For those starting chemo in June

Congrads Caroline, You have had a hard road this past year but things will get to a normal pace pretty soon. You can relax now and take time for yourself. I got my first blood work done today for my first check-up on Mon. Going back to that poison center and smelling all the alcohol, tape and just the office smell wasn't pleasant. I saw people in my place a year ago and I don't envy them. I remember how scared I was a year ago and how everything was going so fast and out of control.It feels so damn good to be where I am today, Well o.k. so my bones don't work right yet and my memory is pretty much out to lunch and my hair just looks strange and I have this big ass, I am really glad I am here now and not there. Can't wait for Janie to get all done. I am here to the end. It has warmed up in the high 60's and my bones feel a lot better. Hope Renee is getting some of this warmth. Later girls, Mary

Hi girls. Hey, I also posted a study I found online on some med web site about use of Herceptin BEFORE surgery for HER2+ folks. I thought it was interesting. It amazes me how things can change so quickly. I don't guess they'll start doing that widely yet, but it's interesting.

Not much going on here. Doing lots of interviews at work for a spot I have to fill. Nathan had a nice Easter (lots of sugar ingested, even tho the weather was crummy) Doing walk for the cure this weekend. Well, unless it's pouring. Nathan and my husband were gonna walk, too, but Nathan's decided that soccer sounds a lot more fun. So they'll go to his game and I'll just go with my friends.

Gotta go in in the next week or so to get this port flushed. Keeping it in til after my mammo (now not scheduled until May), just to be on the safe side.

I hear you norther gals got a little break in the weather. I guess spring really IS gonna come. Janie, I"m sure things are blooming all over already where you are.

You guys take care. Off to listen to more Harry Potter.

Mary, I miss your funny postings, I hope you're ok.
What kind of follow up do you ladies have? Did you have a c-scan or mri when you finished chemo/rads? I've had 1 month checkup with blood work and then I have a mammo in June and labs, 6 months after treatment. I alternate seeing my rads onc. and regular oncologist.
Just curious/slightly worried now that I'm not seeing any doctors weekly.
Renee

Hi Girls, I am still around and round I am. I alternate and see my reg. onky Monday then my rad. onkie ( shes a gal so I used the fem. spelling of ie)in 3 months and reg. three months later until a year then I don't know what the heck. I just get blood work, (and found out my onky checks markers for colon cancer which they think can come after b.c. so he keeps an eye on that). If I have any pain that doesn't go away then they check it out but guess its pretty much up to me and I am on my own now. Illinois just won, my hubby is really glad. I was going to get tickets for the play-off in St. Louis cause we are only about an hour and a half away but my hubby didn't think Il. would make it so now we watch it on T.V. Its warming up so maybe I can drag my bike out and forklift my fat ass up on the seat and ride some pounds off.We tried a couple years ago and my husband rode like we were in a freeking marathon and I just wanted to ride at a pace where my hair wasn't plastered back behind my head and my boobs, what little there was wasn't flapping on my back. That was the first and last time I rode the bike he bought me. I refused to ride with Mr. Speed Racer. Besides its pretty exausting after about a block. I will try when it warms up. I will need a tractor seat now. I did exercise today, I went looking for more shoes, I bent over several times and walked in shoes a lot. I got some real good buys so I feel really good about my work-out. I have to get something done about my hair color or lack there of. Its pretty grey so I need a dye and highlight. Its getting pretty long, by that I mean like 2 inches now. The back is maybe 3 and its curly. Never dreamed 2 inches of hair would be exciting news. My arm pits still are bare and thats a good thing, and my legs grew in dense and I shaved and now there is very little. I shaved my legs once and now, yea it could use it but not a lot. Maybe its my eyes and I need to look with my reading glasses on so maybe they are like a forest and I just don't know. Ignorance is bliss. Its actually warmed up but its been windy so its cool. I think when the wind dies down it will be great. P.J., we were just talking about getting our tomatoes in and my chives, sage, basil and tarragon are sprouting up already. I didn't enjoy my tomotoes last year so I sure will this year. I planted another money tree but I do every year and so far I haven't had much luck with it. It just grows and never bears money. Maybe I don't water it enough. Anyone else have that problem and how do I fix it? Hugs, Mary

Well, fingers crossed for our appointments....

Got lots of stuff planted. Hope it survives the week.

You guys have any fun plans for this summer?

I'll have to do a little facial restructuring (like chin-ectomy, wrinkle-ectomy) with photoshop before my photo goes out over the net...

Oh, hey, I have to brag a little. I won a statewide award yesterday for my work at the newspaper. Unfortunately, all I get is a plaque, no cash. But still, I guess my brain must have been working some through all this crap for me to even write three headlines that made sense....

Jury duty tomorrow. Mammo on Thursday. Shaping up to be a banner week.

Hey PJ congrads!!!! First let me say I don't mean post our pics. I mean we can put a face to each other, I mean we will know what we all look like but send our pics to each other only, I got that all screwed up. Well my wrinkles aren't anything a good plastics guy and about 20,000 bucks can't fix. I think my big fat ass is just that and no amount of work can fix it, it's here to stay. Glad you got to go for a ride today Renee, its so great to get good weather huh? We were going to get some tomatoes planted today but didn't so that will get done next wk. end. I am going to Az. the 28th. of this month and back on Sunday the 1st. My grandson(bowling buddy) is going with me, hes 8. I don't know if we will get to Hawaii or not. I have been looking but after last year I am kinda scared to plan a trip like that but we will. My husband losing his job puts a bit of a damper on things but we can go if we get the ambition. Gotta go, tomorrow is my onky apt. to get blood work results.My mommos are done and don't get them again for a year. I told someone I was a year surviver the other day and she said how long since you stopped treatment and I said 3 months and she said then you aren't a 1 year surviver. What ever. No she has never had cancer. Hugs, Mary

He was in a concert in Atlanta. It was very good. The entire program featured his hits. An orchestra played and he also had his own menagerie of musicians and singers. He played the piano and even sang a few songs. He will soon be 77 years old and still puts on a good show. He said he has two small children! He has been married 4 times and has a total of 4 kids.

By ending treatment, did she mean ending chemo or rads? I'm with you. I am a one year survivor NOW. In fact, I'm a 59 year survivor!

Good night all,

Janie

BTW - I DO NOT like day lights saving time. I am not sleepy and it is 12:06 a.m. and I have to get up at 5:47. a.m.

Thanks. You're cute in your little ball cap. I heard about the time change on the radio when I was stuck in traffic Saturday. I had forgotten about it. Aren't you soooo tired of doctor's appointments? I know I am....but I guess they are why we are still breathing so I won't complain too much. It's not all that bad getting off early to go sit and snooze or watch TV while hooked up to the drip bag.

That was such a close game!!!!!!!! I bet your DH was hopping at the end.

I stayed up and watched Tennessee girls lose last night. They were sixteen points up and still managed to lose. Sometimes I don't know how they consistently stay in the top four. They seem to miss 3 baskets for every one they make. I think they win on rebounds and turnovers because they don't shoot that well....at least not when I watch them. I could just hear my son shouting 240 miles away. We have been in GA several years, but he still bleeds orange.

I have had boob pain for a couple of days. It is sore around and under the nipple area and sometimes there is shooting pain. I have read that cancer usually doesn't produce pain. I have my mammo Wed.; however, my PS told me a whlle back that I have a lot of tissue and it will make it difficult to read.

I went to get my mammogran and they postponed it until the 27th because Mayo still has my previous film. I took them down there last year. This radiological place I went to today said they needed them back before doing the mammo. My coordinator from down there left me a message to call her about an email I sent her. I go for my 3 month follow-up next week. I didn't get home in time to call today.

Have a good evening ladies,

Warm fuzzies,

Janie

I haven't had one taken for a long time either. Baylor was something else! They deserved the win!

Hello Ladies, Glad to hear the good news. We have all made it a year now. Uhhh, Well that was my ass before chemo and this is my ass after chemo. That was 18 lbs. less ass. If I leaned up aginst that metal guid rail now there would be a big ass print in it. . Well gotta go and do something, have no idea what but I'll find something. Its nice today I am just sure we will have to go for a Harley ride and I'll sugest we ride it to eat bar-b-q ribs. I am so cunning I scare myself. Hugs, and really glad everyones getting good news. Mary

Janie, indeed your son knows his bar-b-q. It is all in the sauce. Theres a little place a couple blocks from us that has great b-b-q ribs thats so tender it falls off the bone. Thats the way to get it. I have been packing for Az. the 28th. My daughter is taking my grandson on a hot air balloon ride. Not me, scared to death of heights, not to ride in a plane whats up with that? I have flown since I was young cause my dad use to fly and we would fly to other towns and cities and eat and fly home so maybe thats why. My husband and I was on a roof one time and he darn near had to call the fire dept. to get me down,(we were cleaning gutters). I am claustrophobic to a point I can't get in an elevator alone unless theres a window but then I am scared of heights so I get dizzy if theres a window. I am also scared to death of snakes, just the way they move. We have plenty around here but not poisonous. They are in the raods a lot cause of the farmers and its warm on the raod. They are usually dead cause cars hit them. They get to 6 ft. the big old black ones. Well girls, I need to do something productive in my house today but thats just not gonna happen cause its going to get up in the 70's. That means I have to dig out the razor and shave what little hair I have on my legs. That just sounds like a fun time, I can't wait. Better get my coffee in me so I can move. have great days, Mary

Janie my husband and I are still laughing about the big ass joke, I had just finished a piece of angel food cake when I read it and about choked laughing so hard. My husband had to come see what I was laughing about so he read it and we both just laughed. That ass looked just like mine. Hugs, Mary