May 2010 Chemo

NJ your gonna have so much fun with your son. Enjoy your weekend with him!  

Jenn Wow I feel for you staph infection that just sucks.  Praying you feel better fast. Must feel really good to be having fun with your son. I find my self wanting to hug my 20 yr old son all the time . He wont color with me anymore, but I can listen to him tell me about his days at school all day long.  

Used to be someone that never would take drugs just sucking it up and dealing with it .. now I 'm like ok what meds to I have to take to get through the next thing bugging me.. 

This last week was very emotional for me two funerals and trips to the Bay Area and Colorado. I did do it all with out any drugs but I cried most of the time.  Feeling so much better now that it is all done.  Parent came back from Colorado with me to go to the bay funeral. They were glad to see all the old timers there and all the cousins that they have not seen in years. I almost didn't go and now I am so glad I did. seeing how happy my parent were to see all their old friends and family. It was fun to see them pick up like it was just yesterday they talked. 

I got new boobs this last week they are smaller then the last pare, much more comfortable. the other ones aggravated my LE , because they were to heavy for me.  ..Guess I will try to find some where to donate them. I only wore them a couple of times and then with covers on them. I don't think that's gross, any one else think that it would be gross to try to donate them?  

Wow long winded.. Everyone who partakes... have a Wonderful Easter!   

  

Did anyone else get the private message about a cure for cancer? that pisses me off I don't want any friggin adds o this site!

Just got a call from the onc's nurse regarding the whole bunch of blood tests they did 10 days ago.

Finally my Vit D levels are moving up, they were 46! I've been trying to get above 30 for close to 6 years now. 

My TSH was very low, but my Free T3 and T4 were normal. Must be the Aromasin at work not letting a normal thyroid uptake take place.

They said my blood sugar was high at 116 and they were faxing the results to my endo. I don't think 116 is a high blood sugar level on a non-fasting blood test. Anyway, we'll see what my endo will say on that.

My FSH finally showed I'm post-menopausal. And the estradiol level was 14, that means the Aromasin is working. Yay!

Still waiting on the tumor markers.

Jersey-glad you got a good visit in with your son! My cousin and his wife were in Haiti for about six months. They actually were a little frustrated as they were helping rebuild in a touristy area, and it was an area they felt didn't really need them like some of the others. My cousin is a missionary/youth minister so I guess he knows what he is talking about. That sucks about the trip you missed out on with your husband. I'm trying to remember things like that when my work commitments start piling up. They aren't the ones who will miss me if I'm gone. How was the party on Saturday? I went shopping with my mom, it was a nice little girls trip. I spent the rest of my Easter on the couch, apparently I have had pneumonia since before April 5th (showed up on my April 5th x-ray) but apparently no one decided it was important enough to tell me. Found out today when i called my family doc in tears because i feel so awful and am getting the run around with my cancer docs. She looked up the x-ray and said, well what did the prescribe you for the pneumonia? aRRGH! Between pneumonia, staph (non-MRSA thank goodness) and the first doctor giving me antibiotics for the staph that aren't supposed to be given to people with Crohn's disease because of c-diff, no wonder I've felt so rotten. I go for a mammogram tomorrow and there BETTER not be anything note worthy. I've hit my tolerance threshold for doctors this year!



Luckily my mom was able to change her plans and watch Connor for a few days so that I can hopefully get better.



Day- glad to hear your drugs are working! I never though I'd be glad for someone else to be post menopausal!



Denise - glad that you found some comfort in the funerals/visiting. I was asked to do a multimedia project for the funeral of a son of a coworker up here who is about to lose his SIX year battle with a rare form of brain cancer. I was touched that they asked me, but turned them down as I didn't think I was well enough to do the job credit. He is an amazing person that has taken everything in stride and makes what we have gone through look like nothing (although I know that's not true). He has had a stem cell transplant, more than one open brain surgery, years of chemo and rounds of radiation, as well as having to relocate with his mom to a different city for much of his treatment. He turned nineteen this year. Such a brave soul that offers the rest of us a glimpse of how to fight with grace.



Sorry for the melancholy post, I'm having one of those days. Jenn

Library,

Sorry your battle is sooooo uphill. I will send good thought, wishes to you. How did your docs find it?

I am newly diagnosed and haven't had all my tests yet, but I am facing surgery, chemo and posible rads.

Robin

Jenn, oh Jenn.  I am speechless!  F CANCER!!!  I seriously  HATE it!   We are here for you, girl!  One day at a time, sister.   Sending hugs and extra prayers for extra grace your way.  ~  Daiva

  ditto Dernise. AND Daiva......I  am literally bawling my eyes out.. DAMN IT ...DAMN IT. not to our group NO NO NO.....

Jenn:  I can't even tell you how horrible I feel....wtf  how could this happen...you did everthing right...this is bullshit...................

but you will prevail...you have us.. and strength comes in numbers...and we are all here for you...each and every day

love..kisses hugs...actually big big hugs

Hey everyone.  Jenn, I am so, so sorry.  I have been keeping up with the site, although not posting.  I will do anything I can for you.  I  am sending  my prayers and support and a hug.   

Part of why I have not written is that I am having a tough time myself.  My boyfriend and I (my Sweetie) have broken up.  It is a big blow for me, but we are trying to be kind to each other.  Part of this is due to cancer, and the stress a year of treatment has had on both of us.  Cancer does suck¡  Also, I recently found a lump on my chest wall, at the surgery site. It was very frightening. The doctors have assured me(by phone, Ha.) that it is a fatty tumor, common after radiation.  I am insisting to be seen and tested.  My first cousin died last week from cancer.  That was hard too.  Jenn I am so so sorry.  I hope you can tell us soon what your treatment options are and anything you need from us.  We are all here for you.

Patricia 

Hi All!  Sorry I have been so bad about posting and keeping up.  For some reason, I stopped getting updates on my cell phone, so now I have to check online on the actual site.  That's tough because I need a new laptop at home and at work I have been super busy.  I got a promotion about 2 months ago, which is great, but they only just replaced me in my old job about week ago, so I had 2 jobs for a while!

 Jenn-  Big (((hugs))) to you and your family.  I am stunned and speechless, too.  Cancer just truly sucks!  As Patricia said, we are here for you! 

Patricia - so sorry to hear about your break up and the lump.  Please do get that checked out and let us know what you hear.  Sending ((hugs)) to you, too!

Ditah - glad the apartment is coming along.  I hope it all turns out just as you hoped!

Sorry everyone else, I have a lot of catching up to do, but hope you are all well and please know I do think about you all the time.  Especially this month.  What a year!  I am so glad I had all of you to go through this with; making such great frineds on this board made a world of difference in getting me through last year.  Thanks!  And let's plan that reunion!

Judy - so sorry about yoru health problems. Myself I have a cough that is remnant from the flu I had in January - it's liek it never went away and once the allergies started it started acting up again. My XRays were clear though. My dr. put me on antibiotics just in case, he said that chemo seems to have made me prone to bronchitis for some reason. Arimidex might be the culprit, or it might be that the chemo effects are not completely gone, my onc said it can take up to 2years and sometimes more for the effects to go away.

Patricia, I am so sorry about what you have to go through. I can only imagine how hard it must be.

Jenn - I am so so sorry, reading this made me cry. I know it will be hard, but you can do it! Look at all the Stage IV sisters who have been around for years and years! I can only send to you lots of love and virtual hugs - I wish I was there so I can hug you in person. You know we'll be here for you.

I haven't been much on the board. I guess I've been through a quite depressed week, it finally dawned on me that my sweetheart will not be here for a full year. And my biggest fear is to have a recurrence while he's gone. I'm trying to keep busy but it's like I do not feel like doing anything. I've been watching movies - I didn't watch movies since 2006.  

Hey Jersey, last time I tried posting from me phone it didn't work but I'll try again. I'm currently in the hospital due to fever that they can't seem to track the cause. I'm on two different antibiotics and t3's so they really don't know how the fever is sneaking in. I'm supposed to go for a liver biopsy tomorrow so they can be 200% sure it's liver mets and not a "super imposed fungal infection." I'm also on oxygen as my O2 levels were only at 83. They are around 94 with oxygen. I've never prayed so hard in my life for a fungal infection, but I am now!

Jenn,

Praying for infection here too. I have a friend who went through Hell and back for almost a year, with all kinds of weird diagnostics that each proved untrue (including cancer), until they found she had a staph infection in her spine. She had lost over 60 lb (being a small person to begin with). Once they discovered that and gave her the proper antibiotics she was back on track in a couple months. 

Maybe what they thought were mets is some kind of infection? Praying for that.

Hi all -

Jenn, please keep us posted.  I am praying its just a fungal infection, too!  Lots of hugs and positive thoughts coming your way!

Summer, good luck today!  I had a check up last week and was nervous, too.  I think that's normal.  And I got the same reaction from others not really understanding the check up nerves.  I definitely wanted reassurance, too!  So, good luck and positive vibes to you, too!

Nana - hope you feel better soon and the cough goes away.

Day, sorry your sweetie will be gone so long!  I'll keep his safety in my prayers.

Njbhwgirl - don't worry about the cabin, we can do a reunion anywhere!  But we really should think about doing one.  It'd be great to finally meet everyone. I saw on another thread that some ladies have gone to Vegas for chemo reunions.  Vegas works for me!  Oh, and glad the hair worked out!

A good friend of mine is in the hospital with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  It's the leukemia kids usually get but she is in her 40's.  It's pretty serious and she is undergoing intense chemo right now.  She has to spend a month in the hospital to get started, then will be going back and forth, 2 weeks in/2 weeks out for chemo for 4 to 6 months.  Then maybe a stem cell transplant.  She is a single Mom with 3 kids and has already survived lymphoma.  F*cking cancer!

HI ladies!  To those that had a trim already... were the curls tamed at all??  I'm afraid for a cut because I feel like that will set back trying to grow it out!  But, I'm with Summer and Denise... hate it, hate it, hate it!!!!!!!

Jenn - More HUGS today!!  Sorry about the hospital gravy!  Love you girl!!

This is how my hair looks now, 9 months PFC. Actually tomorrow would be 1 year from my first TC treatment.

No trims, no styling. I'm using Gerovital regenerating shampoo and John Frieda conditioners (the volumizing and the highlight enhancer ones). Hair dye is Wella, Ultra light ash blonde.