Starting Chemo February 2009?

Judy~ It was from my exchange surgery.  You would think it would have shown up already it's been 5 weeks.

Oh, Judy, I hope your daughter is OK. How long will they have to keep her in for? It must be hard on her, being so young. I can understand how she hates being in hospital. Not my favourite place either. Let us know how she is doing!

The cookie recipe sounds so good. I'll have to try it. I love anything oaty too. My family loves baking of any description, I can't keep the tins full! 

Jaimie - oh, my, how revolting sounding. I was cringing for you. Hope the stitch was the culprit. 

apple - love the photo of your doggy! It reminds me of my son - my daughter dresses him up in her old pink clothes, and thinks it is hilarious, poor boy!  He has a pink "Fairy magic" nightie on right now...!

Michele - love the photos. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Don't you feel so liberated not having to put a jolly wig or scarf on every day? Great idea to offer your old scarfs up, I think I will drop mine off with the hospital volunteers next time I go to the cancer centre where I had rads - they gave me a whole bunch when my hair first fell out. 

Well, my BIL drove my MIL down from Ottawa yesterday, so she will be here for my Surgery. It is on Tuesday.  Getting nerves already.

Anyhow, hope you all have a lovely weekend. It is grey and rainy here, so we will have our garage sale next weekend, as long as I am recovered enough. 

Judy~ I hope they are a good match for you.  Getting paid for doing something you love it sooo much fun

Well busy weekend for us we stayed home and went out in our boat and today we have a wedding.  We also were able to book our trip to Disney World for Oct.   I am thrilled !!  My kids have been there before but we are staying on property and getting the meal plans so I will be rolling home after Oct. 9..loll...... 

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. 

Oh, apple, you gave me a laugh! That's funny.

Judy - hope your daughter is Ok, and home soon. Sounds like no fun for anyone. I have spent hours and hours pulling wallpaper off the walls is this house. I would never wallpaper, ever. Such hard work. Every room was wallpapered when we bought our house. We also pulled the carpet up before we moved in and got the floors refinished - my husband has dust allergies, and we would never have carpet. Well, we have it in the basement, but the rest is hardwood.  Good luck with the Art Shop, that would be wonderfiul if you could sell your work.

Jaimie - hope the wedding was fun! Any photos of you looking glamourous?? I am so so so so jealous of you going to Disneyland, wish we could afford it, but we are too poor after doing the bathrooms.  The kids would adore it. Me too!

Well, it has been thundery and rainy all weekend. Went to a kids b'day party this afternoon, so everyone is exhausted. Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!

Hi Furies,

I had my gdaughters for a few days--well, almost.  I picked them up Wed. and the older one got homesick Thursday (she's been coming down here for 4 years), so met my son halfway (100 miles up the road) and dropped her off.  The younger one wouldn't go with her, so brought her back with me.  She got homesick Friday, so drove her all the way home Friday night.  Was too tired to come home until Sat. evening and have been doing absolutely nothing since. 

Michele:  Thanks for the information on the lesion.  Yes, I'm older--62.  I'm taking the questions with me next week when I see the neurosurgeon.  I hadn't thought of some of those, so I do appreciate your imput.   I do have another question--you mentioned pulling your tumor markers.  What does that mean?  Sorry I'm so dense about some of this.   Also, I have a question about the Zometa study.--I think I remember you saying you were either getting Z or were in the trial???   I've been thinking about that clinical trial (especially since I was unblinded in the Avastin study and was getting the placebo), but when I went to my dentist for the exam, he was very much opposed to the Zometa.  I'm going to get a second dentist's opinion, but did yours have any problems with it?  BTW, loved the  pics.

Judy,  Thanks for posting the cookie recipe.  I got the ingredients, but will wait for a visit from the energizer bunny before I  get to the baking.  I love cookie dough, and this sounds delicious--MAYBE I'll actually get some baked.

Apple,  Cute joke. And the picture is great--what a terriffic young man.  

Grace,  Hoping for good news tomorrow when you get the MRI results--I'll be thinking about ya.

Kerry,  Hope your surgery and recovery go quickly.  Sounds to me like you have everything very organized--meals in the freezer, house clean, I can only dream of being that together.

Jaimieh, So glad you are planning for Disney World.  What a time you'll have!

Hope you all have a good week ahead.  I'm going for #11/12 Taxol tomorrow--counting down!    Take care.  Helen

Kim - I have been thinking too how nice it is that we are able to chat about more "normal" stuff! Hope rads gets easier for you. It didn't bother me but I know others who didn't feel comfortable with it. I did feel like I got more "used" to it, the longer I went, so hopefully you will feel better about it with time. Your trip sounds great! My husband and I have just booked two nights away by ourselves in Montreal for mid-August, then 6 days camping with the kids. I can't wait to get away!

Helen -  Hope Chemo goes well today. You are so nearly done!

Anyhow, it's sunny here after a very wet weekend.  Hope you all have a good one!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I had a blast but now it's time to get back to reality and realize that my house has got to get cleaned this week.  I have been so ache lately and I'm not sure why but my joints are really bothering me.  I have been on clodronate for a month and I have progressively gotten more and more stiff.  Michele do you have any problems on clodronate ?? 

new not good. suspicious for metastactic breast ca................bone scans stat are being ordered.

pray

Oh no Grace!! Lots of prayers. 

Grace~ Praying for you ((bighugs))

Kerry~ I am hoping and praying that your surgery goes smooth and you have a quick recovery. 

Kerry, You surgery is tomorrow, right?? Good luck and lots of prayers.

Susan, love the pictures!!!

Helen, My dentist isn't all too fond of bisphonates because of the risk of ONJ.  However, he and I agree that I'd rather be potentially dealing with ONJ down the road and not mets. Soooo... I'm on clondronate.  Toanswer your PM: The phytoestrogen I take is flaxmeal.  But, it isn't like soy and I'm not ER+.  I avoid all other hormone stuff... If I were ER+, I'd likely avoid flax too (maybe).  JMHO.

Jaimie, I'm super-achey too. I assumed it was exercise-related but I've never had joint pain/stiffness like this before.  I wonder if it is the clondronate??? I'll have to ask my onc what he thinks...

Apple, LOL!  You always make me feel so much better.  Thanks.

Judy, So sorry to hear about your DD.  I don't know how you do it... Staying sane, I mean.

Grace, Keep us posted.

Hugs Bethie!!

Grace, I'm praying hard for you.   Please let us know what you find out.   This constant turmoil is so terrible--and we're supposed to be reducing stress in our lives (?!).  Praying for strength and peace for you and that you get a good report soon.

Apple   Your crainotomy apple makes me wonder what I'll look like if I have to have that procedure--I don't think my eyes will be that pretty.  Hmmmm

Kerry  I'll be thinking about you tomorrow as you have your surgery.  Best wishes.

Michele  Thank you for the information.  I agree about the Zometa--it looks to me like the trial checks for ONJ  before every treatment, and you can quit at the first sign of trouble.  I think I didn't explain very well my concern about the mets factor.  Am getting a second opinion tomorrow.  Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

Susan  Great pics--what a beautiful child (and your hair is great).

Now Bethie   Partner in Crime LOL.                                                                                        

         Happy Birthday on Wednesday. 

    I'm sorry you are having these setbacks.  Here's a little Furie-Fun to help during the wait--Cheers! 

 Had my chemo this morning...lucky I went in early.  My labs were scheduled for Noon, with NP appointment at 1:00 to be followed by tx.  I went in to the alternate lab at 8:00 instead, to get lab out of the way and go to my office for a few hours.  Lab Receptionist told me my chemo had been cancelled for today.  GRRR.  I figured that when the Cancer Center rescheduled my neurosurgeon appointment (which they had made for today at the same time as my chemo!), everything, including the chemo, had been removed from today's schedule.  So, downstairs to the Cancer Center. I know I looked mean and somewhat angry--baldheaded, clinched teeth--receptionist called onc office and infusion center and actually said, "She's under the impression that she's to have chemo today, but that's wrong."   I leaned over the counter and said loud enough for the onc nurse to hear, "Please send the order for my labs and drugs because I'm tired and I will lie down in the waiting room until I get my treatment or you send for security.  It worked--oh the empowerment.  I was actually finished by 1:15 pm!   Apple, do you think it could be the meningioma having an effect on me?   Actually, during my law enforcement life, it was easier to be assertive since I had a badge and a Glock.  

The Good News--only One More Taxol.  Yep, I'm loaded on steroids--too chatty so am off to clean something.  Take care, Furies.  Helen 

Oh Kerry.. I always find that you are the first to post in the morning. 2 hours before i reach the computer.  I'm sure we wish we all could go and wait in the hospital's waiting room.  the surgery is supposed to be a piece of cake..  (that's what everyminute said)

ooopherectomy is really a weird word.

wishing you luck.