April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

ksusan

HAIR ALERT!!

lovlilynne

Katy, thanks for the link - I have been wanting to bookmark it, and I see I can download an ap. Do you know what the scores mean? Like what makes it a fair vs. good? I looked around the site a little bit looking for more of a definition, but I didn't see one. Seems like that should be on their home page . . . unfortunately, they don't have the product I bought :-(

I want to be more aware of the products I am using, but part of me feels like it's closing the barn door after the horse has already bolted. I don't use many products, so I hope I can find safe replacements for what i do use - the big one would be hair color, second would be lip color. I hope I can find a hair color that has less chemicals.

Lynne

Addie29

I'm totally locked up if I sit for too long. Getting up in the morning from sleeping is always entertaining to the hubby.

Jackbirdie

Lynne- the page I linked you to was hair color and I think it's ranked alphabetically, then by safety. Green is good, that's usually a 1 or 2. The oranger/redder it gets the more carcinogens etc.

I sometimes would have difficulty locating a specific product. It might be the way they have it spelled is not exactly how it appears on the package. So I would "loosen" up the search and just put the manufacturer. You will get to see similar products and maybe find the one you are looking for. It does take some time to get familiar, and there is loads of info. If you click on any product it will take you to a more detailed page on that product.

I know what you mean about the horse out of the barn. I have kind of come to accept I can't control everything, but I do what I can. Good luck finding something you like. I don't know if they have hair color but as far as other personal care products, Beautcounter is a company who had self-banned about 1500 chemicals to the FDAs 11. Worth looking out for.

Rpayton

Hi all!

Andrea so glad your date is now set!

Dizzpark glad drains are out and fast healing, I hope!

Lynne: I have the same joint, muscle aches and still neuropathy bottom of my foot. I mentioned to MO and he said it can take months. I feel like when I get out of a chair I need to have a strong wire attached to my head to straighten me up all the way. Geeeessh I'm sure the cold is also affecting this too. Pushing myself to make time to lift weights, yoga, and walk.

Katy started the petition in making us aware of the toxic carcinogens in our beauty products. Clap, clap! I am also going to ewg website and checking products before I buy now. Makes me furious that other European countries are so advanced on these chemicals and our FDA is so behind.

KBeee

Dizz, Yay for hair and a few less drains!!!!!!

I have never colored my hair before and did buy some color which will last 6 weeks I have not used it yet. Right now, my hair kind of has thisinteresting sheen to it. Since it grew in white and them brown, it has this multicolor effect. It does look more gray, but mostly looks a little lighter. I get comments on it every day. Since I will (hopefully) never replicate the look again, I decided to go with it a little longer.

lovlilynne

Karen, you reminded me of something that I've been meaning to mention. Gifts that cancer had given. I know! Don't laugh, but I have taken time to be grateful for:

1. Getting closer to and spending more time with my sisters.
2. Eye twitch went away
3. (since ending chemo) Lost 10 pounds without doing anything - first time in my life that I have every lost weight without diet or exercise.
4. "meeting" you all - the knowledge and support of this group truly got me through this - also got to meet Lorraine in person!
5. Got to listen to "Boston Public Radio" show on the way to/from rads - made me more knowledgeable person about current events and local politics.

There are others, but can't think of them now.

Has cancer given you any "gifts"?

Lynne

Jackbirdie

Lynne- you are amazing to pull up such positive stuff. I concur with much of what you said. Though cancer has taken so much away, every time there's been a hole where something used to be, there was an opportunity for something different, sometimes better, to fill it. You will never catch me saying "cancer was a blessing", but it us up to me to find these opportunities and do my best with them.

Thanks for such an uplifting post.

Jackbirdie

And now....back to regularly scheduled programming. I took one last stab during "pinktober" to fight back, and this morning, have an op-ed published in Truthout

Here:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/33442-americ...

Please help me and share this with anyone, everyone...let's try to get them to give us safe cosmetics, or none at all

lovlilynne

Katy - you are awesome!

ksusan

I like my curly post-chemo hair and hope it sticks around.

No breasts makes it much more comfortable to... well, everything.

The dx is highly motivating for exercise and diet.

I like to think my experience saved my sister a lot of disease and medical intrusion, since it allowed her to get better imaging and earlier diagnosis.

I am interested to learn that even in a foxhole, I'm still an atheist.

littleblueflowers

Has anyone had to have genetic counseling befor genetic testing? What did the counseling entail?

greenae

LBF

I had counselling, first. Counselor did a quick Family Tree, looking for members who had Ca, and what kind. They need to determine whether you need the genetic testing. TN before age 60 gave me the Free Pass for testing, because I had no immediate family members with breast Ca. Yes, I am being sarcastic, sorta It sure wasn't "free.

KBeee

Jen, my genetic counseling was also a discussion on my family tree, etc.

Gifts from this life detour........ Before being diagnosed, I was beginning to think maybe I was getting too old for what I do and wondering if I fit in, etc. No one ever said or did anything to make me feel that way, it was my own insecurity. Having 20+ coworkers shave their head with me (both times) and constantly tell me how throughout both times how much they want me to return meant more than I can describe. It has also put me back in touch with some long lost friends. It has made me more of a compassionate person both at home and at work, and when friends are faced with things like this, I know better what to do to help. Being part of the Sept 13 chemo group and the March/April 2015 groups also is a bonus. Last fall several of my Sept 13 gals and I met in Vegas. We're meeting again a couple weeks. I've met several other places when some of us are traveling and happen to cross each others' paths. It's been great. I hope to meet some of you all in the future as well.

littleblueflowers

Anyone on this group near Jerome AZ this weekend? Love to get coffee irl!

DizzParkMom

Jen, we are within a couple hours of Jerome, however, we're still in Illinois this weekend. What will you be in Jerome for? Training?

I am drain FREE!!!!! All 3 out in less than 10 days. I could not imagine having them in me any longer. It will be so nice getting dressed without worrying about pulling the tubing. I also got to shed some of the rigid surgical tape. My next follow up is just before Thanksgiving. We might get to do a little background color tattoo. If I keep healing this fast, I may have a chance at getting stage 2 (some nip/tuck and fat grafting, nipple tattoo) done before the end of the year. I figured I would have to wait 3-4 months to even start the process, but I guess not. The temptation to get it all done on this years insurance OOP is soooo tempting.

I ran into a friend of mine, who I met during the tornado warning a few months ago. She was nice enough to stop in and see me last week in the ICU and today she was here accompanying another woman to an endoscopy. She is one of the nicest, most caring women I have had the opportunity to come to know. If it had not been for breast cancer, I would not have met her. I wish that neither (or any) of us had breast cancer. But, given our involuntary drafting into this club, I am so thankful for having met her and all of you!

ksusan

DRAIN-FREE!

AndreaC

Yay Dizz!! You are so lucky to have the drains out so quickly. Now the healing can begin! The best advice I can give you is do those arm exercises religiously!

Cancer blessings:

Friends I haven't seen in a while all rallying around, taking me out for coffee/lunch, letting me vent

Co-workers doing yard work for me in the summer while chemo was taking its toll

Time off work to relax - I'm an ICU nurse and the job is stressful, plus the 12 hour shifts are long...thank goodness for LTD, I'm still being paid.

The opportunity to try out a new look...ie, bald/brush cut. Haha!

And of course, getting to know you all. I have been to Jerome littleblue and it is fabulous! And I love Montana, will let you know if I ever get back there. Knee, I have been to Vegas several times...am thinking of going again next spring...

Greenae, one of my tumours was TN and I'm 53...I am having genetic counselling but that has a really long waiting list here in Canada so it will be sometime next year. (I could have it sooner if I pay for it, but the gov't has approved me so I might as well wait and have it done for free). I also have no known family history.

Only two more days till Halloween! We have been invited to a party and fireworks in Victoria but I'm not going. My idea of a great Halloween is watching scary movies and eating roasted pumpkin seeds. DH is going to the party with a friend though, which is fine with me. He is more of a social butterfly than I am.

Have a great weekend!

Andrea

Peabrain

Jen, I had to have genetic counseling ahead of time and had a bad attitude about it. Turns out she did a good job of putting everything into the larger picture and sorting through the data, both before the testing and after for the results. My brother did the testing after I was positive and did not have the counseling and it felt like he missed some important info/context.

There were two questions she couldn't answer:

Since I am positive, would they still want me to donate blood? Or let them know when I do?

Does the positive genetic result and the dx mean that I am even more at risk for other future cancers? Based on studies I have seen since, I think the answer to this one is yes...

Fingers crossed for negative for you.

bluedog

I was wondering about donating blood in general after having cancer, so I just went to the Red Cross site to check it out. It says you can't ever donate if you've had a blood cancer such as lymphoma or leukemia but that you can donate after other cancers 12 months after completing treatment with no recurrence. (No mention of BRCA status.).

ksusan

Good to know. Wish I had an arm not at LE risk that I could use to donate.

DizzParkMom

So, after making my 11 year old son tolerate 7 months of this 'gobbledygook' (as he calls it), having to cancel 2 planned vacations, numerous times he got left at home with his grandparents (including mother's day and father's day), several medical trips to Illinois, umteen dozen days of me feeling rather pukey and telling him to ask daddy when he really wanted me......and then finally having him have to watch me recover from this surgery (drains/small hotel room).......it only seems fit that we spend Halloween weekend someplace really, really fun. Yep. THIS OTTA DO IT.

AndreaC

Looks great Dizz! Where is that?

Happy Halloween everyone! Here is a picture of my 10 month old granddaughter Kate in her costume:

Cutest little lamb ever!

Andrea

ksusan

Awww.

Jackbirdie

Adorable!!!!

ksusan

Me, I've got ear infections on both sides, so I'll be popping an antibiotic and napping today.

Positive_spirit

baby Kate is beautiful... Awwwww!! Been thinking about all of you. No drains, dizzpark!

Last rads, Lynne. You ladies rock!!! 😁

So my colonoscopy came out clear. Relief. I am gaining strength again. Thyroid and vitamin d check up in November. One year since diagnosis coming up soon... Woah.

Kids are happy, I am back to work part-time, and slowly things are getting better. Autumn is magnificent - truly amazes me every year. The colors, the vibrancy of this land. And just like us, those colors shine with brilliance and the trees understand loss. And just like us, there is recovery, brilliance even in the dullest moment, and tons of hope to keep cancer at bay. Lovely ladies, celebrate deeply and do some crazy dance when no one is looking.

Xxooxx

Positive_spirit

Jump!!! Jump!!!

ksusan

Hooray for clear colonoscopies!

DizzParkMom

ksusan, sorry about the ears. Enjoy the naps.

Andrea, Kate is by far the cutest lamb ever. We are in Gurnee, Illinois at a place called Key Lime Cove. It's like a tropical version of Great wolf Lodge.

Positive, Your words are beautiful and elegant. Thank you for always sharing your light with us. It looks like the kids are having an amazing time with those leaves. Oh, to have the energy to jump into a pile of leaves and then still be able to clean them up.