Starting Chemo February 2009?

susan13

Scans today ladies... CT's and bone. Monday brain MRI... never had any kind of MRI, so I'm nervous about that one, then Tuesday Pet Scan. Please keep your fingers, toes, eyes:-) whatever you can crossed........ I think my ativan is coming to my appointments!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

and oh, I finally lost some weight, but I think it was from nerves... but none the less dropped 6 lbs;-)

KerryMac

Good luck Susan. Will be thinking of you all day. Hope they find absolutely NOTHING.

An MRI isn't so bad, I have had three. Michele has had brain ones, she can probably fill you in on what to expect. They are noisy! I keep my eyes closed and don't think of where I am. Everyone will be super nice, ask them to count down for you how much longer you have left. My biggest worry is always that I will need to pee, so watch the fluids before hand!

Fingers crossed everything comes back normal.

MicheleS

Susan~ I have brain MRI's every 12 weeks.  They are not a big deal.  They will have you lie (lay?) on your back with a fitted pillow around your head. Then they will slide a barrier (almost a cage) in front of your face.  (Maybe 2-3 inches above your nose?)  They move the table into the tube to scan.  The great part about a brain MRI is that most of your body is outside the tube.  I remind myself of that a lot while in there because it can make you feel a bit antsy with the cage-thing...  They scan you for ~20 min (loud but you'll have ear-plugs). They'll pull you out and give you an IV and then rescan for 10-15 min.  The contrast makes blood vessels light up so they can see if you have new vessels forming somewhere that there shouldn't be vessels.  Really, the worst part is the thing around your face.  I just keep repeating to myself that I could get up at anytime if I wanted to.  Just slide up the cage-thing and scooch out... Not that I *would* do that but it is nice to remind myself that I'm not trapped...  I will be thinking about you ALL DAY!!!  Please fill us in as you get your results!!!

gcpommom

Hi everyone..wow, been a lot of posts here in the last couple of days.

Sue:    I had a brain MRI, it is noisy for sure...I have to take benedryl (possible iodine allergy) prior to scans, plus I took some xanax, and I actually fell asleep through much of my scan (I was in there for over 2 hours, they scanned head/neck/spine all at once).  I am somewhat claustrophobic, so I was really nervous, but I did fine.  I took the benedryl pill one hour prior to the scan, I think that is what made me so sleepy.  Will be thinking of you, let us know how your scans go and how you are doing.

Beth:  I hope your cellulitis continues to improve : )  Was it simply the bump to your arm/chest that caused it?

Cheryl:  Not sure if the band would be playing then or not....they haven't been playing much lately.  But I should be around, since we never go anywhere anyway, lol.  Maybe there will be a good festival or something going on that weekend....actually, that may be the weekend of the Ann Arbor art festival...have you ever been to that?  It's crazy huge, lots of people, music, art, food and fun. 

Kerry:  camping sounds nice : )  I am so excited for school to be out, lol...next Wed is his last day, then we can sleep in again! 

KerryMac

Just checking in to say Good morning.

Sue - hope all went OK yesterday.  Hope you manage to relax this weekend a bit, before it all starts up again Monday. Thinking of you all thebtime!

Beth - hope you are feeling better now, and the infection is clearing up. I use an antibacterial soap now all the time, just to lower my risk a bit. 

Well, I got soaked this morning. When I left the house for my run the sky looked very dark, but I hoped it wouldn't rain. But it did, a big thunderstorm, I got drenched.  Poor dog, she didn't know what I was doing with her! Anyhow, it did stop, but I had to run the rest of the way wet - not so fun with wet socks. Did 6 1/2 miles though. Yah me. 

Anyhow, we are going to my BIL's for a BBQ today - guess it will be an inside one because of the weather. they have a tiny house, so hope it clears up a bit. Then tomorrow we are going to the Zoo, so again, less rain would be good. Hope everyone has a good weekend. 

gcpommom

Kerry:  oh my, 6 1/2 miles??!!  That is so very impressive : ) : )  Yay you!  Although it stinks that you got stuck in that storm...

apple

i'm glad to post here.  I am in a bit of a posting limbo. - not really a part of the stage IV group.. some of those IV girls are a bit mean with the private messages.. do this . don't do that.   i don't know that i should post in stage III forum because it just isn't encouraging to read 'go go go' from a stage iv girl.

still.. things are heating up in Kansas.. we are scrambling to finish the house. the cabinets are in.. cherry from mr. apple's private stock (he bought a small forest of wood 20 years ago, planed it and stored it to dry, encasing 'dyed' amber.. they actually look fantastic.  we are staining, sanding and putting in the woodwork, fixing up our current house.  it's hard not to be grumpy... and easy to be really ecstatic because everything is rapidly coming together for us.  today i accomodate the old house painters. 

the cabinets look awesome.  they looke REALLY yellow-y in this photo, but are very striking and capture a lot of light in reality.

i made RASPBERRY jam yesterday..

KerryMac

Apple, it is looking fantastic. I am jealous, I have always wanted a nice kitchen.

As for posting limbo, I know that all the Stage 3 'ers love you. Keep on posting there as long as you want. Sorry the welcome has not been nicer on Stage 4 - I am always too scared to post there, even just encouragement. Pity. 

susan13

Apple... why don't me and you just forget about that stage iv business, and stay here... if only right:-/

Well we got away for a little bit of r+r this weekend, went camping on a lake and did alot of swimming.  My little one sure is a fish, I'm glad she likes the water so much.

But now, back to reality.  Have my brain MRI at 2:00... I am taking ativan an hour before, my stomach right now is so upset, I sure hope I can get thru it.  I am more then just a bit claustrophobic (sp?).  Haven't heard about my ct scans yet, which makes me even more nervous. My onc's nurse used to call me after all my scans to say they were "all clear", so now bad thought are in my head....... eck.

Can I just forget this whole gosh darn mess !?!?!?!!?

apple

good luck Susan.. praying for you sis

Jaimieh

Susan~ I am happy to hear that you had some R&R his weekend.  You can get thru this...just imagine that you are back on the beach with your baby girl.  ((hugs)) 

Apple stay hear and talk to us.  We all love an adore you and will agree with whatever you decide.  The house is looking fantastic. 

MicheleS

Apple & Susan~ You need to stay here! (Even if you guys post elsewhere...) 

Apple~ LOVE the house!

Susan~ Good luck today!  This is the last scan, right?  When is your surgery?

Jaimie &/or Cheryl~ How in the world did you sleep with TE's? They don't hurt anymore (till tomorrow's fill anyway) but I can't get comfortable.

Kerry~ Wow! What a run! Do you run everyday? Tell me about your training! I'm hoping that my PS will let me start back up.  I've been walking 1.5-2 miles a day on the sly... keeping my arms still. <sigh> I'm not sure if I'm going to fess up to that tomorrow...

This weekend was VERY eventful.  My dog almost died.   She had a pulmonary embolism from heartworms... Yes, I'm a vet and my dog has heartworms (I feel like I'm @ AA.).  Seems that I forgot a bunch of preventative pills last summer.  $1500 later and she's doing well.  We're treating tfor the worms and trying to prevent another PE.  I feel such guilt about all of it. (Plus, we didn't have the $$... I had to charge it... <sigh>)

Now for good news! I got promoted to Associate Professor and got tenure! Whoo-hoo!

talk to ya'll later. (Susan~ Pls post as soon as you know something... Love you!)

Michele

Jaimieh

Michele~ Honestly I took sleeping pills when it got bad .  They are VERY hard to sleep with.  I hope your doggie is feeling better.  Don't feel bad things happen.  Sorry you had to charge it .  Congratulations on your promotion.

So I feel like crap today and my DH has a list of things that he would like for me to do .  He's not going to be happy once he gets home.  My daughter has softball tonight and something every night thru Wednesday and then we are done for summer!!  I have a headache that will not stop (thank you pollen count) and just NO energy.  I am supposed to be editing last week but I am dragging like crazy and I am still trying to get google to find my website after 2 years.  It's VERY frustrating. 

susan13

Michele, I slept with lots and lots of pillows after my tissue expanders were placed, plus took Ambien and that helped.  You will hit a day when they will not hurt anymore, trust me!   And oh no, sorry about your dog;-(  and Congrats on the promotion, yeah something good!!!!!

Home from brain mri, now that was an interesting test.  I will know Wednesday if I am all clear elsewhere and can just go off and have this darn uterus removed.

Pet scan bright and early tomorrow at 7:45.

KerryMac

Sue - hope it went OK today. Try not to read too much into anything, I know I do it all the time, and it is usually unfounded. Maybe she is just waiting for all the results are in, and then give you the results all at once. Anyhow, I am thinking of you all the time. Glad you got away for a nice break over the weekend.

Michele - oh, I am so sorry to hear about your doggie. Sacry and expensive, but I am glad she is on the mend. I am running 4 days a week now - about 3 miles during the week, and 6 on a Saturday. I started really slowly - walk a lamp-post, run a lamp-post, and worked my way up. I am really enjoying it now!! There is a Couch to 5km running plan (Google it) or check out Hal Higdon's site - I like him, as he has a very relaxed approach.

Jaimie - Angus has been complaining about an allergy headache too. Hope you get the Google thing sorted out. 

And, Sue and Apple, please keep posting here. I am weaning myself from the boards, just checking here now, so don't leave us!! 

Anyhow, hope everyone has had a great day! 

KerryMac

Sue - we posted over each other. Glad today is over, fingers crossed for lots of nothing on Wednesday.

KerryMac

Oops, posted twice....

gcpommom

Sue:  it sounds like you had a nice time camping and swimming with your little one.   I hope you and Apple do stay here to post....like Kerry, I only post on this thread, and one other thread. 

Apple:  the house is looking good, sure looks like a lot of work though....must be exhausting!  And making jam on top of it all, that's something I've never tackled.

Michele:  congrats on the promotion!  What/where do you teach?  Glad your dog pulled through ok.

Jaimie:  I never did understand how you get found on google, there is so much that comes up with any search....is it a matter of paying for ad space, or some trick with using keywords....very confusing stuff

sea_of_luck

well girls, chemo number 5 of 6 is done with... only one more left then i get check ups every 3 months. it feels good to get this out of the way and done with cause i want my hair back. I miss it so much. I miss having leg hair too. Maybe it will be back in time for winter, I can only hope.

apple

the jam was easy

congratulations michele!

here's hoping you're hairy soon sea of luck

best of luck susan!

KerryMac

We have had a bit of a hellish day, to tell you the truth. We took Jack to the Eye dr this morning, as we thought he might need glasses. Well, it turns out his lens and Iris are stuck together, there is concern he may have cataracts. So, all a bit horrid and stressful. The Dr seemed to think it was treatable, but he might need Surgery and have new lenses put in. Poor thing, I feel awful for him. We are being referred to a Ped. Ophthalmologist, so will keep you updated.

MicheleS

oh no! Do they know why this happened to him?? poor baby...

gcpommom

Oh Kerry, that's really rough, for both of you, poor little guy

My mom had those lense implants a couple of years ago, and did well with them.

Jaimieh

Oh Kerry I hope it is something easy for Jack ((hugs to both of you)). 

SOL~ I hope that you are shaving in no time. 

Apple~ I need a nap after readng your post....lol....  I am amazed at all of the stuff you get done in a day. 

I have been busy again still trying to get my website out of the crapper.....yes I have had it for 2 years and I do not even come up on google unless you type in my name.....grrr.....I should have bought the non flashy HTML site instead of the one that I have now. 

Nipple is still healing BUT I can not get motivated.  I am hoping now that school is out I will continue to feel better everyday.  I have so many things that I want to do and get accomplished while the weather is nice out. 

KerryMac

Thanks guys. We are now worried that he may have some underlying problem. Angus has Ankylosing Spondylytis, which is a form of rheumatoid Arthritis. Its genetic. Anyhow, one side effect is Iritis, which can cause the lens sticking problem if untreated. So, we are starting to wonder if there is a connection. All very strange though - he never complained of sore eyes (he has had what we though was pink eye a couple of times, but didn't seem in pain) or of sore joints. And it is very very rare to have such an early onset. (Angus was about 19 when he started having problems, which is normal) So, there may not be a connection, but it seems a bit too coincidental.

Anyhoo, we are hoping we get to see the specialist as soon as we can. I am just hoping there is no permanent damage. I of course have massive guilt for not getting him seen sooner.

gcpommom

Kerry, in your wildest dreams you never could have known he had this affliction, so please don't feel guilty!  Many kids slowly show signs of needing eyeglasses, so of course that is all you thought it could be.  Hope you see the specialist soon.

Jaimie:  I wonder why we have this motivation problem...I have lots of things I think I'll accomplish each day, but don't quite feel like doing any of them or won't have the energy to do them, it's frusrating! 

I managed to straighen my hair this morning, it is longer than I thought it was once straightened.

MicheleS

Oh Kerry... there's no way you could have known.  Jack is a little guy.  Unless he was hurting, I can't think of any "sign" you could have seen.  As for pinkeye, my kids have had it a zillion times.  I don't think there's any link. {{hugs}}

KerryMac

I love you guys.

apple

oh Kerry.. i'm praying and have my fingers crossed

susan13

Kerry, sorry to hear about Jack but hopefully the specialist can help him out. Hang in there!

Ok girls well scans were ALL CLEAR.  Great news but it didn't keep me from breaking down in onc's office after he said the word "chemo"... I know I should be thankful it didn't spread beyond the ovaries/uterus, but ... to think of all that chemo I already did and loosing my hair TWICE already, and now back to the same thing again just sickens my stomach.  Anywho... hysterectomy by robotic (Da Vinci) scheduled for the 25th.  After I heal I'll start up the friggin chemo again... I know I'll be getting Avastin, and depending on the path (ER/PR, etc) some other lovely drug.  Onc says he has every reason to believe that he can put this cancer at bay for the "long haul".. those words I liked! Oh and I'll start Femara.