Jewish Warrior Sisters

Caryn - I am so, so sorry! Please let me know if I can do anything. I'm here in NJ.

Sorry for your loss Caryn.  May you and your family know no more sorrow.

all the best

caya (Caryn in Toronto)

I have been away in Poland for the last two months staying with my childhood friend. We traveled, socialized with her, and now my, friends. I came back rested to by brand new beautiful granddaughter, Fiona, born in July.



Now, I am catching up with my children and grandchildren and fixing everything that went wrong with my house while i was gone ( broken pipe, telephone out of order, etc.) and waiting for my test results. Yes, I had my 6 month check up and now I am waiting for the blood results. In September will be 3 years since my diagnosis. So much has happened in those three years that is mind boggling: I was diagnosed with stage III

BC, my beloved Mother passed away, followed in the same year by my Father in Law, Brother in Law, Mother in Law and then, last December, my Husband, after his difficult battle with cancer.



Yet, during the same time there were happy times, as well : all my wonderful grandchildren were born, bringing us so much joy. Life is moving on and I must keep moving forward with it.

I don't care for lox much since chemo, but I do eat a bit every now and again...I also eat smokd salmon.  I don't remember though if I ate it during chemo.  But my onc did not restrict me from any foods during chemo...I was loosing weight so his goal was for me to eat...

I love lox. As a matter of fact, I love salmon in every conceivable way. I have never heard it was bad for us.

Caryn

Hi fellow Jewish girls! diagnosed last month dcis and benign area on right. 2x lumpectomy with oncoplasty on right and reduction on left last Tuesday. Friday path results show invasive tumors both sides-- so double mastect w/reconstruction tomorrow. Its fast, and crazy, so trying to get thru.

Hang in there Aviva.  Thanks for the advice re: lox all.  I was craving it and thought becasue it was preserved it was off limits.

V

hi ladies- day 4 post surgery, got home Sunday, doing well. Got one of two drains out today. Tired and really emotionally drained. the slightest thing sets me off. Normal, but weird. Getting test results back hopefully tomorrow, 2d drain out hopefully Thursday.

The drains were horrifying. Hang in there.

Aviva, that's wonderful news on the path report! Keep healing well.

Leah

Shana Tova to everyone! May it be a year of good health and many blessings.

Leah

L'Shana Tov umetuka, K'tiva v'chatima tova.

L'Shana Tova everyone!

HVV - The only thing I could think of is that when I was on chemo I was told to avoid sushi (and uncooked fruits and veggies that couldn't be peeled) because of the potential for food poisoning. Lox and smoked fish are preserved are sort of in between, so I'm not sure, but after chemo, there shouldn't be any issue at all.

Aviva - Welcome, and glad to hear your recovery is going well and your path report came out fine.

Hi brave women,

I'd like to join this forum. Had BMX 10 days ago. Drains out yesterday and pathology report received yesterday. I know I shouldn't complain because many others have it worse but before surgery it was thought that both my cancers (in left breast) were stage 1 and now the report showed that 1 of them was stage 2. Which means that chemo may be in the picture. My oncologist suggested having the Oncotype test done which would help in making that decision so in 2 weeks I go back to get the results of that. It's scary thinking about risk of recurrence and chemotherapy when I'd hoped it wouldn't be in the picture. Anyway, it's definitely the strangest Rosh Hashana I've ever had. I need G-D more than ever now. I will probably go to synagogue for a little while today but I'm not observing in the way that I usually do (orthodox). I wish all of you l'shana to a and refuah shlaima (complete healing of body, mind and spirit).

Jtro and Aviva - So sorry that you have more difficult choices ahead of you. I did chemo, and while it wasn't a walk in the park, it was extra reassurance (well, hope) that it will never come back. I was triple negative, so it was automatic in my case; no oncotype test for me.

There's no good time to get BC, but I agree getting a diagnosis around the HH adds a whole new dimension. I think I started a thread 2 years ago about that after my dx. I can look for it and give you the link. Eema was great to then start this thread, which has really kept many of us together.

The rabbi's sermon today was particularly poignent - the usual 'carpe diem' theme, but really with an urgency that hit home: too many people wait around "until" to do what they really want, only to find that they never reach "until". Two years after my dx, I still struggle with what my 'purpose' is here. Work is satisfying but filled with a lot of grief (public classical music radio - and we were just told this past week that we have to make major, major cuts). Lots of unfinished projects and thoughts and ideas that keep getting pushed aside "until I have time." Even BC hasn't provided the urgency I expected to get me to clarify my priorities.

The one exception - I start teaching Hebrew School this Sunday. 1st and 2nd grade. It's daunting - I've never done much teaching - but I hope that it gives me a feeling of giving back to the community and making a difference in childrens' lives, since I don't (and now can't) have my own.

By the way - there is a Misheberach thread if you want to add your Hebrew names so we can all include each other in our prayers, or during the prayer for the ill. I'm going to bump it up. As for any of the women who are on it - please let me know if you'd like your name removed because you're done with treatment, etc. I think I've left mine on... I figured it can't hurt as a survivor.

Hoping everyone is having a good holiday.