Starting Chemo April 2009

HI Girls,

 Sounds like you all are having great family time - so happy for us to be able to do that and realize the value in it all!   All my love for a great weekend and "here's to living our lives".

HELEN - I wish you all the patience of a saint and most of all speedy hair growth.  xoxo 

HUGS to ya all, Dawn

Good to hear from you Dawn!

Stay warm, hugs to all, Judy x

Here's my hair update (see avatar). Been PFC since 7/30.  Coming in pretty thick. (I colored it - it really came in ALL GRAY!).

Amy, your hair looks fabulous! Betsy, I will get around to the pics, really I will : )

Hope everyone is doing ok, hugs to all, Judy x

Aah, thanks Titan! Such a lovely image of me! I will try and post soon.

Good night all, hugs, Judy xxx

Okay Amy, what's THIS?  LOL! I finished chemo a whole week before you did, but your hair is a little longer than mine! Not fair! OK, to be serious, judging from that pic, on top we're about equal, but you have more hair on the sides than I do.

On the subject of hair, soon as I catch up my reading over there, I'll be posting to the Hair Hair Hair thread the nightmare that woke me up this morning. I dreamed I discovered I was out topless and so embarrassed I wanted to die! Whatever happened to those good old fashioned stark naked in public nightmares? :-O

Oh, and finally, I suppose now that I have the majority of my computer issues under control, I finally did some calculations (i.e., what I'm paying for my dialup ISP and telephone bill) and got myself steeled up to call Verizon today. I ordered a high speed internet/voice communications package (my phone service will be the same but I'll have high speed internet WITH it, and I'll be able to be online and on the phone at the same time!). Believe it or not, this combo package which will be the exact same phone service but superior Internet, is going to cost a bit LESS than my separate dialup ISP and phone service I've had for ages now. So sometime this week or early next when the DSL modem gets here, I'll be done with dialup. I look forward to that, but talk about stressful -- it took a freakin' HOUR to place the order because I had to answer all the Verizon salesperson's stupid questions and then before they can give you a confirmation number on your order, they have to read you this light years long legal crap nonsense which they say will be coming in writing, with your modem and instruction kit, and into which they throw advertising at you. UGGGH What a freakin' PITA!  Like why do they need anything other than my phone number/billing information, my computer specs to confirm I can use their service and the services I want to order? It should take 5-10 mins, not an hour or more! OK, yes, this would have pissed me off before I had cancer too.

Wow, it's time to take my meds already...OK, see you all next time. Take care of yourselves!

~Lena. 

HA!   Judy!  I was RIGHT!    YOU are exactly as I pictured you...I WILL have my avatar done soon...if everyone else can do it..I can....Lena..time for you to put yourself up there too..remember we love you...and we know you aren't as ugly as you think you are...you are probably knock dead gorgeous and don't want to show everyone up.

Judy & Amy- you both look adorable! Judy your hair looks about as long as mine, did you color your hair too?

Ok...I already whined on the Sept. Rads board, I may as well do it here too. I went to see my rads onc today as my breast is swollen, hot and sore. I have a breast infection. Started on antibiotics today...he will give me 10 days, if it's not cleared up then we will head down the steroid path. He said it's very unusual...now recall, I was the lucky one that also had an allergic reaction to the neulasta shot, something they swore they had never experienced before. I've always known I'm a little odd...but now I'm thinkin I'm truly a rare breed OR just damn unlucky.

 PICTURE DAY!!!! WOOOOHOOO;o)  Here's a new one of me at 41/2 mos PFC

OMG JUDY - You look absolutely gorgeous, so glad that you could post the pic and we can put a face with the name.

TITAN - When is that daughter coming home to post that pic - We need to see you girlfriend.

LENA - We will all just have our own lovely image of you in our heads - We still love ya even w/o the pic.

BETSY - Are you still waiting for Titan's pic before you change your avatar back, I want to see the real you again.

ALAINA - Yep - get a new pic on there!

AMY - You've got a ton of hair and look maaaaaaaavalous!!

HUGS for a great day, Dawn

Dawn, how did you post that inside your msg?

JUDY - You have to have your pics on a website somewhere like photobucket, then you click on the little tree button at the top of the posting box and copy the url in to it.  I had to have my hubby walk me through it.  I think there is a better explanation if you go in to HELP at the top. 

Thanks;o)

HUGS, Dawn

Betsy, how are you doing today?

Have a good evening all, hugs, Judy x

I'm doing ok, my girl is still stinging and warm. The rads doc thought it was most likely caused from radiation. I was very inflamed through the last two weeks of rads an my tissue opened slightly then. The infection could have started then but he was just guessing. He did say this was NOT the beginnings of a recurrence. He said don't let my mind even go there.

Ya...one green boob would go with my red one...making a very festive pair. Truly it's really not bad...rads pain was way worse. I'm only half as inflated as I was during rads. I was just depressed a little at the minor set back...so I needed to  vent. I'm sure the antibiotics will kick this minor infections butt...at least I'm hoping so.

ljh58 - I can totally relate to your racing heart rate. My last bp at the onc's office was 202/106. I almost fell off the chair. I doubled my bp meds before chemo started, as I was running high after the dx. But even double the dose those bp levels are stroke levels. I think it was because they had just dug for a vein to take blood and that always stresses me out. TG - since then my bp has been much lower.

Dawn...you are right I'm holding out for Titan before I post an updated pic. I spiked my hair today with Urban gel...I think it's good ole butch wax. When I got home from work my dh said...what happened? Don't think he cared for it much. Oh well, most of the ladies at work liked it...it's different, but not sure I liked it either.

Alaina- I also have amazing cowlicks that why I tried the wax...thought they might blend in better. Although, I think I need a hair dresser as it just looked like my entire head was many, many cowlicks mushed together. I've never been one to mess with my hair much...so this is all new to me.

My skin is healing, but that was an ugly process. Thanks to everyone who gave me home-remedies and suggestions. I finally found a way to wear my bra/prosthetic without it irritating my skin too badly, but for the last week, I've simply gone without both. It's just more comfortable right now.

I'm moving at the end of the month, and am taking on the arduous task of packing. This is the part I hate, but I am so looking forward to moving into my new place! I'm throwing tons of stuff out so it's kinda hurting my heart as an unrepentant pack-rat, but its getting done.

I'm absolutely in LOVE with the crochet projects I've taken on this holiday season! They are keeping me sane! I look forward to formalizing a crafting ministry in my church next year and teaching others who wish to learn how to crochet/knit in the coming year.

I've decided I have 3 major goals for 2010:

1. Learn Spanish (Rosetta Stone here I come!)
2. Take harp lessons (I've always wanted to learn how to play the harp)
3. Live in joy and not fear

#3 is especially important and I'm going to need your help. For the most part, all of my "formal" treatment for breast cancer is completed. Yes, I have Herceptin-only treatments through 4/2/2010, but those are easy. The tough stuff, chemo, surgery, radiation, are done, and I have responded remarkably well to all 3! Thank God, I can truly say I'm "cancer-free!"

But now, I have to think about recurrence and doing everything I can to prevent the cancer from returning. The fear can be all-consuming if you let it. But I refuse to let it, but admittedly, I've had some sleepless nights thinking about a future I don't want to imagine.

Whatever happens, I know I'll get through it. After this year, there is nothing I figure I can't accomplish!

I don't believe in resolutions, but what are your Goals for 2010?

Share them with me!

Hi, everyone.  Well, I tried to change my avatar to show you where I am with hair growth - coming up to 8 months PFC in a week but for some reason it won't allow me to.  I did update it on the hair hair hair page but here I am:"

Overall, fairly pleased with the growth - it's getting long on top, finally.  The sides and back are slower, but getting there. 

Mostly doing well, almost done with that nasty infection I had in the bc boob, from rads healing or who knows what?  Start lymphadema drainage therapy tomorrow morning - there is slight swelling still in the breast and lymph nodes, so we're hoping a few sessions will take care of that.  Otherwise, doing just fine.

Hope everyone is well, and best wishes for the holidays.