Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Rebecca - Do not beat yourself up over a few students. No one can reach them all and you certainly are not expected to un-do in one semester what it took decades of poor parenting to create   Seriously, I think if you reach just a few you are a smashing success as a teacher. You never know in the long term who you have reached. When I worked with teenagers I was always suprised when years later they would come back to tell us how much they learned from our program. Invariably the ones that came back to thank us were the ones that we were completely sure we'd failed to reach.

Lynn, fipples...that is great! You did a very painstaking job of laying that process out. Whew, it IS a process!



Tina, you ARE back. I can tell this new place will soon be as homey as your last one. Lowes has cool stuff.



Rebecca, the ironic thing is that you may be teaching the most important lesson to those that you have to flunk... that there are consequences for actions and some people will hold you accountable. They may need to absorb that before they are capable of truly learning anything else. Looking at it that way, I would be willing to bet that every student in your class learned something of great significance.



Joni, can't believe you have that afghan almost done. Or that it is snowing there!



I am feeling better as the final Herceptin dose wears off. Viddie that is so weird that you have to have your port out right away and Caya and I both must keep ours. Tina, it was the regular surgeon who plants and yanks the port, and I can't imagine why you weren't offered one. I thought they were standard now. Which reminds me I read in the AARP newsletter today (that makes me feel so old) that they are coming out with two more new HER2+ treatments in the next year or two.



I had lunch with my editor today as planned and he wanted another book but also had some interesting business ideas I will have to think about. I must say that after bc, I look at long-range plans differently than I used to, not only in terms of what I can physically handle but what I really want to do. And that is probably a good thing.



Grendel gets a haircut tomorrow, he is looking like a ragamuffin now. I'll try to send before and after pix. - skye

Happy Friday, TaTa's.

Lynn, thank you so much for your report on Stage 2. I loved the way you described it, and it was very helpful for me personally, to know what's coming up. I wish I were that far along already, but first things first, I guess. It does help with my motivation to get through Stage 1, which sometimes wavers now that it is only three weeks away. Yikes - I have so much to do! Anyway, it sounds like you have wonderful results so far, and I'm thrilled for you.

Caya, congrats on being done with treatment - and yes, the anxiety about not being treated does dissipate with time. I worried about that until I went back for my 3 month checkup, and found that yes, they were still watching out for me and paying attention to me, and would continue to monitor things even though they weren't pumping poison into my veins. So be happy! I finished chemo in April, and had my port out in June with the mastectomy, so I don't even have a scar - guess he pulled it out through the nipple.

Joni, you're doing great on the afghan, and it's great to hear from you. How are you feeling, though - you don't complain, and I hope it's because you're doing well. Just know I'm thinking about you on a daily basis Hard to believe it's snowing up there - sounds almost good to me

Rebecca, knowing you, I am sure you are making a difference with your students. You may not hear about it, but you will be remembered by many of them as someone who made a difference in their lives - you're just that kind of person. Who knows - maybe even the cheaters will take something away from your class. In fact, I'm sure they will. It is interesting how creative they *think* they are being, and how obvious it is to you when they don't do the work. Sounds like things are coming together for Saturday - I'm glad you're just getting it done and over with. More time just means more worrying. I'm sure you'll do fine, and I do so wish I could be there to help out.

Tina, you do sound more like yourself now, like you're getting your feet back underneath you again. So glad that Paul will be back where he belongs soon - and I think whoever had the idea that you two use the apt. for some couple time was right on. You deserve that, and probably need to reconnect. Glad you got a good deal on your blinds, and I can just imagine how lovely your home is going to be once you get it all together.

This has been a busy week for me. I saws the cardiologist the other day and he is a dreamboat - very into helping breast cancer patients, as his wife died of bc. I have my stress test next Friday. Work has been crazy all week - I won't even go into that. Contractors have finally been here measuring to get started on our bathroom remodel. Harrison is on twice daily meds for diarrhea, and Farley the cat has been restarted on twice daily insulin. I am heading into downtown Houston in a few minutes to get my eyes checked for the first time in 3-4 years. I needed to do this right as I was diagnosed, but put it off until after chemo and am just now getting around to it only because I can't see. I hate to spend that money for new glasses. While I'm in there, I'm going to try to shoe shop a bit. I have nothing to put on my feet.

Will check back in later. Love you all!

Rebecca, I will be thinking of you all weekend. I feel terrible that you are going through this again.

Jan, travel safely, and we will be there with you every step.

Lynn, glad you are healing well.

Caya and Skye, so pleased for you that the herceptin has finally ended.

Joni, How are you?  Congratulations on the afghan progress!

All is well with me ... exhausted from the Mother's Day rush at work, really glad it's the weekend. I just don't have the endurance I had when I was younger ... have worked the last couple of weekends, so am just crashing this weekend.

We did get some great news today. Steve's follow up psa this week was undetectable, really encouraging given the high psa going into surgery and the positive margin. The dr is delighted, we are thrilled. I can tell how tired I am because I can't stop weeping about this good news. It's like I expected bad news.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms. Is it Mother's Day in Canada too?  I should know that, being in the floral business, but I don't.

Hugs to every one of you.

Melia

Hi,

Skye,

That's a great idea. I will wear my Rebecca socks tomorrow also. Maybe we can all wear them.

Rebecca,

I will be thinking of you tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes.

Melia,

That is such great news! I am so happy for both of you. Now you can have a great relaxing Mother's Day. I am glad the Flower rush is over for you.

Lynn,

I am so glad you are happy with your results. How are you feeling?

I had my pre-op today and am looking forward to next Thursday- I think.

Joni,

I would love to see your afghan. I can't believe you are still getting snow. Hopefully the weather will improve soon.

Jan,

Good luck on Monday. You will be very happy. I can't wait. There are three of us in a row. You are next, Mel.

Mel,
I hope you have a good visit with your eye doctor. I hear you on the price of glasses. They say that Costco has the best prices and people are very happy with them.

I hope you find great shoes today.

Caya,

Congratulations on finishing the hercepton. I guess I am last-- May 29 is my last one.



We just picked up Meri and bf at the airport. They came to pick up the car. She is starting school on Wednesday. I am so excited for her. We will have a very good visit. I probably will not see her again until Thanksgiving.

Gotta go.I have to finish making my lasagna for tonight.



Love,

Viddie

Yeck on the snow Joni…enough already!  I agree with Viddie, please take a picture of your afghan I would love to see it.

Mel, glasses are soooo expensive, I know.  If you are interested, I have some places online that I order glasses from fairly inexpensively.  They even put new lenses in your old frames if you want to.

Congrats on finishing Herceptin Caya…

Melia that is absolutely WONDERFUL news!  I would be blubbering like a baby after hearing news like that as well.  I think we all brace ourselves for the worst now, so it feels strange when the worst does not happen.  Take that DH (delightful husband) in your arms, and go out for a great dinner.

Good luck to you Jan…I hope that all goes well for you as well!

I am smiling as I sit here thinking about all my sisters wearing their rainbow socks at one time.  You guys are the best.  I am getting ready to close up for the night…and do I have a student story for you guys…but no time now, my  mom is here to take care of the kids, and we now have a new cat in our family so it is a bit crazy here just now, so it will have to wait until later.  I hope to be home from the hospital by midafternoon tomorrow.  Thanks for the well wishes, and the hand holding…I love you all.

Jan, travel safe and have a great experience.

Rebecca, thinking of you today.

HI, everyone!

I've been reading the posts. Everyone is so busy. It's a wonderful thing to see us moving back into the busyness of life. I know I've written that before but it's so good to see.

And it makes me feel good about how we're processing our experiences with BC. I work with another BC nurse. She's a sweet woman but now 4 years out from her BC experience, she's still so fully involved in it, I wonder about her.

Another coworker tells me "Oh yeah, if you're just meeting her, you know in 5 minutes that she's had breast cancer."

She came in to my office yesterday to register for the Relay For Life work team and it was 15 minutes of nonstop BC talk. I don't want to be like that.

I'm not ignoring what's happen and I'll throw out that pink card into conversation if I think it's appropriate. Heck, this week someone commented on a sassy remark I made and I said "Hey, I'm titless - not witless." But I don't want my conversations to be consumed with ME  and that dam cancer.

I don't know much about her personal life. Maybe she doesn't have much there to help her focus on now and future possibilities. That's where I want to go. And you ladies seem to be heading towards good possibilities too.

Ugh, a BC sister with her own turtle face.

Sorry, I'm rambling this morning but my interactions with her yesterday just really set me thinking about how I present to others. I'll have to be watching that.

I've got to go pick up my car - nearly a thousand dollars of work on it. There goes my economic stimulus paymernt. But I'm gonna drive that thing until the wheels fall off. It's only 5 years old and has about 62,000 miles on it. I should have another  10 years out of it. It's a tool - not a status symbol. I have to remind myself everytime I'm distracted by a pretty car driving by. That little Ford Focus wagon is just fine for me.

Happy weekend, all!!!!

I'll lift my glass (of iced tea) to Rebecca and Jan today.

Cindy 

Just a quick post to let you all know that I am home and that everything went well.  PS said that the pocket looked clean inside, but he took a million cultures and put me on Keflex.  He also removed the wedge of skin that contained the hole and is going to send it for pathology.  He told me today that he has some ideas for my re-reconstruction, but would not stress me today about it...he brought my case to a big meeting and they all talked about it so I guess he got some good ideas.  He wants me scanned from head to foot...MRI, PET the works just to make sure that this did not happen because of some underlying disease process, so I think he is going to talk to my onc. 

Other than feeling a little sad, I am doing ok.  Gave me some percocets, so I am in zero pain  right now.  Going to go crash back on my couch now with a book...Oh and I am wearing MY socks today too!

Love to you all....good to hear from you Debbie and Cindy.  Cindy...I know what you mean about people letting being a BC survivor become their identity.  Personally I would rather be identfied as any of my other "hats"  like....the tie dye lady, the english professor, Frances's mom etc etc etc.

xoxo 

Rebecca,

So happy that your home and comfortable, even if it's on the percs!  Now it's over and you can look forward.  Get a lot of rest!

love and hugs,

Lynn

Rebecca - so glad everything went smoothly and that the ps is being cautious. Still, it must be a sad day. I hope you heal quickly and feel great soon. Take care and get lots of rest! I'll check back in a few days.

Yeah Rebecca! So glad it went well. I wore my socks yesterday as well.

And I hear you ladies on the whole "I am a breast cancer survivor" thing. I do tell some folks when it seems appropriate. For example, a student of mine was very upset the other day because her mother had just been dx. She was shocked to find out I had gone through the same treatment a year ago. It made her feel so much better to see me up and working and ALIVE!

I work with a woman who had in situ 6 years ago and it's still almost the first thing out of her mouth. I'm not dismissing her journey, but it appears to have become her life. I feel bad for her but there's something she gets out of it, I'm sure.

Okay, off to tend to the crew. My parents are here. Dad looks and feels some better. My older daughter has a cello concert this evening with the youth symphony she plays with. She is quite excited, and impressed by the fact that the older boys will be wearing black tie. Fancy, huh?

Have a great day everyone.

XXOO Amera

hey there gals ,

Readin and keepin up with everybody , hope everyone had a good mothers day .

Rebecca take it easy gal and Jan too thinking of you .

I am on facebook so some of you may have got an email from me , i like it as it keeps me up to date with my family "out west "

Joni ...... how are you ? Big hugs

I am off next weekend and am going fishing with my dh , no kids no dogs .... just the two of us . Leavin on Saturday am and back the next weekend . Got our camper cleaned out , the boat ready for a lazy week of the great outdoors . (maybe a few bugs ) but I am old hat at this .

Question ... how many of you American gals had genetic testing ? I am finding that here in Canada it takes much longer to get test results back and also the amount of blood they take is 4 times as much as in the US . Also if you pay for the test that you get it back sooner too . Makes me wonder what they are doing with all my blood as they took 5 vials of it ! Waiting for over 6 months too . For if I test + it may be another round of surgery for me . (both boobs are going for sure ) Caya looks like you are having a crew around your home , with both girls must keep you busy . Oh and congrats on finishing herceptin ... no more pokes ... sorry it a little late in coming . Ps appointment sounds fun , good luck . I go for a nerve test on Thursday at the hospital to see why I am still having trouble with tingling and such , taxotere I say . We will see whats up , although I do not think there is much that can be done if nerve damage is done . I also had alot of lymph node remove at my colon surgery and that make me thing that maybe it has something to do with my lower half not behavin ........

Sooo hugs to all , viddie , amera . lynn, cindy , mel, melia and everyone else .... the flowers are a bloomin and the leaves are almost all out in the trees here .

Hi all, I am back from the hospital. Everything went well. We should be driving home tomorrow afternoon.

Jan I am glad that you are out.  I hope it all went smoothly...take it easy!  Drive safe tomorrow.  HUGS!

SKye I know what you mean about the crystal ball.  I always get the sense that people need to reassure themselves that it is all ok...maybe they fear that if we succumb they would be next.  My usual answer is "I am still here" .

We had a good mother's day, and went back to my sister in law's house after dinner.  She has a gorgeous pool in her backyard, which of course the kids find irresistable even if it is too cold to swim.  Well, at least theoretically too cold to swim.  Owen (of course) wound up in the water with all his clothes on much to his dismay.  I did not see it...Matt was iyt there with them and fished him out, but he was great!  He fell in, and then immediately swam to the side.  Smart boy.  What is so funny is that as we were leaving our house earlier in the day I had a sudden feeling that I should bring him a change of clothing, but dismissed it.  Should have listened to my gut.....luckily my SIL has a dryer so I just wrapped his cold naked body in a towel and threw his clothes in the dryer.  His vest and tie, however were beyond help.  Oh well.

Well, I am still forbidden a shower, but I think I am going to go wash my hair now.  I go to see the PS tomorrow morning, so hopefully I will get my shower by tomorrow evening.

Hugs to you all.... 

Melia, I think that this thread has become more about friendship  than anything else, but it just so happens to be located on a breast cancer board.  If you want to stay away from here...post to the private list.  There is no need to miss us, we are always your sisters and love you!