Calling all TNs

Ellen - sending best wishes to your sister that she doesn't ever have to join the club! 

Kathy - OMG, too funny!  I was going to suggest a nice foam mattress topper until you mentioned your feet hanging off the end of the double.  Let's hear it for a good night's sleep!  And oh, my DS is playing in the WSOP main event!  I'm following his progress on Twitter!  He cashed in two other events - nothing huge but he made a few thousand bucks!

Ellen - positive thoughts coming from NH for your sister.

Hello ladies,

I have spent the last hour or two just trying to catch up.  Was offline since Thursday pm.

DH and I went away for a long weekend.  Yep, we did the "tourist" thing that some of you that live in beautiful, fun cities just hate.  We went to Traverse City, MI for the national cherry Fest!  Had a blast.  Went to the Sand dunes and saw a young man on bended knee proposing to his girlfriend.  SWEET!.    We saw an airshow, we witnessed adults in an annual cherry pit spitting contest.  Took a beautiful scenic ride along the wine trail.  Stopped at 3 vinyards for tastings...yum! and then stopped at a microbrewery for a beer tasting  SO FUN!  Since it was cherry week, tasted cherry wine and cherry beer!  Even had some spicy cherry salsa.  We were blessed with wonderful weather and finished our final night there watching a sunset over the lake and it was sprinkling a bit an a rainbow appeared. 

I had a BC moment also....while at the cherry fest, a woman in a cute summer floppy hat caught my eye.  I knew she was doing chemo.  I asked her what she was fighting and of course she said BC.  I gave her a hug and told her that i was a 3 year survivor that was TN with 3 positive nodes.  She told me that she was also TN and had 3  positve nodes.  She has 1 more chemo to go and then will start Rads.  I wished her and what I think was her DH well.  My DH and her DH shook hands, too.  I told her about BC.Org and told her to look up our little corner of the world.  So saying hello to my CherryFest sister...if your reading.......

Sorry so long of a post tonight.  Trying my best to catch up.  Welcome to all the new gals.

Hi LJH, i'm 33 and TN, and doing just fine! you and your sister can msg me anytime if you have questions  

Dear Diary,
For my birthday this year, my friend purchased for me a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.
I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!
Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.
This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!

TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members.
His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other shit too.

THURSDAY:
A**hole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late--it took me that long to tie my shoes.
He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny bitch to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine--which I sank.

FRIDAY:
I hate that ba*tard Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anaemic, anorexic, little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.
Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.
The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel..

SUNDAY:
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Kathyrnn, my point exactly!

Bernie, thank u for making me laugh for the first time since I was told more chemo!



Well, I got a 2nd/3rd opinion from my BS and her colleague, who is an onc (she even consulted with one of her professors) they all say no to more chemo and I'm going with them cause I trust my BS more than my onc at this point. My onc is moving to a different practice after tomorrow and handed me over to another onc, hinting that I can always go with him to his new practice which is a further drive for me. I would if he hadn't suggested hormone treatments for me after chemo at which time I had to remind him i was TN and couldn't have any. Thank u all for being so supportive, u don't know how important that has been for me during this most stressful time.

Hi Cocker...I had 35 rads.  I tolerated it quite well.  Just make sure you moisturize your skin.  My RO wanted me to use Aquaphor but use what your doc recommends.  I slathered it on at least 2x a day.  Once the itchy red came up they also allowed me to use hydrocortisone cream to help with the itchies.  You will most likely feel fatigued also.  Join the gals starting rads at same time as you here on the boards so that you can compare notes with the other ladies.  Glad you do not need more chemo and hopefully you will get some relief from the neuropathy soon.

Welcome to all our new members of this unwanted but unexpectedly fantastic club!

Maggie

Lisa,

I have white stripes under my fingernails. My family doctor called them "Beau's lines" but I think Beau's lines actually have ridges on the nails - mine are just the lines. I don't think it is a good idea to put on fake nails as one of the possible SEs of chemo is your nail lifting off. I was told to cut mine as short as possible so they wouldn't catch on anything which could cause them to lift. I have heard that you can lose your nails (and toenails) as much as 6 months after chemo is finished. I was given clear nail polish to put on my nails while undergoing the chemo. You might want to ask your PN about using coloured nail polish to hide the white spots but I would definitely avoid the fake ones.

Doreen 

Cocker - I just finished rads about 10 days ago.   I had 33 treatments.  I got a little red, and my nipple turned brown, but that was it.  I had 5 boosts in the end where they radiate the lumpectomy site to kill off any remaining cells in the area and that area is still red but not sore.   I don't understand since I had clear margins, but that is what they do with lumpectomies.   I was told to use Aquaphor but I found it to be so greasy.   My sister only used Aloe Vera gel made by L'Bri so that is what I used 2x/day and a little hydrocortisone cream when I got some itchies.   My rad nurses where amazed at how good my skin held and the Aloe Vera made my scar almost invisible.  They wanted to know how to order the Aloe Vera from L'Bri.    L'Bri products are all natural, not tested on animals and their main ingredient is aloe vera.   You can order it from my sister's friend, Lori Stone.   Her website is loristone.lbri.com and her email is loristone2002@yahoo.com.  Check out all their products.  I have been using their skin care products too and my skin is so soft, even my head.  I used it on my scalp because it started to get red and bumpy.   I love it!

Guy girl- prayers for your sister.



Onvacation - please just keep us updated and go live and enjoy life!!!



Imsnoozy - no info but the place to find clinical trials is www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials



Titan - just glad to know you're doing well. (Still concerned that we haven't heard any news from tnbcRuth)



Borntosurvive - being to busy to post is a good thing, means you're busy living!



NavyMom- wonderful post!!!! Glad you and hubby had such a great time. Hi to Cherryfest Gal, if you're peeking in here. Thanks for bringing back a wonderful childhood memory Navy. My grandmother had a cherry tree and used to entertain us grandchildren with pit spitting contests.



Lisadi1963- I didn't get white spots, my nails got dark at the top, like they had been dipped in brown stain. I never lost my fingernails, but they were weak and shredded for months. 4 months after chemo I lost all my toenails. I agree with Dormac. When I lost them, they lifted off completely from the nailbed, so I don't know that artificial nails would help.



Bernie - Thank you!



Gemmy1 - (and Christina) my joint pain lasted quite awhile, I would say approx 9 mo. I got so used to it that I only noticed it was gone when I popped up from a chair and didn't have to do the crone crawl.



Naan1004 - glad you got some opinions you trusted. You didn't say, are they sending you for rads???



Cocker - Granite mattress is one made by some evil elf in the mattress factory, who I think used some kind of rock instead of padding. As to rads (and of course ask your doc first) Dana-Farber is having L-side rad patients take a deep breath and hold it. (expands lungs which compresses heart and keeps it further from the rad field). They gave me Aquaphor, but it was to greasy for me. Be sure to tell them immediately if you develop any kind of new cough. Also Riley mentioned some cool gel pads that worked for her. Only thing I could find on line was a reusable gel pad nursing Mom's use. Maybe the rads group can give you tips.



Luv - Is DS still in. I checked the list last night and didn't see either of my friends.



Well ladies, first post tx mammo is on Thursday. Not what I'd call anxious, more "come on already, I want to know what the news is". But, I am also going to do something great that day! (Kathy's got a secret.........Kathy's got a secret!). *skips happily out of thread grinning*

Kathy - DS busted out late in the evening (some time after the dinner break).  I think his AK lost out to QQ.  I suspect he was getting bored and shoved when it might not have been a good idea.  He had been complaining of the slow play at the table.  I sent you a PM - let me know what you think. 

LM50 - My oncotype came back about the same.  My ER score was 6.2 and my oncologist tried femara, didn't work for me.

CS - I used Aquaphor during my rads.  My skin really broke down and I ended up with all kinds of things - antibacterial spray, special burn pads impregnated with Aquaphor, abdominal pads to protect my clothes, etc.  But I had a very intensive rad treatment and yours may be nothing like that.  I had done Mammosite rads previously, so I was a "special" case...just love being that special!!!

My nails held up fine during chemo, but I kept polish on them and got a mani/pedi a couple days before every other treatment.  And I had Taxol, not Taxotere.

Navymom-wow, to run into someone randomly with a similiar diagnoses! I bet she really appreciated meeting you! I had the same thing happen to me with my first diagnoses, ran into a lady that was a multiple year survivor of similiar diagnoses when I was newly diagnosed. Her words comforted me and meant so much to me, I still remember her 10 years later!

LM50-My onc says any amount of positive is positive. He said now they consider anything over 1% as positive, where it used to be 10%, then 5%. I am 3%. Tried aromasin, too many se's. Will be trying something else soon. I am willing to do ai's, but only if I can move in the morning! I can't believe how sdtiff I was with aromasin, I could not handle it!

Hi everyone! I watched an episode of The Big C and laughed hysterically. A lady (Susan Sarandon) told the cancer woman that she had caused her own cancer by being negative. The cancer lady defended herself and as she was talking to her Susan got hit by a bus!!! I couldn't stop laughing, how sick am I?! It was too funny! Of course I wouldn't laugh if it really happened in real life! But how many times have we heard "oh, well anybody could get hit by a bus tomorrow!"

 Hope, Sending you my best - I am so sorry you are going through this.

Hope - this really sucks. This is the place to come and freak out.