Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

Sometimes that's what it takes.  I've done it.

Hello Divas!

I hope everyone is having a good summer.  

Cebula, I wish you only good news!

Mandy, welcome back.

Busqueen, how are you doing?

I am reading the posts, but since I've been using my iPad more than my PC I cannot post due to software issues.

I have decided to change my annual check from October to August. I want a peaceful holiday season not stress waiting for results. So, my blood is at the lab and I am waiting. I had traces of blood in the urine so tomorrow I go for kidney and pelvic ultrasound. My onc said is probably nothing since most of the office tests can give false positive results, but it is good to keep an eye just in case. I feel good, put on some lbs when I was visiting my MIL in Germany. She feels good and looks good, too. ( she was also dx with BC one month after me). She is a little upset that there is no medication for her now that she is done with the treatment. She went for Iscador but she was not a good candidate - too old (72) and her body will not support the medication. Other than that her spirits are up even though her hair has not yet fully returned. She did chemo and radiation. 

My next app is September 13, but I know if something is wrong she will call me sooner.

I wish you all good health and keep in touch.

Bold, you are always one to focus on the positive! That's the way life should be, right?

I'm still going through reconstructive surgery because the first attempt on the rads side failed. The prophy side looks great! I'm at surgery number 11. I am back in an expander and still need the exchange and nipple surgeries.

Nips: I had origami. Piece of cake. Virtually no pain.

Tattoos: My nerves in both breasts had pretty much regenerated so I had slight pain as she was doing the tattoos. When I get the rads side done this next time,I'll ask for numbing meds. Afterward there was no pain or tenderness at all.

Right now, my biggest source of pain is the Femara,which is suddenly making every part of my body hurt.

Like you,I'll be celebrating when all of these surgeries are history!

I'm doing the "raspberry" to all of those people who came up to me when I was first diagnosed and said, "I know someone who had breast cancer. And she's FINE now. She never even thinks about it."

If I heard it once, I heard it dozens of times.  

Firni ~ I'm so sorry to hear about the departure of your cheeks.:-)  {I know I shouldn't laugh, but the mental picture was too much....}  I'm glad to see you over on the "You know you're a cancer patient when....." forum, it definitely provides some much needed comic relief!

Mandy ~ I'm so glad {and fairly jealous} that you had a wonderful trip. What a blessing to have that time with your family.

HaveHope ~ It was good to see you check in.:-)  It's great to hear you're feeling good and that your MIL is doing well.

I'm doing ok.  I've been feeling a little more pain lately, but I'm thinking it's just from running around too much the last 2 weeks.  Its also been way too hot and humid here, and that just sucks the life out of me.  I have a PET scan on Sept. 2, and will get the results on the 7th.  I'm having a port put back in on the 8th, because it took 6 tries to get the IV started at my last Zometa infusion.  I've officially been approved for Social Security Disability and am getting ready to hand in my resignation at the bus company.:-(  I'm actually looking forward to being able to stay home and homeschool my kids and nurture my still-young marriage {our 2nd anniversary is next month} with all the energy I have, it just kind of sucks to have the decision made for you the way its been made for me.  I told my manager that I just didn't understand why they wouldn't let me drive a bus under the influence of narcotics.....I think there would be a lot less road rage if everybody took a little oxycontin before rush hour!:-)

Cebula and Bold and Texas and Horsern, I hope all is well in your lives and you're enjoying these last weeks of summer.

Busqueen, you always find something to say that makes me laugh. Take it as a blessing, you'll get to spend more time with your family

Mandy, I'm glad to hear you had a wonderful family vacation.

I'm going in for my bone scan on Monday, then meeting the new doc on the 8th. I'll try to get my report somehow in between I just got back from visiting my family in Canada, I was worried about the 9-hour drive (one way that is!) by myself with the lack of cruise control on the car. I made it, that's about what I can say, it was quite painful by the time I got there, but I survived and came back While there, we had a family party and my aunt who was diagnosed right before Christmas had just finished her treatment. It's funny how you just bond with people, I had never really talked to her before and all of a sudden we found ourselves talking for a while with this new bond. She's a nice lady.

With the great amount of testing I have had since June, I reapplied for the financial assistance from our local hospital and we qualified again  I was scared we wouldn't since hubby got a small raise and a bunch of overtime, even with that, money is tight for unplanned testing, especially if my foot requires surgery, so that was good news when I got home yesterday. I like my hospital

I guess summer is technically over since the kids are back in school next Monday. It was a fun summer, I was very productive at keeping my kids happy & entertained, otherwise very UNproductive at keeping my house clean & laundry done... hehehe

Firni, you're cancerversary is exactly one month prior to mine. Yeah, I love my hospital, they really are non-profit, the make $0.01/year, so they say. Which isn't hard to believe knowing that they're really out there to help out people. I'm sure the drs all make good money, but they're all willing to help you out. It's a pretty large hospital and I love the fact that any doctors can log in their system and see what has been going on with other drs or see tests results, makes it so much easier. I wish more hospitals would be like that.

I guess you can say the bone scan went well, although I layed on the table without moving for 1h20min!! Yikes, I was in so much pain when it was over. I'm getting the results tomorrow (meaning I'm picking up my CD & report). Next visit with the dr is next Wednesday morning and he better have a surgery date because the pain keeps getting worse. Hubby has to drive my car because it hurts to push on the gas pedal (the car has NO power, you have to push hard!) and I'm avoiding make unnecessary car trips. It stinks! I wore my compression garment on that leg today and it helped some, but geezzz, I just want the thing out. And on the bright side, well I'M STILL ALIVE

Otherwise, I've been busy busy. Kids went back to school yesterday and I'm in the process of taking care of all the veggies I picked out of the garden on Saturday. Froze some peppers, pureed all the roma tomatoes and simmering into a sauce...Here is a picture of our harvest day! And ALL organic  

Oh well, it was a picture of my cute son in front of our big pile of veggies.

Got the report, even thought hubby & I can't figure out what it means, our understanding is that whatever it is, it is confined to my foot, no other findings. So, I guess this is good? And surgery WILL happen! LOL! The pain keeps getting worse from day to day, lessens if I wrap it, but still. Really hoping for a plan of actions next week, until then, I'll be sipping wine over a campfire this weekend

Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo!!  Doing the Happy-NED dance for HAVEHOPE!!!!  Yay!:-)

Congrats Have Hope. Music to my ears!!!!!

Sooo....I'm getting ready to leave in about 20 minutes for my PET scan.  Sigh.  Thought I was doing ok, but, my hands are shaking while trying to type this......y'all keep your fingers crossed for me.:-)  Won't get results till Tuesday.

Sweet Queen!!!

We are with you. breathe breathe breathe!!!!

My prayers and healing is yours.

AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!  So.  They told me to avoid sugar, tobacco, and alcohol yesterday.  To eat high protein, low carb, and drink lots of water.  Nobody said a thing about artificial sweeteners.  So my advice to all of you is that if you ever have to have a PET scan do NOT drink Crystal Light!!  No scan for me today.:-(  It's been rescheduled for next Wed, with results on Mon the 13th.  Oh well.  Tomorrow we are going to the State Fair and I plan on drowning my sorrows in mini-donuts!:-)

I hope you all enjoy your long weekend, have fun, relax.  

Oh no. With the amount of people doing artificial sweeteners these days, you would think that they would know better and warn against those as well! I hope the mini-donuts did the tricks

We had a fun time camping, it was actually cold and it felt really nice to warm up by the fire. And by the way Firni, we camp in a Vanagon Westfalia, with water, electricity, a stove & a fridge. I am no a tent lady So while, we had a great time camping, our freezer door wasn't shut all the way when we left, so you can imagine what it looked like 4 days later. We have a chest freezer in the basement, but for some reasons, the bulk of my meat was upstairs. So roughly $200 worth of food in the trash So much for vacationing on a budget when you camp! LOL!

Tomorrow is THE day. I shall find out what is wrong with my foot :):) Now for some odd reason, as much pain as I was in last week, barely able to drive my car or be on my feet, as soon as I started my period on Friday, the pain slowly started to go away. Don't get me wrong, it still hurts, but at least I can go on with my day.