Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

I was happy to see that there was nice weather for Joni's service.  I think the only thing that makes a day like that worse is gloomy weather.

Not too much going on here.  Jaclyn is having some twin girls over after school to play.  I think they may be a little high maintenance, so I need to gear up.  I think I'll make some cupcakes for their snack.  Other than that, tomorrow is Halloween.  I volunteer at pumpkin carving at her school and the it's trick or treat.  The HOA is serving free pizza at 5 pm in the clubhouse, so that will be nice.  Weather is supposed to cooperate..about 65 degrees.

Oh, today was BC day at my sons school.  Every day was some type of "spirit" day and you had to dress a certain way.  Today they had to dress in pink.  He went out with a pink t-shirt of mine, put pink dye in his hair and pink shoelaces.  Before he left he asked me I was going to tell all of you guys. 

I am so glad someone posted about her service.  I was thinking so much about her yesterday.  I still have trouble talking about her without crying.  I'm trying to be strong but I just can't believe how full of life she was just 3 months ago.  I adored her so much!  I know time heals...waiting for that.

Tina, that's so cute sending Paul to school in Pink..pictures please.

Skye, glad you are rested!

I'm not so much in the Halloween mood this year.  I just got my fall stuff out last weekend and didn't bother with the actual Halloween stuff since it would have been up for less than a week.  We hardly get any kids (maybe 3 or 4) that ring our doorbell, so I might suggest to George that we just go out to dinner or something.   For all of you that get tons of kids...have fun!

Hello Ta Tas,

Just a quick check in to let everyone know that I saw my GP today, and every test I've had in the past few weeks has come in as normal.  Colonscopy, all the vaginal/pelvic ultrasounds, bloodwork, and the 24 hour pee test and cytology urine test (for bladder cancer).  So as all 3 of my docs (onc., gyn and GP) have concurred - the UTIs/vaginal atrophy etc. are the result of instant menopause, further aggravated by the chemo.  I will speak to my onc. about this more in depth at my 3 month checkup with him next week.

Tina - please post the pics of Pauly in Pink on our email if you have any.  Too hilarious.

Skye - sounds like your books are doing well.  Have a nice time in Michigan this weekend. Good for you on the choppy hair cut.  It must be so easy to look after.  Mine is getting pretty long, soft curls, also very easy  - 15 minutes of scrunching with the blow dryer (with curl defining gel) and off I go.

Caya big WHEW on all the normal results! Normal can be such a beautiful word. And menopause is good for us estrogen-positive people. I'm so glad for you that you are done with all those tests.

Lynn and Viddie, we don't get many on Halloween either. Five children live on our street and I think three of them will be somewhere else tomorrow night. I'll be busy packing, anyway. I'm outtahere at six am Sat., wish me luck driving thru Chicago alone. DH will have to fend for himself for two days too, but at least DS1 and his new wife are coming to take Grendel. Happy Halloween! - Skye

My kids are so excited about Halloween. DD2 has a parade at school this morning. She went in an old frog costume she dug out of the dress up box. She's Hannah Montana for Halloween - but it was so cold this morning I guess the fleece frog suit looked appealing. Good choice I think.

 DD1 is a runner  - she's wearing a pair of sweatpants and her t-shirt from the Komen 5K with a race number pinned on the back. That's my kind of costume!

We have tons of kids in our neighborhood so we'll get lots of trick-or-treaters tonight. We were all ready until my dogs found the candy, opened 2 of the bags, and made an enourmous mess with M & Ms. I had to renew the candy supply and I'm still mad at the dogs. They've never done anything like that before. I guess since I've been out of town so much they have not gotten their daily runs and are bored. 

We are all headed to the mountains for the weekend. I'm hoping the leaves will still be pretty. DH and the kids are going to stay with his parents and I have a mini-spa weekend planned with 3 of my college roommates. It should be really fun.

I have been traveling so much lately that I am really looking forward to spending next weekend at home.

We had a great Halloween!  Kids had a blast.  God, we have so many more kids in this neighborhood than I realized.  It's a very small area, only a few streets so the kids were more than fine running off on their own, which I'd never have allowed in Columbus.  Anyway, we went through six bags of candy and moved onto the boring fruit snacks.

The before party at the clubhouse was great.  They had delicious east coast pizza, donuts on a string, which was a riot to watch so many kids lined up and doing.  It was really fun.

I dressed up as a witch.  I had a really cool Hallmark witch hat from a few years ago, so I threw on the chemo wig and that, a black dress I wore to a wedding last year and some pointy black ankle high boots.  I was good to go.  The DH and I sat on the porch and we had a fog machine, strobe lights, orange x-mas lights, lighted Halloween signs in the windows, a scary CD cranked...  it was a lot of fun.  The people here definitely don't go all out like they do in OH so our house was definitely the "spookiest on the block".  Lots of fun!  I took many pics so tomorrow I'll figure out how to download onto my pc.  My new camera software is Coolpix...

Hi Ta Ta's,

I'm writing from my luxury suite the libraries got me. It's lovely, and there is a gourmet restaurant downstairs. I decided I would have one nice meal there and it was good; seafood risotto and creme brulee. The ride through Chicago was brutal but I made it with the help of DH's GPS unit. Got through both presentations and found my way around just fine, and having been up since five a.m. I'm ready to crash. Luckily I can lounge around here until about noon tomorrow then it's off to the next place. I did decide I can't make it through Chicago after dark on the return so will stay an extra night. So Caya, no need for roomie worry, but thanks anyway!



To make things even better, Independence Day (ultimate comfort movie, Rebecca) is on TNT.



Cindy, what an awful thing to happen at your place of work. Attacking a cancer patient's spouse? Too cruel. But criminals generally don't care. Hope it was just a fluke, but please do be careful. Also I'm sorry to hear things aren't so good with DD's marriage but she is lucky to have a great mom to come home to. I'm wondering how long we will have DS with us; he wants to move but can't seem to get far enough ahead. And my 2-year dx anniversary is the 15th. Yay, us! My cholesterol is somewhere in the 200s. It's genetic in my case. I can't bear the thought of going back on statins and having that arm pain, however.



Jan, a mini-spa weekend? Oooh. That is so appealing. You just enjoy! I also liked your girls' costume choices.



Tina, you obviously had the rocking Halloween house on the block. I think you just set the new standard there. I just wore my headband with orange fluff and bat antennae, and put a velvet harlequin collar with bells on Grendel. DH sort of hid out in the kitchen, his progress is very slow. We were scared he was getting an infection at the incision site but turned out to be bruising, thank goodness. I couldn't have left him for the weekend otherwise.



Caya, enjoy the weekend munching. Hope I get a chance to check in again tomorrow. - Skye

great that all the kiddies had a good Halloween ..... we only had 3 kids here ! I guess our neighborhood is getting older . teenagers !

Caya looks good that all is ok and menopause may be a blessing in disguise , i found that  all the bad hot flashes and crap when i did my chemo .

The weather here today was chilly but sunny , I am planting my spring bulbs and raking all the leaves up being mindful of the dog poop . We have a big newfoundland and she tends to drop a big plump . icky !

Me i am still in the midst of getting all m yearly results back , the scans have been ok , but I had a bone scan on Friday and there was a "hot spot " on my right rib . I have been complaining of tenderness on that side and hope that all is ok. I am being mindful that I have had a mri on my back and head in the last 6 months so I am trusting that it is ok . Can hot spots on a bone scan be something else ? I truly hope so . On Friday I have my physical and then on the 12th its to the oncologist .

What a ride it seems every time I start to feel normal something else pops out of the woodwork !

Anyway thats my week ....... taking it day by day .

Hope all of you are doing well I am on cipralex for my moods  and lexapro for my pain , which keeps me humming ............ I hate the waiting and am praying that I do not have bone mets .....

So sorry for dumping on you gals but I need to know if any of you have had hot spots on your bone scans if you had one ..... for sure this next 2 weeks for me will have it sets of challenges

 Onward I go back to work tomorrow and something to take my mind off of all the questions and all flying around in my head !

Sharon, so sorry you have your worries.  I'll add you to the top of my prayer list.  I've never had a bone scan but with my sciatica right now I am thinking other things just like you are.  We've all had the scare with Joni, hope this one turns out well. 

Skye, hope you are enjoying Michigan and going safely back home.  Thanks for letting Michigan State beat Wisconsin with a field goal with 7 seconds left.  It was quite a game.

I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.  Sitting really aggravates my sciatica, it's been much better today except when I was riding in the car.  Thursday is my endometrial biopsy, what fun.  On a good note, I am getting my hair cut, colored and highlighted at a new hair place on Tuesday night so I won't be home for the election results, which will probably be a good thing.  I hope I like my new hair person and I hope she can handle my curls.  I'm still trying to grow it all out to one length to lessen the curls.  By the time I get that accomplished I will get it cut in layers again!

I will always remember finding my lump a couple of days after my birthday and then finding the results the day after Thanksgiving.  So even though those are happy times they will be forever changed. 

Birthday celebrations next Saturday for my son's future father-in-law, my younger son and myself.  I've having everyone over for lasagna and Panera bread.  Yum.  Then the bridal shower is the following Saturday at my house and then I'm having a crowd for Thanksgiving.  I think I will take the month of December off from entertaining!  Have a good week!

Sharon there are really so many things that can cause a hotspot on a PET scan...take it from someone who knows.  Geez what a pain.  My ovaries lit up like crazy when I had mine over the summer, and it took 6 months to finally resolve everything and decide it was nothing.  Old fractures and things like that can show up also....and maybe you hurt yourself and it is healing (which would explain the tenderness)  radiated bone is much more fragile than non-radiated bone, and I for one am pretty sure I have suffered small fractures.  They hurt for a month or two, and then faded away.  Crossing my fingers.....

I forgot to mention that I had my yearly physical on Friday and I now have high cholesterol- 230. I always had low cholesterol- I was always under 100. I don't have a lot of fat in my diet, but I did gain ten pounds this past year. I blame that on Effexor and Tamoxifen. Has anyone else had their cholesterol go up since chemo? I wonder if I can blame chemo once again. 

The doc wants me to take 4 fish oil pills every day, and exercise more and he will recheck it in six months. I started watching what I eat more closely and I am determined to lose five to ten pounds by Thanksgiving. I just hope I can stick with it.  

I have my echocardiogram on Wednesday and my bone density test on Friday. A fun week!

Love,

Viddie 

Ok, I have a surgery question. I had the mastectomy on the good side nearly three weeks ago, and it's still very swollen. It is not infected, and it isn't particularly sore, just a bit. But it is still so swollen that if I put a foam prosthesis in the bad side, I look symmetrical with no enhancement on the good side. I just don't remember enough about the first time, probably have blanked it all out b/c it was so traumatic. Do any of you gals remember how swollen you were?  The drain was down to 30 when it was removed, pretty normal. I am also very bruised still. The whole breast area is pretty much black. I do have an appt in about 10 days, and I am not at all worried about infection, but this is darned inconvenient. I feel great, back to normal I think. I just don't like how swollen it is.  Any input?

 Ok, off to watch this amazing election. I cannot believe that these two men were our candidates, and that my guy looks like the winner. My vote is usually not a good omen. I loved voting today.

Sweet dreams all.

Melia

Hi Melia,

I don't remember mine being that swollen.  In fact, the only area that was swollen for me was right at the actual scar area, not the rest of the former breast area.  I don't think you should wait 10 days to see your surgeon.  If you are not comfortable with the healing, then go see your surgeon, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Debbie, best of luck to your friend.  My Dr. called me at work as well, but that was because I kept calling his office. He was very sensitive about telling me at work (it as 6pm), I told him I didn't want to wait until I was home the next day.  Anyway, you are such a good friend to her, she needs you at this scary time.

Oh, Sharon - it never ends, does it?  I had spots light up on my bone scans that were old injuries, and I'm hoping that's what yours is.  It certainly sounds like it could be the ice skating injury, from what you said.  Could also be something even farther back in the past.  I'm glad you have an appt. with your gp this week, maybe he can ease your mind.  If necessary, we'll all be glad to start worrying for you, so you don't have to. You know we're good at that.

Viddie, my cholesterol went up after chemo, but I sort of blamed it on old age/menopause more than chemo.  I'm not on any meds for it, just exercising, watching my diet, and taking fish oil when I am disciplined enough to do it. 

So everybody likes Panera bread it seems - it isn't just me!  I have a freezer full of their pink ribbon bagels, since they said they were only going to have them for October.  I always go get their bread when I have company.

Melia, it sounds like you might indeed have a seroma - I'd give your doc a call.  It isn't a  big deal, but if you're that swollen, he probably would want to check and be sure.   As far as the greyhound is concerned, we are still waiting for a call from them.  I know they have checked one of our references, but that's all so far.  We're just patiently waiting - I know they'll approve us, but in the meantime I'm giving Harrison lots of attention, since his days of being an only child are numbered.   Oh, and I like your idea of a toast on December 1 - what time shall we do it?

Debbie, sounds like you're doing all you can do for your friend.  Just be there  - I would have loved to have had a friend who had already been through it to talk to.  She's lucky to have you.

After my M. D. Anderson appointment the other day, I drove by a women's health boutique that had a going out of business sign in the window, so I stopped.  I thought I might be able to get something on sale (I'm really into finding bargains right now).  Nothing I needed was on sale yet, but on the way out I stopped to look at some bras she had hanging up, and ended up trying one on.  They were mastectomy bras, which I thought I was done with, but no underwire, t-shirt type bras, and I thought they might work for my lopsidedness.  Well, lo and behold, the lady brings out this little silicone insert thingy that only cost $60, feels like real breast, and evened me out exactly.  So, I can wear a bra now - hallelujah!!  It has been really limiting to wear tank tops with shirts over them to disguise my asymmetry.  And, the bras are really comfortable, even more than the tanks with the shelf bras that I was wearing.

Wasn't the election great?  I can't believe it has happened.  I didn't even have to drink much of my wine last night - but I am glad the suspense is over. 

Just a quick check in - I have my 3 month onc. visit this afternoon, will speak to him about a few things, mainly about the recurring UTI problem.

Sharon - good luck tomorrow with your GP visit - I agree with the others, I bet that spot is some old injury.

Mary - good luck on your biopsy today, more of a pain than a worry, I think.

Mel - glad you tumbled into that shop and found a solution to your bra problem.

Debbie - be the good friend that you are by staying in touch with your Ohio friend whenever possible.

Oh Rebecca, I'd love to come to Thanksgiving dinner, but we have a big family Bat Mitzvah here that weekend, and then on Sunday Allan is flying to NYC for the NY Shoe Show.  I thought of going with him, maybe last minute I'll fly in for a couple of days.  If I do, I'll let you know in advance. 

Have a great day ladies.

xo Caya