**NEW** Starting Chemo March 2009

sakura73

Oh Francine, thank God you had the mastectomy!  I know there are some kinds of cancer that just sit there and don't grow or spread: great news that it was one of them.  I came on to the boards to wish you a happy birthday: I hope the day can be okay.

Chris: - yay for a girl! Shnerbil the Space Turnip is due on 21 August so yes, we are almost exactly in step. Maybe he and your little granddaughter can be pen friends one day.

Janine: so glad to see you back here, and I hope that without all those fibroids you'll find life much easier.

Patti: that news sucks. Can you challenge the decision?

Love to all of you.

Alyad

Francine- WOW! how scary. I guess there's no second guessing whether you made the right choice! it does sound like it is a very slow growing type and I think you should just be glad you had a mastectomy.

pickle

Happy Birthday Francine! Have a great day...you deserve it!

Patti: So sorry to hear about your employment cutback and health insurance woes.No apologies necessary for venting..that's what we're here for...anytime. How to make lemonade out of lemons...

If life hands you lemons..make lemonade. If life hands you tomatoes...make Bloody Mary's! The Bloody Mary may help you forget about the lemons..lol.

Rachel: So happy to hear that everything is going well. Only 4 more months....Wow!

Janine: Hope you are doing well and healing fast.

Dayla: How is evrything with your job and travels?

BethR: How is your weather doing...sunshine???

Hugs to all

Beth P

crusader1

Hi Ladies,

I am feeling pretty good. The BS felt that the tubular tumor is definitely nothing to worry about. My breast is gone and I guess that was a good decision for whatever reason. The PS was a little concerned over the skin on my breast dying as happened the last time  but the BS felt it did not look that bad. Keep your fingers crossed ladies.

I woke up feeling pretty blue today on my birthday but am feeling a little more up now. I got 19 birthday cards in the mail from mostly friends and a little family. Makes me feel good that so many remembered.

Oh Patti..too bad about your job. I can imagine how difficult  things can be with the health insurance stuff. I do favor the Bloody Maries. Do feel free to vent.

Janine- hope you continue to improve and gain your strength back.

Rachel- penpals..what a great idea

I sent a PM to the women on the previous page who talked about tubular cancer..I am not sure how she ended up on our site.

Hugs,

Francine

jdeking

Hope you have a wonderful birthday Francine. WOW, 19 cards, that is great! I hope your whole day is extra special.

Patti- so sorry to hear about your job. I 2nd Beth's suggestion about the bloody marys - or maybe if life could hand you LIMES instead of lemons you could whip up some margaritas.  Seriously - I am sorry to hear about job scale-backs, it is so scary in this economy and with our medical issues. Big hugs.

Wow Rachel, I cannot believe that Shnerbil is going to be arriving so soon. Time flies!

crusader1

Janine..Well that perks me up.

Thanks so much ladies  for all the FB postings..

Hugs,

Francine

Alyad

Hi All,

I just found out yesterday that the company I am working for got the big contract we were waiting to hear back on- Yay!!! Its for another county in Oklahoma near where I was working before. I am waiting to hear if they want me to do a short trip next week before I leave on my trail vacation. I am kinda hoping they do - either to do any clean up on the last job and/or start the new one, cause I could use the money. They have said they are going to give me benefits, but I haven't seen any paperwork yet, so I'm assuming they'll drag their feet another month til my COBRA runs out at the end of May. the last couple weeks, I've just been chilling at home, working around the house. DH has been working fairly steady with his friend.

I have a 3 month followup with the onc tomorrow. I have no idea what system my new insurance will be, so may switch back to the old one at the other system. How long/often is everyone getting followups-  I've been on the every 3 months for almost 2 years- wonder when I get to step down- wonder if the fact I'm not taking Tamoxifen enters into it at all.

Dayla

PattiB

Heard back from my gyno, I have a small fibroid.  He says that my uterus is not thick so he will just do the biopsy on Tuesday. 

Happy holidays, birthdays, Well wishes, etc.

Rachel - How much more time until your due date?  Sooo exciting, I love babies!

crusader1

Hi Ladies,

Glad to hear that most are doing fine.

I go tomorrow to the PS and he will tell me if I am healing well on my mastectomy site. If it does not look good( meaning the skin is dying) I will need the lat flap surgery. I am really anxious and do hope it is looking better tomorrow. The PS will take out my drain.It is really annoying.

How I hate all this crap...

Hugs,

Francine

Alyad

hang in there Francine, I hope you don't have the healing issues like last time and you get those drains asap! I hated those damn things... had them in for 10 days or so

pickle

Dayla: that's great news about the new contract. You must be getting excited about the Trail trip. When do you go?



Patti: good news thatthere isn't any thickening. Good luck with the biopsy and keep us posted.



Francine: how did the appointment with the PS go? I hope you got your drains out and that you are healing well. I'm sure you are anxious about ut all , especially since your previous experience wasn't good. Hang in there and let us know how you are doing.



The weather is warming up. The snow is all gone and the flocks of Canada Geese have made their way back home here.



Enjoy your Easter weekend everyone



Hugs

Beth

bethr

Hi All,

Just popping in to say Happy Easter!

Francine - I hope all's going well with the healing process and your skin doesn't die and your drains come out soon.  Yes, I remember hating it all too.  It will pass..

Alyad - great news about your contract!  I hope all comes through for you!  My onc followups are now every 6 months.

Patti - best wishes that your fibroid is b-9

Rachel - hope all's going well with the pregnancy!

BethP - It's raining here..   again..  The rain was so bad early in the week that our dragon boat practice was cancelled due to flooding and unsafe conditions.  But we did have some sunshine mid-week..  I am so tired of this rain though...  

All - I've got an upper respiratory infection that is now going on its 4th week.  I saw my PC this week and got a couple of prescriptions for an antibiotic and something else but this thing just seems to keep hanging on.  My God, it's driving me nuts!  Any suggestions?

I hope you all have a great Easter!

My best!

Beth

pickle

BethR: four weeks...that must be exhausting! If it's viral then antibiotiocs aren't likely to work. There was a respiratory virus going around here over the winter. My friend and her hubby had it for 6 weeks and the coughing and hacking really zapped them of energy. Do you have a humidifier. Hot steam shower. Vicks vapor rub...not sure it really does anything but it is soothing and always makes me feel better. Lots of fluids and rest...rest...rest. Maybe it's hanging around because you have been travelling and working lots. Nothing like a few days of good rest to help what ails you. Feel better soon and if you don't get better shortly, I'd ask for a chest xray

Francine: healing vibes are sent your way!

Hugs

BethP

crusader1

Hi ladies,

Thanks for thinking about me. I am sort of down in the dumps. I had my second drain removed but I am still quite sore around the area. The PS thought the area of necrosis was okay. WE just have to wait and see what happens..  I am quite upset about that .I have not yet gotten the final path report on my small cancer but will still see my oncologist this MOnday. I am not really concerned but all this happening at once has thrown me for a loop.

Beth R..a good friend had that cough etc as well as my son for a few months. hopefully when the weathe rgets better you will heal.

Happy Easter to all,

Hugs,

Francine

pickle

Francine: it was nice chatting with you today. I had a feeling that you were a bit down and that's understandable. The newest situation with you is probably dredging up a lot of old feelings about this whole SFBC. I really feel encouraged that your PS thought it looked better than Monday but I know you are anxiously waiting for the final path....i hope you get nothing but good results on Monday. Thinking of you and sending you big hugs.



BethP

Alyad

12 days til I leave for my trip! I won't be working til I get back May 16, but then I'll probably be working solid  60-70 hours a week til the end of June. Supposedly I'm getting benefits first of May- so there's 400 bucks less to come up with at least.

I graduated to 6 month check ups!

ChrisC433

Happy Easter everyone!

crusader1

Hi,

I am a little less sore today. My oncologist cancelled my appt due to a family energency.I still have not heard from my BS re the latest pathology. I am not  really worried . I am filling up with fluid in my chest area will  show it to the PS tomorrow.

Dayla..you sound so much more happy  now that you have a job and another hike looms soon..Congrats on the six months..I must ask my oncologist when I go abut promoting me.

Hugs,

Francine

pickle

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. The weather is beuatiful here and it really feels like spring...yeah!



Francine glad you are not as sore...another good sign for you. Too bad that yiour appointment was cancelled. Did they reshedule you?

Good luck with PS tomorrow.



Dayla...the countdown is on and congrats on yiur graduation, It's wonderful that you are getting good news re: job, health, travel.....life is good!



BethR: How are you feeling?



Hugs to all

BethP

pickle

Wow...the spelling errors in my last post are really bad....it's my darn iPad...and of course my man hands.....lol...Darn!

7timewinner

Hello, everyone!

It's been so long since I checked in, but I think of everyone here often, and hoping all is well. I only read back a bit in the posts...Francine! God bless you, dear lady. I am sending you wishes for a quick recovery.

I wanted to share a link to a commercial that I participated in recently. It's for the hospital where I had my surgery, and features my lovely and talented breast surgeon (and me!). I was so honored to be asked to speak on behalf of her and the hospital. Best part about doing the commercial is that I could talk about my cancer experience in the past-tense, and be OK with it. It's been a little over two years now since my diagnosis, and it has taken me so long to start feeling like myself again. I'm not quite there yet, but so much better than before. The commercial felt like a big piece of healing for me

http://www.ecmc.edu

If you scroll down the page to Media/Info Center, mine is the first commercial listed.

Blessings and love,

Nadine

Alyad

Nadine,

what a great commercial and experience for you! Your hair looks fantastic!

here's a direct link to her video: 

http://www.ecmc.edu/multimedia/commercial/0211v2_video.asp

Dayla

crusader1

Hi Ladies,

I am feeling a little better  but still have some pain.

Would you believe that my oncologists office said today that the people in Manhattan have still not decided on my pathology.

My PS said all looks good. He said the necrosis is going away. No fills to all is better.

Nadine...Sawhe commercial..You look good and sounds like a lovely hospital to have been in.

BethP..I will not reschedule my onco visit but will call her if a final path  report ever comes in. Thanks once again for always caring and being there for me..

Hugs,

Francine

pickle

Dayla: Thanks for the link.

Nadine: I can see why they selected you for the video...you are so beautiful...glowing.... and the confidence in your surgeon really shows. Congrats! I like your new tagline too!

Francine: Glad the PS said it's healing well...that's a big relief for you.I hope they get your final path back soon so you can go on your trip without a thing to worry about. It's always my pleasure to be there for you.

Hugs

BethP

bethr

Hi all,

Nadine - What a nice commercial.  You look great!  Thanks for sharing.

BethP - I went to the doc last week and got some drugs and my cold is better.  I'm back to the ever loving post nasal drip.  But hopefully with the weather finally warming up, it will help as well.  I'm so annoyed with it but it's better.

Francine - I hope you get your pathology results soon and I'm happy to hear your PS says everything looks good.  Prayers out to you!

All - Have a great day!

My best as always,

Beth

Alyad

Bethr- I feel your pain on the post nasal drip. I feel like I have that perpetually.  It makes me cough and clear my throat constantly. I felt like it was finally going away after months and this week, I think the damp weather triggered another round of sinus infection (anitbiotics don't seem to help mine and just cause other problems), so now I have post nasal drainage and coughing again. I do sinus saline rinsing (like neti pot if you have heard of that) and decongestants at night.Going on a trip in a week and I really hope its better by then.

crusader1

Hi Ladies,

Would you believe that the pathologists in Manhattan have decided that it was not cancer. Just looked like it could be. My cousin in Florida who is a pathologist said that was a possibility all along. So why did the local pathologists tell me it was cancer when they were not sure..I will call my BS tomorrow and speak with her..express my frustration over needlessly worrying..This stuff sucks.

Hugs.

Francine

bethr

Hi All,

Francine - Oh my God!  That's awful!  I feel so bad for you that you had to go through all that worrying for nothing.  Not the mention the surgery.  On the brighter side?  No cancer.  Oh what a lousy ordeal to find that out. 

Alyad - I feel your pain as well and send wishes and prayers that your nose calms down in time for your trip.

All - have a great day!

Beth

pickle

Hi Francine: Did you speak with your BS about your concerns? Thinking of you.

Ladies, hope you are al enjoying a wonderful weekend. I can't believe that tomorrow is MAY...where is the warm weather....the flowers...the buds on the trees? And we desperately need rain. 

Going out to dinner with DD and her  boyfriend. We are going to a restaurant called the Hardware Grill and we have booked the Chef's table. We've been there once before and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the kitchen action. Not quite Gordon Ramsay but there was a few F Bombs. The food was fantastic so I am hoping for the same result tonight.

Hugs

Beth P 

crusader1

Hi,

Beth..I did speak with my BS. I told her that I was upset as I did not need one more thing to worry about. I said my peace and do feel better.

I do have some more medical issues once again.,Friday evening , I noticed that my incision area was red. I called the PS Saturday morning  and he met me at his office with his daughter..I guess they are real people. LOL. He said the redness is from the necrosis. I found out that the areas I thought were good are really bad. I will go back this early this week to try to find out the whole story..I am still sore where the drains were..

Beth..hope you enjoyed your dinner. Never heard of eating at a Chefs Table...I guess it means you are in or near the kitchen. I do know of Gordon Ramsey from TV.

Hugs,

Francine