Starting chemo January 2009?

Hi Ladies!  Had my 3 month checkup and it went well. I also suffer from leg cramps and restless leg syndrome. Mentioned it to my Dr. and she prescribed Xanax. It didn't really work the first night. I guess it has to kick in. Got pumped up again in my breast. Its going to take awhile to get it the size I want. I keep going back and forth about breast reduction because  my left breast is large. Has anyone had it done and how does it look comparing it to the fake one? My Dr. said they will not be the same so I'm confused on what to do. Ladyjane-Good Luck on the walk. I loved it when I went 3wks ago although I could only walk the 1 mile. My husband and I are going away for the weekend for my birthday which is Oct 5th. Its cold and rainy. Oh well. Have a great weekend.

Jilly g---Photos???

Bk---photos???

Good for you Jilly G.

Berkley Kim.  I had pretty curly hair to begin with.  The weight from the hair being longer is taming the tight tight post chemo curls, but its still pretty curly.

 We've all been so positive lately that I hate to do this, but, can I rant a little?  My PS is leaving.  PS has been wanting to do a little more work and I haven't been able to stand the thought of more surgery or putting an expander back in so just have been ignoring things and being happy that once I'm dressed no one else can really tell and just keep trying to move forward.  Guess that settles the question of more surgery for the near future.

So, last week I'm asking PS who I should go to if I change my mind, or more importantly, what if I get a recurrence or a new cancer on the other side.  That's my real worry.  What if I need more surgery or radiation and need a PS again.  So I said "who do you recommend I go to if I get another cancer or have a chest wall recurrence."  I get back "ohh, thats not going to happen."  I just wanted to scream "what about my chart haven't you read, what about breast cancer did you not learn when doing reconstruction all these years."  Still raises my blood pressure when I think about it. If I can live with that reality, the least you can do is acknowledge it. 

It has been a crazy week here. We were out of town for the weekend for my ILs 60th anniversary and a little kiddy b-day party for DS and a cousin.  We drove back on Monday and DH flew out on a business trip that night. He came back last night after midnight and flew out again before I got home this evening. He will be back in the early evening.  Then this weekend DS has Soccer on Saturday and Sunday school on Sunday morning and then we are having 9-10 kids over for a b-day party in the afternoon along with any parents who choose to hang out.  We have done nothing to prepare, the house is a mess and DH and I are already wiped from this crazy week.  Then today I lost the IPOD I bought just before I started chemo and I already miss it.  I need to replace it but have to decide if I am upgrading to a touch or smart phone or sticking with an affordable nano.  Work is crazy.  A normal case load of 5 hearing a day had me carrying huge backlogs.  Now they have up it to 6 hearings a day by making us hear the ones that are expected to be easier in a half hour.  That extra time used to be the margin we could use to help deal with the back log.  So I just spent an hour or so of my free evening writing a case that is old because my bosses boss is on his case about any cased older than 40 days.  So tell me, why am I on line typing right now and not sleeping????  Why am I as bad as my almost 7 year old when it comes to actually getting into my bed and going to sleep????  OK I am going beddy by right now.  Night Night girls, sleep well.

 OH, I forgot, the reason I actually got on to post.  I saw in the paper today an ad for a campaign to raise money for breast cancer.  They want people to sign up to wear a bald wig one day this month and have people sponser them. I am tempted as I was very into supporting the bald look as I went through that part of this experience.  I did do it that often since it was just too cold here but I did do it.  OK,  now I really am going to sleep. 

momand2kids

I think we all go through this ...I know that I did this spring/summer I had increasing difficulty swallowing & was sure it was esophageal cancer turned out to be acid reflux that I have already posted about & I have bursitis in my shoulder ...my body/brain have aged immensely since BC My spirit is making up for it though.

Hang in there hoping the best for you.((hugs))

Hi ladies.  Just wanted to drop in and say the walk was fantastic.  Had a lot of fun and great weather.  Check out the new avatar.  That's me and my hubby at the walk.

Hey, well done LadyJane!
Jess, I can relate to what you said about the thoughts you have at this time of year. Hope the mammogram went okay? I don't have my next one until December and I know I'll be a wreck right before that.
It's interesting that our anniversaries coincide with breast cancer awareness month (at least it is here in New Zealand) so I don't think I'll ever forget the anniversary. Here is a story about a woman at our local university who shaved her head to raise money for a special bed for the hospital for women after their surgery. The hairdresser in the middle (the guy) is my hairdresser! http://www.ch9.co.nz/content/fund-raising-events-across-country-breast-cancer-awareness-month
Interesting mnmom to read about your hair. Mine is at bob length now and so much thicker than it ever was before. I have heard that changes in hair don't last but in my case I'm hoping they do since I always wanted thick hair! Shame it came back in the same shade of brown and gray though!

K.

Yeah Jess!!!!!

Oh, Jilly G that story brought tears to my eyes.  I am so glad your son has his "old mommy" back.

 I'm going to take advantage of my fellow January Jewels to make a plea.  We've done a lot of talking on these boards about the good and bad of "Pink October."  We wonder who isn't aware, and we want a cure.  I was ashamed of myself today to find out that November is lung cancer awareness month and I had to look on the Internet to find that lung cancer is associated with a pearl ribbon.  So my plea is for people to remember that next month is lung cancer awareness month.  I know lung cancer is associated with smoking.  You know what?  I was not overweight until I went through chemo and Tamoxifen.  Every time I look in the mirror now I think to myself "everyone is going to think you got breast cancer because you're fat."   How many times have we beaten ourselves up for not insisting on more imaging, a biopsy, being a few months late getting that mammogram.  No one deserves cancer.  Its time to stop dismissing and assigning blame.  So, I'm asking that next month we all think about that pearl ribbon and remember our lung cancer sisters.   

You know Renrel I hadn't thought of taking a day off on the anniversary of my diagnosis.  I remember when you did it last year.  Last year was too soon for me and I didn't feel I could take anytime after being off during surgery and chemo.  This year the idea holds a lot of appeal. 

Hi Jewels, I haven't been around for a while again, but today is my cancerversary and figured I should see how things are going for everyone.  Sounds like we are all having the same thoughts and concerns.  Lady Jane, congrats on your walk.   I am actually doing Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Daytona Beach next Saturday.  It is a 3 mile walk.  I did it last year so hope I can muster up the strength to finish again this year.   Last year was very emotional since I had just finished all my treatments.  Hope to enjoy the walk a bit more this year.  

I saw the onc on Thursday.  Everything seems good, just waiting for blood work results.  The week after is always stressful hoping not to get a call from them.  No news, good news is what they tell me.    I will be happy when next Thursday gets here and I haven't had a phone call from them.  Had mammo a couple weeks ago and that was all clear.  I was sure it would be though because when I had my surgery in June, (lift on the good one), they sent tissue for analysis and that was all clear.  

My hair came back very curly.  Straight as a poker all my life.  It is now losing some of the curl but I am keeping it very short so it still has a bit in there.  I was told that usually a year after your hair comes in, it usually changes again.   That's what happened with me.

LEG CRAMPS!!!  I can relate.  I would get terrible ones.   Onc says it is from the Femara in my case.   He recommended taking calcium and magnesium every day and it really helps.  Doesn't eliminate them but I don't get them as often. 

I will certainly remember next month for Lung Cancer.  The mother of one of my good friends from work is fighting now.  

Take care everyone.   HUGS, Brenda

Kmmd-- I do worry. Though the mammo came back clear, the bloodwork says wbc and now rdw is low.  I have yet to talk to the oncologist about this all.  So I worry I am getting a different kind of cancer.  Sigh.  ANd yes, I feel like I shouldn't be worried, but ya know "once burned-twice shy"!

I think we are destined to be forever hypochondriacs and I also think that is OK.   Before my mammo on the lifted side, I felt something that I was sure was another lump.   Probably just scar tissue because the mammo was clear.  I worry about every little pain I get.  There is so much going on in our bodies from surgeries, chemo, radiation and LE that it is hard to keep everything from seeming like something.   Hopefully that will go away eventually.   Not sure if I have already said this but, LE sucks.   I have pain in my neck also.  My wrist is very sore, shoulder kills me and I think that is all from being on computer all day and then laptop at night but mind tells me it's in my bones......   Can't seem to turn it all off.  I'm considering retirement soon.   Really getting tired of the rat race and looking to enjoy my life more.  My blood work is finally improving but still very low end of normal or just outside that. 

I too worry about cancer with every stupid thing.  I have two thard iny skin bumps, smaller than  pin head , one on my ear and one inside my elbow. I felt like a dork asking my Onc to check them at my last appointment but after a friend told me her mom's bc returned on her scalp I really did not know what to take seriouslly and what to let pass.  My onc has told me that the things to worry  about are the pains that are constant, that don't go away at all.  A head ache that comes and go during the day is not likely to be cancer in the brain.  A headache that is there all the time, every day for a couple of weeks should put my on alert. That has helped a bit but that does not mean I don't worry alittle about all the stupid joint pains and every occassional pimple on my chest.

Awesome Brenda.  Very encouraging.  Thank you