December 2009 Rads Group

I am so jealous, you going to Daytona Beach for a WEEK! My husband and I are trying to plan something for our 25th anniversary in October. I was thinking a weekend in the Poconos (PA). He wants a big party.

That picture of me was at one of my last chemos. I thought I would leave with a laugh. Even some of the patients got a laugh. They probably needed it. I think I wore the wig for the rest of the day because my head was cold. 

Bonnie I can't wait to see that film!  Let me know what channel it will be on!!  I don't know if Jewly and I will get to meet up, but that would be awesome, we will be staying on Atlantic Ave in Daytona Beach at a motel called the San Marina.  We got a really great deal on it!  If you want to look it up they have there own web site!  Veggy take a look at it.  I know it's a really long way for you to go, but the rates are great!!  I can bet you won't find a room to rent for as great as price as this is. 

Renee

People tell me that I am a character. I guess I am. I think humor got me through the chemo. I had nicknames for some of the nurses. The nurse who would access the port, I called her a mosquito. I also told her that the port was an alien tracking device, the cancer was the alien and she was from the mother ship. I also took a sleep mask with me so I wouldn't see any of the needles. They would laugh.

Donna, I tried everything with little success, I did use Aveeno Active Naturals 1% hydrocortizone cream for itching, the docs don't even agree on what helps..I did read that calendula cream was the most successful in some trials..Might find at health stores or on line...I finally gave up and just let my skin alone and found it healed faster without all the sticky stuff....Good luck.....

Hi Adrienne, How have you been?  Long time no hear from you!  Come on FB sometime.  You must be having a really busy summer.  Hope all is going well for you. 

Ladies I am counting down the days till my vacation.  We ae suppose to leave a week from today.  Hope I can get a dog sitter.  So far I haven't been able to find one.  We really didn't want to leave them at the kennel.  They want an outrageous amount of money for 3 dogs, plus the one we called wants them to have a boardetella shot (all 3 of them) lets say I am not wealthy!  LOL!  Plus since my doggies are in the house we don't usually give them rabies shots, the vet said no point.  They don't even go out to potty unless they are on a leash and walked, so that presents another problem.  I don't know what we are going to do.  Normally my daughter does it but she is going with us this time.  We are going to ask a friend but I don't really know how trust worthy he will be to do it twice a day for 8 days... ???? Guess we will see. Say a prayer cause we really need this vacation, then throw in on top of it my grandmother has taken another turn for the worse (the one alreay on hospice).  I really don't think she will make it through August.  I am just praying she holds on till after our vacation.  I hope that doesn't sound selfish, but it's been 2 yrs since we've had a vacation.  Also, my mom just had surgery on her foot and she really doesn't need to be up walking around on her foot.  

Renee

Bonnie, First congrats on great results, but why such a long wait?...I can usually pick up a copy of mine about 1-2 days later....I even picked up a copy of the film, that's where I noticed all those surgical clips clumped together...My left side is healed on outside, but lumpy and still sore on inside..I also have some numb toes, I think from the arimidex....What a year! You are so right!!!!!

Hi all my wonderful friends!  So much has happened since I last posted about needing a sitter for my dogs.  First my most wonderful and beloved grandmother passed away on Aug. 3rd.  She and I were super close as I was born on her 37th birthday and was her first grandchild.  She was always my go to person when I needed to talk or someone to pray about something with me.  I really miss her!!  Her viewing was on Thursday and Funeral was on Friday, we packed Friday night and left at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7th for Daytona Beach.  Wow, what a whirlwind.  Taking my daughter, her soon to husband and 19 month old granddaughter was a BIG mistake!! I love my daughter and granddaughter dearly, but after 3 days all my daughter did was complain, her fiance' was irritable and Straitlyn (our granddaughter) cried everytime we would go into a restauraunt and try to put her into a highchair to eat.  My daughter doesn't know the meaning of the word... budget your money and everytime we would go out to eat she would want to order a 19 month old a meal by herself and get herself something.  We did that once and it was wasted food, so from then on out I got something to eat (that I usually didn't want, like cheese pizza) so Straitlyn could share with me.  That's budgeting your money.  LOL!  My daughter will never make it being a newly married person and managing a household if she doesn't figure it out.  But I certainly can't tell her.  The worst part was her fiance' didn't offer to give any money on the room or help pay for the gas going or coming home and he didn't even help buy Straitlyn or darling daughter's meals except two lunch meals and we bought his supper twice. 

Needless to say that won't happen again... They'll be married and they can pay for their own way!  I don't want to sound mean, but... I didn't invite him along, don't care for him, really don't want darling daughter to marry him and these are some of the reasons.  And he still doesn't have his car fixed!!

I'm sorry that I ranted but I knew you ladies would listen to me.  Thanks

Now... I have 2 doc appts coming up one with the plastic surgeon for a follow up on 8/25 and with my med onc on 8/31.  Hoping for good reports with both of them. 

Renee

Thanks for the hugs Veggy!  Good luck with you TSH levels I really hope the doc can get you straightened out on your thyroid meds soon.  Hope you had fun at your dinner party with the girls!!

I just found out Monday that my best friend has stage 4 breast cancer. It is in three areas of her spine. One of the areas the vertebrae is fractured. She won't do chemo, but will do 15 rounds of radiation. Haven't heard if it is in any of her organs. She found a lump in her breast years ago and did nothing just some natural stuff. It shrunk it for a little while but its back with a vengeance. I just wonder... how long does she have.

Thank You Renee. I am so sick over this. I took her for her first radiation treatment yesterday. Then we went to my cancer support meeting. She said she enjoyed it. We do a lot of things together, gardening, shopping, talking. She just lost her husband 3 months ago from a stroke and now she is dealing with this too. Today is the first day this week I don't have to worry about taking her somewhere. Friends and family are helping out too. I am on the back up list incase someone can't make it. I can't do it all, I know, but I want to.

Did I mention she is at level 4 and it is in three places in her spine?  She won't do chemo. One of the vertebrae has degenerated and she is in constant pain. She is going the natural way with alkaline diet.I'm just scared.

Nope Bonnie I haven't had my reconstruction yet.  It's simply a follow up appointmen with him.  He has been watching the breast that had radiation for the last 5 months for shrinkage, hardening, and for the inflammation to go down that occurs from rads, which he says sometimes can take up to a year.  My year will not be up until Feb. of next year, however, what he is looking for is the pinkness that tends to linger behind in the tissue.  In my case the pinkness was primarily in the nipple because that is where they over loaded me with extra boosts for my incision.  Personally it no longer looks pink to me but who knows what he will think.  I guess to a trained eye they see things we do not.    Wow Bonnie!! Can't believe you are wearing a down coat to work already!!! That is truly amazing... a down coat is something we don't utilize much here in the deep south.  LOL!! Most of our winter days stay around 50-60 with some early mornings at 40ish.  I love winter but I guess our winters are more like your falls.  hehehe!! I hope your fog goes away soon... kind of sounds like you live in London and not the U.S.

Have a great weekend ladies as mine seems to be off to a rocky start.  It looks as though I am going to have the privilege of going in and working as a resident assistant or nursing assistant.  I had one call off and my "poor manager on duty" she is just too darned old to get her butt up and go in and do it herself.  Now mind you she is in her 50's and she has some health problems of her own, but she hasn't been through what I have the last year or in the last 6 months, but here I go in to pull and tug and bathe the resident's when really I am no more up to doing it than she is.  She is just too lazy to get off her tush and go do it.  She says it's because she don't know what to do but I don't do it every day either and I'll have to have help also.  So give me a flipping break.  It's not my weekend to be on call and I'M GOING IN TO WORK... I'M PISSED!!!! (sorry for the rant)!!!

Have a good one

Renee

Hey Jewly: I have never had ANY bloodwork done! The med onc says that the tests just aren't that useful or reliable. This is Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit HMO, and they are probably trying to save money. I'm okay with it, actually. After the first three-month followup, now I'm on a six-month schedule.

The fog has broken! As of yesterday we have sunny skies and 70s! We've had TWO MONTHS OF FOG! 

Bonnie

Bonnie, yeah for the fog lifting!!  The high here today was only 83!!! That was so nice since is has been in the high 90's and over 100 degrees for the last month. 

Went to the plastic surgeon today and I go back again on Nov. 29th and we will make the date for my reconstruction then.  I hoping to do it before the end of the year so I don't have to meet my deductible again!  Keep your fingers crossed and prayers said for me.   

Renee

I'm still here but not as much. I am trying to move forward but kind of stuck in a pothole. I was talking to someone yesterday and it was very hard for me to say that I am a cancer survivor. I choked on the word survivor. I still feel like its victim.

I see the radiologoist in November. That's my only appointment left for this year. Sure beats a list of 20. It makes me feel like a "normal" person.

Been spending a lot of time in the garden. Right now I have a lot of green beans to pick. My second son started his senior year of school. 

Hope everyone is doing great.