January 2012 chemo

Went to MO today - first visit after Rads done.  Just before diagnosis I had gone 11 months without a period, then had one period 2 weeks before MX.  Nerves!  They gave me a blood test that they send to the Mayo Clinic to see if I am in Menopause or not.  MO would like me to have Arimidex or similar drug as the recurrence rate decreases 10% by taking AI drugs vs. Tamoxifen with my kind of cancer.

Anyone else have experience in this?

Congratulations on your new job Joyce! I bet your vacation was well deserved and hopefully relaxing!

Yay for a new job Joyce :-)



NCbeachgal - As triple positive women the most likely time for recurrance is in the first two years :-/ But I have tried to think of that as a positive since that is when we are being monitored the closest so it is likely to be caught early...



I do really hope that you just have rads changes though :-) Would it be worth seeing your rads dr to see what their opinion is? When is the biopsy?



Luv Jenn

Angie, The RO thinking it's rads or surgery changes is GOOD. Most likely she is right, but at least if you have the areas checked you will know for certain.



Yes, I am happily anxious for my BMX (did I tell anyone it is the 28th of Sept :-)!). Once I found out a few months ago that my past medical history makes me high risk for breast cancer in both breasts I just knew they had to come off! Sept 28 can't come soon enough!



Jenn

Thank you Joyce! I had a lumpectomy 11/2011. I finished chemo in April and rads in July. I'm pretty positive I shouldn't be too concerned but.... I'll keep you posted. All the BEST!

Congratulations on the B9 biopsy!!! What a stress lifted from you. Celebrate in your own way!!!!

YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!  That's great news, Angie!

So glad to hear of your B9 results!!!  What a blessing!!

YAY Angie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Joyce - my eyebrows are totally back now :-) Hair is growing slowly but thickly.



Sitting here for my 3-weekly Herceptin infusion. It seems so long between them.



Jenn

Jenn, how many more Herceptin tx will you have before the MX in September?  Will you resume after the surgery?

Ladies, please keep in your thoughts and prayers Helen (a friend of a friend of mine) and Colleen (her adult daughter) == Colleen was dx with ovarian cancer late winter and Helen was just dx with breast cancer.  A double blow for a really great family.

I'm 4 weeks in on the Tamoxifen and have only noticed the additional moisture "downunder" SE so far... :-)



Jenn

I'm 4 weeks in as well, and notice the same SE's as Jenn and Brooke above. Although, I had insomnia before so I'm not really sure I can blame T for that.

Hi Everyone,

I hope this note finds everyone doing well dealing with the lingering SE's of everything we have been through.

Since we are now into Septemeber already and most of us were diagnosed in October, November, December. I was wonder what you ladies are considering your 1 year cancerversary. Date of dx or surgery?? Just a little informal poll. It would be great to hear a little update from everyone since we are all approaching 1 year.

I've had 2 surgeries, 5 months of chemo, 5 1/2 weeks of radiation, 9 months of PT (continuing), continuing Herceptin every 3 weeks until end of February, and now Tamoxifen for the past 5 weeks. What a nasty little pill of SE's that is.... My hair is officially 2" long (had DH measure it for the first time today) and I haven't the slightest idea what to do with it. It literally just sits there and I try to avoid any mirrors or I end up fussing with it to no avail.

My daughter starts Pre-K on Tuesday, my little man turned 2 in July and is quite the handful. I wouldn't trade the feeling of love when I look at them for anything. We were able to get to our camp a few times this summer and next friday we are heading to Gatlinburg for a much needed family vacation.

Can't wait to hear from you wonderful women!!!!

I'm 10 days post Rad's.  Only aggravation is lingering itchy spots.  I'm still tired but I suppose after being regularly poisoned for 8 months will take some time to recover from.

My daughter with the 8 kids moved back to live with/next door to us.  It was just too expensive for them in Jerusalem where they were renting a one bedroom hovel for $900.00 a month.  Other living expenses are also higher in the "J".  So things are a bit hectic.  Their stuff is all on our balcony and slowly my son in law is setting up their beds and closets in between working and learning in Yeshivah.  We are making a new storage room in our yard and setting up our current storage room as a guest room in our 'in law suite'.   I've been dealing with gas company and stove installation company for a 2 weeks.  The gas company came out twice.  First they told us we have to break open the wall to expose the gas line.  Second trip he told us "oh.  You are supposed to get someone to pull up the line and when it is the proper length we will come back and but on the valve and turn on the gas".  Of course every time we call it is 2 or 3 days before he comes out.  We cannot even unpack my little stove or the warranty will be not valid.  The company 'technician' has to come and plug it in and hook it up to the gas.  So after getting a handyman to install the gas pipe today the gas company guy is coming again to flip a switch so we have gas.  Stove technician was supposed to call yesterday to say when they are coming.  I'm not holding my breath.  Meanwhile I'm cooking on a hot plate.  I can always use the big kitchen in the other part of the house but it is such a 'ballygan" (chaos) over there I try not to even look.   LOL.  Last night my 12 yr old grandson bolted my new pantry to the wall for me so I can get my groceries off the floor.

I actually think all the chaos is good for me right now as I have more to think about than my battered body.  It will take a couple months but when everything is re-settled we will have our privacy again.   My big perk is getting to rock my 4 yr old grandaughter to sleep every night.  And watching the 2 and 1 yr olds toddle in with big smiles is priceless.  

 I also can't believe we are done with the really tough stuff.  I'm looking forward to a trip to LA in December for a grandson's Bar Mitzvah.  We will also stop off in Detroit to see my 93 yr old MIL and my kids from Pittsburgh will visit us there.  Oncologist will only let me push off one Herceptin treatment for a week so the trip can only be 4 weeks but I'm just happy I can go.  We plan on going back in May for a nice long visit with all our USA family members, G-d willing.

OK I'm finished ranting.  Best to everyone.  

Peggy 

Hi Ladies, thought I would check in also.  It is hard to believe the summer is ending.  I return to work tomorrow and not looking foward to it.  July was spend taking care of my dh.  He had a hip replacement and is doing fine and hopefully he will return to work in a few weeks.  August was spent mostly traveling with my little one.  We visited friends in Illinois and then spent a week in Mass at ice skating boot camp. 

I have just started on Arimidex so we will see how it goes.  I still get fatigued at times and haven't been able to lose any weight but other than that I am pretty much back to myself.  My skin on my breast is still a bit discolored from the RADs but it is almost back to its original color.  My hair is still short but is growing and I ditched the scarves about a month ago.  Sometimes I wear a hat if I am going out somewhere that I feel uncomfortable without anything on.  But there isn't much I can do about the hair so it is what it is and I am sure in a few months time I will be much happier with it.  I did dye it as it was coming in quite dark with a lot of gray.

Peggy that is a busy household but I am sure you are just eating up your grandkids.  It is good therapy, keeps your mind on positive things.

 With going back to work comes running for my daughter's dance lessons and her ice skating team.  It will be great to do all of it this year feeling good. 

Glad you guys are doing well.