Starting Chemo April 2009

Titan, yes I am tn, so no further drugs after treatment for me either. Still have the "fog", am very forgetful and do find that I have less patience for things, less staying power than I used to. I also panic very easily, I get very overwhelmed very quickly...nice to hear from you, hope all is well...

Amy, Geri, Helen, Florbo, Betsy, hope you are all doing ok and feeling well. Geri, how are the wedding plans coming along?

Helen, your son's wedding is close now, very exciting!

Amy, how are your daughters and the family doing this week?

Florbo, wishing you an easy week and hope it is manageable for you.

Betsy, hope your appointment goes ok for you today.

I am doing ok, my husband is feeling a little better, we will see how this week goes for him at work.

Sending you all hugs for a Happy Monday, Judy x

Amy, happy that the visit was uneventful - we like uneventful !

Lots of good stuff going on, girls doing better, a baby shower, blooms in the garden, wishing us all only good things!

Your post has made my day!

I have an Onc check up in May, am not thinking about it yet...my husband went to work today, hope he will be able to manage it. I am planning a trip to London, my parents are celebrating 50 years this year, so I will be there to celebrate it with them. It is nice to have good times to celebrate. It will also be good to have a break (albeit a short one). I think that working full time and running a home/kids/teenagers etc is definitely taking its' toll on me. I am feeling tired.

Hope you are all feeling well today.

Sending hugs to you all, Judy x

My first breast cancer was TN. Second was 100% ER+ and that was after I had ovaries removed. Go figure.

Hi Ladies,

I realized the post I posted last week never made it on here.  I don't know why.

I'm thinking of ya'll a lot as ya'll go to your check-ups, appointments, and recoveries.  I look forward to be 5, 10, 15, 20+ years out from BC.   I'm still a long ways off.  Just finished 23/33 rads treatments.   I'm trying to stay positive each day and just thank the Lord for being alive.  I'm trying to sift through information about using progesterone? estriol? for all the dryness, mental fog, irrritability, etc that I'm having.

Have a good day!

Florbo, you are well over halfway! Really hope the last stretch is manageable for you. We are all behind you and holding your hand.

Hope you are all feeling well and doing ok today, hugs to you all, Judy x

Florbo - you are so right. But what i want to know is...what happened during the 'free for all'??? Did you find chaos when you went back inside? if not - or even if so - then do it again! It is good for our kids to realize (at least partially) that we are people too!

Judy - please let us know how your husband is doing. I hope each day gets at least a tiny bit better.

Everyone else - sending love across the miles (and around the world).

One more thing - i joined an April surgery thread to wait with others for my hysterectomy. Has been a walk down memory lane to be with so many women just starting their bc journeys. One woman has been really scared and someone posted this for her: 

Annie, I am thinking so much about you during your rads.  I am sitting right next to you and wiping away your tears.  Take deep breaths -- you are extremely brave and strong.  We are all right there with you!  xxx 

Damn, if that didn't bring me back! But look how far we've come - and we're still together wiping each other's tears. How thankful I am for all of you.

Love - Amy

Thank you all for asking after my husband. He is doing a little better this week, but when he gets home, he just needs to sleep so he is still not 100%, but there is def improvement. I on the other hand, am finding it very stressful and tiring to be working and taking care of everything at home too...Being a carer is hard. And I know that he did it for a long time, it is not easy. At least the kids are bigger now so I do have more help from them. There are just not enough hours in the day. BUT, I do like Florbo's idea of taking some time for ourselves and I will definitely try and do that more often. It is so important for mind, body and soul...

Florbo, hope you are doing ok today, another week down .

Geri, the wedding plans sound like fun, although I am sure that it can be stressful.

Helen, how are your wedding plans coming along, how are you feeling? Ready to hit the dance floor? .

Amy, we have come so far, can't believe it has been 4 years already.

Titan, Betsy, hope you are both ok this week.

And everyone...thank you for always being here...

Hope everyone has a good weekend, sending you all hugs, Judy xxx

Hi, my friends.  Hope all are doing okay and starting the week well.

Good weekend for me - it was my DH and my 22nd anniversary.  We celebrated very low key, because we've been putting a lot of money into home renovations (some planned, like putting in bamboo floors in the bedrooms, and some unplanned, like the hot water heater and dishwasher both crapping out), and we have a really nice trip planned to the Keys for late June to celebrate his 50th.  So, I went to the florist because he was at work, picked out a gorgeous assortment of flowers (stock, snap dragons, pink roses) and we ordered a clambake to go from our local seafood market.  It was very nice - we had a delish chardonnay, a really decadent dinner (1lb maine lobster, clams, mussels, corn on the cob and potatoes, plus 1/2 doz raw oysters and clam chowder - can you say stuffed?) and took a lovely walk in the sunset.  Yesterday was yard work day and we made some great progress in getting the wild kingdom trimmed and mowed.

I started the week with my mammogram appointment - which had my nerves singing and humming this morning - always a stressful time, isn't it?  I think all went well, because they didn't ask for additional views, which has been the case for the last couple of times - I had been going every 6 months, and I am hoping that if all is clear, I will be back on the yearly visit schedule.  I see the med onc next week for my 6 month follow up and have much to discuss with her.   I took a self-imposed tamox holiday about 2 weeks ago, and while the insomnia is still happening (PTSD?, who knows?), I do have to say that my low back/hips, shoulders/neck, headache and wrist are definitely NOT hurting like they were, nor am I having knee pain.  Maybe all I needed was a month off - I will talk with her and see what we need to do.  I am not going on an AI - I had such severe and dramatic reactions to those (all of them - we tried everything prior to the tamox), that if she wants me to continue the tamox, maybe all I need is a little break now and then.  I also made myself get up early this morning (5:45 is a horrible hour) to get on the treadmill for 20 minutes of a combined walk/run.  I am dedicated to doing this on a 3x week basis, and trying to incorporate weights again into some sort of workout rythymn, if for nothing else, than to try and budge this stubborn weight.  Of course, I haven't been the most vigilant with my diet - I do eat very healthy, but my DH is a dessert hound, and it's really hard when he is always bringing me a black & white cookie, or brownies or ice cream.  I usually resist most nights, and grab the blackberries instead, but its hard!

Hope all of you have a good week - and a big hug to each and everyone of you.  

Michele

Happy Anniversary Michele! Sounds like you had the perfect celebration together. Wishing you many more happy years. Please let us know what the doctor says about the meds.

Amy, I hope that this new start for your ex husband is a positive move and that you and your daughters will feel better about it. So happy that the shower went well, and please take some time to rest up from your surgery and the additional stress that you have had recently.

Hope everyone else is feeling ok.

The Oncology Season is upon me; blood work this week and then the Onc on 20th May. I hope it will be ok, I get nervous a couple of weeks beforehand.

Work is manic, kids are doing well and my husband is still improving slowly.

Sending you all hugs, Judy x

Florbo - what a great post. It made me so happy to think of you on the camping trip. I have no idea what a zero-gravity lounger is, but it was sweet of your husband to bring it with you so you could rest on it. OH - I just googled it - how cool. Now I want one!  

Glad about the benadryl. I felt like it spaced me out for the entire day when I got it. I loved being clear headed once I started declining it. NOTE: they NEVER remembered and would bring it to me every time and I had to remind them EVERY TIME. Just giving you the heads up on that.

I had my BART genetic testing today. It was the additional test they offered me that insurance didn't pay for back when i did the BRCA 1&2 back in 09. You could either do a blood draw or swoosh your mouth with SCOPE for 25 seconds and spit into a tube. But you had to do it FIVE times in a row. that's what I chose and it was pretty bad. My mouth was VERY minty fresh by the end.  I will have results in 3 weeks. They call you with them, you do not have to go back in. But I said that if it were to be positive (1% chance), I would want to go back in to figure out a plan. 

I went to therapeutic yoga yesterday. I didn't like it because it was all older ladies with limited range of motion and my pride said "You do not belong with them." But I tried not to have a bad attitude during yoga (which sort of kills the point, you know?) and was pretty successful.  I was able to do everything - some of the stretches pulled at one of my incisions a little, but all else was fine.

I am feeling like I am on the mend.

Love to everyone.

Quick question - hopefully one of you will know - or else direct me towards who to even ask - ...

So I've been in menopause (started as chemo-pause) from the day of my first chemo in 4/09.  Took tamox for 3 years, and now an AI since Nov.

Got the hysterectomy a month ago now. Am noticing more hot flashes and some low mood/irritability. Not like me at all.  I had thought that since i was in menopause ANYWAY plus being on the Ai for even LOWER estrogen, that the removal of ovaries, etc wouldn't affect me this way.  Do you think it is? And if so, will my body eventually adjust?
Am a little concerned about this, to be honest.

(Now I've had a BAD MONTH, so it could just be from all the stuff that has happened, but still.....I wonder if it could be from this.)
Thanks so much

Amy

Amy, I had my ovaries out a year before my BC when I found out I was BRCA1 positive. I was already in menopause but the symptoms really kicked in after the procedure.

I think chemo also finished the job on me...sorry that I can't help with your questions. It could be that this has been a difficult month for you; the physical and emotional backlash from your surgery, all the family stuff...I have no doubt that pretty much everything that goes in our lives, whether physical or otherwise affects our bodies in some way or another.

I hope that you start to feel better soon, sending hugs...

Helen, good to hear from you! So sorry that you are struggling with all your issues. I have no doubt that you will look good for your son's wedding. I do know how you feel, getting dressed up is challenging for me too and even if other people don't think about it, it can still make me feel bad about myself. What you are feeling is completely normal.

It is great to hear that your back is good and that you will be able to dance and celebrate with your son and family. Try not to be too stressed as the day gets closer (easy for me to say I know...I have never made a wedding)

Hope you are all well and sending hugs for a good weekend, Judy x

Geri, I also am the only "single" so it adds one more element to the stress. I too will be entering with my brother. It would have been nice to have a partner with whom I could celebrate this milestone. It's always so awkward alone and it makes seating arrangements etc. a challenge.



Judy, glad hubby is making progress. Since this is my last child to marry off, I have been told that I will have to participate in a Bazinga......not sure if that's the spelling. I don't know if you do it in Israel. Anyway, it's the same for the bride's parents so there will be 4 of us.



Michelle and Geri, I am thinking of going to Key West next winter. Tell me more as I am not familiar with it at all.



Florbo, that chair does sound interesting.



Anyway, we're into the home stretch and all I can think about now is wedding stuff.

Helen-----I'm sorry that you are stressed out with the wedding.  While I have never been in your shoes, I wanted to share what my friend's mom just went through a few months ago with a wedding.  My friend's mom was recently left by her second husband.  Her younger daughter was getting married and the first ex and his new wife were all there for the entire weekend.  She was stressed out about being alone and handling it all--she had gained weight, looked awful, etc.  She expressed her concerns to my friend.  So, my friend, arranged to have professional massage, make-up, and hair done for her the day of the wedding.  And, my friend and her husband, along with one of her cousins who is close to her mom, decided that they were going to be the mom's "wingmen" and "have her back" the entire weekend.  Whenever, they notice an awkward situation, they would step in and whisk her away or steer the conversation.  The mom held her head high and even went and sat down with the ex and the wife during the slideshow which shocked a lot of people.  She took the high road and had a great time.  

I know that your son is blessed to have you there at his wedding and even more excited that you are able to dance.  You will look fabulous.  I will be praying for a good time and that you will enjoy the celebrations.

Amy--is the BART testing where they see if there is a deletion?

So, the RO discontinued the treatment to the armpit area and also the bolus to the chest.  I am itching horrible.  I wear my hospital gown around the house.

My high school friend and her family came and stayed with us for 2 days and we've had such a great time.  We were really close during the 4 years of high school.  Then we went off to different colleges and she fell off the face of the earth after meeting her now husband.  We connected over Facebook 5 years ago and since then she has been such a big supporter especially during all the cancer treatments.  Diversion is a great thing.  Instead of pawing at myself every 5 minutes  from the itchies, we were laughing and catching up.  Our kids got along great.  They all bonded over their electronics.  Then we made an electronics ban and they played together great.  It was also great that our hubbies got along.  I have some great girlfriends with some not-so-fun-to -be with hubbies.

I'm in menopause and am so dry down there.  Hot flashes have gotten less and less.  I will be startting Arimidex once rads are over.  Will I be getting more hot flashes?

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Titan, hope the week goes well with lots of boring news.

Florbo, what a lovely story. I think daughters are more attuned to their mother's feelings. If you are dry now, Arimidex will do a number on you. My gyn prescribed Vagifem ...... Very low dose 2x a week and it is safe. It was a life saver for me.

Judy, glad to hear that each day is better for hubby. The Bazinga is where the guests all dance around you to celebrate that you have married off your last child. They make you wear a crown of leaves in your hair, and someone uses a broom to symbolize that you have swept them out of your house. I only saw it last week for the first time and it seems to be a happy dance......almost like a hora that we do at the start of the party. The parents sit on chairs in the middle of the circle while everyone dances around them. I've been warned. LOL. Anyway, rehearsal and dinner is tomorrow. I'm still trying to get my house ready. Tomorrow, first thing i will buy lots of flowers to put around the place. Today is Mother's Day so having lunch with the entire crew. We are 11 people now when we get together.