Jan 2008--Ain't it Great?

Carol....I'll be the first to agree with you about the diamonds.  My neighbor used to give his wife some kind of diamond when she finished a round of chemo...I say before is better incentive.  lol

Hi fellow Jewels!  Had my MUGA scan yesterday-- a piece of cake.  I almost fell asleep during it-- such a difference from the MRI where I freaked out.  I think I'll get at least 2 more MUGAs during treatment.  The chemo talk was uneventful.  I thought I'd be seeing my onc as I had tons of questions, but I saw a nurse and she didn't know the answers to most of my questions.  I intend on calling my onc when he's back in the office next week.  One thing I did learn is that the Decadron I do the day before, of, and after chemo in combination with an antiemetic I'll get the day of chemo should be very helpful with N/V.  Yay!  I think the antiemetic I'll get is called Aloxi-- I've heard others talk about it favorably.  I also have an RX for Zofran to have at home just in case.  I am more freaked out now about the constipation it all causes.  And I had some bad dreams last night about hair loss.  The mind is a terrible thing!  I got tons of literature about what to eat, etc.  So as I read it, I'll share the info if it's good.  Did you all know about doing mouthrinses 6-8 times daily with baking soda?  It's supposed to lessen mouth sores.  I'm supposed to do it daily during my 4 rounds (so for 12 weeks).  I'll try anything that helps. I also signed up for a Look Good, Feel Better class and am pretty excited about what they can teach me to look less yucky during chemo.  Got my "cranial prosthesis" RX, too and will start shopping after Christmas.  So much info at once.  Oh, and I got a good book--- "the chemo cookbook"-- at our cancer center's library. I'll share that, too as I browse through it or try stuff.  i can get anyone the true title and author if you want to look it up, but it came highly recommended to me and so far a quick glance looks promising.  Gotta go.  I'll check in later.

P.S.  Welcome Lori to our group.  So sorry to hear of your recurrence.  We have a great group here that will be supportive for you.  What is your HER2 status?

Vettegal - just did my AND last Thursday, hoping to get drain out today!!!!   Waiting for results today too.   I found my IPod was my best thing I could take to the hospital, although it may have been a little rude to zone out my dh, it helped me relax as much as possible prior to surgery, as well as after when I was doozing in and out.   Here's to your speedy recovery and a no positive nodes found !  Carol

Vettegal:  Good luck with tomorrow's surgery.  Take a shoelace or some kind of lanyard to put around your neck and pin your drain(s) to it so they don't get pulled.  It's also nice to have slippers b/c the floors are so cold at the hospital

Hey Jewels,

I love that gals from the 2007 group have popped by to say hello and offer their words of encouragment. Thank you....without those who have gone before helping us through this...we'd be muddling along without direction. Just think, in a year from now, we will be doing the same for another group of women.



To those who are having tests, treatments, or surgeries...I'm sending out postitive energy into the universe for you...



To those, like me, waiting to begin chemo, enjoy the holidays....don't think about it or let it worry you as worry only takes away precious time that can be better used doing something way more fun...like drinking a good glass of red wine or a cranberritini with appetizers guaranteed to be 'bad' for you, and the love and laughter of friends and family.



My sisters and friends are all convinced I haven't experienced much pain with my bilateral mastectomy with immediate expander placement-15 days ago- because I sent it out to the universe to have each of them take on what they could for me...all of them have been saying their breasts hurt for me. Now, those are good friends and loving sisters! :-)



Just got back from the oncologist-start chemo after the 1st of the year- TAC (Taxodere, Adriamycin, and Cyclophosphamide). I'm all for the magic number three-Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three...and you're out a there!!!!! Every three weeks is also working for me.



I wrote a poem out of the blue yesterday. It wanted to be written, and who am I to deny it that?



Cancer slinked in quietly dressed in black… unnoticed,

acting all nonchalant so as not to draw attention to itself.

Never suspecting its eventual discovery, it made itself at home.

Caught like a thief in the spotlight of modern medicine, it was

extricated from my breasts and sentenced to death.

Reclaiming what has been stolen from me is impossible;

nevertheless, I am content, for I have emerged the victor.

I have survived to tell the tale.



What more could one ask for during this holiday season? 100% Alive Today!!!!!!



Merry Christmas Jewels,

Your SIS(Sister In Survival)

Kimberly



P.S. Deb, now that I think of it, yes, I do work for the government. Technically teachers do work for the government since our pay comes from the state coffers, after each District has shaken out their budget, and I know how in love with acronyms they are...it's contagious.

Vettegal - so the drain removal wasn't bad at all.  She cut the stitich, told me to take a deep  breath and I had to ask if it was out!

Unfornunately my path report was not as great.  I have 2 more nodes out of a total 34 removed positive.  I can't believe they took two levels according to the path report and they got 34.  I'm actually pretty thin, especially my arms and I guess I assumed they would not get that many.

Today I did not see a doc, just the nurse who gave me a copy of the path report.  I will not go over those results with a doc until next week after Xmas.  Thus I guess I need to update my profile...here's to better luck for you, Carol

D1 - as easy as it is for me to say, try your darndest to have a great time in NYC.   I'm not the first to say that cars can be repaired and as long as no one is seriously injured, you have other things to put your energy towards.  Hoping your daughter can erase this ugly memory as well.  We as well have two daughters (my step daughters) home from college, it was pretty funny as they noticed no gifts under the tree, I said "that is a correct statement", and laughed.  We're planning on alot of gift certs. this year.

I personally celebrated having my drain removed with a couple small glasses of vino tonight and a steak dinner.   We've been lucky to have friends bring food all week long, but I hate to say it, I can't do another casserole at this point.  I'll deal with the reality of more nodes involved tomorrow!!!  Carol

Hi Everyone,

I go back to my oncologist Dec 28th and thats the day I guess I sign off on my life too. I will find out what kind of chemo and for how long and if I need a port or not. I have had 2 lumpectomies and SNB, and they are telling me they finally got it all out of my breast, I have my clear margins. And I also had a biospy above my nipple, no cancer found. So in Jan I'm chemo bound!  The reason why I was told i'm having chemo is because of the size of my tumor, it was 2.3 cm. So I'm ready to join everyone, hoping and praying its the best year for all of us. Everyone have a Merry Christmas!

D1 - enjoy your weekend and time with your family, we'll all be here when you return home!!!  Carol

Kim:

I have a similar chemo-tini: I'm doing taxotere and cyclophosphamide (cytoxan), and herceptin.  We can share info along the way.  I start Jan. 16.  Are you getting a port?

I think SNB is sentinel node biopsy... at least that's how I refer to it.  Don't know what ANB is though.

ANB, I'm assuming that the reference is to Axillary Node Biopsy (or Dissection).

hi jewels, back from my surgery..

came home yesterday really sore. Got percocets for pain. i wanted to tell everyone HELLO..my hubby is taking care of my drain. I going to take off the bandage this morning to see how big the cut is and finally see the drain.I have missed so much on the boards, hope everyone is well...i will try to talk later...

Welcome back vettegal!  Hope the percocets keep you comfortable.  One big step done-- next will be getting that darn drain out.  But remember, for now it's your friend.  At least you're home; I found it much more comfortable being home:) 

Does JJ stand for "just joking"???

Welcome to the Jewels LJ13. Bummer about having to do chemo first before even knowing much about what you're dealing with. It is so interesting how everyone's treatment plan is so different. I had three tumors-the first detected by annual mammo, the second and third by PET scan and confirmed by MRI.

Two in the breast and one in the axillary node.



I hope all goes well for you on the 27th. Keep us posted. My chemotini doesn't occur until after the first of the year. I should know the for sure date by next week.



Kathy-I don't know if JJ means just joking...maybe D1 will let me know when she returns from NYC...



Hope you're having a great time D1...I love NY. Even though I've only been one time, it left a lasting impression.



Your SIS(Sister In Survival)

Kimberly