2012 sisters

Hugs chriserra... sorry you are feeling down. 

Chrissera...I am sending you a virtual hug! It feels like this Shit has been going on forever already but in reality there is so far for me to go still. BGC tomorrow for #2 and Monday I too have my Radiation Oncologist meeting....long time till that starts but guess they want me to get used to the idea. No wonder we have low days! You hang in there... :-)

Halfcan, best wishes for tomorrow's chemo, will be thinking of you.

Tazzy, you make me smile with your funny pictures - thanks! Sometimes I wish I lived in Vancouver, especially when I'm in a hurry to get to the mainland, and that ferry is so slow . . .

Chrissera, I hope tomorrow will be a better day for you. The rads will be okay. In comparison to chemo, it is easy. A nuisance, but easy. ((((HUGS!!!)))

Chrissera - sending hugs, hope today is a better one for you



Halfcan - we're there with you today



I had a good night post chemo 4 Taxotere/Herceptin - the nurse told me that some oncologists add Claritin to the premed (if I've said this before, forgive me and blame chemobrain) so when I got home I took one with the dexamethasone that was ordered. Thought if it worked for bone/muscle aches for Neulasta maybe it would the same for Taxotere. Time will tell. So happy not to have the nausea I had with the FEC or the side effects of the anti-nausea meds to contend with. More hot flashes than before chemo, face a little red and swollen this a.m. All in all, not too bad so far



Hope you are all able to find something to smile about today

Take care

Thinking of you juneau - let us know how you get on.

I never got to this forum before, and admit I only read a few responses. However, having been there and having done that twice (first right side in 1990 and then left side in 2007), I had originally not done genetic testing. I was already sure I had a gene, because my father's side was just full of CA. In between my sister got sick and she did testing. It was found that it was a mutation of braca 2 - this means that if they only look at the regular bracas, the results can be negative. However, with more extensive genetic testing (as my sis did) the mutation (rare) was mapped, and sure enough several people in the family (first cousins too including a male cousin) have it, because they were able to tell the lab to look for this specific mutation. Reason I am writing is that there definitely is a chance that genetic testing results can be wrong if they didn't do full mapping!!! I'm sorry to be a party-pooper but you got to be aware of all that. I have one cousin, who also had BC. She's very smart but when it came to herself she preferred to be an ostrich. She did the regular brace testing, and it was negative - she never did the search for this mutation. I know her pretty well, and I think she just couldn't handle it. Understandable but not smart in my opinion.(her brother, the one who got BC) did do the mutation check and so it was found. Of course, you also must have insurance coverage for complete mapping.

Conclusion, be aware of this possibility. If you look at CA as something that you should be wary off the rest of your life, not in a neurotic way but doing all your testing faithfully and regularly, you will most likely catch it early if it does show up again. I wish all of you that it'll never happen again!

dassi52  I hear you; I have family history on both sides. I tested negative for Brac 1 & 2. Unfortunately my insurance would not pay for the Bart or further testing. My MO prefered to follow me as if I have a genetic factor at play (removed ovaries, etc) and is hoping to get my insurance to approve it for the sake of "future generations".  When you come from a family of mom,aunts, cousins etc that get cancer it's hard to celebrate a negative brac1 & 2 result when you know there are further considerations. Some where on BC org a doctor wrote and said the same thing -to pursue the bart testing because brac 1 & 2 are not always the final word especially if you got cancer at an early age and have daughters in the fray.  Pretty good article here although I met those requirements but it didnt get me the bart test coverage.  http://www.ucsfhealth.org/newsletters/primary_care_connections/june_2008/cancer_genes/

Juneau wow great pics! Great that chemo is coming to an end and that you are scheduling your exchange. The comfort difference for me between the tes and the implants is unreal. Comfort wise I forget they aren't the originals. However, just make sure you talk about size, shape , etc with your ps because one of the biggest complaints on the exchange board is that the doctors idea of size and shape and your expectations, may be different.  They do change over the 1st few months but they don't grow <lol> so make sure you have a clear idea of the size if that is important to you. My implants were very different than the TE's.

Tazzy hiding out behind the shed-websister and I envy you! lol

allurbaddayswillend   my MO is great; very caring, very thorough regarding "prevention" but not an alarmist by any stretch. He actually makes me feel "normal" lol

Karenz yea, all those kind words I said above about my MO but I agree-if he is trying to restore my spirit to that of normalcy, he should  be more approving of my pizza, wing and beer diet! lol  I loved your story of the afhgan- that was so nice of you to reinforce how much it meant to you. My preacher  says to find some way every day, doesn't have to be "big", to be a blessing to someone else and it will make you both feel good-think you were your aunt's blessing for the day.

Sorry so many are in the BGC and feeling crummy from SE's or are feeling down. Hang in there. There are better days ahead.

Go back to the PS today to see what he thinks about the cellulitis or whatever they are going to deem it. Hopefully, he will say it's cleared up enough to be able to start fills again.  Hope everyone is having a great day.

RE: the blurry vision.  I was at my annual eye appt the week before I got my diagnosis so my glasses are new. Last week I stopped in to have them adjusted because I am having such a horrible time with anything close up (reading/cross-stitching/computer).  Dr did do some adjusting but it hasn't helped all that much.  He is sure it is after effects of taxotere/cytoxan chemo and I should give it a few months and if it doesn't get better, he will be happy to do a new exam.  
I am 7 weeks PFC.

liefie You are so right! Everyone on here is a blessing- I was going to say everyone I know on here is a blessing but as you reminded me we dont even know each other yet I feel I Do know most of you better than even my neighbors!

Tazzy/2fried/lifelie; yes... I love you all and can't imagine not having you ALL here these past six months.



Re my exchange: November 29th. Yes we discussed size. She's great. Said she uses 50 more ccs for implants then TEs to make up for size so they are the same. I can't wait to finish this finally...



Hugs to all in the BGC Today and praying for peace and minimal SEs.

Chrisrenee... what a wonderful way to celebrate and do something just for you.  After every chemo, DH & I used to go and do something.  Whether that was a walk and picnic in the park, lunch in a restaurant, whatever.   Just something to take our minds of that crap.   That's wonderful and you deserve it.  Enjoy!

Home from #2 in the BGC this afternoon. I've changed into comfys and visiting with my sis who just drove up from the states to stay with me this week and help out. :-). Did a few things different at chemo today. This nurse slowed down one of them and this time I didn't get an immediate headache! Also chewed on ice during a different one as instructed by the nurse since I still have sore gums she was worried about me getting mouth sores in the next few days. We will see how this all goes soon enough. :-). Nuepogen on Friday for the first time too. Have the best possible evening ladies. Hugs to all ... I am so glad we have this place!!!

Ramols, what a long, exhausting chemo day you had, and still you are so upbeat, and ready to take on tomorrow? Wow - you've got my admiration, girl! Hopefully those germs will stay away from you. It must be so hard with the little ones wanting their mom's attention.

Juneau, yay!! There's light at the end of the tunnel finally. May your new boobs exceed your wildest dreams!

Chrisrenee, how good to do those nice things that us women like and need so much. Make sure you have a date for Saturday night . . . you'll be like a new sixpence! Good luck with that stretching process. I also need some more of that next year before my DIEP flap surgery.

Halfcan, glad you have chemo#2 behind you. Let's hope for minimal SE's.

Everybody else, a good night to you all. May you sleep well.

I have a check-up meeting with my onc tomorrow afternoon. It will be a video conference type thing where I go to the local hospital, he is three hours away in his office, and we connect via the telehealth system we have here. It saves me the drive which is cool. Want to ask him about his plans for keeping tabs on me, and what kind of tests, scans etc. will be done. 

Freaking out a little bit. I have some minor pains in the ribs, under my right armpit, and bones in the upper chest area where the tumor was. My ONC has ordered a bone scan for Monday morning so she has the results for my appt with her on Weds and before my next Taxol/herceptin. They also are not confirming any of my treatments until the results are in in case changes have to be made. What???? My ONC did say she didn't think it is anything serious because when she looked at my CAT scan results from a few months ago it didn't reflect anything in the bones. I am glad she is being proactive but I am so tired of BC being the gift that keeps giving. First the BC, then the thyroid nodules and now this. Crap!!! I want to believe her that it is nothing but I think back a year ago when I first knew something was wrong and I couldn't get any of the doctors I went to to get it right and by the time I found a doctor 6 months later who said I had BC my tumor had doubled in size. Everything has been going pretty good so far and I've been feeling that things have been maybe going a little too good. Oh well. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.



Take care.