Roll Call - 2005, how are ya?

Hi Nicki

I'm sherryw, we used to chat a lot in 05. 

I was dx  3 years ago on 2/14/05, lumpectomy and axillary node dissection 3/3/05.  I had a 2 cm IDC & 3+ nodes out of 17.

I had 4 A/C, 12 Taxol, 52 herceptin & 36 radiation tx. I was er/pr+ her2+.

During my treatments I ended up with pancreatitis & had my gallbladder removed.  I spent 56 days in the hospital on and off for 3 months, for the pain from my gallbladder and the pancreatitis.  They didn't want to remove my gallbladder until I was done with chemo, however, I got a fever and so they had to remove it.  I was on the pain killers for 3 months so I ended up getting addicted to them and had to be weaned off of them. 

I started out on Tamoxifin but then I had a full hysterectomy, so then I was able to start on Arimidex.  But I had a lot of body and bone pain from that so about a month and a half ago I started on Femara, so far it is more tolerable.  I still cannot sleep so I take sleeping pills every night.  

I still have not been able to go back to work because I cannot focus hardly at all.  As of last oncologist visit in January,

            I am still dancing with NED.

So I guess we can say I am a 3 year survivorwomen.

sherry

Hi'diagnosed in Sept,2005. So coming up to three years.

So far so good for me. Mastectomy, 4FAC,4TH then 1 year oh H alone. Recon, Nov,2007. Oh and 25 rads!

BC is still very much in my thoughts but I do my best to not let it dominate. Nice to hear from you all.

Hi Nicki and my other 2005 Sisters!!

I was diagnosed 2005, stage IIIb IBC, and I am doing pretty well. Tx was fairly long, and I am so very grateful that the drug herceptin was available.

Life isn't the same as before bc, but it is better in some ways. Definitely don't sweat the small stuff quite as much. I too think about bc every day, but it isn't as disabling as before. It truly gets better each day.

Haven't had recon yet, so have the reminder every day that I am missing a boobie because of bc. But, life is good!!

Lexi

Hi ladies,

Dx'd in June so a few months away from 3 years - feeling pretty good (especially since onc told me avg with mets was 2 yrs - figure this is all gravy!)

Glad to hear everyone seems to be doing well - you've all made this much easier to go through. 

Take care,

Kari

KariLyn, were you a metster from the start?

I personally knew an er pos lady who had mets to her lung and bones for 15 years, she died in her mid 80's. She had many good years.

Defy the stats! Live on gravy!

I love my gloves too. They were a gift from LauraGTO ,she is one thoughtful, special lady.I have passed them to Chumfry when she went through round 2 last year. my hair is much longer now but that Avatar pretty much defines me.LOL.

Greetings to the Class of 2005

I was diagnosed right before Memorial Day weekend, had my surgery in July (left mast and recon) and began the Sept 05 chemo thread (although my first chemo was Aug 30 as the water was coming over the levees in New Orleans-remember that?)

I attended Camp Nukemboobies in Jan and Feb 06.

I am currently on Arimidex with only minor side effects and in spite of all the usual anxieties when I go for a check up, I'm doing great.

By the way, my hair went from mostly blond to brown so I often put a red rinse in to make it more interesting. One thing I discovered is that I have no patience with the blow drying thing anymore, so I've kept it fairly short. 

Happy Anniversary to each of you as you cross your 3 year milestones.

May there be many, many more.

Thank you all for sharing your stories and for your continued encouragement!

Peggy 

NNN, aka Chemosabi, aka Nickki,

Sure, Maggiano's would be great - just need to know the date! 

Hi there ladies! Unoccustomed as I am to the boards, I've spent a couple of hours here the last two nights. I just came upon this thread, and I have to say I'm delighted to hear from some of the ol' gang.

I still go into the chat room regularly, at least for a few minutes. There are always newbies, but some more veteran chatters still show up regularly. I'm still in remission from lung mets, and I have a gut feeling that the BC will be in remission for a long time. Unfortunately, I was found to have a liver tumor on my "routine" CT scan in late August. I had a liver biopsy and radio frequency ablation of the tumor in Nov. It was a totally new kind of cancer...neuroendocrine cancer, that had spread to my liver. To date, the primary site hasn't show up, and it may never do so. The good news is that this is a very indolent form of cancer, and not life threatening. No treatment is needed unless I become symptomatic.

The other big news is that I'm moving to North Carolina in a week. I'll be moving into my mothers' condo near Asheville, and looking after her. She just turned 84 this week, and needs to have someone with her.

Nikki....thanks for checking in on us. Hugs. 

Hi Nutty Nurse Nicki!

Diagnosed August 15th 2005--Surgery Sept 27 2005--Rads (Camp nukem boobie) November 2005.  Arimidex ever since.  In fact, NNN, I think it was the camp where I first saw your tee pee.  Did anyone ever find the words to the camp song?  That song helped me to past many an ugly day.  

These boards have always been the lighthouse beam in the storm--what a crew--each and everyone.

I'm NED so far.  Last week my breast surgeon gave me 7 months between visits!  Today the onc gave me one YEAR!  I felt like I graduated! What a good feeling.

Still dealing with the SE of Arimidex, but that is what it is.  Magnesium considerably reduced the joint pain and lifted much of the cognitive fog.  Memory is still a problem...comes with the age and menopause I think.  Scheduled for an MRI to check.  I'm fairly certain that that will be OK.

After much thought, I started back on Zoloft to take the edge off of chemical menopause...it was too much angry energy exerted.  

There aren't words to describe how I feel about all of the ladies here.  I'd have been lost without you.

Best wishes to all....as always

Hi All

Found my tumor on a routine mammogram in April 2005 (4 months after my Dad died suddenly at 68, 2005 WAS a rotten year). I had my biopsy a few weeks later,  and was diagnosed right after Memorial Day 05 at 43. Had my lumpectomy a week later because I wanted it done before my daughter's high school graduation.

Didn't find this site till July, when I got my pathology report. It had a pamphlet of "how to read your pathology report" by Breastcancer.org. I would have loved to have found this site when I was first diagnosed! 

Had radiation August through Sept. Dec 05, I chose to have a complete hysterectomy (everything but the vagina). Er and Pr+ plus to get rid of those awful heavy periods (I was still like clockwork, very premenopausal). 2 weeks after the "instant menopause" I was put on Arimidex. Within a month I was having 30 hot flashes a day. I was put on Effexor. After upping the dose a couple of times, the hot flashes went down to 10 a day. I stayed on it till a couple of months ago. I took me a month to come off it. I wanted to try something else. I'm now on Neurontin. I switched to Femara after a year and a half on Arimidex because of all the side effects. Femara was worse. My feet and achille's tendons were so bad I could barely walk. I'm now back on Arimidex, and am seriously thinking of coming off altogether. I'm seeing my oncologist in a couple of weeks, and will see what she thinks. I can't take the aches, the fuzzy memory, the hot flashes, and especially, the loss of all my libido (my poor husband of 25yrs!).

I have been ok, other than those side effects. I still think about the cancer returning, but not as much as I used to. My 2 mammograms since my surgery have come back fine. Thank God!

I do remember Camp Nukemboobee and the song. It was very funny. I remember telling my nurse at my radiation treatments about this website and the name of our rad support page. He thought it was great!

I remember most of you, and am glad to hear you are all doing pretty good. I remember going to this site at least once a day for the first year. Lately it's been about once a month. The support I get from this site is wonderful! I never did join a support group. This was all I needed.

Nicki, I've been to a Maggiano's in Boston. If it's the same chain, it's the best! We took my Mom there for 70th birthday in Dec when we went to see "Mama Mia" (great show if you like Abba). We had 3 bags of leftovers! We go there whenever someone needs to get picked up at Logan Airport. Usually, we fly out of Manchester unless we are flying out of the country. It's only an hour away to Boston, but the traffic is horrible and it could take you 2hrs some days.

Happy 3 year anniversary everyone!

Lynne

Hey Nicki,

Thanks for starting this thread, look at all us 05 gals motoring along!!!!

I am another 05 girl, diagnosed Oct 05 with IDC, 4 cm tumour and 3 positive nodes.  Had lumpectomy, chemo, rads, on Armidex and Zoladex.  Gearing up to get my ovaries removed in May...so no more Zoladex..woo hoo!

I am doing well, havent got all my energy back yet but have started working out again.  I do enjoy my weekend naps.  The best part is having hair back and it is wild and curly, trying to grow it out but it is trying to say the least.  I look like I have 80's hair every morning that I wake up!!!

Much love to all my 05 sisters, especially to the dear ones that I have met personally Ravdeb and Maryanne....

Michele