New York, New York

Sweaty? Results ok?

 Happy 4th of July, all! Hope all is well. 

Skin biopsies all came back benign.  Gyn wants to do a biopsy.  Life is one cancer scare after another these days.  I guess it will be this way for the rest of my life....?

Oy.

Hi Cookie, sorry you had to join that club too! 

Mine were definitely about looking for cancer, and now I have 3 ugly scars.  I hate scars.  I try to remember that scars are preferable to melanoma.

Endometrial biopsy Friday morning.  So sick of this crap.

Sweaty -- what is a d&c?

I know it is crazy what we have to go through, and I complain a lot, too, but think about it this way. At least we are being monitored.

Hi fellow NYers,

Glad to have found this thread - I've noticed a lot of you get treatment at NYU and would love to ask you some questions. I had my surgery a month ago at MSK (BMX & TE's) and it's likely that I'll be starting a dose-dense "Chemo-Lite" regimen. I am going to NYU for another opinion (Dr. Speyer), and it occurs to me that I don't necessarily have to stay at MSK for the next phase of treatment. I had my doubts when a well-respected surgeon recently told me that MSK works for those who are a round peg in need of a round hole. Meaning, I think, that MSK treats in a 'paint by numbers' sort of way, where NYU may be more out-of-the-box thinkers.

Could any of you provide insight, whether you're a MSK *or* NYU patient?

thank you so much! 

Sara, I started at Columbia-Presby. and switched to Dr. Shapiro at NYU. I was pretty happy with things there. Best wishes for finding someone you feel right working with.

 I have a cat that is the twin of the one in your picture! 

I completely agree about MSK being a "square peg seeking a square hole" kind of place.  You have to fit their program, IMO.

Now at NYU, where in my experience they try to give the patient what the patient is comfortable with (as long as it's medically acceptable).

OMG Sweatyspice - I am with you... I start my chemo there on Friday and already I feel like I do not communicate well with my MO. I don't think we are a good match personally. There is currently a nationwide shortage of 5FU which is one of the chemos in my cocktail. Only MSK has a stockpile of it, so I am starting there. BUT if nothing changes by the time the 5FU is fully stocked at the other hospitals - I can see myself moving to NYU asap. Would you PM me any details about NYU which you think I should know? I know that is a lot to ask but I would be sooo grateful!

Just wanted to say that I hope Cookie is OK, given all the flooding. 

I spent a large portion of last Sunday watching 9/11 related television and bawling.  Not sure what the point was, or if my time could have been better spent.  I did however, learn two things:

The memorial lights at the WTC site (the shafts of light creating the illusion of the towers, lit yearly on the anniversary) have only been securely funded through this year (last week).  They are a project of the Municipal Art Society (mas.org).

I'd never seen them and happened to have a rental car last Sunday, so I drove over to the Brooklyn waterfront to take a look.  Words cannot express.  There I was, pulled over and weeping underneath the BQE.  I sent them some $$.

http://mas.org/tribute-in-light-nyc-wtc-memorial-future-funding-donate/

MAS does cool stuff related to the city's architecture, I'd never heard of them before.  Worth checking them out, even if you don't plan to donate.

AND

Flight 93, which crashed in the middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania field, apparently only had 40 people on board.  The site is run by the National Park Service.  Whether it's the location, the small number of people, or government bureaucracy; it's 10 years later and apparently they still don't have funding in place to complete the memorial - which I find completely unacceptable.  

For more info on that, http://www.honorflight93.org/

I sent them some $$ too.

On 9/11, I was one of those people you see in news footage, standing on a SoHo street corner with 'that look' of shock and disbelief on my face.  Although I didn't personally know anyone who lost their life, I knew I was watching a lot of people die.  Having decent memorials hits pretty deep for me. 

cookie!  Sweaty!  Everyone!  How is everyone.  Things are good here and I'm going in for my appt in a few weeks.  Anyone want to meet at the lemongrass for a quick lunch?  (no, I don't expect you to drive in cookie, but I will be thinking of you.)  Hugs to all.

flash 

In theory I could do the 9th.  Midweek lunches really won't work.  Hi Sara, welcome to our ... whatever we are.  : )