Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

ditto ditto ditto ditto ....we are all so alike.  Must be this is the point of this journey that we all let our emotions take over.  A new week is beginning and tx #6 will be wed....3/4 done!

Maggie

Hugs.  You are not alone belle. I hear you and a lot of us watch this board and hear you any tiime you speak.  Can you feel someone next to you and grabbing your hand to give you strength?  I hope so.

I love you guys!!!! I can't imagine going through this without you all! Cancer sucks ass!! I'm sorry, but I had to say it. 

I had my big treatment the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, & felt like crap for turkey day. My husband spent the week with our middle son as he graduated from Airborne School and our youngest son, with my blessing, ditched me and went to a friend's house for dinner. I enjoyed a nice pity party with the dog and puking Exorcist cat.

Thankfully, as of yesterday, I'm feeling much better. I walked around the new car show yesterday and even went to the gym today. 5000 meters in 35 minutes on the Concept 2 rower .

The one thing that seems to be unrelenting is the stupid digestive issues! How is it that everything going in tastes like cardboard, but comes out like 5 alarm chili? WTH!!! 

This cancer thing is such a rollercoaster, and I just want off. For some reason, my chemobrain can't properly read a calender. I thought I was going to be done by Dec.28th and the New Year. Apparently I counted November 30th twice. I now realize that I won't be done until January  4th. Not the end of the world, but a little disappointing. At least I only have 2 more big treatments left .

Love you all!!

Kelli

xoxo 

Hi Kelli, good to hear you are feeling up to the Concept 2!  Is that something you always did or something new to help you with LE? Trying to find LE friendly ways to get back in shape and slowly rebuild my arms. I have to try to track down a good LE pt here in phoenix but I am dragging my feet:(

Cooka -  I'm not anything close to fitness buff . I started using the Concept2 prior to my cancer, then quit when things got hectic and I wasn't feeling well. I checked with my LE therapist and she said it would be a great workout to help with my LE. Swimming is also good for LE. I may try getting into our fitness club pool in a couple of weeks, but not sure if I'm brave enough for that yet. There is a BIG  window as you walk into the club to the pool, not to mention using the changing room..... Not sure I'm ready.

Belleeast - Sending hugs too! I think this stupid cancer is such a crossroads in our life, it makes us question everything.  I question from the stupid to the serious. Nothing is too big or too small to question. When it gets too overwhelming, I take an Ativan. Sometimes better living through chemicals seem to be the only answer that makes sense. xoxo

Did you guys know they make special mastectomy swimsuits and water foobs for inside the suit......so they're not floating like buoys beside you.

Somebody on one of the threads (I wish I could remember which one) was making her own foobs. I wonder if you made some with quick-dry fabric and beanie baby type beads, if they would sink or swim. 

I don't even care about being flat, it's the stupid dog ear things!! 

Robo - Some days, Ativan is like mana from heaven. I only take it once or twice a day, for 4-5 days, every 3 weeks after my big chemo treatments. 

hi everyone,

thank you so much for the hugs and support, i couldn't get thru this without all of you. hugs to all of you!!!

my mo called this afternoon to tell me my brca genetic test was negative, i am so relieved esp for my children and grandchildren. but there is a part of me that says crap, now i have to keep these boobs, the fear of reoccurance is so great. even tho i know it is more likely my type triple negative if it comes back, it will come back mets. at least i don't have to deal with more surgery now but i tell you if it comes back in my breasts, i'm getting a bmx next time.

i was surprised when she called, she asked how i was when she called i told her i had a lot of bone pain. then she told me why she was calling and do you think i remembered to ask for pain medicine heck no! crap, cause i didn't knock on wood hard enough and the bone pain is back with a vengence. i know she's not in the office on tues so i guess i'll wait til i see her on thurs.

tlcdirect.org has microbead breast forms that are safe to swim in for $45 BUT Mastectomysolutions.com has instructions on how to sew your own. I can't seem to make the link work. They don't look to complicated to make.

Kimberly - I'm sooo not a cat person! I'm allergic to him to boot. I just don't have the heart to make him leave and he did save us from a snake of undetermined poison content last week. Also  what a great idea about the sink scrubbies!  

Belle - Awesome news about your BRCA teating!!!! Sorry about the leg pain though. I hope you get some relief soon. 

Girls, do not be shy about asking for meds.  This is the time when we can pretty much have what we ask for but the onc is not going to say "Can I write you a prescription for Percocet or Ativan or Xanax?"  But if you ask, she will write it.  Then ... TAKE THEM.  Why suffer from bone pain or anxiety when there is a pill for that?  It won't make you an addict, it will just make things tolerable.  When I get anxious and feel my chest start to tighten up from the anxiety, I eat 1/2 a Xanax and it fixes it within 15 minutes, but it does not make me sleepy or goofy.  Same goes for the Ativan.  And if you are in pain, your body tenses up and takes longer to heal.  So stop thinking of these as recreational drugs.  There is a reason they make them!  I am miserable enough ... if taking a pill helps, I am all for it.

Take care ... Debbie

Belle---do you still get to choose either lumpectomy or bmx??  If not it should be YOUR chioce either way.  It can be such a hard decision to make I know but me being trip neg also made it easier for me to decide. 

cjrt--bet you are busy getting ready for the surgery.  We are all there with you holding your hand.  Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can finish this chemo train ride.

Maggie

mags,when i was first diagnosed i was told the core biopsy results said i had the best bc to have solid pappillary,5% reoccurance, 95% survival, didn't know hormone status. i was given choice of lumpectomy,rads or masectomy with reconstruction. bs &staff were really pushing for lump,kinda made me feel i would be overeacting if i did masectomy.

so i did lumpectomy ,when final path results came in, bs told me it's more serious then we thought idc triple neg,1mm margin from chest wall,need chemo. reoccurance 41%,70% survival. WTH

i wish i had followed my gut and had masectomy,i wasn't offered the choice of bmx, but you all know what a whirlwind it is at first and i made my decision on the info i had at the time.

#6 is today...hoping for a non event!

Belle--are they still giving you the option if it is what you want?? Your decision was made with the info you had been given at the time of lx.  Things have changed.  I know that by doing chemo first tumors shrink to allow the lxinstead of mx but if you feel that you want a bmx then they should honor that.  It is your body and your choice.  The trip neg is what made me decide.  It is the hardest decision I have ever had to make.  I wish you the best and either way I hope you get what you want!  No regrets my love.

Maggie

I was shopping at Walgreens and saw all these oversized stuffed animals.  I did not think of children in need or christmas.  I thought, you know those stuffed animal paws are the perfect size for foobs, and they look really soft too.  Ha, ha. To a boobless woman, everything looks like a possible foob I guess.  Merry Christmas season everyone.

rj, been there a few times with kids,hope you feel better soon.

kimberly, that is just too funny!!!!!

rae, are you out there,hope you are doing good and feeling good. thinking of you!