For those starting chemo in June

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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited April 2005
    I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday Paula.

    Renee, I am doing well overall. The Herceptin causes some flu-like symptoms, but in light of all the hoopla about it lately, it is a small price to pay. The lymphedema is a drag, but I guess it is something I will learn to live with.

    Mary, are you floating around in cyperspace again?
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited April 2005

    Hi girls, PJ,I will say some prayers.Glad your getting it out.Janie I am enjoying the 85 degree weather and I feel so much better. My little grandson loved the hot air balloon ride. I sat at the airport and watched.I think I should of went my daughter said it was great and so smooth she didn't even know they were in the air.They dropped 800 ft. a min. and I guess it felt like you were sitting still in the air.I have to check into the Hercept.when I get home.I leave tomorrow My grandson and I.Well my grandson wants to swim and I am going to get in the hot tub, It really helps my sore muscles. Later girls, Mary

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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    OH Wow Mary! A hot air balloon ride! I would have gone for sure! I still do not read small print that well, although my eye doc assured me I would with my new prescription. I first read your 85 degrees as BS degrees, and puzzledly re-read it and said, "Oh."

    So many women on this board are saying their oncs are getting them the Herceptin one way or another, in light of the findings. I really hope and pray you have a way of getting it too.

    I am sure you all know not to give personal info to anyone who calls asking for it with some reason for needing it, no matter who they say they are. Some lady called me today saying the government was giving me a $5,000 grant because they were choosing taxpayers to give it to. Of course, she needed my personel info in order to make sure I got it. Yeah right. I hung up on her. Uncle Sam knows where I live and everything else about me, and he certainly isn't going to hand over any money to me. He always has his hand out wanting mine.

    Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. There are severe thunderstorms here, but that happens a lot around in this area.

    Hugs and fuzzies,

    Janie
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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Janie, unbelievable that someone would try such a transparent scam. but i suppose plenty of people fall for it or they wouldn't do it. scary.

    mary, i'd have to say i'd be sitting with you at the airport not ON the balloon. i'm glad you had a great trip. shame you have to leave that warm weather (of course, in two weeks it'll be 185)

    renee, you have a good time, too. i'll let you guys know how wednesday goes. i expect it to be a breeze. (no drain!)
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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    Sending hugs your way for tomorrow Paula >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Good Luck P.J. and we'll all be thinking of you. AAAAHHHH, that doped up outta your head relaxing feeling.I could use one of those feelings. Now that my sister is divorcing my great dentist my stupid filling right in front fell out and hurts. I'm gonna miss that discount!!!!Well its still cold here and Renee has to be freezing. Better go get some laundry done. Later and prayers for P.J. hugs, Mary

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Mary, yeah you and Renee must be chilly. My sister says it snowed in Madision yesterday. Pardon me, but isn't it MAY?

    Thanks, guys, for the good thoughts for tomorrow. Hopefully, this'll be the last one. On the plus side, I'm taking 2 days off work... I'll probably spend the whole time mediating between my insurance company and the hospital, but hey, it's not EXACTLY work.
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Hi again girls, I have an apt. to talk to my onky on Thurs. at 5:30 about hercept. I would hope if I can't get it he would of told the nurse so I would not have to go in for nothing but....he drives a Jag. so he probably needs the office apt. money. Oh well,if I had one that dam cat on the front of the hood would just distract my view while driving and with the cell phone to my ear and eating and drinking while driving I just don't need anymore things cluttering up my driving abilities.Don't ya hate when you are eating and some ignorant man pulls up beside you and is picking his nose??? Don't ya want to yell out the window"pick a good one ass&*L$"? Then ya get a little farther and some dumb a&* is digging out his ears. I just want to say "can ya hear me now?" Sick people.I know one thing I never want to buy their slightly used cars cause I never see a hankie or q-tip in their hands YUK!!!!Well now that I have grossed yas out I need some shut eye. Good night girls and soft warm lullabys, Mary

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005

    The in-clinic surgery this morning was a snap. Surgery started about 9 and I was leaving at 10. Surgeon says the lump looks benign, and MY PORT IS OUT! I'm sure it'll all start hurting here in a little bit, but so far so good. The other good thing about in-clinic surgery: I didn't even have to take my shoes off.

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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    You go girl!!
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005
    Good for you P.J.Glad you are fine. You know, it just might warm up this wk. end but I won't count on it until it actually does. Goodnight ladies, Mary
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  • rlswkndr
    rlswkndr Member Posts: 148
    edited May 2005
    Paula, glad everything went well and was done quickly! Mary, I hope you are getting some of the warm weather this week after that yucky snow a fe days ago. What's with that!?
    Janie- sounds like all's well there too.
    My baby is 19 today! wow- time flies!
    Off to dig weeds from the garden.
    Renee
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Hi Girls, Well Renee, this weather is just not right.It is warming up so maybe we are on a roll.I actually went on a bike ride today and it wasn't the Harley!!! Yea, we went out to the lake and went on the bike path which I didn't want to go on cause of snakes but my husband assured me it would be fine. We stoped on the bridge and looked over to the logs daming the water below and saw 4 really big snakes. Now for here 5 or 6 ft. are big and they are dirty old filthy brown and black snakes. My husband ran over a very small one on the way back and I rode like the old mean witch on Wizzard of Oz to get back to the truck. I saw my onkey today about hercept. and told him of my weight problem and you know what he had the balls to tell me??? Its in your hands now and you have to exercise and watch your intake to lose!!!!Scuse Me! I like the chemo caused weight better. Now I actually have to try to get it off. Holy crap girls, I don't know if I have the energy. Well I get a sonagram of my heart in a few days & they will call with the day. I can start hercept in a wk. and now I have to find a way to pay for it. I get it every other wk. for 6 months. Onkey said since I had dose dense I could do 6 months every other wk. Its good to have Janie in there to help me through and let me know what to expect.P.J. Hope you are doing good. Renee, I kept telling everyone my baby was 26 and shes 29. Time flies and then I look in the mirror and wonder when I got old. My brain still thinks I am young, its my body that is letting me down. If I never looked in the mirror I would be young forever. Well girls gotta go. Hugs, Mary

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Mary, glad to hear you'll get Herceptin. I hope you can figure out a way to pay for it. Do you have Cobra insurance or anything? I can't remember. And you're right, Janie will be able to tell you what's down the road.

    Boy, listening to your bike ride tale and Renee's biking and gardening jaunts is making me feel guilty. I guess now I'LL have to get out and exercise.

    Janie, hope all is well; Caroline, if you're out there, hope things are good for you, too.

    I'm feeling fine. Really, the two incision sites don't hurt much (don't tell my boss, tho, I left work half a day early today) especially compared to last time. I'll find out the biopsy results tomorrow or Monday, and I'm gonna be really pissed if they're not benign like everyone's projecting. I mean, I went and gave my wigs to the cancer society today. I am OUT of the cancer business...
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Janie, What pre meds do they use for hercept? My onk said decradron and something else I think but I can't remember what.I think a nerve med. but no benadryl I know that. I was so looking forward to that benadryl sleep. Oh well, Thanks, Mary (glad you are doing well P.J.)

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    saw this on another thread....


    HI all,
    My onc. wants me to start Herceptin but I've been fretting about reimbursment. I called Genentech and they referred me to something called Single Point of Contact which seems to be the program they have for those of us whose ins. will deny or don't have ins. The website is www.spoconline.com where they have enrollment forms for the doctor to fill out. Basically, until FDA approves relabeling for early stage gals, insurance companies will most likely deny and so they help provide the drug for those folks whose household income is less than 75K per year. But... my problem is that even with free medicine, how would I pay for 52 weekly infusion charges? I'm going to have to have a long talk with oncologist about it!
    But I just thought this info could help someone.
    Hugs,
    Wendy
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Hey Paula, Thanks for the web site about hercept. I am going to give it to my Onkey. Big Hugs, Mary

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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    Mary, I just get Benedryl and two tylenol before Herceptin. They mentioned Decadron because of my nausea, but I said I'd rather not and they didn't push it. The Decadron makes me swell up, gain weight, and turn red. I would just as soon barf. They flush my port with saline before and after, but that is pretty much it. I got a long letter about the study today. It appears that the arm that got Herceptin with Taxol did the best. It is inconclusive about those of us who got the Herceptin after the Taxol. It said to call them and discuss it. Of course, I got it late on a Friday afternoon so I can't do that for a while.

    Happy Mother's Day Weekend everyone!

    Janie
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005
    Hey girls, Happy Mommies Day. Hugs, Mary Yea, Renee and I can dig out the sun glasses finally!!!!
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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Mary, glad you and Renee got a break in a weather. You must have sent the cold nasty stuff down our way. Oh well, we can take it for a day or so. We're pretty wimpy when it comes to our weather.

    Hope you all are having a great Mother's Day.

    Biopsy (I was corrected, even tho they took out a lump, it was an excisional biopsy NOT a lumpectomy. whatever) results tomorrow. I have to say, I'm very nervous.

    How are you guys dealing with anniversaries?
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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Whew. MUCH relief. Just a stupid benign cyst. I let myself get very nervous, and now i'm just so RELIEVED.

    Mary, find out anything more about the Herceptin?

    Hope you all are having a good day, too.

    Paula
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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    Fantastic news PJ!!! I hope Mary's is good too.

    Guess I will get some mammo results Wednesday.
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Hi girls, Great News P.J. and you can't help but worry, We know the bad can happen and when we least expect it so theres nothing wrong with worry.I am going to keep my ins. with a bit of a price tag but I have been wanting a part time retail job for the discounts so now I will get one. Janie you will get a clean bill too. I have to go but Renee, its warming up right nicely. Hugs, Mary

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Janie, we'll be waiting for those results along with you... I'm sure they'll be fine.

    Mary, how about Target? That's my dream, to have a Target discount...
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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    I love Target!

    Thanks girls. I am sure they would have called me by now if something showed up. They took a lot of pictures but I think it was because of the scar tissue. Also, the technician had to put on protective gear and stand behind me and hold me still because of the tremor.

    Warm fuzzies,

    Janie
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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005

    Received a letter from radiology just after I posted today. It says there is a mass they believe to be benign and I should get it checked again in six months. Being HER2+++, I don't think I want to wait that long. Will see the local oncologist tomorrow. It could be the same mass they found in the beginning on the other breast. A guided MRI biopsy was benign. The letter did not say which breast.,

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  • NancyLee13
    NancyLee13 Member Posts: 496
    edited May 2005

    Hi Janie--I just had a complete physical with pap and mammo. The mammo came back 2 "BENIGN FINDINGS". I went right down to the radiologist and asked him exactly what he meant by that and he said that it turned out that the pictures showed the scar tissue from the removal of my Groshong cath in the left breast in two different angles and spots. Sometimes I could just scream at these guys for scaring us about things. I wouldn't wait 6 months either. I also got a long letter from the nurse/manager of the clinical trial that we're on. I didn't love the part about the ladies on Taxol + Herceptin having fewer recurrences than the ladies who start Herceptin after finishing Taxol, but they did say that they haven't really come up with a definitive conclusion yet. That's because we're still taking the big H--26 down and 26 to go for me--and we're just fine. Oh, I have my 12 month MUGA tomorrow morning and then I should be all done with the testing for awhile. I'll be thinking good thoughts for you tomorrow that your mass is just B9 scar tissue too!! Smiles--NancyLee

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  • PJB
    PJB Member Posts: 2,615
    edited May 2005
    Janie, I can't believe they just sent you a letter like that! I'm with you on not waiting the 6 months. They can probably sell that to someone who hasn't already been through all this junk, but do they really think you'll be able to sit back and not worry for 6 months?

    NancyLee, hope the MUGA goes great. And here's hoping that when the results finally get in, you, Janie and, hopefully Mary, will show them that Hercept. AFTER chemo is just as good.

    Take care.
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  • mary1220
    mary1220 Member Posts: 1,246
    edited May 2005

    Hi girls, what up? Its storming and sticky. We got the pool ready except theres too much iron so the water is green but its kinda pretty. My husband will work on it until I go out and pour in mega doses of chems. and then it will clear up. Its from rain water that causes it. I get my heart sonagram tomorrow and then herceptin the first of the wk. and I hope I am feeling great for our trip. I better. Janie you might try talking to your surgeon and explain you don't want to wait. I don't think he would object if you want to get it checked out now.(I would hope not), Good luck kid. P.J. glad your plugging along. Nancy good luck to you with the heart scan. Its lightening pretty good so I am outta here, I have had enough voltage lately. Hugs Mary

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  • janie44
    janie44 Member Posts: 1,460
    edited May 2005
    Hi All,

    Mary, Keep us posted on how the Herceptin goes.

    My onc is pretty sure there is not a problem. The image was smooth rather than sprickly and does not appear cancerous. I was scheduled to see a surgeon next week just to be on the safe side.

    It is soooo hot here.

    Fuzzies,

    Janie
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