MI Survivors

mike is working on our dvd.........we got a little sidetracked after the 2nd mastectomy, hopefully the drain will come out today with my first fill.......not looking forward to the visit yikes!.........i'll post again when the dvd is done and send ya'll a copy!

Haven't posted in forever. I hope you are all fine. I've been in Troy Beaumont twice for several days in the past two weeks--agonizing back pain. Either I have a fractured sacrum or I don't and have issues related to spondylolythesis. Either way Without dilauded and a duragesic pain patch can't do anything but moan. As it is, even medicated all I can do is lie on one of my sides and walk to the bathroom with a walker. What a way to spend summer vacation. The gfood thing is that I may have found a new onc.that I like. Anyone who goes to Beaumont familiar with Dr. Akhbar? He seems very nice. I also could not believe the efficiency of their emergency care as compared to Henry Ford's. Ford is a great research facility and gtrauma center, but I wish I had gone to Troy Beaumont all along. It would have spared my family and me much trauma. My adult kids confessed that they were afraid to sleep when I was in Ford because they were afraid they would be awakened by a call that I was no longer with them. (They got one that I had stopped breathing & had to be intubated). It was also so much quierter andmore restful. In two days, I saw the house dr. 3 times, 2 pain clinic specialists, 1 spinal specialist, a dermatologist (drug reaction), and a new oncologist. Also had xrays, 3 cat scans and a doppler to look for blood clots. Medications were always accurate & on time. Everyone was so pleasant! If Ihad been going there all along, I wouldn't have let a lot of matters get so out of hand that they were unbearable because I was more frightened of the hospital than dying. I have to get off the computer now. I can only sit for a few minutes and then only when medicated. I'm praying for this to go away soon, although I know it is better than doing chemo or many other things.
We are joking that the pink lei from the walk may have been my 7-month-old grandson's most expensive toy from grandma because he was fascinated with it and played with it instead of his other granny toys, but that was the day the pain started. Of course, I didn't have enough sense to stop and rest then, so matters got worse and worse.
Stay healthy the rest of you. Let me know when the next luncheon is. Hopefully, by then I will be able to walk and drive and sit.
Ann

Hi, Irene! I'm glad that you had a great time in NYC. It's such an exciting city. I've always wanted to go there. There is so much to see and do.
I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. It is very hard to lose a pet. They are just like a member of your family. Hugs to you and your family.
Take care,
Tonya

Ann - hope your back is getting better. Next time you make the treck downstairs, I'd like to hear info about the musical. What is Gilda's calendar also? It sounds like you've been through the ringer. Maybe having a new doc that you like will make all the difference for you.

Irene - so sorry about your cat. They just tear your heart out. Mine were/are like my kids. Hope you get out of your cast soon.

Is anyone going to the Ann Arbor Art Fair next week? I'm definately going one day, at least after work. If anyone wants to meet up, let me know.


Kats has put together a fantastic slide show of the Komen race. She is bashful about sending this because Shel's hubby is a professional and she modestly thinks it won't measure up. I watched a preliminary copy and she did a wonderful job.

Shel - I hope you don't mind because we would still love to see what your hubby is cooking up when he gets a chance.

If you would like Mary (Kats) or I to send you a copy, please let me know. I had a problem with the file size and had it mailed to me. We are going to give Messenger a try to see If I can get it that way and save postage.

Shel - how are you healing? Drains out by now? Oh shoot - I was just reading old messages and realize I didn't send you and Sil your t-shirts. I'll see if I have your address and get them out to you.

Tonya - Make that appointment yet darlin? You don't want all of us nagging you, do you? I'm sure it is nothing but you need to have peace of mind.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I love this weather! Ok - got to go, have a Yahoo Message from Mr. Kats!

xxxooo
Nancy

Welcome Anne - ArmyNavyMom! I thought I would catch up on some of your posts and noticed one from shine_on_syd. The last post of that discussion is from Crazy_Diamond that says "RIP Syd Barrett". Did anyone see that?
Ok - I had to think about that for a minute and edit this. Crazy_Diamond as in "Shine on Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd". Syd Barrett was the founder of Pink Floyd who died yesterday. Was this the same Syd who posted the discussion shine_on_syd?

Mr. Kats walked me through getting the video using Yahoo Messenger. It worked and the video is fantastic! Mary is very talented. Mary, thank you and also thank Bob for me. You really should do this professionally because you have a gift.

If anyone wants me to try and send the video by Yahoo Messenger, load Messenger and let's give it a whirl some night after work or on the weekend.

Hope everyone is well.

The date for Cancer: The Musical at Gilda's is this Friday. Welcome Army/Navy mom. My new onc. is at Troy Beaumont, Dr. Akhtar. My other treatment was at Henry Ford. So far I love Troy Beaumont
Ann

Hi ladies,
I was dx 5-25-06. My onc doc is having me do chemo first, then surgery, then radiation. I go for my 1st chemo treatment tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous. I'm 46 I have a fantastic husband, who has been by my side every step of the way. We have two kids- 1 girl who turned sweet 16 on Tues and our son is 13. I'm over on the west side of the state in lovely Cereal City (Battle Creek)

Kristy

Kristy,
Best Wishes for tomorrow.
Good advice from Irene about the water and anti-nausea meds.

kats

Hi Everyone
Well, I made it through my first treatment!!You were right Irene it wasn't as bad as I expected but I did have a scary moment. I have a port and they said they needed to draw blood from it before they started chemo (I am having taxol right now) but no blood would come out even after several tries. So I had to go have an x-ray taken to make sure it was in place, and it is. The rest of treatment went fine. It's when I got home I had some trouble. I was having cramps really bad and a bout of diarrhea but I took my med for that, took a nap and felt great when I woke up.:) I hope all of you had a fabulous day

Nancy - I was watching Animal Planet tonight. Have you seen the show Meercat Manor? It's a half hour show on Friday at 8:00 about a pack of meercats. I thought you might be interested. They sure are cute!

Welcome Mayqueen! Set the clock for those meds and it will be over before you know it.

I watched one episode of Meerkat Manor and I loved it! I thought I could get others on cable "On Demand" but I don't see them. I'm crazy about those meerkats. I read somewhere that they were only about 2lbs. I thought that couldn't be right. They have them at the Toledo Zoo and I would love to go and see them. Anyone want to go on a field trip? My DH doesn't like to see caged critters and won't go to any zoo.

Irene - hope you are up to walking soon. Everything I think of doing involves walking.

I posted some pics for pconn03 - Pat. They are of her grandbabies and herself. They are beautiful. Check them out under the 'Put a face to the name' post.

Not Me - I didn't know you went to CCA, too. That's where my onc is. Dr. Z. I'm still considering changing. I've been putting it off since it involves another appointment and I'm trying to go a while without one. Love Beaumont, though. Both of them.

ArmyNavyMom - Looks like you're going to the same place as Not Me and me. Don't know Dr. Huben, though. The main reason I'm considering going somewhere else is because they make you fill out those forms listing symptoms, meds, etc. every time and my onc has never once asked me about anything I've written down. I have no idea if she even looks at it. Makes me a little nervous - like is she going to miss something important? And she did an about-face about what hormonal therapy I should be on between my last appt and the one before.

Hope everything goes well on Thursday.

Hi Dawn - welcome to the Michigan thread. I'm not sure if there's anyone from Jackson.

I'm up for lunch any time.

Kats - great job on the slide show! Thanks!

My surgeon, Dr. Ruark, recommended Dr. Z to me, which has been the main reason I've stayed so far. Did you bring someone with you? If yes, what was their opinion? You don't need anyone who is pessimistic, that's for sure.

If, after your next appt with Dr. H, you don't feel 100% sure about her you may want to try a different onc.

Hope your surgery went well.

Irene