Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

OK, here's my nephew Danny with fiancee Carrie (before accident). He's out of the VMI hospital and back in the dorm, but still on crutches.



Wedding is set for the end of September at a small, storybook church in rural Virginia.

Mizsissy

Skye - your artwork is fantastic - so whimsical and colourful .. I always wanted to be artistic, but I can barely draw a straight line... DH is very artistic, he can sketch etc.
I am a singer - did Kiwanis voice competitions when I was younger, also had many lead parts in high school and then community theatre musicals, let it slide when my girls were little. Now I sing in my synagogue choir - we rehearse on Tuesday nights and perform at retirment homes, hospitals etc. - Our repetoire is a mixture of Broadway tunes, old standards ( Shine on Harvest Moon, Bye Bye BlackBird, The White Cliffs of Dover), some Beatles songs, and of course Yiddish and Hebrew songs. I haven't been able to go of course this season since dx and the mastectomy, but I am hoping to go back in the fall, I'll just be on Herceptin then, and hopefully will be fine. I miss it - it's a lovely group of choir members and I also enjoy performing for the older folks, they are so appreciative.
Looking forward to the weekend, I have two cousins from Detroit driving in to visit me, it will be nice to see them. And the weather looks like it will be good - lots of sun, warmish ( around 60F, 14 - 16C).
caya

Maybe we need a chemo artists thread...OK, I'll pile in here along with you, Sharon & Skye...my website is www.lindaswift.com and I haven't really painted since last July, but I've been having fun sewing. BC intervened right as I was changing from watercolor to oil, and I never quite made the transition, so I'm kindof in outer space. Managed to sew through most of chemo. It's much less demanding than painting.

Mizsissy

Your artwork and Skye's are wonderful. I got a "D" in Art in first grade from Sr. Mary Stephens. How crushing that was -- but it never got better.

I overdid it a bit going out with my son to try to find shoes today after his return from college. I guess I now know my limits. I crashed on the couch. I have had four flower deliveries today and people calling to bring food over so that's nice. Now I am just waiting for the dr to call with the pathology report -- It's been a long wait today. I hope I don't have to wait all weekend.

I only took two Tylenol so far today so my pain is doing well. It is killing me not to exercise. I am doing my arm exercises though. I will probably gain a lot these two weeks. My one drain is doing well and could come out but of course the other one is still going strong so I'll just wait. It is very cumbersome though with these things hanging from you! Hope you all enjoy the weekend, esp. Viddie in Vermont. I always wanted to go there!

Skye, I just spent a fun afternoon following your links and reading your stories and reading about you. It's funny, but you have always reminded me of my sister-in-law, both in your sense of humor and in your picture. She is also a writer (started out writing bodice-ripper novels because she read one and said "I can do better than that!" and now does other things), and I find similarities in your writing styles - and I suspect if I were to talk to you in person, in your talking styles also. I'm going to send her links to some of your books and articles, see if she sees it. The art work is great fun, also. Thanks for sharing.

Mizsissy knows I've checked out her art also - it seems we have a lot of artists in this group. Sadly, I am grossly under-talented in the artistic area. Oh, Mizsissy, your nephew and his fiancee are a lovely couple. Hope he is all healed up by their wedding date.

Nancy, how far along are you in your taxol? I went from "this is easy" to "I can't stand this, also, but it was toward the end. And it really didn't get much worse after that, for what it's worth.

Jan, I'm so jealous that you and goldnmom are getting together next week! I'd love to meet her - she was in my November group, and has been a good support person for me all along. And you're right, she does know her stuff. I hope one of you takes a camera so you can get a picture.

Mary, sounds like you're doing great - be careful not to overdo but glad you're up and around. Hope that path report comes back soon, so you can quit waiting.

Rebecca, sorry you're feeling bad, and I don't envy you three hours in a folding chair even if you weren't feeling bad.

Melia, maybe once again it's because you look too good, that your dh's family isn't so concerned about how you're doing? I think people do tend to forget, when you look normal, that you might not be feeling so normal.

I saw my internist this morning (again) and was down 7 lb. of fluid. Still a ways to go, but at least my legs look like legs, and I can breathe and walk at the same time. She thinks that there is no reason why I can't be ready for surgery in a month. I intend to pass that on to my PS office, first thing Monday! No rush there as she and the general surgeon are both at some conference in France, poor things. They never have nursing conferences in France...I guess because no nurses could afford to go.

Everybody have a good weekend.
Mel

Amera and TPPJ, thanks, yep those are what I do. The rooster/farm scene was put on some canisters and cheese crocks that got sold somewhere, the other things were done for various publishers and companies. Unfortunately the illustration biz ain't what it used to be, everyone just uses Photoshop now instead of commissioning artists.

Lynn, I can't wait to see what you've sent us! I hope I remember not to read the form.

I lost a few more eyelashes overnight but my brows are growing again. This is going to look really weird if it continues, I'll have beetle brows and naked eyes. Must read rest of posts, I just finished 106.- Skye

quote: eyebrows and eyelashes falling out late after chemo is over...maybe they were "dead" hairs and they are falling out because they have been pushed out by the NEW living hairs? Now THAT is an optimistic way to look at it!

LOL Rebecca! My second good laugh for the day!

Ok, I have a confession - the dark secret in my past. The talk of the sister giving Mary a D in art brings this up. When I was 6, I was a bashful little perfectionist overachiever, except for one black mark on my record. In those days we generally got something like "is working at grade level," "superior," or "needs improvement." I was always superior, or above grade level in all the academics. Nobody said much about my art skills in those days. But my music grade....oh my! Little Melinda, who went on to get a degree in Music Performance, got a "needs improvement" in music. I still remember why, too - I had heard some opera singing somewhere, and I thought that if I did a lot of loud "woo-woo" kind of singing, which was what opera sounded like to me, then that was better than just singing along with the words like the other kids. Guess the teacher didn't think so. When I was a little older and looked back on my report cards, I was so mortified - who knows, maybe that was what propelled me into music - to try to prove them wrong. Of course, I never did learn to sing.

As far as art is concerned, along about 2nd grade we learned the story of Oceanus Hopkins, the first baby born on the Mayflower or after they arrived or something. I was sooooo enthralled with that little story that I drew hundreds of pictures of Oceanus...literally hundreds of them (all of a baby in a pilgrim hat). That led someone to suggest to my parents that perhaps I had artistic talent...so they signed me up for art lessons. The first day, I couldn't think of anything to draw (couldn't draw, actually) so the art teacher showed me a teddy bear and said maybe I could draw that. Draw that I could...I drew that teddy bear over and over and over, through I don't know how many weeks of art lessons, until they all gave up and decided I was never going to be an artist.

What I actually always thought I could do was throw pots. I think that's in my soul somewhere.

Mel

I have had this white fuzz all along. I do not see anything new coming in. I think I'm the only one here who did chemo first then surgery. I wonder if the shock from the surgery will set back my hair growth? The dr called late last night to say the path report was not on the computer yet but she didn't want me to think that she had forgotten about me. What a wonderful, normal person she is. So here I wait. She said she'd check today but it would probably be Monday. I didn't sleep very well - not sure if it was the test results looming over me or my drains bothering me. I am not sure what to feel and I am confused. If there is cancer in the lymph nodes and I have already had chemo what is the next step? More chemo? Or radiation and Tamoxifen? Will that be enough? I guess only the oncologist can tell me what they normally do when the chemo comes first. I really don't want to go through another round of chemo right now. Is that why they leave the port in because your path report might warrant more chemo? I'm very confused.

Mel that is hilarious about the baby pilgrim and the teddy bear. I have always wished that I could draw...and sadly I have very little ability in that area. I have other artistic tendencies...most of which are dormant right now. I have taken black and white photos (done the whole darkroom thing as well) I do color photos now. I can MAKE things like macrame, crochet, stained glass, mosaics etc. I also have WRITTEN things...I used to write a lot of poetry. Right around the time that I was diagnosed I had started to hear my muse whispering in my ear again and I was very excited to start creating again. Unfortunately I have found that chemofog and poetry do not work well together. Maybe as my head clears I will hear the whisper again. I am going to be off of work until the middle of July, and my personal goal is to write something meaningful.

Mary...that wait for the pathology report is downright agonizing. I called my Onc and my Surgeon like 25 times . Eventually they BOTH called me back (after hours, no less) to give me my results. Hang in there and keep us posted. Oh, and the drains are a drag...I felt like a new woman when they yanked mine! I was ready to run laps (comparatively speaking)

Hello all:

I had my Rad simulation yesterday, and I have India ink all over my mastectomy area, right under my arm, and up to my neck. They also gave me 4 permanent tattos, and thanks Amera, they didn't hurt. A little sting, and it was done. Are we not suppose to wash the india ink off? I have lots of boxes made from India ink, what did everyone else do?

The sun came out today!! It's not going to be really hot, but after 3 days of rain, I need the sun. Dar is lucky she's on holidays as Red Deer got 66 mm of rain yesterday, we got 37. Suppose to be really nice this coming week, so might start planting some flowers!!

My niece (and goddaughter) and nephew-in-law are taking the whole family out to brunch tomorrow. Sarah & Doug. Doug's parents are in town. They live in Peace River, which is Northern Alberta...should be nice. They were married May 20, 2006, and they both looked beautiful. Here's a little slide show of thei wedding pics:

http://bigshow.bigfolio.com/?s=000001816&t=2d043856dc8b6e0bf94ccaab2eca237b


I am going to a luncheon out in Bragg Creek on May 15th. It's a beautiful spot just west of Calgary, and after the luncheon, (2 friends), we are going to hike up to Elbow falls.

By the way, I don't start my official radiation until May 23 (two more weeks). The doctor wants to make sure that I'm over my chemo prior to starting.

Hope everyone has a nice day.

Monday it's 3 weeks since my last chemo, and no sign of hair, eyelashes or eyebrows yet. Getting kind of anxious to see some sprouts!!

Have a great weekend.

Joni

Graduation went well, here's a pic:

I was at the gym today and two women approached me. They have a friend who is just now losing her hair from chemo. She lives in my town. They wondered if she could call me. I said of course. I really feel grateful for this board. I cannot imagine going through this alone.

I have met several women at radiation who clearly knew no one going through this before now. I actually get there a little early because it's so nice to chat with them.

I am really beginning to wonder if maybe there's something in the water around here as I have met at least a dozen women who have had BC. I'm sure there are more. However, I suppose if it's 1 in 8, then all towns have a few. Really makes you wonder.