Anyone starting chemo in June 08

Michelle sorry to hear about your stint. Too bad everything can't go smoothly.

Thank you Hunky for complimenting on my grandkids. I think they are pretty cute too.

I'm off camping in the Big Horns Mt. They are about one and half hour from home. Meeting my oldest daughter and son-in-law, and Kody. Grandpa and I are taking Addie so should be fun. I'm sure I will be tired Sun. 

Everyone have a great and uneventful weekend.

Wyoming 

Karen, Hugs!  Don't minimize your fears here.  I think we are all here for each other no matter what.  I hope you sleep well and your cough eases up.  I am so thankful for this group of wonderful women.  XXOO Hunkydory

hi ladies, i'm recovering slowly but surely. not exactly chowing on anything yet. everything pureed still. but i picked 8 small carrots from my garden for lunch and pureed them with butter and brown sugar and boy was that delicious! 

I went for that xray and another ct in the hospital, and everything looked ok. I still have quite a bit of discomfort in my chest, and they say the stent is pushing on the tumor, and the tumor is probably pushing back. Last night I took morphine for pain and coughing, and then at 3am I took Ativan becox I woke up all worried and couldnt get back to sleep. I know worry doesnt accomplish anything, but it's so hard to stop!

My poor diesel was at the vets all last week. we were both throwing up at the same time. Dh took him in, he had parvo virus, and then came back to take me to emerg. Did I tell you this already? sorry. Anyway, Diesel is doing much better! He goes to work with dh everyday (in crate on backseat of truck) eats lots, gets a swim at the river, and comes home full of piss and vinegar. I'm so glad dh can take him. i wake up and then nap, then eat, then nap.  Perhaps next week my energy might come back.

I wanted to tell you all something special. One night in the hospital I couldn't sleep. It's was 3am. I walked a bit, had a tea, then decided to write a childrens book about a mother with cancer. It's called "Sunny & the Snail" becoz Sunny helps Gramma garden and they find a snail. Mama is so tired, and eventually she gets to sleep forever in a place with no cancer, and when dh read it he cried. wow. He says he's going to get it published for me. so sweet. so that will be my legacy.

Wyoming your camping trip sounded fantastic. imagine all those animals. nature is awesome!

KK, sometime dairy causes my trouble with mucous. maybe try cutting itout for a few days, see what happens.  Also, my knees crunch too and when I told dh, he said, so do mine! Thats arthritis. yay! not cancer!

Leggy, Hunky, Bonnie, Kelly love to you all. I'll try to login more often now. hugs Choc.

I would like to see your story too Chocolate.  Are you artistic enough to do your own illustrations?  I think it is great that you wrote a book.

Had another visit with my oncologist.  My bilirubin levels are still too high so I am not taking any meds except for sleeping.  I have to have it checked weekly and if it ever gets back to normal we will start adding back the other meds since my tumour markers are rising steadily.  It could be worse... I feel pretty good so am enjoying my break from all those meds.

They are finishing up the porch today so I will wash it off and put furniture on this weekend.  Then I will show you a picture of me siting on it!    Kelly

Girls I pray for you all, wouldn't it be nice to have sweet dreams.  Believe me I understand HD, I wake up every morning in pain, and even though I know I have to move eventually just to slowly make it to the bathroom, I lay in bed as long as I can. My Mom get's up early every morning, and she feeds Wolfie, so at least I don't have to move for that.  I went to a chronic pain management class yesterday, and had to fill out an extensive questionnaire.  Then in a week after the team looks over my record/questionnaire, they will get back to me.  They have classes after that and how many depends on their recommendations, however they all take weeks and I don't have that much time, before they make me go back to work.  So far I'm not getting any answers as to whats causing the pain.  So I'm hoping  to find out when I go to the spine clinic on 09/15.  One thing I did find out at the chronic pain class, is that there's a whole lot of people worse off than me.  Mentally and physically.  There was this couple behind me, and the man complained about his wife, the whole time, she eventually got up and walked out, but after the break she came back.  Then when I went into the bathroom there was a women from the class in there, with her walker, taking a s#it load of pills.  That's the main goal of the class, to get us off pills, and when the instructor said that half the class left after the break, and didn't come back...Yikes.

I start back to work tomorrow. The kids start next Tues. This gives us time to get our rooms in order and take care of meetings.

I'm saying the magic words to get everyone feeling better. It seems we are all on the same schedule for troubles.

I'm off to have my hair trimmed even if it doesn't need it. I'm thinking postive that it is growing.

Everyone take care feel my positive vibes.

Wyoming

Hi gals...Choc...hope you are doing better.  I know I repeatedly say this....but I think about you alot.  Wyoming...how is school this first week.  Hope don't have any teens that are too terribly obnoxious.  Is that possible?  LOL!  I am amazed at how strong you are being able to work through trts.  How are you trts?   Bonnie, home sweet home.  I know the feeling.  Had to chuckle at your post about spending a little too much time at friends.  Keep in touch.  I have been really busy at work.  Had my pre-op appts today though so that chewed up the entire afternoon.  I will let you all know how the surgery goes next week.  I will be under general anesthesia again so had to have the whole battery of tests and questions that they do every stinkin time.  Oh well, I am home now and treating myself to a cold beer.  Leggy, how is the pain management thing going.  It is interesting to me how they can tell someone to make their mind think they aren't hurting. I don't understand I guess.  If you find out....please share.  Karen....hope your cough is gone.  I have a few allergies that can get me coughing a bit, but I live in an agricultural area and some harvesting has started.  Maybe you have developed some allergies.   It is hotter than crap here still.  Supposed to be high 90's tomorrow and Friday.  I am ready for a little cool spell.  Kelly, can't wait to see that porch also, and I hope your bilirubin levels have gone down.  When does school start for your daughter?  Well, everyone give your pooch a scratch from me, and take care.  Hugs...Hunkydory

Leggy I'm glad you got your power back on. It has been hot here also. We broke a three year stretch of not hitting a 100. The last two days have been high 90's too.

Hunky work is going good. I haven't had kids yet. They start next Tues. I have had a hard time getting any work finished. I start something then get side tracked start something else. I think I'm not quite ready to end my summer. LOL

I have 10 pumpkins in my garden. None of them are very big but I love to grow them. I will let my grandkids pick the ones they want.

Bonnie nice to hear from you.

Chocolate how is the stent doing?

Kelly has it been too hot to enjoy your porch?

Karen how is the cough?

Treatment tomorrow if platelets are ok.

Talk to everyone later,

Wyoming

She must be scampering around after the puppy!  I hope she checks in soon too.  Kelly

Well is the new puppy good at cuddling?  I hope he is keeping you company, sorry about your back and breathing.  You don't have to be patient with us.  So glad you are posting again.

We are having a lazy week here in Colorado.  Elcie and I have been home alone all week since my husband is away on business.  I kind of like it when we don't have to keep a regular dinner time and can just eat bagels if we want.  Also we have been eating a lot of candy.

Over the holiday we will be camping at Garden of the Gods.  Not tent camping they have a little house there for Girl Scouts to use.  I hope to do lots of hiking and make smores every night!

Have a good weekend all, remember no getting sick or going to the hospital!  Kelly

Chocolate, Sorry to hear about the breathing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. I know it hard to have patience but it will clear up. Is Diesel just handful now. He probably plays hard then sleeps just as hard. Keep your spirits up.

Kelly I like when hubby is gone so I can have popcorn for dinner if I want. When does Elcie go back to school? Students started on Tues this week.

I still don't have my port in as my blood levels were so bad. One of these days I will get it put in. I have a PET scan on Sat, maybe it will show where things are. School is going fine so far. I was pretty excited Tues that one of my students asked if I had ADHD ( attention deficit Hyper-activity disorder). I said no that I was just excited to be working.

Have a great day everyone.

Wyoming

The porch is mostly done but my husband and I are still "deciding" about how to cover the support parts.  They are made of concrete block and he wants to cover them with rock stuff and I want to just stucco them because we have brick on the house and I don't think rock will look nice with it.  Anyway we have been using it almost every day.  I wish it wasn't such a pain to post pictures on here and I would stop being so lazy and you could see it.

Anyway here is my medical update and I would like opinions on it if you have any...   My liver has had high bilirubin levels lately so they pulled me off xeloda and tykerb.  If I recall correctly, I went off tykerb first, liver didn't get better by next week so then went off xeloda as well.  Now about 5 weeks later, my bilirubin levels are back within normal range.  My oncologist advised me to begin again with the tykerb this week.  I had recurrence with the herceptin last year and my tumour markers have been increasing the last 2 months although not as much as last year before I started the xeloda.  So I am wondering is Tykerb enough right now or should I be asking about more chemo?  I am so sick of all this self doubt and questioning.

I have been feeling mostly well.  I have even gained about 9 pounds since I have been craving snacks every day and have been eating them too much.  I looked at my rotund belly this morning and thought that I really better start walking more and snacking less. Not that I am ever a fashion plate but really I am starting to resemble those triangle stick drawings the kids used to draw in preschool.

OK now that I have blabbed about that I will also tell you that we went camping at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs this weekend and had a really nice time hiking and, yes, eating!  Lots of marshmallows and s'mores!!     Kelly

Kelly, Too bad about all the drug problems. Have you had Gymzar and Carboplatin? That is what I'm doing since the Zeloda didn't work for me. The only side effects I have is nausea, tiredness, and low blood counts. These two drugs are the one that are used with PARP.  I hate trying something different. You might try just the Tykerb and see how things go then ask your onc about Carbo and Gymzar. I'm glad you had a good time camping.

How was everyones weekend? I spent a lot of time with my grandkids. Best medicine in the world.

Wyoming