**NEW** Starting Chemo March 2009

ccbaby

Dayla...Happy Anniversary! I am so glad that I got to meet the two of you! You are such a great couple! Many, many more to come...

didle20Diane

Dayla, Happy Anniversary!  My husband and I just celebrated our 7th May 4 (his birthday) and we have been together happily for 13 years now....can't believe how time flies.

Francine, have a wonderful time in Italy!!!!!!! 

Reeney.....I saw that article, my girlfriend just started Tamox this past week and had to switch her anti depressant....(not sure what she was taking) to Effexor...I think it also helps with the SE's of Tamoxifen, too from what I understand.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and good luck to all going in for treatment this week.

Diane

Mom_of_boys

Hey everyone... AGAIN, thank you all for chiming in on your opinions or own experiences on the BRCA testing.

Saw onc on Friday... mentioned these darn hot flashes and night sweats... she gave me a RX for neurontin to take at night before I go to bed.  Anyone else on this RX?  Guess I'm going to give it a try tonight... yet one more pill to add to my shoe box!  BLAH!

sakura73

Francine bon voyage! Hope you have a wonderful trip.

 Dayla happy anniversary!

Mom of boys do report back whether the neurotin works. The night sweats are getting unbearable for me. But I know what you mean about the pill box. I am already in double figures every day!

Ricki13 - sorry to hear the continued dramas facing you and your family. You are in my thoughts.

Pickle  and Maidmarion - good luck for this week's final treatments, together with any others who are in this week.I have my final AC tomorrow and cannot wait to be through this phase and on to Taxol. 

I went to a look good feel better class this morning. At first I thought I was going to HATE it but in the end it was okay. I am not sure I will use much of the stuff they gave me, as I am already slave to the SKII skin care range. 

chick717

anyone want a smile?  check out this video...hey, I bear a heavy resemblance to the dad in the video now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu0PAbW75A 

pickle

I just got home from my final AC treatment. What a relief. Although for some reason I was very emotional today. I think it is knowing that I am done and others are still having to do more. I thought about all you Warriors today and how much I appreciate all of you.

Hugs to all

Beth

ccbaby

Pickle...congrats on being done! YAY! We all soon will done right with you!

Dawnmrn1

Pickle!  congrats  on being done!  It must feel so good!  Tomorrow is 5 of 6 TACS for me!

Francine!  Have a great trip!

Best to all having TX this week!  Dawn

maidmarion

Congratulations on being done Pickle!  Doing the Happy dance for you!

Tomorrow is my last...Sakura..thanks for the good wishes.. hope all goes well for you tomorrow and indeed on into your next phase.

Francine Have a great trip!! Buon Viaggio!   

Thanks for the Link Chick, my kids back in the UK told me about these two but I hadn't actually seen them....made me chuckle!

Best of luck to anyone else having TX this week...sending healing thoughts to all.

Julie

crusader1

Hi all,

Chick I just loved the video.. I also bear a resemblance to the dad.

Julie..Good luck tomorrow on your last TC.

Pickle - Glad to hear you have also reached a milestone..

Thanks everyone for your good wishes on our trip to the Amalfi Coast..for the destination wedding. what a great place to get married.

Hugs to All,

Francine

marshall2000

Pickle: Congratulations on being done. Yeah!!!

maidmarion: Good Luck tomorrow with your last tx. I can't remember, are you having neoadjuvant therapy? Where do you go from here? What is your next step? Pickle, what about you to, what is your next step?  I have taxol this week and then my last one 2 weeks later, i see my breast surgeon next week and am to schedule lumpectomy and oopherectomy, i was wondering if ya"ll are doing the same followed by rads. I wonder if they make you wait awhile after surgery before doing rads, i sure hope not, my engine is revving and want to hurry up before i lose any more steam

everyone: Good Luck to all with whatever is going on in your lives right now, if anyone has started their rad tx pipe up and let us hear about it please.

Love, Michelle.

7timewinner

Congrats to all who are finished! It's getting hard to keep up with everyone's progress now, but know that I am cheering on everyone!

2 more to go for me...

Cheers,

Nadine

pickle

Thanks for the congratulations everyone! The next phase for me is Tamoxifen. I will also be having my rt breast mx done prophylactic in the next couple of months. I still haven't decided on Reconstruction but will discuss it with PS.

MaidMarion and Dawn and Sakura: I'll be cheering for you tomorrow....good luck and sending hugs your way.

Hugs and best wishes to all with tx this week.

Francine: have a wonderful trip. My brother went to the Amalfi coast last year and said it is absolutely spectacular.

Time for a few zzzz's

Good night all!

Beth

ginagina

I with Nadine... Congrats to everyone, whether you've just finished treatment or are just reading!! I hope everyone has some good weather. Our weather has finally improved and it has done amazing things for my mood.

Anyone doing in a Race for the Cure this weekend? We have ours in Seattle this Sunday and I am going to walk the 5k. I will be the farthest I've gone in months!!

didle20Diane

Hi all, I am doing the Race for the cure this Saturday......walking the 5K with my girlfriend DX 3 weeks after me and a whole team of people from her office!

Hugs

Diane

buddy1

Didle, Good luck at the race.  I know it will be fun.  I hope you have great weather.

ChrisC433

Congrats to all of those finishing up.  I had 3/4 Taxol's yesterday.  ONE to go!!!!

I have surgery scheduled 4 weeks later (July 14) and then start rads 4 weeks after that.  Taxol has been better, but the last one seem to give me more pain and lasted longer.  I figure if I expect this one to be real bad, I can be pleasantly surprised when it isn't (fingers are crossed and prayer have been said!). 

I have soccer game Thurs. Teacher Record Day on Thursday, appoint. with Surgeon on Friday and 2 soccer games on Saturday.  Sunday we go to Hershey Park, and then Monday-Thurs. we go camping. Next Friday and Saturday is Relay for Life and then Sunday is a baseball game (Yankees or Orioles!).  Then Monday is LAST taxol.  I figure if I  stay busy I'll feel better.....

 I have a cruise to Bermuda scheduled Aug. 2 with DH and another couple.  That will be about 3 weeks post surgery.  Anyone out there have a lumpendectomy?  I was wondering if I would be healed up enough to enjoy the trip.  We usually rent scooters and check out the island.  I like to go snorkeling too.  Just wondering where I will be physically????  The other couple going with us consists of a message therapist and physicians assistant.  I feel like I have my own team traveling with me!!

Hugs to all and have a great day!

Chris

Mom_of_boys

pickle... WOO HOO!  Congratulations...

maidmarion... Good luck on your final tx!

Francine... Hope you have a wonderful time... I am soooo jealous.

Michelle... I had my oopherectomy and lumpectomy before I started chemo, so I can't help you there.  But, I have started my radiation treatments.  There will be 35 in all.  I'll finish up in early July.  I can definitely say that SO FAR radiation is soooo much easier than chemo.  My SNB scar is a little sensitive right now, but that's it.  No real complaints from me.

Chris... Speaking only for myself, but I was back to work in less than a week after my lumpectomy/SNB/port placement.  AND, my lumpectomy was a bit more involved in that she had to basically do a lift as well.  So, go and enjoy Bermuda... sounds like a blast!

Gina... You had mentioned in a previous post about being emotional... yep, count me in on that group.  I cried at my onc visit on Friday for really no good reason... she at least said that is normal!

ccbaby

Chris...I went back to work  one month after my mastectomy and I am a hairstylist, so I am sure you should be ok to go on your trip 3 weeks post surgery. Just rest as much as you can those 3 weeks.

jdeking

Pickle - CONGRATS!!! Way to go!

 Maidmarion, Sakura, Dawn, and all others with tx today or tomorrow - Good luck!

Francine - Have a blast on your trip, sounds like fun!

Chris - I second MOB, I had 2 lumpectomies (original and a revision) and each took maybe 3 days before I was back at work. If you get a drain, it takes a little longer to heal. I would say 2 weeks for that. You should be good to go for your cruise! I am going on one in September, and cannot wait!

Mom_of_boys

We went on a cruise a week after my dx... just the husband and my two "boys".  Had a wonderful time.  Y'all have fun.  Janine... are you leaving out of Galveston?

jdeking

MOB - yes, a Carnival cruise. Where did you go when you went? This will be my 3rd, I just love them!

Mom_of_boys

We (myself, husband, sister, her husband, and my parents) went on our very first cruise almost a year ago to Alaska on Holland America.  Our second cruise, in December, was with Carnival.  Our ports were Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.  We actually had found a GREAT deal on another Alaskan cruise for this past month but had to cancel because of... well, you know.

jdeking

Awww! I haven't done Alaska yet - but the Carnival one you did is the same one I am going to do. How was it?

I may go again in Feb because they have a 5-day for $289 per person! That is a CHEAP vacation.

didle20Diane

Janine, WOW what an awesome deal.....I am looking into cruises but have 3 kids to bring....UGH....

jdeking

Oooohhh - the kiddos would love it!  They have lots of activities for them.

crusader1

Hi,

My husband and I just love cruises. We have been to Canada and New England( a number of times)  , Alaska ,( twice), The Carribean ( Eastern and Western) and with my lady friends a cruise to Hawaii for our 60 th birthday. We have been on many lines but we have enjoyed Carnival ...Hopefully at the end of the summer we will take one up North once again.

I have taken cruises with my lady friends alone, and with my lady friends and with couples.

As a matter of fact the friends whose son is getting married in Italy , we met them on  an Alaskan Cruise in 2000.

Ladies enjoy your cruises. A really inexpensive way to get away for a terrific vacation. Enjoy Janine..

Hugs to All..

Francine

Mom_of_boys

I agree... cruises can be very cheap.  The May cruise that we cancelled was a 7 night Alaskan trip on Holland America (a great cruise line)... the cost for the four of us (excluding airfare to/from) was $2,100 for an outside room!  We couldn't have gone to San Antonio and spent 7 nights with food/activities for that price.  We were all going to stay in the same room, but hey... you don't spend that much time in your room as it is.

Janine... yes, we loved it.  Honestly, I liked Holland America better as a cruise line, but the trip was great!  In spite of negative reviews from some people, we liked Jamaica the best.  PM me if you want some suggestions.

crusader1

Ladies,

It is great hearing us talk about something beside cancer. Three cheers to all of us..

Francine

Janet0527

Pickle/Beth - Congratulations.  I was just today thinking forward to my last Taxol in August and wondering how it will feel to be done.  Tomorrow is #3 already, so I think it's going to be all over before I know it.

Francine - Have a wonderful time in Italy.  Some friends of mine just got back from a wedding in Tuscany.  What a beautiful country - I've been a few times, but never to the Amalfi Coast (I think I remember reading somewhere that's where you're going).

Gina - I am running in the Race for the Cure in DC on Saturday.  I've raised $1766 so far.  It's gonna be tough, because I'm dancing all day/night Friday at a ballroom event and will be running on something like 4 hours of sleep, but I think I can do it.

ChrisC433 - I was dancing 3 weeks after my mastectomy and running soon after that.  Everyone is different, but if you're in pretty good shape and tend to recover well, you should be more than fine for your trip to Bermuda.  Good job having a massage therapist as part of your entourage, lol.