I have to wait for rads. It looks like it will definitely be after the wedding though.

It has been a long time since chemo and surgery. Pray that my aggressive cancer is not still there and growing on my chest wall.

Whatever happens. Tom and I will be together facing it. Twelve days until we are husband and wife.

Bette 

Anonymous

FYI: I am now on Facebook if anyone wants to see my ring or my dress. Bette Lewis

mamakaren

Hello gals,

Its been awhile since my last post and everyone seems to be doing good Thank God. I'm still here struggling with my heart into a million pieces due to my moms dx. This Friday is here surgery and i'm falling apart. Everyday that goes by it's more scary and worry some i'm just praying that all goes well. I was trying to find a web site with stomach cancer survivors and didn't have much luck. I need to here some positive stories about stomach cancer. I'm fearing that there really isn't any. My mom will have exploratory surgery and that really scares me.

Bette~Best wishes for you! 12 days yay!!

Sharon~ welcome! Your in the right place for great support

g94u67

Hello!

Well my headaches are pesistent and are getting me worried.  I'm hoping they're a result from my wig!   Got to remain positive...I will have it checked out soon. 

Gail: Yes I'd love to still meet w/you girls in April. Count me in. Wishing you a wonderful trip to Brazil.  How exciting.

Roya:  Glad to hear you're doing great.  It must be dissapointing to wait for your lift but for the best when you're all healed.

Bette:  I'm so happy you were able to have your 2 wedding showers!  I'm still praying for you.

Welcome Sharon to our fabulous group! I just finished my 8th TX. You can do this.

MamaK:  I'm keeping you and your mother in prayer for Friday.  Hang in there and give all your worry to God. You've got so much on your plate.. Take  it 1 day @ a time.

Prayers & Hugs,

Jeannine

Anonymous

Feeling good today. A lady from church did my laundry for me, so I wouldn't risk straining my left arm. All I had to do was put it away. Wasn't that nice?

Today I worked out a seating plan for the reception. It was interesting, figuring out who would enjoy conversing with whom.

I am going out to a prayer meeting tonight. Got to put some shoes on. It is mild out here in PA. I may just wear my Phillies cap!

Bette 

Roya

Welcome back Alibug.  Wish you could post some cruise pics!  I ahve never been on a cruise so that is on my 'someday' list.

Bette, hang in there!  I admire you for all that you have been able to get done despite all. I am glad that members of your church are helping so much.  Now I know better how to help others after having gone through this myself.  From now on I won't even  have to ask folks to let me know what I can do for them.........I will just do it!

Swindham, welcome to our group!  You will find so much sincerity, caring, sharing here.  It has been an absolute Godsend for me since I am living so far from family, old friends.....and am not fluent in French. 

Jeanine keep us posted regarding your headaches......please. 

MamaKaren.  I am sending you and your mom lots of positive thoughts and prayers for Friday and not just for Friday.

Life here is quickly getting back to routine. It sure is nice to not have any appointments to go to..... at least with regards to BC appts.   I am glad to now have spa appts, and beauty shop appts instead!   

My kids are realizing that I am going to be ok now and they're starting to go back to their pre bc  modes......so I find myself having to push them a bit more to get their chores done etc. they are now going out more with their friends, staying at home less, and  doing more 'teenage' things.  Now that I'm ok It hasn't taken long for them to 'revert.' 

I am keeping our 4 year old in pre school.  That was one of the most positive changes that we made when I was diagnosed and now we are making it permanent.  She is really benefitting from being around other kids her age.  She is really happy. Soon she will be 5 and next year into our equivalent of Kindergarten.  They grow so fast!!!!

Anonymous

Roya, how nice not to have medical appointments! My calendar is still full of them.

I do have two beauty appointments next week, one for waxing and one on my wedding day for nails and makeup.

Not having a car this week is forcing me to rest and recuperate from surgery. My car is at DD's house in MD.

I look forward to settling into a couple's routine with Tom, after all the business of wedding planning. Of course I will be doing rads at the same time.

It looks as if my disability will continue until April 6, and then I have to figure out what to do about work. I don't know if I have a job  where I used to work. I may work for a temp agency to get started.

Tomorrow a friend is taking me shopping for a hat to wear for the wedding. My hair is alas not going to achieve the length I had hoped for. I will take a camera and post pictures on Facebook.

MamaKaren, I am stopping now to pray for your Mom and you.

Bette 

TXBadboob

Mamakaren, my prayers are with you and your Mom for her surgery Fri. She is so fortunate to have such a loving, caring, and strong daughter in you.

Jeannine, I am worried about your headaches, too.  Please keep us updated.  Prayers for you, too.

SWyndham, welcome, fellow Texas girl!

Roya, sounds like your life is getting back to normal!  I'm so glad for you!

Bettelou, keep on trucking!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Deen

mommy3abm

Hey everybody!!  I have missed you all so much.  It has been nice keeping up with those who are on facebook.  Life has been busy as usual here.  We just got back from a wonderful week in Florida which included 6 days in Disney World!!  We had a great time with the kids and just relaxing!

Teaching full time is keeping me really busy along with all of the kids activities.  Hubby is still job hunting and it still looks like a move is in our near future.  It might even be back to VA where we still own our house!  If so, Misty, Bette and Hood...I am looking you up!

I just spent an hour catching up with everyone!  Wow! Hugs and great jobs to everyone who is DONE with tx and surgeries!  Prayers for those still in treatment and for those with friends and family members who are now battling this beast or beasts similar.  You all have been on my mind constantly and I just had to check out of my bc life for awhile.  Know that you are all thought of daily and hold a dear spot in my heart!  I promise not to go so long without posting again!!

Corinne6

Hi everyone, Oh my computer has just been acting up so much I have not been able to be online at all for days.  Just caught up on everyones news and want you to know that even though I have not been updated daily with everyone I have still been praying.

Bette: So happy you have come so far. I will request you on Facebook so I can see your wedding things

Sharon: Welcome to our discussion site. This has been such an incredible site. I feel so close to all of these wonderful people

Misty: You are on Herceptin #12 today. I am wishing you a day of sunshine!! my hot flashes too are HOT, HOT, HOT.

I went to my naturopathic Dr. and she put me on a REALLY healthy diet. She also told me that if you exercise 3-6 hours per week you cut your cancer reoccurence rate by 50% and no pill or vitamin could do that. Sooooo treadmill has been good for me. I am on day 13 today of my RAD's and feel so good. I feel better than when I was healthy before cancer. I take Ambien at night and I don't even have to get up for bladder reasons. Yippppeeee!!  I had such a good week. I wish I had space to tell you all of what the Lord has been doing in my life. However, it would take up so much space so I won't bore you with details!!

Jeannine: Your headaches could be due to stress or back situations. My wig did at times give me headaches at times. I have had dreadful migraines caused by knots from stress in my back. I went to the chiropractor for about a year before they disappeared. Don't think the worst but get it checked.

MamaKaren: We are with you and are praying for you and your Mom.

Kimberlynn, Still with you wherever you are.

Hugs to you all

Corinne