Starting Chemo February 2009?

  Judy, I do not recall a lot of names from Northville other than the downtown stores and people my grandparents knew so we are talking way back.  My mother grew up in Northville....her mother had a ladies dress shop and her uncle had the men's shop and drycleaners......Freydl.   I was born there, but raised in Portsmouth OH since that was my father's home town.  He and my mother met at OSU.  I loved spending summers in Northville and remember Cloverdale very well....also there was one called Gurnsey's ,  I gained a ton of weight staying there eating icecream and eating at the Old Mill/Bean Pot  which they later turned into a  very nice restaurant.  We are going back to the late 50's to mid 60's  I talk about these places.  I was there a few yrs ago and it is a lovely town with all sorts of upscale unique little shops....my grandma's former store is now a candy store.  And the drugstore was a very nice clothing shop.  It is always nice when small towns stay alive and become better.  Unfortunately  Portsmouth doesn't really have much going on at all.  Re my new onco, I don't really have one....well, I did go for an opinion on the IMRT and radiofrequency and she thought it would work well for me...this was so different from what my onco who has taken care of me for 11 years thinks, that I am now going to MD Anderson Sept 28 for a third opinion.  The present onco I am hoping will be the one to give me whatever treatment we decide on......he was planning taxotere avastin as I saw that on his notes when I saw him Wed. Still have neuropathy as well as the runny eyes which I am thinking are worse now than they were a few days ago so the opthalm  told me to go back on the drops.  Am now in the process of sending lots and lots of info to TX.  I am currently not even getting faslodex and it sort of scares me to be on nothing, but I will say I do feel good. 

    I have been going places wigless, out to eat, shopping etc and it feels really good.  I do however still wear it at work, but that is just becasue I don't like to have to explain to each patient what is going on.  Yesterday this one lady saw my ungloved hand, but only saw the thumb and asked Oh, what did you do to your finger....then I showed her all of them and told her I had been on chemo.  The thumb especially looks like I hit it with a hammer or shut it in a car door...shades of black, purple and greenish yellow.  Do I now qualify as a person of color? 

    My two best friends from Jr.High on are making the trip to  TX with me.  My husband is always saying he will support me in any way, but it doesn't mean traveling or going to Drs appts.  

     Everyone have a good day. 

I just spent the last hour or 2 catching up on all that I missed.  I'm sitting here thinking of each and every one of you and what you're all going through.  May today be absolutely pain-free and stress-free (ha) for each of you.  It's so good to come here and feel like I'm back with friends. 

I just returned home after attending a Cancer Wellness Retreat in NC and it was wonderful.  http://www.windriverservices.com/home

We did a bit of yoga, meditation and guided imagery.  Some also painted, using the water running in the stream that goes through the property.  We plopped our chairs in the middle of the stream with our feet dangling in the water and they painted while I sewed.  Bliss.  I met some amazing women too.

For a few wks now I've been sore under my left boob (only one left) and I think it's just from it being hot and moist under there with the hot weather.  (Saggy boob.)  But the other night I tried squeezing it and it had some discharge.  Not a good sign.  After researching a bit online, I completely freaked myself out and had a mini-meltdown.  Luckily I had my regular appt with my oncologist yesterday.  I had had discharge from that side after my mastectomy too, but they had me get an MRI and it was clear.  At my appt the dr thought the soreness underneath was just from sweating, but she said the next step for the discharge would be a glandular test where they stick a needle in the nipple to see if there's any tumors in the ducts.  EWWWWWWW.....  I'd rather have a 2^nd mastectomy.  She said it's of low concern to her, so after discussing it, she suggested I make an appt with the breast surgeon about a 2^nd mastectomy plus reconstruction they could do on both sides in the same surgery.  That sounds good and I'll call today for an appt.  Just when you think everything is over.....  Michelle, did I read that you'll be getting a 2nd mastectomy too?

Hey Judy-- Thanks!!! No unfortunately that's the pic size!!!  I'm taking one class --macroeconomics and it's going well.!!!  I get assistance from the union I'm in --2 tuition vouchers a year!!!

Kerry--Boobs in a bag!! LMAO!! Too funny!!! We should get carry all bags for all the crap we need now!!!

thinking of you today Kerry!! prayers for a normal MRI (and smooth scanning day).

PS. Does the MRI dye make you feel crappy? Is does me (for only a few hrs though...)

I heard from my oncologist. I will need to be on anticoagulation meds as long as I am on tamoxifen. I will start out with daily injections, then pills. The fun never ends!

Dang Cheryl that doesn't sound fun  

Kerry~ I hope everything goes smoothly and you come back with a nice clean MRI. 

Okay so I have lovely drains in my incision that are not JP's they are primsomthings (like the name) and they just leak all over the place.  It's noon and I am on shirt #2 for the day....ewwwee...  So I will not be going any place unless I have to this week because I don't want to take the chance of being a leaking mess.  I took the bandages off yesterday and it wasn't too bad.  I don't have alot of lose skin but I am indented because of the implants/expanders.  Honestly I was expecting a lot worse BUT I want to know when I can start reconstructin.....Can we start yet ??  but wait I need to gain weight......

I am still not in love with food the way I used to be.  I honestly loved to eat and now I just do it because I have too   I need to find about 10lbs at least...remind me of this post when I am gaining like crazy again...

Cheryl-- That is SO NOT fun!!!   I hope the gang is well.  I'm just popping in quick before I do homework.

Whoooo Kerry is going to have a wild night.  You go Girl !!!    Oh the MRI's you poor girl....remember don't take a deep breath (starts the panick attack), don't move (now I have an itch) and if you do we start again....Glad it's over. 

I am bored out of my mind...I am supposed to be taking my photoshop class on line but instead I have been like an ADHD child.  I can't sit still or concentrate at all. 

count me in with being sick of the pink ribbon. however, I did buy a simple t-shirt (about finding a cure) for $5 from hanes because people in public (like home improvement stores) are always asking about my hair... I just point to the shirt.

Jaimie~ {{hugs}} take care of yourself.

Kerry ~ when will you know about your MRI? 

Michelle ~ your shirt sounds good.  I'd probably wear something like that.  My sister bought me a shirt that has a small pink ribbon and says "Fight Like A Girl".  She gave it to me and said, "I know you probably won't wear this, but I just wanted to get it for you."  I didn't mind that, and I might actually wear it since it's brown instead of pink, lol.  

Jamie ~ I'm with you.  Awareness is all well and good, but we need a damn CURE instead of more pink TicTacs and coffee mugs.  I really do hope that this awareness money is getting into the hands of researchers.

Hugs to all,
Artemis

I bought the pink Mike Hard Lemonades - delicious!!  They are supporting BC awareness on their 10th anniversary.  Yum Yum!!

Judy - she is so lovely! bet you are all so proud of her. It must be a great confidence booster, getting up on stage like that.

Anyhow, not much going on here. Feel much better after the Zometa, thank goodness. It is supposed to only be the first one that knocks you about. Still, I can easily handle that once every 6 months if it stops bone mets.  And at the very least I won't break a hip in two years from the Arimidex!

Enjoy your Monday.....

Cheryl:  sent you a PM with some links that helped me when I first started on coumadin

Jaimie:  Glad you had some good news anyway.....I'm not mosaicing a guitar on a table....I'm mosaicing an actual guitar, lol.  It's a child sized guitar, but will still take a lot of glass to complete.

Kerry I have been having trims to try and make it look like I cut it like this on purpose (less questions).  My hairdresser only cuts it in certain places to "clean it up" BUT the top is looking shaggy.  I'm not sure what to do with it so I just keep spiking it up but the top is getting wild.  It's still straight but just does it's own thing.   Good for you still walking. 

We are staying on property at Disney which will be my first time staying there.  We don't get there until Oct. 3 but we are visiting my MIL first.  I am so excited about going and I hope I can keep up.  I will be bring my pain pills because I have a feeling I am going to need them for my joints.