In shock

adagio - I've had one haircut - curls still there if not more than ever

Morwenna - great pics

Edi - that was really thoughtful re: cake - appreciated whether it came through or not

Liefie - so exciting that wedding is getting closer

liefie - good for you doing a nice long walk - take advantage of the dry weather as we will be entering our rainy season soon! May I ask what kind of pedometer you have and where did you get it? I have had one in the past, but never found it worked so well and I just found it and it is broken, so I definitely want to get another one. 10,000 steps is a lot further than one would think if I recall correctly. However, considering the research says that getting out and walking every day reduces our rate of recurrence by 55% - it's a no brainer (providing we are able, of course).

Hi ladies, I will never be able to catch up.. Edi, my head is still spinning over the TN. I saw my BS last week and took her a copy of my new path report.. She wasn't happy. She said this changes my treatment meaning no Tamoxifen. So she had two more pathologist look into it, plus the original place they sent it. She is also taking it to a cancer board. I'm just over it!!! I've been out of chemo for almost 6 months! Plus my BP still hasn't gone down. It had been raising for the past 2 years but I was never put on meds.. Well guess what I'm on them now. I'm not overweight in fact they want me to gain weight. I exercise and eat right. It may have even been the reason my TM was high. Adagio, anymore info you can give me on TM and TN I would really appreciate.

Websister, you and your family will continue to be in my prayers.

Maria, I'm so happy for you!!!

I'm going to try and post some pictures. Wish me luck..

Love you all,

Carla

Just an FYI.....I have just sent my photo, info and quote to Melissa. I hope many of you do the same. This site has been so helpful for so many of us.....I believe in "paying it forward"....To me....this has more meaning, awareness and actual "support" than anything else in "Pinktober". (nihahi)

Oct 8, 2013 10:55am Moderators wrote:

Excuse me breaking in here, but we are looking to show your faces, names and quotes at our fundraising event in October (www.rockforbreastcancer.org), and would love your help. This event is one of our largest fundraisers of the year and we'll be joined by hundreds of generous donors.

Specifically, we will have two projector screens up during the event, and want to show the people attending the event YOUR faces--- the women of our community, the women who use and rely on BCO ! Having the opportunity to share your photos and quotes that night will reinforce to our donors, in a meaningful and personal way, just how vitally important their contributions are to our community.

For this, we are looking for people willing to share a photo of themselves (either alone or with family, friends, pets, other BCO members, etc.), allow us to use your first name, say where you are from (it can be from anywhere in the world!), and give us a quote on how important BCO is to you. We are looking to have at least 40 people and have (only) a few weeks to work on this.

If you are interested, could you please email Melissa at mjenkins@breastcancer.org, with your photo, first name, where you live, and your quote? Also, PM us if you have any questions!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping us!!

Melissa

I sure understand, Jackie. Last year I started chemo in October... Probably the scariest thing in my life... and everywhere I looked all that pink just reminded me that I had to go through this awful thing... Ugh. I never liked the whole idea even before BC touched our family, frankly I think the majority of the time it's just a marketing ploy and little to none of the $ actually goes to anything helpful. And I've never liked the color pink anyway! So, yeah. Not fun. Safe to say October is my least favorite month.

Edi - I didn't know that about the avoidance of alcohol helping by 80% - that 's huge. Wow, I am in trouble, since I really do love my glass of a nice red wine!!! I had tons of it while in South Africa because it was so good and very cheap.. - oh well , the damage has been done. I really do hate feeling deprived. Surely everything is OK in moderation! LOL

adagio - I went to a different hairdresser, my usual is on maternity leave, this place was recommended to me for their expertise with curly hair; re: alcohol - I never drank alcohol - here I am anyway, I say enjoy in moderation

Nihahi - sent my picture in

Liefie - you sound like you are really doing well with weight and exercise

Movie - good to hear from you, anniversaries are tough and having it in Pinktober even tougher; hope troubles with DD over soon

Jennie - seems like lots of companies jump on the pink bandwagon, also saw a photo a friend posted on Facebook last evening - provocatively posed woman from behind, only underwear on, arms up in air holding up sexy bra - caption was - save the tatas, support the fight against breast cancer by going unsupported on October 13th - to me this is also insulting to all of us and all we have gone through and not sure how doing that helps

Carla - you've had quite a lot of confusion amongst docs - glad there are lots of triple negative ladies on here to help

Gradually working my way through the paperwork etc to do with my Mom's death/estate - worked today but off tomorrow so I can tackle some more

Take care everyone

Sounds like an incredibly healing experience for you Morwenna....so glad you got to be part of that.

Ridley....you can hop on the Diep thread at any time....you will be warmly welcomed and supported. There are some Toronto area ladies...you might find someone with the same surgical team, which you might find helpful.

Theoretically, I am also an October cancerversary as like some of you, I was also dx in October. Years ago, I decided I was NOT going to go through life focussing on the day I was diagnosed as a special date. I instead chose to acknowledge the date the cancer was removed from my body....so I mark my mx surgery date as my "special date". It puts a better mental spin on it for me.

nihahi - my oncologist also told me to count from the day the tumour was removed from my body.

Morwenna - that healing must have been a very special time for you - how cool that you have healers at your drumming circle. I go to a relaxation class and we have 2 reiki healers who go around the room just simply touching us while the facilitator does a guided imagery with us - it is very special indeed. We need all the help we can get!

Hi girls, had a lovely skype with Edi this afternoon. It was the middle of the night in England, and she could not sleep, so we visited till she started yawning - hope you are still sleeping soundly, Edi!

I've also been wondering when the cancerversary is supposed to be, and agree that the surgery date has a much happier connotation than the date of diagnosis. Don't want to remember that at all.

Movie, glad to see you back here!

Morwenna, sounds like you had an amazing healing experience. So necessary for us. . .

Websister, was doing so well yesterday with the exercise, but fell a bit flat today. Had two friends visiting me, and we chatted, laughed, drank coffee and tea, and visited from 1 till 5. By then it was cold and overcast, so decided to ditch the walk I was going to do. Will do better tomorrow. Agree re: going unsupported on Oct. 13. Just don't see the connection - bc is defo not sexy at all!!!??? This whole Pink business rubs me the wrong way, period.

Adagio, same as Websister. Could never drink alcohol because it makes me sick, and still got bc. To me there is no rhyme or reason as to who gets it and who doesn't.

Ridley, glad you feel a little bit more relaxed.

Good night, sisters, and sweet dreams.

Sing, dance, play! - thought for today

Ridley, I am 59, and had DIEP recon in May. I feel whole, normal and feminine again, and it is defo not silly to want breasts again. You are never too old for that. I am just amazed/grateful that these procedures are available. Bc takes so much from us, and for me this surgery was like a wonderful reward at the end after all the c--p I went through. At first I just wanted to be done, and could not be bothered with recon, but as time went by, I changed my mind. My two cents. Oh, and I like those T-shirts of yours - good for you! Crab sounds delicious - yum.

Edi, enjoy the dancing, and yes, choir singing will lift you - can't sing and be sad at the same time, can we? Making music is wonderfully therapeutic. I think I'm going to look into this Reiki healing - sounds so good.

Off to yoga stretch class this morning, then strength training immediately afterwards, then cardio. Will have to eat a hefty breakfast - LOL. Don't wanna run out of steam halfway through.

A good day to you all!

It's snowing!!

But DH and me off to the theatre to see a farce, "Boeing, Boeing!"

Edi.....sure hope you gave those red shoes a good workout tonight!!!!!

There was an interesting "bit" on the news tonight. A study based on having bc patients use SAD lights, after finishing chemo, to help minimize and recover from the chemo fatigue that so many of us suffer(ed) from. These are the same lights that people use if they suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. The theory is that it helps to "reset" things after treatment. Apparently the initial results are very, very promising!!!!!!