Starting Chemo March 2015

so lucky and grateful to be treated to a lovely lunch today by KSusan and her wife. Can you see the new charms? A bit of elegance, art, and the humor we know and love KS for.

Had you met before or was this the first time?

Right. I remember now.

Thermograhy didn't work for me, but the facility messed up the test. They left an air conditioner on and blowing which skewed the results. I also have seen information that it doesn't show anything too deep, so I'm not 100% sure. I decided to suck it up and pay for an annual MRI if my insurance won't pay because my surgeon and oncologist said it has shown to be the best test for me and my facility charges $700 for it

But definitely research. Not trying to dissuade you, just make sure if you do one that the facility really knows what they are doing, and recognize that it may not show deeper tumors, according to what I have read.

I don't know why but I posted on some other thread. Duh. For those not on FB group; I just had my exchange surgery and fat grafting done Friday. Here is my "question"... I'm a little panicky right now. I am on tamoxifen for about 8 months now. Haven't had my period since April 2015; one month after I started A/C chemo. GYN said I should contact her asap if I started bleeding. I had my TE's exchanged for implants two days ago as well as some fat grafting from my abdomen/tummy. Now, today, I get my period for the first time in 15 months. Of course it is a holiday weekend so I'll call her Tuesday. I'm sure I'm worried over nothing but what could it be? Anyone else had something similar occur

Hi Ladies,

Happy to see some activity here. How is everyone doing? I am doing well. Trying to exercise and get back to working out after Stage 2. Got a puppy Sat. Crossing our fingers my daughter doesn't have any allergy issues with her. They have wanted one for so long but my husband didn't. I finally just did it. Gotta live life, right? (He knew well in advance). He seems to like her and is being nice about it all. I just think kids need a pet. Of course I am doing most of the work but I don't mind. She is sweet. My only issues are hot flashes (maybe 4 a day), being cold A LOT, very dry hair and of course the sexual issues which are being worked on. I also get painful cramps in my right harm which my MO says are not Tamoxifen but I know they are. It makes no sense for it to be anything else. I can live with it. Oh, and I appear to be gaining the Tamoxifen weight. I weight the most I have ever weighed in spite of working out more.

Please check in and tell us how you are doing.

What fun, Allison! A puppy!!!

Ks- the thought truly never crossed my mind. I know you're out there. 👭

Happy summer everyone! Looks yummy Katy and I'm hungry...it's lunchtime!

I've been doing well...can feel my strength and stamina returning slowly...finally. Just returned from a week vacation in LA and San Diego with my family and had the best time! Unfortunately am struggling with Arimidex side effects...mostly muscle/joint aches...but keeping up with the exercise and hoping it gets better with time.

Miss you all. Hope everyone is doing well and would love to hear how everyone is getting along 🙂

PB

Great news PB and Allison!

Those are actually plums!

I'm all for anything that diminishes memories of "Annus Horribilus"

I just sort of made up a crumble. The plums are so juicy they would soak through a bottom crust. Brown sugar, butter,flour, walnuts. Cinnamon. Popped it in the oven for 39 min @ 350.

I have been struggling with joint pain. Whole body pain. Migraine headaches far beyond the frequency I ever had in my life. Like 5 nights in a row. A few days without. Then another spate of them. Trigger thumb. (Can't quilt, everything is done with my right hand. I have been pretty down. Finally stopped the anastrazole. Tried two brands. One worse than the other.

After a break I'm going to have another heart to heart with my mo. But my qol is important to me. When it got to the point I wasn't moving at all, not leaving my house for days, I quit. There not only was no qol. Barely any l. I try to be brave and positive and put a good face on it, but it became too much. I might try one more time. The MO is suggesting exemestane. Ugh.

I never thought I'd still be feeling bad so far after dx. But there it is. Thankfully I'm feeling fairly mentally stable and I am finding joy in life. Little moments. But I really believe physically I need to be on a higher plane.

Sorry about all the pain Katy. The things they don't tell us!

All is going well for me, at least I think it is. Except for still being heavier than I want to be, hubby keeps telling me give it time.

Hope all are doing well. It seems that most people have migrated over to Facebook, so just wanted to post for our sisters who aren't on Facebook.

Still love you all and think about you every day!

My food porn doesn't match Katy's, but here's a carrot.

I do have tarragon, but freely acknowledge that you won this round before it even started.

Hi everyone

I feel like I only come here when I need support and boy do I ever now. I have a hard lump on my sternum and onc ordered us guided biopsy of it for next week. It's like bone hard. Not sure how they will put a needle in it. Not going to tell my family. Just don't want all the questions. My new motto... Just breath! Sometimes that is all I can do.

Mauree

Beautiful photos, Bekah. Looks like you had a great time.

On one hand I'm sad to see our thread here dwindling, but on the other hand it probably means that a lot of us are feeling better and are moving on with life.

I'm a little achy from Tamoxifen too, especially my neck and right shoulder. I stopped taking Tamoxifen a week before another surgery I had, and the pain went away after a few days. Once I restarted the Tamoxifen after the surgery, the pain came back.

I've been getting more weepy and supposedly moody too and my MO is keeping an eye on me out of concern that I'm getting depressed from Tamoxifen. I'm not convinced it is from the T. This whole "cancer experience" is depressing enough and the fact that I feel like I aged a lot in the last year and a half. I definitely do not want to switch to AIs.

Speaking of surgeries, I had fat grafting as a part of my reconstruction and I had my ovaries and tubes removed at the same time. For years I had ovarian cysts and suddenly one of my ovaries ballooned up within 2-3 months and I got scared into removing them. This could be the cause of my moodiness too.

I had a nice vacation too - my husband and I drove to Las Vegas all the way from Illinois back in May. It was a long drive, but I hate flying. This way at least we got to see Colorado and Utah - beautiful.

BB