For those starting chemo in June

mary1220 · July 2005

Hi girls, Glad you are better Janie but I tell ya I have nausea off and on, not real bad but I get acid stomach too. Thanks for caring girls, its good to have such good friends. I am glad the school is happy to have you Janie. It must make you feel good and it sounds like you will be appreciated there. I had a big birthday bash for 2 grandkids and 2 nieces so I am beat. I made treat bags for all the kids and food. I love doing that stuff.I hung balloons and we swam and we had a good time. The adults had fun too. Bailey my grandson that always stays with me is staying tonight. I have to find a flight to Phoenix in Sept. My daughter wants me and hubby to come and see their new place. Later girls. Hugs, Mary

janie44 · July 2005

Hi ladies,

Glad to hear all is nearly well. I was sick all day yesterday. I think a lot of it was the heat. My air went out in my new place and a part has to be ordered. I am staying elsewhere.

Sounds like fun Mary. I used to do that stuff when my kids were little. I hope to still have my witts about me enough to do it when and if I have grandchildren.

Talking about flying into Phoenix -- I sent my daughter a ticket to fly in and help me move. She had to change flights going back and ended up with a connection in Phoenix. When she arrived, she discovered that her plane left from another building. She had to take the bus over and go through security all over again. She finally made it home and in time to play her ballgame. She plays ball for a local adult team in Eugene.

Stay cool and have a good day.

Hugs,

Janie

NancyLee13 · July 2005

Hello Junies--I'm all recovered from the Relay for Life experience. I did 52 laps in all for a total of 13 miles. It was a very moving and tiring and fun night all wrapped into one. I was the only person from my town to walk in the Survivor Victory lap. I walked with an I.B.C. sign on my shirt--This stood for I Beat Cancer for me and Intelligent Beautiful Chicks for the rest of the team. 7 other ladies showed up to help me walk the night away and we managed to have someone on the track for the 12 hours. I GOTTA get more people signed up if I do this again next year. Or I gotta avoid that lady who dumped all this on me in the first place. OH well, it's over and I'm hardly in worse shape than I started out. Well, gotta go to bed. I open the daycare at 6:15 tomorrow with 3 new girls that I haven't met yet--sisters--a six year old and set of 4 year old twins. Then I leave at 10 for my Herceptin #37. Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Nitey Nite--Life is Good--Smiles--NancyLee

janie44 · July 2005

Nancy, That is great! Your boots are made for walking!

I think I am one behind you, so I guess I get #36 this week. I lose count sometimes and have to look at the calendar. We are getting there.

Hope all is well tonight.

Warm Fuzzies ladies,

Janie

mary1220 · July 2005

Hi GIrls, Ever look at your husband and wonder why your here? (with him) He is really getting like his mom in his old age...I don't like her attitude and I sure don't like his! Everythings about him, what he likes and wants to do. I am frankly getting a little fed up after all these years I can't tollerate him much. We got rid of our dog because we were gone a lot and now I said maybe we can get another dog and he said "who will let it out when we are gone?" HELLO, he is home pretty much all day distructing my house, OH; redoing my house. Well &*$# *%@, and thats not nice. No wonder people get divorced after 37 years. Gee, I need to shop and calm down....Gotta go before I get all worked up. I am having such a time with the Cobra. They reject ALL my bills and I have to call in every day so they can tell me sorry we will send them back downstairs to be paid and it will take about 30 days. I almost said hell with it today. Well better get going. Good to hear from you Nancy and congradulations on your great Cancer Run. Janie you getting things straightened up? Hi P.J. Later little gators, Mary

janie44 · July 2005

Talking about insurance woes -- I had a PET scan in April of 2004 -- about $5,000. It was pre-authorized by insurance. Then they denied it. Meanwhile, Mayo is making me pay on it while I try to get it straightened out. Yesterday, I had to keep calling them back and forth. The insurance now says they turned it down because it was done by a resident rather than an MD. First of all, I thought residents were MDs. I thought they went to school, did an internship, then a residency as a new doctor in training. Second of all, both parties should have known all this at the time of the scan. I keep getting the run-a-round from everybody.

Mary, to answer your question -- Yep.

Night all,

Janie

mary1220 · July 2005

Janie, You go girlfriend!!!!

PJB · July 2005

Insurance problems? You're singing my song. I've been dealing with it for months. Finally got the insurance co and the health provider talking, so far 1200 of the over 6000 has been taken off what I owe. I'm supposed to have a 1500 a year cap on my expenses, NOT 6000+. We've been paying the equivalent of a car payment every month on top of my insurance. Hopefully it'll get worked out.

And get this. I was at the surgeon's last week and asked her about when I had my port removed. The health care system billed 575 bucks for it, and my insurance paid 76. Well, my surgeon says it should have cost about 100 bucks, not 575. So, I've got them working on that, too. You know, it just makes me so mad, as if we didn't have enough crap to deal with with being sick, we have to play insurance watchdog on top of it.

Whew. I feel better.

Proud of myself. I've actually done half an hour on the treadmill 3 times.

Hope all are well.

mary1220 · July 2005

Hi Girls, Wow, remind me to stay on the good side of you girls. I got pretty mad at a gal at one of the hospitals yesterday because she actually got snotty with me because I asked about paying a bill. I didn't know if I had actually sent it so I wanted to see if they got it and she began to chew me out and said I need to pay it all at once. I said I can't and she just plain got all up in the air. She sounded about 25 years old and knows it all. I so want to choke her!!!!I am thinking about calling the administrator. She isn't in the finance business. B*T$H!!!! I hope she has to deal with someone just like herself some day. Gosh, its sad we have to deal with such crap just to stay alive. I guess you can put a price on life and we are paying it.Well another one down tomorrow. I think its #8 thats 44 left. Crap this is going a bit slower than the A/C but a lot easier. My hip, back and leg pain is not any better. I know theres nothing that can be done but I would like to know whats causing it. Gosh I get stiff and hurt if I sit too long. I need my body stretched. O.K. enough complaining, I need to get comfortable on the couch and make some bracelets. I will get plenty of rest tomorrow with my benadryl coma. Oh, I will let my hubby live to see another day. I am not so mad at him today. I forget what I am mad at him about most the time cause he is gone and comes home and I am mad but don't know for what so I fake know. I usually know at first and don't talk to him and then an hour later I have forgotten and I have to pretend I know and stay mad cause I know if I am mad it has to be for a good reason, I just wish I could remember. The real problem is he forgets too and he asks me what I was mad about any if I am still mad and I say you know and yes I am. Hell, neither of us know. We just ignore each other a while to make it look good and go on with our lives. Janie, Help!!!! are we nuts or old????? Yea, your right, a little of both. Later my little lady bugs, Mary

mary1220 · July 2005

Wow, I got the double dose yesterday and I go every other wk. but Good Lord!!!! I have soft stools and I just keep going like 2 or 3 times an hour and my nose is just running and I feel like crap. I have a yucky taste in my mouth thats not real bad just stomach acidy sorta. Hope its better tomorrow. I will go back to every wk. if this keeps up. Better go I just feel crapy so I am going to lay down. Later, Mary

janie44 · July 2005

Mary,

I hope you feel better. Everyone keeps saying Herceptin doesn't make you sick etc. I beg to disagree. It is not coincidental that I am queezy every Thursday/Friday/Saturday. The bones ache as well, but not as bad as with Taxol. It seems to be a little worse since I changed centers. I wonder if they give me a little more or something. The dosage goes by your weight.

Mayo called me yesterday and said that that St Merit billed my onc for the pet scan. They said they did not know which radiologist would do it, so they charged as Mayo Clinic -- the insurance denied it bc of that. They are going to rebill and I should hear something in a couple of weeks. Maybe this will finally be settled after more than a year.

Work is still going well. I have never been welcomed so warmly. Since everyone is so glad I'm back, it makes me wonder what has been going on since I've been gone. I just picked back up where I left off four years ago...like wearing an old glove. There are now 8 psychologists. I remember when 2 and 1/2 of us handled the entire county. Of course, it has grown by leaps and bounds.

Have a good weekend ladies.

Janie

mary1220 · July 2005

HI Girls,Well I feel better today. I am tired a lot but the itching is almost gone. Tummy is better but I am getting head pains off and on. Kinda like a funny headache coming on then it goes away in a few mins. Hope everyone had a great wk. end. We have been looking for a big shed for a work shed for my hubby.(a place to live perhaps)He thought about a garage but our taxes would go up and we don't have much room. Frankly I am not paying that kinda money for him a hang out and to cram all his junk in. He needs a place to do his wood working other than the basement cause it gets too dusty in the house. Janie, I am so happy for you and your new job. I really need a new job, with my old pay....My job isn't so bad anymore. It just gets old having to say the same things over and over cause my boss forgets everything. Each day is a new day. I feel sorry for him but it just gets to me sometimes. It would be nice to spend time with people that are aware of who they are sometimes. Hope you get the bill straightened out too Janie. My ins. finally started paying some of my bills ...for a day or two, then we will be no longer insured again for no apparent reason. Hope P.J. and Nancy Lee are fine. It will be soccer time soon P.J. Hugs, Mary

PJB · July 2005

Mary, glad to hear you're feeling better. Your hubby sounds like a busy guy. His own shed (with bathroom and kitchen?) sounds like just the right answer.

Janie, the new job does sound great. Now, is it also closer to one of your sons?

Nothing much up here. Hot, dull. Work's a drag (I've got to work nights the next two weeks. Haven't done that for about three years. It's gonna be hell on my body clock). Going to have my hopefully scar tissue taken out Thursday. Then the next week a visit to the onc. Blech.

Nathan's off fishing. I really hope he gets a fish. He's only caught seaweed the few times he's been fishing. I'm gonna hop on the treadmill then make dinner. Take care all.

Paula

janie44 · August 2005

Hi All,

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Mary, I know what you mean about the repetition. A friend of mine did that. He mentioned that he repeated things over and over and knew he did it, so I always wondered why he did it, if he knew he did it, you know, repeating things, saying things over and over again and again.

PJ, yes, my oldest lives very closeby. In fact, we just had dinner.

The lights went out in Georgia this morning, or at least at the school I was in. They finally sent the kids home when they figured out it was going to take a while to fix. Somebody dug up a transformer or something. Mary, are you sure your hubby wasn't down here this morning?

Later guys,

Janie

mary1220 · August 2005

Thats too funny Janie. I am on my way to work. Later. Ha,Ha,Ha, I am laughing my a*s off at that one. Mary

janie44 · August 2005

Hey ya'll. No blackouts today. I did training sessions all day teaching teachers how to give a screener. I am about tested out after going over it several times with different groups.

Tomorrow's Herceptin day. I forget how many I have left, 15 or 16 or thereabouts.

Later,

Janie

mary1220 · August 2005

Janie, Wow 15 or 16!!! Thats great. I have like... A YEAR....Gee this is going slow. The every other wk. isn't bad, I guess, except I have more side affects that herceptin don't cause. I think Onkies should have to take our treatments so they will understand. I have the two grandsons(my oldest daughters) because she is moving back to town here and the oldest grandson has baseball try-outs for the Jr. High all wk.(he is 13) and they now live 27 miles away so its easier for the boys to stay here all wk. and my daughter works in Springfield close to where she now lives so my hubby and I are taking him back and forth. Well better go, hope everyone is fine. Hugs, Mary

PJB · August 2005

Janie, Happy Herceptin! I'm going in tomorrow to have my hopefully-just-scar tissue removed for biopsy. I hope I don't drool when they knock me out.

Hope you guys are doing well. Nothing much else up here. Week and a half til school starts...

mary1220 · August 2005

Good Luck P.J. I will say a prayer for you. Not much going on here. Still hot but the temp is going to drop into the high 80"s. We need rain sooo bad. Hard to believe it can be so humid with no rain for weeks. Let us know P.J. Hi Janie and Nancy Lee. Hugs, Mary

janie44 · August 2005

My thoughts and prayers are with you today PJ.

I got home around 5:30 last night and was just going to nap until the drugs wore off. Woke up at 11:30 and was still groggy. I didn't even want to get up this morning when the alarm went off! A lot has to do with getting up before the crack of dawn a couple of times this week.

PJ - I had to start back July 19 and the kids came back the 27th! However, this system is set up for us to have six full weeks (not all at once) plus a few single days off during the year. I think I like that better. The kids seem to be retaining what they learn better that way as well.

Mary, we've had rain, but there was only a short reprieve until the heat took back over.

Warm Fuzzies,

Janie

PJB · August 2005

Well, the thing is out. Surgeon says she thinks it looks like scar tissue; find out for sure next week. I wasn't even really asleep during the procedure. I was talking and listening to them in my demerol haze.

Hope you all are OK and that the Herceptin heebee-jeebees aren't too bad.

mary1220 · August 2005

P.J., Glad you are doing fine and we are all waitiing till you get the "all clear". Have great wk. ends girls. Hugs, Mary

janie44 · August 2005

Ditto Paula. Glad it looks promising.

Mary, have a ball with the grandkids.

Nancy, Renee, everyone else, have a wonderful weekend.

Warm Fuzzies,

Janie

PJB · August 2005

Well, went out and bought ourselves a nice new Honda Element this weekend. Very cool and utilitarian. I'm pretty excited.

Hope you guys are having a good weekend, too. We're off to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the third time. That Johnny Depp makes it easy to keep going back...

janie44 · August 2005

Pj, I picture you in your Honda and Mary on her Harley, side-by-side truckin' it down the road!

I put off having my dental work done in light of all my doctor's appointments and moving etc. Taxol did a real number on my teeth. Well, I developed a severe toothache this weekend (of course on the weekend) and could not find a dentist, especially being new in town. I took Percoset that I had on hand. It made me sick. I ended up in the ER. They gave me meds with instructions to see a dentist first thing Monday morning. Don't we have fun?

Warm Fuzzies,

Janie

mary1220 · August 2005

Congrads, P.J. If we go trucking down the highway Janie has ride with me....I baked a bunch of cookies for my reg. Dr. and her staff so I have to take them tomorrow. Janie, I had all my bottom teeth bonded cause they were crumbling. My brother-in-law was my dentist and a good one he was. Never charged me over what my insurance paid. Well my sister is divorcing him. He isn't much of a husband. I am glad but hate to lose him as a dentist. I have a tooth I need filled and I really need to remember that tomorrow so I can get in to a dentist. I keep forgetting. My gums have receeded really bad since chemo. My husband needed to change a gasket in the Harley and his mechanic has kidney stones and has been laid up 2 wks. Yea; you guessed it, Rick did it himself. It only took 3 days and a lot of bad language. He covered the Harl up so I couldn't see he took it apart. I got upset and said we will never do that again. It is changed and it runs, Thank God!!!! but never again. He didn't have to take much apart but a screw is too much for him... Is he brain dead or just stupid???? doesn't past experiences teach him not to touch anything that needs "fixed"? Sometimes I think he just wants to use his Tools because we have so many of them and it doesn't really matter if its broke, we just fix it to use the tools. You could not believe how many tools we have. I don't think he even knows for sure what some of them do but we have them. I wonder if I sold his tools if I could throw him in as a bonus????? Oh, he would go where ever his tools go so no problem there. Remember I said I ran into a little gal with lung cancer that had a daughter and they gave her 3 months? well her 3 months ended last wk. Her daughter is 14 and lost her dad and grandparents so she is living with her aunt. Her aunt is making her go for counseling but the girl doesn't think she needs it. The aunt has 2 small children. My daughter in law is a friend of the aunt.Things like that just break my heart. Well I have to get going to bed. This wk. is treatment wk.I will itch Fri. Good Night Ladies. Hugs, Mary

PJB · August 2005

Well, girls. Not good news. Local recurrence under my arm, probably the 3 cancerous lymph nodes left some cells behind when they came out. At this point, I don't know what they can do. Obviously, the chemo didn't do its job of killing the damned things. And neither did the radiation. I don't know what's in store. She says it's very superficial, called it recurrence of the skin (it was in fatty tissue just under the skin). Says she doesn't think it would have gone to lymph nodes, but who knows. I guess at least more scans and surgery in my future. I'm NOT happy.

janie44 · August 2005

Oh Paula! I hate you have to go through this. I will be praying for and thinking about you.

Hugs and Prayers,

Janie

PJB · August 2005

Thanks. And I'll be thinking about your and Mary and that awful tooth stuff. Hope you guys are doing well.

mary1220 · August 2005

P.J. I am shocked and sad. I don't know what to say except I am so sorry. I must admit I am a little emotional and I feel like I should be on the thread "stupid things folks have said" cause I just don't know what to say. I will pray for you a lot and I wish there was something I could do to help. Maybe I need to fire up the ol Harley and pick Janie up and take a road trip to Texas. My God!!!Texas isn't ready for that.....Hang in there and let us know what is going on. Please try to get some rest and stay calm if thats possible. Praying bunches, Big Hugs, Mary....We are all in this together.

For those starting chemo in June

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