Is there a July 2011 group?

Hi All,

I haven't been around much but I still think of you often.  It is hard to believe how far we have all come in a year!

If any of the under 40 crowd are interested, there is a study going to determine genetic links: http://www.siteman.wustl.edu/ContentPage.aspx?id=3792

Cheers!

Hi ladies - It's been a few months since I last came on here. I guess I'm just settling back into "life" or my new version of it anyways. I reached the 9 month (post chemo) mark on July 4th and I'm 9 months into Tamoxifen as of today. I'm glad the time has flown a little since I plan to take a break after 2 years of Tamoxifen to try to have a baby. In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to stay healthy. Eating well and I even started running! At first I couldn't do much. I was so exhausted and it was a struggle to get in 10 minutes straight. When I wanted to run more than a mile, it took me 0.5 mile increments to get there. But....after 1 1/2 months, I just passed the 4 mile marker (no stops) over the weekend and it felt great! I've never been much of a runner, even during cross country in high school (which I admit I kind of did to get out of PE!). Now, I'm actually enjoying it! 4 miles is by far the longest I've ever run without stopping. I usually go for speed, not distance, so this is new to me. I'm not sure how far I'll end up taking it, but it's a good distraction from the kids thing for now and it's good for my health and recurrence prevention too!

I hope you are all doing well. I'll check back in again soon. We are heading to Vegas tomorrow for a few days and I'm trying to clear things up at work before I go. I'll post a new pic (since it's been a while) so you can see what's been going on with my hair. It's short, a little curly, but surprisingly cute (with the right amount of product)!

Sad to report that we have lost Lisa, Blondelawyer, one of the first members of our group. She was diagnosed with lung mets several months ago and died yesterday at 34. I am beyond sad for her family. May she rest in peace. Hoping you are all well and sending you good thoughts.

It is always sad to hear of losing another person to this disease. It has felt really good to stay away for a bit this summer and get back to living, but I do often have those twinges of survivor guilt.

Summer semester of grad school done! DIEP flap surgery, August 22nd! I need to get some photos before I go back to having breasts. I am getting so used to being flat chested for so long now, I have to document such a significant body change.

hi everyone

I am so sorry to hear we lost another BC sister, makes me so sad. I just read on facebook we lost Marie, reesie, this afternoon as well and a friend Krissi (not sure if she was on here) last week. Cancer sucks!  

dexxy, I am having horrible SEs still. I just found out the letrozole I am now taking instead of tamoxifen, is probably the culprit to my intense aches and pains. I have been to a rheumatologist, ortho doc, pain management doc and found I have stenosis in my spine, bursitis and tendonitis in my shoulders, arthritis in my hands (some of this I knew prior to dx but not to this extent). I am getting carpal tunnel surgery in a few months and my breast reduction shortly after that... are you having bad SEs?

Love you all xoxo 

Hey Rabbit-I'm sorry about all your joint issues. I take femara also, and they warned me ahead of time about the joint pain.They actually did a bone density test before I started taking it.  I've had carpal tunnel in both wrists, and I have degenerative disk disease in my spine...I've got five disks that are weak/compromised, and bulge or rupture from time to time pinching nerves, etc. The femara has certainly made it's presence known, but I've learned to live with my spine issues, and mostly can cope with the aches and pains. Lots of Ibuprofen! And stretching! I hope you feel better! I'm really struggling with night sweats/hot flashes, too, and don't know if that's the femara or because I had my ovaries out in February.

I'm so sorry to hear about Reesie...

Julee - I had a bone marrow biopsy last month because my WBC were still low (2.66). Needless to tell you, I was devastated. I finished rads in February and I was preparing for my DIEP (trying to get ready for the long recovery process). Well the biopsy was clean, I had my DIEP and I developed a blood clot, so I am done with Tamoxifen (they switched me to Arimidex). Like you, I have embraced all my treatments with a positive attitude, but I cried everyday last month . I am slowly recovering from my surgery and my WBC are still low. I totally understand you and I wish I had more info about the liver. Did you have a CT scan before treatments? Tamoxifen has been proven to be an effective drug, but unfortunately it has tons of SE's. I would not be surprised if the spot could be caused by the use of Tamoxifen.

Congratulations Julee! Ralston, it's good to hear that you are getting through the DIEP flap process. My DIEP flap is in about five hours! I am very excited to get to this point after all this treatment. How has your recovery been? When was your surgery?

misswim, here is the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breastcancerorg/40868540984

Robyn, did you have these problems pre dx? I had a touch of carpal tunnel years ago but it would go away easily wearing a brace for a few days. I also had some arthritis in my spine, but it didn't debilitate me....now it does at times just curious if you had these problems before dx a touch, or not at all??

Julee, keep strong and positive, I know it's hard, we all think the worst anytime something comes up, aches, pains, spots....I have a fatty cyst on my liver, but it's been there for years. I get a headache, I think brain cancer, I get bad aches and pains, I think bone cancer, I think it's the way we will always be from here on out.  Please keep us updated, I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it all soon.

J_Bug, I hope you sx went well, sending you love and hugs!!!! I am getting my reconstruction (reduction in the left one and lift in both) in a few months....

Everyone please say a prayer for my mom, she got that fricking dreaded call today, they found a 1cm spot on her mammo....pray she doesn't become a part of our group EVER!

Love you all

xoxoxoxo 

Yes, Rabbitt, I've always had joint problems. My carpal tunnel repair was 12 years ago, and my first disk slipped in 1986, when I was 23! So, I really have leared to live with the pain most of the time, but the femara, like the chemo, has certainly aggravated it. I was recently talking to somebody about acupuncture, and I'm thinking about it. I don't want to give up the femara yet! The hot flashes are out of control, though. I just want to sleep through the night without medication!

J-Bug - Hang in there!!! The first week is hard, but I promise it gets better. It has been 5 1/2 weeks for me and most of my blister have healed. Good luck!

thinking great thoughts J-bug.  thanks everyone for checking in.  Its sometimes hard to come back to this site.  I've been having a touch of anxiety, I know its the hormones in full swing but so many people around me are being DS with cancer it just hits me harder. I think for me I feel like my doctors don't monitor me enough.  Do you know I haven't been given a blood test since I finished chemo.  I hd to ask for one to check my thyroid, which was out of whack and I'm now taking something for that.  I guess we still have to Dr ourselves!

take care everyone

Ralston, did your incisions ever open up a little? Mine did under my arms. It's so creepy looking. It is red and some puss coming out. I called my PS and he said that it is normal at this stage and some women find it more comfortable to put a menstrual pad in that area. So today I have one under each arm pit and one under the right breast where that has been leaking for days. I didn't have a fever at the time I called the PS, but now I have had a low fever between 100-101 all afternoon. I took some Tylenol. I am just tired of feeling so icky! This has been the biggest medical event of all of them so far. For the first time, it has made me a bit nauceous and unsettled my nerves. I just had no idea this would be so involved! I will be at two weeks post DIEP surgery Wed night.

bcisnofun~my liver numbers, AST 162, ALT 187, they raised almost 20 pts in 2 weeks. Then she had me go off the Tamox for two weeks and they went down. AST 122, ALT 132.

Hi Dexxy - how did everything go?