For those starting chemo in June

Mary,

We must band together and not let the fitness freaks take over! Fatso's unite!!!! I hope your hip gets better. My neck shoulders are giving me fits, as well as my arm. I've been doing more lifting etc. than usual lately. That "do not lift more than 5 pounds" rule is not realistic.

Hugs and Fuzzies,

Janie

Mary,

It's like the old saying, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?" Yep, most of these young girls would jump, red thong and all....and the fashion industry is only too happy to make a buck off their naivity.

Just got up from sleeping off my Benadryl....still groggy...but feeling no pain.

Janie, I read that head ache is a side affect. I get a little head ache but not real bad yet. Tylenol helps. Today I feel like my head is stuffed up from my treatment yesterday. I think this does a number on the sinus like the Taxol did. I notice my sense of smell is enhanced like the Taxol but not as bad. I blow blood and my nose drips constantly. Gotta go to work so I will be back later. Hugs, Mary

Janie, Funny you mention neck and shoulders etc. I feel that pain too and I discussed it with my daughter.I can't take motrin etc. cause it upsets my stomach after about 3 doses so I told my daughter the pharm. that I hate to take too much tylenol and she said its o.k. as long as I take 2 every 4 to 6 hours but if I take more than,... I don't remember but it was like 12 or 14 a day then I could get in trouble. Tylenol and alcohol can cause liver problems bad even if you take them at different times of the day. I am going to my reg. Dr. on Mon. to see about an M.R.I. on my neck and back and hip. I have had about all the pain I can take. My hip is getting bad cause I can hardly walk so thats gotta get the cure. I will be glad to find out whats causing it and get something done to fix it or get some good darn pain pills. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be the same again. I am alive so I will put up with it all. I just wish I could cut down on work some and still get paid. Wouldn't that be great. Now I am dreaming. Better go. Have a great wk. end girls. Hugs Mary

Mary,

Bill and I feel your pain. I actually like Advil better but my gastro guy told me not to take it anymore because I did a number on my stomach before BC. He said Advil sent his kids through college.

PJ, Have a good time this weekend.

I just wrote about one of my early escapades on the Off Topic but Dying of Shame thread. You might get a kick out of it. Oh, to be young again. Not really.

Warm Fuzzies,

Janie

Mary,

All I know is that 52% did better with Herceptin than without, but it hurts my brain to try to figure out how that improves our stats individually.

I have aches/pains mostly because I have been lifting/packing etc. I am getting ready to move back near my boys. My old county hired me back....and they know about my bc! I am really happy to be changing jobs and locations. I just got back from taking care of some stuff up there. Now I have to take care of stuff here. I am going from an 11 to a 10 month contract and getting more money. Can't beat a deal like that! Thank heaven, they spread the paychecks over 12 months no matter how many months you work. I have to be there July 19. Moving day is the 11th. I have so much to do and so little time to do it. I have two onc nurses trying to find a place for me to continue getting treatment and remain on trial.

Warm Fuzzes,

Janie

Janie, Thats great about your job and moving closer to the boys. They will be glad too. I am glad you got a better paying job and less stress. P.J. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Hope you have fun what ever you do to celebrate. The forties are good, your a little wiser and still spunky. Then you lose it all at 50. I am trying to figure out when I became old???Janie are you still going to be in Ga? Good luck with your move. I think my Dr. was reading the stats from first dx. I told her I was doing Hercept. but I don't think she has a clue what that is. I don't think she has any idea about B.C. Shes a General M.D. (and OBGYN). Well at work and outta coffe. Later Mary

I forgot.

Mary, I am definitely also noticing the vision problems, especially right after the infusion. I read something this morning that I could not see to read tonight. Strange.

Ah, the home remodeling blues. Maybe you can tell him you want a hot tub and send him out to dig a big hole in the yard and then cover him up while he's in there... But not until he finishes the work inside, of course.

Hope everyone's feeling fine.

My friend who started chemo (again) Friday is having a really tough time with nausea. She's on FEC this time around. They haven't found a drug yet that makes her feel better. I hope they do soon. It brings back some unpleasant memories seeing her go through it. Makes me nervous.

See ya later,
Paula

O.K.girls, yous have come up with some excellent ideas and now I just have to make the dream come true. I am proud of you girls. I knew I could count on yous. A hot tub is good and he pointed one out at Lowes today but said if we moved to Phoenix in an appartment it would come with the place and we wouldn't have any upkeep. This man is always thinking...about how to save money.....Now the brake thing is good...goooood thinking too. I am however affraid I may have to cut more than one hose to get the "right one" and then the cycle won't start. The land is flat here so no mountains to throw him off of....We have a lake but he can swim....I might have to keep him...and sell the house. I gotta sleep on it, which reminds me he painted the bedroom but the boarder is sitting on the dresser waiting for me to hang it and a 5ft. peice of trim is waiting for a 2nd. coat of paint and the bedroom will be finished. My half-ass house. Hugs, Mary

I posted this on the stage III thread but thought I would also share it with you.

I am on a short summer break (school system) and heard that As the World Turns is featuring a breast cancer storyline for a character named Lucinda Walsh. I tuned in to see if they were treating it true to form. I do not know the rest of what is going on, but leave the TV on and stop and watch the cancer story. Yesterday, she found out she is Stage III. Next week she is supposed to explore her options with her oncologist. So far, everything has been on target. CBS even has a breast cancer section on their website. I hope they continue to do it up right and do not have her diagnosed one day, bald the next and completely well a week later. They should have her go through the whole gambit. It would be even better is she is HER2 positive and they actually cover all the bases and educate the audience.

Warm Fuzzies,

Janie

I should of said not all B.C. is heredity. Sorry

Girls, We took off on a wim and ran 5 hours down to Memphis to see Graceland yesterday. I call Hotels.com and got a room. We get to Lamar street where our fine Hotel is and after realizing our windshield was soo full of bugs we could not see out it and the gas stations had no windshield cleaners we didn't mind not seeing where we were going. We were in the worse part of town. We get to the Hotel tired, its 9 P.M. and we see 8 cars in the lot and they are beat up and I mean bad looking. We decide to go in and there is no air conditioning!!! It stinks and there are ladies of the night going past us with men and a couple right out of Twilight Zone and they had to be married!!!! I mean this was a bad movie starring us!!!! We got the key and just to see what this place was or simply we were in shock we stand there holding the key like we are going to stay. My husband says do poeple rent by the night or hour??? we get no reply. We walk slowly to the elevator and its a 3 ft. opening with a regular door and no knob....We go to the stairs and walk up to 2nd. floor and there is our room. We open the door and there is 1 light, the tile is all crumbling in the bathroom you could not walk in there barefoot and the bed is not made!!!!the T.V. screen is broke but some how I doubt it would work anyway. The carpet is peeled up in places and its sooo hot and stinks!!!! I asked my husband if he saw yellow police tape on the floor, Thats all that was missing to make it the perfect get-away. I kept thinking Aston would come running out and yell "YOUR PUNKED"........ didn't happen..... we were just screwed!!!!We went downstairs and asked for our money. They said we had to contact Hotels.com and I did but they are checking it out. We drove through more seedy town and came to a Holliday Inn and it had nice cars so we went in where I explained what had happened. The gal behind the desk could't help but laugh and wondered how we got out alive. Guess what happened today after we got done at Graceland????Yea we got lost in our old neighborhood again We drove for about 45 mins. but it seemed like hours and finally got to Beal Street and got a glimps of downtown Memphis but we were so frustrated we just kept on going and got on 55 North and came home. Be very careful when getting a hotel just minutes from Graceland!!!! This place had a hand drawn car on a piece of paper taped on the wall and it said "We are not responsible for your car if you leave it in the parking lot all night" where the hell you suppose to leave it???? Well thank the Lord we are home and it feels good. I sure hope I get a credit. That room was 100.00 or better. I wondered why it was cheap compared to some of the others. Ya know it didn't look bad at night but there wasn't much light....It was bad inside....Well, Graceland was good and we will never forget that trip. I didn't much care for Memphis but I didn't see much of it. We can't tell our kids what happened because they would take our keys away from us. Hugs, Mary

Mary,

I was born and raised in TN but have never been to Memphis. However, I was farther away than you are. It is a long way from the Northeastern tip to the Southwestern tip of TN. I am glad you got out alive.

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

Janie

Hey Mary,

No, they checked the nodules in January and were pretty well satisfied that they were not cancer because there were no changes after chemo. I don't know if or when they may check them again. I do go back to Mayo this week. I was scheduled for next week but Monday is moving day so I asked if I could do my Herceptin here as scheduled and then have my follow-up appointment down there Thursday. They are working on all of it including getting my treatment changed to the other medical center. I am supposed to hear something today. It would be great if they could speed it up and I could have the initial apt with the new onc before I start work. My orientation date is the 19th. I am trying to get Herceptin appointments after work if possible. I am sitting among many boxes. I have taken several things to Good Will and many things to the trash, but it seems to keep growing. My oldest was here for the 4th and was a big help. My two youngest are helping me move. I sent the daughter a plane ticket. I had to switch to the stronger stuff (Darvocet) yesterday in order to keep going on this. The ol back is giving out on me. Have a good day.

Janie