February 2011 chemo pals

Surgery went well but the sucky news is that it is bc mets... I guess more chemo to come, but will have to consult w the bc oncs

Jenn - Oh man, I am so sad to hear this.  Glad the surgery went well, and please let us know what the plan is going forward.  Hugs and prayers to you.

Jenn - I'm so sorry to hear it's mets!  Sad and shocked.  Please update when you know what happens next.  I think about you all the time.  <hug>

Sending lots of prayers your way Jenn!

Jenn - please know I am thinking of you so often.  I am hoping that you are comfortable after your surgery.

Everyone, seems like I recall some of you all saying you found yourselves losing your temper with people sometimes.  Well, I got that way with a friend of mine in an email, they had said how they couldn't visit me because I was having my "issues," and I presume they meant cancer, but then I went on and on about how I couldn't help it if I was a disabled person and broke my back in three places (never mind the cancer) and the government paid me to stay home, and I did not like coming and going at all, and I went on and on.  It's like I was being defensive about myself.  And I feel sure they were politely referring to my cancer, but I took it all wrong.  Sigh.

You see, when this email went on, it was the same day we had to put our second dog down (the first one had to go day before my surgery this summer), and I was very stressed out, and we had had to carry this dog around everywhere, just like our first one, even after radiation and the burn and everything, and it was just so tough.  And I wish now I could delete parts of my email where I was so defensive, but it's gone now.  And talk about sad over losing the second of our team of two, our two dogs within months of each other, all whilst in cancer treatments, and I THINK that's why I goofed things up.  So, I write all this, thinking you all might understand and tell me it's okay.  Only my cancer sisters really know what hell we all went thru.  GG 

Count me in the overreacting group!  I sent a text to my hubby last week instead of screaming at the accounting girl at our office.  Good thing I sent it to him b/c if I said one word to her, I was going to punch her in the face!  Talk about a short fuse!  I was never like that before!

GG - I'm so glad it worked out so well for you!  You can put me in the captains chair of that boat!  I'm now working with mindful meditation and medication management to try and get CLOSE to the "center" I once had!!  I'm so lost right now so .... had to get a little help

This is our safe place - say it all without having to explain ourselves!!  We have unconditional love darlings!

HUGS!

dogeyed - I am so sorry about your other doggy!  My BIL (a veterinarian) and family just lost their only dog - a Maltese that was a real noisemaker - their house is very quiet and they are heartbroken too.  It is so hard. 

Emily - Hi!!!  Missed you - of course we remember you!  Sorry to hear about the LE and neuro issues.  I too have LE and it is indeed a pain (in the arm!)  Sorry about the cataracts - are you taking Tamoxifen or an AI - I had read that cataracts can be a rare SE from that as well.  Just tolerate the insurance person, it is all we can do right?  Glad you made a return to posting - we all need each other!

Jenn - Sorry about your wound, scary for you and an inconvenience too.  You are probably right - they won't begin any chemo until you are healed because you will stop healing while on it.  Has anyone mentioned hyperbaric treatment to speed up the healing?  Just a thought.  Sorry you couldn't travel and enjoy the normal Thanksgiving.  My BMX last year was the first weeek of November, and then found out that I had pos nodes the next week - I had a very quiet T-Day with just my DD and DH.  I know what you mean - nice, but not the same.  I hope you are feeling better soon.  I was glad to see your post as I have been thinking of you every day.

emily - I had read another post somewhere - where specifically escapes me but I will try to find it - from a member who had been diagnosed with cataracts attributed to Tamoxifen.  Is this something that looks like it needs to be corrected by surgery?  My Dad had it and did beautifully.  My MIL had both eyes done (in separate surgeries) and has better vision than she has in many years.  I just turned 55 too!

Gosh, JENN, now you have a hole in your abdomen!  Good grief!  Oh, I would absolutely die if that happened to me.  And the wound treatment these days is better but downright gory.  When is enough enough?  I do not know how you maintain your strength thru your trials and tribulations, you are a shining example to us all, not to mention you just plain shine anyway.

EMILY, sorry to hear of your endless struggles on the leg, lymphedema arm, and eye fronts.  On the cataracts, I've had the beginnings of them for years, can't see a dang thing riding in the car at night with the headlights and all.  Perhaps when your insurance lie detector comes, you will trip over the coffee table and spill refreshments on him.  Hahaha.  Me, I'm on disability, and I always figured if the SS ever came to my door, they would run for the hills when they saw me, I am decidedly NOT attractive anymore, I put off baths, I lurch rather than walk, and of course the hair loss is a nice touch, along with my polka-dot pajama uniform with low-cut tank top revealing portions of my shark bite.

Thank you SPECIALK for my doggie condolences.  Our vet handwrote on a sympathy card to us these words, "Losing our pets certainly takes its toll on those who consider owning a dog a spiritual experience."  Wow, really touched me, that he KNOWS about the highly personal nature of relating to dogs.  Our other dog, Gandalf, who passed in summer, I felt his presence for a couple days after Goldwyn was gone, he was trying to reassure me...  We will wait until January before we dive in again with another new pup.  That's when we're going to finally clean the house.  I hope I can regain some of my lost strength.

FOLKS, it's been real, but this fool cancer thing has really wrenched our lives right out of alignment, and I like Fuzzy's ideas on meditating... I have several ways, and the best one is to walk along a path in the woods.  One of my neighbors has a small pine forest across the dirt road between our properties, and sometimes I'll walk up into the edge of it, just to feel the sacredness of nature all around me.  Always wanted to plant a small group of pines down by our creek, so I could do just that on my own land.  And wanted to make a path so we could get another German Shepherd Dog, a way made of perhaps of smooth gravel beside the fence, weaving thru plantings alongside it, so I could get him "in the zone" with the long steady walks that breed needs.  We'll see.  Come January along with cleaning my house, I want to do a few things in the yard...  how far I go depends on how good my strength gets.  But I think we will indeed have to go to a smaller breed, we're in our 60s and so carrying our two sick arctic dogs around this year was mighty tough.  GG   

Good morning all! It is comforting to be here and I need a little help for my sisters...

1. I'm having serious withdrawals as I try to get off of my antidepressants...scares the crap outta me that I'm messing up my head.

2. Does anyone have any info on the pros and cons of removing ovaries and having a hysterectomy? It might be in my future here soon.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

fuzzylemon Hang in there with the withdrawal off those antidepressants! As far as the removal of the ovaries, I've had that discussion with my Gyn and MO since I'm ER+/PR+. Their answer to me was that they don't advise it unless there is a compelling reason i.e. further GYN problems or a recurrence that warrant it. They told me that the ovaries continue to protect your bones and heart and therefore still play an important role.Are they suggesting removal of the ovaries or a hysterectomy for you?  

Emily Good to see you back here again. Sorry about the eye problems. My eye doctor warned me about both cataracts and retinal detachment risk with Tamoxifen although the risk is small.

Dogeyed So sorry you are dealing with the loss of another family member/pet I'm more of a cat person but I can relate. I lost my last cat several years ago and I still haven't gotten over it. I can't even bring myself to get another cat yet because I miss her so much. You've suffered so much loss this year. We all deserve a better 2012!!!