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peacelovedogs
peacelovedogs Member Posts: 57

My name is Raeann.  I am 35 and was diagnosed with IBC Stage IIIB on 04/02/10. 

ER+ PR- HER2+

I started Chemo on 04/22/10.  I will go for 4 rounds of Adnamyin + Cytoxan, 12 rounds of Taxol & Herceptin and I will continue on Herceptin for a year. 
I will have a double mastectomy and then rads. 
Since I already had a complete hysterectomy 5 years ago due to other female problems I do not have to worry about my ovaries but of course will be on some kind of anti-estrogen pill for a minimum of 5 years.

So that is my cancer.  Me?  I'm married to Eddie, we have 2 dogs (Zoe & Caesar).  I work for Sysco Foods and am the HR Lead.

I love music. I love the beach - I live 4 miles from the ocean. I love riding my beach cruiser around the beaches area and checking out all the people. I love to read. I love to surf the internet. I love all animals. I love dogs. I love learning new things. I love flowers. I love sunshine. I love the Spring in Florida. I love the Summer in Maine. I love to swim in the ocean. I love to float in the pool. I love to sit outside on a breezy day and watch my dogs play. I love waking up to DH kissing my head and running his fingers through my hair. I love to drink flavored coffee. I love to hear children laugh. I love to make my dogs wag their tails. I love reading a book that I can't put down. I love opening a book for the first time and wondering what story I am going to learn. I love meeting new people. I love running into old friends. I love to write letter. I love receiving letters. I love email. I love my iPhone. I love the color brown. I love the color Pink. I love the artist P!nk. I love looking at art.com. I love getting lost in dreams. I love sleepy weekend mornings. I love spending time with my firends. I love going shopping - even window shopping. I love looking at pictures. I love sharing pictures. I loves listening to all the music stations on directtv and finding a strange song on a strang channel that is beautiful. I love Winnie the Pooh. I love Zoe's snores. I love Caesar's sleep pose (head on the pillow, paws up in the air). I love Pulp Fiction. I love Elton John. I love Las Vegas. Most of all I love my life, my family and my friends.

Comments

  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited May 2010

    Bonnie,

    I had to laugh at the statement about your cat allowing you to live with him.   I was diagnosed ibc w/ spinal bone mets 6/09.  I've had 8 chemos, monthly Zometa & daily Femara.  I have some bone & joint pain here and there; but my mets are cleared up from the scans last month and I'm much more stable. 

    Raeann,  thanks for starting this thread--it's good to get to actually know more about people going through the same thing.  Looks like you're enjoying sunny Florida living.  I'm on the other side--CA and love it here as well.

    I have a wonderful 12 year old son who just hit his first home run in baseball last night.  I'm divorced but my X is very supportive and thankfully I can count on him to take good care of my son if I'm no longer here.  My sisters and brothers live in Chicago where I grew up and I live in CA.  I also acquired a wonderful 15lb Papillon mix breed dog from the shelter almost a year ago.  She is a great little dog who gives unconditional love all the time.

    I love painting water colors, drawing, music, sunshine and looking to get back to some consistent exercise.  I'm going back to Chicago this weekend for the "Network of Strength" breast walk at Navy Pier with my sisters.  Should be fun.

    Terri

  • Shellusea
    Shellusea Member Posts: 55
    edited May 2010

    Yep that is a good thread!

    Love reading that I'm not alone; LOVE my 13yrs old daughterKiss; love his father for almost 25 yrs now; Love Zara our young Border Collie; love horses, dogs, cats, critters, and especially birds and their song; love the sea, the sun, the heat under my feet in the sand; love the face of people surprise when looking at me and saying "you look so happy"; love watching TV when tired; love hicking; love snorkeling; love when chikadee come eat in my hand; love feeling richer each time I tchit tchat whit someone else; and now love the pink color.

    Love thinking that chemo, surgery, rads are all done!

    Raerae7074: hope you are doing fine!

    Shell

  • ebann
    ebann Member Posts: 3,026
    edited May 2010

    My name is Elizabeth. I am a native of AZ (yes you can fry an egg on the sidewalk) LOL I am married to a wonderful loving supportive man. I have two children. Robert 24 he is my step son, married to Sho. Seleania 20 she is mine from my previous marriage, She is married to Joey and are expecting a little girl in August. Found out I am a grandma already to a little girl named Makayla who is 3. My son just informed us of this. What a surprise. A delightful one at that. I am a animal lover and we have all rescues. There is Zsa Zsa who is a yorkie mix, and there is Peggy Sue who is a chihuahua mix and then we have a cat named Samoa. If we had a bigger place we would have more.

    I was dx with IBC in 2008. I did Taxotere/Cisplatin for 6 session every 3 weeks. Then I did Cytoxan/AC for 12 sessions every two weeks. Then had my double mx. They found cancer on my chest wall and 3 lymph nodes involved. So I did Taxol/Carboplatin every other week for 4 months along with rads. In March 2009 it came through ned. As of this year it has been a year now of being cancer free. I had the DIEP surgery Nov 2009. Just got my tattooed nipples done a couple of weeks ago. I am pleased with how everything has came out. I have le in my left arm. Not severe mild.

    I am finally able to exercise and enjoy my life again. It is just a matter of getting use to the new normal.God is a major part of my life. Like Bonnie I love Joyce Meyer. I have several of her books and have done many bible studies.! Children are so precious and just put a smile on your face no matter how you are feeling. I am so excited about being a grandmother. Such a blessing.....Thanks for letting me share. I hope more respond.

  • ebann
    ebann Member Posts: 3,026
    edited May 2010

    My name is Elizabeth. I am a native of AZ (yes you can fry an egg on the sidewalk) I was DX in 2008. Have been NED for 1 yr now. My chemo cocktails were Taxotere/Cisplatin, Cytoxan/AC, and rads w/ Taxol/Carboplatin. Did this for a year. I had a DB MX 9/08. Had reconstruction the DIEP surgery 11/09 just had my nipples done 5/10.  The cherries on the top. Yay!!!!

    I am married to a wonderful man named Ron. He has supportive me through this long journey. I have a step son Robbie who is 24 married to Shoshannah and a daughter Seleania who is 20 married to Joey w/ a baby girl on the way in Aug. Found out I am a grandma a couple of weeks ago. I have a granddaughter who is going to be 3 in Aug. She is a cutie. I am very excited about being a grandma.

    There are many things that I love to do. I enjoy reading, painting, drawing; scrapbooking is my favorite, writing, arts & crafts, photography, decorating, spending time w/ my family & friends. God is #1 in my life. Like Bonnie I love Joyce Meyer. I have done many of her Bible studies. I am active in my church. I have started up a meet up group for women w/ BC in the Phx area. We meet once a month and just have fun! We have had tea parties, bingo, lunches, painted pottery, cookie exchange, gardening, and planning a trip to Laughlin and hopefully a trip to Prescott. I have learned to love exercise. I am in the process of getting healthy. Love life to the fullest. Grateful for each day that the Lord has blessed me with.  I prayed to the  Dear Lord that I would be well to see my daughter get married & have grandchildren. He has answered my prayers. Praise the Lord.

  • peacelovedogs
    peacelovedogs Member Posts: 57
    edited May 2010

    It is nice to meet all of you!  I wish it wasn't due to IBC but we all face demons of some sort in our lives, this too will make us stronger!

    I wish more would post!  Since IBC is rare, it is hard to find others dealing with it.  I am trying to figure out if I will join a support group locally...I need to know others dealing with BC but the thought of attending meetings kind of freaks me out.Wink  Most of my friends have stopped calling.  I know it is hard on them to see.  I'm 35 and it scares them to know that it could be them too.  I get that, I just wish they would understand that by avoiding me they are not avoiding cancer.  Even my neighbor won't come outside anymore when they know Eddie and I are out in the yard.  They used to chat with us all.the.time.  Now?  I haven't seen or heard from them since they saw me bald.  (Proudly wearing my "Does this shirt make me look bald?" BC shirt!)...

    Anyway. I have found an awesome shop here locally that is set up for women dealing with cancer.  They have everything from bras and swimsuits to wigs and funny shirts.  It is awesome.  The owner is a 2 time survivor of breast cancer (mets to her liver - 7 years and counting NED) and she has been the best support ever.  They offer yoga, laughology, and all other sorts of free workshops.  I wish more cities would have a place like that.  My BFF (lives in Maine) could not believe her eyes when we went there.  http://www.jaxinthepink.com/ is the site if you want to check out the amazing place I go for support.

    Sorry for running on & on.  I guess I needed to vent a little.  Thankfully I do have an amazing family and my closest friends have stuck by my side.  My mom belongs to an organization that has members all over the country.  I grew up with her being very active in this group...a day does not go by that I do not receive a card from one of the hundreds of women in her group that I do not even know.  It is amazing how kind some people can be.  Since we found out I have to guess I have received at least 60 cards - most from people I don't know.  So I am ending this on a great note and thanking those out there that care and take the time to post on a website or send a text, an email, whatever.  It helps.

  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited May 2010

    It is nice to get acquainted with other IBC survivors! I just found this forum just a couple of weeks ago. It IS nice to get to know others who are going or have gone through what you have.  I so needed this a couple of years ago but I'm glad I have found it now.

    FYI, my hubby just passed his 5 years with NED after 2 reoccurances of cancer. This is so awesome!!  He has taken good care of me because he understands how I feel with what ever stage I am going through. So I LOVE my hubby!!!

    I love my kids! My oldest Matt & his wife of 1 year. My youngest Mark and his wife of 4 years, who gave us our 2 beautiful granddaughters.  I love our beautiful 3 year old granddaughter Haleigh Rose and her little sister 3 month old Madisyn Isabelle!!!

    I love music, (I'm a music teacher) I love all kinds of music. I love Toby Keith music. I love all my friends on the TK fanclub.

    I love my computer and all my friends who live there!!! I love Facebook, email, & all my new IBC friends.

    I love flowers, all kinds.

    I love God, it is through many prayers that I am where I am and doing so much better.

    I love life!!!

  • activern
    activern Member Posts: 409
    edited June 2010

    This is a fun thread!  I was rediagnosed a year ago with Inflammatory Breast Cancer Stage IV with liver mets.  Did 5 rounds of Adriamycin/Cytoxin and there was some decrease in the 4 tumors found in the liver last Fall.  I had a bilateral Mastectomy in March of this year and there were no cancer cells found in the breast on the tissue biopsy - YEA.  I was put on FEMARA after the last chemo round and just stopped due to horrible side effects but will be seeing my onc in a few days after some scans to see what's next.  I may be home free!

    I have three adult children and two grandchildren (2 and 9 years) and have great support from my children - my oldest and only daughter live a few minutes away and drops everything when I call for assistance.  My son in law is the same.  My second child lives overseas and my third is a flight attendant stationed in Chicago but he too visits often.

    I am single, live alone and put negativity behind me very quickly.  I am a registered nurse currently on disability.

  • peacelovedogs
    peacelovedogs Member Posts: 57
    edited June 2010

    Nice to meet all of you!!

    I'm in a pissy mood today.  This is the first time that I can say I am PISSED about my diagnosis.  I guess I have made the transition to anger?  Yell  I just keep thinking about what everyone else my age are doing.  We wanted to adopt soon.  That is out for awhile - if not forever.  My friends have dropped me - cancer is too much for most 30-somethings to handle, I guess.  It's just too real for them.  My career is on hold.  I am just pissed that cancer is doing this to my life.

    Sorry for the vent....

  • MRDRN
    MRDRN Member Posts: 537
    edited September 2010

    Hey Gals,

    THis is a good thread.  I am 49 and my information is below.  I enjoy reading this site, even though I am on it less and less as I am improving.  I still need my revision and hope to be free of cancer for a long time!  I do feel blessed that I caught this early and get so much strength by the many stories I read here...yes, it is a good idea to try and stay positive despite our many trials...with anything in life.  Reeann, I hope by now you are doing better?  :)   I met the oncologist yesterday and he signed off that I don't need any treatment at this time. :)   I guess what I have to say is that all treatment is temporary?   Looking at the end of the tunnel is so helpful even when we find it hard.

    MRDRN  

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