Jan 2008--Ain't it Great?

PALady, figured we see how many would like to participate, then maybe I could just pull names at random and let each know their pal via PM.  Maybe after a few months we could then pull again for some variety ...  I'm game for any suggestions!

Off to golf, imagine that!!!!

Carol

Jenn - its nice to hear from you again 

I couldnt sleep at all - I cant stand it either. I took simply sleep and what did it do it had me closed eyed and wired from body on down. I was walking around at 3 am to get this down and it didnt work at all; finally got to bed at 4:30 and woke up at 8.  So I am off to post office, bank, rite aid and then home.  Going out with friends tonight at 5pm and tomorrow I am going to lay in bed all day and relax and study.  I really dislike these steriods.  I rather have them during the week of school cause that is when the crashing comes down for me.  I hope my next level will be better then this one so i crash on the days I can relax.  Ok, no more complaining.

Love you Ladies so much!!!!!  I hope you enjoy and recieve blessings from my scriptures and words...

x0x0x - Dana

We've been chatty again I see.  It took me quite a while to read everything and type back. 

Today ds got his "big boy" bed.  My little man is growing up so fast (2 ½ next month).  He loves the bed, and kept thanking the delivery guys for it.  So cute!  I was amazed he actually took his nap there, too.  dd is off at yet another classmate's birthday party-that girl is such a social butterfly. dh headed to another party for one of our friends' kids as our family's representative. I got to stay home with ds and catch up on things online.

D1:  Well, I guess it's good news no needle yesty.  Sorry to hear the surgeon thinks it will be a long-term problem though with your arm. You'll just have to prove them wrong.  Maybe PT will continue to work its magic on that scar tissue. Mine did "scar massage" which really helped.

And, I doubt I'll get mother-of-the-year for my sad performance this past week. I'm just glad I made it through the week with my brood and that my cold is slowly resolving.

Dana:  Glad you are doing well-so upbeat and active.  

Cathy-CA:  90 lbs. off before chemo!  Quite an accomplishment to be proud of.  You sound like one amazing person with all that you do and have done.

Paula:  Another worldly Jewel.  How cool to have been an exchange student in Finland.

Julie:  Hope the weekend continues to go well for you.  dh sounds like he'll have his hands full with ds and his friends!  Ambitious (or crazy?) man!

Tinalee:  BC is so indiscriminate and unfair, huh?  I say give that sweet co-worker a call, or send a card and let her know that you've been there (or are there!) and are thinking of her.

I would totally call your credit card co. also.  You have a good hx with them, and they should waive the fee under the circumstances!  Mine have done it for so much less of an excuse.

Carol:  What a cool idea!  Add my name to the list for secret pals.  I can give you dates for birthdays, too.  It might be nice to have those for the pals to know.  Just one question... how will we be secret if we send stuff in the mail?  I'm just not sneaky enough-especially with chemo brain!

dh was surfing the web last night and found some beautiful resorts in AZ that have spas/golf.  Might be a nice for a Jewel reunion (he was thinking of the Jewels getting some pampering.  The golf part was for him. Then I told him you would golf!). 

Vettegal:  Sorry to hear your day at the "bar" was eventful again.  We must be twins in a previous life...  Well, at least you're finished now.  Yea!!!

PALady:  On the subject of "compression jeans": I've been having to open the button on my jeans recently--dang it!  Gotta hate when that happens.  I may have to use the rubber band trick that I did when I was pregnant. This is so depressing...

Next up-work on the coming week's list.  GTG.

Kathy - you are truly amazing how you can remember all this and still reply a shout out to all of us.

Hey Ladies I went to rite aid to buy a nasal spray because since I was up on night I was reading a lot of stuff that helps us.  I heard that Hydrogen perioxide is really good to help give our cells oxyen either drink 5 to 6 drops a day with water and garlic is good as well.  I also see that Maximum Greens from GNC was on sale by one get the second half off - it contains - Wheat grass, Barley Grass, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrot Juice, Beet, Tomato, Cauiflower, Pomegranate, White Tea, Artichoke and tons more - and it CLAIMS to be good for my liver function - which I need since I HAD cancer in there as well - Smile.  WE need to take more greens that are antioxdants for our body.  Just tried it and its not so bad with a flavored water.  Just thought I would share this with all of you. 

Have a GODLY blessed day, off to walk these dogs - they sure act like I never take them!  They beg me every day and every hour - I can only imagine how you Ladies do with KIDS.  HE ha...  Some lady asked me the other day do you have kids and I said oh No, I dont know what will kill me faster Kids or Cancer and we all laughed...  My hat/scarve is off to you Ladies that have kids - I know they are truly blessings but they are a handful - Good and Great Jobs Ladies...

Ta ta 

Dana -- Please talk to your onc about all the antioxidants.  There are some oncs who feel that antioxidants protect the cancer cells and can make chemo less effective.  There are not clear clinical results on the matter, but I know I would hate to do anything that is making what I'm going through less effective.  If I'm doing this, I want to get the most possible benefit.

Sweet Potatoe Fries -- I don't remember who was asking about this, but Trader Joe's has delicious ones.  We had some with our bbq hamburgers at lunch which reminded me.  I would love to help send our sunny weather to any of you who need it.

Jenn -- I think what we are experiencing is the same thing as when you buy a new car and all of a sudden seem to see hundreds of the same make/model on the road when you never really noticed them before.  Now that cancer is so much a part of our lives, we really pick up on anyone else going through the same experience.  I know I made a New Year's resolution to be better about sending cards and notes to people and it seems like I'm sending a lot.

Julie -- Your hubby is super that he's willing to supervise a sleep over!  My dh did YMCA Indian Guides with the boys when they were young, but he had other dads there to help him.  I can't imagine that he ever would've handled a sleep over on his own.  I was always the one to handle that stuff.

KathyL -- thank you.  After my oldest graduated from HS, I decided I wanted to do something for me and made a goal of losing weight.  I never would have imagined all the side benefits it would have in terms of the great friends I've made at the gym. 

Kim and Carol -- Travel safely back from your vacations.  I'm heading up to Sacramento on Friday, so I expect good weather, Kim!

Hi Jewels - lot's to read again today. I'm pretty tired today, so not much for shout-outs! Hope everyone's doing well and fighting the se's!

D1 - so glad you didn't have to have the needle yesty. Hopefully it will all work out just fine for you.

Kimberly - have a FAB time in Tahoe!!

Carol - love the idea of the secret pal - count me in.

For all of you facing se's, steroid highs, chemo-brain, etc.... hang in there!! I'll continue to lurk when I can. So far, the dh has been hanging outside in the shed while the boys have been playing loudly in the basement - I'm just letting them be - not in the mood to deal with 3 screaming 12-yr olds. They seem to have settled for now watching a movie!

Love to all!

Julie

Kim - thanks for the laughs on the Mammo Letter - I forgot to tell you I laughed so hard about that - thanks for the great laugh!  Chemo brain - wow! Next time I will reply to their silly reminder.

Oh my gosh, Jewels - I've just finished reading a week worth of posts! I'm so sorry that I'm not going to shout out to everyone other than to say I read everything and loved hearing what was new, seeing all the pics and overall just sharing of what we're all going through. And sorry to hear the sad news too, such as your sister's diagnosis Vettagal.

Before I get into my update - just want to add that I'd love to participate with a Secret Pal.

Carol, I have a cool magnet on my fridge that came this week! Love it! And glad your AZ trip was so great - I love AZ!

I've not had  horrible se's from my 4th and last TC tx. but I've felt pretty dragged out the past few days - upper respiratory thing is back with the constant watery eyes and runny nose. And, remember that hand/foot syndrome I had that I thought was just neuropathy? It was actually red, raw peeling abrasion looking things on my hand and bottom of one foot.  This time I have a little neuropathy in my toes, but I have the red raw abrasions on one arm that burn like heck! I'm thinking that I can deal with anything now that I know the treatments are behind me. FUBC!!

But here's the real reason I've not been on -you will not believe this and it's a great example of how horrible people who do not understand can treat those of us with cancer. This is long and you will be shocked that this kind of thing can happen.

I was fired this past week and the reason given was "unprofessionalism"!

Some of you might remember that I shared early on that I was given a hard time and questioned by my dept manager and supervisor about why I had to take time out of the business day for doctor's appointments and treatments?  I was asked (fortunately in emails that I have copies of) why I couldn't schedule these appointments evenings and weekends? And also I was chastised in an email because my doctor called me and I spoke to him for less than 2 or 3 minutes at my desk. I was told I should have taken that call in a conference room because it "upset co-workers to hear me talk about my cancer". Can you believe it? There was lots more harrassment and finally in January I reported the supervisor who was actually out and out rude and insulting to me to our dept. manager. The dept. manager Cindy who I used to respect, told me to just toughen up - Suzanne is rough around the edges she said, but I could learn alot from her. She said I was being too sensitive. I had just been promoted and admittedly asked alot of questions about the database computer program that was necessary to perform my job. Almost everytime I asked a question, this supervisor  would loudly say so that our dept manager could hear, that she couldn't understand why I couldn't grasp it and maybe I wasn't qualified to take over the responsibilities of my new position? Initially I made light of it and tried to just joke that I wanted to make sure I did it right and/or possibly my chemo brain was kicking in. Well that seemed to just make it worse. Both she and the dept manager began to insist that I was making excuses - there was no such thing as chemo brain... and the insults just got worse and worse.

Here's the deal - I'm 60 years old but not to sound vain -most people tell me I look like I'm in my 40's. Most of the people in my department are much younger - some even in their 20's & 30's. I never told anyone my age because I was the oldest by far in the dept and had heard snide comments about older people ( they consider anyone over 50 "old" ...anyway, the nastiest of the two - my immediate supervisor began to answer questions similar to mine asked by a couple of the much younger ones by saying things like "I don't mind answering your question because I know you won't ask me over and over and you'll just get it" while looking over at me.

My doctors were appalled and my oncologist suggested I send them a copy of the EEOC's Americans with Disabilities Act re. Cancer in the Workplace. (great piece if you haven't read it) I don't know if they didn't read it or what, but finally after the nasty treatment continued - I again reported the supervisor to the dept manager and said she was bullying and harrassing me and that it was causing me extreme distress. i asked if I could be transferred to one of the other supervisors in our department?

Sadly, I should have known that the dept manager who considered my supervisor her right hand person would protect her and told me to toughen up and not be so sensitive. And she began to also say that I was using my cancer as an excuse and that maybe I wasn't grasping some of the job duties. By the way- I was an account manager for a medical staffing firm - I worked with hospitals around the country to get them contract respiratory therapists for 3 or 6 month assignments. I met all my sales goals which I think irritated my supervisor as well - So the dept manager also said that all my asking of questions was distracting to the supervisor and why couldn't I grasp this as quickly as everyone else. Again, I explained that I was doing very well considering that I was working through cancer treatment and that I didn't understand why asking questions to want to do every aspect of my job correctly was seen as some kind of professional or intellectual failure.

So my complaint was sent to Human Resources where supposedly it was investigated and it then became a situation that I was the one who was out of line and insubordinate by constantly trying to explain myself - it was coming across as argumentative. This was in spite of the fact that 2 of my co-workers told me they were asked their opinion in HR and they verified that I was being bullied and harrassed.  long story short - after that situation in early march the harrassment got worse - almost as if the supervisor was trying to provoke me to react angrily which I didn't. I knew better. But she actually took two other conversations we had regarding rates I gave to a hospital and insisted I didn't listen to her advice and therefore I was insubordinate again. Oh dear sisters - this saga just got worse.

Finally I was called in and told I wasn't a good fit in the department because my questioning and trying to defend myself was perceived as insubordination and disruptive in the department!

This week I've spent talking to the EEOC, a new therapist I had started going to who was so appalled she gave me the name of an employment lawyer who I then met with on Thursday. He is willing to take my case on a contingency and believes it's Discrimination due to my Disability and even Age (which I was surprised at).

My insurance is going to be cut off as of the 31st and I have to pay for Cobra - but curiously after I wrote to the CFO and Owner of the company to tell him my version of the story  and that I had continuing treatment for my breast cancer - the company wrote and offered to pay for my Cobra for 3 months if I would sign an agreement not to sue them! Hah! The jerks!

My new attorney is sending a letter certified out to them tomorrow telling them that we are declining their offer and would like them to pay me a year's salary and 6 months benefits and legal fees or we will file a lawsuit! If this got into a courtroom - it would look pretty bad for this company who is in the medical staffing business to have treated an employee in the throes of BC treatment this way. I also borrowed the money from my 401k to pay my Cobra so I can have my exchange surgery in April, continue going to my therapist and I'm scheduling everything else I can such as dentist, ob/gyn etc right away to get it done asap. And if I have to keep borrowing the money to pay the $450 cobra premium - I will do that.

So that's where I am on this - a part of me is so fired up and on an adrenalin rush to see justice served.  How dare they treat me and potentially others in our situation so shabbily!

I've also updated my resume and started job hunting and do have a couple of interviews set up - I was advised to not say anything about a lawsuit or even that I was fired at this point so that will be weird because I prefer to be up front with people. Especially because professional sales jobs aren't easy to come by at my age. Supposedly I should be able to collect unemployment because I wasn't fired for willful misconduct. Being a whistleblower or reporting a supervisor for harrassment and getting fired is not grounds to have unemployment denied - also the company in their offer to me if I would sign their agreement to not take legal action mentioned that they would not do anything to deny my unemployment...

So there you have it..I needed to regroup before posting all this. You would think women in business would show some empathy for another woman dealing with breast cancer.

CarolC.

Hi all,

Just checking in -

I'm over a month out from TC x 4 & the Taxotere has left me w/ some residual se's - tolerable stuff but not debilitating - although I am tired of taking pills. The muscle & bone pain definitely got worse before it got better - I could hardly walk during the middle of last week, had to take Vicodin one night. I'm still trying to do some moderate exercise every day including a lot of stretching &, today, I'm just a little sore but very mobile. The swelling is still there from my thighs down to my feet, my hands, eyelids, & even cheeks ( I keep biting the inside of my cheeks,& on the outside I look like a chipmunk ). My joints ache every morning - so I asked my onc how long am I going to look & feel like an old, swollen chipmunk? I'm up about 15 lbs. He said I can blame the Taxotere for my lingering se's, & about 1/2 of my weight gain,  & that it could take up to 2-3 months for the swelling & aches to dissipate, & that by summer I should feel 100%. I also have some occasional residual indigestion & belching for which I take Pepcid. All in all, I really can't complain, my energy - physical, mental, & emotional - is coming back more & more everyday. I just wanted to share with everyone what it can be like a month after tx is done, & not to be discouraged or surprised if you still don't feel 100% - plus everyone responds differently.

CarolC - I am so sorry about your job - but it sounds like you are taking all the necessary steps in rectifying this situation. Like my onc says " some people just don't have a clue!"

KathyL - How exciting for your ds...a big boy bed, wow! They do grow sooo fast. Every milestone, no matter how small, is a very precious gift to witness. Having gone through years of infertility tx to have my children has made me overly sentimental about all that kind of stuff.  

D1 & PAlady - I'm with you on the "compression jeans". My wardrobe is very limited right now for that very reason. When I go out to eat I have to think twice about wearing jeans at all!

Dana - I so enjoy all of your posts. You sound like you're doing so well - physically & emotionally. You are truly an inspiration.

I only perused through the posts from the last couple of days, so I'll catch up later.

Have a beautiful day!

 Therese

D326:  Wow!  A single mom getting ready to go through chemo.  You are already a SHERO in my book.  And working PT to boot.  Remember to pace yourself, prioritize, and take help wherever you can get it.  If people ask what they can do-TELL THEM!  Find something for them to do-clean, shop, watch the kids, make a meal.  And foremost-take care of you first.

Paula:  LOL on the "bananas"!  I always thought of mine after BF as golf balls in a sock!

And yes, the ds loves his bed and slept like a little angel last night. Ahhhh!

CarolC;  I am shocked and appalled by your story--how awful a situation you were in!  All I can say is bravo to you for taking that bull by the horns and not backing down, sister!  I was ready to say sue the pants off of them-then I read further about your lawyer, and so I see you've already taken charge there, too.  It is absolutely disgusting that anyone fighting a disease should be put through what you were.  I hope you get justice in the end.  Everything DOES happen for a reason-you should be able to find something better out there where you are appreciated and valued, not treated like a problem.  Your ex-employer should be ashamed!

TexRN:  OK, so I'm not too sentimental getting teary looking at his little boy body in his footed-pjs in that big bed?  He looked so tiny in it.  Today when we put his crib away I started getting teary again.  I just keep thinking he was only 20 months when I was dx and couldn't even talk-and look at him now.  I am so thankful to experience every little thing with BOTH my kids now.

Jenn51:  Where is spring?  Can we just have more than one sunny day in a row??

Not much going on here Jewels.  Cleaned the house (OK, dh did most of it b/c I get too winded), and did some laundry. Kids are back to school tomorrow.  I have no plans... kinda nice!

Hi Jewels - just a quick check-in between naps! I just had to comment on CarolC's news -- how awful for you!! My prayers are with you and I know you are a fighter and will get through this. You are definitely heading in the right direction, getting a lawyer and making sure you're fighting for what you need to keep going and fighting your bc. We are all here for you, dear -- stay strong!! {{{{BIG HUGS}}}} to you!

I'll check back in when I have more energy. Love to all!

Julie

CarolC--I am outraged for you. Most of my in-laws live in the Omaha area.



Carol--I'm interested in this secret pal idea, but don't understand it. How would it work?



Dana--keep up the prayers. I'm praying for you.



Sheshe--glad the arm is feeling better. Keep up the resting.



Paula--hope you feel better soon.



Best wishes to all the Jewels. Hope you all had a pleasant weekend. Mine was restful. Had to be--I've been feeling pretty wiped out lately. Been giving into the fatigue. This dose has been the toughest so far. And my blood counts the lowest.



Cheers to all in the chemo lounge this week.

We've gotten this far together!



Maz

Good morning jewels,

Still no sign of spring in Mass. its snowing/raining today yuck! 

CarolC,  I can't believe what your going thru, you should fight them till your satisfied.  I am so lucky to have so many supportive co-workers many are even donating their unused sick time to me.  I actually like going to work to "escape" from BC for a few hours.

Paula, I hope you arn't to achy I have #2 wed I'm going by your updates.

Carol, Give us more info on your latest "project" when you get it.

           Wecome back from your 'cation.

Jenn, Steak and Bloomin onion sounds real good to me, if I could only taste it.

Gotta get ready for work more shouts later enjoy the chemo day off everyone.

Wendy

Good Afternoon Jewels,
We had a great time in Tahoe. The weather wasn’t too bad. It was pretty dang cold even though it was partially sunny. It was windy, too, which made it seem a lot colder. It rained at night, and we had some flurries on the way up.
Not caring about the weather, we ate great food, drank fabulous wine, took a walk, had great conversations, hung out and read by the fire, and played some cards. It was very low key and a much needed getaway.

You guys were pretty chatty while I was away, and I have read everyone’s posts, but will attempt to respond to everyone. I’m ready for a long stint at the ‘puter.

D1-Glad you avoided the needle. Scar tissue can be a problem, but to make it hard to have your arm comfortably at your side?  I agree that you might want to consider massage therapy specifically for the scar tissue once rads is over, as I don’t think you’ll want people rubbing on you during rads.

Hope your weekend was good and that the college girl and dd loved their concert. Update- your weekend was great and college girl is jacked up about some guy. Isn’t that fun to see our kids all giddy about something?  I like that this guy likes to talk and doesn’t want to just ‘hook up’ for sure and agree she should just have fun for the rest of the year and see what happens.

Good luck with your first rads today or is it just tattoos today.  Being excited sounds normal to me. You know that every day you’re doing what you’ve chosen to do to deal with bc is another day closer to being done!

What does your doc say about the nails? That doesn’t sound good to me. It sounds like a ripe situation for infection.
How weird that over a month after chemo that it’s getting worse and not better.

Kathy- Man, I can be at the grocery store for 2 hours, and I don’t even have kids. You did good, gal!!!!

Oh, a big boy bed!  I remember my son getting his big boy bed and giving up the bottle at the same time. He loved the bed, but wasn’t too keen on giving up the bottle. He finally gave up that fight after a few days. Whew!!! I know it’s sad and exciting all at once. Your baby is gone, but your little man is emerging.

Thanks for keeping up on the tx list. I get winded too easily as well. It sucks. Glad the dh helped with the housework.

Enjoy your time with kids in school to just relax and do what you want to do.

Dana- I’m so glad to hear that you are having few se’s. Also, glad that you are able to keep up with your workouts and school. I’m so glad that your faith is lifting you up and that your positive attitude is carrying you through. You must certainly be an inspiration to your doctor, nurses, and other patients in the chemo lounge as well as to your own patients. You go Little Warrior!!!!

I agree you should talk to your onc. about antioxidants. I did read an article from cancermonthly.com that reported antioxidants may help reduce se’s and assist chemotherapy.

Carol- Well, good job announcing the secret pal idea! And you were worried you would chemo brain it.  I think switching it up every three months is a good idea as well. To help make this easy on you, maybe we can each send you 4 pre-addressed stamped envelopes with 4 index cards or pieces of paper that have hints about things we all really like, but more importantly the things that we don’t like or can’t have due to allergies or something. Maybe your dh or ds would agree to randomly draw names and put them in the envelopes, making sure of course no one gets themselves, so that you won’t know who has your name. Then your dh can give you the last index card or paper as your secret pal.

I imagine you are going through ‘cation withdrawals about now. ((((hugs and a big sigh))))

Paula- Well you just keep amazing me with your life experiences. An exchange student in Finland, eh? How cool is that?  I’m going to order some of that coffee and see how I like it. Thanks for the information.

Sorry to hear about the muscle aches and bone pain being worse this time around. Hope your Lortab helped. I just got rid of all of my pain meds from the hospital- Vicodin and Norco as I didn’t use them and don’t like taking them. I didn’t want to put them down the toilet as that gets into the waterways and water treatment plants and didn’t want to toss in the garage where people could find full bottles when they go through the trash to recycle at our Refuse area. Our pharmacist told me to fill the bottles with water then to add dish soap and let the pills dissolve. After that it should be OK to put in the trash.

Julie- So, how did the overnight go? Did your dh survive? Your posts sound very encouraging. Just naps, but no talk of other se’s we won’t mention that you’ve had in the past. Yeah!!!!

Tina- Totally play the chemo card and have them deduct that late fee especially with your history with that company.

CathyCA- Wow, 90 pounds before chemo? That’s so great!!!! Having those habits in place certainly has been beneficial for you!!!!  What will you be doing in Sacramento on Friday?  How long will you be in town?

It was me who asked about sweet potato fries. Tinalee mentioned finding some organic ones, and I asked her what the brand was. Trader Joes. I’m so going there!!!! Thanks.

Peg- We’ll both be done soon!  I can probably have my exchange this summer. My ps told me recovery is only about three weeks and that the drains are in a very short period of time since this isn’t nearly as invasive as the mastectomy. I may do it in early June if my ps can do it.

Vettegal- You’re done!!! WhooHoo!!!!  Glad that your reaction wasn’t as bad as prior ones, but then again you were all ready for it thank goodness!!!!! Hope the se’s are tolerable for this last round.

CJH- Hope you’re doing OK and that your fog has lifted now that the weekend has past.

PALady- OMG, you had me cracking up with the ‘compression jeans’. I really thought there was such a thing!  Man, my jeans have gotten tight due to swelling, too.  I do feel like a stuffed sausage as well. I’m glad to know it won’t take too long for the swelling to pass.

Jenn- I was sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. Isn’t it weird that even after three years you still miss him so much?  It’s been over 10 since I lost my mom and there are times I really miss her, too. I talk to her though in my head when I need her, and that helps.

OK,a little warmer, some sun, pussy willows showing signs of life, and a clear front planter bed with flowers struggling to emerge is a great start to spring!!!!  Your next day showers weren’t what you wanted, but a little more rain can’t hurt…your flowers need it. Besides, now you’re not a blue jewel and have been motivated to get some ‘clean up’ chore done inside, which can be just as satifying. Here’s to more sunshine days in the future.

D326- Wow, you’ve got your hands full working full time, being a single mom, and going through bc treatment. You meet our definition of SHERO for sure!!!!  I’m so glad you’ve got support and wish you the best in your decision for treatment.

Paula- LOL- the image of the banana’s swinging from your chest. I don’t recall your specifics. Did you have a lumpectomy. Are you thinking about reconstruction to regain your pre-breastfeeding breasts?

SheShe- Glad the arm is better. What will the docs do about your chemo treatments with the pic line gone?

CarolC- When I read your post about work, I was shocked that you were treated in such a manner. Now I remember it was you who was having issues at work. You did talk a bit about your supervisor a while ago, and I couldn’t remember who was having those issues when I posted using you, although I misnamed you as CathyCa, I believe, as the example in support of another Jewel.

Anyway,my older sister has a friend going through treatments for gallbladder cancer, and she too is experiencing issues with her employer and has retained an attorney.  Everything happens for a reason, and I think you will prevail in this case and find a new job that is much more satisfying in the long-run. In the mean time, enjoy your time off as best you can (yeah on sleeping well knowing you didn’t have to go into that hostile work environment) and good luck on your future interviews. I agree that you should not divulge any information about your reason for changing jobs or your medical condition up front. They don’t have a right to ask by law and you don’t want to be turned down because of that information. ((((HUGS))))

Therese- Thanks you so much for giving us an update a month out from treatment. I can’t wait!!!!  So, by the time school starts, I should have no more swelling and the aches and pains should be gone? WhooHoo!!!!  I know that some se’s can be chronic and hang on, but I’m voting NO on that one.
 
Maz- Glad you’re giving into the fatigue and just resting. You’re out of the fog, though, and that’s encouraging. Was this #3 for you? That’s when I started feeling the cumulative effects of the fatigue, too. Hang in there!!!!

Wendy- You sound good!!!! Glad to hear that your work brings you comfort and support.  I totally understand liking to go to work to get away from the whole bc thing.
I’m glad you are able to do that.

Wow, that took about three hours to get caught up.  OK, I’m off to shower and run some errands.

Love to all my Jewel Sisters,
SIS Kimberly

Go get 'em tomorrow, Kimberly and Carol!!!! Thinking of you both!

Julie