Anyone starting chemo in Aug. 08?

Gail - have a WONDERFUL time and be safe!!!! Jeannine - GREAT GREAT GREAT news on clear scans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Ali is healing nicely - getting cast off April 30th and then we start rehab!!!! Hubby's foot healed..... All is well in Ohio!!!!!

Loves to all......................

Hello all!

Feeling blah today (think I drank too much caffeine w/lack of sleep) But it is another day to celebrate! It's my off week and my son is getting ready to make his 1st Communion next week. (Renting him a tux!) It's nice to not have to have any lab appts. , Drive to UCLA (Drove 3 X's last week!) or get poked! I'm very ready for a vacation!

Deanna: Yes I thank the wonderful Lord each and every moment. I am truly blessed to be clear now considering how aggressive my type is.  I hope you can still meet me in DHS 5/15??  My family is going and I'd love to introduce my bc sister to them. LMK!!

Ali; So happy DH's foot & DD have healed.

UCLA Research coordinator said I will have a confirmatory CT scan next month and if I'm still clear, I may or may not get off study. I think the chemo is catching up w/me and I need a break. Don't know if I'll do RADS? What's to radiate? We'll see.

Yes where is MamaK? & Roya? I believe Lisa is going through TX again. I sent her info on the PARP study because she'd be a good candidate. Keep her in your prayers.

Love to all,

Jeannine

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! I am posting a new profile picture - I have lost 24 lbs and have about 20 to go but I feel sooooooooo much better!!!!! Loves to all...........

Gail asked me to post this for her.  She is amazing!:

First full day - Spent the day walking around, no, getting very lost, in Hanoi. I am getting a little more used to this foreign place since arriving last night - like no place I've EVER seen, even for me! There is an area of streets I got lost in - all silks! Shop after tiny shop of beautiful silk shirts, skirts, dresses, everything! But all sized for tiny Vietnamese women! Grrrr!
Two pretty Vietnamese girls stopped me by the lake - they wanted to practice English with me & they talked for a long time- was great!
Went to the Hanoi Water Puppet Theater- an amazing centuries old art all on a large pool of water. Loved it! Look it up!

I have not been feeling well for several days, but I'm sure it's not the food and it doesn't feel like the Dengue I had before. I finally thought today it may be the excessive use of the Deet mosquito repellent I use so much. I looked it up and found out you can get Deet poisoning! Now what do I do? Less Deet & risk Dengue, malaria or deadly Japanese encephalitis (no cure), or death by mosquito repellent?

Got a train ticket for the mountain area called Sapa. Will go to the hill tribes markets & trek to several villages. Look up Bac Ha, looks amazing. I leave tomorrow night on a Vietnamese overnight train going nothwest towards China border - share a 4 person cabin- hope I get bottom! Get in at 6 am just in time for the Sat. market.
Stowing my backpack at my small hotel here in Hanoi and just taking a very small, well-made NorthFace day pack which I will buy for $6. Will be in the mountains for about 5 days - maybe more if I can find a family that will let me stay in their stilt house with them- which they do sometimes (or so I'm told, if I can find Mr. Chein who can arrange it).
Guess that's it for day one in Hanoi (geez, only day one?)

Lots of love from Vietnam!

  Sounds like she is having a great time!

Deen

Corinne, I'll be praying for you and I know you'll be just fine.  So good to hear from you.  I hope your trip was nice.

Just wanted to post an update on Gail's trip to Vietnam:

Staying in Sapa, trekked in a village called Cat Cau - home of the Black H'Mong people ( black amazing clothing, not skin). Look them up! Also saw lots of Flower H'Mong people, Blue H'Mong & Red Dzao.
Tomorrow going to Bac Ha for the tribal market. Will stay in that village and trek to stilt house villages. I cannot tell you how beautiful this terraced countryside is- I'm in awe!
Trina's friend has invited me to some get-togethers when I get to DaNang- but I love the terraced hill hiking here so probably will visit him around May 13/14. Unless I move in with the H'Mong here- they invited me!

So I did a really stupid thing and am lucky I am still traveling. Took the late night train last night from Hanoi - oh, joy, I sure didn't get the deluxe one. Arrived at the station before Anyone - around 9 pm, searching for my train car - in dark, foggy, deserted tracks filled with empty trains. In fact it was the most scary and depressing moments I've had. Grimy old trains with Gestapo-looking guards giving me No information. Finally I find one with a number that seems to match my ticket and find a cabin that looks like from 1940's war zone - 4 bunk beds. Still not a soul around. Well, I find the toilet down the hall, a hole in the floor, filthy & all wet floor and I cannot get the door locked so I just hold it closed while I'm squatting when someone crashes it open, I almost fall in the "toilet", and the door smashes my hand against the metal wall, I scream in pain and whoever was there tookoff! I thought my hand was broken and now not sure- not using it but sure not stopping this trip! I relate the details cause it was like a bad novel - but true, and now kinda funny. The good news is when I went back to my cabin I had 3 delightful Chinese roomies- a sweet young couple and a their granny who immediately "adopted" me! Granny even climbed in the top bunk! A great evening with them even with about 5 words of their English-slept great except for throbbing hand. Could it really be broken? Don't tell me till I get home.
You must read about Bac Ha, that's where I head to the animal market tomorrow-may buy a water buffalo. That's the best buy they say!

Love from Vietnam!

  She inspires me so much!

Hope everyone has a great week,

Deen

Hello everybody!

Wow I feel like I'VE been away for months.  I've so darn busy at work & home & Dr's etc. etc.!

Well it looks like I may be out of study soon. After much thought & discussion w/Dr. yesterday, it probably is in my best interest to stop chemo. It's been taking a toll on me greatly. I've been so exhausted.  My WBC's were down again last week. After going through my med history, since I may or may not have had the mass in my rt. axilla either chemo cured it or 2) I didn't have it. Either way Dr. feels it's probably best to save this chemo if I ever have to need it again (Praying I don't!) I do believe it was a seroma though. But I will have my CT on Tuesday. Let's pray for both clear scans for Corrine & I.  Provided I am clear, RADS are next and that will be intense. BUT the good news is I'll be done with Tx! After almost 2 years on this bc rollercoaster I can let out a "Whew"! for now... Dr. stated that "sometimes we have to go through bad things to get to the good" So true!

Ali:!  You look wonderful! What an inpiration. I'm on a mission to lose my love handles and eat right. 

Gail's trip sounds amazing. What an explorer.

Deanna: Will you be in town next Friday May 14th? I'll be there. Let me know!

My son's 1st Holy Communion was lovely. He got to read the responsorial prayer. He looked so handsome in his suit! (I've got to post on FB)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

Jeannine

Hi all, Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I was home for the day with my illness of shingles. Our son and daughter-in-law came up. We had a very nice time. Today is my first day out in a couple of weeks other than going to the dr's. I am not going far...just to the library and pharmacy. I feel great however, except for occasioal itching. My scan came out clean....THANK YOU ALL FOR PRAYING!! Beats me what is wrong. I am thinking I am just going to stay away from the dr's and enjoy my summer. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO greatful to have made it this far. Yes, Gail, I am going horseback riding once again. I love life and hope everyone is enjoying theirs.  My kids are finally done for the year with homeschooling. Ugh!!! What a difficult two years we have been through. My first grandchild is due on August 12th. He's a boy being named after his daddy!!! We are very excited!!  Love to you all and mega hugs, Corinne

PS: Jeannine, did you hear anything about your scans??? Praying very faithfully for you.

Hello to all my BC sisters..............All is well in Ohio - just busy with Gunner's baseball......seems never-ending!!! LOL  Glad for everyone's clean scans - keep me in your prayers on Tuesday, I go for my Mammo and my check-up with my breast doctor!!!!! Not as nervous as last year but still got some jitters!!!!!!!!!!! Stalled out on the weight-loss but haven't gained any back so I just need to re-focus!!!  Hope everyone is doing great!!! Loves to all..................

ALL CLEAN SCANS TODAY!!!!! YEAH......I was so excited. Mammo was clean and my breast dr said everything looked good!!!! Just wanted to let all of my "sisters" know and share my joy!!!!! Loves to all...........

Great news, Alibug!  I'm so happy for you!

Corinne, how're you doing???  Great news and very happy for your clean scan, too!!!  And hope the shingles episode is well under control.  Oh, and congratulations to your family on the news of a grandbaby in the near future!  What a joy this August will be for you, especially in contrast to August 08!

So nice to see your post, Stacy!  Even though I keep up with you a bit on Facebook, it's good to see you here, and to get so much news!  I'm so happy things are going well for you and your family.  You look beautiful in your new avatar.  Let us know how your onco visit went.

Hello & hugs all around ~    Deanna 

Hi gals!  I've been super busy, but I just wanted to stop in and say hello to everyone.  I'm posting some more of Gail's latest adventures.  I find myself anxiously awaiting the next ones!  Here goes:

I'm in Danang staying with a couple who have been in Vietnam for 5 years developing a program for young business owners- marketing, HR, business practices,  etc. They are great but it's all lecture. They are amazed at the results of my experiencial work! I've met 3 of the groups and will see 20 young people tonight who come for American night dinner & English practice. I just love the people here- they have absolutely no bad feelings against Americans which is really hard to believe!
I worked with teachers at a school yesterday and was then invited to a wedding! It's common to have over 500 people, fireworks, 10 cakes, singers & dancers! Was amazing. Then Tan took me all over on her motor bike. Was quite a day.
I'm feeling like I have a cold but not terrible- just nervous about the Dengue but watching it.
I do miss everyone- but really love it here. So lucky to get to make friends with so many wonderful Vietnamese people!

Love, gail

It's 5 in the morning and I'm still in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Can't sleep. I have taken a hotel room here that has no window. Much cheaper - I had planned a short visit and am out all the time. Seemed like a good idea, but in my third night I am noticing I see first light at dawn where there should be a window but there is only a brick wall. Hmmmm...
And staying in a cell-like room after seeing the S21 torture prison and killing fields is not a good idea folks.

I am really hoping my passport is delivered by 11:30 today so I can jump on this boat on the Mekong going to back to VN. It leaves at noon.
 It will wind around and I will take 2 days & nights going through Chau Doc, then Rach Gia to get to the seaside ferry. This should be such an interesting area with all commerce by waterways and many floating villages. If that goes well and I'm feeling good, I'll take the ferry to an island called Phu Quoc. Staying healthy with constantly changing places and all the strange foods I am eating is a major endeaver & I've been lucky but something caught me last night. I should have known after seeing all the hanging meats -   pigs & chickens hanging in the outdoor market in the hot sun. Then there was the large tub of roasted grasshoppers I saw some girls buying and went over to buy too because I thought they were buying roasted nuts .....but they had heads.
Look up images of these places, especially Phu Quoc, I've heard from travelers it is worth the effort but I never know. Like life, it's all so different when you get there!
Will write when I get to VN.

Love from Phnom Penh (still)

  I'll try to post them as they come.  She's really fascinating.  That's taking it to the limit!:)

Have a great week,

Deen

Hope everyone is having a happy Memorial Day weekend!

Hugs,

Deen

Bumping us up!!! Hope everyone is having a great week!!!!

Hello ladies.......Jeannine I am soooooooooo glad your scan was clean!!!!! Prayers answered!!!! Weight loss has stalled cause I haven't pushed myself......I haven't gained any of the weight I loss back so that is a +............. I am back at it starting today...I still have about 20lbs I would like to lose but we will see!!!!! Just glad I haven't gained any back!!!!! Jeannine sorry about your DH's Mom.....you all are in my prayers!

Loves to all.......................

Jeannine, congratulations on clear margins!  Your faith has prevailed!  Please continue taking care of yourself.

Corinne, your new pic rocks!  What a hottie!  I'll be praying for you to get the best results next Wed.

Ali, as active with your kids as you are, you'll burn the rest off in no time!:)

Haven't heard anything from Gail, hope she is having a great time.

Wishing everyone a good weekend!

Deen