Calling all TNs

Hey fern you start chemo at 9:30 tomorrow and I get my head shaved at 9:30 both traumatic steps that we have to take, at least we can do it together.

Luck is not on my side here lately. Friday I had my 2nd chemo had a bad reaction throut closed up couldn't breath, a little benadryle cleared that up fast. Then this morning i woke up to numbness in my right hand as the morning went on it started to hurt then swell. Did not panic till it turned red then purple called nurse was sent to the ER. After waiting seems forever they did an ultrasound found a bloodclot in my neck and right arm from the port.

Out of work again was so glad to be back to work so my head would be filled with anything but my own thoughts.

More Doc apt. and more meds. Oh Joy.

dgcote - ((((HUGS))))

Tazzy - best of luck with your surgery!  Yes, one day at a time!

No Taz not MIA just quietly sittin here reading everyones posts. Not much happening in this paert of the world at the moment so not a lot to tell you but thinking of you ladies. 

Went to my oncologists appointment before rads today. She said I had a 50/50 chance of a recurrence.  What do you ladies think of that, excellent, great, good, ok, not bad, lousy, terrible or ugh.  A bit like being pregnant and you wanting a girl and getting a boy. 

Great pics Inmate. You take such a wonderful picture. Very photogenic.

Hope - glad to hear from you and sending a huge big hug.

Tazzy - will be thinking of you on Thursday. All will be well.

Heather at last.  You were missing in action longer than me.  Great to have you back with us.

Jan - I just don't know what to do with myself up here away from home.  Once you have had your treatment the day just drags.  I really want to be at home and see how my old fellars cafe is going although he tells me he does better and better every day.  My daughter tells me the same so I know its true.  He's working ten hour days though so hopefully he will be ok.

Thinking of you ladies and hoping side effects are minimal and everything is ok for you all.  Oh yea my old fellar said that my Chloe hasn't been well and he thinks she is missing me.  Not even chewing anything, must be sick lol. Bless her little heart, until I get home and see what she has done. Love to everyone. Annie

Cocker - I can understand how slow your days must pass.  That, and wanting to be home to cheer the old feller on.  How are your hands and fingers?  Hope they are back to normal by now. 

Tazzy - Holding your hand during surgery.  All will be fine.  Surgery was the easiest part for me.

dgcote - How frightening!  Things can only get better!

 OK ladies who are reading/have read those Shades of Gray:  Heard on news tonight that there is an epidemic of pregancies since the books came out. Just sayin'

Hope all of you get some heat relief and much needed rain. Jan

Jan - I read the Fifty Shades book.  Glad they weren't around when I was in my 30's...I might have ended up with a few more kids...lol!  I'll never look at pink champagne the same way, ever!

Doreen and Annie - statistically, there is a higher risk of recurrence with stage 3 than with stage 1.  That said, it either happens or it doesn't.  It's all pretty much out of our control.  There are women with DCIS who end up with distant mets and women who have stage 3 with lots of nodes involved who come out on the other end and go on to live out their lives.  My RO from Dana Farber told me I had a 10% chance of recurrence after BMX, DD chemo and intense rads.  And here I am with mets in less than four months after finishing treatment, and I've been on metformin the whole time.  It's just so unpredictable.

Feeling sad and stressed today. not necessarily cancer related. My bone scan was canceled because insurance has not approved it yet, they will, just hasn't happened yet. My sister is about to be foreclosed on, wants me to help her with...not sure what I can do for her. I can't help financially, she owes too much. She hasn't been able to find a job for the past 2 years. Yep, thats right, 2 years. I know it is bad out there, but just find ANY job. She won't venture out of her comfort zone and that is going to leave her out on the streets. Well, not really. She will be able to stay with my other sis or with her daughter, but they all have small places. She can't stay with me because I have animals and she is extremely allergic and has asthma. How am I going to help? I have no answers for her. There doesn't seem to be any welfare, she is 58 and has no retirement saved up, she is single, her daughter is a single mom of 2 kids, with no help from the father. Frustrated that I can't fix life. I can't fix a darn thing, I can't even fix my own life. How am I going to help her tomorrow? I guess I will help her write a letter, she is required to respond to the court within 20 days. There is no money to hire a lawyer, which is needed to decipher all the legal mumbo jumbo in the letter she just received. I guess I can only do my best to help.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/drug-duo-turns-on-cancer-fighting-gene-in-kidney-breast-cancers#.UBhrW67De6U.facebook

Lory: Good to hear the liver is clear - what a relief! Hopefully they can rule out any threat from that tiny lung spot. I have something benign that pops up on scans - a holdover from some past lung problem I never knew I had.  

Bak: Sorry for what you and your sis are going through. I know what it feels like to want to try to fix a family member's life, very stressful - but ultimately all you can do is lend a helping hand where you can and look after yourself too.

Jazzy: Congrats on being done AC. Hopefully you'll find the taxol easier - I know I did. And my hair started growing back too!   

Fern: Congrats on getting through your first treatment. Don't be surprised if you find days 3-5 the hardest; that's when I felt most tired and achy. Be sure to rest as much as you can, but also get out and walk if you feel up to it. Physical activity - in manageable doses - really helps.

dgcote: Glad you got the ER... and hope you can get that clot under control. So often, it's all the unexpected side complications of cancer treatment that make life most miserable. But you will get through it!     

mmizerak- I had a CT and chest x-rays only. Insurance denied PET (saying because I was Stage 1, it wasn't necessary). I did not have a bone scan until I had low back and rib pain about a year later. Turned out to be nothing but strain from PT.

Michelle- an evening at Cool Crest might be good. We used to live not far from there. Can't go on weekend evenings-too many teenagers and lots of fights!

Tazzy- will be thinking of you tomorrow and wishing you a speedy recovery!

Bak- I wish I had some advice. I went through this with my brother while in treatment. He lost his home and ended up in a homeless shelter for almost a year. He is a very lazy person and had no ambition to find a job. I could not have him stay here as he has a muscular disease (does not contribute to the laziness!) and my home has lots of steps, besides my husband would probably kill him- my husband can't stand laziness! Anyway, his disease progressed and we were able to get him into an assisted living facility. He has caused me a great deal of stress in my life as he is ungrateful and thinks I (and the whole world) owes him something. While I doubt this in anyway mirrors you sister, just wanted to say I know how stressful it can be to deal with family members troubles! i hope a solution presents itself- and soon!

Thanks all for your wonderful well wishes... I know you are there with me tomorrow.  

mmizerak - I had chest x-rays, bone density scan, mri and CT scan just after dx.   Good luck.

I know I cant answer you all but am thinking of you nonetheless - wishing you all good, better days with as little stress as possible.

almost forgot...1 year ago today was the day I found the telltale lump and my life changed dramatically...wow..how quickly a year has passed by.

Mags

Hi Ladies;  I am nowhere near caught up on reading all the posts. But just wanted to let you all know.  I made it through my first round of AC.  Getting the PICC was definately the worst of the experience. I suffer from a phenomenon called Reynaulds, which is an over-reaction by my veins to cold.  Instead of constricting they shut down completely.  I was to have the PICC in my right arm opposite to my surgery.  The IV tech tried three times on the right side eac time the line was introduced my vein would flutter and close.  So she switched to my left side and trested it more like an IV putting the needle further into the vein so it had less time to react to the line.  Worked like a charm but all in all a 1 hour procedure took 2 and a half hours.  But I got an Ativan out of it so was feeling pretty good the rest of the day.

My infusion yesterday went well.  Again some problems with the Reynaulds cause pain when the cold drugs were introduced so they kept piling me up with hot blankets.  The burse said I set a record using six blankets in all.

Today tired and some stomach and headache issues.  Not really nausia more like indigestion.  Trying to drink lots and eating little mouthfuls of oatmeal seem to help that out.  Only got 2 hours of sleep last night so going to my GP to see if he can help out with that.

Lots of love and hugs.  You all gave me great strength and knowledge.  The nurse was amazed how informed I was.  The onco nurse didn't even know about the Claritin for the bone pain after Neulasta but the MO did and he said give it a try after I get the shot on Friday.