Starting Chemo in May 07

P.S.   I go for my first mammo since all this started.  Have you all had a mammo since the beginning?  It better be an all clear,,,,,,thats all I gotta say.

Cindy

Virginia,,,,,,,,,,,where u going on a cruise?  How nice for you.  Im going to Arizona on the 12th to visit an old friend that I have known for 40 years.  She's an expert martini maker,,,,,so gonna indulge in some bubbly.  Have funnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Cindy

Hey Everyone!

Lar, I've been overdoing the sweets too.  Once I get started on Christmas I can't stop and we received a bunch of sweets for Christmas.

Mandy, My favorite Christmas present is my hoop earring collection, but my niece gave me a very cute Tinkerbelle notebook which definitely gets honorable mention.  How are you feeling?  Is the radiation making you tired at all?

Good to hear from you Cindy in SoCal!  I don't think I be having any more mammos (bilateral mastectomy)--maybe MRI's but no one has said anything about that yet.

Virginia, I meant to say good luck on your US.  Did it go ok?  Lucky you, going on a cruise.  I used to work for a cruise line and spent a few months in the Caribbean.  It's more fun on vacation.  I like martinis too--the flavored kind though like apple and I had a fabulous blood orange martini last weekend at LUNCH!!!

Have you guys changed your diet?  Are you worried about sugar and alcohol?  Soy?  I worry about these things but so far haven't really done anything about it.  I keep saying when my treatment's over I will clean up my diet so I think it's time to get to it. 

And CindyKS, you are expecting your scan results today, yes?  I'll be thinking of you and hoping for great news.

Cindy from So Cal - I did have a mammo, it was digital and seeing the results immediately rocked.  It was clear (all the bright dots spread out) so I'm happy.  Plus they gave me chocolate while I was waiting for the radiologist to read the mammo. 

Virginia, sorry to hear about your dad.  I'm glad your US results was ok ... your ovaries need to shape up and stop worrying you!

Amanda, you probably know this, but before you spend too much time on itemizing the med bills you should figure if the total is going to be less than (I think it is) 7-1/2% of your gross income.   Anything less than that you can't deduct

I'm so glad you're mom is doing well and is in good spirits!

Traci??? where are you?  Are you with your sis?  I was wondering how your implants are doing?  Mine are still rather firm and have not dropped at all like they said they would.  Maybe it's too early.  I hope you had a great holiday and you and sis are doing well.

oh girlies, you all are so sweet....

Lar- I haven't changed my diet one lick...  I figure I should just to lose a couple of pounds, but like some of the other gals said, cancer sucks so why should I deprive myself of things that make me happy (like cookies and ice cream).  Has anyone heard of that gal (real young) that was on Oprah that had like Stage 4 cancer and basically told she had no hope and she started eating all this holistic stuff and she's doing great??  I think, gosh, that should be motivation enough...  

Amanda- you are funny asking about the bucket list...  I have thought of that...especially with that movie out there...  I have NO desire to do things like jump out of a plane or anything...  LOL  (I bet you would put jumping out of a plane at the TOP of YOUR list, Mandy --- NOT!  LOL)

Glad to hear you girls are handling the rads ok...  At least those SE's are fairly temporary.  I know that I finished rads back in April and went on my cruise 1 week later and was really worried that my skin would be raw...  It healed in like 1-2 weeks.  I have to say that my rads doc was very much "present" (at the hospital that rocked) and I saw him every week.  Almost TOO much b/c I had to pay the co-pay for him to look at me and say, "everything's good......keep going...."

Lar- my hospital that rocks is a little local hospital in Englewood New Jersey.  They do digital mammo's and FOUND my cancer to begin with.  Then, I had a biopsy that came back ER/PR+ with HER2 amplification.  I ended up having my surgery at Sloan Kettering in New York (supposed to be the best cancer hospital in the world, right?).  Well, surgery was awesome, but the path report came back ER/PR+ and HER2 NEGATIVE!  So, I started rads...  Well, the onc in NYC said, we better check that report from Englewood...we're sure we're right because we're Sloan Kettering...but we have to make sure.  Well, low and behold, my onc's office in NYC called me in right away and said, "oops, they made a mistake, you are HER2+ and you need chemo and 1 year of herceptin..."  So, short story long, I always say that my little hospital in New Jersey actually saved my life...so I will forever love them and say they rock.  Plus, with this US and them getting the results immediately...to yet another hospital...  (I got to a third hospital for the chemo/herceptin b/c my onc in NYC knew an onc in NJ, but NOT in Englewood...)  ARGH.  See I "tole" you it would be a story for a martini!!  LOL  Anyhow, that's just a taste of the drama of my cancer journey....  I'm sure we ALL have stories to tell...

Liz and Traci- keep us posted on your boobies!    I'm sure everything will "fall" in to place eventually....

Mandy- loved your happy/frisky post!! 

Sorry for being so long winded!!

Virginia 

Okay, so hubby was playing Wii with the kids last night and apparently the early morning rad appointments and the red wine won over the libido because I don't even remember him coming to bed!  So much for frisky.

Virginia, the only way I'd be happy jumping out of an airplane is if the thing was crashing (which I somehow believe will happen to every plane that I am on) so you're only partially right! I would skydive before I'd bunjy jump though..neither are on my list by the way - I am a big chicken.  I like to think that socially, I am brave.  I LOVE public speaking and would love to give a speech to thousands of people if they'd listen.  I am curious though (and forgot to ask Amanda yesterday) what is a "bucket list"???  I want one too! ( I think?)

This sucks, it is dark outside and before 8am in my time zone.  My whole family is sleeping because they are on a holiday schedule (my rads appointments are at 8am every day so I have to leave at 7:15am - when I get back my family hasn't even stirred yet!) so here I sit in the dark, while every else sleeps.  Hmmmm......maybe I can go wake up hubby!

See ya!

Mandy

Twilight Zone?  That sounds like an AWESOME tradition!  Yep, I was done with rads at the end of October, so it's just Tamoxifen for me these days.  No SE's to speak of either.  That's awesome that your HER2+ was caught.  That's something I've been afraid missing on the path, but since I got the FISH test, too, I'm hoping that's sort of like getting a double check.

Speaking of SE's ... and getting frisky.  Dare I share that last night was the first big O since chem-O?  lol   I really was starting to wonder if it was gone for good.  Maybe not as before, but I still got it!  I'm just terrified that ablating my ovaries is going to tip it back in the other direction (though my Gyn insists that it won't).

And NO WAY I am giving up my red wine! 

Hi girls!

Words can not express how happy I am to be able to have access to my computer to check in!

I've been sitting her for about an hour reading everybody's posts and mostly....laughing my *ss off! You guys are so funny. I'm so happy to know you. I sooooooo needed a laugh!

If I don't see or talk to a family member for 6 months it won't bother me. O.k. that's an exaggeration (sp?) but I am SO happy they are all finally gone!

This is gonna be a long post so go get something to drink and kick back. I have a lot of catching up to do!

My computer was practically, literally buried with Debbi's stuff. Santa's presents and all that. My home office is little. Plus, now that I have a roommate, there was a mattress on the floor.

I gave up my bedroom because of Debbi's surgery. But, my roommate brought a nice couch with her so it was o.k.

Did I ever mention we used to call Debbi Pig Pen when she was little? Well, it's stuck. Man....she is messy! And, her kids are too! My place was a wreck.  Her husband is a JERK! Listen to this one.....So, we are all at my mom's house on Christmas Eve. Big family, big party. Debbi does too much. She went shopping that day....all day....and then had too much fun at mom's and anyway, when she got back to my house, she threw up. Now, we all know how bad it hurts to sneeze after surgery....she was crying so hard and was in so much pain that she took two....darvacets (sp?). Neither one of us handles pain medicine very well. Anyway, she finally went to sleep after helping her lazy husband wrap "Santa's" presents at like 3:00 am.

Christmas morning....are you ready for this??? Her loser husband tries to wake her up so the kids can open there presents and she literally can't get up. She needs more sleep. It was like 7:30 am and she was drugged up, in pain and exhausted. So you know what he does?? He let's the BRATS open ALL of their presents while she slept!!! I should note here that I had spent the night at my mom's and wasn't here otherwise that would NOT have happened.

Debbi was so upset. She was in pain and just cried and cried and cried. That f*ing jerk. GAWD....I can't stand him!!

o.k....so anyway.....Debbi finally leaves to drive back to Atlanta. It takes me 5 hours to clean my house. Just as I was finishing, my other sister Denise (she had the uterine cancer) who was staying at my stepmonsters house, came to mine with her husband and her stepdaughter Anne Marie (who I love) to mess up my house again!

o.k....that's it. The point is, Denise left this morning at about 9:00 am and I just got finished cleaning my house again, took a shower and came on finally...to check on my girlfriends!!!

I AM SOOOOOO GLAD CHRISTMAS IS OVER!!!

Who asked about the fave present? I didn't write that down. I can't remember what my favorite present was because I'm too tired!!

We draw names too. There are 12 neices and nephews now and like 15 adults so, we draw 3 kids names and 1 adult. That way, everybody gets decent presents and not a bunch of stuff from the Dollar Tree. : )

o.k.... now you guys!! (copy first) lol! The stuff that cracked me up!!:

Virginia...."prolly" !!! "so few side effects from Tamoxifen because you keep forgetting to take it" !!! "bond with couch"!! Oh boy....funny stuff. Sorry it's so gloomy in NJ. You should come to FL. I was sweating my butt off all week cleaning! It was 83 here today! Good grief..... You said you took Nintendo away from your babies? (funny) what babies? I thought you didn't have babies.

I was gonna ask you what a TV US was too but it got answered except...what's Trans Vaginal?

That is too cool you were in NYC at Christmas! Thanks for the pic!
Mandy....ok...I almost fell out of my chair when you said you would only jump out of an airplane if it were crashing. I'm laughing my ass off just typing that!!!!!!!!!!! Tears are streaming....man....oh and the "my font just got huge" lol!!! I'm so happy I have my computer back. o.k...stop laughing and finish your book Traci. What twin 1 yr olds?? Man....I would have loved Christmas if I had had twin 1 yr olds at my house....awe......Oh yea and, the 100 movies thing was funny too. Debbi's brats got way too much stuff. Way too much. They are so spoiled rotten.

Lar...I'm not giving up my red wine either sister! My jerk BIL made a comment about me drinking wine at Christmas and I told him to give me a break. (Meanly) And, I wish I was in my 30's. OMG....I just forgot...am I 41 or 42? Good grief I literally have to do the math. I was born in July, 1966...at least I remember that. Holy Cow.  Finally, about the cervix. Yes, it's gone. I told him to take everything out that I didn't need to live and he did.

Good luck on your surgery on Jan 9 sister. We'll be thinking about you.

Liz....the Xanax thing with the in laws!!! I would not have survived Christmas without my Xanax. Hey....are you near Orange County Choppers????? I think they are cool! My implants are like hamburger buns. I hate them. They are getting softer but it's weird some places are like the old timey water beds and other places are harder. I hate them. Oh well.

Loraine!! Your daughter has a baby?? That freaks me out girl because you look young....when did you start when you were 12? (If that's the case, I don't mean to offend! LOL) Your nails comment: Today was the first day in I don't know how long...I was able to change my toenail polish. YUCK!!!!!! My big toenail on my right foot was half sorta brown and when I went to cut it it was like mush! This sucks because after reading all the se's that others were having I thought I was lucky. boo hoo..... once again....oh well! (crap)

Amanda, LeeAnne just dropped by? Was that the first time y'all had met?? I'm sorry about your mom's Aunt sister. Sad stuff. : (

It was so nice to see Cindy post!! : )

o.k....I think that's it other than....Janet Evanovich. I LOVE her books! Virginia, didn't I tell you about her??? I know I told someone on this board who was feeling blue about her.

I wrote her a letter once because after my roommates identical twin sis died and I was coming home from Detroit, I had like 2 hours to kill before my flight left. So, I picked up one of her books and with the first paragraph started laughing out loud. I told her that and she mailed me a thank you letter back. Handwritten! I thought that was so cool of her.

ok...this has to be the longest post ever. Sorry...I just missed you guys.

Love you all tons!

Traci

ps Mandy! I'm so happy I've got you looking at the football scores! Tomorrow they are playing Washington which is our biggest rival and they are talking about not playing our starters (that means our really good players) because we don't "need" the win and that pisses me off!!!! I hope they win anyway. My roommates new boyfriend is from Washington and he's coming over to watch the game. He better not be a mean fan or a sore winner/loser cuz I hate that!!

k....I'm done. Gonna go watch the Patriots/Giants game!!

Hugs everybody. Sorry the post was so long!

GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This game is a freaking nail biter!!!!

Phew, I'm so glad you were rooting for my Giants!  They play about 20 miles from my house.......  Argh.  I am wiped out from watching that game.  Dang-it all, they lost!  GRRRRR.  You know that Bridget Moynahan had Brady's baby, right?  Well, she named him John Edward Thomas (or JET).  LOL

Oh, and I meant to tell you Traci- that both my big toe nails were trashed with chemo.  They more than 1/2 fell off...  Gross.  I showed them to the girl that does my nails yesterday...she's going to fix them up for my cruise...

Hope you aren't too exhausted from the game!!

LOL

Virginia 

Mtn Mama - isn't it great when that ummm...friskiness...comes back?!!  Woohoo!  I was so bummed when that whole part of my life went away during chemo.

OK ladies,

I'm all caught up on what everyone has been up to.  I've read all the old posts.  But Chemo brain has me forgetting most of it.

I'm glad everyone had a nice Christmas.  Mine was good.  I didn't really do much.  My son and his prego girlfriend came over and we had a nice meal together.  The 2 boys fought like normal then they went to grandma's and cleaned the dead broken branches out of her yard.  Well they stacked them in her yard.

I did get my scan results.  There was no change in the liver mets but the lung mets had shrunk.  We are going to stick with the same chemo regamine for 2 more times and then redo the PET scan to see if the liver mets change.  The onc thinks maybe it is just scared so that is why it didnt show change with the CT scan.

I had Chemo on Thursday instead of Friday because my nephew got married on Saturday and I wanted to feel well enough to go to the wedding. 

I did and it was a pretty wedding.  LOL she is about a foot and half shorter than him.  When they locked arms to drink the punch I thought she was going to get red punch all over her pretty white dress cause she had to stretch so much. 

My family is celebrating Christmas on New Years day.  Because of the wedding my brother from Virginia is here with some of his kids.  Mom is making a chili luncheon.  YUM.  My neices hubby is bringing me a Virginia Tech T-shirt to wear for the orange bowl.  I'm a Kansas State fan and would rather wear VT colors than KU colors.  LOL.  Besides my brother works at VT so I'm supporting his school.

I've started my bucket list.  Sky diving is on that list.  It is something I've always wanted to do.  I also have a cruise on my list. 

It seems sad to be making a list at 38 but maybe if I make it early I'll be able to do some of the stuff on my list.  I cant wait to see the movie.

Well have a Safe and Happy New Year Everyone.  Dont party to hard.

CindyKS