Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Ditto from me Rebecca - looks like the period is back. And I hear ya on the leg hair - unfortunately mine did grow back, but I only have to shave it about once every 2 weeks, so I'm not complaining.

Hi ladies,

Mel, have you seen the 'dog whisperer' tv program? The guys name is Cesar Milan and he is very good at working with people and dogs on behavioral problem.  Even though we don't have a dog, George watches the program all the time and even bought his book a few weeks ago.  Here's his website http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/

Jan, I hope you are feeling better.  I hear you about anticipating surgery after a year of the crap we've been through...I'm totally there.  My surgery is less than 2 weeks and when I think about it, I get a slight stomach pain.  I hate this disease!

Skye, congrats on your sons engagement!  What fun!   I decided I'm not setting up my Christmas village this year...too much work with my surgery looming. So I'm taking the year off and will be all the more excited to set it up next year.

Cindy, yay on the clear path report!  I can't tell how fast or slow my hair is growing because I keep getting it trimmed. ARGH!  I'm holding off on that for a while so I can get some length.

Caya, great news about your MIL.

Tina, I'm sorry your surgery got changed, but maybe your DH is right, things happen for a reason.  At least you'll have less recovery this time.  How long will you be in the hospital?

Rebecca, glad to hear your appt. went well. I too am surprised you took this long to get your period back at your young age.  Before I had estrodial and FSH tested, I had other changes that told me I might have reverted to premenopausal status.  I noticed my sex drive was back (yay) and my hot flashes weren't as strong.  Have you noticed anything else other than the bleeding?

Joni, that elf video is hilarious!

Tina, I remember when my son lost his tooth and I forgot to put the money under the pillow.  I had to think quick, got an envelope and put the money in, went into Erics room with it hidden, jumped on his bed and pulled the envelope out as if it had dropped down the side of his bed.  Then said 'here it is, it must have fallen down the side of the bed'.  With Shelley, we actually lost her tooth before we got it under the pillow, so I picked up a very small white rock, flashed it real quick to her and put it in the envelope for the tooth fairy!  She never knew the difference!  

My mom is signing the papers on Friday for her new mobile home so she will be moving out in the next couple weeks!  YAY!  She'll still be close enough to help me after my surgery.

Not much else is new here, getting nervous about my surgery and trying to get everything done..busy, busy, busy!

Hi all,



Leaves, Leaves. They keep coming back!! We spent hours last week raking and it looks like it looked before we raked. I guess it is good exercise, but really!!

I had a fun filled Thanksgiving, but now I am pooped. My daughter flew in from DC and my son also visited. We went to my cousin’s house for Thanksgiving, but I still made a 16 lb. Turkey on Friday, per request from my family. We just finished it today for lunch. I am also shopped out. We had an early Chanukah- we celebrated on Thanksgiving since that is the only time we will all see each other. It was fun except for the shopping. Today I caught up on laundry and attempted to clean most of the house. I love days I can just stay in and do my thing. I don’t love cleaning, but I love not having a schedule- especially when they are doctors appointments. I haven’t read all the posts yet, but I decided to check in anyway.



Rebecca,

Happy Birthday to Owen. It is great to have your son happy with a favorite toy. I am glad you saw your gyno today. No hair on your legs----that’s great! I hope megace controls your bleeding. It must be used for various reasons- my dh took it to increase his appetite during chemo. -If you are very hungry, it might be the megace.

Caya,

I am glad your MIL is doing well at home.

Tina,

Sorry about your surgery scheduling problems. I agree- maybe it is for the best.That is funny about the toothfairy. I recall doing something similar. We forgot a few teeth- and that was long before chemo-brain. I am sending positive vibes for your surgery on Friday.

Skye,

Could the pain be from the Arimidex? Congratulations on your son’s engagement.

Joni,

I loved your Elf video.

Jan & Lynn,

Your surgery is SO worth it. I was nervous too, but you will be so happy with the results. It is a perfect ending to this nasty stuff. You will be new and improved- a tummy tuck and perky breasts!!! You both have excellent plastic surgeons.

Lynn,

That is great news about your mom.

Cindy,

Yippee! One more milestone getting the port out. Of course you are tired. You just had surgery. You have to give your body time to heal. My hair is coming in ever so slowly also.

Melia,

Congratulations on the clear mammo and pap. Good luck tomorrow.

Sharon,

Congratulations on getting your port out. College indeed does hurt your wallet. Hopefully it enlarges their wallet down the line, but will they share it?

Jan,

I hope you are feeling better.

Mel,

Harrison sounds like a joy.

Debbie,

I am glad you enjoyed your massage.

Catch you all later.

Viddie

Rebecca, sorry to hear your friend is back!  But my leg hair came back and not yours?  Mine is not as much but still a pain.

Skye, sorry to hear about your arms hurting so much.  I wish there was some exercise you could do.

Sharon, we are paying for son #2's college - what a thrill it will be when that is over.

My DS #1 is getting married 5/30/09 which sounds like a long time but it is definitely getting closer.  Skye - September is really close - better get on the ball and start shopping for a dress! 

Viddie, I hear you about the leaves.  We haven't gotten the last ones up yet and it is snowing.  I guess we can't put up the Christmas lights with the leaves in the way!  At least that is my excuse.  It seems everyone starts decorating so early that by Christmas they are sick of turning on their lights.

Tina, I think one surgery at a time seems logical.  Hope all goes well.

Rebecca, I can relate to the tooth fairy story.  I'll never forget when we forgot - but it was one of the first fairy tales to go.

Lynn, how is your back?

Jan, glad to hear you are feeling better.

Caya, the Channukah (sp?) party sounded like fun.

My latest at work is they want me to do some heavy filing in the files which requires lifting the files out the file drawer (because most of the drawers are broken and do not slide out) and carrying them to a desk or putting them on the floor and filing in them and then returning them -- I am trying to get them to realize I can't do this along with my other jobs.  Of course they never want to hire someone to do just that and my perfectionistic boss doesn't trust anyone else to do it.  I'm sure I could get a doctor's note - this doesn't seem like something I should be doing.  I can do a little of it but not an hour's worth which is what it will take.  Well I guess I will just do what I can.

Robbin, any news from you?

Joni, I love that elf video - makes me want to do one!

I agree, Joni, That elf video is fun. How did you do more than one elf at a time? When my brother sent it to me maybe 2 years ago, I thought it only did one elf at a time. I may have missed some options, though.

Tina, I have a traumatic Tooth Fairy story, too. When I was 4 years old I had to have the bottom, back teeth pulled on both sides of my mouth. The Dentist wrapped the 4 teeth in cotton and put them in an envelope for me to put under my pillow for the TF. The Children's Dentist was in Odessa, TX and we lived in Hobbs, NM about a 90 mile drive away. Well you can guess that the envelope with the teeth didn't make it home. I cried and cried, what else is a 4 year old to do? My parents assured me that the TF knew about my teeth and would bring me the money anyway. I think a dime was the going rate per tooth back then (1955), but I think got more that night. 

Rebecca, at least Owen liked his gift. I hope the party was fun for everyone.

I hope everyone's surgeries and doctor's appointments go well. I go in on Monday to my Primary care doc for my annual check up and pap smear. This year she's also checking out how I'm doing on the diabetes and cholesterol meds. Then next Thursday I go in for my first diagnostic Mammo after all my treatment. I'm not exactly sure how it differs from the other mammos I've had in previous years, but I have to go to the Woman's Imaging Center for it in stead of the clinic I'm used to.

Skye that is a hilarious story about your in-person visit from the Tooth Fairy.  In our house we have a tradition of correspondence with the Tooth Fairy that apparently stems from my childhood.  When I was young I was extremely curious about the tooth fairy, and had many questions….so I started writing notes to the tooth fairy and leaving them with my tooth.  To my surprise and delight, I received teeny tiny notes in reply (which strangely were in my father’s handwriting).   Through my correspondence, I learned, for example, that the tooth fairy actually looked like Jack Klugman, but smaller.  One time, towards the end of my true belief in the Tooth Fairy I decided to try the ultimate test of his existence….I lost a tooth and did not tell ANYONE.  I secretly hid it under my pillow, and was very disappointed when it was still there in the morning.  I went downstairs and shared my woe with my parents, who assured me that if I put the tooth under my pillow again, the Tooth Fairy would come for sure.  Of course they were right, and included with my dollar was an apologetic note from the Tooth Fairy explaining that a baby elephant at the zoo had lost a tooth the very same night as I had lost mine, and that it took ALL NIGHT to retrieve because it was so large.

Well anyway…Tina you had not shared your awful period experience…that is truly dreadful, and sounds very much like what happened to me yesterday except I was (thankfully) at home, and I had kept a package of pads in reserve just in case.  I stained my clothes anyway though, because the runaway bleeding overwhelmed the pad big time. 

The Megace seems to have made the bleeding slow down to a more reasonable rate.  That stuff seems like it is dead useful…it stimulates appetite (which is good in the proper context, I guess), slows bleeding, can be used to treat hormone positive breast cancer, treats uterine cancer, helps with hot flashes and on and on. 

Someone (I think it was Skye) asked me if I had noticed anything else changing before I got my (unwanted) friend back…and I have to say that my hot flashes had all but disappeared.  I had attributed it to the change in weather, but I also noticed that I was back to being very cold intolerant.  I also wonder if my mood shifts in the last few weeks might have been due to my ovaries kicking back in as well.  Well anyway….I am very unhappy about this development….and am very uncomfortable with the thought of those hormones racing around my body looking for cancer cells to stimulate.

Mel, I have some pictures, but with all the panic in the last two days I have not gotten to it yet….hang in there!  Do NOT shave your head Mel….you will regret it.

Mary, they are really putting you through the wringer at work lately…that is absolutely dreadful that they are adding manual labor to your job after extending your hours like that.  Get a Drs note…the last thing you need to get lymphadema on top of everything else.

Viddie….yes leaves do that.  I think it is gremlins.  Maybe we should ask Skye to investigate.

Well, the kids are starting to require my attention so I better get to it…anyone I did not directly greet or respond to….LOVE YOU!   

Rebecca, again I have to say that, other than my kids, yours are the cutest on the planet!  And I am so glad you "just" have your period back. I had a d & c in my early forties b/c of heavy bleeding and it solved the problem. I have always been terrified of hospitalization, so being in for a day scared me, but the procedure itself was fine and I certainly felt better afterwards.

Mary, I am really irritated with your work situation. What has changed?  Is there upper mgmt turnover?  Please don't lift the file drawers. Lymphedema sounds so difficult, and my dr has told me to never lift over 15 lbs with my affected arm. I work out at the gym but am careful with that arm.  And I know what you mean about changing jobs at this pt; with good pay, good vacation, etc, it's hard to imagine going elsewhere.

I am excited for both mogs .... My first son in laws mom was a challenge, very protocol oriented, but meant well and is a nice person. She only has the one child and is a widow, so the wedding meant so very much to her, and she worried about everything. She was pleased with the event, though. About halfway thru, when she was intimidating me a bit, I decided to widen the circle and include her in more, and that seemed to help. The second mog was much easier, just glad to not have to worry about anything. I think in a way it would be hard not to know what is going on, but after doing two, I think I will be able to relax and enjoy when my son marries.

I have my sigmiodoscopy this morning and am nervous. I am taking the day off work to give my belly time to settle down, but am hoping I can at least hit the Farmer's Market and the library this afternoon. Tomorrow I am having the first of two crowns done, and then I think I can figure my body is as patched together as it's going to get. The longer time goes on, the more convinced I am that I am not doing recon .... just can't visualize going in for surgery if I don't have to. But I really admire and support those of you who have done it.

Hair:  I actually like mine quite a bit, have gone in twice to my longtime hairdresser for shapings. I think after my appt on the 20th of Dec, I will pack away the wig (now only wear it to work). My arm hair is oddly long .... looks about ready to braid. And my leg hair is back to normal.

Joni, your Thor dances much better than mine!

Hugs,

Melia

I think the answer to our hair problems is to get Optimus Prime helmets!  He is adorable, Rebecca!  Cracking up at your testing of the tooth fairy.  Sly girl, you were! 

I save funny things my kids write...  I have a note from Paul to the TF from a few years ago.  It says "Tooth Fairy.  $10 for this tooth.  Take it or leave it."  (I have another one not so funny as outrageous...Jaclyn was ticked off at me around Halloween time two years ago and drew some gravestones and wrote "Mom" on one.)

Debbie, I can imagine your horror at losing four teeth.  A few have gone missing around here and it's always been very tragic.  I can't believe you guys had to drive 90 miles to the dentist.  Good God!  Although, I know in TX people have a diff. idea of what a long drive is.

Melia, I'm surprised you're having a sigmoidoscopy.  Don't they say colonosopy's are better for detecting polyps?  Although the prep is gross...  not a fun subject all around.

Skye, I'm glad you had your epiphany.  I feel better.  I think I've mentioned to you guys before that just before my dx I was getting numbness and tingling in my right arm, right where they'd put a BP cuff on you.  I'd wake up feeling like I slept on it but I hadn't.  That tingling feeling has stopped but I still get a strange sensation, almost like a BP cuff is on there...not super tight, but still there.  Of course, I worry that it's bone mets, seeing as though it's been a persistent issue for over a year.  I mentioned it to my onco. last year but they totally blew it off.  I think they think it's very unlikely and I'm guessing if I had that, they are thinking I'd be having severe pain.  You do just worry about everything now, though.  On the flip side, if I had blown off my lump I could be up sh*ts creek right now.  So hard to know what to blow off and what not to.  Also, I've been waking up w/lower back pain.  Also when I get up from this PC as my posture is bad when I'm sitting here.  I've had lower back issues before... but of course your mind wanders as that's a "sign".  Time for Atiman, I think.  Imagination is working overtime.

Mary, lymphedema hadn't even occurred to me.  That is a 100% valid excuse for not lifting all that heavy stuff.  I hope the aura turns around in that place for you.  That stuff takes it's toll.

I wonder why Megace wasn't suggested to me prior to a D&C being suggested.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Woohoo, the drain is gone!!! I had some drainage for about an hour after but then it stopped and now I think the hole has sealed over. That's what Dr. Grange promised me (after 24 hours it would seal itself) so I'm claiming that promise.

Now I'm trying to decorate the house and I'm in a total state of denial about the quantity of 'stuff' I have to put out! Holy manger! I have too much. I think when I've got the house set the way I want, anything that doesn't get used this year goes to my daughters or the Goodwill.

What entertains me the most is the stacks of Christmas/holiday books I have. I have to get at least one new Christmas book every year and usually it's more. I've got quite a collection. I like to sit and read the old stories and new stories and thumb through the music books and sing to myself. I think my daughters find me amusing for an entirely different reason.

Mel, we used to have a very strong-willed lab-shepherd mix. It wasn't until she was 6 years old and we adopted an abandoned cattle dog that she immediately settled down. She liked to have company. We never had a clue about that. 

Rebecca, that is just way too funny - your helmet man. I so love the silliness of children. It makes me smile. I have two great-nephews who are totally entranced by Spiderman. I nearly wet myself laughing at their antics of pouncing and webbing people.

This time of year my favorite story is about my eldest who told her daddy "I got you a present, Daddy. I can't tell you but it's something to keep your hands warm." 

Melia, hope your scope is over with minimal discomfort!

Mary, I hope that your work situation resolves soon. I agree with the lymphadema concern. It seems as if there may be something going on behind the scenes to be pushing you so.

I've more decorating to work on today. A run to the recycle drop off (gad, the newspapers stack up when you only get the Sunday edition!), the bank, the store and then.....I'm going for a major haircut. I'm going back to super short. I can't tolerate it. I'd rather keep it shorter if I can't get it to grow. It will take 4-5 years at this rate to get it to have any length.

I'll try to get a photo afterwards. I'm not the best at the technical stuff. I may have to send it to someone to post for me. 

I did talk to the surgeon about the Tamoxifen. She told me in no uncertain words that I am to continue taking it. Only until they are absolutely assured that my ovaries are not producing any estrogen will they want to switch me to an AI.  

So I'm off to get my chores done. My reward is an outing tonight with a friend to see The Nutcracker.

Geez, I could get used to not working. Or working for a few months and then having a few weeks off. Not with my bank accounts! Oh well, at least I'm able to work.

Cindy 

Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you guys....Monday at work I was doing a preop interview on an older lady (71) who had had breast cancer in the past and had a mastectomy.  I asked her if she had had any treatment other than the mastectomy, and she said, "oh, no, honey, I didn't need any of that.  I didn't have cancer in any of my lymph nodes, it was just in my milk duds."  Sometimes keeping a straight face is really hard! 

Mel that is hilarious!  I bet you hear it all.....

Joni do not fret...I am sure you are fine....probably just have a virus or something.  BE POSITIVE! HUGS 

Hi all,

Joni, you probably have a virus; everyone I know seems to have the flu.  Please keep us posted.

I agree with those of you who suggest colonoscopy over sigmoid. No question in my mind. But this is what my insurance (Kaiser) does if you are asymptomatic, so I decided not to fight it. The NP was telling me today that she thinks this will change, that I should pay attention, and if it does, I will get one. Anyway, all was clear, no nodes, so I feel great about that. And it is certainly easier to prep for than a colonoscopy. I have basically been happy with Kaiser thru all of this, they were extremely aggressive and active in getting surgery, treatments, etc lined up. I had a muga once I developed edema, and I know others had it proactively. I made a decision early on to trust the doctors; I ask lots of questions, and I did sent my treatment protocol to the Susan Love folks at UCLA, but other than that, I have gone with what Kaiser has offered. Dunno if that was dumb or not. But I also promised myself that I would not second guess my decisions, would not drive myself nuts with "what ifs".

I am glad I took the day off, but I was busy. I did do some retail therapy to celebrate, got myself some new sweaters. Then just grocery shopping, library, etc.  Now I am going to relax for an hour before my husband gets home.

Hugs to all,

Melia

Hi all,



I have been peeing like crazy for 3 days. Every hour on the hour all day and all night! This started off and on around a month ago. I then went to get a urine test and all came out normal. My bladder behaved itself for about a week, but now I can’t stop going again. Not a lot comes out, but enough. It does not hurt or itch. I am not drinking more water than usual. The only thing different I am doing is taking my calcium and vitamin D religiously along with my Fosomax.- 1200 mg calcium and 800 Vitamin D (Caltrate with D). I also started taking 250 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of COQ10 and I also started tamonifen two months ago, but frequent urination is not a s/e of tamoxifen. It is driving me nuts. I read somewhere that excessive vitamin D could cause this, but I am not taking that much. I spoke with the NP at my PCP’s office today and she re-iterated that my urine test came out normal. Any suggestions?

Viddie - I don't have any good suggestions, just this one idea. When I was pregnant and peeing all of the time I read that leaning forward when you pee helps to empty your bladder more completely - hopefully extending the time before your next bathroom visit.

Viddie, I have no idea what the peeing could be all about.  Very strange.

No, my plan is that when my kids ask if I did/tried this or that, the answer is NO.  NO to everything.  When I was growing up I knew my dad (at least) had smoked a joint on occassion and I felt that gave me license to at least try it once.  I did try it...for about a year (very occasionally at parties...around age 15) but quickly realized I didn't like what it did to me and stopped completely.  But I would never admit to trying that to my kids.  What they don't know they don't need to know. I had much more freedom than todays kids do.  Today we all know what/where/who the kids are with/doing.  They've grown up that way and really it's become the norm for them.