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  • Karen09
    Karen09 Member Posts: 320
    edited June 2010

    Hey ladies!  I hope you are all doing well.  It has been quiet on here.  I don't usually have much to post but I check back from time to time and see how everyone is doing.  It's a beautiful sunny day here and I need to get out and do my errands and get a nice long walk in.  I'm off today and tomorrow and then I work the weekend.   Take care everyone!

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Gilly -- I blame the summer :)  And the passage of time.

    I'm doing well!  Healing still from my May 11 surgery but doing much better. 

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  • buccaneersdj
    buccaneersdj Member Posts: 241
    edited June 2010

    Doing good here too.....think about you guys every day! ;-)  {{{HUGS}}} Donna

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited June 2010

    Everything excellent with me as well.   My son graduates from 8th grade next week.  A somewhat minor milestone in his mind except for the cards with money inside he is expecting. 

    But here is something irritating.  On Tuesday I had my first bi-lateral mammo since my DX.   I was pleased that the prospect of it didn't worry me too much.   I had it and have been calmly awaiting "all clear" results.  Then my phone rang today and a recorded voice told me I had "an important message from Kaiser Permanente".  OMG!   Heart in throat!   Deja Vu one year ago!   So I went through the drill of  entering my patient number, birthday, etc. ....panic increasing by the moment...only to hear another recorded voice launch into a generic spiel about the importance of getting checked for colon cancer.   I was greatly relieved.  But what a cruel few moments. I love the fact that Kaiser is so proactive and prevention-oriented but today I wanted to tell them to take their stupid messages and stick 'em you know where.

    Patty

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    Lilah - I wish it was summer here! It's been rain all week, and the temperature is only in the 50s. We still have the heating on!!!

    Donna - glad everything is going well.

    Patty - that was cruel - glad it was nothing. I am going for a colonoscopy "education" appointment tomorrow and then will schedule the event. I've been putting it off - sounds unpleasant. But after this last year and what we've all been through decided I could handle it.

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Well gosh Gilly where ARE you that is cold still and heat still on?

    Patty -- OMG I would scream if that happened to me.  You are strong, woman.  (Which reminds me: have to do that colon thing this year :(

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    Moscow, Idaho!!!!

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    LOL -- it's Siberia!!!

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    I put in my tomato plants last week  - poor things.

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Awwww.... I wish I had the patience for gardening... I do love a beautiful garden!  And home grown veggies -- YUM!

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited June 2010

    Good morning to all......... I just got back from Parent/Student Orientation at the college my daughter will be going to.  What fun!!! I liked the college, but now I just love it!!!  My daughter is leaving home and going to college without any friends from high school, she is shy, but does like to explore.  We checked her into the dorm, left her there upset telling my she hated it and on the last day during a pep rally I looked up to see her up on a young man's shoulder's with a sign cheering and chanting - she can't wait to start school.  What a change.  She has a great schedule, met a lot of friends and is ready to go...... 

    Patty - sorry you had to have those few minutes of being scared out of your mind.  I recently got a letter from Breast Cancer Center reminding me to do my annual mammogram and it went on to explain the importance of getting regular exams,etc.  I had a bi-lat masectomy, I won't be having mammograms......  Apparently the computers at the facility didn't communicate with each other.

    Gill - 50's..... I can't imagine.  We are in the 90's, even a few days with 100 and heat indexes much higher with what feels like 90-100% humidity.  Is the weather you're having unusal for this time of year or normal?

    Lilah - Are you off for the summer or do you teach extra classes? 

    Hope everyone has a good day.   Jenn

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    Our weather is not normal - but then it is hard to predict what it will be like. But usually by now we are having good weather!! This area of Washington state and Idaho is called the Palouse. Lots of wheat, pea and lentil farming - suitable for a dry climate as there is no irrigation. With rolling hills, 2 universities 8 miles apart in small college towns there is lots to do. We've been here for 24 years!!! People generally love the small town atmosphere and stay or hate it and leave ASAP.You didn't know you'd get a geography lesson today!

    Have just scheduled my colonoscopy for July 2 - oh joy!! On Monday I called the surgeon's office regarding my port removal as at 2 weeks out it was still very swollen and bruised. Apparently this is normal! I only spoke to the nurse. The lump is bigger now than when the port was in. However it is not sore so I suppose it will eventually subside.

    Jenn - glad you enjoyed your outing to visit your daughter's college. Sounds like she will settle in just fine. Are you empty nesters now?

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Jenn -- I am off for the summer (best part of teaching at a university!) -- though I do have several writing projects that I'm currently avoiding studiously (and feeling very guilty about)... writing partners who are waiting for me to write something (I write musicals so it is not a solitary pursuit).  Ah well... maybe next week I will get to work :) 

    Great about the orientation for your daughter!  I'm sure it gives you peace of mind to hold that image of her having fun in your mind.  I'm sure she will do great there.  The great thing about college -- esp first semester freshman year -- is that she will be kept VERY busy by her classes!  She'll be plunged into her new life before she knows it.

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  • weety
    weety Member Posts: 1,163
    edited June 2010

    I love all these stories of everyone going on with their NORMAL lives!!!  My middle daughter is having her kindergarten graduation party tonight. 

    I, too , have got to do that colonoscopy!  I actually had one scheduled, but had to postpone it when I had my TAH/BSO surgery.  I wonder how long after a surgery I should give it?  Do you think my body is ready for it now?  Maybe I'll wait till September when I turn 40.  THat was when I was SUPPOSED to have my first mammogram and colonoscopy.  I had already decided that I would make myself sign up for them both on my 40th birthday, but NOOOOO, I had to get breast cancer BEFORE 40!  Oooooh, I still get so mad just thinking about how unfair life can be!

    Enjoy the weekend everyone!

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited June 2010

    Gill - I'm an Idahoan myself.   I was born in Boise.  We moved away when I was 2 so I don't remember much except all the summer vacations we spent there.  My Dad was a graduate of UofI in Moscow.  Now this may surprise you, but our daily highs here at the beach in San Diego are currently only in the 60's.  We get a phenomenon called "June Gloom" where the marine layer (read: FOG) hoovers around most of the day.  So we're all wearing long pants and sweaters too!

    Jenn - What a cruel letter from your Breast Cancer Center!  Sadly, it seems we'll just have to get used to this kind of stuff.  I'm glad your daughter so quickly found happiness at her new school.  One thing nice about freshman year is that almost everyone is looking for new friends. 

    Lilah -  How interesting that you write musicals!  Or, for now, maybe I should say how interesting that you avoid writing musicals.  Ha!

    Hope you all have a great weekend.

    Patty

     

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited June 2010

    Gil - I forgot to mention this in my last post but I'm glad you got your port incision checked out and everything is fine.   It does seem strange that it bumps out.   Mine is more like a shallow dip in my chest.   Clearly there is a wide range of "normal".

    Patty

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited June 2010

    Yes, we will be empty nesters or as one of the speakers said at orientation -  in marital bliss.  I,  like all parents am worried about my daughter, but deep down, I know she "can do it" and know that she will be fine.  Strangely enough had I not gotten sick I may have been a lot more worried because she was a little less independent than my oldest.  During my illness she really "kicked it up" a notch, showed me how responsible she can be and how much she really can do it on her own - she grew up.  She is taking 15 hours and has been asked to join a sorority by a girl that went to her high school last year.  Funny........ this girl was the only one in her graduating class to head to this college and my daughter has done the same thing.  Oh......I'm going to worry no matter what!!!

    Patty/Gill Wow - weather in the 50's and 60's at this time of year I just can't imagine.  We normally have very hot weather, but it seems unusually hot this early in the summer.  I wonder if it's because we had such a cold winter - the EL NINO affect...... Whatever it is, I'm not liking it and wishing I was somewhere much cooler.

    Gill - I'm not sure how I'd do in a small town.  I LOVE the idea of a small town and when I have visited with people in small towns it really seems so appealing and have said time and time again I'd like to retire to a small town.  But.....then I've always lived in the suburbs 15 minutes outside of the city and work in the city-I am used to the "city" life. 

    Lilah - good luck with writing, must be hard to get motivated during the summer months when it's time to play....... you make me laugh.

    Weety - I say wait until Sept when you're 40......enjoy the rest of summer. 

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Weety -- I thought one did not need to have regular colonoscopies until the age of 50!  Why do you feel you need one at the age of 40?  Or maybe colon cancer runs in your family?  That's the only reason I can think of for why you would do it so young.  (Of course, I may be woefully ignorant on this... but my doctors have all told me it's age 50).

    Jenn -- your daughter is going to do great!  I love that the girl from her school (a year older) has invited her to pledge... that is very kind.  Glad I made ya laugh :)

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  • weety
    weety Member Posts: 1,163
    edited June 2010

    Lilah, Yeah, my grandfather had colon cancer at 51. 

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Ah ok Weety -- I am sorry to hear that :(

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    Patty - tomorrow I am three weeks out from de-porting and I am still bruised on my boob about 6 inches away from the incision. For a while it was bruised all the way down now I'm left with a patch of bruising. Not that I'm complaining - no pain etc. It feels fine. My DH teaches at the University of Idaho and both sons are students there. One in an apartment and the other at home as he is not doing so great with his classes. And I went to grad school at UI when we first came to Moscow.

    Lilah - a change in the weather. The heat is off and yesterday it was in the 70s. With more of the same the rest of the week. Yeah!!!

    Jenn - it's funny thinking about the IDEA of retiring to a small town. We sometimes talk about condo living downtown in a city - like Seattle. Not sure what we will do when the time actually comes - do not feel remotely ready for retirement. I've already tinkered in my brain the the notion of going back to England. Who knows!

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Gilly -- have you asked your doctor about the bruising?

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited June 2010

    Gill - I am still far, far away from retiring, but like to think of what it would be like to retire to a small town.  What I really want to do is run a Bed & Breakfast in a small coastal town......ahhhhhh.......dreaming.  Maybe one day.  For now I'll continue to work, can't say raise my children since they are grown, but maybe I could say be there for them and my family and enjoy life!!!  Last.....I'm with Lilah have you checked on the bruising.  When my port was removed I had no bruising and it was healed in about a week. 

    Has anyone been to the movies lately?  I think I'm going to try to go during the week to see Sex in the City with a friend.  I went a few weeks ago to see Letters from Juliet, which was adorable.  Then I'd like to see the New Karate Kid, Killers (looks funny) and hopefully get caught up for the next bunch of movies coming out. My DH wants to see Ironman, which I guess we'll catch next weekend for Father's Day. 

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Saw Killers yesterday (and the A Team)... both were fun!

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  • YoYo44
    YoYo44 Member Posts: 203
    edited June 2010

    Hi Ladies,

    Glad to hear that everyone is starting to settle into the new normal.  I know what you mean about summer weather.  Ours has been on and off.  But as I am supposed to stay out of the sun the off weather helps me be more compliant.  Sunscreen on top of all the creams for rads is a little goopy.  Rads finish next monday.  Yay!!  But most of my markings washed off in the shower so I guess I will be in trouble today.  Oh well.

    Oh yeah, my other news is I have decided to forgo the wig.  I might wear it to customer meetings if they come up soon but I will go commando otherwise.  I have yet to go to the office commando but that will be this week, probably Wednesday.  It is a little daunting but, oh well, it has to happen sooner or later.

    Have a great day all!

    Yo

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited June 2010

    Yo - so glad to hear you're doing well.  Treat your skin good, even after rads are finished. After you go commando once, it's not so bad....

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited June 2010

    Yo - I admire your courage!   I'm just beginning to think about going commando in places where I'm unlikely to see anyone I know...but I always chicken out.   It would help if my hair weren't so darn unruly.  I could  probably get away with really short hair...but really short BAD hair?  Not ready for that yet.  

    Patty

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  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 4,898
    edited June 2010

    Aw Patty -- your hair (in your avatar) is totally cute!  You totally could go commando!  My hair is about the same length as yours and I haven't worn my wig for three weeks (and don't plan to again either)!

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  • gillyone
    gillyone Member Posts: 1,727
    edited June 2010

    yoyo - good to hear from you. Rads almost done yeah!!

    Patty - just go for it. I went commando with less hair than you.

    Bruising and swelling getting better from de-porting. Finally.

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited June 2010

    Thanks for the hair encouragment ladies.   Problem is...my avatar was taken immediately after my clever hairdresser did my hair.   I don't have the talent or the patience to repeat this look.  Without major futzing it is awful.  Think: Don King.  Very scary.

    Patty

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