MAY 2009 Rads

Hi Ladies- Sun exposure cautionary warning. 

Without thinking was in the sun today for about 1/2 hour or so and had on a V neck dress with no sunscreen and it made my skin VERY hot and pink.  So hot that I walked around the office with a cold water bottle shoved in-between my dress rest and my boob to cool it down.  Next ate ice cream-yum-to cool down my boob from the inside!  Applied some Biafine, which of course, I am still carrying with me in my purse and it's been a week and a day since my last ZAP.   I was surprised because the top part of my breast has been completly healed (or so I thought) for at least 3 weeks.

All be please careful this weekend when playing in the sun.

Hi All, I was away in LA overnight for work.  So happy to see the new Bold Finishers on Cruise's list!  Yea & Congratulations! 

My skin is healing up - - feeling a bit itchy, but a good really healing itchy

Aloe and mosturizers all around!  Cheers!

Cindy, when you have a chance to update, can you please change my hormone therapy to Femara?  Just saw the med onc today and that's what we're going to start first.

Thank you!

I'm BUMMED.  The radiation dept is closed tomorrow.  For my last treatment...It would have been OK if I had only known.  They told me today..We were all set to celebrate...Now I'll have to wait till Monday.  Rats..!  JUDY

CONGRATS TO ALL THE YANKEE DOODLE GALS!!!!!  Independence takes on a new meaning huh? My breast is hotter than a firecracker. Just kidding. I bought some sparklers today. WHOOO HOO!!!!

jrgolomb, i have heard of people getting dizzy. I can't remember where. A lot of help I am.

I had my mapping for boost today and they used alcohol on my breast!!!  What about all the lecturing about lotions with alcohol? Oh well what ever.l only have four regular and 5 boost left. My skin is holding up well. (thank God) Get thee behind me Satan!!!!!!!

I am sorry that the facilities are closed tomorrow but I like the three day break for my energy and skin. Facecrafters you can see the finish line.

ddlatt, love the hair mine is not quite as full as yours but getting there.

I am soooo looking forward to three days with DH!!! I am chilling the Pinot Grigio. Tonight BBQ Carne asada. With three colors of peppers shallots,cilantro and tomatoes from the garden. Avocado, salsa and sour cream. Spanish rice and refried beans. OLE!!

Tomorrow I will start to dress the back yard in all the red white and blue. I have sunflowers in pots with American flags for all the tables. We are giving everyone fresh cut herbs to take home as well as tomatoes and basil. We have to much.Its so pretty and smells soooo goood.

Quick question. Have you all noticed that the fourth of July weekend every one says have a SAFE and wonderful holiday? They do not say that about Christmas or your birthday. I just think its funny like I am going to get drunk and hold a M80 in my hand and light it.

I hope that everyone celebrates the freedom we have in this the greatest country on Gods green earth.

barbiedahl: Looks like today is your graduation day! Congratulations!

Congratulations BarbieDahl!! 

This week was v. busy at work, with two trips to LA.  My boost area started peeling yesterday.  I've run out of everything but Aquaphor, but that seems to do the trick, even if it also seems to ruin my t-shirts. 

Went hat-less in the airport and on the plane this morning (cold!)  My hair is very thin on top and sides.  A couple in front of me started talking about their colleague who wears a weave/toupe after looking at me, something about "hair club"  - but maybe I just shouldn't have taken their conversation personally...

Gentle hugs everyone.  Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Congratulations Barbie! Enjoy your independence from rads!

Saw my med onco today and they are doing the CY test! I was a little concerned that my Tamox start will be delayed a bit but he wasn't, so I guess it's ok...he also wants me to heal some more from rads so he'll schedule CT/PET scan sometime in August...wow, that's next month...hmmnnn...that's when I had my FNA and core needle biopsies...OMG!!! it's been almost a year from BC diagnosis...yikes!!! I guess time flies even when you're not having so much fun from TX...but...life is STILL good...

Gotta go...need to get up early tomorrow for my long drive to Vegas, baby!!! Yeah!!!

Take care, ladies...

Barbie, congrats on finishing!!  It is an emotional time, like there should be some sort of neon sign that lights up and says, You're Done! when you walk out of the rads for the last time.  I didn't cry while getting treatment, but found myself misting up on the way home.

Bold, the carne asada sounds delicious!  Do you grill the meat in the asada marinade?  We had the BEST carne asada every in LA - and I've been craving it since last year.  I think I'll make that tonight - gonna look for a receipe.  Either that, or a plane ticket and I'll be over by dinner time.

Well, Princess, we ARE in the hair club, but it's sort of the reverse hair club - ours fell out and it's growing back in.  Feeling a little bolder about going out without anything on my head, but as the hair is getting fuller and longer, from a distance I'm still shiny scalp.  Sigh. 

Got to schedule a bone density scan on Monday.  My blood work from the onc visit was perfect, and he'll do the CA markers and liver enzymes on my 3month follow up in October, but he wanted a bone density baseline done while I'm just starting on the femara, because of the osteoporosis it causes.  I've got to remember those darn calcium tablets, they taste horrible, so I usually forget them.

Barbie, I'm restarting my yoga workouts also - began doing preliminary stretches to see what my range of motion is, and it felt soo good in my shoulder joints to stretch!  I'm planning on trying the full workout (well, as far as I can get with it on the first try) this morning.  Off for the holiday.

Tomorrow, we are riding in our town's July 4th Parade in our Jeep CJ.  We have a 1986 jeep that we ride around in on the weekends, and we take the doors off but keep the bikini top on.  We'll decorate it really tacky for the 4th, and drive in the parade with members of my husband's jeep club.  It's fun, but hot - we don't have a/c, so I'll be relying on that big cooler behind the seat to hydrate.  Only bummer?  parade's at 10 a.m. , and we have to be there at 7:30!  Good thing Starbucks is open early, is all I have to say. 

Barbiedahl---Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Finwa , and it's gotta feel good.

I agree TEXAS, DDLatt is gorgeous.  Ever do modeling, DD???

I feel much better today, no dizziness.....I think I overdid it lately.  Felt good last week, worked out everyday and tried to clean the house, went to my dh's tkd classes and everything else all at once.  Gonna cut out something.....hm.....Housecleaning??????

Today I didn't have to run out to the cancer center to get zapped.  I have enjoyed watching the bluebirds and hummingbirds fly about our yard catching the early morning bugs.  My husband picked the last of our potato crop ( fair to middlin this year) and for lunch we had roasted veggie s from out garden:  potatoes, red pepper, red cabbage, garlic, and onions.  Very good, very yummy.  The individual flavors of the food just popped out with each bite.

Happy fourth all. 

Texas, when did you start the Femara?  Just took my first dose today - my onc and I decided to start with half tabs, for about a week or two, to see how I do.

Princess - have fun at the fireworks!  the neighbors are doing firecrackers right now, and my dogs are losing it.  This is going to be a fun weekend!

Chelev, I started Femara last Saturday. Once I took an Advil, I was totally fine. In fact, I just got in from 20 minutes of swimming.

I really really really wanted to use Tamoxifen for a number of reasons, and had planned to switch after a couple of years on Femara, but now I've discovered some studies that say Tamoxifen isn't as effective for ILC. That's a bummer if true.  

That's the frustrating part of the AI and Tamoxifen studies. They don't appear to have done many, if at all, to differentiate the types of cancer women have, and other variables. The ILC study I referenced above was on cancer cells, not people.

happy fourth!

monday is my very last radiation treatment, and to celebrate, i did something today that i've been procrastinating about since 2003. i bought a ticket to return to paris (where i went to college and then was back in 2003 with my oldest son) and booked a hotel room in my favorite part of the city. two weeks in october!!  

i never dreamed last september, when i heard "you have a small cancer" that the following july i'd be happy, energetic, healthy, and planning my trip to paris.

la vie est belle!

DDLATT: That's the spirit! Great news!

We went to a big party yesterday, where only a few people knew "my story". It was so nice to feel normal, except for needing my best friend to open a can for me because of my missing fingernails. I also skipped the swimming (too bad in 100 degree heat) because of the wig. If we go to this same party next year, watch out!!!!

WOOOOOOHOOOO FACECRAFTER!!!!!!! DONE FINISHED !!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!

 Well what a weekend huh? I want more! I loved the weather and the people and laughter. It felt like a cancer free weekend. They forgot to give me my schedule for this week. I called this morning and got it. 9 left. We sure are not complaining much about the effect of radiation on this thread. We truly are strong woman. I loved hearing what everyone did. I often cry and worry about everyone. I end my post with a little quite prayer to keep all of us safe and free of cancer, surrounded with love. A little sappy today and a bit itchy. I did go in the pool allot but always slathered up with aquafor then rinsed off and reslathered. I got sooo much work done this weekend on my garden. I think that it is the most beautiful it has ever been. Maybe I just appreciate it more. Better hit the shower and get ready to get tired.