Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

OMG, this new laptop is so frustrating....keep messing up and losing posts.

Attempt 3: Joni, I've had no period since Feb. 6. Finished chemo April 4. Been on Tamoxifen a good two weeks now...still no period. However, interestingly I have no hot flashes either and that is the numero uno s/e I'm told. ??? Odd that they just stopped. Can't recall if they stopped after Taxol or just before I finished 12 rounds. I think after.

Jan, can't quite figure out the REI headscarf. Is your top exposed?

Caya - totally stinks about the infection - I'm sorry. I've been on antibiotics twice during chemo. Both times symptoms were gone and it was near the end of the antibiotics.

TPPJ - the buff thing is long - it's all scrunched up in that picture on the web. If you leave it stretched out it covers all of my head and hangs down past my shoulders. I'll try to take some pics this week and post.

Anyone watch the living with cancer special on Discovery tonight?

Good morning ladies,
Tina, I hear you on those rolls of fat. My middle seems to be where I've put the extra pounds. Plus I think where I used to have muscle is now fat, which weighs less but bulges more. I'd forgotten about Spanx but think I need to get some. Also, I was on strong antibiotics twice, once when my wbc was so low the once prescribed them as a preventive measure and the other time when I had that ruptured ovarian cyst, again as a preventive. Neither one seemed to affect the chemo. Also, I'm on low-dose Doxycycline pretty much for life for rosacea, mostly to help keep it out of my eyes, and that hasn't worried the onc at all.

Robbinjaye, congrats on the hair! Peach fuzz is a start!

Jan, the "buff" sounds intriguing. Anything for a new and comfy look.

Caya so sorry to hear of your infection. Have you tried drinking pure cranberry juice as a side helper? Funny how both of our late dads were lilac nuts. It was a spring ritual for my fam, my dad coming in grinning with all the lilacs he could carry and my mom fussing and trying to find a place to put them where they wouldn't make her sneeze.

Mizsissy, I hear ya on the tire around the middle. I think mine is a Michelin. But this too shall pass once we can safely resume normal exercise.

Today feels special to me because it is the Monday I would ordinarily be getting chemo, but for the first time since Jan. 8, I AM NOT! Of course I still get a Herceptin infusion but that doesn't count. I see the onc today as well.
Have a great week, everyone- Skye

WOW!!!!!!Lynn, I got your lovely touching gift. It was waiting for me in the mailbox when I came home last night. Wow!!! Thank you so much!! I will not say what it is since I am the first person to get the beautiful heartfelt present. I could not think of a more thoughtful gift. WOW!!! I am so touched. A true Keepsake!
We have all become such good friends. I would never have been able to have gone through this without all of you. The laughs, the tears, the concerns for each other, the advice, the listening, the being there, the memories, and the love. Lynn, you have captured it all in such a perfect way. I better stop talking until all of you have received your wonderful gift.
Thanks a million times over,
Love,
Viddie (Paula)

Awwwwww Lynn (sniffle)
How delightfully mushy.
no details.....I love it, and I love you all!

Hello all:

Viddie, sounds like a beautiful place. My nephew got his Masters from the University of Vermont, and he said it was beautiful there. Did you take any pics? Would love to see them. You are NOT selfish not taking in that kid, I believe your SIL is very inconsiderate even asking at this time, when you are going through all the therapies.

Lynn, hope your user forum is going well, thinking of you kid!!!

Lilacs, just the word conjurs up lovely aromas. It will be a few more weeks before we get them here.

Tina that dress sounds lovely. I have been looking online at Coldwater Creek, as my nephew's wedding is in July. My mastectomy left me with a bit of a "divot" near my sternum, so I need something a bit higher in the front. Also, I would take the orange hair, I'll take any hair!!!

Mel, what the heck are Spanx?

Caya, UTI's are dreadful, I hope that the CIPRO kicks it in the butt.

Robbin, congrats on the peach fuzz.

Jan, you will have to model that buff for me with pics. I'm worried my solar sex panel on the top of my head will show through.

Mary, let us know how your path report came out. I've been praying for you and those dratted Red Wings!!

Mizsissy, sounds like you had a very busy weekend!! Do you get tired from the rads?

Skye this has been my best Monday in a long time with no chemo!!

We had a lovely brunch yesterday. We came home to go for a bike ride, but some friends dropped by, so we sat out in the backyard, in the sunshine, and just chatted away the day. It was nice, but I must have missed a part of my neck with the sunscreen, as I have a bit of a sunburn there.

Rebecca, hope you are doing well!!

I'm off to the Breast Cancer support center today.

Hugs to all......Joni

Viddie under NO circumstances are you to take on your SIL's problem child. It is HER problem...and you are not in a place in your life where you need that kind of aggravation. You are also NOT to feel the least bit guilty for saying no. It was a completely inappropriate request to make of you...BC or not!

Children are like a garden...you get out what you put into them. If her solution to her "problem" is to pawn him off on you, I think it is pretty clear how things came to be as they are!

Grumble...that really gets my goat...let me at 'er!

As for me I feel so-so so far today. Yucky taste in my mouth for anything but sweets (of course). My eyes are really blurry today, wonder what is up with that. Assorted aches and pains, but nothing dramatic Dealing with the assorted excuses from students as to why they have not done their work. I am remarkably unsympathetic this semester. I have done a good job keeping up with grading papers and I do not have a huge backlog to deal with, so I think the semester is going to end smoothly. YAY! Looking forward to spending some time filling gaps in my education...started reading "The Grapes of Wrath" the other day. Interesting, if not exactly an "upper". Why is it that most "classic" literature has such sad themes? Maybe that is why I never really cared for it as I got my education the first time!

By popular demand here are pics of the buff. I hate having my pic taken - so this is just proof of how much I love you guys. Oh - and I can't wait until the mail gets here today!

This is it just pulled on - no tying:


Worn "hat" style. Very comfortable for sleeping in:


"pirate" style with a knot in the back:


I don't think this makes a huge fashion statement, but it is soooo comfy. I think it will be what I wear around the house.

Quote:

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Students not doing their work -- I wouldn't have any sympathy for that either. Work ethic is something I stressed with my sons. Still awaiting the grades from my son with his second semester of college but they are looking good so far. What do you teach? My sons always hated reading the classics. They seemed really dreary esp for an adolescent to read.

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Mary-I teach English at a Community college. I alternate between teaching Freshman Composition, Remedial Reading and Ancient Literature. Strange assortment, I know...but it is even stranger if you consider that I was not even and English Major!

I hope you are feeling well...enjoy your walk!

Melia - I recorded it and watched about half of it so far. Hoping to finish watching it tonight. I really enjoyed what I saw so far.

I'm feeling alot better today, the CIPRO must have kicked in. The onc.'s secretary called me back and said I should be fine for my final chemo this Thursday - HURRAY!!

Viddie - I concur with everyone els - DO NOT, I repeat - DO NOT take in that kid - major chutzpah of your SIL to ask at any time, never mind now - you certainly don't need the stress and worry... worry about YOURSELF.

Joni - hope you had a good meeting with your BC support group today.

Jan - thanks so much for posting the scarf pictures- I am going to see if they ship to Canada. You should get a commission from all the orders this company will get from us.

Rebecca - are you on Tamoxifen yet? I believe vision changes are a side effect. Hope you feel better.

Melia - I also majored in English, minored in French. I was reading up to 4 -5 novels, plays, books of poetry etc. per week - in both languages. It took me about 20 years after graduating to pick up a classic again...

Lynn, It will take longer for us Canadians to receive whatever you sent out, but I am looking forward to it - thanks in advance.

Mary, hope your walk was good, my fingers are crossed for your pathology report...

caya

"Dealing with the assorted excuses from students as to why they have not done their work. I am remarkably unsympathetic this semester"

Rebecca, Gosh and Golly- I would have no sympathy either. These kids are young and healthy- no excuses!!! They have no idea about real life. Just look at us! You managed to be there for them all semester. All they have to do is complete their work. They have so many endless hours during college that they play- no responsibilities. When my kids complained about an upcoming paper or exam, I would ask them why they procrastinated! That would keep them quiet.

Melia, so far not too bad with the taxol tx, except for minor s/e. I am waiting for the cumulative s/e and hopefully they will not be so bad. My biggest s/e so far is bloatedness, bloody nose sometimes and today a possible bladder infection. All doable so far- easier then A/C. I seem to have more energy, but I am not going to share that with my sil.
I am sorry to hear about your seroma. Is there some kind of padding you can put under your prothesis?

Caya,
I think I also have a bladder infection. I called my onc today and they had me take a urine sample and started me on Cipro also. Darn these s/e's!!! I am glad you are feeling better.

Thank you everyone for your responses to my sil problem. He is looking for a job. Hopefully he will get one soon. I do not get it. If our kids were not working at 21, my dh would say, "Them that works, eats." Archie Bunker LOL.
We would make them take a menial job. Kids nowadays are just plain spoiled- They think they are too good to work at a supermarket. He is home all day doing nothing.
We have a cottage in the next town and my dh told my sil that if we took him, he would be working raking leaves, and doing major landscaping all day at our cottage. It needs a lot of work. Then he could paint our house- inside and out. That will deter him.
Viddie

OK... first off, THANK YOU Lynn for the awesome gift! So nice and sooooooo thoughtful. What a nice keepsake! Just love it.

Did see the Discovery show and boy, I had no idea Lance A. was in as tough shape as he was. I liked that he isn't all super-cheerleader...he said he was fully aware that at any time he could cough blood, etc. So he deals w/the same recurrence fears we all do. I get annoyed when people get annoyed w/me for having those fears. I told you about the neighbor who told me that was the "devil". I suppose as if too say I were a more religious girl I wouldn't be living in fear. Tell me about that if you get BC someday lady... it's not so simple.

Viddie! God NO! You guys don't even want to get me started on this subject. My husband has one sister, age 44. She had her first kid at 17, then another at 19 and a 3rd at 24. She's been through 3+ husbands and even more boyfriends. Her daughter had a daughter at age 17, just five months before I had Jaclyn. Anyway, she got on heroin and started stealing, ended up in jail. Paul's sister took the baby. The entire lot of them are allergic to work. Major victim mentality. Can never stay employed and they all sponge off my FIL. He loves it, enables and encourages it. We have nothing to do w/the sister or her kids because she is just classless. My FIL did all he could to try to engage us in their ongoing legal and financial problems by convoluting them with those of his wife, my MIL, who died last June. (Age 64...pneumonia after a liver transplant the previous year.) He kept playing on my husbands good heart, telling him sob stories and my husband kept sending money...into the thousands. Lo & behold, much of it was going to fund the Loser Patrol and I finally flipped. This had been going on for years. Oh, I forgot to mention that my FIL drove out here w/out any notice and dropped off the then 4 yr. old on my doorstep for an indefinite period. She had/has major issues and it caused a lot of problems in my house because my own daughter was at a difficult age. I am out here in Ohio alone, with zero support system from family and I wasn't up for raising a third child, never mind a very troubled one. My point is...you give an inch, they take a mile. These types are all cut from the same cloth and for anyone to even REMOTELY suggest you take on this issue when you have your own stuff going on.....OUTRAGEOUS.

I normally teach a class at the university of Kansas with about 200 students. I've heard all excuses, and I have no empathy. I had a student with severe arthritis in class who needed a scribe, and she was more diligent than most other students. It seems the kids with special needs will put in a lot of work. But I'm getting really tired of all these deaths in the family. How many grandmothers do most kids have? Oh, and the cheating that goes on. I file for academic misconduct whenever I catch them. Last semester I saw these two girls talking to eachother during an exam, and when I confronted them, they said they were just telling eachother to meet in the hallway. Right! They said they were education majors and they would never cheat. Then they would know not to talk during an exam.
Oh, they can get me mad, because it was not too long ago I was in their place, and I had to work hard for my grades, and I got them on my own and not with the help of a fellow student.
Did anyone see the Ted Koppel special? I liked the what's-his-name Armstrong part (sorry chemo brain). I loved his attitude (he said that cancer was the best thing that happened to him and made him win the Tour de France). I didn't like the second part with the journalist as much, because he focused so much on death. I feel that cancer gives us a reminder that we are mere mortals, but if you focus too much on death, you waste the days/years that are left. And when I got around to Elizabeth Edwards, I switched channels. Too much "talking heads."

Skye/Caya/other HER2+ girls, read this on the main screen about being HER2+ and also something called topo II+, which I'd never heard of. Had you? I'm guessing I might be + because my dr. gave me Adriamycin:

Cancer that is HER2-positive and topo II-positive:

The study also looked at a subset of women who had cancer that was both HER2-positive AND topoisomerase II alpha (or topo II)–positive. Topo II–positive cancers make too much of the topo II protein. About 35% of HER2-positive cancers are also topo II–positive.

Topo II–positive cancers are more likely to respond to Adriamycin than cancers that are topo II–negative. Adriamycin targets the topo II protein much like Herceptin targets the HER-2 protein.

In the BCIRG 006 trial, women with cancer that was both HER2-positive and topo II–positive responded better to treatment with the Adriamycin/Herceptin combination, AC-TH. Women with topo II–negative cancers did just as well with TCH therapy (containing Taxotere, but no Adriamycin) as with Adriamycin-containing therapy.