Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Jan,

My thoughts and prayers are with you on Tuesday. You'll do just fine! 

love and hugs,

Lynn

We'll all be with you in spirit, Jan.  I have no doubt you'll do well - you're in the best of hands, and you're strong and healthy.  We'll be looking forward to getting reports through Rebecca, and we'll miss you while you're away.  Lots of positive energy coming in your direction!

Jan - Good luck - you'll be fine.  Wishing you a complete and speedy recovery.

I may not check in much this week gals as I am off to Montreal tomorrow until Thursday.  It's the first real trip I've been on since dx, so even though it's business I am glad for the change.  And even though I generally love to cook, the prospect of not cooking for 5 days is enticing.

Jan, best of luck this week and I'll be anxiously awaiting news from your DH.  Enjoy being waited on in the hospital!

We'll miss you while you're gone!  XOXO  Tina

Hi,

Okay, Tina, I give up. Ma Water Resource Authority? That's what I got when I googled it. Charlestown has changed quite a bit, turning into a real hot place to live. Real estate is going crazy there. Gosh, you are a baby. I graduated HS in '68 and Umass in '72.

You are quite the traveler. Ed and I lived in Boulder, Co for around 3 years in the early eighties, but besides there, I only lived in Ma. We moved to Colorado so Ed could start his own business (2000 mile competition clause with old employee) and moved back after clause was over- 3 years.

We loved Colorado, but we missed the ocean. We are yearning to move south someday. I guess that might depend where Jonathan and Meri end up.



A quiet day here- just dreaming about Vegas. It is bitter cold today. A good day to stay in and relax-- and watch the Pats game.



Lynn, Amera,

GO PATS!!!



Jan,

Good luck this week.

Caya,

I hope you are having a fabulous time.

Melia,

Thinking of you.



Everyone,

Have a great day.



Love,

Viddie

Jan,

I've joined the others sending you the strongest positive thoughts possible. May the medical staff be alert, consciencious, very very smart , compassionate,  tender......

May you have peace.

hugs and prayers for you!

Cindy 

Hi Ladies,

Jan, we will have you at the utmost top of our thoughts, and waiting for that message to come through Rebecca.

Robbin, great to hear from you! I think all of us are waiting for spring, and having hair nightmares. I finally trimmed the "brillo pads" from behind each ear. It was looking dangerously close to a mullet...business in front and a party in the back, as they say. Massage 3x a week sounds good on any part of the body, though I am sure breast lymphedema is not fun. I didn't know you could get it there either.

Deb, yes the show is this wed.night at 10 eastern, 9 central. I will either be watching at a neighbor's or at a resort in the Dells with DH dpending on whether I feel like driving up there to join him.

Tina, sounds like a lovely quiet day you had yesterday. I ended up going to giant mall near Chicago with DH to hunt for a laptop for his dad. I enjoyed seeing the mix of people, and got a couple new sweaters that open in front for better port access. But my back was bothering me in that bothersome new spot. Today was ten below zero so I let dh go to church by himself and enjoyed a quiet morning with the pup. No creatures were stirring out there at those temps.

Joni, I am thinking of you, was your appt. Tuesday? Melia, waiting to hear about your weekend away.

I will be at the doc's office by 10:30 am tomorrow, I'm going alone but dh will be five minutes away if I need him. B9, B9, B9..... - skye

Skye, you'll be on my mind in the morning for sure.  Love and hugs to you, and B9B9B9B9B9!  Can't wait to see you on tv Wednesday.

Caya, your trip sounds like such fun, even if it is business.  I'd love to see Montreal. 

Joni, thinking of you also, and hoping for the best.

I can't believe my four day weekend is over - I finally got my desk cleaned off from before Christmas, but can that be all I did?  I did go work out a couple days, but don't have much else to show for it.  But a clean desk, that's nothing to sneeze at!

We decided that my little orange kitty needs some exercise.  He's 15, and stocky to begin with, and his weight has really ballooned since Ted has had to be on the special renal diet, which is high calorie.  Can't feed them separately, it just doesn't work, so Farley has been gaining weight steadily for months.  Anyway, I had to measure him to fit the little harness, and his waist is 20"!  I told Larry, when I met him my waist was only 23", now our kitty is nearly there, lol.  Don't worry, though, my waist is nowhere near 23 now!  I used to hate that little waist - what was I thinking?

Again, Skye, good luck tomorrow.  Hope we all have a good week.

Hugs,

Skye, I didn't know you were going to be on TV on Wed.  I must have missed that.  What show?  I'll TiVo.

Viddie, yes, it was the state water resource authority that I worked for.  My first lesson in wasteful government.  Boy, oh boy.... 

Caya, Gibby's sounds nice.  I love places w/interesting atmosphere.  So cold here too.  13 degrees.  ICK!

Pretty much just playing Ringmaster with the DH this weekend,  hosting the kids friends.  Jaclyn had Olivia and her sister over yesterday and then for dinner last night.  I sent them home at 7 and we were all asleep by 9 again.  Kids are off Mon. and Tues. this week.  Ouch!  Very hard to deal with when it's too cold for them to go outside.

Skye, best of luck today.  Jan, I believe is having tests done today and surgery Tues., right?  And Joni, this is your week too, to figure out the plan.  A big week.  Maybe I'll find out where I'm going to be living.

Mel, organizing is very therapeutic, I find.  It's one thing I can have control over, when so many other parts of my life are not in my control.  Plus, it's free!

just a quick check in. Pre-op this afternoon went well. I feel very confident with both surgeons. I had a CT scan this morning to mark the veins. It took 2 techs, 1 nurse and finally a doctor to get the IV in. Apparently b/c they needed to use a big needle. Other than that everything went well and I am ready for the big day tomorrow!



One very sad bit of news - my aunt (in Toronto who has been sick for months) died last night. She was in horrible shape and had no chance of getting better. She was my favorite aunt and I will miss her, but I am glad that she is no longer suffering.

Jan, glad all went well today.  I'm sorry about your aunt.  That's a heavy load on top of an already heavy one.  I'm sure she'll be looking out for you.

Thx, Debbie, yes, Skye PM'd me about her show.  I set up the TiVo today.  I am good to go.

Other than that, nothing new.  Company in Miami called the DH to say he is their man...just waiting for their president to sign off as the DH held out for more $ than they had budgeted.  Basically, same thing they told us last Wed.  However, I need these intermittent bits of contact that all is well or I get into a slump.  Today was a verrrrrry long day for me.  Prob. because it's cold as hell.  Sharon, I can't stand it!  I feel your pain up there.  It's been like 16 degrees all weekend here. 

Hi Ladies,

Big day tomorrow for Jan, Joni and Lynn also with going back to work FT. Thinking of you all!



My bone scan didn't show anything, so the insurance won't pay for a PET. But the MRI plainly showed the tumor and the doctor could also feel it with his finger today, and it has been hurting more so he is going to order a biopsy which will cost the insurance more and hurt me more. Go figure! My doc said he may send me to Milwaukee for this, and believe me I am not looking forward to the prospect of a needle in my spine. He said it will take a week to set that up. So...I am still waiting but at least I know there is nothing advanced enough to show up in the bone scan. Still, if it didn't show a 1.5 cm tumor I have to wonder what else did not show up. He still thinks it could possibly be benign but says he can't take a chance because if it isn't, it has to be treated immediately. I'm glad and disheartened at the same time I guess.



At least I get to stay home tomorrow. Driving through the present snowstorm was a nightmare today. We are supposed to get 8 inches total. Sharon, I may be south of you but it's no picnic here either. Winter in general gets very old about this time of year. If you can glory in some fancy-free ice skating, more power to you!



Thanks, Deb and Tina, for setting up Tivos to watch that. I'm going to a friend's house. Hoping it doesn't suck! - Skye

Brrr indeed Sharon…we have been in the deep freeze here as well.  All the mud that has formed next to my driveway has now frozen into crazy footprint shapes.

Glad that preop went well Jan….get a good night’s sleep tonight so you will be good and rested to sleep all day tomorrow!  Positive thoughts coming your way….I will be obsessively checking my email for news.  I am very sorry for your aunt.

Good luck going back to work tomorrow Lynn…make sure you do not push yourself too hard!

Skye I can not believe that your insurance co still will not pay for a PET scan….go figure, I guess this way they get more discomfort and inconvenience for their dollar.   Insurance companies make me crazy.  I am looking forward to watching your show…I do not think it has any chance of sucking!  I have to watch it the good old fashioned way since I do not have a Tivo or even a vcr hooked to my TV!

I just wanted to check in quick…catch you all later!

Jan, I wondered if you would be able to check in today or not - glad you did, and glad you're feeling confident and ready for your big day tomorrow. We'll be thinking of you, and waiting anxiously for a good report.  My sympathy on the loss of your aunt.  It is never easy to lose someone we love, even if they are perhaps better off, so for you, I'm sorry. 

Lynn, good luck with going back to work tomorrow.  It does seem like you just had that surgery, so don't overdo, and don't feel guilty if you have to cut your hours back. 

Tina, glad you got some more positive feedback re: your dh's job situation, and I'm so glad you're getting to go to Florida after all.  Waiting like you are now is hard, but since it's because they are having to give him more money than they had planned, I guess it's worth waiting!  I know you'll be so relieved when this is settled, though. 

Sharon, I can just imagine you skating, in your zone, just like a kid.  I guess it helps being a short person when you go to fall down and have less far to fall.  I love ice skating, and should really make it a point to skate once in a while.  Or maybe I've passed the point where I should be doing that - I might just break something.

Joni, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.  Skye, you're scaring me - where are you?  I've been thinking of you all day.  I hope no news is good news.  Of course, I started this post quite a while ago and got distracted, so maybe you've checked in by now.