Starting Chemo February 2009?

gcpommom

Elaine, that sounds wonderful....I've always wanted to dance, what a great idea for exercise : )

Beth: sounds like you had a great time in Vegas!

Kim:  how did the second opinion go?  I've always been curious about us TN's getting these procedures done, no one has suggested I do either ovaries or uterus...

living4today

Happy Friday!

Well, the tears are dried and the researching has begun. 

The second opinion doc agreed with the first...a total hysterectomy.  Reasons:  Bilateral breast cancer, endometriosis (which developed secondary to chemo, as I never had these issues before...severe back pain, pelvic discomfort, etc.) and abnormal bleeding (cycling every 2 1/2 weeks for 5-7 days).  No other options are available.  I explained that I have a great quality of life right now ane I am real hesitant about "instant menopause."  She said they would give me an antidepressant.  She is a well-respected world known MD. 

To me it is so frustrating, especially when I have tried to make every health/life style change possible and than to continue to have issues.  I have made many positive changes to my life (even taking my first air plane trip from South Dakota to North Carolina all by myself to fulfill a life long dream of attending a writers conference.  I definately felt like "Heidi" leaving the mountain.  But the important thing was that I did it and had an absolute wonderful time.)  Now the reality of cancer and it's after affects hit me in the face.

Thanks all for your thoughts and advice...my prayers continue for you all!

KerryMac

Kim - oh, I am so sorry this was not the answer you wanted. But, really, it isn't all that bad. I was very worried about it too, but it hasn't made that much of an impact on my life. I wouldn't really even know I was in Menopause. I do get hot flashes, but you just get used to them, and I have heard an antidepressant can help with those if they get bothersome. Really, the most important thing is to keep you healthy, and if this is what they think it takes, then do it. I only had the Ovaries out, but I think the whole hysterectomy now can be done lapriscopically, so the recovery is not like it used to be.

I know it is a lot to get your mind around, but really, it will not be as bad as you think. Let me know if you have any more qu's. Hugs to you!! 

MicheleS

I agree with Kerry.  It really hasn't been bad.  And the piece of mind is soooooo worth it!!  {{{Kim}}}

living4today

Thanks all! 

 Something new I have started incorporating in my daily life is "Smile Surprise".  I am encouraging my family (and myself) to try and find something to do/give/share that will bring a smile to someone's face.  You all have been my "smile surprise" givers--thanks!!

Thankfully, I get to wait until October for the surgery, so I can continue to get my body in the best possible shape.

gcpommom

Kim:  sorry you have to have surgery; how long have you been having these frequent periods? 

Kerry:  I was just wondering about your son, how is he doing?  Did he ever get the surgery for his eye(s)?  Hope all is well there.

KerryMac

Hi Judy - yep, he did. It was an awful week all told - he wouldn't open his eyes, and I had to give him drops every hour and he fought me like a tiger! Anyhow, things have settled down again - he is doing well. One eye is worse than the other, they will need to do more surgery on it, poor sausage. But he seems prertty happy, which is the main thing.

gcpommom

Oh, that must've been tough, poor kid....glad he's doing better now : )

My period decided to return again today, haven't had one since May...weird

Have a great weekend ladies : )

MicheleS

Kerry~ When did he have the surgery?? Poor baby.  Poor mommy.  I hope he feels better soon.

Judy~ We need a Julia update! Has she been to Mayo yet?

Ok, so the kids have been in school for 1 week and 2 teachers called last night. Ugh.  My kids have never been dicipline issues. Double-ugh.  The kinder teacher asked if there was anything stressful at home she should know about.  I really wasn't planning on telling her since I've been out of treatment for a while.  But, I guess with the multiple surgeries of late... <sigh>  Jack (my EASY child) has been acting out in class. The math teach called and told me that he's bored but is disrupting the class. 

gcpommom

Michele:  Julia is hanging in there....she is having major clotting issues and the PICC never works right, so it's getting scarier now, like things are getting worse and we can only just sit here and wait.  She is maintaining her weight though, so that's good.  The first appt they had available at Mayo was in mid October, so starting this week, I will call to see if there were any cancellations that might fit her in sooner.   Sorry about your son....Last year I told each of Brendan's teachers about his home situation (me and Julia) right off the bat; as a teacher myself, I often see how scary/stressful things at home can affect a kid at school.  Plus, the teachers keep an extra eye on them, and are more understanding.  If you think about it, we may be done with tx, but we still feel stressed and scared about this whole BC thing, so our kids could, too.  How old is Jack?

MicheleS

Judy~ He's 12. 

I'm feeling really down this morning for some reason.  Maybe it is just the Monday morning blahs?

Hope everyone has a great day!

KerryMac

Sending you a smile Michele....

Jaimieh

((Michele)) 

Kerry~ I hope Jack's eye is doing better.  I was cringing at hearing your account on putting drops in ((hugs)). 

Here goes my Whine....feel free to not read:

In the next month I need to schedule an Echo, possible bone scan, Kidney scan, blood work, reconstruction repair and a GYN visit.  All but two equals a needle....and I need to do it because my deductible is going to start again Oct. 1.....grrrr....

KerryMac

Oh, I'll join you! I have an MRI, Zometa, blood work and Onc visit all in September. Three of which require a needle, all of which are stress inducing. Roll on October 1st I say!

Jaimieh

Kerry I hear you



So far GYN scheduled after recon. + I need to schedule the rest of them. Bloodwork is needed to be done asap but geez isn't there a better way to do all of this.



I feel mentally run down and I can't shake it. I do not want to go back to the psychiatrist I feek like I can not concentrate on anything these days and it is not good for running a business. I almost feel like I am ADD which is driving me batty So in the meantime I carry-on trying to get as much done as possible.



Does anyone else have attention span issues ??

Bethie1

Hey gang!!! No fear Bethie's here!!! I bet you thought I fell off the face off the earth   I am still on my Donny high!!

Jaimieh-- Attention span issues--Yes--I at least feel like I still have chemo brain, and I have a memory problem despite having been on chemo, but doing muh better of course

Judy-- Hope Julia's OK,  what happened????????? give her hugs!!!! My period gets weird now.  It skipped a few months then I got 2 in a row.  Most times I feel I'm PMSing without a period--so I have the bitch, but I want wine!!!!!!

Michele-- Hope everything is going OK.  I have my moments too, been going to a counselor one-on-one.  she was just on vacation, but one of my first sessions I balled my eyes out like chicken shit.  Had alot of emotion bottled in me from my mom's passing through my diagnosis.  I'm doing better now--and on a side note now that boyfriend is out of the house he's treating me like the woman I am. I still have to put him in his place now and again, but rare--(why do we women get all the dirty work in a relationship??????!!!!) Love mom's wisdom--PMS--Putting up with men's shit!!  You can tell I'm in a male bashing mood, huh?? thought my sisters could have a little laugh with that!!!

Artemis

Hi, Furies ~
I'm finished with Herceptin!  W00t w00t!  I won't see the onc until November, and I'm not as stressed out about the wait as I thought I'd be.

Before then, I have to have an echo, a PET or bone scan, and something else that I can't think of right now.  The party never stops.

living4today ~ I'm sorry about the hysterectomy, but it does sounds like a good thing for you.  For what it's worth, Effexor has helped tremendously with my menopause symptoms.  No more waking up with night sweats!  Good for you for going to the conference, and I love your Heidi reference as it's one of my favorite books.

(((Michele)))

Kerry ~ I hope all is going well with your son's recovery.  Are you still having to do the drops?  That is never a fun thing for parent or child!

Judy ~ I do hope Julia is able to go to Mayo soon.  I'm so, so sorry for all that she has to deal with.  (((Judy and Julia)))

Jaimie ~ I have ADD, and the chemobrain isn't helping.  I'm still wanting to go to school, and I'm thinking of getting a job but I fear I won't be able to concentrate enough.  There are some jobs open at the the last place I worked, but I'm scared to apply.  I was good at what I did, and they might say, "Oh yeah, let's get her back" and then I'll be too dumb to do a good job.  Have I mentioned how much I hate cancer?

Bethie ~ you never fail to make me laugh, sister!  Love your posts!!

Tonight is ballet class, and I'm having so much fun with that! 

Love to all of you!!

gcpommom

Went to ER today, been having dizziness again.  Good news, brain CT is good.  No lumps or bleeding so that is a relief. 

Now the bad news....Julia went to her hemotologist today.  He decided to 'tell her like it is' and say that her upcoming surgery could very well kill her since her clotting issues are getting so bad, but her chances of dying were even worse without surgery.  Great.  I can't believe this, she is so upset.  I hope the doctors at Mayo are more optimistic.

I'm sorry, had to vent that out.  Not feeling very happy today.

KerryMac

((((Judy))))

Jaimieh

Artemis~ I hear you on the ADD and chemobrain are really not my friend.  Wooohooo on finishing vitamin H.

Judy~ Is Julia having surgery with this doctor ???  ((hugs))

 Well tomorrow my baby has to go to school all day for the first time....:(  I am happy and sad all at the same time because he doesn't want to go.  It easy to leave a child that wants to go but not one that doesn't.  So I will have a new found freedom after tomorrow....

Nancyb7912

Hi ladies. Been a while but I'm back!! 5 weeks on both crutches and started rehab this week. Now I'm down to one crutch and hope to abandon it by the weekend.  Rehab is killer. Had pain all through. I may not be able to escape ACL surgery, but still need to do the knee strengthening either way. 

Latest thing is a lower GI problem so colonoscopy here I come. Not sure whether to be worried. I've seen conflicting info on whether colon cancer and breast cancer are connected. Some say yes, some say no. I'll need an endoscopy at the same time. Might as well get it all done at once. 

Does this roller coaster EVER end??? 

living4today

Nancy,

Rollar Coaster is right...and since it is a rollar coaster, I guess we get to scream as loud as we want and when we want!!

I saw this link on the TN post about Avastin and the FDA.  Thought I would share...I guess I have been so busy trying to heal that I kind of missed this in the news (or at least didn't understand the consequences of the FDA's decision.) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkSZ__SvxGQ

Artemis

(((Judy)))

xpectmiracles

Hello there! I'm back! It took a while to read the posts and catch up.

Bethie:sounds like you and Donnie and Marie are real tight. That's really cool!

Artemis:I hope your brother "gets it" about his alcoholism soon. I am a recovering alcoholic for 14 years.I knew I needed help way before I had the courage and change of heart to beat the beast.

Judy: God, that is so scary about what Julia is going through. I pray that medical help will come through. That is good news that the peg tube is working. She does still have that, right?

Kerry, Jaimieh and Michele: You all have young ones starting a new school year. How are they doing? My youngest son is a junior in HS. My 2 older sons are in collage.I feel so old!

Okay, here is my update: I went to gyn and he suggested a D&C to get rid of the extra tissue in the uterus. I did that and the procedure went fine. The pathology on the tissue showed only a hormone imbalance, on cancer.  I also went to an oncologist speciallizing in palliative care to get help with the leg and hip pain. We are still trying different meds (ultram in particular) and I'm hopeful I will be able to manage my joint pain with less, or no narcotics. My exercise endurance is still an issue. I've been told the pain will most likely go away when i stop hormone therapy in 4-5 years. Maybe the same will be true for my energy. I need to be VERY patient. I do have enough generalized energy to feel like working more hours. I have interviewed at a couple of home health care agencies and a hospice program. I  haven't heard from all of the interviews yet. I figure if God thinks it's time for me to work more the path will become clear to do so.

Love the Furies!

Beverly11

Judy - sending hugs and prayers your way!

Nancyb7912

Judy, positive thoughts headed your way.

Cheryl, I'd love to hear more about your joint pain. I've had awful knee and hip pain but thought it was all related to the knee - of course I was having that pain before the knee, but figured it was an easy connection. I'm on Arimidex, along with Cymbalta and others. What does your onc say?

apple

It took me a while to catch up.  I haven't been here since August 14th.

Judy.. I hold you and Julia close in my prayers.

apple

It took me a while to catch up.  I haven't been here since August 14th.

Judy.. I hold you and Julia close in my prayers.

gcpommom

Hi ladies...thanks for the support, as always : )  I watched the Mystery Diagnosis last night about a friend on FB who had SMAS like Julia...one thing she was told was that there is always the chance of accidentally hitting the S.M. Artery and bleeding to death....I had no idea about that.  Anyway, they are re-showing the episode on Sat. at 5, 8 and 11 I think.  this girl got diagnosed much more quickly than Julia did.

Jaimie:  No, this is not the doctor who will do her surgery...thank goodness, lol, I want someone who is a bit more optimistic 

Cheryl:  hey girlie : )  Glad to hear your results were good, but the pain part really stinks.  Julia takes Ultram, but says it doesn't help much with her pain.  She now takes Opana, but it is a pretty heavy-duty narcotic, but it works.

Nancy:  I was wondering how many of us had a colonoscopy following chemo....my gyn wanted to do one just to be safe, but I haven't yet.  I'm glad your leg is healing up, sounds like you've endured a lot this summer : (

I am finally feeling a bit better tonight...the dizziness is subsiding since my doctor removed the wax that was blocking both of my eardrums...who knew?  This is the first night I can lay here and not feel nauseous in 3 weeks.  While she was squirting all that water into my ears, I got so dizzy, things were spinning, and I almost toppled off the table, lol. 

Jaimieh

Judy I hope you are feeling better and that Julia is doing well.

 So I had a bone scan last Friday and I was doing okay until additional views were needed and then I started freaking out....YES, I mean freaking out.  I didn't cry but I felt like I was running and I felt like I was going to puke at any second.  So being the saint that I am NOT, I called the research coordinator and then started sending e-mails to my oncologist.  I didn't take my ativan or xanax because it was supposed to be routine.  I knew my neck has been hurting but I didn't think anything about it so additional views of my neck and my right rib....and now I wait.  My oncologist did call and tell me that he didn't receive a call about me which is a good sign and that he would call me Tuesday morning.  So now I am still scared I just hate cancer.....  I know that the bone scan can be a bunch of things but mentally I am drained....again....  So tonight I have a date with Ativan.

So this weeks fun is an echo. on Wednesday followed by a Mag 3 kidney test on Thursday.  My blood work is done for my Surgery and as long as everything is okay I will be having surgery on next Wednesday for a reconstruction tweak in NOLA.  Then after that only one more set of testing in Sept. with the GYN and I may set up something with the genetic counselor for the end of Sept.....go me.....