Chemo June 2010

Latte

hi everyone,

thansk for all your good wishes. just to let you know that i am home from hospital (overnight stay) and the surgery went well. three small incisions (bellybutton, plus one to each side). am tender, and have pain from the gas, but really not as bad as i was expecting, haven't taken pain meds since the recovery room. i was at the same hospital as last time, but a different ward  and it was a much nicer experience this time. was on my way home at 10.30 this AM, but as a walked out the door i got dizzy and went all red, so they made me go back in and lie down for a few more hours till i felt better.

will update you more later, but need to sleep now.

flopsy

latte,  Get some good rest and I am so glad you are doing well.  Take it one day at a time and before you know it you will much better.   Hooray!!!!!!  One more hurdle crossed!!!!!

TMarina

Good to hear from you Latte!  Rest and take care of yourself!

DesignerMom

latte-  That a girl!  One more thing to mark off your "to do" list!

Sherry9316

Latte - so glad you are home and things went well.  Now take it easy for several days.  We love you.

Rheumatologist does not think I have RA because I don't have swelling or inflammation around my joints.  He did acknowledge I had a significant amount of pain. They drew 8 more vials of blood for a million tests and I am to have a bone scan.  He gave me a prescription for prednisone.  He wants me to try it for 5 days and see if I get any relief.  I go back in three weeks.  I was going to have to have a bone scan next month anyway as part of my scanning to see how well the chemo and radiation have worked.  I asked them to be sure and cc my oncologist with all lab results.

I had a down moment tonight.  Cried on my husbands shoulder.  Haven't cried in a very very long time.  I guess it was overdue and he is such a rock.  I am very fortunate to have him.  I would not have made it this far without him.  I am just so tired of hurting contstantly and not being able to do what I used to do and what I want to do.  My sister came today and we are planning to go to the mall tomorrow.  I told her we could rent me a wheelchair!  I'm glad she's here - she makes me laugh.

I've probably said this before but indulge me - I'm fragile tonight.  I love all of you and I love this place.  I feel safe here, I find comfort and lately laughter.  I thank God for each of you.

 And WHO said we were being naughty???  It was Joan "saying" those words in PRINT.

Sherry9316

Taking Mom's cue - changed my avatar.

grneyd5600

Sherry sounds like our RA results were matching.  Twins we are!  I did find that doing the elliptical did help loosen up my joints a bit.  Unfortunately, I had a saline fill for the TE's this week and the pain has been horrible (makes the joint pain seem easy).  So I didn't do the elliptical yesterday but I am determined to do it today. 

I hope you feel better soon. Remember my earlier post - it is ok to admit we are sad because we have come through the fire.  We are STRONG women!

DesignerMom

sherry-  Sometimes we just need a good cry.  I'm glad you have a good shoulder to cry on.  And by the way, YOU have made me laugh on many occassions.  I guess you should be happy you didn't get bad news from the rheumatologist, right?  Then you can look forward to getting better and better!

Okay, my new goal is to get this big body moving!  I know we are supposed to exercise to reduce recurrence, but I am just acting like a stubborn, little kid.  "I don't want to do it".  A friend gave me an  ipod for Christmas.  I am going to load it up with songs that will get me moving.  If I have good music and start walking, I can go forever...I'll probably end up down in Wall Street!  

Chili

yup,  I concur.... ..long term pain can really get ya down now and then...hope sherry and jackie, (and everyone else who need it) get some relief  soon.   

 Getting moving, if you can, even  a little bit really does help,  i think, .  ( A good cry helps too... and chocolate, lots of chocolate  ).  Sometimes i could only make it 2 houses down and back, but it was nice to get outside. 

 I don't know how many times  i keep saying i'm gonna get back in shape,  i get started,   then something happens and it's back to square one again. Seems i just get one pain fixed up and something else starts hurting...  Took me a little longer to get going again this time, but spring is in the air now, and the birds are back, so that should provide motivation to get out walking again.  The grass is starting to appear again... yay.. i like winter, but spring is great!  

  Finally popped in that yoga dvd i bought a month ago too .. it has  3 short beginner routines...  it's good, but feel a bit like the rusty tin man..   had to ice my back after this morning's session..I think i twisted a little too far once.. .. but if i keep at it, it's gotta get easier, right?

Chili

Latte,  glad everything went ok...  .

DesignerMom

chili-  Good for you!  Just move anything, even a little bit.  I love your analogy of the tinman.  I've got the ruby slippers, now I need someone to "oil me". 

So, my strategy to put upbeat move-to-it music on the ipod really worked.  Once I started blasting Shanaia Twains "Up, up, up, there's no place but up" I could have walked all the way to Wall Street.  It felt great.  I highly recommend it.

PearlGirl

I will read other recent posts later but just had an offer for a free cabin in NC that sleeps 16 from my friend who's wife died of a recurrence of bc just 6 or 8 weeks ago. He will donate the place to us FREE.  That gives us more money for travel and food (champagne and eclairs) and play and gives us an option to all stay together to talk all night and to celebrate our victory.  PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF NC IN SAY MAY WILL BE OK WITH YOU.  Bon

Carrol2

Chili I am basically a lurker here. But i read you were oding a yoga dvd and hurt yourself. I just took a yoga class today and the instructor was very good. She said it should not hurt to do yoga. She said if you can't do a pose you should not do it but do an easier modified version. Better to do it easier than to do it wrong and get hurt.

PearlGirl

I will talk to my friend this weekend to check how close his cabin is to an airport and when it might be available to us. Free isn't so great if we can't get there easily and lay our hands on champagne, eclairs and chocolate when we need it. If you all don't have your heart set on Florida, this might be a really great gift to us and allow us our 'together' time at a little less expense.

DesignerMom

Bon-  I'll go anywhere to get together with all of you!  Thank your friend for his generous offer, whether or not we end up using it.  I guess to a certain degree, it depends on proximity to airport, public transport etc?  Major airports have cheaper fares....but perhaps accomodations are more?  Whatever everyone decides, just be sure I will try my darndest to get there....wearing pearls!

flopsy

Bon,  I love the idea of NC this time of year because I love the mountains in the spring.   My DH and I usually go at least once a year.  Let me know when you can where this is located and I will see if we have been there before.  It is usually pretty easy to get flights and to get around if you know where you are going.  Count me in if we can work it out!!!!!!!   I will get a little time off from work and go.   Anyone else live in North or South Carolina other than me?????   If anyone would save money coming to Columbia,SC and driving from there you can let me know and ride up with me.  Ginny

grneyd5600

I am in for NC.  That would be fun! 

Sherry9316

Oh my STARS!  My chemo brain must be back.  I OD'd on my prednisone today.  Picked up my prescription last night but didn't want to start until this morning.  The directions on the bottle said to take as directed and the nurse gave me a piece of paper yesterday with how many I should take each day for so many days.  I headed off to my mom's today to visit with my sister and remembered to take my pills with me but forgot to take the directions.  I "thought" I remembered it was 5 pills for the fiirst two days.  When I got home tonight and checked the paper, it was THREE pills once a day for three days.  Lord have mercy.  No wonder I have a bad headache!

Sherry9316

Bon - what a wonderful and generous gesture from your friend.  My husband was stationed in Ft. Bragg, NC and so was our son years later.  We loved our time in NC.  Please count me in.  I don't know how yet, but I will manage to make it somehow. 

My sister wanted to go to the mall this afternoon.  She did most of the shopping and I sat on the benches a lot eating ice cream!  But I did look at some pearls.  I'm going to ask for them for my Christmas this year.

Did someone say champagne??  Oh my STARS!  Love it!

Sherry9316

Now for a serious question.  Tonight I was feeling around under my bad arm.  I have some lumpiness in my armpit area as a combination of mild lymphedema and radiation combined.  It doesn't really hurt.  I was feeling around to see if I could tell if the swelling was going down and things were getting better.  But during my feeling around, I pressed down a little firm but not hard on my rib just under my armpit and it felt like I had stuck a knife in there.  That scared me a little.  Should my rib be that painful under my arm?  I am about seven weeks out from my last radiation tx.  And, because my bc was on the left side, they did not radiate straight down on any one place because of possible heart damage.  All the radiation was done across the affected area.  The RO explained that that the radiation would only penetrate as far as barely brushing the top of my ribcage.

Sherry9316

Jackie - sometimes I forgot how much alike out bc paths have taken the two of us.  I am relieved to know I don't have RA.  I just hope something the Dr. sees in the blood test or bone scan will lead him to a tx plan that will help me get rid of this pain and be able to function again. 

Mom - I really want to exercise but can't yet.  I was hoping when the weather got warmer, I could get some of those shape up tennis shoes and start walking in my neighborhood.  Well, the weather is warmer (80 degrees yesterday), but I don't think I could walk to the end of my driveway.  RATS!  However, you exercise enough for the both of us, okay?  I have the Shania Twain Up CD too!

grneyd5600

Sherry - I have a couple area's in my armpit of the bad arm that are tender and sore.  I am having some swelling in that arm and I attributed the soreness to the remaining lymph nodes trying to work their magic.  I do some massaging and hope it helps.  If not, I am going to check with BS or Onc in a week or two.  I am sure yours is the same.  As for the blood test and the scans I am with you on that one.  I just want to be able to function without all the pain meds.  I hate taking a med to be able to take another one. 

About our weekend away - another option I can offer up is if we can pick a specific time and location I can offer up a time share.  My parents are the king and queen of them and have options in lots of places.  I was telling my Mom about your get together plan and she and Dad would love to get us one if we wanted.  They have some really nice ones in Ft Lauderdale and Disney.  We could do a girls trip to either one.  The cool part about Disney is we could visit any one of the parks we wanted or not.  The timeshare there is on the Disney property so there is a shuttle to any park.  The timeshare has pools, tiki bars, game rooms, walking paths, etc.  The ones in Ft Lauderdale are on the beach and are near lots of restuarants and bars.  Each time share has capacity for us to 10 people.  They all have kitchen, bathroom and maid service.  So just let me know if this is an option we want to explore.   I love the thought of NC but this could be our back up plan. 

PearlGirl

Jackie, I like the idea of Florida myself, mainly because it's warmer here most ot the time and we can travel lighter, get some sun and celebrate our 'reunion' outdoors, too. I'm a delicate hot-house flower now and don't take much to colder weather. But the offer from my friend for the cabin in NC was a lovely gesture and I needed to put that out there for us to discuss. He is still reeling from the death of his wife from bc and will do anything for us that he can, having gone through this hellish experience with her to the end. Do you think that the time-share condo could hold enough of us over those few days? Or could we get another one at a good price so we can all stay in the same place? In which facilities are they located? Maybe we can find someone with a timeshare in one of those places willing to donate it to us, too.  I am here in Florida already so my main focus is to get to know you all in person but having the theme parks or beaches can't be bad. Both Orlando or Fort Lauderdale have an easily accessible airport.

DesignerMom

Jackie-  Oh bless your parents!  I would loooooove to play near Disney in Florida.  It would give so many options to everyone (collapse at the pool, go to Disney, meet at a restaurant).  I have a feeling, if there are a few of us, we might all have different wishes, desires, and tastes.  A time share in a location like this would let everyone pick and choose and then come back together for big dinners and all night pajama parties. 

Just a question about this get together, are we talking THIS Spring?  I thought we where talking about NEXT Spring.

Sherry-  Oh my word!  You have me laughing now.  You are hitting high C on your steroid high!  Four posts in an hour!  I bet you were up cleaning out closets all night!  Just throw those prescription bottles in your purse so you can read the directions.

I'm off to the park for my music walk.  I loaded Gladys Knight's Midnight Train to Georgia on it.  I love that song, might walk all the way to Georgia!  I find myself singing to the music, forgetting how loud I probably am with my earphones on.....no wonder people are staring.  Hah!  Who cares!  I find I don't give a rat's A$$ about what anyone thinks since going through all this.  I get to do anything I want!  

grneyd5600

Dmom - I thought we were talking next Spring.  Are we right girls? 

Bon - my folks have so many timeshare points that we could definitely get a single suite that would fit up to 10.  They belong the Wyndham chain and I know if we needed to more than one suite they would be thrilled to do it.  The location in Disney is called Bonnet Creek. 

Sherry - I was "cranking" on the elliptical this am.  DH came in laughing and reminded me that I probably shouldn't sing next week when I am traveling and using the public elliptical in the hotel.  Oops!  Good thing singing wasn't my career choice huh? 

Sherry9316

Yes, Mom, I was up until 1:00 a.m. today and really didn't go to sleep til closer to 2:00.  Then kept waking up every hour and a half or so.  This morning I carefully only took 3 pills with my oatmeal and Mountain Dew breakfast!  Taking my little girls to see Rango this afternoon.  Good thing I'm on steroids.

Has anyone noticed that when you open this thread now it always starts at the very top even though you have already read those posts?  Before when I would open this thread it would automatically go to the last post I read and I would start from there.

JFV

Hi All-  Didn't realize I was being so naughty that some of you feel the need to hide your identities !  I was trying to laugh about a situation that I found very upsetting.  Sorry if I offended anyone.

I am up for either Fla or NC next Spring.  Like all of you I need to count my pennies so Bless You to Jackie's parents and Bon's friend. 

Latte-  Glad to hear from you !  I hope you are healing quickly.

Sherry and Jackie I know the pain must be wearing you down.  As far as armpit pain I still have some although not knife like.  On the other hand I have so much on going mild pain around my implants and down my bad arm that I will be asking my Onc for a PT referral when I see her in April.

My daughter has a small part in the High School musical.  So we are seeing it three times.  Otherwise I am enjoying the beautiful weather.

flopsy

Drats,  Girls, I have some swelliing in my surgical nodes arm that was not there until this week.   It is feeling heavy and kind of throbs some.  I guess I will have to add one more treatment to BC.   I was so hoping I would not get LE but I guess it is what it is. 

Sherry,  Watch those steroids more closely nest time.   We don't want you to get toxic.  Besides you make the rest of us look bad by being energetic on a steroid high.  Hope you get straightened out.  I also have the pain in my armpit if I palpate and am now having some swelling issues.  I still have to sleep with a pillow under my arm so it cushions the armpit and chest as they are still sore even 7 months out from surgery and 3 months out from rads.  I would keep a watch on this but do not feel it too much for that will make it even more painful.  

Joan,  you never offended anyone with any thing you posted.  We all got a kick out of it!!!!!   Please know that you can say anything you want to us and we will understand and not judge you.  That is what friends are for!!!!!!   I think some changed their avatars because of too much personal info for possible weirdo's lurking around our board.  It is a shame to have to even think about such things but we live in crazy times.

Well,  I am going back in the yard to work in our flower beds.  We are getting new mulch put in next week and we needed to clean them up and get the beds ready.  I hate yard work but need the exercise so I am helping DH with this chore.  I don't know which of us dislikes yard work more but we do a lot of it.   We have 1.5 acres around our house.   Think we must have gone brain dead when we decided to clear all of this and have to maintain it, but I guess it's allright.   It does look nice when we do what needs to be done.   Have a great weekend.

Jackie and Bon,  I am up for FLA or NC or WHEREVER we can all meet and enjoy ourselves.

DesignerMom

Jackie-  I was thinking we meant next Spring too.  That will give us all time to save a bit so we can truly enjoy ourselves. About that singing, imagine the band we could make!!

Sherry-  Nice new photo.  Even if walking is tough, just do a little at a time so you get stronger.  Maybe just make the goal to go to the mailbox every day and then build on it?  Yeah, when I click on any of the BCO threads now, it takes me to the top of the page.  Maybe they are having technical problems.  There is a "jump to the bottom" sentence that at least gets you to the most recent posts.

I can't tell you how good it feels to be moving this old, tired body.  Today I walked about 80 blocks through the park.  I find if I do it first thing in the day, it sets me up for lots of energy and positive thinking for the whole rest of the day.

gin2ca-  Have you had an LE evaluation?  I know it is important to jump on that early, it really makes a difference.  It's important to get baseline measurements.  Have you been fitted for a sleeve?  If you have swelling, I know it's good to wear it, especially if you are working in the garden.  

mimi9186

Gin2ca, I have had LE since rads.  It comes and goes and requirers frequent attention.  I have learned to deal with it, but it is not fun.  As Dmom suggests, find a LE therapist quickly to treat you.

I am open to going anywhere for the get together.  However, Orlando is an easier destination to get to from Canada.  On the other hand, I have never been to NC so that would be interesting too.

Sherry, at least after all you have gone thru, are the steroids at least easing the pain?

Joan, glad you are enjoying the weather.  There is still 4 ft of frozen snow in the front yard!  Spring is so late this year here I don't think it will ever come. Enjoy your daughter's play.

Latte, thanks for updating us.  Hope you are healing and doing ok.

Love and Hugs, Mimi