Is there a July 2011 group?

hi all, half asleep reading the posts since I was on last...I've been CRAZY busy, stressed, the works. I wanted to reply to some of the questions though, otherwise I'll forget for weeks!!

Julee, I am sorry I didn't see your post sooner, what did you decide? I had my ovaries removed in Jan. I was told it would increase my survival rate, I was not taken off Tamoxifen after that, I was getting severe bone pain and hot flashes that would leave me dripping like a faucet so I was switched from Tamoxifen to Letrozole, hot flashes continued, bone pain got a tad better, and now not sure what I'm going to do now, it seems I will have either severe  bone pain or severe hot flashes, and to be honest I don't know which is worse.

I do have good news, I had my first mammo since surgery and tx and it was all clear!!! I am still waiting on the CT scans of the rest of my body. 

Robyn, I think I will look into acupuncture soon, I am on pain pills all day, every day, the radio frequency ablation only lasted a month or so and the epidural didn't last much longer  

dexxy, so glad you got the all clear , my blood chemistry hasn't been right since chemo.  I was dx with hashimotos (hypothyroidism) in 2003, the levels got real bad during chemo and we've had to adjust the meds since. Now my cortisol levels are really low and the endocrinologist is wanting me to go on oral steroids for the rest of my life basically...I'm trying to avoid that, but it looks like that may be my only option. Low cortisol levels are intertwined with my low blood pressure, low blood sugar, extreme fatigue, and I think the chemo screwed up a lot of things including this. 

Jbug, hope you are recovering!! I think of you all regularly!! I had to miss the Susan Komen walk this year, I volunteered for Hosparus (our hospice) being the photographer for Camp Evergreen, a camp for kids that lost someone, teaching them how to get through the grieving process. I am looking forward to the Making Strides walk on the 28th, and I'm speaking again this year at the high school I spoke at last year for breast cancer awareness month, last year I was in chemo and this year they wanted me to update on my progress.

All my love to everyone!! xoxoxoxo to my pink sisters

Oh shiny. Serious bummer. Seems like we should get a forever pass on periods after chemo.

Thinking of all of you and hoping all is well!! xo

so nice to see some familiar faces, i've been hangin' out on the Latissimus Dorsi Flap page. Gettin' my tubes out tomarrow and my first fill, should be exciting!!! I hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving!!!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi to the ladies that helped me get through the hardest time of my life. I miss chatting with you all but I don't miss our chemo chats!

My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November, they are pretty sure it's contained so he's having surgery Feb 27th. My cousin (with appendix cancer) is doing well. She had to go through another several months of chemo after her surgery, but there is no sign of cancer left in her. 

Love to you all, my beautiful pink sisters!

hi julee! Happy New Year to all, lets make this one a healthier one!! I was just told I have a pancreatic cyst, "more than likely not cancer" I was told not to worry about it, but of course I can't help but worry. I am waiting for my RO to speak to my gastro dr. (she's the one that saw it a year ago apparently and never said anything because it was only 6mm) I had CTs and other scans done in October when I had my followup mammo, so they were going to speak to each other and see if it grew any, if so, I will need a biopsy, it's too small at 6mm to do anything with. 

Otherwise I am good! Love to all my pink sisters

I am working on my third sickness of the year. I had pneumonia twice and now I have a terrible cold. I've always been hale and hearty. I usually just work through the flu. Now a darned cough puts me in the hospital. Cancer sucks!

Hi ladies, it's been quiet on here! 2 years ago today I was diagnosed and I wanted to come on here and tell you all how grateful I am that I found you and that we were able to support each other through our journies. Hope you're all just busy living life again and that you are happy and healthy!

hi all!!!!! it is quiet here, I am to blame too, I am so busy, health issues and personal stuff and think about you all constantly!

J-Bug how the heck are you??!!! I had an oopherectomy, I finished chemo Dec 7th, had my lumpectomy Jan 5th then the oopherectomy Jan 31st then started rads end of March.....so I wasn't working much at all through that time frame, I had so many health issues from the chemo, surgeries, rads that to this day, I'm lucky to get in a few hours a day (I work from home doing internet ads) But for me, the oopherectomy was pretty easy. It was hard to get in and out of bed, and I was certainly sore, but I expected it to be much worse than it was. 

shinypop, I am so sorry you are having so many problems with sicknesses, cancer does suck!!!! Thinking of you!

Kristien, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Hang in there!!

Right now my cousin is back in chemo, she had appendix cancer, and a few week ago they found a mass in her sigmoid...not good A very good friend of mine is in chemo for life, with ovarian cancer and I went to her sister's funeral less than a year ago when she passed fromm colon cancer. 2 girls (I say girls, they are younger than me) in my Gilda's bc group have had a few recurrences, one in the brain 2x and one in the neck then sternum. 

My dad has had horrible luck, he had sepsis from the prostate biopsy in Nov, stayed with me and mom for weeks til he recovered, was in the hospital for 5 days... Had his prostate surgery in Feb. and the surgeon nicked his bowel (again in hospital for 5 days, needed blood transfusion, stayed with me for 3 weeks) he put a few stitches in where he nicked the bowel but they didn't hold. he had to get a colostomy in March, so he's 71 has had the catheter in since Feb and the colostomy since March. The theory was to keep the bladder empty and by diverting the bowel keeping the fistula dry so it can heal....it has closed a tiny bit but he will probably need surgery to repair it and then hopefully the colostomy reversal. 

Now to me, I have been getting epidurals regularly, in pain management since end of chemo, arthritis and stenosis flared up something fierce since chemo. Then a few months ago I could hardly get out of bed, I was in tears, as it turns out after an MRI I have a synovial cyst in between L4-L5....and I'm so arthritic there, if they remove the cyst, I will need a spinal fusion, the cyst is pressing up against a main nerve, it was insanely horrible pain every morning for 4-5 weeks...an epidural made it better but now after a few physical therapies, it' getting worse again....trying to avoid surgery but not sure at this point what I'm going to do.

Happy cancerversary to everyone, mine is June 6

Love to all, I will pop in every now and then, miss you guys but don't miss the chemo days!!!

all is well, just checking in.  Hate tamoxifen but who likes it right?

miss you all

Hi ladies - sorry I keep missing you. Hope everyone is doing well and just busy having normal lives! I am thankful to be healthy and to be surrounded by those I love. My father was nearly killed after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle in June, but he's recovering very well and the accident served as a reminder to appreciate what we have when we have it. 2 years ago, I was still getting AC and getting ready to move to Taxol. I couldn't walk down the hallway of my building without being tired. Now I'm running 5ks with regularity (I've gone up to 10k). A little knee pain here and there, but I don't let it slow me down!

just tired of the side effects, one week will be fine then the next I'll have hot flashes, and my memory just plain out stinks.  I also have this horrible numbing of the tongue that comes and goes.  I'm not complaining really it just wears on me.

Tamoxifen - I have been been trying to sort out foot pain and leg cramps. I was told that I had planter fasciitis and a herniated disc is my lower back. But I feel like I have a lot of swelling in my joints, especially hands and feet. I was out of the med for a couple of weeks and now getting back on it in the last couple of days, I am waking up with all my joints hurting again. It reminds me of Taxol. I would wake up with a lot of joint pain and once I started moving around, it would get somewhat better. I have been seeing a chiropractor for adjustments to my back, hip and feet. It is helping some, but I keep wondering if there is something else going on with joint inflammation.

haven't heard the old bar of soap in a sock routine missswim - do share!

kk11 - That's great that you are keeping up with the running! I am trying to get into some fitness again. With grad school and full time work, it is a very full schedule. I got a fitbit for Christmas and have been busy getting that set up and looking for ways to incorporate that into life. I am trying to go up and down our stairs at work every time I go down the hall to use our restroom which is something I always did at previous jobs. I have to get myself on our treadmill more though. My metabolism needs a swift kick!

Is anyone in the group using a fitbit? I miss talking to you guys! 

My joint complaints are getting a bit better. I know that part of the problem is too much time in front of the computer with school and work. But at home and work I have a desk that moves from sitting to standing at the push of a button. That helps the hip pain but makes my back and feet worse. So the more I walk and alternate sitting and standing, it feels like I am getting some strength back. I sleep with splints on every night for plantar fasciitis and that is helping my feet a ton. 

dexxy - I had a difficult time with memory and my doctor recommended fish oil, CoQ10 and vitamin B complex. They seem to help a lot. However, when my weight and eating are not good, it feels like my blood sugar is off which seems to make my memory and overall mental skills worse. Do you know how your glucose has been testing in your blood panels? My MO said that chemo and anesthesia can really affect the body's ability to maintain blood sugar properly. (More incentive for me to get moving!)