Chemo May 2013

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you wonderful ladies. Enjoy today - We have much to be thankful for!

Annie

I hope everyone is doing well.. been quiet fir a couple days..

Enjoyed Thanksgiving with the family. Thankful we were all together. A few of us had physical or mental issues that could have prevented us to be together so that alone was a blessing.

Been in my own cocoon the last few days. Getting my head around the new therapy that will continue for 5 years. Anastrozole. The very possible side effects and what I can do to be proactive about them. Have started and hope to be diligent about exercise, excellent eating habits and taking care of myself. I'm in charge of me.

Peace and joy - Carla

Thanks Annie.   Nice to hear.  There's hope. ) Wouldn't that be wonderful if it stayed that way for you.

Kate, do you have the prescription for thrush?

I purchased Manuka honey ....read about it on one of the boards here. It is from New Zealand, honey made from bees that use the Manuka trees. Supposedly it has "healing qualities". I used it in my tea when I had a cold coming on. 3x a day. My cold was gone within 2 days. (Results not typical? Lol). Here is a link to amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Manuka+honey. Also I read if allergic to bees don't eat honey!

Zinc is also supposed to be good. The Zicam cold tablets work wonders.

As is typical, check with your doctor before medicating. Hope you feel better!

Carla, glad you had a good Thanksgiving. Good luck with your next step in this process.

Pat

Lorrie - so sorry.  Will definitely keep your boss and his family in our prayers.

Anyone else on Herceptin feel having issues with numbness/tingling in hands/feet?  Yes, I have had this with the taxol, but I thought it was getting better.  Then, after my last Herceptin, I feel like it's getting worse.  Just wondered...

Hope all had a good Thanksgiving!

Thanks Annie!   Hopefully that's the same for me too

Did a good deed today... I try throughout the year, but I make it my mission during the holiday season to jump on every opportunity I can (if I can afford it.., haha)

A friend if my aunt on FB has rectal cancer... hes only 30, friend requested me when he saw my aunt and I talking on fb... he goes to the same chemo lounge & rads zapper that I did.... anyway he posted to his friends that he needed a ride to OHSU hospital in portland for an appointment.... an hour each way...no one responded so I private messaged him to offer to take time off work and drive him if he was comfortable with a stranger.... haha.... I took him today and he was so thankful... we had quite a while to talk & when I dropped him off back in salem, he thanked me again... I just saw a post on FB from him that said he was emotional tonight, not sad emotional, but grateful emotional that someone that didnt even kniw him would help him...... good deeds make me feel good! Its selfishly my christmas gifts to myself, because it makes me feel so giid

Lorrie and Pat-Inspiring is the perfect word for it. What you did affected him in so many good ways. Really touching and a motivator. Thank you Lorrie for doing and then sharing your story.

Carla

Love those kind of good deeds...................so inspiring!!

Hi All!! Right now I'm only on Herceptin every 3 weeks. I'll start Rads in Jan. I had my exchange on 10/30 and so far so good, I guess. I do experience stiffness in my legs after sleeping or sitting in one position for a time (where I didn't have this before diagnosis). Do any of you experience this? Does Herceptin cause achiness? Thanks!!

Kate, I posted a while back...did a scan early November and my oncologist referred me to a pulminologist.

The pulminologist said 1 of the lesions is looking like a ground glass nodule. So now I wait. I go back in early Febrary for another scan to see if anything changes. I am beside myself, life continues as normal for my hubby. I have finally gotten to the point that I will not think about it "all day". Did I mention the word cancer was never mentioned during this consult, or when I spoke to my oncologist? I googled ground glass nodule to see what that was all about.

I am trying to get "my life in order" which has always been a goal since I retired. Need to get my will updated (it is pre-kids!) and get my kids albums updated (last done when my daughter was 1, she is now 10 going on 11!).

Still have my next surgery stage for the DIEP scheduled for New Orleans and am going with friends. I have decided that regardless of the outcome of the next scan I will be going to New Orleans.

I've said it before and I will say it again. Cancer is a huge inconvenience! I'm a planner by nature and it sure sucks to plan with the "I don't know what is next".

Pat

Kate, I hear you! Memory? I'm lucky I remember my name sometimes! Stay off the recurrence rates and go enjoy what you can. It has taken me weeks to sleep through the night (well I still have the hot flash thing going on, but I'm not then dwelling on dying!). Save the worrying for when you really need it.

I know the importance of a will. Used to be that it would have been complicated with my stepdaughter in the picture as well...how to divide assets...who is determined to pre decease if both die first. What a PIA! I wanted the money (ha!) to go to the sucker (oops...important family member) that would take in my kids! 3 kids! Who needs that! No one has a house that can take on 3!

Anyhow, I better look into things, a trust, whatever. I am worth way more dead than alive...thanks to a good insurance policy...but I don't want the money wasted away by a spendthrift and the kids get nothing. Then again I don't need my kids turning 18 and getting a huge amount of money to spend on partying! Lol. I have read a book on ideas for trusts and it would appear there is no "easy answer" as the scenarios can vary so greatly...2 responsible kids wind up paying for 3rd who runs through his money etc. can lead to a lot of fights! Oh well, won't be MY problem?

Will also look at cemetery plots, why not, we all have to go sometime! One less thing for either of us to deal with when the time comes. I didn't like the funeral director when my dad died...I think they are up there with car salesmen...unscrupulous. (Hope I'm not offending anyone,though I did meet a GREAT car salesman once, I think he was burnt out, he practically paid me to take the brand new car off his lot! Lol) can you negotiate burial plots?

Christmas has really been disturbing to me this year, not just because of the cancer thing. I feel my kids have so much and I grew up poor (socks, underwear, ugly sweater and then one game to share under the tree). Their lists are waaaay out of any price range I would consider...these are things they need to work and save money and MAYBE I would match their savings or contribute a little toward the item). So do I NOT get them these things on their list and possibly give them their "worst Christmas ever" or do they get what they want and are then spoiled? I'm thinking if I make this their worst Christmas ever and then I die that is how they remember it.(me). But then I would love to leave a note for the next Christmas with instructions to get them whatever they want and a note to them to say "see, these are just things....we need to love the people in our lives while we can"....it's not about "stuff". Of course that would be really cruel. Sigh. I will keep begging them to revise their lists. So much easier to have the Christmas spirit when they were younger.

Tonight hubby and I are driving down to Queens to see the Boston Pops Symphony and a chorus for their Christmas production. Weather is supposed to be uncooperative, snow! Ugh! Will be packing the car with blankets in case we decide to pull off the road. You would think a suburb of NYC would take care of their highways, but they don't. Hate the white knuckle driving. And of course it's never me that's the a$$hole driver! Lol

Anyhow...discovered travelzoo.com for great discounts on tickets. Don't have to be a member either. Got my orchestra tickets for half price! Woo hoo!

Kate looking forward to hearing how your wig free day went at work.  I'm guessing it went well.  It has been nice not wearing my wig lately.  Although I think I look better in my wig then  I did before chemo or even now.  My hair is about 1/4 to 1/2 in long and grey grey grey with a few sprinkles of dark brown. Thought I would dye it brown yesterday.   It is now orange orange orange.  Ha ha ha.  Think I'll wear a hat out until I dye it again.

Pat my prayers for you to is to be in peace while waiting for your February scan.  How did the Symphony go? It's great that you are getting a will and your cemetery plots taken care of. It is something I've wanted to do for a long time.  But, alas, have failed to do so. We had a will from about 25 years ago.  Before our 3rd daughter was even born.  I mean,my hubby and I could die at the same time, then what?  Last week we requested the paperwork to sign so that our 3rd daughter will be added to the beneficiary.  Still need to redue the will etc. Takes money so who knows when it will happen  It will feel good when it's taken care of.  I too have one child that I am  concerned how she would use the money. Possibly in an unhealthy way.  Can hope for Devine intervention.   

All of our chilren are out of the nest now. But I remember praying that both or at least one of us live until our youngest daughter was of age.  And when she reached the age of 18 was thankful and then asked we live at least until she was on her own.  She is on her own and now I am prayerful that I am still here for all our girls and grandchildren. I am grateful for all my days I'm given. But am sooo grateful that we made it until they all reached adulthood. 

Made an appt with my onc on Thursday.   My left (and remaining breast) nipple has been having burning sensations.  Don't feel any lumps like I did in my right breast but thought I would check it out.

Looks like a beautiful day today.  I'm going to take it on and enjoy.

Blessings to all.

Carla