Starting chemo January 2009?

This weekend I got to help escort another sister into our club.  Do wish we could be more exclusive.  My sister's sister in law got in touch to let me know she had a lumpectimy this past week for a triple negative tumor around one centmeter, clean nodes, but damage to a nerve during the surgery.  She wanted my take on the whole experience.  She wants a bilat but is worried about surgury and trying to decide on reconstruction.  She is handling it well but it sucks that she has to go through this.  And now I worry for my niece, with an aunt on both sides with early breast cancer.  one hormone positive Her neg and one triple negative.  Need to get my sister and BIL to pay attention to any studies on things to do to help keep her odds down. 

Hey, girlfriends? 

Well, tomorrow I go for a visit to the endocrinologist.  I hope this is okay.......

I would definitely call my onc, Renrel.  I know I had issues with crazy cycles like that.  Not very enjoyable. I had a horrible time during chemo and then after a strong dose of progesterone that is all "she wrote".  No more cycles- a relief- yet the lack of estrogen certainly creates another set of issues.  Not that I am complaining.......

Visit to the thyroid doc went well.  I have a lumpy bumpy thyroid; that's it!  We check in six months and it coincides with the onc visit, so I am going for a twofer!  I have to drive an hour+ to the docs and I have to say I am tired of that....

Anybody going anywhere festive for the winter break?  I would love to go to a Caribbean island.....That could be a real cool JJ trip!  :) 

Good to hear Jess.

Renrel, please keep us posted.  I'll be thinking of you.  DS as usual made me smile.  Love thinking of him dancing in his suit and enjoying Shirley Temples

 DS and DDIL coming home for some time later this month, I'm so excited

Had my Endo appt on Thursday.  The nodule was just a nodule and not the parathyoid.  My thyoid is under producing but not so much that I have to medicate but I can if want to.  Apparently my body is producing antibodies that are attacking my thyroid or the horomones the thyroid.  They can't  stop the antibodies or fix the thyroid, but they can replace the hormones with a daily pill.  Not too big a deal.  I will probly try the pills for 3 mths and see if I feel any different.  All the thyroid symtoms are so ordinary it is hard to know anything is off.  Feeling tired, feeling cold, feeling achy, gaining weight.  Sounds like chemo reactions on a mild level or the flu. 

Gabe auditioned for a local community theater production today.  The musical director said he was adorable and he was offered a part in the children's chorus.  Tomorrow we bake some sugar cookies from a mix and decorate them. 

My sister's sister in law started her chemo.  Her reaction was not too bad and she is going to the Cayman Islands for the holidays, which is an awsome way to recuporate.  

Just got back from a biopsy of the lining of my uteresis (endometris? ) .  Such fun, not!  But I am glad I had it so I can be sure this weird bleeding is just perimenipause and not a new cancer to deal with.  But stage one of this cancer is an over 90% survival rate in 5 yrs and later stage is under 25%, so I will deal with the uncomfortable test to catch anything sooner rather than later. 

Jess, every pound is so hard.  Good for you!

Hope everyone is having a good season for watever your beliefs you celebrate.  3 years ago today I joined and found this group. I agree it would be nice to get together sometime

 Hi Ladies! Happy New Year! Haven't been on here in months. Its going to take me awhile to catch up with everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. As for me. Found out 3 wks ago I have  a recurrance of my breast cancer. Had a biopsy on my neck. They found some cancer cells in my lymph nodes and  on the lining on my left lung. My dr. switched tamoxifen to Armidex and I go Tues for a chest xray and see if this drug is working. So far, no chemo planned. I feel like crap. I've had this terrible cough for 2 months, had many tests done. I'm tired and my body aches. Kinda reminds me of chemo a week later. But I am praying for healing and I will get through this again. Take care and I will check in.

Oh Phyllis.  I'm so sorry to hear that.  Please know we'll all be thinking of you and will be hoping that the switch to arimidex works well.

 JHappy New Years everyone.  May it be a good and healthy one.

On New years found out another aquaintance was diagnosised in September with BC and had a bilat.  She apparently had some complications but as she did not come to the open house I attended I don't know anymore.  The host gave her my number in case she wanted to talk.  Sigh.  It seems suddenly that cancer is all around me while growing up I only remember one person I knew having it, but I was probably just shielded as a child. 

Got a clean bill of health on Thursday from my Onc, but still don't have the biopsy results from my uterine biaopsy.  Onc does not seem too concerned though (my gyn did the test not him) .  He said 1 out of 200 women have unusally bleeding with tamoxafin (I think those were the number he said) and that cancer is very unlikely.  He explained that since the tomoxafin is blocking estrogin from where it trys to go my body may think it nees more and thus I have a estogen overload causing weird cycles.  That may also explain the return of my libido a few months ago.  He said I may want to concider an injectable drug to shut down my ovaries if the systems become problematic for me.  I am not sure how annoyed I am over the symtoms since the overriding "symtom" was fear everytime I was aware of the bleeding because it might be cancer and maybe it will be too advanced to catch, ect.  I am feeling a bit more calm about all that now that I have other reasonable explainations for the bleeding.  Also I am apparently not approaching menopause based on my blood tests in September.  Still plenty of hormones buzzing around in my body. 

I was supposed to have my annual physical last week but it was canceled and I thought it was yesterday but it is next week and now I amy have to cancel that becuase I don't want to take another half day off.  I am already taking another day off next week for my annual checkin with my PS.  

Gabe is at a rehearsal for a conmmunity production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat today.  He did an abbrievated version with his Hebrew school last year.  This is his first non-kids production.  Should be a great experience for him.  Then his best friend is coming over for a playdate, possible sleep over.  

Have a great day and year everyone. 

P.S. How are you doing Phylis? I have been thinking about you. 

S

Thank you for posting.  I am glad you are doing ok, and I hope they have a strong plan to help you.  Hugs and kisses.

Jess

I agree Renrel, Reiki is very cool.   I wish we could somehow connect with Phyllis.

Saw my PS yesterday.  Everything looks fine but she suggested she could improve the already good results with some fat implants if I want.  Take some from my upper abdomen and lay it down in some places where i am slightly uneven and which wrinkle when I slouch.  Have to think about it.