Chemo June 2010

kittycat - is that your real hair? you look so different than the photos with your wigs - great, just different! if that is your hair, i can't believe how long it is and how good it looks!! it gives me hope for mine...

Had to share the news with you...1st mammogram post surgery is NORMAL!!!

Relief. Now to finish the infusions and move on! Hooray. Thanks for taking this journey with me. Hugs all around. Bon

HIP HIP HOORAY BON !!!!!!!

Latte, yes that is my real hair. It is very unruly and takes forever to blow dry. I finally have bangs. Yay!!!!

Carol- I am trying to research the tax/ insurance end of it right now.  I am a little frustrated. Everything seems to point to hiring an eldercare attorney to figure out caregiving and my pay etc...  My father is very stressed about the money end.  I know he has enough to pay me for awhile.  It is part of his nature to worry about things.  Now that he is losing his memory he seems to get stuck on certain issues.

Jackie OUCH OUCH OUCH !!!!.  Do I need to give you a "life is too short slow down and take care of yourself lecture" ?  Can't you find someone else to travel for you for awhile ?  What if you hit turbulence on a plane ride ?  Ok now I am making up problems.  But, really honey... Can't you just take a few days off and rest.  I know what you mean about wanting no one you are close to, to get BC.  I keep hoping I took the cancer hit and the rest of my family can avoid it.  Wishful thinking I know.  Please tell your friend we are all praying for her and sending good thoughts.  Let her know we all hate the club too but we are able to make a life for ourselves.

Kitty- I am totally jealous of your beautiful hair.  Mine is not growing in that quickly and what has grown is very curly.

Good morning.

Kitty and Jackie...I'm so sorry for the news of your friends. This disease effects so many. It would be nice if we could protect everyone we love, and even those we don't, from having to deal with bc (or any cancer for that matter). But, alas, that isn't how the cosmic forces work.  The best we can do is to honor those who've been lost and warn the rest about the need for early detection,  Mammograms, ultrasounds, self exams...all of it.  It might not be perfect, but it's all we've got for now...until the cure! 

Carrol and Joan...I sympathize with you about elder care and await my turn with trepidation.  As an only child of an only child and a step-Dad without any children of his own, I will be faced with being the caretaker at some point, too.  I love them dearly and am so fortunate to have them in my life at my 'advanced' age.  I pray that things work our for your families and that you have the strength and stamina to do what must be done for your parents.  And that you retain a sense of humor.  Ginny has shown us through the antics of Julia that a sense of humor is required!

I wanted to share more good news with you all, my sisters...My txs are over!  My last Herceptin IV ended yesterday at 1PM and I am DONE!!! (Over done, some would say...but done, nonetheless!!!) My chemo began June 23,2010 and the Herceptin ended June 22, 2011...one full year!

We have been through so much together...tears and triumphs. I could never have done this without you and am so happy to be sharing the victory with you.

Some day soon I hope to awaken and not have cancer be the first thing I think of. I am committed to getting on with life...as soon as I get the port out, have a hysterectomy and a colonoscopy!  Just more 'stuff' to do. Thinking positive.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!  And sending a great big THANK YOU!  Hugs...Bon 

Lizzyanne...A friend of mine had a double mx in February and just had her exchange surgery in May. FAST!!! (Lucky for her, she didn't need chemo or radiation). She is happy to have the 'bricks' gone and something that feels more normal in their place. She did great with the exchange surgery...was driving herself within 10 days...maybe even sooner. Not suggesting that you do that, but just letting you know that it was an easy surgery compared to the mx. All she has left to do it the tattoo and that won't be for another couple of months. Maybe when she get's here new nipple I'll join her and get some eyebrows! They haven't grown back.

As for the port...well, I guess that after yesterday I'll be getting it pulled out sooner rather than later. After all this time, the port failed to give blood yesterday.  They did infuse through it and didn't make me go for a port scan or adjustment at the hospital across the street because it was the last infusion. The oncologist says to have it taken out now but he knows the BS favors leaving it in for awhile. Hope I can convince him to take it in July so I can get on with things, It's never been comfortable, never. In fact, it's been painful and annoying since day one. Actually, I'll be thrilled when it's gone. I think that having a port sort of signifies you're sick...a thick medical chart and a port aren't the hallmark of a healthy person. Can't do much about the thickness of the chart, but I can say bye-bye to the port!

The hysterectomy was suggested early on due to the ER,PR negative status of my tumor. I will make an appointment with a GYN next week to see if that's still in the cards.  I would hate to end up with cancer of the ovaries or uterus when they aren't necessary to my existence at this stage of my life. Will keep you posted on that.

Ok, Lizzyanne, we have to countdown another 3 Herceptins and that exchange surgery before we do the big victory dance for you.  I'll be waiting for news.

Hugs.  Bon

Hello my friends...  Don't post much but this is and always will be my home.  I get on here and read and see what is happeing, I have learned sooooo much.  Well anyway just giving you an update...and want to share some good things that has happened.   It has been a year since I was told I had "bc", I put in small letters cause Christ is the big "C".... and a year later I have become a grandmother for the 1st time YAY it's great...my son is 30, thought it would never happen...Bless his heart he took the news bad...mommy had to tell him I was going to be alright... well anyway on to more good news... my daughter graduated for medical school YAY!!!! and is now a Dr. of Physical Therapy and has past her boards.. will be working in our town...again YAY!!!  Had my 32nd anniversay YAY!!!  spent the 31st in Dr's office ... A lot can happen in a year and not always sooo bad... I thank my wonderful God for letting me see all these wonderful things that are happening in my childerns lives...

Want you all to know that I pray for my friends on here all the time and you all are not to far from my mind..,. You ladies have helped me more then you will ever know...  when I have a question or if I feel strange all I have to do is get on here and not even say a word but just read and someone has been there or done that and I am normal as normal as I will ever be LOL...  To sum it up... You all are great...  and Thanks for everything....and maybe I will start chatting more huh... as you see when I get going I don't stop... that is what my DH says anyway...

Bon and Kittycat... YAY on having port out...Hope all is fine and please let me know how it feels cause I still have mine and was wondering about if it hurts to remove it..

Kittycat...Heres to a great weekend!!!

Ladies, Thanks so much for cheering me on at the end here.  It means a lot to know that you understand what a milestone this is to be finished with IV's and to be looking forward to getting the port out.

Question...has anyone heard from Sherry recently?  Or Chey since the death of her BIL?  I worry when they are silent for too long.

Jackie, I do hope you get some rest. I doen't know how anyone can keep up a travel schedule throughout this type of illness and treatment.

Kitty...love the hair.  Isn't it nice to have hair again?! I don't even bother to really style these grey locks. Just scrunch in mousse and tousle.  I love wash-and-wear hair!

DMom...I'm with you. I, too am spending less time on this website, although I credit it, and all of you, for really saving my life. I need to get on with it and not think of cancer first thing every day,  I do get the alerts when someone posts and I try to read all those and then jump in when seems appropriate.

In the not too distant future I will PM many of you with my personal email so that you can contact me directly, outside of bc.org, if you choose to.  And just to let you know, I now have a premium SKYPE account that allows me to video conference with up to 10 people.  (Subscriptions were 1/2 price this week so I opted in because I use SKYPE for my business, too).

But...I'm here with all my June 2010 Sisters until we can all say "I'M DONE".  So keep your posts coming and let me be part of your cheering section!  Or to give or get hugs when needed.

Love and Luck to you all.  Hugs all around...Bon

I'm a Facebook jumkie too !  Anyone can pm me and I'll friend you !  I still check this board everyday and enjoy or conversations on many different subjects.  I too am trying to move on but would HATE to lose any of you ladies.

Hi,All!!!!!!    So glad to hear from all of you.   Still trying to wade through red tape to get our BC support group going at work.  Hope and pray it will get worked out. 

Jackie,  I don't have any black out dates so far for the spring reunion so the rest of you just let me know when and where---I think I'll start packing now/////HA_HA.    

About the sense of humor with aging parents and how to cope.  I always try to remember that Mom does not mean to be the way she is and cannot control her actions or thoughts.  It has been best for me to not take anything she says seriously and to try to put a  comical spin on it with her and that really helps to lighten things.  She really believes all the stories that she tells so I just listen as though they are just "stories".   Most of her nonsense is not hurtful so I can just let it go. Good luck to all dealing with this and I pray you keep your wits and humor intact..

Sandid,  Thanks for posting and please keep in touch.  wonderful to hear good things happening in your life.

Jacke,  I am only 1.5 hours from Charlotte.   What will you be there for??   It is a nice town to visit.  

My hair is still curly after 2 haircuts but maybe a little more fixable.  I am keeping it short right now because it is almost all gray and curly so it is easy.  It is very thick also.   My eyebrows are extrememly thin, though, so I sympathize with not having eyebrows.

BON  YAH YAH YAH for having finished treatment.  It is sure good to be on the other side of the treatments.  Much luck and prayers for the coming surgery to be easy, pain-free, and quick to heal.  Enjoy life as it gets more "normal".  

Lizzy,   Hope you finish soon and all goes well.

Sherry and Chey WHERE  R YOU!!!!!!!!  Hope you two are well also.

So good to hear from Sanddin and Gin.  So glad to hear so many happy times in your life Sand.  Gin,  I hope I find a coping mechanism to deal with my parents.  You are an inspiration.

Back from my daughter's dance recital.  She did well.  I think this is recital # 14.  At her previous recital I was recovering from my first chemo.  I certainly feel alot better this year.

Jackie...... Ferris wheel.  What fun.

Jackie-  If possible, I would love our rendezvous to be earlier rather than later.  We usually get really busy once June arrives, as school is out, and we head out.  I'm wondering if there is a time slot earlier (when we are still freezing our butts off in the North) that might work?  It sure would be an added bonus to get out of the cold.....of course I will be happy to meet all of you anytime!