Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

Back pain and tooth pain are the worst.  Just affects everything you do.  I hope too you get some relief soon.  

I forgot Carie was on vacation.  Hope she's having a blast and forgetting about her bones. 

Firni, that's great news about the marker test!

Carie, is your dad getting any better? Sorry

So yes, today was the day, and I found out a big NOTHING! First, my onc gave me a clean bill of health, back in 6 months He didn't seem concerned at all about my foot. Then the orthopedist, looked at the MRI, agreed that there is definately something going on with my foot, but the MRI isn't telling him anything so he was a CT-scan done. But he did comfort me about the fact that cancer below the knee is nearly impossible, if it was oin my bone, it would show elsewhere first. Depending on what the CT-scan shows, I might need to get a bone scan done. He is thinking a benign tumor right now. Another 2 weeks before I see him again!

Bold, I hope your tooth is doing better.

Carie, I forgot, when do you get another scan done?

OH have a wonderful trip.Your going to love it. Its going to be hot and beautiful.

Gee Carie that sound serious with your dad. I pray that he recovers quickly. Hope your doing well.

Caroline: Still its good news. I am happy for you and hope you get resolution to your pain and discomfort.

Ugg its only tuesday!!!!

Praying for all my sisters! xo

Ellie

Caroline ~~ AAARRGGGHHH!!  So happy about your good checkup with the onc, and hearing that it would be 'nearly impossible' to have cancer in your foot, but I know how frustrated you must be because even if it isn't cancer, we still want to know what's going on in our bodies!  We're all hanging in there with you.:-)  {my next scan is mid-august....}

Mandy ~~ I'm so jealous! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Bold ~~ I hope your face is feeling a little better.:-)  I actually have dreams of my teeth falling out.

Ellie ~~ thank you for your prayers, they are much appreciated.

My dad is actually doing much better.:-)  They moved him out of ICU yesterday and are talking about letting him come home tomorrow.  Thankfully it seems we caught the sepsis very early on, because it is responding so well to the antibiotics.  I will be so glad when he gets home, because his little dog has just been moping around the house and it's breaking my heart!

So glad to hear about your dad, that is great news. Sounds like a great things for kids, maybe it will be helpful to them to know that they're not alone.

I'm getting my CT-scan of my foot tomorrow. Otherwise keeping busy. Sorry about the AC We need a new car all together, ours is... well.. it's bad! And we're tired of spending money on it, problem... we are unwilling to finance a car!

bold, that would be great to make extensions out of your own hair.  Mine wasn't very long to begin with so it wouldn't have been good to make anything.  Well, maybe braided into those bracelet things.  

 Caroline,  Hope the foot scan went ok today.  Let us know.

Carie,  So glad to hear that your dad is better and back with Fido.  It sounds like overall, you're having a great summer.  Well, except for the AC thing with your car.  Mine went out last summer and that was the one thing, I didn't care where I had to get the $ to fix it.  It HAD to be fixed.

Mandy, Hope Italy was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

By the way, Carie, I can't wait for you to have your scans. Praying for a good clean report

Firni ~ you are beautiful. don't ever forget it.

Caroline ~ we have a right to rant. its in the cancer constitution.:-)

I can feel "scan anxiety" creeping in.  I know I should be optimistic because my pain has improved so much, which theoretically should mean that the cancer cells are dying.  Sigh.  Will be happy to get it over with.

Oh Firni, I'm so sorry the isn't growing back as you wish But to make it clear, I don;t look at myself in the mirror naked I still have a big scar going across my breast, even though my BS did a great job, it's still a roughly 2.5-3" scar! And the port scar, well, it's just big, rough and ugly, but even when the port was in, I decided I wasn't going to try to hide it or I would have had to get a complete new wardrobe! It's quite high, so yeah, I went out through chemo with a huge bump sticking out of my chest!! At least now, it's flat, but I try to not let it bother me. I really try hard to not think cancer anymore. I hope your hair start growing soon so that you can feel the same way You are taking hormones right now, aren't you? Is it suppose to affect hair growth?

Carie - That is WONDERFUL that the pain is going away!!!

So my foot... I got my films & report yesterday. It states that it could possibly be a bone island? I've read about them, benign condition, but... in a symptomatic patients and patient with a history of cancer, they often do a biopsy on them to be sure as they can mimic a cancer tumor and by misdiagnosed. Also, bone island don't show on bone scan? Not sure why, but they don't, so if I was to have a bone scan and they can't see it, than it would mean good news. Still painful though, so I might need surgery either ways. I have a follow-up next week, but I'm trying to talk them into sending me for the bone scan first, instead of going, forking out $25 to be told that I need a bone scan before making a decision on what to do! I'm hanging in the thoughts that cancer rarely appears below the knee. But it hurts, yesterday was a bad day, pain and swelled up by night time, and now is still quite painful More waiting, probably more testing...

Hi all, just checking in because I too have been having a wild ride. In April I had my nipple reconstruction followed by tattoos in May. Then I got an infection on the rads side, surgery to clean that out, followed by a massive hematoma that never would heal. So last week I started a complete reconstruction do-over on the rads side with an LD Flap and tissue expander. My arm, which had been super good for months, is very swollen and sore. Oh boy.

I have a tip that may help those of you with bone troubles. I'd battled osteopenia for about 5 years prior to BC because of a benign parathyroid tumor. I had a bone scan just prior to chemo, then again a few months after finishing. Despite chemo, and being basically immobile for months, my hip bones actually gained density. The only thing I can attribute it to is the Strontium Citrate that I have been taking in addition to calcium/Vitamin D supplements. You have to take the Strontium four hours in between any calcium intake. I was very pleased. My spine measurements had remained stable. Do a search for Strontium renalate research in Europe. That's a patented formula not available in the states, so strontium citrate is the closest we can get as far as a delivery method.

I had another bone density test done about a month ago but haven't been back to the doctor to get the results yet. I'm using Femara which also does a number on bones, so I'm trying to keep close tabs on things.

Sorry Texas, I hope it all gets over soon.

So... went to my follow-up today to find out a big nothing! This is getting so frustrating. I called last week to check if I needed a bone scan before going in, they said no. So I went in today, checked the CT-scan and, he thinks it might be osteoid osteoma, but he's unsure, so he says... "Well, sometimes those thing show better on BONE SCAN!" Urgh! But at this point, after 2 $25 copays, and still knowing nothing, he says he can't really do anything for me, so he's refering me to a bone specialist who will know what's going on (so he says!). He's pretty sure it will need to come out, I want it out anyhow, it was so painful over the weekend that I could barely walk. He is still sticking to the no cancer but with the history better safe than sorry, if it comes out, the bone guy is the one that would perform the surgery. Waiting to get, yet, another appointment! The creepy part is that the bone specialist is at the cancer center I was being treated, so I will have to keep breathing and not panic that I'm in that place for a bad reason. I have never been so frustrated with doctors & testings before, initial visit & x-ray was 6 weeks ago! I'm not stressed about it anymore, just in pain and thinking it would have been a lot easier to deal with this this summer, not sure what I'll do with a cast having to drive & pick-up my kids to school everyday (no school bus!)

Caroline, keep pushing and keep breathing!

Thanks girls, I knew you'd all understand And I might just take you on your offer Carie, that way I'd get to meet you in person as a bonus

Firni, sorry to hear your foot is still swollen. Which end of the foot is it? Toes or close to the ankle? I have finally found the PERFECT garment for my foot, they're not cheap, custom-made by Juzo. They're exactly like the one you had told me about last year, but it's a thicker material and they don't slip much of my foot and offer more compression. After insurance, they're about $100 a piece, luckily last year I had met my OOP so I didn't pay for them, but I wish I would have figured out they were my favorite, I only have 4. But at some point, it's a medical device not some luxury item, so I'll have to get more. I hope you're able to fond some relief.

Firni, I just sent you a message, I have 2 of the garments you have that I don't use and can mail to you if you want them. I feel for you having to handwash them every other night! Do you wrap your foot at night? I got to the point where I found a garment that works for me. It doesn't fix it all completely but it gets it under control enough that I can keep living normally. I've just about made peace with the fact that the LE will never go away (Took me almost 5 years to get here! LOL). Now if I skip a day wearing it, boy do I pay for it!

Update on my other foot! I finally got an appt with the other guy and guess what... he wants me to get a bone scan! He was going to see me next Wednesday, he works at the children's hospital here, but once a week for an hour and a half, he sees adults at the cancer center! But I'll be away visiting family in Canada, plus I have a wedding to attend, so I'm still going and I won't let my foot ruin my vacation. With that said, next available date is September 8th! At least he wants me to get the scan before going in! So, I'll be getting my bone scan when I get home. At this point, they better tell me something and make a plan of action before there isn't any other test I can have done!