Starting Chemo Aug 09

gillyone

Nice story Jenn - nobody does quite understand like one of us.

Lilah - I'm glad you all had a wonderful time. It must have been incredibly special.

Lilah

Yeah it's that exactly that makes the reunion such a special experience.  Everyone of us has gone through so much and it is a comfort to know we are not alone.

jenn3

Thought I'd pop in to say hello.

Today was a busy day at work - couldn't wait to get home and de-stress.  They have really been trying to exercise my brain cells lately, whew!!  Can't wait for the weekend - it's a three day weekend for me.  I'm hoping to work in the garden and use a few less brain cells. 

jenn3

I am working a Think Pink event tomorrow and realized today that I do not own anything pink.  What is wrong with me?

Lilah

LOL Jenn!

jenn3

I just can't believe I don't own pink clothing.  I decided to wear a white button up shirt, black sweater and a pink breast cancer scarf I was given last year - it'll have to do for now. 

Lilah

Jenn -- you will look FANTASTIC!

Oh and GREAT MOVIE ALERT: The Social Network.  Saw it tonight... LOVED IT!

jenn3

I really want to see Social Network, now that you've given great reviews I'll really have to make time to see it.

DH and I just got back from seeing Secratariat (sp?) - he really wanted to see it, it wasn't on my big list of to see movies, but I enjoyed it very much.  Good movie!!!

The Susan Komen, Think Pink Fundraiser went well - the volunteer work was through my office, so it was nice to meet people from other branches and our operations center that I talk to, but never see. 

We're getting ready to head out to a friends house to watch the LSU game - hope everyone is having a great weekend.

gillyone

Just saying hi. I have a mammo and ultrasound coming up in a week and an onc appointment the following week.

A friend and I have formed a support group in our small town and we met informally a couple of times in the summer. On Monday we have a "proper" meeting in the conference room at our hospital which seems to give us a little weight. If any of you belong to a support group, please let me know of anything that worked really well, or you hated etc.

Lilah

Gilly -- WTG on the support group!  I think you should follow the BCO model -- only live of course.  Talk about what is on your minds and share information about doctors and stuff.

Jenn -- glad the even went well!  And Secretariat is on my list!  Glad you liked it

jenn3

Had a great time last night and the end of the LSU game was a nail bitter, which is always fun if your team wins.  Woke up this morning, DH and I had breakfast, ran to Lowes, came home worked in the garden, now we're getting ready to relax and watch the Saints game.  The nice weather we've been having has moved out and it is HOT again. 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

msmpatty

Gosh!  I'm so impressed with you ladies...going to BCO reunions, starting support groups, volunteering at BC fundraisers.  Me?  Just trying to forget the whole darn thing (but not my BCO friends).  I have made donations to several people and groups who are doing BC fundraising this month, but that's it.  Maybe next October I'll be into the pink again!

Patty

gillyone

Patty - I am totally not into the pink thing. So much of what I see I find offensive. Our little support group is just that - a place to go and talk with people who understand.

Lilah

Aw Patty anything you do (including nothing) is totally fine.  I don't do the pink thing either.  I just like the BCO gals and I like Vegas

jenn3

I'm not crazy about all of the pink stuff either.  I know it raises awareness and that's great, but I'm just not into it.  I'm trying, I've been wearing my pink ribbon pin and I have a ring that I wear, but still.....no shirts or hats.  Like Patty said, maybe next year.

I had a follow up with my oncologist today.   All is well and I'll see him again in three months.

Lilah - I may have to join y'all next year in Vegas.

Lilah

Great news Jenn re: Onc visit! 

And yeah come to Vegas!  It's something to be with so many who have survived.

weety

Hi all, just popping in to say hello.  I finished my year of herceptin last week and the next day did a local 10k walk for breast/ovarian cancer with my family. So glad to be done with herceptin, but nervous as all heck now that I'm done!'

I got the pic finally to post, but I don't know how to rotate it the right way.  Oh well, just turn your head sideways! LOL

weety

Bummer, I think the picture didn't end up going through.  Ugghhh. I tried for a long time.  I just don't know how to do it.

gillyone

Weety - sorry your picture didn't work. But you look great!!

msmpatty

Lilah - Do you have to have had reconstruction to be in the TA TA Sisterhood?  Or can we lumpectomy types join the club?   I'd hate to have to lose my boob (scarred as it may be) just join the Vegas crew next year.  HA!

Patty

Lilah

Patty -- of course you can join!  There are a few others who just had lumpectomies... we are sisters in BC (not in reconstruction

Weety -- you look adorable in the new avatar!  Brown hair!  Wasn't your hair blonde in the other avatar?  And woo hoo on finishing Herceptin!!!  I finished mine September 20 and am SO happy not to have to remember to schedule it again   I get my port out next week!  Another milestone. It's funny I was a little anxious at first (when I finished the Herceptin) because now I wasn't doing anything to fight BC but I have gotten over it lol.  I am just living and loving life!

jenn3

Weety - love your new picture!! You look great.  Congrats on finishing herceptin and doing the walk.

Lilah - also a congrats on finishing herceptin and getting the port out.  It does feel weird to not be doing anything.

Patty - I think we'll all have to try to make it to Vegas next year.  Wouldn't that be fun?

I will try to get a new picture taken and up on the boards this weekend. 

weety

My hair has always been a very dark brown (I guess it's the french in me, since it's certainly not the german side!)  I was very lucky that it grew back the same color so I don't have to color it!

In my old avatar I was wearing a bandana type floral scarf that was light-colored.  Maybe that's why you thought I was blonde--LOL--I'm far from blonde!

Thanks for the compliments! 

Lilah, what kind of follow-up is your onc doing with you?  My onc is retiring in Dec. so I want to make sure I get everything set in place before she's gone and I have to start all over with a new doc.

gillyone

Hi ladies. Just back from regular mammo, ie both boobs followed by ultrasound on the bad boob, a follow up to the staph infection I had in the summer. The doc called for more pictures after the mammo and again after the u/s then I got taken to his office. Kind of worrying. But he just wanted to chat as I know him (his daughter was a student at my preschool last year) and show me what he'd been looking at with the extra pictures. Anyhow, I have the unofficial everything is fine. Next Tuesday is 3 monthly onc visit. I wonder if all this ever gets less stressful. I feel fine apart from all the odd twinges etc and it is hard to think of them as normal. Though they probably are nothing. Oh yes - I also had a bone density test for the first time.

Hope everyone is feeling well.

Lilah

Gilly -- if you had a lumpectomy (which it sounds like you did) those twinges are probably just nerves coming back.  Yay for the unofficial AOK!

Weety -- oh that's so funny that it was a scarf!  I always thought it was your hair   I am on a once every three months visit plan with my ONC (but thinking at some point she will drop me to once every 6 months and then once a year after that).  I don't know how long the once every three months will continue... I see her next in early January (which is more like 3 1/2 - 4 months but it's due to the holidays).  I am thinking she might move me to once every 6 months at that point but stay tuned.  I am also currently seeing my BS once every 6 months (that too will probably become once a year next year) and my PS is still on once every 3 months... but I think once she does my nipples and tattoo (on the implant side), which will follow it's own schedule, it will probably stop all together (she does not check my breasts for anything but the state of her plastic surgery

I had thought about doing the Neratinib trial (my ONC is a part of it) but decided not to because (a) why go through all of that with a 50/50 chance of getting a placebo when the only reason I want to do it is for the extra benefit of the protection of the drug and (b) they require liver tests every six weeks and I have what is called fatty liver syndrome which means my numbers can be highly variable (and not within their guidelines)... so it would have been a major pain in the butt for me.

jenn3

Gill - so glad to hear all is well.  I don't know if we'll ever stop worrying, especially if we get aches and pains in areas where we're more likely to have a recurrance.

I've just spent the last two days in training, to learn how to train.  I will be part of a conversion team that will have to step outside of my normal job and train people.  I am not normally the kind of person who likes to speak in front of people - guess now is the time to get out of my comfort zone.  The training was really fun, interesting and I also got to meet a lot of people in the company I don't get to see, but only speak to.  I also met another BC Survivor.  She was making a joke and said something about a tumor and I caught it right away so I asked her on the side and she is actually Stage IV now - I would have never known.  I had met her the night before at a meet and greet and we clicked - guess there was a reason we met. 

Lilah

Jenn -- wow great story about meeting that woman who is Stage IV.  I hope she will be OK.

I love that you are being trained to train  

msmpatty

Must be check up time!   I saw my surgeon today for  follow up on a lump she found in my "bad" boob a few months back.  The ultrasound indicated it was just a thing...not a bad thing...and today she said it is getting smaller.  So it's all good.  I see the surgeon every six months and the Onc every six months...so I'll see one or the other every three months for the next four years.  Oh joy!

Weety - I too thought you were blonde.  So your scarf fooled all of us!

Gilly - Where are your twinges?   I had the bone density test before starting Femara.   Of all the tests it was a breeze and no undressing!  Good luck at the Onc's.

Jenn - I think it would be really fun to be a trainer.   You get to stand in front of people and look really smart!

Lilah - What's up with fatty liver syndrome?   

Thought I had brain mets a few days ago...then realized I just had a little sinus issue.  Gosh what a scaredy cat I've become!

Patty 

jenn3

I'm back - twice in one night.

Patty - I recently had a check up with my onc and we discussed the fears that cancer patients have.  Or...should I say I joked about how crazy I feel.  My eyes were really hurting for weeks, had an appt with the eye dr and it was dry eyes - I was sure it was eye cancer.  I told my onc the story and he laughed, but the truth of it is that we have these crazy fears and I think have become extremely hyper aware of every body movement, function and pain. The good news is you're not alone........we're all little scaredy cats. 

I'll keep y'all posted on the training - which is still a few months off.  

Lilah

Patty -- it's just fat in the liver... my onc says it's related to diabetes (which I also have).  I've had the fatty liver since my 20s... diabetes for about 5 years.  It isn't a big deal it just means my liver function tests are routinely higher than most other people's.  It seems to be the case whether my weight is up or down too so it's nothing to do with being fat or thin... hereditary is what I'm told.  You can google it if you want to know more. 

Glad the little something was nothing