2012 sisters

You are a way stronger woman than I am Wanda...no internet would feel like having my right arm cut off!  LOL  Especially since I've opted to do my chemo/rads treatments alone with just Ted, my phone and an iPad...I'm calling it 'roughing it'  Bwaaahaaahaaaaa  There's my camping joke for the day ;-)  Much love to you chicky!!!

jpmom - you crack me up. I think you could market that shirt/slogan and make a few bucks out of all this crap! Enjoy your day with no work and no appts!

jpmomof3-I know what you mean by out of shape, I'm like that when I started back the gym and still feel like that now. But I agree, it DOES feel good to excerise again, I've been making progress since I've been back and you would too. It just takes time that's all. Enjoy your day off and go out and have some fun!!!!!

Tazzy-Glad you enjoy your camping, nothing like the fresh air out there! 

Hi ladies... 3 1/2 days post BMX surgery. I feel so, so much better every day that passes. I can raise my arms some but had a bit of a meltdown this morning. My husband washed my hair (I laid on a lawn chair in my bathroom propped against the tub). He's not very good at towel drying hair so I decided I could do it myself. I did do it but I broke down because I look like a t-Rex with little arms at my side that are of little use at the moment. I so badly wanted to put my hair in a ponytail but my husband had to. He's definitely not a stylist!!!!!



On a good note, I got the results from my sentinel node biopsy....stage 1 (from what he can tell) and CLEAR LYMPH NODES!!!!! ☺ I have a post op appt with my PS on Thursday and appt with my BS Monday. He said I could be meeting with my oncologist as early as next week!!!!!



Now here's a question for you ladies. If I ha a DMX with all tissue removed, have clear Lymph nodes, etc. why do I have to still have treatment?

Hi all!  Wow, its been several days and there is so much to read.  I'll have to get back to everyone.

Well, starting Taxol tomorrow and not looking forward to it.  Not sure why since my case manager, my SIL (who's a nurse), my ONC and the nurses at the cancer center tell me the SE's (if I experience any) will not be as bad as AC.  The worst I should expect is being really tired and some bone pain (like with my neulasta shot - but never had pain with my neulasta).  Why can't I believe anyone?  Not sure.  This weekend should be interesting....

So on top of everything else, my DH was in a car accident a few weeks ago (sideswiped by an uninsured & unlicensed driver here in CA) and our insurance company totalled the car.  Yeah, so on top of Taxol tomorrow, we've got to go find a new (meaning new or used) car for us by next Tuesday so he can turn in the rental.  I'm just so grateful he was not hurt.  The other driver hit the car really good, he ended up going through a ditch and traveling another 150 feet before his car stopped.  Everyone is amazed the car didn't flip over when it hit the ditch.  Unfortunately, we're upside down on the car, and when my DH called the finance company to see if they would discount what we are upside down on, they gave him a sales pitch on how they can work with him and just add what is owed onto a new loan if we go with the same make.  I even told him to try and use my BC as a sympathy measure but no deal.  Oh well... I told him it didn't hurt to try.  The answer is always no if you don't ask.  He's so stressed.  Me, not so much, but I think it's just because he wasnt' hurt and well, with everything all of us ladies must pay out for our treatments and everything, what's another several thousand on top of that.  Honestly, what are we gonna do?

Oh yeah, I emailed my herbalist/pharmacist and he said he wants me to take B-6, L-glutamine and continue taking my green tea and alpha lopic acid for helping with any neuropathy I may get from Taxol.  I actually have to break down all of my supplements and take them over a period of 3 meals during the day because I can't for the life of me get everything down in one sitting.  I have a really hard time taking any pills and if I can't swallow them all in one swallow, I really have to struggle to get any pill down after that.  I'm grateful for this gentleman, just feeling like a walking pill bottle by the end of the day.  LOL.

Hoping everyone is doing well and Take Care.

MrsCich -- Glad your test results are looking good!  You'll be doing your own hair soon, I'm sure.  As for the Oncotype test, they send in material from the tumor they removed for testing.  As for a recurrence, well we always hope you won't have one, but there's always some breast tissue left behind, it's just not possible to get it all.  There's also the unpleasant possibility that some cancer has escaped from your breasts and has made a new home elsewhere in your body.  It's not common when you have clear nodes, but it can happen, so depending on the results of you onco testing they may want to treat you systematically, just to try to catch any rouge cells.  That systematic treatment could be chemo, or hormonal such as tamoxifen or both.  Many factors are considered... how aggressive is your cancer, how old are you, how aggressive do you  want to be...  

Hi ladies. just woke up. Another perfectly good day wasted. Mrscich- cindyl explained it perfectly. That's why I'm doing four rounds of AC followed by tamoxifen.



Can I tell you all how much I hate this emotional roller coaster chemo puts me on?! I'm a ton better then last time, but tired, and bored. I feel like I'm getting far but all this drinking of fluids doesn't help with that.



Anyway, dad and step mom on the way over to take me and DH out for dinner. Ttyl.

Cindy's, I am 33 with no family hx of BC. My BS says because of my age with IDC and high grade DCIS it's usually aggressive and that my onc will most likely recommend I do chemo. I want to be aggressive about it but not so aggressive with the injection of poisons in my body if its not needed.

Scortch.  I agree eff lymph nodes. Mine (hopefully) didn't let the cancer out, but the dozens of nodes I have left are apparently lazy buggers and refuse to pick of the slack for the 7 that were removed. Jerks.

Scorch... Hugs. Been meaning to call but been sleeping off this last tx on Friday.

MrsCich  So glad you are feeling better everyday! It is weird first with the arm thing. Several times after I could "use" my arms and after I got a few fills, I would try to put on different things and get "stuck" in the clothes. It is such a helpless feeling lol when you have to get help to get something all the way on or off but it's only temporary and afterwards I would get a chuckle out of it. Thats great news on the pathology of the lymph nodes. Did you get the pathology of the breast tissue as well? If so was it what they expected -no surprises?  Like everyone said the oncologist will probably make the recommendation pro or con the chemo once your onco test comes back. I really haven't heard of anyone though that is estrogen positive, especially your age that hasn't had to atleast take tamoxifen for 5 or so years though but the oncologist will make that decision too. That hopefully starves any cancer cells of estrogen that may have escaped into the bloodstream or snuck through the lymph system so that they can't set up shop in any other part of your body. By having the dmx though you have greatly reduced the local reoccurance rate even though as long as there is even the tiniest bit of breast tissue it's still a possibility.  Hopefully since you have daughters your oncologist will do the BRAC testing too. Although my mom had BC at 40, my BRAC came back negative but you do want to be armed with the results for their future care. Even though my mom was never tested, my breast surgeon started me on mammograms alot younger than the normal guidelines.  Regardless of what is decided as far as treatments, you will feel so much better once you get each step "decided" and move on to the next step. Boy your doctor seems to have started you out with a decent amount of fill. Is it any more comfy yet? Just when you get used to the last fill it seems they give you more lol.

Juneau it's so nice to see that you are going "topless" and you look great by the way!

Tazzy I'm the same way with the tired sometimes angry days. Glad you feel better and glad you had nice time camping again.

Soya Its nice to see you on again. Glad life seems to be getting back to your new normal!

It's heartbreaking to see so many new people, particularly so young, going our BC ranks. If you have to be here ,glad you found our group.

 I am so happy because my new squishes are days away now. Heck at this point I don't care anymore how big or round or any of that they are as long as they are softer and more comfy!

Well everyone take care. Hope everyones SE's are few and far between.

mcook31 and PrettyinPink, thanks for sharing your experience. It helps to know that other people have thought their tumors might be expanding when in truth they were dying as they should! I'm sure mine is doing the same.

I am absolutely baffled why anyone would think it's funny, or even unusual, to see someone with a bald head. Those people need to get out more. They must be short on life experience and long on stupidity.

Soteria, it is pretty common thing to have more than one spot. They call it multifocal. But that is why you are getting tx. Much love

Juneau,

Fuhgettaboudit!  Call me when you're well.  I'm so exhausted I ignored two calls tonight.  But thought better about the one from my mom, so I called her back (sorry mom).

EFF THE NODES!

Scorch