Chemo May 2013

Teresa Monterey and a few community's attached to it are really beautiful areas. Asilimar, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. Feel blessed we can visit those communities. Certainly would never be able to afford living there. Also Big Sir and Carmel are very close to Monterey. I am sure you will have a great time too.

Hi Carla and others,

It has been a long few weeks. I thought I would share something that happened. I had a dream that really freaked me out and I am still having a hard time with it. I dreamed that I was at the doctors with my Mom. In real life she asked me to go to the doctors with her so I could take notes and remember all that she was told there. In my dream we were at her appointment and for some reason she had left the room and it was just me and her doctor sitting there. For some reason I felt my neck while we were waiting for her to come back and I felt a huge lump going all down the side of my neck and into my collar bone area. I asked the doctor if he would check my neck for me, his response was that he would have to charge me $80 to look in my throat. I told him he didn't need to do that just feel the outside of my neck. He did touch a spot on my neck but that was it. He didn't even feel all the way down, just one tiny touch. When he touched it his eyes got HUGE. I don't remember what all happened next but I knew from his reaction that this wasn't good. I asked if I would be able to go to Disneyland with my daughter and her husband the end of May. His response was no, I wouldn't still be here to be able to go. That was when I woke up, my dog was sitting there looking at me and then snuggled by me. I can't get this out of my mind. I saw my mastectomy surgeon last week and he said I will be able to go to Disneyland and things seemed fine. I see my general practitioner on the 30th. I think one thing that maybe brought this dream on is that it was two years ago this month that I found the lump and had the mastectomy. I did go to the doctor with my Mom on Monday and the appointment went well. Any thought on my dream?

Teresa

hi Ladies,

It's May....the anniversary of our chemo beginning.

Lorrie, I love your tattoo and am glad to see you are still hanging around!

Carla, lucky to have your daughter home for her birthday!

Teresa...way to go with dropping the soda pop. I. Sure it wasn't easy!

My mom fell in January and broke 2 ribs and a pice off her spine. We then discovered she is early stage dementia. Really? I thought I was getting my life back! So now we need to figure out where she should live. She has been with me for a month. It is like having a child...I can't leave her alone for fear of her falling...I'm not too concerned about the dementia yet, I know the worst is yet to come.

I have "mentored" a few breast cancer victims these past 2 years. They were referred to me by friends. It is a sad reminder...but also, satisfying to give positive vibes to these ladies that are at the beginning of their fears.

I never thought I would forget details of my treatment....but I should have realized that my faulty memory would kick in and I have been able to move forward. I take my tamoxifen, along with my biotin for hair, nails and magnesium to stop the leg cramps from tamoxifen...I also take vitamin D and a multivitamin and B 12.

Because I had a double mastectomy my breast surgeon says no mammo, despite the fact that I had reconstruction and my mastectomy was skin sparring and nipple sparring....so I do have concerns. What's a girl to do. I think my oncologist said I will be able to go to every 6 months soon.

My thoughts and prayers are with you ladies. God bless!

Pat

Teresa that is hard to hear. It freezes me right in my tracks just reading it. How did it go for you today? My fingers are crossed and prayers too. I imagine if the lump is right where your surgery was then it has a big chance of being scar tissue.

Pat sorry to hear about your mom. It's got to be a rough time. Have you figured out a home for her yet. My mom has dementia also. She has had it for quite awhile.

Going to keep it short. Really tired.

Pat thanks for the thoughts and prayers. My thoughts and prayers for you ladies also.

Carla

omgosh. Nightmare. Anxiety set in just reading your plight. So glad everything worked out o.k. I guess we will always be looking over our shoulder hoping the big C isn't there.

Teresa. Congratulations with doing so well with tamoxifen AND for losing weight. I've gained 4 lbs in a year. Still eating mostly healthy but healthy food can be fattening and i am not exercising as much. Chose not to take tamoxifen or anything else hoping what I put into my body will help keep the big C away.

Still haven't had my 2nd stage of breast reconstruction. Thinking maybe October or November. Not looking forward to surgery but am looking forward to finishing up the process. The flap side has a pucker on the upper part of the breast. Some dead fat which turned hard needs to be removed and some of the fat that was inserted actually has been absorbed so the right side is a little smaller now. I usually don't pay attention to it but once n while put a blouse on that it is noticeable. Hope this last week work better for you and that this week is even better.

went to my oncologist for a check in...she felt a lump...then to am ultrasound....I had to wait almost 2 hrs as a walk in. Call, after 6pm from the doc, she thinks it is benign, but wants my breast surgeon to review....I forgot my rule of not making appointments at the end of the week...so Friday I will be frantically on the phone for some sort of follow up , I leave this weekend to pick up "dementia mom" to bring to my house and hubby won't be home all week....so now I need to juggle my mom and any appointments I might be able to get.

Ugh.

Pat

Good to hear from you Pat. I pray all goes well with your appointment. My oncologist wanted to do a mammogram and my surgeon and plastic surgeon said no. That it could mess up my implants.

Keep us updated.

Char

I've missed chatting you all of you. How are things going? I have some family drama going on, not me personally but it affects me. Things with Steve are going really well. He took me to Mexico in December, not to a resort but to visit his daughter who was teaching English as a 2nd language through a college program. We had a good time and helped me get to know his two oldest daughters better. This weeks marks my one year mark of my goal to look better and feel better. I am down 30 pounds. Wasn't sure I would hit that with the vacation and holidays but I just made it. On a sad note I haven't been to the gym since the end of November but am going today for sure. I have to get back into that routine. So Steve got the job offer in Santa Monica California, he had been working as an accounting consultant for most of last year. He is now a full time senior accountant. He was still coming home every weekend and he had full weeks here in Salt Lake from time to time. There is a chance they will move some or all of the accounting department here but who knows how long that could take if they do. He would then be an assistant controller which is better and he would be here with me and his three girls. Currently the plan is that he will still come here at least two weekends a month. There is also the possibility that I will move to California with him. So many things going on here. I do a lot of things to help my parents out and that is the biggest thing that will be hard if I leave. I don't know how many years if that they have left, so it is hard. I hope all is well with each of you. Take Care,

Teresa

hi all.... I hope everyone in the group is doing great! I miss our banters