2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Still feeling pretty good. Yesterday, I felt so good, we went on errands and I bought a cherry-red bicycle helmet. It is so pretty, I'm having to resist the urge to wear it around the house! LOL

I'm a little more tired today (as the IV steroids wear off), so I'm taking it easy. Felt slightly nauseous last night so took a compazine before I went to bed.

Ravdeb, I was glad to get the info about your weekly Taxol and your friend who's on the same regimen as me. That makes me feel a lot better. I've not really connected with anyone whose on weekly Taxol/Carboplatin. Maybe I should post on the mets board to compare notes.

Thanks again to everyone for all the elephant support!

Oh Cindy - you are doing well. It wont be long till you are looking back on this again.
Laura - what fantastic news!! I agrre - we want the picture!
V - i am confused now , think i must have read to fast somewhere - i thought you had sold the house and moved permanently??
Gail - nice garden - where have the swirly butterflies gone? Are they solar powered??
Deb - didnt know you were so musical - I played the oboe when i was younger - i wanted to learn the piano but the house wasnt big enough.
Mary - you know we are here - you have gone through a lot. We are behind you. Rounders is a child version of baseball. Roger fell over and did a super cool baseball slide - it was only me who did the stunt man roll!
Linda - how awful for your sister. It sounds like you are looking out for her. I have made up with my sister - i went to hers for tea and as i walked through the door she looked at me and started crying and said she was sorry. I am glad it is sorted.
Rosemarie - wont tell Mark - he would be unbearable!!
MaryAnne - that is awful. It must make you feel so angry about it all.
Tadah - when we meet in Aug i will expect you to have an entire wardobe of couture clothes - all made with your needle.
All the rest of you - Hi there , thinking of you all.

We had a greatt time skating - i was safe as i decided to guard the bags. rog went on briefly then came off again before he showed himself up!

Heres Catherine with her best friend from her old school and her best friend from her new school. They all looked born to it. ( and yes - she really is that much taller than the rest of them!) She may be 112 but she still got us up at half 4 this morning!
Great Grandad was 85 yesterday. Not bad since he was retired at 63 with heart trouble! He cant drive at the moment due to waiting for cataract surgery so he has bought a disability scooter and races people up the pavements!!

Go Cindy Go. We are going to need a new bald photo of you. The one with the bows was classic awesome. I am sure you can get creative and wow us again. I was unable to open the pics of your headgear. Argh this old computer.

V, another move? Is it back to the place you just left? From the pics I would be glad, the place you are in now just didn't suit you. You need space.

Debbie your kids are growing like weeds. They will be tall like you and Roger.

Rosemarie, nice to be busy.

Michelle, great the DH is going ahaead and making your place ready for you. Take a long weekend, you deserve it. My hair is ggggrowing, I have to restrian myself from chopping it off. It is so full for my small face. I still hope that it will get heavy and start falling, so far it is growing straight out in all directions. It really was not like this before....

Graycie, your front garden looked good before and even better after. My poor front yard is suffering at the moment. The grass needed to be cut last week! Once I tidy it a bit I will post a photo. My Magnolia tree is bloomimg this weeek. It is my favourite, with huge pink blossoms.

I am booking my flight by the end of the week, have you all made a commitment?

I am not sure we will recognize you Tadah, you seem to have ever changing parts and hair. Any recent pics?

Mary, try not to feel too guilty about your diabetes, unless you have totally ditched your diet and exercise. Sometimes control is poor because it is time for more medicine. Do your best for a few weeks if you see no miraculous improvement head back and talk about more meds. Feeling guilty makes you more depressed. I bet your meds will lift your mood in no time.

Where are Linny and Scottish lass?

Had a nice overnight at the cottage. We paddled in our canoe(4 seater) both days. It was warm,25C and sunny. The water was calm and so blue.

Paula, you are scaring me about the reconstruction. Has it been much worse than you thought. I plan to go back to work , three weeks after. Do you think that is possible? How are you? Which scars look bad, the breast or the back?

Fists up!

Cindy..sounds like you are doing well. The steroids will make you sleepy after they make you into an energy bunny. I do remember that! I have more good things to tell you...my friend, the triple neg with mets who is on carboplatin and taxotere (she isn't doing it weekly..but is on a clinical trial with avastin as well) did a ct and the mets have either shrunk or disappeared completely! She is so excited. So, this stuff WORKS! Rest Cindy. You and your body deserve it now.

Enjoy your red helmet.

Brenda..you are kind. I'm old. Actually, in college it was more like "freaks" but I did live through the hippie stuff with "Hair"! I was a "freak" though with the torn jeans, tie dye shirts, long crazy hair and embroidered shirts and so on. Never went anywhere without my guitar or my recorder. We would sit on the floor and sing and write lyrics and play the recorder. Those were the days! I used to have a nice voice. I took voice lessons because my mom said I had potential. I don't practice now and I've got asthma now and that doesn't help much!

MaryAnne..sounds like you had a nice time at the cottage. I wish we had a place to go to "get away". That's why I go to the beach.

Debbie..I'm very glad you are in one piece! I knew that was your daughter in the picture because she is tall! They must have had a great time!

I'm getting ready to make my travel plans for the summer. Looks like I'll get to Chicago first, then Omaha and then be in Florida for Labor Day weekend and spend a couple of weeks with my parents before heading back to Israel. I'm guessing I'll be away for a month or so. I'll try to get to Chicago mid-august and not have jet lag for the weekend!

Enjoy your Memorial Day for those who are commemorating.

Hi Paula! Yea...take that sick time and enjoy the rest! You deserve it!

Beautiful pics Gail!!

I signed myself as working fool because we are still short staffed and I've had to work 12 hour days for 4 days last week and the week before. Only one day of my work week was a 10 hour day and then of course, there's come home and do more stuff.

It will get better soon, I hope.

Amy - the hair is fantastic, now i am regretting constantly cutting mine - hmmm. The little one looks a realcherub with the blue eyes!!
We had a great time at the museum today , from polar bears to egyptian mummies.
Roger goes back to work tomorrow , so i am in charge of taking Catherine out to spend her birthday money, poor Mark looks like having a girly day tomorrow.
Mary - my Magnolia flowered about 6 weeks ago , and yet now i am stuck with Winter weather again.I just hope it doent damage my plants!! I am not posting pics of my front garden - I have just sprayed 3 borders with weed killer to enlarge the lawn!
i love Japanese maples too - i have 2 , one green and one red , both about 12 feet tall - they are the only plants that Rog admits liking!!
Debbie

Good Evening Sisters,

Its Monday once again and I don’t know where the weekend went….

We have decided that having Scooby as a member of our family is not working out. She is pretty aggressive and actually ripped my Capri pants, my new top and grabbed by arm which now has a nasty bruise on it along with my leg where the pant leg was ripped. I am heartbroken as I really do love the puppy but we are afraid now that it will just be a matter of time before she bites someone if her behaviour is not dealt with NOW by a professional. This is very disappointing and I should have listened to my dh back in February when he originally wanted to give her back to the breeder but I didn’t see it then. She also grabbed my sister’s top and ripped it last Tuesday when she was here for no reason at all, the same as me, totally unprovoked.

We called the breeder yesterday and she is now looking for a new home for her but will first do some intense training with her before placing her with someone else. She needs someone that can handle her never ending energy and would probably do well as a working dog…I guess that’s why they are used as police dogs.

I was in such a bad mood today just thinking about the whole puppy situation, my sister still being in the hospital and the stress of still having our home on the market and no offers. I know life could be a whole lot worse but that is my vent for the day…..

On the bright side, I got my hair trimmed on Saturday and it is so wavy, curly now but is growing. I have to wear a headband or pin it back otherwise I look like Shirley Temple.LOL.

Cindy – glad to hear that your body is tolerating this regime of chemo so far….keep your chin up sister were here routing for you all the way to the finish line!!! I so hated those damn steroids it was like the up and down rollercoaster, but they do serve an important purpose with the chemo cycles. I smiled when I read about your cherry red helmet….

Mary – I was told by my GP at my last appt in April that I had two large fibroids but that it was okay that menopause would shrink them? Yes I do like my new hair do although it was really just a cleaning up and making the curls behave a bit.LOL. Hope your legs and cramps are not so bad. Was it your GP that did the bloodwork and found the vitamin D deficiency or your oncologist?

Deb – that sounds so cool, we have a musician in our sisterhood. We will have to ask Laura if she has any instruments lying around that you can play for us in August, wouldn’t that be a hoot! I can picture you entertaining everyone but what you have written of your “younger days”, you are still young though.J

I guess since you are traveling so far and due to the cost staying for a longer period of time in the U.S. makes a lot of sense. Are we still rooming together? I have the room booked in my name.

TracyNy – I also enjoy the clothes switch over for seasons. Love my tankinis don’t have the body for anything else.LOL. Have you been to St. Maarten before? Never been, have seen pictures it does look gorgeous!

Laura – thanks for your kind words. My sister does need a lot of help and it appears that she will be in there for awhile. She has suffered from depression and aniexty for over 10 years+

Graycie – your garden looks gorgeous, do you live in a semi-detached or detached? It has nice curb appeal. Love the mulch…it keeps the weeds down too. Congrats on the first haircut, isn’t it a great milestone?

Rosemarie – hopefully the weather cooperated for your cookout.

Victoria – you will have to post a picture of your garden work.

Debbie444 – thankfully you made the right decision and decided to stay on the sidelines at the roller rink.LOL. Catherine is tall like you and is adorable.

Maryanne – my hair is so so curly and wavy wavy too. I touch it and it feels like a mound of bumps, I too am hoping that the curl relaxes as it gets longer. What hair product do you use on yours?

I have my flight and hotel booked since February, Debbie444 has hers done too, not sure about others? Arrive on the 23rd in the evening and depart on the Sunday in the afternoon.

Your canoe paddle sounds so peaceful. Cant wait to get up to the trailer this weekend and see the lake and hear the birds chirping.

Paula – glad to hear that you are slowing getting physically stronger. Take all the time you need to get better and don’t feel guilty, you do deserve it!

Kelly – you must be exhausted from working all those hours and then having to come home and take care of your little one, hopefully they will hire someone soon….

Amy – you and your dh look like you are having a good time in that picture. Your hair is getting long too. Your friend’s little girl is a cutie!

Hello to all my sisters that I have missed.

Have a good night.

Love to you All
Cant Wait to Meet Everyone in August!
Michele

Michelle - that is sad. Could you not have her back once the handler has done the handling you were talking about??
Mark has been traipsed around teenage clothes shops all day - he is now fed up!! He did buy himself a Dr Who Tardis interior tho which had been reduced from £40.00 To £8.50 so he is sat in his room making Dr Who sounds!

What is the weather going to be like ? Can i bank on it being the same as Pennsylvania?? I refuse to take coats on holiday so unless someone tells me otherwise the kids are going to be cold.
I wrote to Jill today , hoping she will let me know how she is.
Ravdeb - come on - play the guitar - And i promise NOT to play the oboe!!LOL
Catherine is growing up as you watch - the other day she did a reading at church for the scout service. She was the only one there in a black mini skirt and cutoff leggings as she doesnt possess any black trousers. As the first female scout in the packs 60 year history , i dont think they are quite sure what to think about her!!
Debbie
Gail - were they solar butterflies??

Thank god its a short week! I have meetings for the three days that I am in the office and then I'm out of here. I cannot wait.

I did as I said I would for my guests, a rotisserie chicken from Fairway supermarket, I made black beans and white rice with a mango and tomato vinegrette salad. I did make dessert though, I call it Key Lime Creme and the main ingredients are lime curd and cream cheese.\

It is hot as a mofo here now!

OK Girls!!! I have an activity that we need to do in August!!! Did anyone watch Good Morning America today??? POLE DANCING!!! Pole Dancing parties are the latest rage among common house wives! Can you believe it? The Rocktober Sisters Pole Dancing? LOL!!!

Michelle - I am so sorry about Scooby. It does sound like it is for the best and I know that your breeder will find a good home for her. At least the breeder is being good about taking her back and working with her....

V - so your address is now the original address that I had for you? I can't keep track of you! LOL!!

MaryAnne - are you going to book our room or do you want me to? I am getting ready to book my airfare. I plan to arrive the afternoon of the 23rd and leave Sunday afternoon.

I am home sick today with the flu. UGH. But feeling better than yesterday....

Have a good day everyone!

Practice!

http://www.metacafe.co.il/watch/331382/pole_dance_practice/

POle dancing was one of the exercises reccommended after chemo!! We have a couple of places locally that are above board exercise studios that offer it!

It might be an upcoming thing but I don't think you would want to see me doing it.........lol..Although it would be good for a laugh.

Visually Stunning.... Wow. I am lucky to plop something in a pan and cook it. Never thought about making it "Visually stunning". Tracy you are COOL! I like your style!

Im back at work today, feeling better. The weather here in the Northwest is GORGEOUS!!! Unusual for us - our summers usually don't start until after July 4. It is supposed to be in the 80s today. Also unusual for us. We are usually still wearing coats and looking at wet, gray skies while the rest of the country is sitting on the beach and drinking sangria on their porches!

This weekend is our weekend on the House Boat. Seems like a long time since Valentines day when I planned it. I sure hope the weather holds!

Well, I better go get caught up with things.... Love you all!