Starting Chemo February 2009?

Bethie,

When I had the BRACHA 1 and 2 tests done, it was just a lab test...sometimes results take a few weeks to get back...and I had to make sure insurance would cover it, as the test was over $6000. 

 Enjoy reading everyone's posts....best wishes in 2010!

Thanks-- We found out insurance would cover it, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it

Thanks Kerry.  I went to a salon and got it colored and trimmed at the top only.  I swear I had about 9 different hair colors in it.  It has curl in it and I can't seem to day anything with it.  I definitely will be growing it long again.  At least shoulder length anyway.  Short hair just does not suit me.  (even Tim admits)  I only have about 1 1/2 inches of hair so far.  It will only get better. Yeah - what is with the hair growing up & up?  I am still wearing my wig because just to get my hair somewhat in place is so time consuming & I never seem to allow for that.  

It has been cold here in Wpg but only -16 today.   Will be thinking of you with your checkup.  What do they do in your checkups?  I don't have too much this month.  In February I have further reconstruction surgery, zometa and a few other things.  

It has taken me a while to figure out what to do with mine too - short and curly is all new! I use Mousse and now a few bobby pins help. I am with you on growing it long - I just don't feel like "me" with it being short. Other people seem to like it though.

I am seeing the BS next week (I see her every 6 months and then my Onc every 6 months, the reasoning is I get two people checking me)  She doesn't do much - asks how I am doing, has a good feel around, it is usually really fast. Weeks of worry for 5 minutes of her time! (hopefullyy, I guess if she is worried about anything it would take longer!) I like my Onc better, we always have a good chat, she never rushes me.

Glad it is getting warmer there, it has warmed up here today too. 

Hey, guess who?! I popped in because one of my friends from another thread just found out she has a recurrence.  She is hanging in there, She will have a bilateral mastectomy soon. This has made me want to reach out to you furies and my other friends from this site. God, I don't know what I would do without you all! You are very special to me, each and every one!

As far as my life goes, I went to Florida for a short vacation last week. My oldest son turned 21 while we were there. I'm not that old, am I? lol In a couple of weeks I will leave for the Philippines! I will be doing a mission for one week and visiting with family for a week. I have stopped taking tamoxifen, too many side effects (pain, blood clots, depression were the most troublesome) My onc will have me give it one more try after I get back from Philippines. If I get the side effects again we will stop for good.

I think I am going to be more in touch with you girls here at BC.ORG. I need you!

Kerry~ I hear ya on the worry.  I would love to tell you that I have it all figured out (how to *not* worry), but I don't.

Cheryl~ I'm so sorry for your friend.  Was it a met, a local recurrance, or new primary. Not fair... Have fun on your trip.  Sounds wonderful!

Jaimie~ I'm still palnning on trying to come visit you!  At some point, we need to trade cell phone #'s so we can plan somehting.

I leave next week for a week in FL.  It is for a meeting to get my continuing ed.  But... it is in Orlando so I'm pulling the kids out of school and will spend time at Disney!  I'm really looking forward to this trip. 

Great Michele!  I PM'd you my cell phone number.  Have fun a Disney!!!  We here you.,.....yeah you went to Orlando for CE....wink, wink......  Good for you!!!

Cheryl~ We are here anytime.  How do you have a son that is 21 ??  BTW, where did you buy the purple bling, bling bikini ??  it is adorable.  Have fun on your mission and visiting family. 

Apple~ Glad to hear that you made it back safe and sound. 

Trying to get things organized still   Have you noticed a trend....  I really stink at organizing things....and we have WAY to many THINGS.....  Still getting Christmas stuff down.  The tree is going out this week and we are getting things done this week. 

Cheryl - A vacation with a purpose sounds wonderful.  I am finding that throughout this whole ordeal that I need to get a bigger purpose other than work.  (now that my kids are older)

Thanks for the hair compliments.  Still doesn't feel like me but all in time.  We took a bunch a photos at Xmas & I almost blurted out - 'who is that?' when I saw a photo of myself. 

Good eyebrown tip Apple.  My eybrows came in now too bad but they are so fair.  I sometimes put eyebrow powder on them but think I should try to dye them.  

I feel so naked without much hair that I tend to wear higher necklines or scarves a lot.

Well, I am sure having a cavity filled was more pleasant than having a boob chopped off - guess it is all perspective!

Typical life continues after cancer dx, Although we are changed forever!

The year ago today time line really does touch one's heart.  My surgery was Dec 23rd.  I was very sensitive for a number of days.

You go Kerry!! 

To whoever is still out there:

I've not posted for a long time, but for whatever reason I found myself back here where we all started. Yesterday I had my usual every three weeks session with Herceptin. It's so hard to comprehend that it has been almost one year since that first IV carried the live saving poison into my body, and yet I''m still months away from completing treatment. Upside is that I have 2 of my last 5 infusions booked and at least it now feels like there is a light at the end of this very long tunnel. I'm sure there are others of you out there who still have regular dates in the chair for the Herceptin. I hope you are not experiencing any side effects. I have about 3 hours of real nausea and then it passes and I feel pretty good.

Neuropathy is still a real problem. All day, every day my feet are totally numb and fingers tingle. It's hard to pick up many things with the lack of feeling in my fingers. I confess not  a day goes by that I don't ponder what my life would have been like without the Taxol that caused this numbness. Has it done its job and banished cancer for good? I don't know. I only know that I did what my oncologist recommended. To this day I credit her as saving my life by uncovering the HER2 error (originally diagnosed as HER2 negative but was in fact HER2 positive) in my pathology report, so I was going to do whatever she said. She is an angel as far as I'm concerned.

I have continued to work throughout this year and much to my surprise I realized by year end I had only taken 13 days of leave all year. There were many, many days that I dragged myself to work feeling like I had a bad case of the flu, but so much in my life was upside down, I had to hang on to the job and insurance/income that came with it. I'm still so tired I wonder if that was a good idea. Nothing sounds better today than the idea of 3 months of R&R. 

I have rambled on long enough for tonight.  My first mammogram since DX is on Monday and I guess I'm feeling particularly reflective. I am completely certain the news will be good, but that nagging feeling in the back of my mind keeps trying to escape. I wish everyone out there a long and happy/ healthy life on the back side of treatment. We've been to the mountaintop and the view on the other side is quite spectacular.

I'm not sure my life will feel "typical" again until I have breasts again....I am so aware of their absence, self conscious, sad.....it is a constant reminder.  In other ways, my life is fairly 'normal', though. 

Nancy, did you have all 12 Taxol's?  I had to stop at 9, before the neuropathy got too bad.  It lingered for a while, but is gone now.  If you had all treatments, it will probably just take longer to go away.  My daughter's pain doctor said that nerves repair themselves at one inch per month.  I've seen others say it can take up to a year or more, so don't give up hope yet. 

Jaimie:  You CAN do this, just think, you have the best dr's in the country working on you, they will do a beautiful job and you'll be so happy!

It's been a boring weekend, recovering on the couch.  Still feel like someone beat me up, lol, but hope to feel better tomorrow or tuesday.  I pulled muscles I didn't know I had, and am not a happy camper right now.  I'm kinda angry at myself for falling down those stairs, could've been really bad.  No signs of internal bleeding so far, keeping my eyes open for a couple more days though.

Aww, Judy, hope you are OK. Just take care of yourself and don't do anything until you feel less sore. We have steep stairs from our upstairs to our downstairs, and it was always my fear when the kids were babies that I would fall down them and be laying on the floor dead, and the kids would be alone in the house with their dead mother. The things your mind thinks up!!

 Jaimie - yes, you can do this. Just one foot in front of the other, remember. It all seems overwhelming to think of everything you have to do, but just take it thing by thing, and you will soon be through everything. and have a fantastic rack as well!! Are you doing the Tram thing?? With back muscle? I have not even lookied into recon...maybe in a couple of years, but I probably wouldn't do implants cos I had Rads.

Well, I have my 3 month check-up tomorrow, so I am in throw-up mode. I know it will be fine, doesn't stop me stressing though.....