Starting Chemo May 2008
Comments
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Sue - I am so very sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family. I just can't even begin to imagine the pain. But I do understand the relief that it wasn't something like drugs. I think your decision to go visit when all other support has lessened, is a great idea. I know from experience and I know it will be very much appreciated.
I'm sad to say, I couldn't take it anymore and colored my hair. Between the curls that I don't like and the gray that came in so much more than it left with....I felt like I was looking like I was 60 instead of 44! I didn't know there was a color that doesn't have all those chemicals. And what a waste as the gray didn't take the color but at least the color part is more what I had before chemo. I didn't have the problem that NancyD experienced. I hope the soft comes back as the hair grows out
Otter - I hope you're getting some downtime ...oh wait, you're retired, what am I talking about :P I hope the curtains look great!
My Onc did the CA 125 on my last follow up 3 months ago. I have another follow up next week and I'm pretty sure he'll do it again. I got the impression that it was his standard protocol.
Jen - well...you could never be bland. Blonde maybe? not bland :P
Rock - so sorry you heard the snickers from the couch..I'll keep it down next time! Glad you got the door back on though...that wind was crazy!
Hugs to all my May ladies! Thinking of you Randie!
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I meant to come across that I was never going "bland" again. I LOVE my ojon shampoo! I used it and conditioner even when I only had 3 hairs to my name. Just for the smell of it. And yes, I like the smell of fireplaces too ROFL. It has worked wonders on my little head. My hair was so brittle after I had it lightened. I used the deep conditioning and it brought it back to life. It does make me feel good "hearing" you say its a good product. I kept staring at the bottle and wondering about it. Before all this mess started I went thru a bottle of conditioner and shampoo each month. As of right now I am only 1/2 way thru a bottle that I started using in april of last year.
I had the tumour marker thing done a month ago myself. Amazing.. this time last year I couldn'tve told you what that was, or a whole lot of other junk, that I know now :OS
Cat story time.... I have a very hateful cat. And we have been doing behavior modifications on her trying to make her nicer. She is one of those that starts out playing and within 2 minutes she is stalking you for the kill and means it. Last night she is flying around the house trying to get somebody to chase her. (she likes to play chase like a dog would... chasie and chaser) Nobody was biting so she is running around throwing her mouse in the air to herself. I'm sitting on my bed folding clothes and she comes tearing down the hallway and aparently didn't see me on the bed. She goes to jump, during a full run, and sees me, tries to stop in midair and ends up running on her back legs for about 5 steps before falling over and shooting under the bed. If nothing else she is good for a laugh occasionally.
behavior mods...... there is no playing with kitty unless you use a kitty toy... no fingers... no chasing...no holding a hand over her head... for some reason that one really pisses her off lol.... and you stop often to let her calm down. so far everything is working and she is turning out to be a nicer more loving kitty. Occasionally when she and my son are wound up I let them play chase for just a few minutes and I cut them off before she goes into kill mode.
Glad you are feeling better roxi, been sending you good vibes today :O)
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Good morning ladies!
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morning!!! *stands here waving like a mad thing* pouring rain here... not a customer in sight!
Putting on makeup' cause I am bored and avoiding paperwork.
xxx
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SueL My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family, my kids and hubby immediately said a prayer for y'all......
Srry I have been quiet here, mu mom went home Saturday and wouldn;t you know all helll broke loose on Sunday. My breathing got harder and dh came down with a nasty bronchitis thingie. He went in on Monday, got his Z-ac, bought fce masks and just hung in there for me. Whatta guy...
So, yesterday at 6 am, I went in to the ER. What a great time, no one was there, so I gotright in, xrayed me and said guess what, your left lung is filled...no durrrr.....so, an hour later they draind off another 1.25L and siad who hoo its empty...now the right needs to be done. I got to stay until noon, hooked up to O2, then went home and found out that someone had dropped off a small O2 bottle for me to use, it lasted for 4 hours and wow, what a difference. SO, long story short, I am still bland, not bald and breathing better.
Here's to more O2 soon.....gosh I hate insurance companies...seriously I have to wait un til I am at 88% for them to okay home use....so instead, they end up paying for my ER visits....smoart moves, eh?
Kerry, hope you are hanging in there and not on the mainland where most of the fires seem to be.
Whoa, am I rambling...must be the vicodin....you guysare 100% spot on....I hate being taken care of, not in my job description, lol But I do love all the cards, especially the scrotum crucher...lol...Bob hangs them up around my bathroom mirror so I can laugh when I brush....
love you al! randie
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BTW... it snowed here the last 2 days, melts right away, but it looks so clean!!!!
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Julie~ I got your card this morning, thank you so much!
RanD~ glad to hear you are getting along ok. I cannot imagine going thru all of that ontop of the other mess. Hang in there babe! we are cheering for you!!
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Jen - you are welcome. I just wanted to do something special for all of you special women.
Cris - I received your card. Thanks! Great minds think alike. We bought those same cards and sent them to all of the little cousins in our family. They were so cute.
RanD - we probably wouldn't know how to act if everything went smoothly. Yes, it is crazy about being able to go to the ER, but you can't get the oxygen for home. It's hard not to want to be taken care of. Just come here and we will help you out however we can.
Roxi - I didn't get a lot of hair cut off - mostly just a good trim, neck shaved LOL, etc. I'm afraid to wash it to see if the curls are still here.
We've had rain here - sump pump is running like crazy and oldest dd is home for day #3 with sinus infection so no piano lessons tonight. I just keep washing my hands.
Talk to everyone later,
Julie
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Randie, I am staring at a one liter water bottle thinking "GOOD GOD, RANDIE." Which I realize is not very helpful. (But GOOD GOD.)
Jen, My friend Pam's cat HATED me when I was undergoing chemo. Ditto would race around the room working up a good head of speed and then go ricocheting off of the love seat directly onto my -- claws extended -- bald head. I loved Pam a LOT but Ditto and I only achieved a separate peace about 3 days before I left.
xoxoxo to all of youse. I'm so tired and my computer is getting ready to crash so must call it a night.
xoxo
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Sue....thinking about you and the loss of your nephew.
RanD...hope they get your lung/breathing issues under control.....thinking of you
Why is it so hard to cover gray hair?? Colour doesn't seem to want to stick and washes out sooner. Anyone else have this problem? This damp weather just sends mine into a frizzzzz!
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Results are back!!!!! Negative! Just fluid filled cysts. God I needed that. Now on to more important topics....
RandD, what's a scrotum cruncher? Can't imagine who sent that one?? Insurnace, what a royal pain in ass.
I love all my bland friends...Jen, no cats here but my Roxi (see valentine days card and photo to left) plays with her food just like that. Throws it up in the air and tosses it around. It's a hoot! Gotta run, just broke away from my job to say hey and share my news. No need to fret about Friday the 13th any longer.
Love ya!
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WOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay roxi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <dances around all silly like>
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Hi May Ladies:
I started my chemo in April and finished in July, but didn't find this website til August. But I've been following you all and just want to say "Thanks" for posting your growing hair as your new avatars -- mine is about the same length now as most of yours and it really "heartens" me to find that MY growth is not quite as slowwww as it has seemed to me to be!!
Thank you again!
Linda
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Roxi....yeah hooooooooooo
Quick update, temp rose today..its at 100.8, so now I have to go in to ER after hours, so the only way to get labs) and hopefully they will top me off, get some antibiotics in me and I will sleepppppppp.....
love you all, ranD
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Oh, ranD, ... what an ordeal! Have 'em check the oil, kick the tires, wash the windshield, whatever it takes. Those regular ER visits are getting pretty old, but it does sound like you feel better when you get to go home. Get some good rest.
Way to go, Roxi! One less thing to worry about. Woohoo!
My sis used to have a mean cat. He would play with her but attack anyone else who touched him. He lived a nice long life; and when he was gone and she got another kitten, she vowed to have a people-friendly pet this time. So from day 1 she handled that kitten a lot--petted him, picked him up, carried him around, rolled him over on his back, held his paws, extended his toes, looked in his mouth ... and, she had visitors handle him, too. Now, many years later, he is the sweetest cat I've ever met. Maybe he would have been, anyway; but I really think she conditioned him to handling and to people when he was little. When he grew up, he just figured that's what cats were supposed to do.
We're still on the boat. A line of thunderstorms blew through today, but it was just wind and rain--no tornadoes like they had in Oklahoma yesterday from the same line. I think the LE in my arm and SNB area are acting up, so I'm wearing my sleeve and gauntlet and I'll be doing MLD (LE massage) this evening. We were feeling pretty good about how much we'd accomplished yesterday and today; so I guess the aching in my arm is the warning that we did too much.
Hugs to everybody!
otter
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Hi All!
Really D.A.T today--just got power back on a little while ago. We were under tornado warnings earlier today, but I slept through and didn't know until I got up and the power was off! All calm now!
Basketball game was great! GS really got into it. We had to climb way up to our seats, but hey, we were there. Best part is that we WON and now I have the "bragging rights" over my big brother! Got to meet eith UK's baseball team and talk to the coach, even mentioned you all and AlaskaDeb-He asked me if I'd come to their opening game with my head painted like a baseball since I had my head painted like a basketball! (Unfortunately, he didn't offer free tickets) GS got all the baseball players autographs! Will post pics on FB as soon as I download them from the camera. You were all there with me!
Randie-thinking of you and praying hard! You are always with me!
Julie-Got your card today! Thank you so much!
Love to all!
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Randie - you are ALWAYS in my thoughts. OY! I hope you get the relief and rest that you so need tonight! Love you, sweetie.
Julie - thank you so very much. Your card warmed my heart and brought a huge smile.
Roxi - Can you say YEAH?! YEAH! Lets hear it again! YEAH! Woohoo. Such a relief.
Linda - glad to know that the May girls could help put you at ease. It helps to know that what you are going through is as normal as it can be and you can relate to others.
Hugs to every one of you!
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Yay Roxi - great results and not delivered on Friday the 13th!
Gracie - sounds like you've been having fun.
RanD - hope they get you feeling better soon!
I don't have any cat stories - I'm allergic. We had a cat when I was a child and we had to give it away when we found out it made me sick. No dogs, either - much too my children's dismay. Our girl scout troop volunteered at the animal shelter awhile back and my daughter wanted to know if she could bring home a souvenir and she wasn't talking postcards.
Hugs to all! Julie
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Yeah Roxi!!! That is fantastic news!
RanD - I am hoping that the ER folks were able to get you some antibiotics & some other "goodies" to allow you to get some much needed rest. We are thinking and praying for you.
Gracie - What is the official rads countdown?? I know that you are sooooo close.
DAT and headed to bed - love to all!
Jean
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Yay to Roxi! RanD, hang in there!
DAT here too, my new student started 2 day and the store was steady. Had a quick dinner with BF while DS swam. I have a terrible Herpes outbreak, just like during chemo... doc closed at noon, and I just missed them..on call doc could not renew scrip without seeing it...so I wait until tomorrow to get the hardcore meds delivered. I am so tired i thought Gracie said tomato warning...
Oh ya and the phones at the store are not working for an unexplained reason, spent the day fighting that...
night all
xoN
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Roxi - Woooo hooooo!!! And an extra bonus not to have to wait for it!! Yaaaaay!!!
Jen - No cats here either, but our poodle, Ginger, throws one of her scrunchie toys around when she wants to play. Makes it nearly across the room. The other odd thing she does is never, ever eats her food right out of the bowl. She picks up a mouthful, takes a few feet over to the carpet and eats them one at a time. The really odd thing is the other female poodle I had before her did the same exact thing.
Randie - Wow. Never a dull moment, is it? Hope you got what you needed. And we had snow, too! Which after 10 minutes out in it, the 5 y.o. came in and I said "Are you done?" to which she replied "Yeah, it's cold and wet." Yup. Pretty much.
Gracie - What fun! You sound all hyper and rightfully so! Can't wait to see the pics!
D.A.T. must be the theme for the day - it's over here, too. But the good news is, I get a 5 day weekend! That's the bonus for working for the state, which in California, is a stretch to say right now.
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Hey girls! My happy, happy cyber-yays! for all the good things and hug-hug cyber-feck-it-alls for all the unwelcome things. My Up-Periscope went well..I go back in five years. Music to my ears. Curiously, the Picklax I took at 5am today (the third sachet) didn't start to work until 7pm this evening. Just great. I was 10 mins into the 40 min walk in the bush with the Fib, when I got some tummy twinges....y'all know the ones....I made it home, just. I keep thinking of sharts, and even the mere thought..............
The printed instructions say '...do not delay'. They aren't kidding. (I was going to say, "No shit, Sherlock!" but that would be wholly inappropriate and, what's more, inaccurate.) Before the scan I had two days of blinding headache and inexplicable exhaustion. Today, because I've a general anaesthetic, I feel reborn! That is the answer for D.A.T! A nice anaesthetic, a slow wake-up and a couple of hours in bed. I'm addicted..especially to those crisp, worn, cotton waffle-weave blankets. Anyway, my students are in for it tomorrow..I'm relentless (in a good way) when I have energy! RanD. Feck it. Thank God for your family..I'm carrying you around in my (newly revinvigorated) heart. XXX -
Thanks all. I sure feel better not having to worry about the whole mammo thing, the wait was excrutiating. Julie, I got your card. Perfect timing too. Linda, nice to hear from you again. My Loving Care covers just the right amount so my 48 year old head still has a touch of gray. Pretty natural I must say.Gracie, warning, you're gonna have hair by baseball season so painting it could be a slight problem. Ellenoire, good luck with the new hire. Hope she's able to lend the much needed hand.Christine, Funny, Roxi does that same thing. Drives me crazy. Takes her kibble out of the bowl from the kitchen linoleum to the living room carpet. Maybe its the breeds?Kerry, WOW, what can I say. I love your expression of words. It just flows (no pun intended)....so glad it went well.Thinking about all the fires and tornadoes, what a crazy world we live in. So glad your all safe.Hi to all and have a lovely day.P.S. Rand, hope you got the much needed relief you so deserve. Mary
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It's still early--just 9:30 a.m. here--so I've only had one cup of coffee thus far (with breakfast), and I need more if I'm going to say anything intelligent. I'm sitting at the galley table, talking to y'all on my 'puter because dh shoo'ed me off the sofa. He's working (sanding, prepping, varnishing the wood trim around the windows); but I get to take it easy due to the toothache in my slightly LE arm. I was DAT last night, too--just forgot there was such a handy term for it.
Let's see--where to begin? Jen was bland but now she isn't anymore; I wore ball caps on my head, whereas Gracie just wears a ball on her head (I was going to say "Gracie wears balls" but that didn't sound right, plus I spewed coffee on my monitor); ... [time out]...
Gracie, it hadn't dawned on me until recently that you cheer for the 'cats. I had the most fun at home basketball games when my team (my former employer, from which I'm retired) would play Kentucky and a bunch of my students would show up dressed in UK colors. What most locals didn't know was that nearly half the vet students here are actually from Kentucky. It made for a great rivalry, especially since we seldom had to worry about winning those games... Another coincidence: UK's former coach now coaches basketball for my alma mater (U. of Minn.). Small world, eh?
...[time back in]...
Kerry had a "near incident" while walking Fibber (sheesh! The fun never ends!)--glad you could make it back to the facilities in time. Noelle has an outbreak that needs meds; ranD also needs (different) meds and O2 (ranD--are you better today? Did they let you suck on some O2?). Cristine, I agree with your 5-y-o: snow is highly overrated.
Sorry. I need more coffee. I'll be back later. In the meantime, please know that I'm thinking about all of you (even--maybe especially--those of you who haven't posted in a while). Hugs all around; I wish you were here so we could sit on the sofa (or the back deck) and drink Russian tea.
otter
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I had my first post BC mammo today- fortunately at my breast center, people like us get to have their mammos read by the radiologist while you are still there and he comes in and talks with you. I didnt think I was nervous about it all but I was glad dh got to go there with me- I was absolutely fine until the radiologist told me everything was perfect and THEN I started crying!
Went from there to the eye doctor for my yearly checkup- taxotere changed my vision permanently it seems- AND because I wanted new glasses to go with the new short hair and new hair color(s)- was a good visit- I do have some permanent vision changes possibly from the chemo but nothing terrible, no sign of cataracts and eye pressure is actually low- AND I ordered really cute glasses. Up until now I only wore them playing piano or on the computer but I think I will start wearing them most of the time- chemo has changed me to a little more near sighted and made the far sightedness go away- go figure!
DD has a softball scrimmage tonight- I am SO excited about her softball season as I missed a lot of games last year dealing with surgery and biopsies and chemo!
RanD- are you home again? Praying for you everyday my friend and praying for your whole family! I have kids at similar ages and I know how hard all of this is on the little ones!
I read somewhere that RED looks really good on salt and pepper haired people so I have decided I need to buy myself somthing red (didnt use to wear that color much).
Mary- celebrating with you on the mammo- we have had similar diagnosis and schedule this whole time so you are my treatment buddy!
I found some Dove chocolate at Walmart with extra antioxidants- does that not sound like a perfect cancer food? Yes I bought some!
Kristy
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I'm back ... just stopping in to say g'night, and send you all some big hugs.
otter
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night everyone!
N
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Wow...not much going on here today.
Kerry - Glad you checked in and sound so up! Maybe the "up" from the periscope?! (Sorry, couldn't resist!!)
Mary - What breed is Roxi? (Can't call you that anymore!) She looks like a bichon frise (sp?) in the picture. I wondered if it was all poodles or only mine!
Otter - I think you and the 5 y.o. (Kelly) would get along just fine! And she even has her own cup for tea!!
Julie - Got your card today, too, thanks! And I agree, great minds do think alike!
Kristy - Aha!! I knew my eyes had changed since chemo! But...since I don't want to keep blaming every little change/ache/whatever on chemo, I haven't said anything to anyone. (Damn chemo!) I will now continue to blame everything on chemo, and apparently, rightly so. And also make an eye doctor appointment. I had laser surgery about 4 years ago for astigmatism and near-sightedness and knew after the surgery that if I didn't get enough sleep my eyes didn't work quite as well. But since about mid-October, even when I did get enough sleep, they still don't work right. Sigh. (Can I say it again - damn chemo!!)
Noelle - Well, I had started to give up hope and then - TA DA! A box from Canada!! (Ironically, it is exactly the same size as the box I was sniffing previously!) Oh, heavenly!!!!!! Mmmmmmmm...(deep inhale)...aaaahhhhhhhhhhh...(deep exhale). I took a tip from Adrienne (?) and put all the little pieces in a baggie to save. Katie, the older one, says "What are you gonna do with that?" I said, "Put it in my drawer to make stuff smell nice." "Well, I don't have anything in my drawer to make it smell nice!" Guess whose drawer it's in?! But I have the tissue! I will be using the shea butter tonight, Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
Randie - As always, thinking of you and sending prayers and easy breathing up north...
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Mornng Ladies,
Happy Friday 13th
Interesting to hear others have issues with their eyesight. I too am dealing with eye issues.
I did have to move up to full prescription glasses.... not just readers anymore. Also i find everyday when i wake up it takes awhile to clear them, like they have a glaze over them and have to keep blinking to clear things up. This happens throughout the day too..eye doc says everything checks out so come back in a year. So I guess i can just chock it up to the chemo giving me a gift that never ends!
Have to take my moms dog to the vet today..peeing blood which can't be good! Just hoping its nothing more than a bladder infection. Cause i don't think my mom could handle losing her best friend right now it would crush her already fragile world .
RanD i hope you are breathing easy today and throughout the weekend !
Everyone else kick Friday the 13th in the butt and have a great day !!!
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I'm pretending it isn't the 13th. It's just Friday. May I do that, please?
otter
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