Jan 2008--Ain't it Great?

SISKimberly · May 2008

Evening Jewels-

OK, so I spoke to the surgeon. She stated that my margins were clear, but that the tumor at 7:30 extended down to the fascia (the layer covering the muscle), which she removed, but it didn’t go through the fascia, so she interprets that as a negative (which is good) result.

The node question was answered for me, too. Everyone has different numbers of nodes with the average being around 20. I had only 10 at levels 1 and 2. (My theory is my twinsis and I split them. Together we’d have the average number.) She stated that I have a 25% chance for a recurrence without radiation, and that of course doing radiation doesn’t guarantee I won’t get a recurrence. She said she would do it if she were in my shoes so she wouldn’t have to look back and kick herself if she got a recurrence and didn’t do radiation. I respect her and trust her opinion, and felt kind of shook up at first, but then I shook myself and stood back. What's really different, Kim? That it was coming from someone I admire. I really do understand her point of view, but I still feel that the odds aren’t any different than what I heard yesterday or from what I’ve researched already. I have a 75% chance, relatively speaking, of never having a recurrence, and I choose to believe that I will be in that 75% of women. So, nothing has changed at this point.

We’re off to a street market, so I’ll check in tomorrow and do shout outs then.

SIS Kimberly

golfer779 · May 2008

What a night!!!!

So the Pac NW hasn't had the wild weather of most of the country, but we have had almost a continuous amount of gray, cold and damp. Tonight, its around 75 and the neighborhood is alive once again.!!! Went for a 4.5 mile walk with the bro and friend, came back to the house, and visited on the deck. Oh my goodness, have we ever missed sitting outside over the last 7 months.

Kimberly, the neighbors had their "open sign" up on their deck, the dh and I had chicken on the bar'b so had to decline the offer. Its so nice to see life in the neighborhood again.

Hope it cooled down for you tonight to enjoy the street market, can't wait to hear of your findings, dinner out too??

I appreciate your candidness with your decision on the rad front. It always makes me open my mind up just a little bit more.

Carla, massage ... you lucky gal you! Sounds like with your work being as busy as it is, a bit of Carla time is just what the doc would order. Glad to hear that your taking care of you ... stay strong my friend.

Kathy, thank god for Mom's eh? Glad to hear you'll have some help while the dh is out of town. If you can, remember to take a little Kathy time.

Alrighteeeee ... time for that chicken that has been on the grill half the night ...

Hope tomorrow is a free day once again, and hopefully others are enjoying some nice weather as well. The forecast is for 90 degrees here tomorrow, cough-cough, gads I'd love a sick day ... wonder how many others would do the same. Maybe I'll be able to take a couple hours off tomorrow afternoon, will check back in then.

Carol

SISKimberly · May 2008

Good Morning Ladies,

So, the street market hasn’t started yet apparently, so we ended up having Japanese food. Not bad, but still not able to taste a lot. I had Mexican the other day with my ds and I could feel the heat of the spice, but couldn’t taste it. Weird.

I’ve been downloading our pages and just realized, we’re just now starting page 92. As of yesty, we completed 91 pages or an average of 15 pages a month, and each page holds about 23 printable pages on average. WOW!!!!

Carol and LJ13- I can’t even use playing softball as an excuse for my swing. HaHaHa

Wow, 75 and outside eating dinner. Nice. It was pretty hot here yesty, and today is projected to be 106. OMG!!!!

Norma- Your trip sounds amazing!!! Have fun. You deserve a little get away after everything you’ve been through.

Kathy- LOL on the ps joking about only being good at circles.

Hope you’re right about your ear. How weird that it has been this long. Does it hurt?

Thank goodness for mom’s!!!! With the dh away, you and your mom can have some girl time and the kids can have some grammy time.

Carla- Once you get that first massage, it hooks ya doesn’t it? You so deserve to treat yourself well.

So, what did you find out about chemo brain? Are we all doomed to put the bills in the icebox and thinking we mailed them?

Memories…man, I so remember moving like every summer while in college. I can totally now see how people working in the utilities would dread May. At least it makes the day go by quickly instead of dragging along, eh?

Apple dumplings…I’ve never had a homemade one. The ones at the bakery always seemed so greasy to me. I’ll be your mom’s aren’t greasy. Hope she raises lots of money.
Good luck with your AC infusion today.

D1- WhooHoo on the good le news!!!!

OK, Off to school today for the whole day. I really want to see my morning kids since I’ve not done so in awhile.

I’ll check in later.
SIS Kimberly

Anonymous · May 2008

Just got back from my MUGA scan, and met with the surgeon earlier today. Surgery will be a lumpectomy and axillary node dissection on May 29. The General (what I call my surgeon) was very pleased with my response to chemo. She said there's no reason to even consider mast., as lump. with rads shows equivalent efficacy as mast.

Also got a quick email from the Onc, who said the PET confirmed an "excellent" response to the chemo with no surprises to concern us (which I read as no new tumors showing up). So that is a bit of a relief. I will wait til our next appointment to get the report and discuss with him further. I can't quite tell if "excellent" means there's no sign of the cancer whatsoever ... I'll see him in early-mid June.

texrn · May 2008

Hi all,

Just checking in - have been lurking a lot, & posting a little, since my surgery - I don't know why...

I decided not to work at all last weekend, so it was nice to have a Mother's day off (1st one in about 5 years). Doing pretty well post-operatively - things are healing up pretty well, & the 'girls' are looking pretty good considering they aren't completely 'fluffed' out yet. I'm scheduled for nipple reconstruction at the end of August, when the kids are back in school...onward & upward!

I want to apologize to my SP - haven't mailed anything out yet, as I haven't been doing too much driving since my surgery. I'm ok'd to drive, but the first week I was on hydrocodone for a lot longer than I expected, & of course once I was back to 100%, I developed a nasty sinus infection when I woke up on Tuesday. I was so dizzy ( I get that way w/ sinus infections ) that I barely could drive myself on Wed. to my primary doc. I'm on antibiotics now & feeling pretty good - finally made it to the grocery store ( hadn't been in almost 2 weeks ). I've also been studying a lot - just finished up a course online (it's taken me over 6 months only b/c I've been a little sidetracked since last Fall ) - good news is I got a 96% on the final & a 97% in the class. Signed up for the next class today. Plus I'm also trying to catch up on some CE courses which are required at work.

So to make a long story not so long...if there is anyone out there participating in the SP club & you haven't rec'd anything from your SPal...my apologies - I plan to get on it right away.

Kimberly - I applaud your decisiveness. Statistics aside - these are very personal decisions, & only we know what will give us true peace of mind. If it feels right, then it's the right decision for you - & I say "more power to you"!

LJ13 - congrats on your MUGA & PET scan results! & for being able to schedule your surgery - in my book that is progress. Throughout this journey of ours it is always a relief to be able to cross the 'unknowns' off of our list, one at a time.

Kathy - pretty funny about your ps's comment on only being able to draw circles - good thing she didn't go into architecture or engineering - haha.

I"m happy you're able to spend some time w/ your mom - I agree w/ the others - hope you can have some Kathy-time, while your kids are bonding w/ their grammy.

D1 - great news on the le!! That, too, is progress! At least you know you're doing everything you can to treat it & hopefully prevent further exacerbations.

Carol - Did your 'cough-cough' flare up today? Hope you were/are able to enjoy some sunshine.

I'd better go - taking the dd's out for another night out at "the theatuh" - my dh & ds are, once again, going to a Ranger game.

I'll try to check in from work this weekend & work on more shout outs.

Take care & have a beautiful weekend,

Therese

SISKimberly · May 2008

Man, am I pooped. I spent the day at school. I can’t believe how tired I am even though I sat a lot, but I did go back and forth to the office several times. I laminated some posters I didn’t get to at the beginning of the year while kids worked on poetry, then got back in time to hear them share their poems. It was soooo good to see my kids!!!! Lots of hugging going on today. I love hugs. Nick, my former student and their teacher while I'm gone, is applying for an open position we have next year. That would be sooooo cool to have a male in the LA dept.

I picked up my ‘stang. Yeah for AC that works, and went to the lab for my blood work, and then to the grocery store.

Has anyone else noticed that how much they eat in one sitting has been affected at all? I feel like my body is trying to tell me to eat smaller meals throughout the day, even now three and a half weeks after chemo. Interesting.

LJ13- That is great news on the PET front!!! WhooHoo!!!

Therese- Wow, recovering from foobie surgery, dealing with a sinus infection, studying for a class, and passing with such high marks to boot? No need to wonder why you were only lurking and not posting…you’ve been a little preoccupied. Glad all is well, now. No worries on the SP, and that goes for others who are thinking they’re behind. You’ve got the whole month of May.

Thanks for your “more power to you!” It certainly is a very personal decision, and how right you are when you say, if it feels right. That is exactly how I felt when I decided this…I just knew in my gut it was the right thing for me.

How fun that you get to take the girls to the 'theatah' again, while the boys watch baseball again. These are the times your kids will remember most…their alone time with their mom or dad. Enjoy, dahling.

Carol- I hope that cough-cough didn’t keep you up all night and force you take a day off to enjoy the sunshine, uh, oh, I mean recuperate. Wink

See ya in the morning gals,
SIS Kimberly

joteach · May 2008

Good evening Jewels,

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Just finished rads tx #9 and so far so good. The Xclair cream is so much nicer than the aquaphor which is so greasy.

Paula - I am not red yet just a little pink and I only have a little itching so far. I'm sure that will change. How are you doing?

Julie - Hope the surgery went well and you have a comfortable recovery time.

D1 - Fantastic news on the LE!!!

Kimberly - rads is not so bad really. Much easier than chemo. I was in your shoes when I was deciding chemo or no chemo. When I found out all the recurrence %'s I decided to follow the onc's advice and did chemo (2 opinions). Did you get a 2nd opinion on rads? I wanted to do everything possible to prevent recurrence. I know there is no guarantees but at least I know I did everything I possibly could. Just my 2 cents. I know you will do what's right for you.

Therese - glad you are doing well post-op!

Later,

Joan

SISKimberly · May 2008

Hi Joan,

Thanks for caring. It isn't that I think rads is like chemo se wise, it is that I don't believe in adding another toxic thing to my body is worth it based on the numbers. I totally understand wanting to throw everything at it and know you did everything you could to prevent a recurrence should that happen. I believe that the bilateral mastectomy and aggressive chemo is everything I need to do. Surgery got the cancer out, and chemo was my insurance policy. I don't need more insurance. I'm not a regrets kind of person. I know that I wouldn't kick myself about not doing rads because I would know there were no guarantees, and that I had a chance of recurrence even if I did do it.

I did get a second opinion. My surgeon, whom I trust more than my oncologist even though he's a very nice man.

Again, thank you so much for caring about me and sharing your concern.

Glad you checked in and that you're doing well.

SIS Kimberly

SISKimberly · May 2008

Me, again.

I just got two fabulous 'homeburned' CDs of instrumental music from my SP. One is guitar by Phil Keaggy and the other soft Jazz by The Rippingtons. Thank you, SP!!!! The music is awesome...just the kind you need at an open outdoor cafe. Laughing The dh is painting the white wrought iron portion a patina green as I post.

SIS Kimberly

golfer779 · May 2008

Hi Jewels,

My mind is going about 100mph this afternoon after receiving a call from Debra, (whom went for her 2nd op today). The doc today told her he would not even think of offering CMF as an option for her. YIKES ... we have very similar diagnosis, "lobular, over 4cm tumor, ER/PR+, Her2- and yet she had no node involvement. He is recommending TC. What really threw me for a loop was that he told her that cytoxan orally is not available in the US. Hmmmm, what the heck have I been taking for the last 5 months? It reads Cyclophosphamid (which is cytoxan) on my lovely little pill bottle.

I am so thankful that I did get a second op over at Seattle Cancer Cancer and she recommended CMF as well, or I would be a basket case tonight. I know that each onc has their preference of txt, but hearing the news of not even considering the regimen I am on kinda strikes a chord in my gut.

Debra and I are planning on getting together with Kalen on Sunday. Kalen's onc is the one that Debra had her 2nd op with today. There should be some interested conversation to say the least. Hope the weather holds so we can enjoy some time outdoors on our deck to Shoot the Sh*t!

I got Debra "up and running" with the posts, I don't know if she has officially logged in but she is certainly aware of the wealth of support/info there is to offer. I never paid much attention to those of you who had mentioned posting over on the Taxotere/Cytoxan post, but we found that and I know it will be so beneficial for her to read through it. Thanks D1, I will let Debra know that if she would like a live body to yak at that you would be receptive to getting a call.

I'll be saving my shout outs for the am, going to walk to town tonight, its a festive weekend in ol' Poulsbo, we're going to hit a local restaraunt (but not the one that Zach is at for his first night of work), I promised him we would not show up tonight!

Have decided the last couple nights to indulge in a little vino, its been 8 days since my infusion of the nasty "Methotraxate" which is the nasty one on the liver, so enjoying the great weather and a little white wine, hopefully my mind will shut off come bedtime as its been spinning out of control for most the afternoon.

Oh, btw, sucked it up to go to work, the "acting" boss gave us an hour off, so all was good!!!

A pleasant eve to you all, Carol

Hey Kimberly, just read your last post, what an awesome treat you received. Now that was a great idea!!!

Determined1 · May 2008

Oh my, how far behind have I fallen?

I'm trying to catch up on all the things I've let slide for the past 6 months and it's taking time away from here. Not good. But, I'm trying to get things organized to paint my kitchen/family room and I need to order new curtains for same. The only problem with that is everyone in my house seems to have an opinion and it takes forever to compromise!

Also, today I finally kept my hair appointment. It felt SO good to be there. (I never thought of myself as a "girl," but I guess I am!) My stylist put a wash out color in my hair (a golden brown), to cover the gray (most of it) and trimmed the long hairs and gave me some "shape" so when more hair grows in, I don't have a circle of hair around my head. Even though it doesn't look dramatically different, it is noticeable. Even dh noticed without prompting. And she only charged me $20! My next appointment is in 5 weeks, so you know there wasn't much there today...

I also stopped by the nursery to buy plants for the front yard beds. I've felt so behind hearing how all of you are planting and you're in more northern climes than I! I had to get on the stick. Perhaps it will be nice enough on Sunday to plant them (we're getting a lot of rain).

Let's see what I can do about shouts-try not to judge me.

Glad to hear tatts weren't a big deal for CathyCA. I have four tattoo "moles" myself. I hope both of our nails hang in there.

SIS Kimberly-you sound like you're being fair to the whole rads issue. You need to do what makes you comfortable in the long run. Hear everyone out, mix in your research and make a decision with which you can be at peace. That's what its all about.

Joan-You really should try to get some exercise while doing the rads. You'll find you're lower on energy and the exercise will help to balance that out. Give that gym membership a try. I'm also happy to read you're keeping the boob lubed. So important. The only peeling I've had so far is on the nipple (it looks like a bad case of that skin disease Michael Jackson claims to have) and that's to be expected since it was so covered with blisters.

Paula-Maybe it was a week ago you soaked in the tub and slept some, but I was happy to see you allowed yourself the time. You burn your candle at 4 or 5 ends, so reading that you were soaking was a good thing.

SIS Kimberly-Thanks for checking in on CarolC. I hope the job offer leads to more comfortable times for her.

KathyL-I'm with Carol on the whole SP thing. It's not supposed to be a stressor. In fact, if you wait a little, it'll be more of a surprise, dontcha think?

PALady-Ooooh, a girls' weekend!! Sounds good. The Deanna Farve book should be waiting for you when you get back home. Enjoy your time away.

KathyL-my college girl thinks I should have my 4 rad tatts connected into something cool over Frankenboob (probably tattooed stitches to go with the theme!). With my needle phobia, I don't think that's in the cards...

Hey Carla, your strength is inspirational. Hope the Red Devil was an angel to you.

SIS Kimberly-been watching the weather and it looks pretty hot out your way. Maybe I'll stop by for my glass of vino when the weather's better...

LJ13-your surgery news sounds good. I'll keep fingers crossed for clean margins and no node involvement.

Hey Therese, you've had a bit going on, haven't you? But you still sound upbeat, which as we all know, is the larger part of the battle. I'll bet you're getting through the toughest part now and you'll be fluffing those girls soon.

Carol-I've been thinking about what Debra's doc said to her since you called today (sorry I couldn't talk much, the guy adjusting my glasses was a total loser). You have to remember that we are all unique and that our doctors are a product of what they've done "lately." They will tell us what they think will justify whatever their treatment du jour is. (Sorry, ended that sentence in a preposition.) Anyway, I suspect Debra is being discouraged from CMF for reasons other than "it's not available in the US." That's just a convenient excuse not to explore it. So don't doubt your own tx. As for what is best for her? Well, part of that is up to her. I know I was given cocktail options and chose what I thought was best (read that to say, what appeared to be the fewest se's-as if that's an option!). She is wise to seek out people who have done the tx's and factor that in to her decision. After all, these decisions are SO personal (witness SIS Kimberly's process with the whole rads thing). See what happens when we lay people start learning about medicine??? We start questioning the so-called experts! (Good thing, it keeps them on their toes.)

Anyway, my family is off to bed and I don't feel a need to burn the midnight oil.

Tomorrow is a big day. Dd's basketball team has qualified for the medal round and if they win their 11am game tomorrow (which will put them in the championship game) they qualify for Division II Nationals. It's funny, since this kid has been to Division I Nationals (with another team) and finished in the top 10 in the nation three years in a row, she's not motivated to try to make it to D2. Dh and I are trying to keep her head in the game as no one else on her team (or her coach) have ever been to Nationals-D2, let alone D1. We'll see how it goes (particularly since her coach keeps telling her she's the team's offense-what a change from her varsity team!). Should be interesting.

Nitey nite, ladies.

D1

Thinking about Julie.

golfer779 · May 2008

Ooooofhdaaaaa ... okay that's as Norweigan as its gets around here. Walked home from downtown at 11:30pm, walked by the restaraunt where the ds is working, he was mopping the floor inside , just a few patrons still endulging at the outside tables. The dh and I walked home, about 15 min. ago and the dh turned around and is in the car to pick the ds soon, the dh just called, he's still mopping at 11:55pm!!! Ooofda for that, the little whipper snapper is going to be pooped!!!

D1, thanks for the words to help put my mind a little more at ease today, the dh and I had a bit of a discussion over dinner on the whole topic, just what he would want to chat about on a Fri night out!!! Walked home "hate to admit it but being close to "three sheets to the wind" we we're still yakking about the "day's topic". Time for my mind to take a "chill pill", tomorrow will be a new day and I hope to enjoy it with nothing but positive thoughts!!

To all sleeping at this hour .... pleasant thoughts and a peaceful nights rest.

Carol

RN2teach · May 2008

Good morning JJs,

I'm with my students at their executive council meeting. Woke up around 4am with leg pain...couldn't get comfy enough to go back to sleep, so here I am. Thank God for wireless internet!

Kimberly- thanks for the update on CarolC.

Wow! 100 degree temps in May! Wishing for a little of that California sunshine here-it is downright cold here (50s yesterday and I'll bet it isn't over 40 tonite).

PALady- what a wonderful idea to celebrate the end of your treatments with a girls' weekend! I hope the weather is beautiful and that you gals are having a fabulous time.

Kathy- bummer that you're still dealing with ear problems.

I hope things go smoothly for you at home while your dh is away. WTG mom on coming to stay for a few days! Hope your dh has a safe trip.

Carla- thinking of you this weekend after your chemo. Hope you're able to sleep thru the worst of the side effects.

Yummmmmm on the apple dumplings! What a nice treat and a great fundraiser!

D1- ‘bout time that le situation starts improving. Three cheers for your legu!

Good luck to dd in her tourney this weekend!

Carol- warm weather and deck time-the perfect combo for a nice evening. Wish I were there! Ohhh, just read where you got a little vino in as well. What a treat!

OK, I know Debra's report from the onc has you reeling, but take a deep breath and try to settle down. You had 2 opinions and both agreed to CMF for you, right? With that said, I totally understand. When I read about TC being "better" than AC + T, I worried... then I read about Taxotere being more effective than Taxol... then I read that Carboplatins are preferred over all of the above... you get the picture, I hope-there's always going to be the "next big thing" in cancer treatment. There is a certain amount of "blind leaping" involved, but we have done our best to arm ourselves for this battle. That's all we can do!

LJ- those reports sound terrific to me. Good to see things are moving along for your surgery now that you're finished with chemo.

Therese- I'm glad you took the weekend off after your surgery-esp. since it meant you got to spend Mother's Day w/ your family!

A sinus infection? Yuck! Glad it is resolving quickly. Don't worry, honey, you aren't the only one who hasn't found the time to get something out to their SP...

WTG on acing your course finals!

Joan- #9 rads done for me, too. No redness, tiny bit of itching. I had my treatment yesterday at 6am so I could go out of town. When I was driving up to the rads center at 5:30am, I decided my evening appts weren't so bad after all!

OK, I'm feeling a little sleepy-took some Advil and the legs have settled down. Think I'll go back to bed for an hour or so. I'll check in again when I get home. Have a good weekend, all!

Paula

SISKimberly · May 2008

Good Morning Gals-

It is going to be another hot day in my neck of the woods. The big concern is fire danger. It’s been a relatively dry winter, and we’ve already had several fires up and down CA.
That doesn’t bode well for what is to come since fire season hasn’t technically started.

We’ve got a retirement party with staff tonight. Four staff members are leaving us. Things they are a changing! Tomorrow, a day of wine tasting-maybe tasting for me- at our favorite wineries in the Fair Play area. I’ve got shipments to pick up.

Carol- I totally understand you wondering what the heck is going on with your onc. offering CMF and Deb’s onc saying absolutely not. What does he mean oral cytoxan isn’t available in the US? Certainly, the pharmacy wouldn’t have it if it weren’t. Maybe she misunderstood him? I am so sorry that the CMF questions are messing with your head. That sucks!!!! Deep breath!

CMF is one of the oldest regimes offered to deal with breast cancer from what I’ve read. It wouldn’t still be offered if it didn’t work, right? Him offering Deb TC isn’t surprising since combining the taxanes with Cytoxan is one of the newest cocktails on the block relatively speaking. Is he a younger onc. perhaps? It certainly is a matter of preference, and we have to trust that our onc has done the research and knows which cocktail will best knock out which types of cancers taking into consideration tumor type, size, and node involvement. I know, I said I trusted my surgeon more than my onc, but she’s a woman who gains nothing from recommending or not recommending treatments.

Had I not been in such a dither, I might have done research on the different chemo cocktails available before hand, but who was in the space of mind to do that at the beginning of this journey? I wasn’t. I did start my research after I started chemo, and I feel confident that the three drugs I was on kicked cancer booty.

Think of it this way, Carol. Three drugs (CMF)…three strikes and you’re out! Thought a softball analogy would be appropriate.

How nice that you, Kalen, and Deb will have a chance to meet and talk to each other especially because you seem to share oncologists in one way or another.

Glad the evening allowed you to have a little vino de blanc and to get those racing thoughts out of the brain and out into the world where they could be dissipated. Letting those thoughts stay cooped up inside our heads is no good. Talking it out is the best thing…and just hug the dh for me, OK. I know it’s hard to discuss our treatment options and anxieties, but just being a sounding board is such a help. Mine was that for me the other day when I had my little relapse in confidence.

Well done steering her to the TC thread and to D1, who unfortunately for her experienced about every se there is, to be her guide through the TC journey.

D1- Speaking of offering to be Debra’s guide, may I say, what a doll to offer to be an ear for Debra if needed. I love that we’re paying it forward, girls.

What a boost to the confidence and feel good factor to have your hair trimmed, shaped, and colored. I’m looking forward to that day. So, are you saying your girly-girl is ready to come out and play, now? I’d say redecorating is a sign!!!!

You provided words of wisdom for our dear, Carol, D1. OK, it’s so not good form to follow a compliment with a correction, but sorry, the Language Arts teacher is coming out in me. “Is” is not a preposition, so you’re good ending that sentence the way you did. “Is” is a state of being verb. I totally agree with you that asking questions keeps our ‘experts’ on their toes. I admire those of you who got second opinions on chemo before making a choice. Like I said, wish I would have been in research mode earlier, but thankfully, my cocktail was one of the ‘newer’ cocktail combos being offered for attacking aggressively.

Good luck to the dd today!!!!

Paula- 4am!!!! I tell you, you just amaze me with how little rest you seem to get these days, and you just keep on truckin’. I assume you’re at a hotel with your kids at their executive council meeting?

You also had some great words of wisdom for Carol. Bravo!!!

Have you talked to the doc about you leg pain? Leg pain can be so many things, and a sleep disruptor as you discovered.
Hope the rest of your day goes well and that you get that leg pain under control.

I’ll check in later ladies before I head out to the party.

SIS Kimberly

golfer779 · May 2008

A Good Morning to All,

Just what I needed this morning, support from my SIS Jewels. After a good night of rest, I'm choosing to start my day off on a positive note. It takes to darn much energy to be all spun up as I was yesterday. There I was googling everything I could find on chemo regimens, like I was going to change something now!

Kimberly, D1 and Paula, thanks for sharing your thoughts, I'll be taking those deep breaths throughout the day!

Kimberly, you guys never stop on the weekends, you definitely take the prize as the social butterfly. Hope the taste buds are user friendly for you tomorrow. I unfortunately forgot my motto "quality over quantity" last night. It will be a big time water day for me today!!!

Paula, hope you caught atleast another hour of sleep, hopefully you can hit your "jammies" early tonight.

D1, well the dd should be wrapping up their first game, hope she had a barn burner of a game.

I plan on "puttering" in the yard, going to the Viking Fest parade, and then we're off to a couples golf tourney tonight. No time for my knoggin to spin on negative vibes!

The ds had a good first night on the job, the only trauma was two little burned spots on his arm from the oven which cooks the bread. I'm sure he'll be full of stories once he wakes up today, he's back on the job tonight at 5:00.

Okay, off to "putter", first up is to shape the wiener dogs topiary!

Hoping for a good day for my Jewel friends,

Carol

camazur · May 2008

Jewels,

So I got a package from my Secret Pal yesterday. It contained an herbal tea sampler and a lovely mug and a card.

It really lifted my spirits on a rainy gloomy day in the northeast. So, Thanks, SP!

I still have to get out to shop for my pal.

I saw my therapist yesterday and he told me my energy is way better than last week. Its good to hear, because I feel such a tiny bit better.

My onc is starting me on hormone therapy when I start rads--anybody else? I just assumed it would be after rads were completed. I guess I'm in no rush to get started. And my first consult with the radiation onc is next Tuesday.

Hoping all the Jewels have a restful weekend.

Maz

joteach · May 2008

Good evening Jewels,

Kimberly - I'm sure you have made the right decision about rads. You seem to have all the bases covered. My favorite doc in all this is my surgeon too. She is amazing and I feel very fortunate to be under her care.

D1 - thanks for the reminder of the value of exercise. I really need to be encouraged and tend to get lazy. I will probably join the gym in late June after school's out. But I have several exercise dvd's and videos, and have a nice place to walk around my condo.

Carol - keep positive about CMF. If it were not effective after all these years, they would not offer that tx.

Goodnight all,

Joan

vettegal · May 2008

Good morning Jewels Kiss

I know it has been a while. It has ben crazy at home at work with my sister. Here are the updates...

Denise surgery went well, but her third node had cancer in it. She was totally upset and couldn't fiqure out why she didn't get any breaks! I tried to explain that some people with smaller tumors then me had cancer in the nodes. Anyway she is having the AND surgery tomorrow morning.

Me, I am done with 15 rad treatments got 20 more to go!! I can feel it now when they radiate, especially in the nipple area. I been doing the cream thing every chance i get!! Just been tired alot. Work has been really busy!

Today my "rockstar" nephew school is having a breakfast-ceromy-prayer service for the seniors and pass oout awards so we are all going to that today. I actully put a skirt on..OMG! Surprised I don't do it often enough my dh says.

my dh-had another meltdown the other day. He landscapes and had 11 yards to cut and everyone asked "how's Patty doing?" Now, fielding that question all day maid him think while he works. I am on the turnpike coming home from work and he calls crying. What if I lost you..I can't handle this. I didn't do much for you. I say you did EVERYTHING for me. I swear the guys have it hard too! A lady wanted me to join a support group and I asked if the hubby can come and she said NOPE woman only. I think that is not fair. They are going thru this as much as we are..well anywhooooo

I hope you all are doing fine. I feel like I negleted you. I have been over denises alot lately just chatting and hanging around her. I am trying to get her to be more positve and she a tough one!!

I do miss you all!!

Lots of love Patty

go penguins!!

KathyL · May 2008

D1: I'm falling behind in reading/posting, too these days. I find there's just not enough hours in the day anymore to keep up on everything. And I have 3 empty planters out front I'd like to fill with flowers maybe next weekend if I can.

I liked reading about your hair appointment. I have one June 5^th to see what my girl can do for me. I don't have a lot of hair, but it's definitely growing and probably need some help evening it out. Plus now that my brows are growing in, they need some help in reshaping, too. Egads, I'm hairy all over now!

Carol: I so agree with what D1 said about your CMF regimen. I know from my own experience in working medicine--- take 6 docs/HC providers and you'll get 6 different approaches to a problem, all of which could be correct. Try not to doubt the validity of your own treatment. Trust that you and your doc have chosen the right path for YOU.

Patty: Nice to "see" you again on here. You have so much on your plate right now, there's no way you should be feeling bad about not being on here. You and your sis need each other now. And it sounds like your dh needs some time with you, too. It agree, it's hard on them, too.

Kimberly: As always, I get a chuckle reading your posts. Always the teacher...

I am glad to hear you are settled in your rads decision. It's hard enough making all the choices we have to make, but you need to go forward knowing you made the right choice for you. I have confidence you'd never do anything less.

So, I have an even busier week ahead. The dh left Saturday for 5 days in Boston (business, though he will catch a Red Sox game while there--- his team). My mom came down and is staying to help me manage through the next few days with the kids and work. Tuesday I have my next herceptin infusion. Wednesday I have off and have a full day of things-to-do. I hope to get my poor SP her first gift then. I suck, I know... But as someone said, it will be worth it I hope. Dh comes home late, late Wednesday night. Thursday the kids have their end-of-year picnic in the AM. My new job is awesome and is letting me use time I've already worked extra so that I can have the morning off to go. Next Saturday we're having some of dd's friends over for a pizza party playdate-they each had her over while I was doing chemo, and I wanted to give back to their parents as a thank you. Disney princess movies, pizza, and some treat (smores or sundaes) are in order as well as 4-5 giggling 5 year old girls.

I am slowly gaining more stamina and momentum. The weight is not budging-stuck at 4 pounds off. I guess it will be a slow process until I can exercise more. I still notice "sausage ankles" at the end of each day usually. The eye twitching is almost gone (more days without it than with it). The hair's growing... Just gotta get this ear fixed (that's on next week's agenda).

Good News... the week's list is so short now! All we have this week is the following:

Tuesday: Kris60 #5 of 12 weekly T

Wednesday: Wing #8 of 12 weekly T

I know there are many doing daily rads also (hope every one's holding up and not overfrying).

Gotta run.

Determined1 · May 2008

Soooo. I got a lot accomplished since Friday night's post. I got my flowers planted in the front yard and managed to dump all the crap on my lawn for now, so that's up to date. I really just need to get the flowers for the back yard and get them in the ground and it'll look good again! I also need to replace some dead/dying shrubs and mulch everything, but that can come later.

Dd's bball team qualified for Nationals. We're not sure what to do about that as in our house we all know her team won't even make it out of pool play at Nationals (they really aren't that good), so we have to decide if it will be worth the money to get to Disney World in Orlando (where Nationals for her age group will be held). I think a team meeting is in order...

Ooofdah,Carol! Sounds like ds's first night was a long one! I should read on, maybe you've given some details of his first day...

Paula-I like your comments to Carol. You're right on.

Thanks for keeping my grammar in order, SIS Kimberly! Hope your temps give some relief-you guys really don't need to extend your fire season any longer.

Maz-Sounds like the SP delivered at exactly the right time for you! (Again, SIS Kimberly/Carol, you two are studly for putting this together for us.) I see my onc on Weds. to figure out what's next for me. Before I started chemo, he was recommending either Tamoxifen or Arimidex for 5-10 years, but he was going to start after rads-not simultaneously. It's probably just another protocol, but make sure your rad onc knows that your onc is putting you on some drugs during rads. My rad onc didn't even want me to take a multi-vitamin!

Good to hear from you, Patty. I'm sorry Denise is feeling like the Cancer Gods are not on her side. We all have a different journey on this road, and Denise has hers. I bet she'll get breaks where she doesn't even realize it. I hope her AND doesn't show any more node action. Be sure you let us know. Meanwhile, I'll send her my very best thoughts.

You're right about the caregivers needing support, too. The dh and I had lunch together a couple of weeks ago and I acknowledged to him how difficult it must've been for him. I couldn't believe the rush of emotion he had when I said the words out loud. He said he felt like he was all alone thinking how hard it was on him. We all need to remember to thank our caregivers more often-this is tough for them, too.

I'll root for the Penguins for ya-I'm not really in to hockey, so I don't have a team affiliation...

Well, I should wrap this up. I'm typing it on my new computer and I still have some work to do to make things work around here (for one thing, I have to figure out the wireless router so college girl can use her computer and stops using everyone else's!)

D1

golfer779 · May 2008

Wow, where did the weekend go???

It's been a busy one around here, yesterday was a full day from sun up to sundown. Got a good chance to putter in the yard, the annuals are all in place which makes me a happy camper. The ds and I went to the hometown parade in some pretty warm weather for us Pac NWesterners, walked home from town which is only about 15 minutes and had myself a physical meltdown. I layed on the bed with a wet wash rag over my face and another around my neck. I had about 30 min to regroup before the dh and I we're to leave for a couples golf tourney. I hate to say it but I sucked it up, as we we're golfing in a 4 person scramble with our dear friends (the "cation" buddies while in AZ). My golf was ugly, but I did regroup enough to have some fun and enjoyed a nice potluck meal after our round. I was so thankful to find my bed last night, and slept right through any hot flashes that may have occurred!!!

A few shout outs before I retire tonight ...

Kimberly, hope your taste buds we're cooperative for your winery adventure today. Also a big thankyou for calling yesterday, it meant more to me to hash out what I had in my mind than I could ever express with these type written words. A big hug for that one gal!!!

Maz, oh what a treat to receive a special little treat from your SP, on what may have not been an overly great day, atleast weather wise.

Good question posed on the HT during rads, come to think of it, I had not questioned that with my rad doc. Another question to add to my list as I will be getting a 2nd op from another doc here soon.

Joan, I appreciate your support as well to kinda get me over the hump of the last few days. Debra and I continued to discuss what the oncs have suggested for regimens, I still have confidence in the txt plan that I have been on. One difference in our path is that my cancer was diagnosed as being Grade 1. I'm assuming that may have something to do with the regimen I was offered.

Hitting the exercise path soon, I try to remind myself daily to be active in one way or another. D1 certainly whizzed through her rads without much fatigue, although did have a burn't boob ... I guess thats better than being pooped and being burn't!

Patty, so glad that you popped in to give an update on yourself as well as Denise. My oh my, I remember when you and I we're discussing our AND surgeries. Please pass on all the positive vibes you can to your sis, and sounds like your dh could use a pretty big hug himself. I bet that quite a few of our significant others have very similar feelings, sounds like the Vetteguy knows how to let them become apparent on the outside as well.

Sounds like your plugging along with your rads, your getting close to the finish line gal, hang in there. I really think that this year will pass for all of us and brighter days are going to be here before we know it. The motto "Jan 2008, Ain't it Great?", well I think we'll be buying that come 2009!

Kathy, with your family and work, I'm surprised you have time to pop in at all with the ol' Jewels. Hopefully you can enjoy some special time with your mom in the next few days. I'm sure that your kids enjoy having some time with grandma. Thank god our txt list is getting so small, its pretty wild to me to think what that list looked like about 4-6 mo ago.

Thank you also for your vote of confidence on my txt, I definitely needed a little pick me up, which I have gotten in grand fashion right here.

D1, so whats your dd take on the ball team. Is she hyped to go to FL? My two cents worth is that I'd rather go to Disneyworld than Lincoln Nebraska come July!!! Oh, thats right I'll be hanging close to the home front.

The ds had a great weekend of work, put in 17 hours over 3 days. I had a great call tonight from his dad, he said I think we should think about letting him go ahead and get his drivers license. Hadn't told him that I had not canceled the appt for this Fri to take the drivers exam. Yeah, nothing worse than getting a call at 11:00 or midnight from him to get a ride home after work. He can use my car anytime if I don't have to get out of bed to pick him up after work. Okay, so my dh did the duty both Fri and Sat night!

Lastly, had an awesome visit with Kalen and Debra this afternoon. Who knew that 3 ladies could talk about bc for nearly 4 hours straight. We had a very candid conversation that covered I'd say almost every aspect of the journey as we know it thus far. I know that Debra has poked in on this post, hoping that if she has any lingering questions as to a specific txt that she will be asking. Got that Debra, ask away ... this group is a wealth of support!

Alrighteeee ... the 5:00 wake up will be here before I know it, a happy Monday to you all, and as always, you ladies are in my thoughts often.

Carol

sheshe48 · May 2008

Hi JJ,

I have been thinking about everyone, I have been in a gall bladder attack since last week. They won't take it out because i'm going thru cancer treatment. It gets set off every so oftern. I also had family that came to visit over the weekend from Tenn. it was so nice to see them. Two of my aunts came up. It was a very rushed visit. Last week I started to go on line and do some shout outs. Got side tracked, I will do them now. I'm hoping to get caught up to speed by tomorrow. Everyone have a nice Monday. Thanks for all the well wishes for finding a job. I'm hoping to have one soon. My pinkie boob is sore and red now, no blisters or burns yet, very tender. I'm also glad everyone had the best mom's day.

Joan Sorry I missed your birthday, that's great you are walking too.

Paula Aug 23rd is my daughters wedding day. Plans are coming along, we are working on the bridal shower now. basically everything is done and picked out and paid for. We are just waiting for the big day to get here. And right now working on who's coming to bridal shower and wondering if we have to use the D List. I think we will be able to add a few more people to the bridal shower, we have had a few cancellations. Which makes it great, so we can invite more people. I can't wait for it to get here. My daughter and I have been working on gift baskets. They are so nice and cute. My daughter color coordinated them and all the stuff in the baskets is the same color. We have pink, blue ,yellow, purple ect...and then we bought wine bottles and we will tie 2 wine glasses to the neck of the bottle and pass those out too as gifts. It should be fun.good luck with the fund raising and enjoy your trip, enjoy your massege.

Kimberly your home plans sound great. i bet it's real pretty, be careful someone might stop by for coffee and pie lol. Loved the ADD, you are so funny. Enjoy your spa day.

Therese How are you feeling since surgery? Get well soon

LJ13 Be thinking positive thoughts for the pet scan results, they might be in now. Happy belated birthday, that's cool you and my daughter share the same B day. (small world), loved the picture.

Carol Planting flowers is the best medicine. Like I always say you can clean house when it rains. I'm having trouble with lymphdema in my arms. After rads I'm making an appt with a specialist. My rads doctor told me to wear sports bras thru rad treatment to help keep fluid out of my breast. Don't know if it is helping yet. Congrats for ds qualifing for the Nationals. Good Job. Hope you are feeling better from chemo treatment.

D1 Ouch you sound sore, one day last week the rads machine was broke down so I missed a treatment, I got a break that day. So far I don't have any blisters. I use Aquaphor healing ointment twice a day and so far it's helping. I'm just red and tender, my field goes all the way up to my neck on right side and even hits my stomach, so far no burns on my stomach. The smoothie ice pack really does help on the nipple. It took the aching away. I was told we can continue to cook 2 wks after treatment. You cracked me up wanting to take Willie Nelson to the concert with you. I love the braides idea really funny. I wonder how often his fans take him to other concerts.

Julie What a great night, congrats to dh getting inducted to the Hall of Fame at his school, I know you were proud and so was he. I hope you are feeling better from surgery, thinking about you.

I still have a page and a half to get caught up on. I will plan on doing that no later than tomorrow.

Ladies have a great week

Vettegal How are you doing with your rad treatments I have not talked to you lately. I hope your sister Denise is improving after surgery. Thinking positeve thoughts.

SISKimberly · May 2008

Good Morning Jewels,
Well, the retirement event was great. My friends Cynthia’s hubby wrote a song for each retiree, and then two other staff members joined him on guitar. It was great to see so many coworkers there. Our Dean is Hispanic and always brings tequila…good stuff. He poured me two shots worth saying this brand is said to rid a person of all his pains…yeah. The top of my head broke out in a sweat after taking that big shot! Heehee.

We didn’t go to the wine event after all, but decided to go to Tahoe where it was only 80 instead of 103. We spend the morning and early afternoon there, then drove back through Nevada City. Nice drive.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Carol- It was good to talk with you on Sat. morning. Glad to assist a fellow Jewel in need. Also,glad to hear you were out in the yard planting the flowers and enjoying the sunshine.

Yeah for the ds’s 17 hours in 3 days. Nothing like starting out and just being thrown in to sink or swim. Sounds like he had no problem keeping his head above water, and now he’s got a good start towards gas money since it sounds like he’ll be driving soon thanks to the ex agreeing to let him get his license. Isn’t it interesting that the call came and you not having canceled the appt? I think the universe paired up with you on the ds’s side.

Maz- What a lift me up to receive your SP gift in the mail, and the mug and tea sounds perfect for just sitting and relaxing on an overcast drippy day.

I’ve heard many women state their oncs told them to start when they were ready, and many waited until after rads and after they were healed. I think it’s really in your court, Maz. What’s the rush? I’d want to make sure I was feeling really good, so I could easily identify new se’s as being from Tamox. More easily reported to the oncologist,so he can’t pooh-pooh your concerns.

Joan- You’re sounding really good, Joan. How are you doing?
I haven’t walked since the Komen walk…OK, I did once with the dh and does Mall walking count? If so, I did that as well. I don’t know why I’m not more motivated knowing that this is really what I need to do to feel so much more healthy. I keep telling myself not to worry about not jumping in with both feet, but if I don’t start making this part of my routine, will I ever really commit, I wonder?

I agree with you that all the bases have been covered…we seem to be on a soft ball theme here lately. Hee Hee

Patty- I’m so glad to hear from you. No worries about being MIA as we all know how much you’re dealing with right now. Glad to hear Denise came through her bilat surgery, but bummed she has to do the AND as well. Remind her there are many gals who have done both who are doing well. Give her hugs from the Jewels.

Sounds like rads is progressing for you. I’ll bet you’re feeling fatigued with rads on top of everything you’re doing (caring for your sis, checking in with mom, taking care of the family, working full time, and reassuring your sweet dh).

Kathy- Again, no worries about the SP gift. You’re not an SP loser. You’re just really busy with life right now, which is soooo great isn’t it when compared to the past 7 or so months?

Your little girls day on Thursday to thank the mom’s who have really helped you out sounds like fun, but exhausting to me. Is there a teenager in the neighborhood who baby sits and could help out, maybe?

Glad the hair is growing back and that a visit to the hair salon is in order. And yippee on the return of the eyebrows and eyelashes…and dare I say elsewhere? I really like not having to shave, but if getting the hair on my head means I must get hair back elsewhere, then OK.

Have you checked to see if the chemotini drugs list ear issues as a side effect? Just a thought since an ear infection doesn’t last this long.

Hope you get your flowerbeds planted next weekend.

D1- Well, Kathy is anxiously awaiting the planting of her flowerbeds, and you’ve made yours…sorry, bad pun. WhooHoo on accomplishing the front yard work. One step at a time.

Congrats on dd’s team making the Nationals, but totally understand the indecision about whether to fork out that kinds of doe to get to Florida for what you know will be a no win situation.

I totally agree about letting the dh’s know how much we understand this journey wasn’t just about us, but that this had to be incredibly difficult for them, too.

Good luck with the router thing. I’m so technologically not saavy.

Sherry- Sounds like wedding plans, bridal shower preparations, and rads are all going smoothly…you pink boob will fit right in with the color scheme of the gift baskets. Hee Hee. Sorry to hear about your gall bladder, though. Not too much longer for rads, and then that can be addressed if need be.

OK, I’m off to see one of my girls do a presentation on Mayan music in her first period Social Studies class. She plays drums and her sister dances in traditional costume.

I’ll check in later.

SIS Kimberly

Determined1 · May 2008

Okay, finally got the router working and all of our computers have internet access! I have a couple of other things to figure out before I get the computer geek in here to do some data transfer for me. It's always sumthin'!

Carol-sounds like the ds is really working hard! So glad his dad changed his mind about the license. When they start to work, it's really a hassle to pick them up all the time. We're struggling around here now with 3 cars and 4 drivers. I never dreamed it would be this complicated. College girl wants to take a car to college her soph year as she's taking photo next semester (she took 4 years of high school photo and has even had a show of her work-she's actually pretty good), and needs to be able to get around to get her shots. I guess we'll have to figure that one out. If we're going to get another car, I'd rather do it sooner than later as we may as well enjoy the benefit of the extra set of wheels now.

Not sure what's going to happen on the Nationals front. Dd is coming to the conclusion that she'd like to go, even though her team will be eliminated pretty early. I'm not sure-it is a lot of money. More to come, I'm sure.

Glad you got with Kalen and Deb. Please let Deb know I'm happy to talk to her if she thinks it would be helpful.

Sheshe-Yikes! A gall bladder attack. That doesn't sound like much fun. I'm glad you were able to enjoy your family, though. Those visits are good for the soul.

You might want to see if your rad onc can give you a script to get a consult with a lymphedema specialist before you finish rads. Rads makes lymphedema worse, so any massage therapy you can get during rads will help keep the lymph fluid draining. Besides, the massages are great (the burned boob business wasn't so fab, but I did my best to ignore it).

SIS Kimberly-the party sounds like fun. I'll bet the shot was good for you-I agree with your dean!

Not much going on here today. I've played with the computer some and need to do some more research in prep for my onc visit on Wednesday. Later the girls have a dental appointment, so that'll take 2 hours or so. Oh, and if there's time/energy left, I need to bake some cookies for dd's school lunches. At least I got to the gym this morning (get off your duff, SIS Kimberly-no time like the present!).

Good luck in the lounge, tomorrow, Kris! Go kick some cancer booty!

Later, Ladies.

D1

JulieK_11_30_07 · May 2008

Hi Jewels -- Just a quick post to let you know that my surgery went well and the new "foobies" are looking good. I still have the drains in - ready for them to come out!! I've been sleeping off and on -- my pain has been pretty high at times, so I'm staying on the pain meds pretty regularly. I've been sleeping on the couch since Thursday b/c it's hard to lay flat and I can prop up on the couch which helps.

Thanks so much for all of the good thoughts -- I'll have to catch up later on the posts when I have more energy. It's about time for another nap!

Hope everyone is doing well - thinking of you all!!

Julie

Determined1 · May 2008

Julie, A quickie to let you know how happy I am to hear from you! Hit the pain meds till you don't need them anymore, and then come and tell us all about your foobies!

Stay comfortable.

D1

Cathy-CA · May 2008

Had my first rads this morning and my 3-month checkup with the bc surgeon this afternoon. Surgeon said everything felt fine, but I need to get in for a mammo just to check. I'll call tomorrow to get that appointment added to my list. I put lots of aloe on after the rads appointment and then some cornstarch later in the morning, since it's so hot here.

Julie -- keep hanging in there and take pain meds when you need them.

D1 -- Tough call on what to do about nationals. I agree its a lot of money since she has already gone and it seems like the team will be out after the first round. Probably because I'm from SoCal and we have pretty much all the same stuff, Orlando has never been one of my favorite places to visit.

Kimberly -- the retirement event sounds lovely. Glad you got to see your co-workers and the special song for each retiree sounds wonderful.

SheShe -- sorry to hear about your gall bladder. I hope it quits acting up until you finish chemo. I feel like all I'm doing right now is going to all the doctor appointments I had to put off until after chemo.

Carol -- glad you had such a good weekend, but sorry it caught up with you and your golf was ugly. My father and my son have tickets to the U.S. Open next month and Dad is determined to be healed enough to walk the course. My youngest has offered to push him in a wheelchair if need be. Of course, my son figures people in wheelchairs will probably be allowed right up against the rope, so sees something in for himself.

Patty -- So glad that you're almost half way done with rads. I know you've been such a help to your sister as she works her way through this journey. I'm sure she was discouraged to find out she had a positive node. Sorry about dh's meltdown. I think all of us try to hold it together and then out of the blue, something hits us and reminds us how scary and uncertain cancer is.

KathyL -- Don't feel bad about not posting more often. You have so much on your plate and are doing so well. Rest up while dh is in Boston.

Joan -- I'm such a believer in exercise. Even if all you do is a couple laps around the house during commercials, it has it's benefits.

Paula -- hope the conference went well.

Thinking of our two jewels up for chemo this week. The list has gotten really short!

tinalee123 · May 2008

Hi Jewels,

Just checking in before I get to some packing tonight. The weekend went by in a quick hurry for me, it must have been because I was trying to get a lot of my outdoor work done before exchange surgery tomorrow. I got all my annuals planted, and added two sweet pepper (red and ivory) plants to my veggie garden. Dh took care of adding new edging and trimming the pine trees. By Sunday afternoon we were exhausted. Luckily the weather held out the entire time.

I've got exchange surgery at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Am looking forward to getting this done. I took the week off work, and am happy to have the extra time to get some things done.

Ds #2 will have graduation commencement exercises in two weeks. We'll be having an open house for him later in June, but, wanted to get his invitation/announcements ordered. Dh took him to a park today and took a few outdoor pictures of him in front of Minnehaha Falls. They turned out really nice, so, we'll use that pic for the invitation/announcement.

On Thursday, dh and I are heading north to our favorite place, Grand Marais, on the north shore of Lake Superior for a little getaway. We haven't been anywhere for so long! Even if I'm still recovering, it'll be nice to be away.

Julie -- Glad to hear your surgery went well. Take care!

Hope you're all well. Will be lurking for the next few days.

Have a good evening,

Tina

golfer779 · May 2008

Good Monday eve to you all,

Didn't think I'd make it out of bed at 5:15, the ol' body was just plain tired.
Took a deep breath and managed another day at work, really wanted to take a nap at lunch, but went on with my day. Amazingly once it was time to go home my energy level was peaking ... came home and did about a 4 mile walk, happy to report that I revised my playlist on my Ipod, no walking to X-mas music or polkas today!!!

Sitting here watching DVR'd Ophra with the cast from Mary Tyler Moore, (always liked that show), and yikes seeing the cast is making me feel a little on the old side!

Sherry, just what a gal doesn't need at anytime "a gall bladder" attack, yuckers! Hope it settled down a bit for you to enjoy some company over the weekend.

Had you had any problems with le prior to the start of rads? Sounds like it's a problem at the breast site but not in your arm. Hoping that you get a handle on that, we only have room for one D1, who "gets" to sport the undergarmets made of armour.

You definitely have a full plate while planning a wedding to boot. Keep up the strong positive spirit my friend.

Kimberly, ahhh ... Tahoe sounds like the right fit for a Sunday outing. Sounds like the tequila lit up the "melon" a bit. My dh swears that a "good" tequila is the only way to go. I'm not too sure as last year in AZ he thought he could sing after a nip or two of the "good" stuff.

Glad you reiterated to Kathy that there is no need to feel like a SP loser ... I truly believe a good gift is just to hear of others getting on with their life as it was prior to this whirlwind.

Norma, hope you had a great time over the weekend with the "gals" (that would be friends). Assuming your back at your rads today, hoping a couple of days off we're beneficial to your front side!

Paula, hoping you took a little time to yourself yesterday. I don't know about you, but I kinda hit a brick wall over the last couple of days. With the weather being decent here I don't find the time to sit back and relax (or maybe I should say I don't choose to sit back and relax). Everyone has said from the get-go, "listen to your body", I think it might be about time to start doing that. Oooh, that would mean letting my anal retentiveness slide a bit, might be easier said then done. Hoping for a week of mellow rad txts for you.

D1, sounds like time for another vehicle in your home. I'm sure hoping that the ex lets the ds use a spare car from his house. I won't mind loaning a vehicle in the eve's when I know I'm not heading out, but I certainly don't want to be without my wheels during the day.

I'll look forward to seeing what comes of the dd's trip to FL. I just have this hunch that the team as a whole will want to go. I'm assuming not all the other players have had the chance as your dd has in the past to participate in their sport at the national level. Get ready to sport your mouse ears!!!

Julie, thanks for popping in to let us know your "gals" are doing well. Hope you get those darn drains out soon and can hit your own bed for a good nights sleep. Here's to a speedy recovery and as I think Therese said, they'll be fluffing out soon.

Patty, thinking of Denise as she is recovering from her AND surgery. I hate to say it but I think that surgery was much harder to recover from than the mast. I'm thinking you'd second that opinion. Please send our best for her and we'll be thinking a BIG NEGATIVE on those nodes.

Cathy, caught your post, one rad down a counting ... I'm looking forward (in a strange way), to getting on with my rads as well.

Too cool that your dad will be up to watching some golf from the ropes, he must be recovering pretty well. Hey I think your son is on to something with the wheel chair, kinda like playing the baltitude, ya think?

Tina, wow your surgery time seems like it got here quick, time is just flying while we're all having so much fun. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you as well, and a getaway sounds like a great way kick back and relax. I certainly can enjoy some good down time if I'm not at home thinking of what I should be doing and then doing it! Sounds like you and the dh we're busy beavers in your yard, nothing better than digging in the dirt!

Hoping to be awake for DWTS tonight, we'll see as I hit a horizontal position shortly.

A very good eve to you all, Carol

Determined1 · May 2008

Okay, an evening check-in for me. Watched DWTS and even though my heart says give it to Christian, it's apparent to me that Kristi has earned this one. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

CathyCA-Keep with the exercise while you do rads. You'll notice the lack of energy, but I'm convinced that exercise will lessen it. I mean, I was wiped after week three of rads, but I just kept pushing. About 3-4pm I felt I could use a nap, but with some breaks, I was able to keep on keeping on. Exercise, girlfriend.

Hope your dad manages the Open. I like your son's thinking about getting preferential placement.?

Tinalee-You stay so busy, how do you do it? I'll think all good thoughts for you tomorrow.

Carol-You crack me up. I think it's time for another chat soon.

I'm exhausted. Think I'll hit the hay.

D1

Jan 2008--Ain't it Great?

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