Starting Chemo April 2009

Amy, you are one impressive lady! So happy you had a good day, and your determination will get you through, and of course we are all behind you always !

Helen, let us know how your appt with the GP goes - thinking about you.

Florbo, hope you enjoy your time in Houston and that you are feeling better each day.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am doing ok, still quite low, but otherwise ok.

Hugs to you all, Judy x

Helen, so good to hear that you are feeling better. Let us know what the surgeon says.

Geri, hope you are ok, has been a while since you have been by.

Hope everyone is doing well and wishing you all a great weekend. (thinking of you all even if I don't mention you all individually ...)

Hugs to you all, Judy x

Hi all,

Sorry it's been so long. Congrats on making it to the four mark (some soon to be) from our 2009 experience. As I celebrated this week, I thought of Lena. I'm thankful that even though life isn't perfect, I'm alive and I'm happy you my sister's are too! You helped me through some very tough times and I am thankful for all of you.

I celebrated my year 4 anniversary having the worst mammogram ever this past week. The tech was new and needs a lot more practice. Heavy sigh... Anywoo...my anniversary was on the 13th, it's easy to remember because I had surgery on Friday the 13th. I've feeling good these days. My arm LE has pretty much resolved itself. TG

Still working on my leg LE from my hysto. -Amy I'm sorry you have had such a tough time. I love not worrying about bleeding but no ovaries has caused terrible vaginal dryness. My onc has ok'd a topical estrogen since my labia tissue was breaking down. Other than that SE and the leg edema, I love not worrying about cancer lurking around the corner. I don't mean to worry you about edema. In my case they took a lot of lymph nodes as I was positive for endometrial cancer before surgery. So your surgery, if that's what you decide will go much better as it will be more routine. I'm still on the every 3 mo. check up for gyno and I go to the same cancer clinic as my chemo. I am on the six month schedule for breast cancer. 2014, is the year everything changes, I'm looking forward to next year. It is hard seeing the full waiting room. It's especially hard to see the young women.

I am still trying to work out at the gym and walking. I also watch what I eat. I would be gigantic if I didn't do these things, it's downright SCARY and depressing!! 

Hugs to all and a toast to 4 years!

Betsy

Amy, glad you enjoyed your time with your parents.

Betsy, so good to hear from you! I hope your LE continues to improve.

Florbo, thinking of you (((hugs)))

4 years, can hardly believe it!

Hugs to all, enjoy your Sunday, Judy x

Tulip! So happy to see your comment.  I think of you often, as your initial post comes up each time i enter this thread. So glad you are doing well, chemo brain aside. 

Thank you for telling us how you are! And thank  you for starting this thread way back when. It has been a true Godsend for this little group that stays active on it.

Amy

Hi everyone,



I have been away for much longer than I intended, and really miss you all when I lose touch. I am still struggling with the dental work, although I believe there has been progress this past week. I finally got the oral surgeon to look "way, way up on my gum" and lo and behold, he gasped and said, oh you poor thing, you have a huge sore there! Well, what did you think, that I have a secret crush on you, and just come to the office because I want to be near you? Geesh! So, they are now treating way has been causing me pain for weeks now. I have decided to do 3 implants, because I can't adjust to taking teeth out at night. Have to wait until July to start that...lots of time together my angst going..lol

A good thing - I had a great trip to Florida to visit my long time friends at their winter home. Really was a lot of fun..we have been friends for 44 years, and have many good memories to share. While I was there, Chelev face poked me - to bad she was on the other coast..I would love to meet up with my sisters in person some day.

Now, for what I have read, Judy...you will have the reconstruction when the time is right for you...don't stress over your decision, because that is what it is...your decision.

Florbo - I admire how you forge ahead with treatment, and seem to have a very positive attitude...keep it going.

Helen - it sounds like you have finally got some good luck...fingers crossed that you can avoid surgery.

Amy - sounds like you also are facing surgery with that wonderful spirit you have

Betsy - so great to hear from you and like everyone else, hoping your leg edema resolves. It is hard to believe we are 4 years out, and other times it seems like it was a very long time ago. I miss our Lena too. I often wonder how rat pack is doing.

Tulip- as everyone else has said, thank you for starting this discussion board, and I'm glad you stopped back in - stay with us..we have all been so strong for each other, and many times we see our conversations now are about grandchildren, retirement, moving (Judy is our resident international traveler) and the "normal" things in life...as it should be.

Has Titan been around? Where are you Titan? How are you Chelev?

Leslie?



Have a good night everyone

Geri

Geri, thanks so much for coming by! Have missed you here. I can't believe that you are still having dental issues and really hope that it is under control now.

Your trip to Florida sounds fab, there is nothing quite like spending time with old friends. Really hope that you feel ok. Please don't stay away for so long next time...... And of course, thank you for your support as always...I do think that I made the right decision about my surgery, but it is always good to have the support and encouragement of those around me.

Florbo, firstly, congratulations on your anniversary! Wishing you many more happy years together. Sounds like you had a lovely day!

I can imagine yesterday being exhausting for you, I hope you are doing ok today.

Helen, how are you doing? Do you have any updates from your doctor?

Sending you all hugs, take good care, Judy x

So much to read and nice to see "old" friends popping in. Hope you'll come back more often. So many still going through health issues. Never seems to end. Without mentioning everyone's name please know I'm thinking of you and cheering that surgeries and treatments go as easily as possible. But you can always come here to kvetch.



Spoke to rheumatologist, GP and surgeon. Everyone said the same thing. No surgery if no pain. Surgeon ordered MRI and I had it at 11 pm last night. That way he will know if cyst is still there or just "quiet" for now. Also had to postpone recon and have to call when I am ready. My son's wedding is on May 19 so assuming my back stays ok, I will try to get recon done following wedding.



First day of spring today but still cold and wintery outside.

Hi Amy. Yes, the hospitals run the MRI machines 24 hours a day. Not unusual at all. I was definitely not last because as I was leaving, there was a whole group of new people in the waiting room. Don't know how many machines this hospital has but definitely at least 2 going at the same time. While we have much to be thankful for with our universal health care, it is not perfect and it can take a long time to get an mri. This doctor put the order in on Friday afternoon and I had the MRI on Tuesday --- so not much of a wait. I hope the same as you - that the surgery will not be needed but definitely for now it's been postponed. 

Amy, it is so important to be able to ask all the questions that we need to - I hope the appointments next week go well.

Helen, let us know when you get the MRI results, if the doctors say no pain, no surgery, that sounds like a good path to take. Also, very exciting that you have another wedding coming up. You know we too have social medicine here and you can have all sorts of scans etc at all hours of the night...

Florbo, your post made me laugh! I hope you are feeling better today, take care of yourself.

Yes, we all seem to be going through one thing or another right now, I am so happy that we can come here to share, both the good and not so good times, and to help eachother out.

I am generally ok, I have an Onc check up in May. Work is crazy busy, I got home very late last night and still don't seem to have made a dent in my work...at least when I think about where I was 4 years ago, I realize that I have come a long way, even if I still sometimes have difficulty with the basic daily stuff...

Hugs to you all, Judy x

Chelev, good to hear from you, busy is good! The travel sounds like fun, but I imagine it is exhausting when it is for work ...

Wishing you all a good weekend, hugs as always, Judy x

Judy--We all have come a long way from 4 years ago.  As much as we try to be back to "normal", we have a "new normal" after cancer.  Give yourself a pat on the back.  I do, even if it is unloading the dishwasher.

Michele--My RO says that is is very common for the cancer to change especially in a recurrence.  He also said if you plot a graph of recurrences you'd also find that most tumors start off more hormone dependent, then become less and less later on.  

One of my friends asked Dr. Mark Pegram, who was one of the leading docs in the Herceptin trials with Her2, about the Her 2 receptors.  He said each tumor is like a snowflake, there are no two that are alike which is why it's so hard to get rid of cancer. Also, it you take cross sections of the tumor, some parts will be Her2 positive and some are not.  So when we are positive, that means enough of the tumor has over-expression of the Her2 antigen.  What probably happened with my August biopsy is that maybe there wasn't enough of a sample that had Her2 amplification.  He said maybe the current testing for Her2 was used on my tumor 4 years ago , it may have said I was positive since last time I was considered "unequivocal"--barely negative but not positive.  My MO called and spoke with Dr. Pegram and Dr. Pegram looked over my info and said I was negative.

What I also find interesting is that 17 years ago when I was visiting my brother at his lab at UCLA, Dr. Pegram and his Herceptin trials were next door to my brother's lab.  I had known breast cancer studies were going on there, but didn't know it was Herceptin until a few years ago.  

Helen - sorry to hear that the surgery is back on. I know you were hoping that the reduction in pain/symptoms, meant that the cyst had resolved, but it's better they found that the problem is still there rather then cancel everything and have it flair up later when you weren't expecting it. Prayers going your way for the April 3rd date...please let us know how you are as soon as you are able.

Florbo - quite a coincidence that you had that experience with Dr. Pegram. We Her2 positive ladies have much to be thankful for with Herceptin in our arsenal now.

Hi Michelle...yes, I wish I was closer when I was in Florida...in fact, I wish I was still in Florida...very cold here in NY, with snow expected tomorrow....grrrr

Amy...of course sex is important to you and your husband...stupid doctors, sometimes they put saving your life as the ONLY thing that matters, and it's not...having that life be fulfilling and enjoyable is also important to us, so ask away, and don't apologize for wanting to be a sexual person.

Judy, hoping you are having a restful weekend

Hugs to all

Geri

Hi Ladies!

I hope we're all finding ways to reflect upon and even celebrate our 4-year anniversaries. 

The day after my 4-year, I had a 6-month checkup with my surgeon.  A suspicious lump was detected upon physical exam.  I've had a mammo (on my reconstructed breast, who knew?) and a sono, and the lump was classified as "Bi-Rads 4" which means Indeterminant Suspicious Abnormality.  In other words, the radiologist was not sure what she was seeing, scar tissue from my multiple surgeries, or a new cancerous mass, so out of an abundance of caution, I need to get a biopsy.  *sigh* 

The biopsy is scheduled for April 4th, the day after my 43rd birthday.  My only goal between now and then is to remain sane, and a little bit cheerful and grateful if I can muster it.  LOL!!! 

Everyone I've talked to says Scar Tissue Scares are very common and just part of the survivorship package.

Keep me in your good thoughts and prayers.  I'll let you know as soon as I know something.

I suppose this never gets any easier, hunh, we just get better at coping with it.

Hi, Alaina.  I too had "a very suspiscious mass" that came back as Birads4 following a mammo and exam by my breast surgeon about 2 years ago.  It was frightening, because it too was in the bc breast that I'd already had lumpectomy and rads to and my bs was slightly alarmed, which of course made me flip out.  Did a biopsy (my husband was in the room for that one) and it turned out to be scar tissue, but oh geez, it was nerve wracking.  I am wishing you B9/Scar Tissue vibes.  And no, it never really gets easier.  Just when you think you've turned a corner, something comes out from the shadows to scare the crap back out of you and make you wonder and worry.  And, at 4 years out from the lumpectomy, I am still dealing with pain in that breast, very tender and sore nipple and discharge.  Guess I always will - the surgeon doesn't seem worried by it - says with all that was done to it, it will be years before it is fully healed.  Ohhhhkay.

Hugs to you.