**NEW** Starting Chemo March 2009

ccbaby

WLL...My rads last about 40 minutes in and out total, but my case is complex, I am radiated in 5 different areas, so that takes longer because of repositioning in between each area to be zapped.  Some ladies say theirs last anywhere from 10-15 minutes total if their case isn't complex. So, it just depends on your case.

WLL

Thanks CCBABY. How about the fatigue?  Has anyone not been able to work during Rads?

sakura73

WLL I am on the table for less than 5 minutes during radiation - the real time  is in the waiting if they are runing behind. I am only 1 1/2 weeks in and have no fatigue yet so I can't comment on that.

 Sorry to call by so briefly - will write properly soon. IN the mean time , hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. 

Dawnmrn1

WLL!  I had 33 rad ending on 9/3, worked thru all of the Tx no more fatigue than normal, I am up at 5:30 amd to bed by 10. I was on and off the table in about 15 min. painless and really easy, I had no burning until after rads, and then it just peeled and dried up in about 2 weeks a breeze compared to chemo!!! The only thing I have suffered with is muscle spasms across my chest. they have come and gone since both of my mastectomies.  Hope this helps! Dawn

NanaA

WLL - I did my rads over my lunch hour.  When they asked what time of the day worked best for me I said if I only had to clock out at work for lunch and then have rads and lunch it would work great.  They told me the 11:00 to 12 hour was reserved for sims but I could be first one after lunch at 1:00 and that worked out great.  No waiting for anyone ahead of me, clocked out of work at 12:45 had rads and was done by 1:15 picked up lunch and went back to work or home depending on if it was a full day at work or just a short day as I only work about 25 hours a week.  I had 37 altoghther 25 reg and 12 boosts.  A spot under arm and a spot under breast broke down during reg. rads but healed quickly with the biafine, and one spot at my lumpectomy incision broke down from the boost but only took a week for it to be healed over with new skin.  I had  my 2 week checkup Friday.  They were pleased and I go back again in 6 weeks.  They suggest using the biafine until the 6 week checkkup as radiation is still at work and new skin is still very sensitive.  They is an easy request to do.  Rads was so much easier than chemo.  Still not quite as much energy as before this all started but it is coming back.  I feel like I have a life back now that I only have herceptin every 3 weeks and only see onc every other treatment.  No daily visits to the clinic.  Yea!!  I have a few follow up things I have to do with herceptin like echo every 3 months and pulmonary test every 6 week, but that is easy.  I can see end coming  and once rads are done you will feel that way too.  Hugs  Annette

ChrisC433

The wedding was great!!! Couldn't have been any more beautiful and perfect. It was very emotional for me...in the back of my mind I kept thinking this might be the only son I see get married. I hate having those thoughts, but they are there.

We danced from 4-10:00 last night..and I mean danced...for the bride and groom, for my family, for my friends,,,and for no more treatments!

Thank you all for your support! I'll post pics when I can figure it out!

crusader1

Chris-Great to hear such good news about the wedding...

We just love to hear nice things on this board..

Hugs,

Francine

Dawnmrn1

Chris!  Happy to hear everything went well!  Congrats to ALL! Dawn

ChrisC433

O.K.  I am attempting to insert pictures...here it goes!" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />

ChrisC433

Sorry for the doubles and size...didn't know how to fix that!

crusader1

Chris,

Great pictures. Beautiful family. Thanks for thinking of us..We just love good news...

In the future I believe if you right click on the photo the word delete( cut) will come up and you can get rid of the second photo. I also always get doubles when I put photos in.

hugs,

Francine

Alyad

Chris- Great photos- beautiful wedding party. you must be so proud! You will be there to see your younger sons get married too!  I always get the double photos too- have to delete one of them- but I don't know how to change the size either. I'd rather have them big enough to see details than just have a small thumbnail where you can barely make out faces anyway.

Dh and I drove 6 hours to see Great Big Sea in Bloomington IL fri night. They have quite a cult following  here in the US- folks surrounding us were from Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin.I first was exposed to them in 1999 while working with some people from Nova Scotia- I saw them live first in 2000 when I lived in Victoria BC. I saw them again in Philadelphia in 2002 when I lived in NJ for a summer and then saw them again twice in 2003 in Michigan and Vermont while on a hiking trip to Vermont. But I hadn't managed to see them live since then- I love their music on CD- but seeing them live is just such an amazing experience. I have gotten DH hooked on them too and he was also very impressed with the live show. They are such high energy showmen- love them! 

We are seeing them again this Monday much closer to home in Joplin MO- and its a free show!

I really hope there are a bunch of other cult followers that come to the show even here in SW MO- so much fun when everyone around you is jumping up and down too!

ChrisC433

Have a great time at the show Dayla...and thanks for the comments!

pickle

Chris: YOu have been waiting so long for this milestone.....to be done rads and to see your son get married....Congratulations..... you did both! I think we all wonder it times if we will reach the next milestone and you have boosted my spirits to know that it is possible. The photos are beautiful and I am soooo happy that you had such a great celebration. Thanks for sharing the pics....always so wonderful to see happy faces celebrating the good things in life! No problem with the double photos....nice to see it twice....lol. The Bride and Groom look so happy. Bless their union and I am sending well wishes for a bright future filled with love and joy.

Dayla: Great Big Sea......Nova Scotia.....you are making me homesick! I am originally from Nova Scotia and the place and people are always dear to my heart. So you are on again for Monday....are you the cult leader....lol.

Ladies: It is always so great to hear happy news here.... while at the same time I appreciate all the love and support we give each other through the rough times too. I did the CIBC Run for the Cure today and it was pretty emotional. I thought of all of you awesome March Warriors and reflected on all we have been through in the last number of months. It makes my heart soar to know that I am blessed to belong to such an amazing group of women. It also reminds me that we have "sisters" here that are still on a journey of treatments, tests, and uncertainty. Let us all continue our sisterhood of love and prayers for each and every one of them.

Cheers for a wonderful night

Hugs

Beth P

ccbaby

Chris....Thanks for sharing the wedding pics with us! Absolutely beautiful!

Dayla...Have fun at the concert in Joplin!

Beth..That is so great that you did the run!!

I can't wait for Thursday because that will be my last rad!!!!

didle20Diane

OK I have no idea how to make this bigger......this is Tracy (Chick717) and I.  We met today for breakfast with my daughter before she headed back to AL.  It was so nice to meet her.  We had a wonderful time.

Chris.....great pictures and congratulations on your son's wedding. 

I hope everyone has a great week.....I am going in Tuesday for my "free" foob job.  I am staying positive and hope for a quick recovery.  Will be updating on FB.

Hugs to all and prayers for everyone still in treatments.... like Beth said you are all on my mind a lot and I only hope for positive outcomes for all of us.

Diane

Dawnmrn1

Diane and Tracy!  What fun!!! And what a beautiful girl you have.

Chris!  Love the pictures!  What a radiant couple.

Diane Good Luck Today!

To all I think of you often, and consider you My True Friends!

Beth!  How awesome to be running!  Have a great Monday!  Love, Dawn

ChrisC433

We have come such a long way together.  From the anticipation and anxiety that we all felt before starting chemo, the long journey of ups and downs (and more downs!) during our treatments, to going through rads, and back to celebrating life again.  Every little thing means so much more!  When something wonderful happens, I often think about how you all feel about the same situations!  It's like we share the same window into the world now...seeing things just a little more clearly.

 Diane and Tracy..how neat that you got together...great pic!!

Good luck today Diane...thinking about you!

pickle

CCBaby: Yeah for being done this Thursday. That's awesome.

Dawn: I guess I should clarify....we did the CIBC Run for the Cure.....you can walk it or run....my team walked. This crappy old back of mine is not up to running (yet). Still working with my trainer but just focusing on lots of stretching and treadmill walking. Maybe I'll be running next time...lol

Here are a few pics from yesterday. The first on is of me and my DD friend's Mom. We were dx at the same time and went through tx at the same time.

The sign on my Jacket

My DIL and her family & my SIL and good friend

My DD , friend and me

Have a great day

ChrisC433

Thanks Pickle...I actually finished up on Friday!  We did an all weekend celebration between me being done and my son's wedding, and Sunday my youngest son (8) won a tough football game!  Smiles all around...

pickle

Chris....I meant to write CCBaby....I knew you were done and had such a great weekend. I'll blame chemo brain....lol

kim40

Wow!  What an emotional weekend!!  Still no news on my CT scan so I'm hoping the slogan "No news is Good News" applies in this case.  One day, doctors will realize that the worst thing for their patient is WAITING!!

I did the "Run for the Cure" yesterday.  Like Pickle, I walked too.  Not up for running although I was surpised to see how many people did.  The rain held off for the most part until after it was all over, but that didn't dampen spirits at all.  How do upload pics?  I'm trying but it doesn't seem to work!

ChrisC433

I found direction on how to do it from Photobucket.  You download pictures to photo bucket and then highlight the httm and copy it to the link for adding pictures (little tree above).  I searched this forum and I think the directions came up from CCBaby in Hair, Hair, Hair.   I don't know how to resize pics, but you can right click and delete the duplicated pic (it pastes in doubles!).  Hope this helps...Chris

How to post pictures.

Here are instructions of how I post pictures from photobucket.

You need to create an account with photobucket.

I have circled in red, things to look for.

You will need to have both websites up BC.org and photobucket

Upload the pictures from your computer to photobucket.

After the picture is uploaded to photobucket, when you move your mouse over the picture, you get different options. Left click on the HTML code, it will highlight, you want to right click and "copy".

Then go to bc.org and click on the little green tree, paste what you copied into the spot that says Image URL and then click insert.

Usually, you get a double picture and some type, erase the type, right click on one of the pictures, and cut it out.

You can then preview to see if that is how you want it, or submit it.

pickle

Kim: Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Keep the No news is Good news thought but I agree....doctors need to stop making us wait....don't they know that stress wreaks havoc on our bodies.

I used Flickr to do my photos. I set up an account, downloaded the pics and then I just copy and paste them.

Hugs

Beth P

ccbaby

Beth...Look at your hair in your pics!! You have a lot more growth than your avatar pic! Woo Hoo!!

Chris....You just made me cry at what you wrote earlier.   We all have been through so much TOGETHER here! 

crusader1

Hi Ladies,

Beth - really great pictures.Your hair is really growing in.

Diane - good luck tomorrow. I am sure all will be fine.Cute picture of you and Chick( Tracy)

Chris- Thanks for all the info. I can do the photos but it always takes a long time and it usually is done by trial and error..

Kim- Hopefully your news will be good. Yes the waiting is the worst thing. I agree that doctors don't always realize that.

This Wednesday my husband and I are going on a tour of  Turkey with another couple. Our tour will be for two weeks. I have heard great things about Turkey and I am looking forward to getting away for two weeks. We are both retired and I especially love traveling. If I can I will check the board while away.When we return home I have numerous doctors scheduled as I am to have my third TE put in my breast. Hopefully this one will work. My back has been feeling much better after taking muscle relaxers each evening.

Hugs to all,

Francine

Mom_of_boys

Again.... I so love it when you all post pics... Alyad, Francine, Diane, Pickle, and of course Chris!   Even better when they are accompanied with good news.  Love, love, LOVE it!!!

Kim... You'll be just fine!  We've had so many (including myself) that have had positive results from their scans and MRIs.  You'll soon be in that group.

Francine... Turkey?  WOW... very cool.  I'm still quite disappointed I didn't get to see the new Yankees stadium and meet you.  We're already planning another trip next year, though, to NYC.

ChrisC433

Francine...I am soooo jealous.  I would love to have the time to travel...  We are planning on a trip (cruise) to Italy, Greece. Croatia, Spain next year for our 25th anniversary.  I'l love to fly over a few days early and check things out and then stay another 2-3 days post cruise. 

You have a wonderfull time...

Chris

pickle

Francine: Your trip sounds wonderful. I have also heard that Turkey is remarkable. Glad to hear that your back is feeling better.....just in time for your trip....yeah! TE when you get back....third time's a charm!

Diane: Good luck tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you.

Hugs

Beth P

crusader1

Hi,

Thks for all the good wishes on my upcoming trip.

Thought you would enjoy a picture of me with my friend who turned 98 on Saturday. She was my son's babysitter (he is now 34). I have stayed friends with her and have visited her each week since I retired from teaching in 2002. Her daughter has been so good to me this year . She brought me food a number of times after surgeries and came to visit me at the hospital also.

Lucy is housebound but her mind is great. She lives with an aide full time  as she has congestive heart failure.I am wearing my wig as I never told her of my BC as her 42 year old granddaughter died last year from Kidney cancer.

Hugs ,

Francine

" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />