2012 sisters

Hi Ladies-sounds like everyone is deep into treatment or recovery from surgery now. I read each post and truly hate what we all have to go through.  I still sit in wait and see mode.  Made appt with BS for Thurs as I do have something going on from edge of SNB incision down to left side of breast..i feel that cord feel and have general pain so will get in there to have him do a check, even though I was dismissed from him awaiting MO.  I get scared that it is something worse..I think my stress is centering on subtle heartburn that started with mamm call back in June when this started.  I had worst case of heartburn ever on Sunday night and called in sick for work yest..first time ever in 6 years (except time off for this lumpectomy).  Was up all night taking alka seltzer and 7up.  Better today and started taking previcid.  Have first MO appt next week to get next plans in order and onco results, I think the fear is building up.  I hate this disease for all of us...   I explain to my friends that surgery should have gotten the cancer out and now I feel  everything I elect to do is preventative yet toxic to our bodies.    Why can't this be like appendicitis, you get it, get rid of it and are done!   I think the reality that this will be around for the longer haul is settling in and stressful.    Hang in there and know good thoughts are coming at you!

juneaubugg-Really sorry about your chemo SEs, hope that you'll feel better soon. I can't help you in the advice dept since I didn't do chemo but sending you BIG (((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))). Hang in there, just 3 more to go!!!!

Aruba-What you're saying sounds like cording, I have it now its 95% back to normal but that's because I asked my doc about it and he showed my DH how to massage it 3 times a day to break the cord. (Not from the US, so no LE specialist, but you could ask for a referral from your doc). If it is cording, its better to deal with it right away or else you'll have it with you for a while.

mcook301-I agree with Tazzy, I think she's scared too so call her! This cancer thing is not easy for our families either.  

You ladies have made me laugh, sometimes cry and now you have given me a craving for margarita's!    Just wanted to check in real quick and let you know day 1 of rads went well.  Didn't realize how anxious I was about starting rads until I walked into the office, glad my DH was there.

For those suffering side effects, I hope they subside and you feel better soon.  For those who are recovering from or will be having surgery soon I wish you a speedy recovery.

I am off to bed and wish you all a good nights sleep. 

KCA!!

BTW ladies - wth heck to DH stand for ? husband? or dam/darling/ husband? or something else? at time I am trying to decipher all the acronyms on here? so maybe someone can start a list for me? I always say I am not that bright I just hire people smarter than me:)

Have read everyone's posts but am too tired to respond to everyone separately. Love you all and wish you better days ahead. As for me - I already forgot my new goal from yesterday to find a little happy in each day - and forgot to look for my happy today. Instead I let myself get stressed out about life with a 2 year old making the most of the terrible 2s and a 4 year old learning how to test limits and boundaries. End result was I wound up snapping at my 4 year old for no legitimate reason and making him cry. Cancer does not help you win mommy of the year award. Oh well - tomorrow is a new day and I"ll send myself a note to remember to squeeze my kids tight, tell them I love them, and find a bit of happy somewhere along the way. Here's to hoping you all can find a bit of happy tomorrow!

Ramols, don't beat yourself up because you're a little impatient with your kids sometimes. You young mothers with small children going through cancer have my fullest admiration - I honestly don't know how you do it. You all deserve big gold medals!

LostinMo, thanks for that link.  I did try searching for one but had no luck.  Will pass it on.

JP, I'm not in the Philly region, closer to Harrisburg (That's where I work).  

#3 TC is behind me as of 3 pm today.  Started taking a mild stimulant on Sunday to keep ahead of the constipation and happy to report that it is WORKING LIKE A CHARM tonight!!  Maybe I won't feel so bad over the next few days?  One can only hope.  
I left a much longer account of my day today in the July 2012 board... I'll just post the link instead of repeating myself.  

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/788985?page=25#idx_721

Juneau, I am SURE my Mom is saying FML after the day she had.  Makes me wonder if she will still want to go to #4 in 3 weeks? 

Thanks mcook and liefie. Today is in fact a new day. And the beauty of 4 year olds is that a good nights sleep wipes out the day before and its like nothing ever happened. Phew! I wish I could accomplish a night of sleep that wiped out the day(s) before... Actually - at this point I'd be happy to take a night of sleep without tossing and turning and cursing the fact that over a month out of my bmx my ribs and shoulder blades are still so gosh darn achey!

tpolychron - I'm not saying you should drop friends, as you need all the support you can get. But I have learned that everyone responds to a loved ones cancer diagnosis in a different way and you need to tune out some folks and keep them at a friendly distance through this. You deserve only positivity right now. Those who don't think before they speak, or who make poor conversation choices should move to the bottom of your list for the moment. Time to be selfish! Glad to hear your SEs are subsiding.

ckolendar - what a debacle about the port placement, so sorry to hear that. Was your infusion so long b/c of the herceptin added onto it? I will be having herceptin too and was wondering if they work that into my regular chemo cycles. Chemo is supposed to be every other week but herceptin is supposed to be every three weeks. I meet with the MO on Friday so I know I'll learn more - but was curious what your regimen is. Hope you're feeling ok today.

And to everyone else out there - lets make bright sunshiney happy days for ourselves today! Hugs to you all!

Ramols - re: Herceptin - mine is integrated with my last three chemo, then fourteen more cycles of 3 weeks. Not sure how it will work for you but your MO will review with you.

Juneau... 1 tsp baking soda in one cup of warm water... swill and spit after each time you eat if you can.  Wash teeth beforehand. I went to the dentist 4 weeks after chemo finished and she said that my gums had never looked so good and healthy. I told my Mum about it and I had a great aunt who used only baking soda for oral care and at the age of 88 when she died had all her teeth.

Mcook... course we are mad at cancer - I am so pissed at it lately. Its OK. DH can stand for all what you said..... posted the link to the abbreviation site below.

Aruba... Good luck tomorrow. I am at the docs tomorrow for my 2 week check up too... fingers crossed I can get rid of these bloody drains. Let us know how you get on.

Aimz - great the first rad went OK

Ramols... others have said I don't know how you do it with young children. I only have me and DH and that's hard enough. I had lost my little bit of happy too so love what you said "lets make bright sunshiney happy days for ourselves today" .

Tpoly: I think we would all like to line up and smack your ‘friend'. People really do not understand eh? And don't forget the trick to keep eyebrows in place... dab a little hair lacquer on them.

Ckolendar - sorry about the port - sounds nasty. I didn't have a port, my choice. I think I mentioned on this thread that the steroids will make you nuttier than a squirrals crap (kudos to another sister on the boards for that saying). Love you are learning FUCancer in 30 different languages.. you should share them with us. Thanks for the link too to lympehdivas... I am hoping upon hope I don't get it.

You know the last few days I have been in a real slump and that makes me mad which just makes the whole situation worse. I could cry and/or sleep at the drop of a hat. Today I woke up with the attitude that no matter how many aches and drains I still have (only 2) that the fact I can get up and get out is reason to be thankful. We have more courage than most and I give us all a pat on the back for getting through another day.

We sisters rock... now lets go KCA's !!

Here's the link to the abbreviation thread.. http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131/topic/773727?page=1#idx_1

CKO - LOL I like the idea of learning to say f cancer in different languages! That made me laugh

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been around the last week to give any encouragement to those that really need it, but since my exchange got moved back a month, I have been  a whiney lil biotch. I didn't want to send any negative vibes so I just stayed off the computer, over ate and embibed. I had tried to take a few walks but one area of scar tissue ended up blistering, I think from a combination of my clothes rubbing the ostrich egg and perspiration. Any way its like I have a major brush burn on the end of my foob-oh so attractive.   How ever I had an appointment with my ps to check it today and I think my crabby demeanor showed up because my sweet PS ended up putting me back on the Sept schedule. YAY She told me not to take walks for now and to try not to perspire (easier said than done when you live in FLorida) and that my AC indoors should be my best friend for now. Anyway I am feeling much better about everything at the moment and have decided to celebrate by sucking down a bunch of special dark chocolate miniatures.Once again life is good on my end!

Moonflwr thank you for the ok to be crabby.So sorry about your job but like someone says that could be a sign of better things to come.

Juneau, I'm sorry you feel so crappy. Sucks big time you have to go thru this bs.How nice that you still have your mom and that she is bringing you over soup with matzoballs.I love those matzo balls (I dont know why but all food today sounds great lol hope this binge eating goes away or I'll end up being a blimp and my ostrich eggs will look fried again!Anyway, thinking about you big time.
 
I got a chuckle out of the eyebrow talk. My husband works hard to keep from having a unibrow and said he would be glad to be a brow donor if anyone wants to give it a try. lol

Ramols like the others have said don't be too hard on yourself.  To your children, you are the best mom there is and although some days are a little better than others I'm sure the little ones don't even notice from day to day. I really don't know how you do it.

ckolendar- Love the language lesson! Educational as well as stress-releasing! lol Keep them coming.

Mccook you crack me . Before my NSDMX I was a wreck; couldn't imagine what any of it would be like.Anyway had surgery which wasn't near as bad as I had anticipated and became acclimated to having 2 fried eggs for boobs. Then the fills began and I saw some hope to having a chest again and with a little more umph in it than my previous saggy one. As I reached the end I noticed I looked better and perkier in clothes. I wanted to have a few more fills so I could be as big as I wanted to be . BUt now that I have these hard TE things under my arms and up to my neck and my one foob looks like it is all chewed up, I am ready to just get the exchange and get it overwith regardless of size. lol The PS assures me though that I'll have a "very nice" result; what ever that is. You can do it though-it really isn't bad. Here is the link to the abbreviations though http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/62/topic/735716?page=85#idx_2524

JPmomof3 So are you doing ok now that your mom has left? I have mom envy of all you ladies since mine passed away when I was 15. The hair on your head is looking great-You cracked me up with the "nether" regions -just think,lots of those girls that you wanted to smack on the walking trail are paying good money and having painful sessions to have those hairless nether regions lol. I didn't have chemo but boy could I use a slight thinning out of the pits.It's not that I have much there it's just akward to try to shave with these hard foobs bulging into my pits-I can't flatten them down to get the razor over the hair and I hate hairy pits.Oh well-if that was only the worst of it right?

Tina_Jason how is the wound vac going? My hubby went to hyperbarics after using the wound vac but his wound was alot different because he had exposed bone.Anyway I hope you are finding it's not so bad and that it is coming together.

liefie Great mantras-I hope to adopt them myself one of these days

Websister glad you had a nice get away. I hope to go somewhere after my exchange as I have been messing with this crap since last Oct.You are funny with your visualizing lol

Tazzy I need to know where that shed is! I'm so ready to join the party. As far as being tired, I swear though that I was exhausted about 3 weeks after surgery but the 1st couple weeks I was fine.Maybe it just all sinks in and the stress gets to us after the fact or something. But I had headaches too and am glad to say they are gone.Lucky you that you can lay down horizontal- with these dang heavy hard ostrich eggs there is no comfy way to sleep and if I do get comfy and fall asleep it's really hard and painful to get up.lol

Soya hope you're doing great. Keep showing us up with your exercizing!

Well group hope I didn't miss anyone but if I did I apologize. I need to go do something productive now that my pity party is drawing to an end and my chocolates are gone. Thinking of you all and for those in the bgc hope that your SE's are few. You all always manage to cheer me up.

jojo so sorry for your situation but glad you joined our group. My mom had bc and passed as well but she was alot younger than me when she got it. It is tough though. I am brac neg as well but my mo feels sure there is some type of genetics involved as well since I have lots of other family that had bc as well. I will pray you have a great response to chemo and minimal SE's.

Jojo, agressive is a good word, and you are going to be AGRESSIVE in fighting the cancer. so that's where that word belongs! LOL much love