For those starting chemo in June

Thanks PJB, I just looked at my paper and my apt. for mammo and surg. is Wed. the 20th.Geesh, I must still have chemo brain. Sush girls, its left over chemo brain until I start Rads. then it will be rad. brain. After that I will tell people I had chemo. and rads. and it burnt my memory up. Thats my excuse and I am sticking to it.I know its not my age now. That means I go to Decature 30 miles northeast for Rad. apt. and cat.scan and markings then 40 miles west to Springfield for Surg. and mammo. at 12:30. I can just make it. Maybe I will do a little shopping while I am there. See how my time goes. Geesh, My Onc. and Rad. check my boob every time I go and now the Surg. has to check it. Why don't the whole darn state come check it. It must be open boob season. Is there no modesty? I should stand on the street corner and charge for a feel. They didn't get this much attention when I dated. Hugs, Felt up Mare

Let me guess, the techs are mostly guys? I had the sentinal node biop. and they put the radioactive crap in in 4 injections. I almost kicked the guy with my knee. He said it would burn but I had no idea. I almost came off the table. First two guys came in and I said are there any female techs and no there was not so I said well does it take two? No, so I said we don't need him then right? yea and he was asked to leave. I have been around hopsitals a while. Honestly if it had taken two I would have came back the next day when females would of been there. This crap had to be injected at the nipple and I am not on exibit, scuse me. Now if I hear the word DR. I take my top and bra off. It has become a problem and my husband gets soo embarressed when we are out and it happenes. Hugs, Mary

Tomorrow is number 7 (I think). We stay over until Thursday this time. Have an appointment with the dermatologist Thursday morning. Work is so hectic right now (my day job), I welcome the extra day.

Good luck with all your tests and rads. Wasnt' there a period of time when the teenagers went around saying "Rad!"

Hi Girls, Well I am going to go with the Dec. issue of playboy.I think a gingle bunny would be good and Dec. is my birthday. I figure if they are going to take pictures I can use them for my x-mas cards.Put a santa hat on my boob and maybe hang a bell from it.If I get real creative I think I can paint it and use my scar for a smile and make it look like Sants face.If they take it upside down I can use,... well you know what for Santas nose. I can use "Ring My Bell" everyone else has.Renee, Congrads your almost done. Oh, I love my crouch pot.I use it every once in a while as I am only home a few hours and not much time to cook.(Little play on words there I have silly names for things.)Gee!!!! Its freeking rainy and cold. We needed some rain but it has rained for two freeking days and mix the damp with the cold and its not pretty.My arthritis is killing me. My chemo pain is better, my upper legs still feel stiff and hurt when I climb steps or walk to much or bend my legs all the way but not bad its much better but the d%# arthritis is not good.I think its worse than before thanks to the steroids. I will live with it and hopefully its worth it. Well I just carry on and on about the leg pain what the heck. I can taste and what a grand accomplishment that is. I get excited when I eat like a kid getting forbidden candy.The simple joys in life. My hair looks like its growing everyday. You can really see it but its a little thin yet and not long at all but its there and soon I will have eyebrows and lashes. I have some lashes they didn't all fall out but they look funky. Why aren't they growing yet? maybe cause they fell out last. I wish they would come in so I could wear my wig without the clown make-up. The other night I ran out to my car and it was accross the street and I looked up and my neighbor and a man was sitting on her front steps talking. Who would know it was 11:30p.m. I felt like a nut case.Gotta get back to work. Glad to hear Renee and janie are doing fine. Ol PJB is racing along with the rads.Glad you are still doing great and back to working.Wish mine would get going so I could get done.Hugs girls, Mary

Mary, You should do stand-up.
Way to go Renee. Only one more. I have five more on weekly. At least I went over the hump today.
PJB, You have reassured me a lot about that process.

Chemo was relatively uneventful. Still in JAX. See the dermatologist tomorrow. The nurse asked many questions about the vision problems. She said I would probably get a call about it tomorrow. I see an ophalmologist and/or a brain scan in the near future.

Hi Girls, I am at work of course. I have been hidding out cause the debate was on and my boss thinks he knows who I am for but he is wrong and rather than debate with him I get distrated when he brings it up.Janie I sure hope you get your eyes straightened out. I hope its just chemo eye. Thats what I called mine. Good luck kid. Glad you are going down the other side now. It wont be long. Well PJB, you are forging ahead. Wow, the haning in the armpit thing, Mine don't hang anywhere. They hang on for dear life when they try to pull them into the mammo machine,if they pulled any harder they would tear right off. I sugested those things you use to unscrew lids that you can't budge, they are rubber and you lay them over the lid. I thought that might keep those babies in place so as not to have to tug and flatten, I get tire of it after 15 mins. She didn't appreciate my idea I guess cause she seemed to think if she just pulled hard enough she could achieve her goal and by God she did. Then they say try to stay back a little???? Ah HELLO, thats skin you are detaching. Well now they are a bit lopsided so I don't know how this will work but I am sure it wont be easy.I hope my incesions are healed good. I have a younger sister that is almost flat chested and I always teased her well about a lot of things but I would tell her she was just jealous cause I had bigger boobies than her.Thats not saying much. Now I will have to say I have one bigger boobie than you. I always wore light bras and now I have to get padded cause there is a difference in size.Ya know i got a little bigger in my old age, never had a clevage (I referred to them as perky), but with a good push-up bra I looked pretty good. Now I need a push-up bra and kleenex. Well my bosses dog is passing gas and its gross. caugh, Hugs ,caugh Mary eew!!!

Back from JAX. Good news about the skin thingee. Two dermatologists concurred that it is benign and they didn't think a biopsy was in order. They did say to have the onc to keep an eye on it, however. I still haven't heard from anybody about the vision. It's so weird. I had my prescription changed about a month ago. I now already need a magnifying glass to read fine print. That is not normal. I can read the computer. Maybe because it is lit up. Glad everything's going well for you all. That arm hanging deal sounds grueling. With my tremor, my arm will be shaking off. The tremor is lst thing everybody notices. It is really bad. I shook so hard one day, my milk splattered into my face. Sometimes when my hand is resting on the mouse I accidently click it when I don't mean to click it.

Hi Girls, PJB, glad to hear your family is clear. I wish I could talk to my brother-in-law about my sister. I know she hasn't had a mam yet but not much I can do. My other sister was clear. Janie I did have to use a magnifying glass along with my reading glasses when I was doing treatment. I had to go buy one and I got a set of two. One big for home and one small for my purse. I am not saying yours is the same as mine because I would rather you get checked to see for sure what it is but mine got better about two wks. ago. In fact I haven't used the magnifying glass for a wk. I was use to using it and forgot to stop. Finally noticed I could see again. My eyes were worse up close and bad far away and I have always had 20/20 far away and I could hardly see people in the store unless they were up by me. I was very upset because I wanted my 20/20 back and was scared I would need glasses for distance. Thank God its all better now.Renee, my oldest daughters middle name is Renee, (I liked the old song "Don't Walk Away Renee") doesn't it feel great to be almost done? You are just about there. Gosh, it has been raining for 3 days now. I have the good old sinus head ache. I am trying to keep my furnace off but I have had to turn it on to take the chill off the house. It is darn cold. I have been eating like there is no tomorrow. I don't know if its the colder weather which always makes me eat more or if its not smoking. I don't like this. I never ate betwen meals in my life and I just act like I have worms or something. I will go back to smoking if this keeps up. PJB, Glad to hear I am not the only one still forgetful, I had to chuckle over the forgetting your wig. I have to do a me check before I leave ever since I forgot my teeth. I feel for do-rag and hat, teeth, Shirt not on backwards or inside out, shoes match and I look to make sure I am in the right house. Of course when I get done I have forgotten where I was going but if I ever go I know I am all there. Well have to get ready for work so see yas later, Mary

Wow, Mary, I have to check my shoes every day too to make sure they match. It's not like they ever HAVEN'T, but I always have that niggling doubt....

Janie, Glad to hear the skin thing was OK. Hope the tremors and the vision stuff clears up, too. One more treatment?

I decided to skip the Relay for Life cancer walk thing tomorrow. It's my only day off, as it turns out. I have to work Sunday (at night, haven't done that for awhile. hope i remember what to do) and I don't want to take time away from Nathan Saturday. I hope he does well/has fun at the soccer game in the morning. Last week all he did was stand around while the other 4 players were soccering their hearts out. He tends to be a bit of a dramatist, and he says he was really tired. Which would explain why he sat down for part of the game. In the middle of the field. That's my boy! (he makes me laugh) Anyway, my mother-in-law is supposed to pick up my survivor's T-shirt at the walk. I'm not sure I'll even wear it. I don't think I'm there yet.

Mary, what worked for you to stop smoking? I quit for about a week after dx, but I'm back up to about 6-8 a day. I guess the stress just got to me. And my mom's coming to town next month and i absolutely have to quit again before she gets here or her head just might explode in anger. I guess I'll try the pills.

Hey ladies,

I can tell you what worked for me, smokewise. In 1985 I decided to quit, more for the kids than for me. I chose a day that I would quit....Mother's Day. That gave me time to psych myself up beforehand. The day came and I had my last cigarette and I enjoyed it to the fullest. I quit cold turkey and never smoked again. I know if I pick up one, it will lead to another and I will be hooked again. There are times even now that I would love to light up, although I can't stand the smell when someone else does. There have been times during all these years that were hard to get past without the crutch...like the night before my dissertation defense. I said if I can get through this without one I will never HAVE to have one. SO I just barfed instead. Now the lung nodules cinch it. No way I'll fall into that addiction again.

My incision has a pocket that is still draining. I still have to use the gauze. My PS is not concerned and says it will be healed by rads...but that is only a month away and it has been draining since May (I had a breast reduction along with a lumpectomy).

PJB, I have five more. I did # 7 yesterday. I am on 12 weekly.

Have a good weekend girls.

Warm fuzzies, Janie

Well good evening girls, Hope Renee is getting along. I know my 7th was a little rough so hope you are o.k. one more and the pain will get better.My husband decided we needed seafood so I got my lobster. He doesn't like seafood except shrimp so I hate dragging him to eat it. Things seem to be good with my relationship problem daughter so thats good ( she gets upset too quick sometimes). We have a grandson tonight the 7 yr. old who is going fishing with his grandpa tomorrow. Guess I will go to the the 12yr. olds soccer game. Sure hope Nathan has a good game and I know he will have fun at the fair. Sorry to hear about Chet but I am sure you will find a good replacement for him. You might win one at the fair. Sometimes they have the game where you have to buy balls and toss them in the plate on top of the fish bowl.It only cost you about $6.00 to win a .56 gold fish. Hey Janie, Sure hope that stops draining. Sometimes those things can heal fast cause they heal from the inside out, I mean they heal fast towards the end cause the outside heals quicker. Just keep an eye out that you don't get a knot around it anywhere.(pocket of infection) Have a great week end girls and us northern gals will be trying to stay warm. Hugs, Mary

Janie, I too keep thinking you are doing 8 Tax. I guess cause I did.I don't know if 8-12 will be easier but my 7th. was a bummer. I think 8 was bad but I was so excited to be done I kept thinking this is it lets get back on our feet. Renee is doing 8 and she is on 7 also. Hope she is o.k. too. You must be getting excited to get this sh%# done and over.Gosh Janie I wish you would of found us earlier too. My Oncy Donky didn't suggest 8 wkly. I asked about it. He said it hadn't been done a lot but we could do it and I am greatful. You get stronger doses but its not too bad. The A/C makes it easier since I was soo sick from it.Janie glad you are looking into animal care before you get a pet now. Its very helpful in the overall health of your pets. I had an aqua frog I couldn't kill off. Daughter moved out and left it of course and I had that thing 4 years and finally gave it away. This animal could survive anything and he did. I can't even keep plants so don't feel bad. Well have to head to Springfield for soccer game. Bailey and his pop pop are gone already and its 35 with wind chill. It will warm up in the 50's but 20 to 25 mile winds. Hope they catch some fish. Last time my husband set the bucket full of fish on the tailgate and drove off. It fell on a turn about 10 miles down the road and they lost thier fish because there was traffic behind them. My grandson has never let my husband forget that. He will make sure the fish are in the truck and the tailgate is up now. Later Girls,Warm Hugs BURRRRR, Mary

Yep, Mary our poochies and kitty cats have lived very pampered long lives most of the time. My daughter now has a Golden Retriever, Murphy. He is beautiful but does not know he is as big as a horse. She rescued Hayley from the shelter. She is a very hyper mutt. Magnum the cat is my friend. He plops down on my lap everytime I go over there. I no longer have animals. I visit the grown kid's animals instead. My son has an eleven year old beagle.

The Tylenol is doing ok today. Not too bad for a Saturday...usually one of my worst days.

Happy fishing and going to the Fair. Mary, are you involved in the cleaning of the fish etc.?

Well Hello Angels,I always feel like Charlie from Charlies Angels with my hello girls.Glad Nathan played today. You know its his first year and I see kids out there and its their 3rd. year and they are still timmid. I think it takes a couple years to get use to the game and how to play and not feel scared you'll get kicked or knocked down by the bigger kids. My grandson thats 7 has played 4 years(he played preschool)and this is his first year of actually playing like he should. He still gets tired and slacks off at times. Gosh Janie you have a long way to go but the worse is out of the way. I wanted hercept. but I can't get it yet. Wow, you musta got the pet care thing going good.I hated cleaning fish tanks.Usually it wasn't bad as I bought a lot of new idenical fish so I didn't have to clean the tank just dump the new fish in every couple days. Glad you are doing o.k. Renee. You can hardly wait till the last one huh? Well I have two boys tonight and they are calling me to see the T.V. and talking to me so I can't write and listen at the same time. Heck I can't talk and think at the same time.Later girls,Mary

Good afternoon Sabrina, or should I say Janie, I threw up at infusion the first Taxol treatment so Onky gave me the three day anti nausea med. and it did a good job. I had a wave of nausea once in a while but nothing lasting.It all left after 2nd. treatment but I still got my pre. vomit crap. I read over my post and looks good and then I post and mispelled words jump out at me. I get to going and I have very long finger nails so I hit all kinds of wrong letters but my chemo brain is still here and running strong so sometimes it is to blame. I totally forget how to spell words that I have been spelling all my life. Maybe its age but I'd like to think its chemo brain.As I see it the chemo brain will be with me the rest of my life. Forgetting where I parked, chemo brain. Forgetting to put water in the coffee pot before I turn it on, chemo brain, Getting crock pot all full of food and forgetting to plug it in before I leave for work chemo brain. Yea; this chemo brain is gonna work very well. well better go make a wally run.Hang in there Angels Hugs, Charlie