Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Your post here says 11:41 pm. Check what it says on your computer and then you will know if you are 2 or 3 hrs behind us. We go in around 8 pm Eastern time.

Well I have been reading all the psots catching up on all of your doins ............
Wow robin nice hair mine is coming in but you can still see my scalp .
I had to have another ab surgery and am recovering ok .
My scar tissue adheared to my small intestine and I had to undergoe emergency surgery . Apparantly this sort of thing happens . So much for abdomindal cancers my BC stuff is been a little different trip ........
Little different this time , i swellled up like a pumpkin and had 22 staples and 2 retaining sutchers remaining on the outside to get removed in 2 weeks . Unfourntunatly I have to restart my rads asap . (jsut had 5 done anyway) and I am also on the mend so I am off to stay at a Lodge sponsored by the hospitals next Tues .They will shuttle me back and forth to rads and also have nursing care 24 / 7 . Food and meals supplied . i come home on the weekends and go back during the week . Had a CT and there is no cancer in me so thats a good thing . Just a set back of 6 weeks ...... but i have lots of support and will / should be back to normal body in a few weeks .
Will check in later , just a bit here to let y'all know whats up .
Everyone have a great weekend

Sharon

Hey... Saw my med. onc. today about the swelling and pain. She took some blood, urine and I have an appointment at 8 tonite at the hospital for a ultra sound on my legs to rule out blood clots. Then she wants an echocardiagram done too. I went to work today and the office is up a flight of stairs, took me ten minates to get up them. Geez it hurt! May I ask why we are all of a sudden falling apart? Just a few weeks ago we were all doing well! Dr. also wrote me a script for antibiotics.
The lasix I guess is working, but this is awful! I can't hold it till I get to a bathroom. I never had that problem before, no matter how hard I try, I cannot hold it. what do you think is causing that? I will let you know what the ultra sound says, I don't feel I have a blood clot at least my guts tells me its not that. But ruling it out is ok with me. I am just worried more about my kidneys.

Nancy, Mel and Sharon, sending you my bestest healing vibes. Mel I agree with Rebecca the big thing is those nodes are out, and the others were clean. Nancy I'd bet anything that your urgency problem is temporary and related to the lasix. Also, it takes months for the chemo to leave our bodies, and for all the things it did to our bodies to heal. That's why everyone is having the problems now I think.

As for me I have now finished my first week of rads and SO happy to get the next two days off. I slept til 9:30 this morning which is really late for me so I think the tiredness is beginning to creep in already. In the meantime I've become a lingerie department stalker, looking for soft, cottony things. I found a "bandeau" bra in a nice department store the other day which is great under camis...no underwire, straps, or heavy rubber. Today I stopped at wally world after rads and found a few cheap half-cami, half-sports bras that come 3 to a pack in different colors. This should tide me over. Also using aloe gel at night. Caya, it's weird to be more obsessed with bras than shoes.

Robbin I would SO love to have your head of hair. Mine is way too scalpey yet but I would go topless all the time if it was like yours.

Chat was very fun last night although I was quite upset by the troll once I found out what he was. Is pervert too strong a word? I wonder if we could set up a private chat room on yahoo. I know it's possible.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. - Skye

Wow you guys look great. Do you have enough glasses on that table? Thanks for posting this.

Hi, had my ultra sound and no blood clots yeah!!! Thank goodness, if I did they would of admitted me and I want noooooo part of hospitals, bleck! So now who knows what is causing the pain in my legs. The best I can describe it is like shin splints clear up to my hips! Sitting is uncomfortable, as well as standing, lying down is best but still painful.
Who was the troll bothering you in the chat? Why would a man get in a chat room on this site? That is so icky! I hope you gave him the umpppp!

That's a great photo. You ladies look great!

I wish I'd been alert enough to have had my camera when Skye and I met in Lincoln. Darn it.

Cindy

Work has been crazy busy with my office mate on vacation. We've developed a good routine working together and those who really tried hard to jump in and help me just didn't quite get it. It was definitely a help but just not quite what I wanted. I'm not quite all together yet to manage a high level of stress and the last two days were super busy.

People are really commenting on my hair. One of the nurses rubbed my head yesterday and told me I have 'puppy hair'. Another coworker told me I looked distinguished which just made me laugh. Having a strong preference for wearing overalls and sports sandals, distinguished just doesn't seem to fit this 5'1 1/2" stumpy frame!

Count me in on the private chat. One of these times I mean to remember and get there in time!

Cindy

Bumming about the hot flash news. I only had them during taxol, so.... I'm wondering if you have them, that means your entering/there in the menopause dept. and if so, you're def. in a better spot as far as recurrence goes.

Ladies, need your advice as I don't want to call my onco. on vaca. When you are on Tamoxifen they say to call if you bleed. Well, I had a normal period on May 4 or so... that was the first since Feb. I started spotting today. Not a real deal, but maybe a precursor to a second period... I dunno. Bottom line, it's not an emergency situation if you bleed, correct? This can wait until my June 19 appt.

Jan, what in thee hell is up with the GUY on our chat? I wasn't there but read about it. FA-REAKY!

Mel, did you get my pkg?

Hi gals,

Viddie - 3 different paths - OY!! I agree with you to take off both boobs - I am also seriously considering taking off my remaining left one and will discuss this with my breast surgeon when I see him for a followup appointment in 3 weeks.

Dar & Joni - great picture. You both look very nice. Dar - I hope you had a nice time in Edmonton visiting your family.

Lynn - how was your Relay for Life? A friend is honouring me next Friday so I am also doing the survivors lap. Her team raised $7,000 - she raised about $2500 herself - mostly from my friends and family.

Skye - congrats on finishing your first week of rads. Sound like you had fun lingerie shopping. After my mastectomy when I got fitted for my prosthesis I bought 6 bras that very day from the fitter - for me it was nice because my boobs were smaller from the reduction, (real boob and the prosth. to match) - so Viddie I hear you on getting nice new pretty bras for once in my life. Too bad it had to be because of this...

Nancy - glad you don't have any blood clots. Hang in there, the swelling will go down.

Cindy - you sound very busy at work. Just remember not to over do it.

Tina - sounds like your CA vacation is great. I am not a dr., but it sounds like your spotting problem can wait until your Jun 19th appointment, which is just a few days away. However you could call your onc. nurse to ask.

RobbinJaye - ah, hair, you have alot. I had a dream last night that my hair was flowing down my back - and then I woke up with a hot flash - and the usual sweaty scalp.

I am busy this weekend with a Bar Mitzvah today - that means synagogue service followed by a big luncheon, and then tonight a cousin is in from the OC so we are having a big dinner at my mom's with about 20 people. Then tomorrow night there is a big dinner/dance for the Bar Mitzvah. I hope I can make it to everything. I'll just nap in between events today.

have a great weekend
caya

I forgot to mentioned that I finally got my Breast prothesis and I can't tell you how much more complete I feel wearing them. They each have there own little fancy case to keep them in and I got 2 normal looking bras too. The price of the boobies shocked me though 275.00 per. Good thing ins. pays because I think most women would not fork out that kind of money. Now if it wasn't for the scarves on my head and lack of brows and lashes I wouldn't know I had BC. I love my fake boobies, BTW I got a B cup. That's what I use to be and didn't want to you know "go overboard".
Tina- I can't advise on the tamox and bleeding Haven't reach that stage yet, but I hope someone has an answer so your trip isn't dampered with worry.

I'm glad your insurance paid for yours. My insurance for durable goods has a 50% copay. I can't decide if it's worth it. I'll probably go and look once radiation is done and see if I think it's worth it. I can't believe my insurance doesn't cover it because reconstruction was covered and that would be way more expensive. I guess I can argue but I don't know if it would do much good? The softee thing seems to be working. I do need some new bras though but I'll wait until after rads for that too.

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I'm going to try to set up a private chat room for us. (Good idea Skye). If I already have your email address I'll send you an invitation. If you don't get an invitation in the next few hours, then Private Message your email address to me (don't post it here publicly). Hopefully this will work and we can get everyone added in.

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Hi everyone,

I thought I'd try the chat room to help get to know you better, but for some reason I can't get everything installed for the one here to work. I think private chat room sounds like it might be a good idea. So sorry to hear that the chatters had to put up with a weirdo the other night. I hope he was reported and banned from any further contact on the boards or chats.

I sure hope my hair looks as good as Robbin's when it starts to come in. I have one Chemo left to get through on July 2, then I'm ready to grow.

Well, I'm still here - have been reading the past couple days but not really up to posting. Still not totally up to posting or doing much of anything, but I'm better. Besides getting over the surgery (and of course, the taxol), I'm trying to get over this horrible chest cold that everyone seems to be getting. The coughing is about to do me in - it takes energy I don't have. Yesterday early morning, I did something really dumb - I accidentally took not one, but two blood pressure pills. I haven't even been taking them, because in the hospital my blood pressure was 70's and 80's, so obviously I didn't need them then, or since. Well, I was up taking my antibiotic, and the other things I take in the morning, and I accidentally took it, twice! Long story how that happened, just wasn't awake, chemo brain, taking more stuff than I ever expected to be. Yesterday all day I coudln't stand up, or hardly sit up, without feeling like I was going to pass out.

Anyway, today I'm upright, at least. Still coughing my head off. I hope the infection in my surgical site is clearing up - I think it is. My drains are draining less, so am hopeful that they may come out on Thursday. I've given up worrying about my path report. Still worrying that the PS won't be impressed with me on Monday - she of course wants me to be feeling good going into the surgery. I agree, but I'm just ready to get this whole mess over with.

Melia, glad you are feeling better today - three more weeks and of course you'll make it through that. It's just tough, the last few weeks. Nancy, hope you're feeling better too, and that your swelling is better. I'm sure the pain in your legs is from the swelling and from the taxol itself. Sounds pretty much like what I had, especially after it was over. Viddie, I am blown away by your three differing path reports. Wouldn't you like to get all three of those pathologists together, and make them hash it out and agree on something? Makes me wonder how many of our reports would be interpreted differently if they ran them through for a second opinion.
Caya, reading about your weekend made me tired - sounds like fun though, and hope you have a wonderful time. Sounds like you'll barely have time to nap in between meals! Skye, sorry you're having troubles with neighbor's dogs - you should definitely be able to walk safely in your own neighborhood, and you don't need the stress of encounters like that! Loved the pic of Joni and Dar.

Hope everybody has a great weekend.