Starting Chemo May 2008

I am so relieved, dear Jackie...I am going to ask my onc about my port on Wednesday. Sigh. Our lilacs here in Seattle are late. They are not going to bloom until you are home from this hospital or even later as they are awaiting your safe arrival back into the loving arms of your family.

Rock, I am giving up bread for lent...oh, wait, that's Passover and only a few days left of that. Last night, the three Jewish families at the Little League baseball field were ordering "Passover dogs," dogs without buns.

I am enjoying baseball so much more this year as I am not in a constant state of panic. Adam is on the same team he was on last year so many of those people who were strangers when we met really supported us and it's nice to just hang...I love you all. Dottie and I had a great time picking our fashion clothing for the fashion show at the end of April. We also bought thong underwear but don't tell anyone. That' it for now. Will check back soon.

Happy Easter everyone.....especially Jackie, what a blessing to hear you made it safely through the operation !    Sending gentle hugs as you recover.

Hope everyone has time to relax with family and just enjoy the day !

Cheers.

Will catch up later... love to all! Gracie I am so happy you are ok. Randie, keep on breathing.

 Siouxie! Good luck! 

Sorry I have been away from posting( I know, I don't have to say that) Holiday weekends are long and hard in the single parent world. xoxN

Jackie - I tried calling the hospital at 5:30 CST and no answer.  I am hoping that you were feeling well enough that they sent you home!! 

Randie - Hoping that the lungs are feeling great!  Special prayers to you both!

Linda - What happened in the 1/2? 

Jean

Sue...prayers with you on the table, in the room....warn them it will be crowded with all of us visiting......

Jackie...hoping no news is good news

Lungs are okay...but starting to fill..sigh....will ask for a diuretic...see if that will help

randie

Robin - I just went back and read about your stepdad.  Aaaarrrrgggghhhh.  So unnecesary and cruel.  I'm so sorry but glad you will be going to see them soon.

Randie - Let's keep those lungs clear!

Sue - I'm thinking of you already...

Any word from Jackie anyone?!?

My trip was exhausting but good and very necessary.  Deb's friend (who is now fighting two cancers) was funny and spunky - she had her first chemo for the leukemia today.  Also found out my aunt who was diagnosed with bc a couple of months ago needs chemo so I copied and pasted our thread with tips to her.  I don't know what she's going to be on yet, but I think her Oncotype score came back as "very high" for risk of recurrence.  Since I didn't have one, I'm at a bit of a loss.  Anyone want to help me out with that? 

Oh, and Easter was good.  But my peeps on FB didn't do anything.  Oh well.  Time for bed...

I just got back home!  It really feels good.

DH forgot to bring my computor back up with him, so I couldn't update like I would have liked.  Will be on Coumadin for 6 weeks and have to give myself a shot twice a day for a couple of weeks to keep my blood thinned.  Port has been taken out and I brought it home with me.  We have a special ceremony planned to destroy it.  They went ahead and took my staples out too. 

On the way home, DH & I were talking and he told me that the ER doc here didn't think that I would make it to Lexington.  He wasn't sure if I would even make it out of the ER here.  WOW!!  Definitely a miracle.  

Thank you so much for all the prayers and thoughts because I know that is what pulled me through.  Right now, I am just very thankful to be alive.  My sister in Cleveland drove down and stayed a day, so it was good that I got to see her.  My childhood best friend drove down from IN and stayed with me yesterday & today.   DH got to stay in the room with me.  The staff was absolutely wonderful.  The nursing tech last night was DH's cousin that he hadn't seen in several years.  A friend of DH, who is a professor at UK, brought me a big bouquet of lilacs.

I asked the nurse if my room was too crowded and she kinda looked at me funny.  Then I told her all about all of you and that I knew that each & everyone of you were there with me.  She thought that was great and said "No problem--the more, the merrier."

Love you all very much.  Time to get some rest.  Just wanted to touch base with you all.  Did I tell you that I love you??

Jackie, it's so good to hear that you're home (especially considering what that doc told your dh).  Yes, we were all there.  Some of us were hanging from the curtains, and I know there were at least two of us crammed in the closet; but it worked.

ranD, how are we gonna keep those lungs from filling up with fluid?  That's fine for a fish, but heck, you aren't supposed to be breathing under water.  I guess as long as they have that room/bed reserved for you at the hospital and know you by name, it's not so bad.

And, Sue...  You know we'll all be there with you tomorrow, and we'll stay as long as you'll let us.  New boobies!  Yay!  (Sounds like a good excuse for a party.)

Cristine, were the peeps on FB supposed to do something?  I think mine just sat there.  They were cute, though, in a "peep" sort of way.

I can't stay long tonight.  We're visiting my parents again in MN.  (Jean, I'll give you a call tomorrow or Thursday.  Things are booked up this week already.)

We haven't heard from EyesOTex for awhile....

Big hugs... 

Jackie - I have to ask (and I'm sure others with ports are now worried) were you not already on coumadin?  Was your port being flushed at least once a month.?  I ask because I was on coumadin from the day my port was installed.  And I had my port removed as soon as I had my post chemo follow up.  I know others have doctors that like to keep them in for a certain period of time but they do need to be flushed.  Any insight you have will be helpful to others who are worried about their ports.

I am so glad that you are home!  You had us all so worried and we were with you all the way.  The room was pretty darn crowded...in a very good way

Short note, lungs seem to be filling up again..shite, so back to ER in the am and take some xrays....sigh....

randie

Morning Ladies!

Adrienne-I wasn't on Coumadin before and they flushed my port once a month.  I tried to talk the onc into letting me have it removed back in Dec, but she wanted to wait.  I tried to talk her into it being removed when I had the BM 2 weeks ago, but shw wanted to wait until the path results came back.  It's out now, whether she likes it or not.  She is the only med onc here, but we are talking about changing to one in Lexington.  Going to talk to my PCP about it Fri when I go in for bloodwork.  I have always had thin blood, so she didn't think that I needed Coumadin.

Randie--I hope that you are feeling better and getting ride of that fluid right now.  We are right here beside you.  

Jen--Thank you for keeping everyone informed--You are the best.  

Sue-Will be with you tomorrow!!!  

Love to all!!!!!

Oh, Oh - I just got mail and it had Jean's CD in it.  Thank you so much!  I can't wait to play it.  It gave me goose bumps just looking at all of the songs and the strong women who suggested them.

Happy wishes for Jackie being home and hopeful thoughts for Sue and RanD.  It's amazing how we can be in three (or more) places at the same time.  We ARE good!

Have a great day everyone!  Noelle, hope you feel better soon, too.

Julie 

Oh, I know a secret!  I read a note Sue posted to the Recon forum on Tuesday, where she said her hospital has wi-fi.  So, maybe she will say hi and let us know how she's doing.  That's a long surgery, though, isn't it? 

rock, I love the spigot idea, as well as the poem in which it was conveyed.  Let's all think really hard (images, everyone)--ranD's lungs are going to drain, and stay dry for the next month!

Jean, my mail is being held so I won't see any of it until we get back.  Aarrrrggghhh!  I'll give you a call once my sister gets here (tomorrow) and I know what the schedule will be.  I am not in charge here (as if I am at home LOL).  Next week is looking good--can you sneak off for a break during the day on a weekday?

Hugs to everybody.  Good news--there is no snow here.

otter 

*chuckles*  I needed that laugh.