Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Hi everyone, finally got ds to take pics, here is what I look like since last dye job, feels more like my old hair now

OOOOOh Skye! Love the 'do!

Great to hear from you Robbin! your hair looks fan-tabulous...witha curl and everything. lymphodema of the breast? how odd....

Are you still dating that motorcycle dude?

Glad things are working out well for you.

Robbin, your hair's beautiful! Not just saying it cause you have some - it's really pretty. Of course, you really had a head of hair to start with, so guess I shouldn't be surprised. (Skye, yours does look quite a bit like mine.)

Hope you don't have lymphedema, but I have heard of lymphedema of the trunk or breast area, so I know it's possible. Will keep my fingers crossed for you that it isn't that.

We do chat still on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, not totally sure about the times, though. Seems like it's about 5PM your time on Thursday, maybe a bit later on Tuesday...correct me girls if I'm wrong. Anyway, try to join us next week.

I'd be hesitant to call the guy, too, if I were in your shoes. I was going to say just go for it and call him, and probably you should...then I got to thinking how I probably wouldn't have the nerve to do it myself. Can you post just part of your movie on Youtube?

Hope everybody's getting ready for a relaxing weekend. The panic-buying phase has started here for the hurricane, I guess. Not that we know it's coming here, but people go out and buy up all the water and batteries when they think we might. I stopped at the store this afternoon and thought I was going to be trampled in the mob!

Hi all,

Been busy with work and my brother-in-law who is visiting from San Francisco. We went to my MIL for dinner tonight, she's almost 88 and in relatively good shape.
Melia - have a great vacation, you certainly deserve it. I hope your edema gets better - man, it's really dragging on for you.
Mel - Wow, what a scary wet ride home. I hope the hurricane misses you. And for your peace of mind, it's good that you have that 2nd opinion consult with the younger female onc. My onc. is also an older man, brilliant and on the whole good with me, always answers every question and is very kind - but sometimes I see one of his associates when I go for my Herceptin infusion - 2 of them are young females - they have both been great and give me that "woman" perspective.

Lynn - sorry about Ally's great grandmother passing away - too bad your weekend together has to be postponed, but what can you do? How long have you been divorced from her father? Glad you are feeling stronger, I think we all are, (except for the gals who have recently done reconstruction, and are recuperating) - every week that goes by I am better. Herceptin for me has a few side effects, but nothing like chemo.

Mary, I have to call the oral surgeon and take DD there for a consultation now. I'm sure it will cost me - I do have some dental coverage, but not everything.
Tina - they give me the Herceptin every 3 weeks in 60 minutes now, instead of the 30 that is the protocol at my hospital I checked that they were giving me the 3 week doseage (they are) - but the first 2 times I was nauseous, so I spoke to the onc. and the onc. pharmacist and they both agreed to slow the infusion for me - I suggested 60 minutes, and it was fine. So I get it in 60 minutes, then I sit there for 30 minutes afterwards to see if I have any reaction.
Skye - love your "do" - you have alot more hair than I do. I sent some pictures to Jan to post for me - thanks in advance Jan. And Skye have a wonderful time on your cruise.
Rebecca - sounds like you are feeling better both physically and emotionally - take it easy, everything will work out.
RobbinJaye - man girl you have a lot of hair - so thick and curly. I have been out of the dating game since about 1980 when I met DH - I am old-fashioned too, and I think I would probably wait for the guy to call me again, but then again times are different -
I'll be busy the over the weekend working with DH at the Toronto Shoe Show - this will be my first appearance to our customers since the dx - I had a business associate call me today to say how happy he is to hear that I am "back".
caya

Yikes Mel…hope that the hurricane leaves you relatively unscathed. We had some crazy weather today! Torrential rain, high winds and HAIL. The roads near my house were flooded out in spots, and the traffic to get anywhere was horrendous. Took me 45 mins to get DH from the train station…usually it is about a 5 minute drive. We had two large branches come down in our yard and smash our brand new gutters. Bummer man.

Caya congrats on getting back into the swing of things…it is so great to feel like things are normal again! Enjoy the shoe show. That is such a great story Caya. Once you join the club that you never wanted to join it seems like other members are crawling out of the cracks all of the time. It is both frightening and inspiring.

Have a good night everyone!

Oh, Mel, the hurricane rush. I remember it well. Not a bottle of water to be found in any supermarket. No beef stew, Chef Boyardee or anything of the like. At best, mongrel brands.

Robbin, boy do you have some hair! Your's is a lot curlier than mine. I think mine is straighter this time around. Thinner too, which is OK because I had more than I knew what to do with. However, it is a little too thin, still, at my left temple. Wondering if this is from too many scarves, hats, etc., i.e. if I let the area "breathe" (ha-ha!), it'll grow. I wish my bangs would grow as fast as the top of my hair. Anyhow.... glad you enjoyed date #2. I was never a "caller" either. In fact, I distinctly remember as a teenager being crazy over this boy and I'd only take his every 3rd call... it worked. How I knew it was him, back in the days of no caller ID, I dunno...

Gorgeous, sunny, cool day here today. Rebecca, you guys must have been hit w/the storm we were supposed to have gotten on Friday. We never got it here.

I am happy to report that I started organizing all my photos again and putting them in books, kind of chronologically. My kids loooooooove looking back at their trips, events, etc. and even though this sounds bizarre, I think it's one of the best things I can do for them... not that I'm planning on checking out or anything.

whew just got through all the posts lots goin on ladies !
Hello to all !
We had a great holiday and I really had a good time back to normal! Hiked , boated , did some swimmin and fishin .
Will some pics later .......

Here are Caya's pictures (sorry it took me so long to do this). BTW Caya - my hair looks exactly like yours.

Wow, Caya, your story brought tears to my eyes.
I go out topless and folks look at me like I'm a freak.
I am starting to get a complex, matter-of-fact my DH wanted to go to dinner after we left his office yesterday and I didn't have a scarf with me. I kicked and screamed all the way to the restaurant. He kept telling me I looked "cute". Once I got there and sat down, and the looks subsided, I never gave my "hair" another thought. I enjoyed myself!
I notice a taste of fall in the air this morning.
But, but I haven't had summer yet. So sad ):

Jan- it sounds like you are having a great weekend. I agree with you about your 6year old…as long as she had fun that is what counts. It was very brave for her to even attempt it.

Nancy- I know what you mean about the summer being gone before it started! Today it feels like fall, and I do not know where the lazy days of summer went! School is right around the corner (again) and I have to re-assess my own wardrobe (much less the children) because I have no clue what is going to fit my “new” body and what is going to look awful. I have been going topless full time now for a few weeks, and frankly I am at the point that I do not care if I get stared at. I lost my hair for a legitimate reason, and it was well worth the experience. If anyone has a problem with it…they can make a comment to me, but they do so at their own risk

Caya you look awesome. I love the hair. Be proud and flaunt it!

Sharon, glad you are back and glad you had such an awesome time. What a way to put an end to all the mayhem and stress.

Melia just enjoy the beach house and do no allow your SIL to get under your skin.

I am feeling pretty good today so far. My pain is now almost completely gone, except if I stretch or try to lift something too heavy (do not worry, I listen to my body, and if something I am doing even starts to be uncomfortable, I immediately STOP). I am still a bit tired, and not quite up to speed. We went to the beach yesterday, and I could not keep up walking with the family which was kind of discouraging. It will come back, I know. Right before this last surgery I had finally gotten used to the idea of “Rebecca as a well person” again…..and now I had to take a step back into “Rebecca as a sick person”. YUCK. Almost over….

I am still rather struggling with my body image, and trying to get used to the new me. The swelling subsides a bit more everyday, although I still feel like I have a horrible mutant nipple sticking out from here to Kentucky. I am fairly sure that this is all in my head, and it also appears to vary quite a bit depending on which bra I am wearing. I still have to wear a compression band to keep the implants pressed down into the bottom of the capsule, which is getting old VERY fast, but I guess a bit of discomfort now for the girls to have a more natural look for the rest of my life. I am going to get stitches out on Tuesday (shudder). Not my favorite thing to think about, but I guess I have come this far….should not chicken out now.

We are having a quiet day at home today…I think I am going to work on my syllabus. Not my favorite thing to do, but if I do not I will just wind up walking around my house in circles looking at all the work that I have to do that I CAN’T like running the vacuum. My carpet is about three shades lighter than it should be from all the fur.

Ah well…I took some pics at the beach yesterday, maybe I will select some and post.

Hello all,

I was off on another journey, this time I went to Lethbridge and Waterton Lakes National Park. Just gone for 3 days, but it was really beautiful.

I took the boat ride of Upper Waterton Lake and went down to Goat Haunt, Montana. We were going to do a hike, but they are having trouble with a grizzly bear right now, so after reading all the warning signs we decided not to.

We did hike around Red Rock Canyon, and we hiked around Cameron Lake. We also went for a drink (me gingerale), my friend Anita had a glass of wine, at the Prince of Wales Hotel. I’ll put some pics in of each. We saw lots of deer, chipmunks & squirrels.

Also on the way home we stopped at “Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump”. It is built right into the side of the coulee, and is quite a unique interpretive center.

I go for my scans next week, so I’m back into Scansiety again. I haven’t really been feeling all that great lately, but Dan says it’s because I’m trying to do too much. I find if I keep busy, I don’t worry so much.

Viddie, sure glad to hear you came thru your surgery, and Rebecca it sounds like you are healing up nicely.

Hope you are all well….Big Hugs Joni


Prince of Wales Hotel (lots of smoke from forest fires)


Cameron Falls:



Red Rock Canyon:



Buffalo (big bull):

Joni, gorggggggggggeeeeeeeeous pics! You should be in the postcard photography business! Glad you fun w/Anita. I like your new word: scansiety. Not liking that you are having scansiety, but I understand fully... on one hand you want testing to ensure all is well, but waiting for results is nerve wracking.

Rebecca, great beach pics. Owen is adorable. He looks like he is loving life in that one closeup shot. Love the sandy toes shot. Your girls are adorable too...they look so much alike.

Caya, forgot to mention, your daughter looked gorgeous in that pic w/you...like a supermodel!

Mary, I was using Lunesta, which was good, but found out they FINALLY came out w/a generic for Ambien. Got it and used it last night. Helped tremendously. I have no misgivings about taking it...I think the value of a good nights sleep far outweighs any negatives. On so many levels...physically, emotionally...

Oh, and Melia, forgot to mention that I am betting many of our regular posters are on summer vacations. Some are back to work...

Well, no hurricane for us this time, thank goodness, but before it hits South Texas or wherever it goes in, it's going to hit Akumal. This happened a couple of years ago also - I hope it isn't as bad this time. I'm hoping none of this is affecting Skye - she deserves her cruise.

Joni, loved your pictures - sounds like you had a great trip. I do believe you travel more than anyone I know! I'm sure you're feeling less than great because you've been overdoing it (plus that sneaky anxiety starting to creep in before your scans). I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you that all is well - please let us know.

Rebecca, as always, I loved your pictures. Besides being beautiful, your kids always look so happy! You must just be the best mom ever. Glad you're feeling a bit better. I can't believe you are talking about a hint of fall in the air already - it's so NOT that way here right now.

Tina, I laughed out loud about your daughter drawing in the "cracks" on your face! Kids can be so innocently cruel. However....I think you look great. And Caya, she's right about you - where ARE your wrinkles? We really do pretty much all have the same hairdo, don't we? Except for Tina and Robbin with their masses of curls, that is. Loved your story about the lady wanting to buy you the manicure, and you handled it so graciously.

Jan and Nancy, we need updated hair shots of you guys now - and Melia, also. Jan, I hope you had a great day with your friend today. I'm also having trouble sleeping again, and worrying about recurrence. I think it is normal...but knowing that doesn't seem to make me not do it. I'm glad your business is picking up, now, but sorry if you're so busy it's keeping you away from us. I saw your website, back a while, and I was impressed.

Melia, hope you are having a wonderful, relaxing week. And Sharon, glad you're back, and can't wait to see your pics! Mary, by all means encourage your son to look for employment elsewhere now, while he's young, or he'll end up locked into the exact type of work he's doing now, which will pretty much limit him to staying in the area. That's what happened to my DH. The longer you stay, the more you make, and the harder it is to leave it and start over. And nobody wants to live in Lake Jackson their whole life!

Viddie, hope you're able to be back with us soon - thinking of you! It's a week tomorrow, already, hard to believe. NANCY, are you taking your PILLS??

I'm getting up early to go see the new oncologist, then radiation, then have to take the cat to the vet - he's drooling for some reason, poor baby. Time for yearly checkup anyway.

Hugs to all.

Joni – the pictures are gorgeous. With all of your adventures it sounds like you should be tired. What day are your scans and when will you get the results. I think waiting is one of the worst kinds of torture. I hope everything goes well.

Viddie – How are you feeling?

I did have a fun weekend. I know I need to post some updated pics. I’ll try to get DH to take some soon. Like Rebecca, I usually do all of the picture taking – so I don’t end up in many.

My first oncologist appointment since I finished chemo is next week and I’m already nervous about it – not that anything is going to happen. But I dread walking into that office.

My oldest daughter starts 1st grade tomorrow and we are so excited. By “we” I mean DH and I – because she’s not – in her mind 1st grade = more homework.

Tina – I know what you mean about the “poor them” feeling. Now we know better. I probably go a bit overboard trying to educate others about this sometimes. It’s one of the many reasons I like to hang out with people who have/had cancer – I never sense that they feel sorry for me.