For those starting chemo in June

Ah, the lottery. Such an elusive but fun dream......

We've had absolutely lovely weather. Had some really strong winds on Saturday that made the air "crunchy", but the last couple of days have been wonderful. I SHOULD be out there enjoying it.

Mary, I feel so bad for your DH. That's got to be awful driving and having such pain. Is he eligible for disability? I wonder if under that you can get it and still work a little bit. I wonder how much money that brings in.

Hope you guys warm up up north there. Our trip is in a few weeks. I think we're gonna just miss you, Mary. Actually, we'll be driving through Springfield on our way up to Chicago on Sunday evening 3/11. Our plan is to get most of the way to Chicago, so we're driving up to Bloomington and hope to get there around 9 or 10. So maybe we could stop for dinner in Springfield if I can work it out with everyone and you could join us for dinner? How far are you from Bloomington? I hope we can figure out something.

Later girls. Hope Nancy is war.

Paula

Hey, Mary, I PM'd you about meeting for dinner in Springfield....

I'm sorry to hear about the thyroid thing. What are they thinking it is? Could it have been caused by chemo? My bro-in-law had a thyroid tumor removed about 5 years ago and is on synethetic thyroid whatever. He does really well, except for the yearly test time, when he has to be off the med for awhile and then he feels really dragged out.

Another lovely day here. Going Thursday to supervise the home inspect for my mom's house-to-be. Weird that she's gonna really be moving down here.

Off to bed,
Paula

Hey girls, I am waiting on an apt. for bio. or removal. My Dr. said there is an incidence of b.c.going to thyroid so she wants it checked. I have had swallowing problems and tightness in throat which I was given nerve pills that I took one and it did not help so I quit them. I also have a grumbly voice so I am glad I have a reason for all this. I had a sono 3 months ago and it showed swelling of thyroid but I have been on thyroid pills for years but the tumor just popped up in the last 3 months and the thyroid is larger so now I know why I get all jittery and nervous like I could crawl out of my skin for a few days then all wore out and tired. I really thought I was loosing my mind and it feels good to know that what I have been telling my Dr. for oh say 6 months is something, not just me loosing it. I just want to get to feeling good again and stay that way. I am looking forward to meeting P.J. A friend called and was thinking of going out to Scottsdale to see her sister and flying with me but she hasn't gotten back with me yet. That would be fun as we could all do some things together. I went to a new dentist and thought I would have to get my bottom teeth pulled and get a denture. I really don't want a bottom because they say they don't fit good. Well my top is great but I would have to have hospital surgery to get bone removed etc. and he can cap 4 teeth that are crumbling away and fill my filling that fell out and $3000.00 later I will back to normal. The hospital thing would be like $7000.00. I am getting the capping. I am waiting until I get back from Scottsdale though, except I am getting the filling done Mon. Gosh, it is just something new all the time. The spine surg. has told my hubby he needs to get on good pain meds. and see about SSA but he just thinks he can keep going because he needs to take care of me. Dr. told him he needs to be back on the morphine but not too many companies want you if you are on that stuff. He does need to quit and I am working on that. Well I better go so hope Nancy is O.K. The rain is pouring today and it isn't very warm so look out joints. Mary

you guys watch that weather. janie, what a cool 3-year anniversary!

later girls,
paula

Glad to say our weather has been beautiful, unlike all you guys having awful storms. I guess I should knock on wood.

Mary, when's your thyroid appt.?

Busy weekend for me: Nathan's got 2 parties tomorrow and then the next day we're having a "Wii party" with some friends. And at some point I have to empty out a big old buffet thing so that DH can stain it while we're on our trip.

Later girls. Hope everyone's well,
Paula

There is good news and possibly bad news. As you know I had my routine follow-up with the oncologist today. The good news regarding the CT scan, is they think the nodules in the lungs that used to be a concern are merely granules left over from some kind of past lung infection or whatever and are now harmless. I have had pneumonia and bronchitis several times, so it could be from most anything. So now they are now even more certain they are not cancer. That did not surprise me because I feel that after 3 years, I would be pretty bad off by now if malignant, and I am fine, or so I thought.

Now for the potentially bad news. He found a new lump that was not there the last time. He said, now Janie I think it is calcifications from the radiation etc., but I want to get it checked right away. He said he wanted a mammogram and ultrasound. He wrote ASAP on the papers and said he wanted to see me back as soon as we got the results. The scheduling secretary was noticeably nervous as she fumbled around getting the papers in order and giving me the instructions. She said the center would call me this afternoon to schedule and to call back and ask for her specifically to tell her when I am scheduled so she can put me back on the doctor’s schedule for feedback. To be honest, I was picking up some vibes. I have learned to do that. I know they are concerned. I also know what a spickled ultrasound looks like and probably will not have to wait for feedback results when I see mine. If it looks like the lst one I will know. Anyway, I am scheduled for Wednesday the 7th at the imaging center.


I am coming upon my 3 year anniversary since diagnosis 3/11 and was beginning to feel like I had beat it, and maybe I have….only time will tell.
I plan to go to the basketball games / tournament this weekend and enjoy them. A positive attitude, good family and friends and God have brought me this far. Here we go playing the waiting game again.

Mary you have to wait even longer. Does it ever end? No, to answer my own question, I know it does not.

We WILL all be at that 5 year reunion and so will NED and he will be dancing with all of us.

Later,

Janie, P.J. is right we will all be there. Is this in your breast or lung? It is so easy to say we will not worry but it is in the back of our head just reminding us here and there. The ear,nose and throat Drs. nurse told me not to worry about the the 3. I said whats the 3? she said oh, you don't know? Well slap me silly but no I didn't so I told her, no. She said breast, colon and thyroid go to gether. If you get breast, you will likey get the other 2 and if you get colon you will likely get the other 2. Now I thought of my mother-in-law and yea she had colon first then br. and they thought thyroid in the end but her heart was bad so they didn't get a chance to check the thyroid. The nurse said they go hand in hand. I did not know that so I am passing it on. My onk. told me in the beginning my cancer had a 3 year remission rate but with the hercept. it could be longer they didn't know yet. Gosh,I hope all goes well Janie. Poor P.J. has already been through this. We will make it. We have to. Have a great wk. end. Ya know it is good we have each other because no one around us really knows how we feel. They try but they just don't. I get so tired of hearing "don't worry, you don't know it's cancer". I would rather be prepared than hit in the face again. Stay stress free huh? Big hugs girls, it snowed lastnight. What a crappy surprise. Mary

Janie my br. lump was right which I hear is not as usual as left but good in the fact you don't get heart damage from rads. like the left and it was 10:00. Mine was deep, close to the lung wall so it couldn't be felt it just showed up in the mammo. I was told I.D.C. was very likely to come back usually in the other breast but a lot of times the same one. My onky stays on me about my mammo's and feels me up every time I go in which is every 4 months. Well, have a good one girlfriends. May we soon find peace of mind again. I could use a good stiff drink about now. Maybe some shrimp coctail too. Someone want to whip that up? Mary

P.J. I make a great Guac.& I make really good chile relinos too. Now I am hungry. Bring in the food. I have had this painful neck for a month exactly and it is just not a lot better. I made an apt. for Mon. with hubby's spine Dr. because it hurts down both arms so I think there is a disc problem. Now I am thinking(spending my life working in hospitals) since I am in a LOT of pain today and it is going into my head I could go to Spring. to one of the hospitals and they would no doubt do an MRI which I need(for my neck) and if they know I had cancer they would use contrast and IF my thyroid is cancer it would show up in the MRI and I don't have to wait until the 17th. of April. I am about to go nuts with the neck pain so I really need to get that checked out. If I wait until Mon. the Dr. will have to schedule the MRI and that could take a wk. and I am leaving the 13th. so I really want to find out whats up with my neck before I go. They called and reset my apt. later but I can call in every day and see if theres a cancellation for the bio. It is still snowing so I will wait until later because the ride to Spring. is all fields so the wind blows the snow over the roads and it can be nasty so I will wait and see. If my neck gets better I may wait. What a quandary I am in. My darn hand keeps going numb on me then its the other hand. I am quite frankly tired of it. Mary

I'm back!! I've been reading back and I was a righty TOO! Janie, you are kinda going through what I went through last summer. I went in for that mammo and they found the "suspicious lump" and they couldn't do a regular needle biopsy because it couldn't be felt, only seen. So I went up and had that ultrasound biopsy--which was semi-painful, but very interesting. I found out that lefty was the "densest breast I've ever seen in all my years of practice!" He also found 3 growths and many small "pockets of activity". So I was told that it was benign "at this time" and you know what I did with that information. Rather than return every 3 months and have another biopsy to see if it was still okay--I had the second mastectomy. I'm hoping that my little errant HER2 cells have given up now that they have lost their two playgrounds. On the weather front--It's a winter wonderland again. It was a howling blizzard here from Tuesday nite til last nite. Now it's sunny, but cold. I was taken to the ER on Tuesday nite and diagnosed with double ear infection and walking pneumonia. I refused to stay at the hospital so have been home in bed drinking "plenty of liquids" and taking an antibiotic. They prescribed a huge dose once a day and I'm, of course, having a reaction to the antibiotic. On Thursday nite I broke out in an itchy rash from head to toe. So I took Benedryl and a cool bath. Last night it was worse and I doubled the dose of Benedryl to get it under control. I just can't wait til tonight!! I only have to take the antibiotic til Monday night and I do feel better and am no longer coughing up yuckky stuff and my ears feel almost normal. So I'm going to keep taking it even though the itching thing is not fun. I have to go to the Onc. on Friday for my 6 month checkup which I skipped last month so I guess it got turned into a 7 month checkup. My 3 year anniversary is April 6th. I'll be at the party. I could supply the ice for the drinks. We have plenty of ice around here!!! Well, I'm tired and am going to go lie down and sip iced tea and watch Lifetime movies. Some of them are pretty good and then others are SO STUPID that I switch to the poker channels!! Do you remember that Benedryl has the opposite effect on me than most people? One can turn me into the Energizer Bunny and you should see what 4 can do. I've been wide awake to watch LOTS of movies!! Bye for now. It's good to be back. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

Hey girls, glad your back Nancy.I hope you get better soon. Hows your breathing with the rash? Be careful. I think I will belly up to a margaritta. I don't know if I like the salt or the drink the best. Hubby came in lastnight and leaving tonight. I put some bar-b-q country ribs in. He is all worried about me and my neck like his isn't worse than mine. He needs to be home with me....oh Lord please. I told him I went to the E.R. with chest pain one evening only because my Dr. was gone 3 wks., back a wk. and now gone 3 wks. again and I have to see the E.R. Hubby is scared I will drop dead and no one will be here with me. Now he wants to quit for me. I know he needs to, it is just his pride in the way and hey if he uses me to quit so he will be out of pain then so be it. We shall see what happens. It is going to get up to 50 Tue. I hope, one never knows. Janie I'll grab some cho. hooch if ya want, maybe a few mint sprigs to top it with and a little club soda? I have no idea what I am talking about because I have never mixed a drink in my life but it sounded pretty chick. I watch Semi home made with Sandra Lee and she is always making some good looking drink. Later you little moon shiners. Mary

Hi--Gasp, gasp--my breathing is as well as can be expected. I have an inhaler that I use when necessary for asthma so it has come in handy recently. I have a couple of epi-pens that I can use if I really get into breathing trouble. This isn't THAT bad. Tonight's rash was spectacular and I'm glad that I live alone so nobody can see me. I scratched and itched everywhere a person can and then some. I think I looked like I was playing a strange game of Twister!!! I only have one more day of the antibiotic so I believe I'm gonna make it!! Got some really cute pictures and a short movie of my nephew and my brother playing in the snow. Made me ALMOST want to go outside and make a few snow angels with the dog, but I was a good patient and stayed indoors. I made a couple of dozen blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow at the daycare so my house smells really good. They're cooling on the counter. I am opening at 6:30 tomorrow morning---Yay--I get to go back to work. Ah, isn't modern medicine a wonderful thing? I should have gone to the doctor 2 weeks ago and then it probably wouldn't have gotten so bad, but you all know how nice it is to be able to stay away from hospitals as much as you can. I was enjoying the reprieve so much that I let myself get really sick. What a dope!!! Well, I'm off to bed as soon as I put the muffins somewhere that the cat can't get them and finish watching Deal or No Deal. The guy on there tonite is rather comical. Nite all--Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

Hey ladies, just checking in for a minute on my way out the door to work. Eager to hear the medical reports on you. my mamma/ ultrasound is tomorrow afternoon. now, my feedback apt is not until monday morning. but i guess that is faster than most. talk more later. janie

Mary, Janie, crossing fingers, toes, rapidly thinning hair, everything as you guys undergo all this scary stuff. They need to figure out a way to get us answers right away instead of torturing us. I just keep repeating in my head: good news, good news, good news...

Hey to Nancy. Hope things are better for you...

Paula

OOPS, on the phone and accidently hit post, good vibes going out to Janie. Hugs Janie, Mary