Starting Chemo May 2008
Comments
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Sir, you must be joking. What the ferk? Hope you had a little bit of something something for him or her?? What the hell!
RanD-glad your home. I had a special cami bra that I was suppose to pick up at the local medical supply store but ended up just safety pinning the drains to the inside of all my tops. Actually I'm glad I didn't flip the bill for it. If you need rads, the gals on the September site have been a god send for me. You'll find a few of us there.
Jean's from Minnesota. She'll provide some insight for you. I thought Wisconsin had rough winters.
Linda, so glad to hear you got rid of the port today. Who knows how long I'll have mine. Something to remind of this lovely bc for quite awhile.
My hair isn't quite as long but I know its coming in!!! Hair for the holidays!
I think I found you all on face book. Now, to just master the bloody thing...
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Randie - So happy to know that the surgery went well and that you are headed home. There is no place like home . . . even if the dh is not feeling so swell. I purchased the cami with the drain holders and never wore it. Like Mary, I threw a soft loose tank on and covered it with a zip up sweatshirt - pinned the drains to the inside shirt and nobody could see them. Rock is correct, never trust a bra or cami.
Linda - easily broke 23 minutes?!?!?!? You go girl!! I bet that was kinda fun to kick everyone's ass . . . . the bald chick blows by them all. It makes me smile and laugh at the same time. Congrats also on getting the port out - another milestone behind you!
Kerri - Minnesota is a northern state (bordering Canada) known for their very cold winters. There is a small city in northern MN named Embarrass (not a joke), that continually sets new record low temperatures. It is not uncommon to hit 60 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit below 0. That is roughly -50 in Celsius (assuming I am doing the conversion correctly). Lots and lots of snow as well. Brrrrr.
I will get to the facebook page this week. Looking forward to seeing you all there as well.
I missed you all the past few days. I finished day 4 of rads and hope to learn more about my IMRT radiation therapy (aka "the plan") tomorrow.
Goodnight for now!
Jean
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RanD,
I wore my cami for a very short time and would be thrilled to send mine to you if you wish. PM me your address and I'll get it off to you. As for the rest of you, I blogged today how many of us are slowly migrating to Facebook. While I won't every fully leave this sight as many of us still have a long way to go (Linda, congrats on getting your port out....I have mine for a year of herceptin but I am reconciled to it), we are integrating one another into our "more normal" non cancer lives. It is very cool and I like that step (thank you Kerry). Gotta' go check my facebook real quick and friend a couple more before bed. Goodnight.
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I am prepping for my trip to the mountains of Vermont. We leave at 2 am tomorrow( wed), gotta love when you have to leave to get the cheap tix. I save $400 taking crazy timed flights.
My Dad is driving us to Buffalo and we are off until Monday( Thanksgiving is this weekend in Canada, so Monday is a Holiday) I will check on with y'all and if you watch my facebook, I will be twittering my status in from my phone all the time.
Americans don't think about this much, but Minnesota and most border states to the west are further north than much of the Canadian border to the east. Minnesota is waaaay further North than I am. My weather is about the same as Jen's and Linda's, but we don't get the same lake effect stuff that Detroit does.
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As a matter of fact, when I look across the Detroit River to Canada, I'm looking south.
Linda
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Linda - are you saying that you can see another country from your front porch? Perhaps you should run for VP? lol Sorry....couldn't resist.
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Do you ladies know about this org?
http://lbbc.org/index.asp
I have a customer who is a 7 year survivor who likes it.Linda, you could be our own personal nucular maverick!
Me too... Sorry... couldn't resist...
Today is nuts, but I hab me a passport for the border...
Horray, 5 fecking years of a bald girl passport.
N
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Interesting. I hadn't heard of them before. Thanks for sharing the link. I see that the founder of LBBC is one of the doctors/experts here on bc.org, Marisa Weiss.
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ah, ladies, I love you all so! i had to skip forward and couldn't read all but just know i'm keeping everyone in my prayers. can't read (see) & onc says this will get better...
finished chemo last Wed. but due to rush to see radiation oncologist, and continuing to feel like a brain dead sea cucumber, didn't get to do my pole dance...
am so lucky, mon. PET shows clinical remission so now on to 5 weeks daily radiation to finish off cancer dust mites, starting in Nov after this chemo gets out of my system as it's radio-something-or-other. will try to make it to rad board to see what to expect.
started 21 day course of Diflucan because think i have candida infection again. cannot keep head up! when i can see, feel hands and feet, have any energy...etc etc...i hope i can get back on here and make a feckking joke.
till then, put me on the map smack in the middle of texas. love to all.
dana
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Dana - CONGRATS on finishing Chemooooooo!!! Welcome to the other side! Also congrats on the PET scan results. WOOHOO! Time to celebrate!
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Hi, all. Thanks so much for including my "boating" pic in the group composite.
I'm afraid I haven't quite adjusted to the idea of everyone migrating over to facebook, though. To tell you the truth, at my age, I don't think I want a facebook page. I don't want my profile out "there"--I just wanted it here, where I could share my thoughts and concerns with women experiencing similar things. Maybe I'm borderline web-illiterate, since I really don't even know what facebook is all about, except that I've never liked how teenagers use it. I guess I need to think about this some more....
otter the curmudgeon
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aw we still love ya curmudegeon! LOL I personally will probably do all of my posting here and just enhance a bit on facebook. It is easier to be more open when I know it is just you ladies reading. And as for the boating pic..... as I looked at it I thought it was only fitting. We always talk about going across the water for the last chemo and here you are in a boat helping guide everyone along. kinda symbolic.
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Teeeex! Glad you are here!
Cheemooooo and all that! Glad things are looking up!
Otter, we will take ya any way we can. Don't worry about the facebook. You can always create a profile called Otter Jones or something and no one will know except us. I have a friend whose profile says her name is Squirelly Mcfancypants and she only deals with people she knows well on there. You can handle facebook anyway you like, or not at all. I use it for marketing the store, keeping track of over 200 "friends" and lookinf at their photos.. but I am a web addict.
I am off to more packing...
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Dana, your reference to "braindead sea cucumber..." It cracked me up. It just did. Sea cucumber or no, CONGRATULATIONS ON FINISHING RADS!!!!! (It is good to see your face again, btw. How are your eyes?)
Eddie -- Just "hello! Eddie!" I need to head over to your blog to see what's up with you.
Happy travels, Noelle! Have loads of fun, and pancakes.
Curmudgeon, er, Otter? If you want, I could send you my log-in info and you could poke around to see what you think (or wreak havoc by posting things in my name!). PM me if you are curious but NO PRESSURE.
I do hope to continue to hang out here. I like the options. And I like the fact that I can yak about cancer as much as I want or NOT yak about it but you guys will still understand.
I'm COLD, for the record. My winter coat which I loved so much last year looks really silly on me now that I am bald and fuzzy.So we'll see which will win out -- vanity or a desire to avoid pneumonia.
It's such a cop out to say "Have enjoyed reading you posts but now must trot to friend's house to watch the debate..." but 'tis true.
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Well, I created a facebook account and found most of you . . . I think. That was my first 15 minutes with facebook. Today was day 5 of radiation and my doctor returned from vacation to explain my radiation plan (that I am the first at my hospital to do). Rock, you can add that to the list if you participate in the feedback forum this fall.
Dana - congrats on finishing chemo!
Jean
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quick post, got home late afternnon yesterday and actually slept on the couch for about 7 hours,,,with an occasional wake up for Mr. Vike.
TMI, no problem with bowels, like I said home toilet advantage and this morningit went smoothly...lol
Church has lined up 14 days of meals, so I will be napping for the next 2 weeks and nagging when I am awake....feeling better, and looks like 2 more drains will be gone by friday....
dh helped me put on a wife beater shirt that my srgeon's nurse got, got over one arm okay, but what a MF___er getting on the other side, we figure that since theyare so cheap, we are cuttin git off tomorrow wn I try and shower....a wearing a nice Hawaaiin button-up shirt over it and some nice scrub botoms that managed to fall into my at home bag....
more later, nighty night, randie
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Dana - I was just thinking about you the other day. Glad to know you made it through!!! Hope all clears up soon.
Kerry - Thanks for the support with the kids. I felt bad for all the girls. Yeah, I had another friend tell me she's a bit like her mum, too. That made me tear up, because watching her power through stuff (physically and mentally) makes me cry. Of course, I'm just a big fecking sob-fest this week anyway!!
Randie - It's good to be home and to be the queen! And church meals ROCK!!
Speaking of - Hey Rock!! Just a "hey" and I tried to watch the debate, but it was difficult with "MOM!" happening every 3 minutes.
Adrienne - You made me snort - good thing I wasn't drinking anything! And I think Linda would make an excellent VP!!
Otter - I, too, am being resistant to Facebook. For me, it has to do with time and how much of it I have to spend online. Which is generally not much. Either that or I don't sleep. So I may or may not migrate - haven't decided for sure yet. I'll be here for quite awhile, I imagine...
To use Sue's (where are you, btw?) phrase: dog. ass. tired. This last one has been kicking my butt much longer than most other treatments, except the first. There's that damn cumulative crap again. I couldn't even make it on last night. Too tired.and you know I have to be tired not to even check in! It'll get better. I decided to put rads off until next week, most likely Tuesday. Guess I should start visiting the rads boards...
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Hey girls! Dog. ass. tired Kerry here. I'm so tired from going to work today that I'm slurring my words, which kind of lessens the effectiveness of the nagging.. I really thought that my excitement about being 'finished' would fire my body on all cylinders but n-o-o-o-o. My butt is kicked.
My exhaustion has made me a bit maudlin (in an alcohol-free kind of way) about all the things this group has been through / is facing. What a shite of a thing it is. I'm going to be hunting extra hard for 'meaning' over the next couple of years! There had better fecking be some!
Don't any of you feel obliged to cross over to Facebook!! I'll be yakking on about cancer here until I'm a crabby 20 year survivor..what are the options?...talk to an onc?? ROFL. Facebook is just a different tool; I like it for different reasons, not least of which is I know how to post pics..and I like the easy PMs.
RanD, did I read right? You STOLE from the public health system??? I was trying to imagine how your ensemble might look, but...I cannot. Dana: WAY TO GO!! and ..CLINICAL REMISSION. What fine medical terminology that is ! It's 6.44pm here and tonight I may just beat my PB (for bedtime) (currently 7.20pm) XXX
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I just love the way we have with words and images, from brain dead sea cucumbers (Dana, so good to see your smiling face!!!) to home toilet advantage to slurred nagging.
About Facebook . . . I am clearly going to need to ration myself, because it's easy to see how it could take over your life. And I clearly have a lot to learn about it. (I know about Flairs, thanks to Adrienne, and Catbook, thanks to another friend. But now my daughter - mostly recovered from her initial trauma - is telling me about bumperstickers, and greenbucks, and . . . well, I don't know, my head is spinning.)
This site still feels more comfortable to me for lots of things. For instance, I'm not going to go on Facebook and post about my desire for a chin hair-eyelash exchange. (Why are the former growing so much faster than the latter, anyhow?) It's weird, when you think about it, because ANYONE can come here and read (as we unfortunately know), while Facebook does have that element of privacy structured in. But I would never, ever be as open on Facebook as I am here.
Linda
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Good mornung ladies,
Where to start....
RanD, glad to see your back to normal in the plumbing department. I had a rough time with that one.
Rock, a coat already, yikes!!! Slurge, buy one, you deserve it. Great deals right now since the economy sucks.
Noelle, have a wonderful trip. Enjoy the fall colors and write soon. I always enjoy reading your notes.
Otter, I totally understand about facebook, I'm having a hard time just figuring out naviagting but I'll sort it out. (I hope)
Dana, finally found some better art for our map, I'll get you right smack dab in the middle of Texas, missed you.CHEMO!!!!! Congrats.
Linda, facial hair, my moustache is sprouting like never before. I actually had to shave my pits today. Damn!
Christine, if you decide to stop over at the rads board, you'll see quite a few of us there. I have treatment number 12 today. Starting to get pink.
To all the other gals, have a great day.
Gotta run to work, chow for now.
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Okay, I know about flairs, now I am going to have to go figure out the catbook, bumperstickers and greenbucks!
Linda, I agree, you can spend a lot of time on Facebook. I know that when I set up my MySpace page, I spent a lot of time there too. A lot of my family is on MySpace and that is how we keep in touch. But here is where I feel more comfortable talking about the cancer crap.
Randie-so glad that you are home and getting some rest. Meals for 2 weeks-WOW. I know that the women that I've gone to church with can really cook some good food!
Go today for labs-anxious to see if the Taxotere messes with my counts like the FEC did. Also going to talk to her about the bone pain-her mixture of ibuprofen & Benadryl just isn't cutting it. I've had bursitis in my hips for years and the Taxotere has exacerbated it. Mouth is sore, making it difficult to eat. No actual sores, but tongue feels like it is on fire. Didn't sleep well because of the hot flashes.
Oldest grandson noticed that I have some hair growing-I asked him what color it was going to be and he said "blonde". That would be cool because I've never had blonde hair (all of my siblings had blonde hair until they were 12-13 years old-not me)
Hope that everyone has a great day!
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Hi, all--
Randie, I sort of panicked when I read the BCO surgery boards in the weeks leading up to my mast/SNB in Feb. '08. I kept seeing that women were buying, or being given, pocketed camisoles to wear after their surgeries.
I called my onco surgeon's office to find out whether I would be given anything to wear home after my surgery. My onco's secretary acted like I was nuts--"No, you won't be given anything. You'll have to buy something. I suggest a nice, tight sports bra."
I came back to the boards to ask about that, because I had the impression that it would be difficult to raise my arms over my head after surgery. I was having a modified radical mast/SNB without recon, so there was nothing that would need to be held in place by a sports bra. The kind ladies on the BCO surgery forum agreed that a sports bra would not be helpful in my situation. They recommended a front-hook bra, but I couldn't find one at the time.
So, I went without anything special; and it was no big deal. At home, and when going home, I just wore loose-fitting shirts that buttoned down the front. I kept them untucked, and I folded the hem up and pinned it to make pockets for the drains. When I had to dress a bit more formally, I wore a knit shirt that I could leave untucked, and over it I wore a loose jacket. I pinned the drains to the inside of the jacket.
I did manage to find some soft, cotton button-front jammies and zip-front jackets; but I ended up not wearing any of them. YMMV, though--I only had surgery on my left side. I hope you're getting lots of rest and TLC.
otter
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I am here, not gonna write much because vacation should not be spent online.
I have been twittering in my FaceBook status all day from my phone.
Love you all. You are here with me on this chilly (shout out to Rock about coats and baldy heads)
but sunny fall day here in the gorgeous multi coloured Green Mountains. I will keep a tally of the dumb things people say to me about my "cute haircut"
I feel more relaxed already
xo N
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Today is Launceston Show day, so it's a public holiday. I'm in fine nagging voice today after a brill sleep. Today is the day I start my road to good health because I have tomorrow off..and then the weekend..4 days to concentrate on me, me, me. I am even going to break my brand new (and very scary) habit of hiding chocolate and nougat and..and..and..in my bedside drawer. You think I'm joking, don't you? My plan might become a LITTLE unstuck because the courier just delivered our new breadmaker. Hmmm. Hot-bread smell wafting through the house as I prepare my cleansing carrot and celery juice......BUT I am committed to doing the whole-grain thing, at least.
Linda, it IS funny about the privacy thing! I get on here and sing songs about my sore fan, and we discuss our liquid farts and all manner of other stuff. I would DIE before I put anything like that on FB. My family is on it as well, which is really nice. My 5 nieces are so far away (and we are very close) and they have never got any phone credit so real talking is out. They FB freely, and one brother (and his 3 girls) and I 'catch up' a couple of times per week. I have a lot of ex-students on there who absolutely shock me with what they post, but I am quite restrained compared to here. I love that!
N, enjoy your holiday! I sounds so glorious, literally. I'm taking Drew on a surprise trip to central Australia at Easter..a contrast to where you are ! Its massively big, astonishingly flat, astonishingly red and astonishingly dry. But o-o-o-h-h-h the sky..so big and so black and so starry. And so SILENT! That's our 'What a fecking year it's been" celebration holiday. Hopefully I'll be 20lbs lighter by then and able to climb the gorges like pro. Now....where's the instrucion book for that breadmaker.............?
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K remind me when I "get back" I will send you the best breadmaker recipe.
I came on only to bitch about the fact that my friends lighting in her bathroom is better than mine at home and now I can see all the new chin hairs and neck hairs??? WTF?
I can only thank god most of them are blond!
Yikes!
Off to bed at 8:30, it's been a long say of planes, trains and automobiles but we are here and I just turned my alarm on my phone to OFF.
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ahhh, help, there is a hug clo stuck in my drain opening and the nurses told us to slap the bottle to dislaodge, but I have pounded the MFer an its still just hangng in....any thoughts?
ran
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Hi Ladies,
Haven't logged in for awhile but have been here in spirit !
Glad you are home ranD. and hope you have a speedy recovery....gotta luv those drains hey. Maybe try squeezing the tube from the very top and sliding your fingers down to the clog...you've probably already done that. hope it flows soon !
Well I'm done !!!!! I just had my last rad boost at 5:30, was a bit emotional after i was zapped, shed a few tears. I felt sorry for the girls but they were really kind. So tomorrow i will pack up and head home and leave every thing behind. Can't wait to get home and live life again as hectic and crazy as it can get ! I know there will still be follow ups and more tests and i will never really be done with this but I will take anything over what i've been through since January !
So hope everyone else is hanging in there where ever you are in this process and will check in when i get settled at home !
Angel hugs to everyone !
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An exciting update! I went for a bike-ride today with Drew ..first time on a bike for SEVENTEEN YEARS!! I didn't fall off and I can can still walk! I am pumped. I have that fantastic feeling of being sweaty, tired and breathing real oxygen. I came home to the smell of fresh whole-grain bread cooking and I LAUGHED at the breadmaker HAHA!! I had a cup of tea and a fresh pear. I was NOT impressed by my rear-end hanging over either side of the seat but THAT WILL GET SMALLER.
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Kerry - Yak on, girffriend!! Made me laugh out loud!
Linda - Weird hair shite - My leg hair is only growing in on the front side! WTH? I kid you not - very little hair on the backs, only need to shave the front. What...?
Angels - Wooo Hooo for no more rads and going home!!
Roxi - I will definitely stop by since my first one has been officially scheduled for Monday! Are you using Aquaphor? I heard that's good and the tech had a whole basked full of little sample ones!
Randie - I am no help at all other than to hope someone else has good adivce for you!! But I really hope it's been fixed by now!!
Noelle - We will await pictures!
I'm not quite as tired as yesterday, which is pretty good considering someone at my dh's work called and woke us up an hour earlier than our usual time. Thanks. So I should be ready for rads on Monday. We had something of a "motivational" meeting with dd's gymnastics coaches tonight. So now I am all fired up to be a good, supportive, non-coaching, fundraising gym mom. We'll see how long that lasts...But I do love their attitude of teaching life skills, not just gymnastic ones!
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Angels- congrats on getting to go home!!!!!!! yeah for the crazy busy normal life- the new normal life anyway.
Cristine- I am using aquaphor during rads- finished #17 today and so far the aquaphor has been enough.
Almost the weekend- Im going to Arkansas to see the college girl and celebrate my birthday!
Kristy
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