For those starting chemo in June

NL, Hope everything works out and you get everything straightened out. The medical red tape can be maddening sometimes.

Good morning Beautiful Mary (and I am not being facetitious as Richard Dawson was fond of saying on Family Feud). Did your friend do lasers to look better or to alleviate lymphedema? They are trying it in Europe to help the fluid situation in LE. Looking better wouldn't hurt if it were a side option. This is going to sound foolish (but that never stopped me before), and I may have already said it (brain fart), but it seems to me that they could remove lymph nodes from one part of the body and put them in our arms to replace the ones that are missing?!?!

Hey PJ

I finished a 20 page report yesterday and start on a proposal for a presentation today. My long weekend is shot but hopefully I will get to leave on time Thursday, our last day.

Have a good, safe memorial day ladies.

http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/thesite/lymphedema_laser_treatment_saras_experience.htm

I found several references like the one above that tells about laser treatment in Austrailia, especially. Those who have done it seem to swear by it. Wonder why nobody over here seems to do it. Bet it has something to do with insurance not wanting to cover it. Although over there, it appears not to be all that expensive. Hey, anyone want go to the outback? Let's take a cruise!

Hey Janie!!! I get treated at UAMS! We've got a great research center. I am actually getting to participate in a clinical trial for a drug, Avistan, that is approved for lung and colon cancer. It's in addition to my ACx4 and Taxol x4. After that, I have my mastectomy then 9 more rounds of Avistan (it's aimed to prevent recurrence). I'm exited because it looks very promising. I'm lucky we have such a great facility.

I started chemo 13 days ago month and started losing my hair today. That doc is not my doc, but I can go over and pick up anything at UAMS for you and send it your way, just let me know. I'm going there tomorrow to pee in a cup and I go back on June 6 for tx #2.

Good luck!

kathy

Hi My Junies!! My mom came thru the biopsy well but they did put her to sleep so she's a bit dopey. Now they took her down for a CT scan of her pelvis. She is really sleepy so they kicked me out and told me to come back later this afternoon. I'm usually on the other side of these things so sitting in a waiting room and then visiting her in recovery was new for me. Now I have even more empathy for my sister and best friend who have been taking care of me for the past 3 years in all these hospital dramas. My poor mom--the nurse says to me--"too bad she can't talk" and I laughed. I told them that she talks just fine--she's just mad--I can tell by the look on her face. Well, gonna take my nephew and SIL out for breakfast. Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

N.L. my grandma(that raised me for a good few years) had Alz. and she would do the same thing. When she got mad she'd purse those lips and not talk until she forgot she was mad, or that she could talk. She would crack me up sometimes and make me cry sometimes and make me do both at the same time sometimes. N.L.I hope everything goes good for her and you. P.J. Great to hear from you girlfriend!!!! I hope the pipe guy gets Mom's plumbing running smooth. HMMMMM, I'm not going there cause I don't want Mom mad at me.... I have good knees but I could use a good lipo on the hippo area and the buttox. Yea, I call it the hippo area cause, well, only a hippo could have these thighs. I have my fathers thighs! Apparently I got his looks since I was called sir when I was bald. Janie, hey maybe you can get some info on that now. I hope you girls get something that helps. I just really feel sorry for ya. I had pre school graduation tonight then we went and ate. Gosh, I just love those grandkids to death. I really want to be around for the youngest ones kids when she ever has them. Grandkids are so much more enjoyable because well, there not "my responsiblity" 24/7. You get the happy times and get to send them home when your done with them. Ya know my youngest always came into the bathroom while I showered or what ever I was doing. She talked a lot and frankly I never got time to myself when my kids were young. If there is a God; I pray she gets a girl child just like herself. I know the "Mothers Curse" works cause my son got a little boy that looks just like him and acts a lot like him. Well the grandson is a much nicer child but the blueprint is there. The middle daughter, well she has 2 boys and no more hope for a girl child so it didn't work on her, Darn! I better get going. Glad all is well with my girls. Good night, Mary

Marigold--a MUGA is a test they do to see how well the left ventricle is pumping blood out of the heart. They inject you with some radioactive stuff and you wait 15 minutes, then they scan your heart (this takes a few minutes and it's reminiscent of an MRI but not as confining). Normal ranges are 50% to 80% and I was at 75%. This is an important test because some chemos are very hard on the heart, so knowing the functioning level will help your onc decide which chemo to give you. Good luck!

Hey Ladies, I'm Home!

Finished my research proposal just under the deadline wire and am officially finished at school. Unofficially, I have to venture back over for a day next week.

Kathy, Thanks for the offer of the info. Dr. Zharov did email me back after all. My computer said his email had been returned, so I was surprised to receive an email from him the following day. He said he would let me know the next time they have a clinical trial.

Well ladies, I have or will have two day sleeves, two day gloves, a night sleeve and a flex e touch machine (coming Monday UPS). I was told the insurance would pay 90%. Guess what. They say I have to count it as out of network and only pay 60% ?????? and my part is $2800!!!! Does this never end?

PJ, I am ready for the cruise pronto!

Hi NL. Mary, Any more medical news? How's the shoulder?

Have a great weekend ladies. My baby turns 27 tomorrow. Yes, I am old.

Does anyone know the price of a new truck door? Hubby is fixing the neighbors for him(his power window appears to be stuck and it is raining). I just looked out the door and saw the freightening sight. I better go to the bank again. Later, Mary

Hey J.P. glad your back up and running. We have had grandkids yesterday and today. We played ball with them and boy, we shouldn't have. I have a Dell so I am outta luck but you do not look bad at all! You are very pretty. Janie, hope your wk. was great and I think it was. N.L. I hope all is well on you end. I need to get a few things done around here. Later, Mary

I'm at my sister's place in Oregon. We walked in the Sara Fisher Breast Cancer Foundation's Heaven Can Wait event this morning. It was a lovely day here. I walked in the 5K with my sister, friend, Sheila and about 2500 other people. I had a very nice time. My mother has been diagnosed with colo/rectal cancer and they have decided that due to her age and heart condition that they are just going to give her morphine to manage the pain and not treat the cancer at all. She has conjestive heart failure so chemotherapy is not an option. Her doctor called me when I was driving out here to Oregon. I told my sister when I got here and I told my brother when he called me after the walk this morning. That was hard, but all of us were pretty much prepared for this news because of all the specific tests they were running on her. I had already talked to my brother about how hard chemo was on me and told him that I knew that Mom couldn't take it. My sister already knew this too so as hard as it is to accept, we are sorta okay. I just hate cancer all the more now because it took my father and now it's going to take my mother and the stinking stuff tried its hardest to take me too. I'm going to raise scads more money for my Relay for Life and help fund the research for a cure. Anyhow, big sigh, I'm calmer now--I will be in Oregon for the next week and then Sheila and I will drive back to Montana and take my sweet sister with us. Guess what? I'm not even sore from all the walking--heh, heh-- Life is Good Smiles NancyLee

N.L. sorry about your mom. You are a go-getter on the cancer money girlfriend. Janie, I would like to say I feel guilty eating rich fatty food at a good restaurant but truth is I don't....at all! It is heaven. Man if I had a webcam I would run the rodents from your houses some mornings. Well most mornings. O.K. all mornings but in my defense I am not a morning person. I sleep in old t-shirts and crappy scrubs I ripped off years ago and a few newer ones my future son in law gives me when I go out west. I wear the scrubs in the daytime sometimes because they are so comfy. My hair before the hot tar is applied and smoothed out with the steam roller I borrow from the city road works dept. looks like bozo the clown. Yea, that woud be pretty Eye-Opening for yas. I can think of a few people I would lke to webcam that picture to though like the utility co. for their high bills last winter. Well the house is still standing and hubby is working on his woodworking projects. I can't beleive how great his clocks and wall hangings are but he can't fix a door knob. The craft show we are doing is a small farming town, o.k. they all are here but he is making key hangers that are tractors. They are really nice. He is making fish (like bass) ones too since a lot of people are fishermen here. I hope he sells a bunch to lift his spirits. His work is really beautiful. Well I better get so later girls, Mary

NL, So sorry to hear about your Mom. That is always difficult news to hear and to pass on. Your pictures are great. I was asked to participate in one in September and said I would. I hope I hold up as well as you did. I guess the legs are ok. I could not believe how much my right hand and arm have atrophied due to the prescribed non-use. Sometimes I wonder if it would not be better to use them. The OT had me try to resist her pushing the arm down. It was pitiful. I used to be pretty strong for my age.

PJ, is the MAC doing well?

Mary, glad the house is still standing. At least Tim is good with woodworking.

I am waiting for the UPS man to come with my machine so I can tell him to return to sender. I decided my part of it (close to 3,000) was not something I wanted to invest in. I can continue to massage myself. Shucks, it would be cheaper to get a husband to do it. Maybe. anyway, since i decided to decline the machine, i feel like a weight has been lifted. i am trying to retire SOMEDAY!

Kathy, thanks for the pm.

Have a good evening girls.

janie

phone rung as i was typing. custom-fitted sleeves are in. i will pick up in the morning.

Windows open? Boy, you must not have the heat and mosquitoes we have, Mary.....

NL, very cool pics. It's amazing how much fundraising you do. Keep up the good fight.

Janie, so, no machine massages? What's your next step? I heard pool work is great for lymphedema. If only I had one. We have a dinky plastic one in the back yard, but, well, it has dogs in it all the time.

The new Mac is fun. Lots of bells and whistles. Had a couple video phone calls yesterday. Played some games. And it just does some other cool things. Oh, yeah, and email and internet.

Tomorrow, I call the PT folks. Didn't get a chance to today at work. Not looking forward to it.

Paula

Hey girls, P.J. yea we have skeetos and they carry West Nile but we have screens so they don't get in too bad only when the door is open. They haven't been real bad yet because we haven't had the rain we usually have in Spring. The city sprays every couple wks. in summer some no doubt toxic crap that is giving us all cancer but we still get them bad.Janie, I had a friend growing up whose mom was an Olympic swimmer, it is sad because that was way back when and she married an abusive alcoholic and today she would have been rich(she died). She never bragged about it, never even talked about it but her daughter showed us the medal once. No one knew except her family. Gotta get. Mary

are you allowed? i don't know. i will think about that tomorra' . hope you have a pleasant and wet trip since they need the rain.