November 2009-Starting Chemo

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    Alicia,

    Have your cry I understand, I sure get my days. Trust me you may not be BLONDE but your pretty hot yourself pretty lady ~~~ I am already taking calcium and vit D, but i guess it's not enough. Maybe they will put me on something like Boniva if it doesn't interfere with the T-Mox.

    I am fixing to goggle this to check and see if the interaction of the two is OK. 

    Melinda,

    Yes, the DEXA is a bone scan which shows them the density of the bones. From what I've read they should have alredy done this on me...but it's OK...soon it will be done. 

     I am a little nervous about the lingula thing because I've sen they sometimes want to do a lung biopsy for that and that freaks me out....hopefully I won't need one!!!!!! 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited September 2010

    Brenda: See if they will give you Zometa by infusion. I'll be starting it next time I have herceptin. You only have 4 treatments 6 months apart. My bone density was ok but onc wants me to have it. Great for preventing recurrence. Hope the lung thing turns out ok ((((((((HUGS)))))))) Boniva looks good I just googled it. I like the idea of Zometa as I don't have to take another pill.

    I got through my first full day of work on Monday ok but really enjoyed the short day and the day off following it. Went out to lunch with my bc friend yesterday and had a nice time. Got a short day today and the second full one tomorrow. I've arranged lunch with a young man I used to work with so that should help get through the day.

    I've been a bit weepy since the naked herceptin last week. I'm sure just going there is what upsets me.

    Hey, my hair is now going wavy on top!!!! Looks awesome.

    Love and hugs to everyone!!!!

    Sue

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited September 2010

    Alicia, you are smoking hot without long blond hair....Your hair will come back...until then just accept you are hot hot hot...

    Brenda, that doesn't sound to bad...You are c-free and that is a great thing.

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited September 2010

    So today I had a stress test at the cardiologists office.  I had to run on  a treadmill for about ten minutes.  I could watch my little heart and its extra beat.  So lets see, 3 ECGs, 2 echos, 1 chest xray, 24 heart monitor, and monitoring at hospital, and still no clear answers...crap.

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  • Sherri_V
    Sherri_V Member Posts: 159
    edited September 2010

    Hi!  I haven't checked in in quite some time but I just wanted to report that I am having my port taken out tomorrow!  I've been finished with radiation for about 4 weeks now...truly a SURVIVOR now :)  Goodbye CANCER!!!

    I can't believe how much time I used to spend on here and now I hardly think of it - I guess I'm getting back to my normal.  Good luck to everyone ~ hope to never have to log on again as a cancer patient, only as someone who might have help to offer from time to time Embarassed

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    (((((Sherri)))))

    I was wondering about you yesterday. Glad to hear the good news and to see how positive you are being. You are a "Warrior Survivor"  We may not see you much anymore but at least we know you are well now. FANTASTIC. Thank you for being one of our sisters and for all your contributions.

    Celebrate Life!!!!! Brenda 

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    Sue, 

    Thanks for the advice. The idea of once every four months with Zometa sounds better than another pill for sure. So, if my results do show poor bone density I will ask about the Zometa.

    Sorry you felt weepy but I know we all get that way at times. Cry

    It is nice to see you get to have some enjoyable lunches with friends. I'm jealous as I am alone every day all day long. I used to not even be able to eat without company, but after 3 years of being alone in an office all day, everyday I've gotten used to it. It would be nice to have the company at times however and someone to chat with. 

    Michele,

    Doesn't seem crazy every time we go to get something checked we end up having a gazillion tests done and we still are waiting on answers. The waiting for results is always the stressful part. I'm finally NOT stressing anymore over the waiting and just keep saying all these tests are for is to show how WELL I AM doing. Trying to keep my brain on a happy track. 

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited September 2010

    Brenda, I like your way of thinking.  Although I hate the waiting, at least I can spent that time not having anything.  As soon as you get results, then all of a sudden you have something new to worry about.  I always liked the weekends because then you don't have to worry about the phone ringing, or you missing the phone call you have been waiting for.

    Sherri, welcome back..Glad to hear all is well and life is getting back to normal, what ever that is.  I check this site daily, but only manage to post every couple of days...

    Good morning all you warrior babes.

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited September 2010

    Michele ~ sorry you still don't have any answers.  Maybe it is just all part of the NEW normal ~ 

    Brenda ~ all will be fine !

    Sherri ~ Congrats on finishing your rads and moving on with life.  Nice to hear from you!

    Sue ~ enjoy your growing wavy hair.  Mine is growing slowly....but growing !  Hope your weepyness goes away soon.  I feel your pain.

    To everyone group HUG !

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited September 2010

    Sherri:  Good to see you again, congrats on being deported.

    I have been thinking about the body image thing (Alicia, you look fabulous but I feel like it doesn't matter how many other people say it. But my hope is that you see it soon).

    Oddly, the thing I am most self conscious about is my ass. My hair is not my fault. My chest is not my fault. My stomach-ehh, I will let being a mom take credit for that. But my ass, I can't blame that on anyone but me. The other flaws are my clucked up trophy for having some of the battles I have had. But, there are no battle scars on my ass, I just earned this ass from years of Dorito's and crap.

    I have another gripe. I shaved my legs for ...30 years or so. I took 6 months off from shaving my legs during chemo. How could I have gotten out of a 30 year habit in 6 months. My legs are always so hairy. I guess I shaved a lot more often than I realized.

    I really got spoiled with those two minute showers when I didn't have to shampoo and shave.

    Oh, one more thing. Does anyone else feel like their hair doesn't get wet like it used to? It is still a little duck-ish, water repellant. I stick my head under the water and it just doesn't seem to be soaking in. I have to flip it around to get the water to the hair underneath.

    Michelle: is this the stress test you were going to have in October? So what is the next thing on your checklist?

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  • Claire_in_Seattle
    Claire_in_Seattle Member Posts: 4,570
    edited September 2010

    Like Sherri, I am really past everything now.  Yes, I check in, but yesterday's activities went like:

    - Start report due client next week.  Call client for missing materials.

    - Call dentist to thank for wonderful work.  Could see this with my new photos, and my teeth now look wonderful. They are healthier too, after spending a king's ransom there.

    - Look for tent for camping/cycling trip.  My camping buddy finally came up with the gear.

    - Work on getting more consulting work.

    - I passed the HR screen for a job I have been trying to get for a long time.  Was finally able to move forward a couple of weeks ago on this.  Contacted people in my professional network as I may need their help.

    - Noticed major healing progress in scars.  Almost no difference in skin color from radiation either any more.

    - Exercise and dinner.

    The big thing recently has been re-imagining myself post treatment.  The long hair I had all my life needed to go anyway.  So a question of figuring out a new and dynamic look for myself.  A major milestone was realizing I wanted a new picture, as this is who I am.  Wasn't ready to do this until a couple of weeks ago.  Did the pix a couple of evenings ago, and just in time for the interview as put up on LinkedIn just before I got the HR screen call.

    There will be more fine-tuning of my "look" as I lose the remaining few pounds and my hair regrows.  The big thing was not wanting to hide behind my past look any more.

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    Melinda,

    I love the "Duckish hair" I thought I was imaging that it wasn't absorbing the water. Too funny, Thanks for the giggle. Smile 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited September 2010

    Brenda: The zometa is an infusion for less than 1/2 an hour. Of course with no port it would be yukky. I'll at least have one with the port but I'm not keeping it in for the others.

    Melinda: Are you sure you didn't forget to take off your dreadlocks when you got in the shower Cool

    Sue

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited September 2010
    Sue: LOL Sue (did I ever admit to the time I did shower with the wig on, I just missed the feeling of shampooing my hair and the wig needed washing)
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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited September 2010

    Melinda, man you make me laugh.  I wish we all lived closer so we could get together for a real sit down get together laugh fest. And yes this was the test scheduled for Oct.  They had a cancellation so they called me.  Now I wait for all results to get to the cardio guy.

    So we havn't heard from M360 lately.  I wonder how she is.  If you are out there 360, let us know how you are...same with any of you other missing girls.  I have  a hard time remembering who is on some of the few threads I read...there is some cross over, so my weakened chemo brain gets a workout.

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    Melinda,

    Now that youv'e admitted what you did I feel much better about the time I wrapped a towel around my head (like us ladies do) and I took a picture of myself. It made me look normal, no one realized I was hairless under the towels. It helped me feel like my ole self for just a smidge .

    Sue,

    Yeah, My Onc. dr. that I didn't like asked me why I wanted the port out so bad. It did bug me though. Now, maybe I understand why he said you may need it sometime, but I refused to think I had to have any more infusions or that I needed chemo again. He said he was almost 100% sure I would not have recurrence, so I thought why keep it. I think I may do the pill, I hate needles even with the port I hated it and would cry. I am such a friggin baby. 

    I got my mammogram from my first year follow up mamo and my ultra sound and both showed...

    ALL WAS CLEAR......NEGATIVE....YIPPIE........Smile 

    Now, I just wait on the brain scan......which I'm sure they won't find ANYTHING up there(ha-ha)

    Next Tues I see my little onc for follow up, blood work the week after that because of the cancellation the last time and then the next week my yearly complete physical. Still no end to Dr. appointments......... gotta love it....don't worry....I'm happy anyways.... 

    (((Alicia)))  Hope your spirits are up for the weekend  ~~~~ 

    Michele, Sherri,  Linda, Toyah, everyone I may have missed, DO have a wonderful weekend....See y'all on Tuesday (((((HUGS))))) Brenda

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited September 2010
    Brenda: congrats on a happy mammy! Have a great weekend!
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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited September 2010

    Melinda ~ you are too funny...  wearing your wig in the shower !!!  I like Michele wish we all lived closer and could get together.  I can only imagine the laughs we would have.

    Brenda ~ Congrats on a clear mammo !  woo HOO.  All will be just fine with your brain scan I just know it.

    Have a good Friday girls !  Hurricane Earl is to be off our coast this evening, they are predicting heavy rain and some wind. 

    :)

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  • doronet
    doronet Member Posts: 342
    edited September 2010

    Is there such a thing as a group Skype?  Anyone else have a webcam?  Seems to me, that would be the closest we could come to being "all together."

    Brenda:  soooooooo glad the mammo was clear!!!  I almost wrapped my hair-less head in a towel more times than once, though I never did. (I was afraid it would slide off and I would have been so disappointed.)  Obviously your onc-from-hell has never had a port, so he has no idea why we want them out so badly. Or maybe he's just a pin-head.  :P

    There are lots of Warriors we haven't heard from.  I'm hoping that no news is good news and that they aren't posting because they are doing so fantastically well. 

    Alicia: hope you have recovered from the big 16-bash.  ummmm... could the "itch" be a yeast infection?  Batten down those hatches and, hopefully, Earl will swing away.  I have relatives near Riverhead, so I'm praying for all the Long Isle people.

    Happy Friday!!!  Nette 

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited September 2010
    Nette: you were asking Alicia about her "itch" and then told her to batten down her hatches against Earl. I thought Earl was some guy she was doing that had crotch rot!
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  • Claire_in_Seattle
    Claire_in_Seattle Member Posts: 4,570
    edited September 2010

    Yes, you can conference on Skype.  Didn't do the webcam piece as was in the middle of chemo when I did this business call.  Was an interview and I made the team.  Unfortunately, no work came from it.

    I put cardboard over my webcam to make sure I didn't tell more about myself than would have been wise.

    You need to have everyone's Skype address to make it all work.  Then you invite others to join.

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited September 2010

    Melinda ~ no one named Earl is getting near my crotch !  LOL

    Nette ~  went to the gyno yesterday.  He said lack of estrogen just wreaks havoc down there.  Wants me to use A&D oinment to protect it, cranberry extract tables 2x's a day and lube when I give in to DH.  :)  No infection.....

    I have a webcam on my computer !  Let's plan a video conference sounds like FUN!

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  • doronet
    doronet Member Posts: 342
    edited September 2010
    Oh my goodness,  Melinda!!  I almost fell out of my chair laughing at your posting!  Went back and read what I had written and figured I prob. should have typed "Hurricane Earl!"  :D
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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited September 2010

    Alicia: can I ask if doc wants to you use the cranberry pills orally or ??vaginally. I have some that I could start taking, I just don't want to be popping them the wrong way.

    Reminds me of an episode of "House", young woman was using "the gel" for birth control, but she was using strawberry jelly.

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited September 2010

    Melinda - you are too funny.

    Brenda - congrats on the clear mammo!!!! I want the port out asap. I'm up early because of it pressing on a nerve again  - moved the wrong way again - ouch!!

    Sue

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited September 2010

    MELINDA ~ ORALLY !  lol

    Laughing

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited September 2010

    Brenda HAPPY MAMMY DAY.   Celebrate.

    I'm with you  on not letting any Earls near "Funville"  The rides are down for servicing...My big ONC said the same thing about lack of estrogen..so does this mean I have to suffer for the next 41/2 years...my dh might just pack his bag for richer pastures..

    Melinda, you make me laugh

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited September 2010

    Hi everyone, just checking in after the long holiday weekend. Lots of talk about "Earl" some funny stuff and about itching. Oh yeah, and skyping. I don't have a way to skype, but wish I did. Don't have a web-cam either. I'll just have to happy with FB and this site for chatting and checking in.  

    You know I drink cranberry juice on a regular basis pretty much all the time and I have not had any problems with my couchie. I don't itch and there isn't any dryness.

    Well I have three appointments this month with Drs. I will loose 1 days pay each from work for the following three weeks just to prove to them again just how WELL I AM ~~ 

    Have a great week girls ~~~ 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited September 2010

    Brenda: What were the brain scan results??? I've been worried about it. Seeing you haven't mentioned it, I can only hope it was clear.

    Sue

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited September 2010

    Boy oh boy, I go on vacation and come back to 2 pages of posts!

    Brenda, any news yet?

    I have my 2-month scans today...abdominal MRI. Geez, they make me nervous. Last time I was NED, so I'm banking on that!

    You all are too funny! Everybody looks so good!

    Alicia, can you do vaginal estrogen??? I'm mildly ER+ (5%), so as long as I'm on the Tamoxifen, I can take it!

     (((Hugs))) to all!

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