February 2011 chemo pals

SpecialK

Congrats mamav!  I am looking forward to the day but it will be a while yet.

MamaV

I know SpecialK but hang in there.  I never thought the end would come, but it will.  This quote got me through it ...

"No matter how bad things are at any moment, they will get better.  Every moment will pass because it has to!"

thefuzzylemon

WHOOT WHOOT MAMAV!!!  Oh that song get me ... Martina did gooooood!!!

Ruffolo - It's great to be back.  I have missed everyone so much.  It's so interesting to see everyone's stories and how far we have all traveled together!! 

I should be done with treatments on Tuesday!  I think I'm going to just walk around the hospital naked...I'm pretty sure every employee in the building has seen parts of me at some point so what the heck??  LOL...they think I'm a little "out there" anyway.

SpecialK

fuzzy - I dare ya!

thefuzzylemon

Hmmmmm....a dare by Special K??? Is that a "double dog dare" by any chance? LOL

Melanie_Ann

Congrats MamaV!!!!!!!!!!!

dogeyed

FUZZERLY, your thing about going naked reminds me of John Lennon's song, "Why don't we do it in the road!"  Hahahaha.  Actually, now that you have brought up this challenge, I PROMISE and look forward to when I get home from my last rads, I shall walk around the house naked and see if husband notices!!!  Oh, it would feel SO good to just be free that way after ALL this endless suffering.  Yes, this shall be a new thing for us girls to try, when we finish our last treatments, we shall skip and go naked!  So fun!

SPECIALK, my last kind of treatment, the radiation, does not end for me until the Friday of the very last week of October, so I is still here, and will be long afterwards, too.  After all, I'll still have to see my cancer doc two weeks post-rad, I am going to DEMAND a scan (my nurse was saying the other day I wouldn't necessarily need one).  I thought, "WHAT THE F***???"  Doesn't anybody want to know if I got rid of all my cancers?  I DO!  But my cancer doc is the greatest, he will give in to me, I know he will.  They have scanners right in their clinic, where I got my first one.  And then I guess I'll have to be visiting a dermatologist to get rid of most of my larger moles, since I had a melanoma on my boob too.  So, it really doesn't quite end, but that scan is the most important thing to me.  And even tho we're out of chemo, I just feel like when Michelle started our chemo bunch and us going thru it for SO LONG, well, I really feel like you ladies are indeed my sisters, and I am reluctant to leave.  So, I'll be here, SpecialK, I'm still in my treatments, and if things ever get slow here, feel free to message me on my home page, and we can talk like that once in a while, if you would like to.  I am posting in a couple other forums whilst in the particular treatments I'm in, but THIS is the one where I care more than anyplace else about how all of you are doing.

Love to ALL my chemo sisters, GG 

P.S.  Speaking of Michelle, WHERE ARE YOU CHARLOTTESMAMA???  I'll check out the website you put in your first post, perhaps you talk over there. 

SpecialK

dogeyed - Glad to know you will still be around - I don't want everyone to fall away and then I lose track of what is up with everybody!  I went to the PS today for the first fill of both sides together but was declined because I am on antibiotics for a UTI.  Too great of a chance for infection to spread to the TE's.  Oh well, there is always next week.

fuzzy - yes, double dog dare!  Reminds me of another thread "you know you're a BC patient when..." and the entry was you go to the dentist and unbutton your shirt.  Still makes me laugh!

thefuzzylemon

Special - LOL!  I warned 'em...they seemed cool with it!  I might get locked up on another floor though ... hee hee

GG - WE ARE SISTERS!!!  I will never leave this thread ... all of your stuck through me the entire 10 months - just like my DH and DD's did.  You are all family. 

CharlottesMama is trying to get the hang of her beautiful ipad...that's got to be a little tricky (but, then again, I was without a home computer for MONTHS!!! - LOL)

mamaoftwo

MamaV- I'm so excited for you!  What a relief it must be.  Now, enjoy life without treatments to go to!!

MamaV

mamaoftwo - thanks!  I'm throwing a big thank you party for all of my friends and family who have supported me through this journey in a few weeks!  Seems like the best way to celebrate!

dogeyed

MAMAV, I hope it's okay if I show up in my pajamas!  Always, GG

MamaV

Come on dogeyed - you guys have been my biggest supporters!!!!!

mamaoftwo

MamaV- great reason to celebrate, and we'll be there in spirit!  Spirits in pajamas!

I've been following the blog of this amazing couple from Brooklyn who both were diagnosed the same month earlier this year with stage 4 cancer.  Wife has breast cancer, husband has bladder cancer (I think).  It is so humbling.  If you're interested in reading, it's familybondingtime.blogspot.com

Laura

SpecialK

mamaoftwo - I saw their story on the Today show - they are indeed inspirational.

all - today marks the one year anniversary of my diagnosis.  I cannot thank all of you enough for your support, it has lifted me up in a way I can't describe, but I know that all of you know what I mean.

dragonfly1

SpecialK Congrats on a year since diagnosis-amazing how fast a year goes by (although it didn't seem that fast during surgery/chemo, etc...) Hooray for this milestone!

Mamaoftwo I've also been following the blog you mentioned as the couple live in my local area and the wife has Her2+ BC and is receiving Herceptin-it is very inspirational to see them both going through chemo at the same time and caring for a small child. Also, has everyone seen the ad for the new Lifetime special "Five" that premiers on Oct 10th and is about BC (there is a lot of info on the Lifetime channel website)?

SpecialK

dragonfly - thanks!  I will celebrate more on 12/6, date all known cancer was removed, but it does feel nice to know this year has passed and I am still here and hanging in!

MamaV

Special k - wow, 1 year!  Glad this year is behind you, aren't you?  I can't wait!

dogeyed

Amazing, SPECIALK, I am glad you've got a year behind you instead of in front of you!  What a year.  Let's see, hon, what have you got left to do for your treatments?  Seems like you had a few delays along the way.  GG 

ruffy

Wow special k!! 1 year!! I guess time does go faster than it seems sometimes. You've been such an amazing support to all of us feb girls!!! I hope you're feeling good and almost through everything, big hugs!

SpecialK

Thanks guys!  Here is the rundown - I am still receiving a Herceptin infusion every three weeks at the onc office, and will continue to do so until Jan/Feb of 2012.  I am finding that even though the onc nurses say there are no SE's from Herceptin, if they run it in too fast I get achy.  I also realized the Big D happens too - so maybe some of my chemo Big D was from that!  I also have just started on the reconstruction process.  I had my left TE replaced in July, it has received 2 fills, the right only one.  I had to suspend fills for the moment because I have a relatively antibiotic resistant UTI.  I just started a new antibiotic this morning so I am hoping it works and I am not allergic to it.  We should probably take a Feb Gal poll and see what everybody still has to do - what does everyone think?

charlottesmama

 

I figured out how to post a photo!

LisaGH

SpecialK- Thinking of you for the 1 year mark.

I am still on herceptin too- through Jan/Feb. So I still have my port.

Finished w/ TE and exchange surgery.

Enjoying waking up w/ 'bad hair' days- about 1/2 or 3/4 inch long- pretty thick- as of this week it now sticks up all over in the morning. Instead of being mad- just happy it's getting longer & sticking up (that must sound so goofy- sorry). Just happy it's growing.

Think of you all often- I try to read here when I can. I am back to work full time. Doing well there- but it's tiring. Anyone else still feeling tired? I do sleep well at night which is nice. Just feel I still tire easily.

Sorry to hear of the UTI Special K- I had one 3 wks ago. Man they hurt. My onc nurse let me know that AZO was OTC for the pain- and got put on antibiotic. It's better- but every now and then I feel it might be coming back. I am trying to drink more water than I did. 

Never a dull moment for us all on the post BC rollercoaster? I agree w/ SpecialK- don't know what I'd have done w/o all the support here. Thankful for my BC sisters.

dogeyed

MICHELLE, you look quite lovely.  How can that be, after going thru World War I and II???  GG

ruffy

Gorgeous Michelle

I've got 8 more rad treatments and I'm finis! I started my first chemo on feb 14th, my sons birthday, and finish my last radiation Oct 11th-my brothers birthday-2 very special boys in my life. I hope it's some kinda sign like a good sign

xo

mamaoftwo

You have a full head of hair, Michelle!  Nice picture!

Special k- happy anniversary - amazing how much you went through in the past year.

What do I have left?  5 years of Arimidex (3 months done so far..) and starting the one pill a week biophosphates next week.  Then just need to finish my post-mastectomy boob job with another procedure, which I'm looking to schedule in Feb 2012.

SpecialK

mamaoftwo - how are you doing with your AI?  Are you having any SE?  Are you taking the bone strengthening because of a pre-existing condition, or to prevent?  I am osteopenic and this is on my list of questions for the onc next visit.  I am taking Femara, so far only some mild aching.  I just found out that the pharmacy I get the Femara from is being dropped from my insurance, so I need to switch the supplier.  I have heard of some ladies having trouble with changing generic manufaturers and having new SE because they all use different fillers with the med.  I only get a 30 day supply at a time so I am thinking of trying to switch now instead of waiting until the end of the year.

Michelle - unbelievable hair - mine is pathetic by comparison!  I am double your PFC and have half the hair!  Beautiful photo!

Hi LisaGH - think of you all the time - yes, I tire easily too.  I wonder if Herceptin is a contributor to that.  I am sleeping better though, a more normal pattern seems to be emerging.

Here is my status: I have Herceptin until Jan/Feb.  Still receiving fills, exchange will probably not happen until after the holidays.  Finished physical therapy for LE, now doing home exercises, fitted for sleeves last Monday.  Participating in a mindful relaxation study with Moffitt Cancer Center/USF until November.  Taking Femara for the next 5 years. 

dogeyed

MY CHEMO SISTERS, I want to drag out a raft of unpleasantries, I want to put my fist thru a window (I did that one time years ago), I want to strangle my radiation doctor.  I want to talk about the nightmare that is cancer, where nothing makes sense, same dead ends, over and over.  But I remind myself that this is the way disease is, it takes and takes, then takes a little more.  But I will not release my heart, nor my hope, nor my will.  Those are mine.  And my rads, the last step in this process, are 1/3 the way over, and very soon I will be FREE.  I will walk outta that hospital forever more and be FREE. 

Oh, there are followups, investigations, things I COULD worry about, but I will not.  The doctors have done all they know how to do, and the finished product is about to come off the assembly line.  I remember when I was much younger, I was pulled out of a snowy ravine by medics, my back was broken in three places, spent two months in the hospital.  And they told me towards the end, whenever I could walk to the end of the hallway and back, they would open the doors and let me go.  Folks, I kissed that silly wall when I got there.  And I cried when they carried me out into the open air, winter had changed to spring, and I was free.  I know what it feels like.  All that scary stuff fades very quickly and soon we really HEAR the birds singing, we feel the soft breeze on our faces, we know we are not just human beings, but we are spirits, watched over by the angels of the Lord.

See, yesterday, my rad doc was in a hurry, and just when I was wanting to finally discuss something, she said I could take that up with my other doctor, but she had to answer that page.  And I thought to myself, what is the point in having weekly doc visits if she's not present?  But in the little bit of talk we had, I suddenly realized for the first time that there is no definitive way of knowing if my cancer died when all the treatments are done.  We just go on faith, I suppose.  Well, I'm going to go buy that 12-string guitar, with a shiny black finish, that I've been wanting so much, and play and play, every day, and I will buy husband some roses to plant around the gazebo, and we shall sit out there and I'll sing him a song.  HE is real, my home is real, my creativity is real.  And my heart, hope, and will, they have been with me all along and they remain with ME.  Like a kindly old dog, I won't let him go.

I'm just having a little shift, folks, from submitting to all this stuff, to beginning to make my own way.  The docs have helped me, I thank them, and now it will be me that will make it across the finish line.  For love is the story that always comes true.  Friends always, GG        

MamaV

So refreshing and much needed today GG!  I was feeling a little down.

sewingnut

GG,

Well said.