Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Rebecca - it is NOT vanity to want your goverment allowed reconstructive surgery.  Do not feel guilty.  I'm sorry you have this bizarre situation going on - I bet the insurance company will pay eventually, or at least reach a deal with the PS.

Amera - I am hopeful that those lumpy breasts, are the usual B9 lumps.  But I know how you feel, the mammo and breast u/s failed me too - so I'm going for an MRI in Dec.

Sharon - glad you survived the first 2 weeks back at work and the scans are coming in clean - great news.

Lynn- both my girls have had their 2nd shots of the HPV vaccine. As you said, it would be nice if they could do this for BC (and for all cancers, actually).

Jan - good advice about the peer reviewed information.  I also try not to get too hepped up about internet information, and if I have questions, I ask my onc. who is very patient sorting out this stuff with me.

Yucky cold overcast day here - I think a cup of tea and a good book are in order.

I think I am going to use 12/6, the date of the ill-fated mammo as my anniversary because that was the day my world changed.  They knew right away, and sent the breast cancer nurse in to deal with me.  I was so distraught that they were afraid to let me drive myself home...but I did, and then promptly melted down.

THE CAR IS TITLED AND REGISTERED!!!!!!  Yipeeeee......

We are going to drive it around with a sign in the back, and park it on a busy street to see if we get nibbles.  I am also going to list it in the paper, I think.  We need to move it out fast.  Of course, just to make it an even HARDER sell, the check engine light came on today when DH was driving it.  Ah well..... 

Hello Gals,

This is a Big Step for me, I don't want to attract any flack here from unwelcome outsiders, but I've missed you so much!!! 

Caya and Melia...I just LUVED you pictures.  You look Soooooooooooooo GREAT.   You both have georgeous daughters.  Melia, your bride look not just pretty, but like such a nice person.  You are so lucky!!! I loved the bouquet of blue, lavender and violet flowers.

So most of us our catching up to our 1-year anniversary of DX.  Egads!!!  It was October 27 that they found the lump....didn't get confirmed until December 12th, and then it was just an offhand comment from the surgeon, "Oh, you mean you DON'T know?!  It's cancer all right."

This year was a very dramatic year at my house.  The death of my 18-year old sweet friend and cat, then the DX, then all the treatment, then Bunky's passing, then my mother's stroke.   When I look back on everything, the worst thing by far was losing my cat.   The trouble here wasn't any fun either.

I feel now though that all the bad things that had to happen have happened and there is nothing but positive things to look forward to.  Art is coming back.  I'm feeling inspired again.  And I won a prize at a art show recently...that helped a bit--even if it was for a pre-chemo painting.

There were many positive things that outweighed the negative...making wonderful friends, losing weight. I actually like having short hair for a change. And I discovered sewing while on chemo because I didn't dare paint.  

My hair is growing out...but it's very strange.  It's growing STRAIGHT UP!  I look like I've been electrified. Robbin Jaye, I almost have has much as you do.  Another month and maybe I can style it!

It is so nice to have this year of treatment over and to be able to look forward to more positive things...and this has been such a positive group.  

Congratulations Skye on your clean cat scans...somehow I think we all have a little something to do with that.  I think we're good for each other.

Mizzy 

Congrats, Rebecca!  Glad that situation is resolved before the holidays roll around.  Plus, more difficult to sell a car w/snow and ice all over it, etc.

Feeling good this am.  I began taking the two Effexors yesterday and felt rather jumpy...  up until this point, the dr. had me taking one a day.  I def. felt the difference.  I hope the jumpy feeling goes away once I become used to it.  But I think it's helping me, overall, to not get too down in the dumps.

Picked Paul up at a b'day part last night at the house of friends we met at baseball...we sat w/these parents for 3 hour games for 2 years in a row and they are just such nice people.  Anyway, they had about six boys over for a "tournament".  They had the Wii, a full size pool table, air hockey.  The boys were in heaven.  Paul LOOOOOOVED the Wii.  I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed too.  The bowling was like you were actually bowling.  It was hysterical.  And this coming from a girl who hates video games.  Fortunately, I found a Wii at Costco last week and put it away for Santa.  They are extremely difficult to get your hands on.  Trying to do my x-mas shopping all now as I know I'll be laid up after the hysterectomy.  That's something to keep me busy with between now and then.  Think I'll even try to have it all wrapped.  Now wouldn't that be something!

Rebecca, that is amazingly cool how the car thing worked out. I'm bouncing up and down with relief for you. Let us know how the Komen run goes.



Mary, that port can go back in just as easily as it comes out if necessary, so don't worry. I would love for mine to be gone, it's that constant reminder (along with getting hooked up to it in chemo room every 3 weeks) of the bc thing. Keeping fingers crossed for you that all goes well.



Tina, you smart lady, to get all that Christmas shopping done. Your recuperation will be so much smoother if you don't have all that to worry about after. I've heard those Wiis are fun, too. When is your hyst. scheduled again?



I picked up the Cancer Vixen book at the library yesterday, had glanced at it but never actually read it. So I hope it doesn't make me go bonkers and start screaming Cancer Girl next time I'm in the chemo room. :-)



Weird guy article of the day: a man named Dennis Avner who has had multiple surgeries to make himself look like a cat. Pointy ears, flattened nose, split upper lip, implants he can screw whiskers into, etc. Considering this, none of us should EVER feel guilty over the simple need to get our own human parts restored!



It's a dreary and rainy Sunday here, we are headed to my mother's for lunch with her and a niece and hub. Hope everyone is well - Skye

Mary - I got my port out last month and haven't had any problems with it at all. I think it healed faster then the original surgery, no redness, pain or anything. 

Mizzy - Welcome back. Hope to see you again soon.

Rebecca - great news about the lemon elephant being sold. Good luck on your Komen Walk.

Tina - I've heard that those Wii things can be addicting. Great that you found one early.

Robbin - I look forward to seeing the pictures when they get posted.

I'm doing good this week. The hubby and I rented four movies this past week and all four were good. They were all sentimental and a little sad, maybe, but definitely worth watching. It was nice to watch movies without explosions and gunfights. They were Gracie, The Ultimate Gift, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Reign on Me.

I hope everyone has a good week coming up.

Robbin, you look lovely with curls and with the long hair. Do you think you'll have it that long length again eventually? Your curls are very soft-looking and thick!



Deb I'm glad to hear you haven't had any port removal complications. I won't hve mine out til April and I'm already nervous. Thanks for the movie list too!



Amera, please know we are all there in spirit with you tomorrow. Last time, you didn't have US! I can't imagine having been in front of a classroom of students when you got that first call. And you have every reason to believe that the results this time willl be something you want to hear.



I'm going to watch Desperate Housewives tonight to see how they keep handling the Lynnette storyline. I saw on previews she was still in her scarf. But she looks altogether too perky! She also looks way better in a scarf than I ever did.



Oh and my lunch with mom and niece was interesting...niece is pregnant! She's been married about 2 years and is due about 10 days after her college graduation. So that was some happy news. - Skye

Robbin you look great - even younger with shorter hair.

Amera, I feel for you going through these tests - there is no easy way to wait.

Rebecca, Yahooooo on selling that car! 

Mizzy, welcome back.  Glad you are able to paint again

Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts on getting my port out Wed.  Tomorrow is the radiation oncologist. 

Rebecca, those photos are great. Glad you were able to keep it together. Not sure I could.

Skye, I was also thinking Lynette on DH looked pretty darn good. I suppose the professional make up and wardrobe people help. LOL!  That's what I imagined I'd look like after my Look Good Feel Better session. Ha! 

Mizzy - glad you are back.

Robbin - you look great. 

Rebecca - Mazel Tov on selling the lemon.  What a relief for you. The pictures from the Komen walk are great.  I did our BC 5K walk  2 weeks ago, it really is an emotional experience.  Let's hope they'll find the cure this year so there will never have to be another BC walk (or any cancer walk) again.

Amera - good luck with your mammo and MRI tomorrow. I'm sure they will show absolutely nothing... keep us posted, we are all rooting for you.

Mary - good luck to you too.  Hopefully the port will come out uneventfully.  Mine is in for such a long time - my last Herceptin will be May 8, 2008 - so I guess my port won't come out until June or July of 2008 - OY!!

Last night we went out with our neighbours (12 of us altogether) to a great restaurant called "Fred's Not Here", then went to a play.  Afterwards we went out to a bar, and my DD Cassie showed up with a friend. Apparently my DH called her to tell her we were downtown and she was in the area (major bar/theatre/restaurant district) so she popped in to surprise me. Man, when you live in the burbs, you forget that the city is such a happening place!!

I hope that everyone has a good week with good test results for all.

Rebecca it looks like you had a great day, and must feel good to know you helped raise so much money. Matt's a cutie, and even wore a pink hat!



Amera and anyone else who watched Housewives, what did you think of the pot brownie plot? I thought it was funny but unrealistic. Although, before chemo, a friend's husband who is in the music industry offered to score some for me if I needed it. Not my thing, but I'd never judge anyone who did get relief from se's that way.



Caya how true about the happening city life. I live in such a rustic area, being someplace with bustling street life is always a treat.



Amera I'm usually sleeping fairly well, although I always wake up a few times a night long enough to sip some water and change positions. We bought a new mattress topper last week that is a combo memory foam and pillow top, and it's made a huge difference for both of us. I no longer need a pillow between my knees to keep hips from aching or a small pillow under my torn rotator cuff shoulder. DH says his back is better. It was worth the investment.



Melia I bet you look good with the reddish hair color. I will probably need another dye job soon. I am being interviewed today by the newpaper I used to work for and have to go there for a photo. I'm chickening out and wearing my wig because I just don't feel photogenic in the short do. I've decided I will go topless for appearances where I don't have to be on a stage, but wear the wig for photos and film. For me getting back to making appearances is kind of like going back to w ork for some of you, it involves many of the same choices and issues on stamina, etc. And Melia, I agree it would be nice if we could just look in a crystal ball and make choices accordingly, wouldn't it? Failing that, I guess we just have to go on faith.



The sun just came out for the first time in days here, illuminating the wood on my deck and the birch and buckthorn trees laced with wild grapevine that stand around it. Geese are squawking overhead; yep, it's fall. - Skye

Oh Meliaanne , my right finger tips are useless, they are so numb and not getting better. I have burnt them, smashed them, dropped things... all accidently of course and never realize until I've done damage, like a blister or cut. Then occasionally they feel like I am being stung by bees, I can't stand to fold clothes. Just my right hand though, my feet and left hand are fine. So bizarre.

I forgot to mention this to my Dr. on Friday. She was so busy telling me how mad she was at me at my previous visit, yada yada yada.

I accumulated some fluid in my chest wall, I don't know if it was from the flight, I wore my sleeve. But they showed me arm movements to do that hopefully will get rid of it.

My son-in-laws uncle passed away Friday, so been trying to find a flight for my daughter to attend the funeral here in Ohio. He battled kidney cancer for 10 years! He was just so young, in his 40's. I really cried a lot. Friday was such a miserable day.

DH and I went shopping yesterday, Bought DH an I-pod. He was so engrossed in that the rest of the day, nothing else got done. Ah well, he was like a kid in a candy store, they do deserve that once in awhile, I suppose  LOL! Merry "early" Christmas Jeff!

Thinking about you Amera....hope your mammo went smoothly

Doin' the happy dance for you and your family, Caya!  BIG CELEBRATIONS!