Anyone starting Chemo in August 07?
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Jackie, and Kaye ,
Hi. I have been taking Tamoxifen since Nov 18th. I was having some very WARM flash moments, at night and in the evening, watching tv, and then sleeping... but they really weren't too bad... but I was also taking Effexor, which helps with hot flashes, I'm told. I stopped taking Effexor, because my onc. thinks it may be an inhibitor of that pathway that Tamoxifen works on. After some deep soul searching, and some research, I decided that even if it is only a WEAK inhibitor, it still is an inhibitor, and if I am taking Tamoxifen to keep the bc monster away, then I guess I have to get the full effect of it...hot flashes and all!
When I had the meltdown, I think I was still having se's from Effexor withdrawal. Anyway, I seem to be doing better now. FIVE years IS a long time, but it is good to know that I can come here to vent, too!
Oh, and Kaye,
these neighbors are the best! When I had my mammo. & U/S, my MIL flagged Olga down in the street, and asked her to stay with me, while she went out and picked up a pizza for dinner.
My MIL was also a big help while I was going through bc tx. We got alot closer after my bc dx.
I had alot of support from friends and family, but, neighbors like Paul & Olga are really hard to find.
Will you be taking Tamoxifen, or an AI? Don't worry, Kaye. I don't think you need to brush up on these se's...they will just hit you all of the sudden, when you least expect it!
Best wishes,
Harley
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You know, it just hit me the other day how great my neighbors are. I've always been a magnet for Nut Job Neighbors, or at least have always lived next to people who weren't a good fit for my personality, but for the first time in my life, I really do have a great group of people around me. They've brought me mountains of food--both during chemo and during bereavement. They invite me to their parties, our kids play together, they are willing to give me rides to the doctor, etc. I couldn't ask for more. I'm glad you've got that, too, Harley. And Kaye, I'm going to drive up there and smack your neighbors around, b/c if anyone deserves caring neighbors, it's you. But gosh, it sure is a crap shoot with who you end up next to, and sometimes it isn't too wonderful. Been there, done that.
On an unrelated note, my onc tested my estradiol levels, and they are at a menopausal level. She cheerily announced that my ovaries have stopped working, which I actually found sort of depressing. I mean, I'm not even 40 yet. Just last year we were contemplating a third child. In the bc world, I guess it's good my ovaries aren't working, but the cruel irony is that I still have to use birth control b/c I guess they can spring into action anytime while on tamoxifen.
I know I should just be happy that I have my kids already, but still, it's sort of weird knowing that part of your body has gone on strike, and it's b/c of a choice you made in cancer treatment (chemo). Alas. -
nash,
So sorry that you have to deal with infertility issues forced upon you as a result of your bc tx... bc SUCKS! (can I write that?) I couldn't have children; I was dx'd with premature ovarian failure at age 35!
Yes, I too have had my share of nut jobs for neighbors!! On the other side of my house, the house is a rental, and when I first moved here, the kids (they were maybe in their mid - to late 20's, or early 30's at the oldest) would have parties late at night...starting at 11:30pm and ending maybe 3:30am!! It was HORRIBLE! But, when they almost set the house on fire, the landlord, who lives in NY, finally evicted them!! This happened last year, in early APRIL! Just perfect timing for me...since my bc dx was March 15th. We went back to visit some friends in Washington DC for a week, for my birthday, and when we got back, they had moved!!! YEAH!
Anyway, Olga is so nice! Kaye, sorry you don't have very nice neighbors.
Harley
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Oh, Harley, I'm sorry to hear about your premature ovarian failure so young. That blows.
But glad to hear your horrid neighbors moved--yikes!
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nash,
Thanks! When I got home after my April bday celebration, and they were gone, I said "THANK YOU, GOD!" I am not the type that would ask God for a sign... that things were going to be ok... but, when I got back home and they were gone, I said to my dh, "That is my sign!"Hope you are doing ok... How's the hot flashes?
Harley
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Harley, funny you should ask...I just finished sticking my head in the freezer.
I'm hot flashing away like there's no tomorrow. As you know, the nights are a hoot--blankets on, blankets off, blankets on, blankets off, ad nauseum. Oh well! How are you feeling? -
Nut-Job Neighbors.
Exhibit A:
We're in a small cul-de-sac and the house across the street is a rental. A few years ago a friend of mine was talking about how the police came into her work (she was a social worker at the kidney dialysis center) and handcuffed a medical personell or two and off they went. A few days later my son was watching the news on TV and a huge identity theft ring was caught, and blah blah blah and they showed a picture of the house ("odd, that looks like the house across the street")- then they panned the street, and he said "odder yet, that looks just like my house. And REALLY STRANGE, that looks just like MY CAR. Hmmmn." The next day in the newspaper it explained all about it. A house of 5 adults and it was the largest identity theft ring that they'd caught yet, that stretched across several states, and they'd been trying to catch them for years.
Exhibit B:
We had a very old Golden Retriever who needed to be let out frequently because of ageing bladder issues. (don't laugh. we all get there eventually. On with my story.) The child next door was conscripted to come over while we were going to be out of town all day once, hang out and let her out every hour or two. (Conscripted is not accurate - she used to beg me to take the dog for a walk.) I came home and found everyone well, but an empty bowl that had contained ice cream was in the closet. An open tuna can was in a drawer. And (my personal favorite) a dog bisket in - a large jar of honey.
?...what...?
Not that it was malicious, but, ya gotta agree..."odd."
Neither place I'd run to to burst into tears.
In all honesty, i do have a nice neighbor next to where the identity thieves were. Maybe I could cry over there. They're pretty cool. And i see them once every 6 or 8 months when they happen to pull out of their garage the same time I do. They didn't even see me bald.
Too bad. Their loss.
Nash - Thats such a drag about your estradiol levels. I can joke, and say "welcome to my world", but the truth is that I had plenty of time with them. And long before THEY were done, I had been done. I'm sorry.
Harley - I've been on Arimidex since about January 1st and the flashes are nothing new (see estradiol levels comment above) but the ACHES are REALLY PUTTING ME OVER THE EDGE. I've read on the board that they may lessen as time goes on. I'M WAITING. Today seemed a little better, so I'm holding my breath. My Carpal Tunnel (that had been barely noticable) has become really a PAIN IN THE WRIST sometimes. Like - daily - like waking me up in the middle of the stinkin' night painful!! And my arthritis in my toe finally made me go to a podiatrist and get a cortizone shot. (Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! I LOVE that 5 inch needle getting stabbed into my toe joint...because it has that magic potion called CORTIZONE in it!!)
OOOPS! Gotta FLY... IT'S LOST NIGHT.
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Hi all,
Sorry to be gone for so long but I had the whole Texas thing to do and well the news wasnt all good and I needed time to put things back into perspective. But Im good. The lymph nodes that were previously the only active cancer are 10/15% smaller GOOD but now they have found a lesion on my liver BAD.
They changed my chemo to Gemzar and a pill named Tarveca.
So we'll see. Have anyone of you had these drugs?
I know this is short and overdue but Im kinda nauseous and Im gonna go for now.
Hugs
Kim
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nash,
I am doing better. The hot flashes seem to be subsiding, and I'm sleeping better!
BTW, did I mention that I got the tattoos yesterday, for my (I'm whispering...aureolas)? Oh, boy, did that hurt! The tattoo artist thought I wouldn't be able to feel anything, 'cause they aren't real...
Take care! Have a great weekend!
Harley
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Kaye,
You are TOO funny! About the neighbors... the three houses across the street from us, are... how should I put this? The women who live there, my dh calls them The Witches of Brunswick! They hang out together and do EVERYTHING together. We are not very close, but when I was going through bc tx, I would walk by, on one of my frequent walks in the neighborhood. They would ask how I was doing, and they seemed genuinely concerned. But, now, I realize that they were just curious... nosey... you know the type. I never let them see me bald, either.
When we went on that cruise, last month, my MIL stayed at our house, to watch our cats. The neighbors across the street had company. Instead of parking in their driveway, which makes more sense, they parked on the street, blocking our driveway. My MIL hit their car. Fast Forward to the next day, the neighbor stopped by to ask her if she hit their car. She said YES, and gave them her name, address, and insurance information. They STILL called the cops! My MIL got a ticket for "failing to give information", even though she DID give them her information. But, the neighbors visitor ALSO got a ticket for parking there in the first place...and these people aren't too bright, either... they parked there AGAIN, and were STILL parked there, when the police came to the house.
oh, Kaye, about your aches and arthritis pains...OUCH! I feel for you. Since starting Tamoxifen, I have been having some joint pain and, I think, some bone pain, too. I have read on the Tamoxi-train thread, that bone pain is a rare se of Tamoxifen. Lucky ME!!
I'll be thinking of you, and hoping that your pains subside...and soon!
Happy Easter, everyone!
Harley
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Kim,
Oh, I am so sorry to hear this news!!
Please know that I'm thinking of you, and praying that you feel better, and that the drs can figure out some kind of tx to help dissolve these lesions!I wish they could come up with a cure for this SOON! It is just a horrible disease!
Hugs,
Harley
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Kim--I was thinking about you today, I'm really glad you posted. The liver lesion sucks--I hope the Gemzar kicks its butt, though. I read up on the Gemzar/Tarceva combo, and it sounds really interesting. They're using it for pancreatic cancer right now. Gemzar is standard for bc (my mom was on it, and a lot of people have a good response with it), but Tarceva is just for lung and pancreatic cancer right now. Tarceva targets the HER1/EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) portion of cancer.
I know you're HER2 negative--did they test you for HER1 at MDA? And did they test you for EGFR, or did they assume you're positive b/c you're ER/PR negative? (they tend to be inversely related). At any rate, I like how they're thinking in off-label terms for you, and I know they will get a combo for you that does the trick. I hope you tolerate the new meds well, and that the current nausea passes soon. I think about you and pray for you every day.
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Harley--hey, it's kind of good in a way that the tats hurt, if it means you will have a lot of sensation in the new girls? Of course, it would have been better if it hadn't hurt at the time, but you know what I mean.
Sounds like you've got some goof ball neighbors, too.
Kaye, we've got to chase your neighbors out and replace them with nice, casserole bearing ones. I'll see what I can do.
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nash,
Yes, I think that is a GOOD THING, as my general surgeon says!
Yep, I have had some very annoying neighbors...those renters I mentioned. Then those nuts across the street from us... BUT, the next door neighbors on the OTHER side, next to us, Paul & Olga, they are GREAT! Olga is the one I went to when I had my meltdown. They told us on Tuesday, that they are looking at another house, they might buy it, and move.... I am SO SAD!! I really hope they don't...
Hugs,
Harley
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No, no, no, Harley, Paul and Olga are not allowed to move. That's the rule. The only exception to the rule is if they move next to Kaye. End of story.
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nash,
Thanks! Maybe we should ALL move, so we are living next door to each other!
Harley
ps who wants to go first?
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LOL, Harley, I thought of that, too!
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Hey gals. I don't have much time-- the kids are fighting like mad, but I have missed you all so they'll just beat each other up for another couple of minutes! I need to address a few things--
Kaye, you absolutely crack me up. I am often considered the resident comedian at home and at work, but here you definitely take the cake. You are hilarious and your personality just shines!
Nash-- I am sorry you have had to know so much about bc. But you amaze me with your knowledge. I hope things are starting to get a little easier for you. You had so much stress for so long.
Harley- thanks for the "whispering... areolas" line. Made me chuckle.
Kimmie-- the best I can do is send you hugs. I wish this wasn't happening to you. We are here whenever you need us.
And hi and hugs to everyone else!! June are you out there??
I think that about covers it for now. Oh... Kaye-- now that things have settled dow after rads, I have noticed that I still have a decent amount of fluid on the seroma side. But it doesn't bother me and is no where near as large as it once was. And I am almost all healed from my rad burns. Almost. Thank goodness!
Take care ladies... Angie
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Angie...
Thanks! Glad I could make someone laugh!
And here are THREE things I said I would NEVER do, but since I had bc, I can NOW put on the list of things I have done:
1. shave my head
2. get tattoos
3. get breast implants
can anyone else think of things you thought you would NEVER do, but have NOW done, because of bc?
Happy Easter, everyone!
Harley
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LOL, Harley!
Before bc, I never would have lain topless in a well-lit room and allowed not one, but two, strange men to draw on my breast with a Sharpie.
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nash,
Too funny!
Harley
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Harley....this is too funny. LOL
Since I was 11 yrs. old I have never gone without a bra except to sleep. My "girls" were always big, fat and my headlights faced down. I'm sure you get the picture. Anyway, I have been bra-less since my bilat mast and I just love it!!!!!!!! I never, ever in my wildest dreams thought I would go bra-less.
Hugs, Jackie
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Harley - That's GREAT!
And really, i did think about it for quite some time, but...no. Everything I did b/c of bc, i'd actually thought about doing before...but without a decent reason, which is just stupid now that i've gone through it...
Wait. There is one thing: I would never have worn a Santa Hat 24 hours a day from November 20th through January 1st.
(i TRIED to get people to draw on me with a sharpie before bc, but they all looked alarmed and backed out of the door.)
And I have a NEW PLAN, Ladies. Forget the cruise. We all need to move to SAN DIEGO and be EACH OTHER'S neighbors. (I was going to suggest you all come to the DESERT and be MY neighbor, but we're going to be warming up really soon here, and well, you know how that goes. I'm sure Dr.Nash won't mind.)... wouldja?
We could play, and laugh, and spew diet coke out of our noses ALL DAY.
cuz i just love you girls to pieces.
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Headlights faced down!!! LOL!!!
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Sign me up. I have always wanted to move to San Diego and so has my husband!!! I would love to hang out with all you girls all the time!!!
Have a great weekend and Happy Easter to all who celebrate!!!
Hugs, Jackie
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Jackie, too funny, about the headlights... I was always very small, and I just couldn't wait to be able to wear a bra, so I wanted to wear one 24/7!!! Stupid, cause they are so uncomfortable!
Kaye, funny about the santa hat!!, and wanting people to draw on you with a Sharpie!! LOL Yes, I think we should move to San Diego, and be each other's neighbors. Then we could drop in at any time, whenever... because we understand, since we've all been there before.
Hugs
Harley
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OK, girls, BMD from the board is a San Diego real estate agent.....hmmm....perhaps she can work a bc.org San Diego relocation package....wouldn't that be awesome?
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Okay, California here I come!!!! LOL. Wouldn't that be fun? Kaye, I know this might sound very "Forrest Gump" or "Rain Man", but we have the same amount of comments. Don't even ask me why I noticed that. But I did!!!! Scary
Harley, I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
Have a great evening, ladies.
Hugs, Jackie
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Happy Easter!
We leave on Monday for my mom's memorial in NM. Will be off the boards until next weekend. Have a good week everyone. I'll be thinking of all of you.
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Happy Easter!
We went to another wine festival today, and while we were sitting there drinking, and listening to the band, there HE was....
The EASTER BUNNY!!! I waved at him, and he waved back!! It just made me smile!
Harley
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