Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Hi all.

Mel, good on you for making that call and getting the contractor working on your bathroom. I can imagine what that's been like. I had my bathroom re-done 4 years ago. It was fun to watch but quite the challenge.  

Debbie, I've got my suit for LV, too. I just have to find something to stuff in the pockets. I guess it's time to go buy some new kitchen scrubbies. I hear those work well.

Rebecca, I think taking your time making a decision is a good thing. We've been through so much ... considering further surgeries and processes is enough to make any of us nutso. After your experiences this year, you're  entitled to time to ponder.

I've been thinking about our gathering in LV. We'll have to have an evening/afternoon/morning of sitting around with something good to eat and drink and we'll just be topless. Admiring each other's war wounds. Ackowledging the battle and the experiences.Celebrating the victory. I don't know that that's the type of group photo we'll want, though. And who would we want to take it for us?

I've been busy these last few weeks. My niece's graduation and celebration last weekend was fabulous. It was a great, great time. My brother was here and there was lots of joy and food. How good is that?

Work has been busy, I've put in a few extra hours. I've handled it pretty well, not too tired from that.

A friend has been in town visiting family. We've been friends for almost 40 years, haven't seen each other since before my diagnosis so it was good to spend time with him.

I had the joy of sharing a chemo-brain moment with him. I was trying to say 'thermos' and said 'furnace'. I just froze. Absolutely knew it was the wrong word and could not come up with the right word. Arrgghhhh. He was able to figure it out from the conversation. I explained about my memory lapses. "How long are you blaming that on the chemo?" I told him as long as it kept happening. 

I hope things will be calmer for the next few weeks. I've been wandering through my house, looking at things and realizing it's time to do some deep cleaning. 

I keep watching the price of gas. Sometimes I get so angry, I think about doing bad things to a refinery to really give those companies a reason to jack the prices up. Fortunately for me, I am neither smart enough to plan and execute such a plan or  am I prone to acts of violence. I'm gonna let 'em off easy. 

Ladies, I'm looking forward to LV. I look at my printed ticket confirmation that hangs on the frig and pat it everyday. Woohoo, it will be great.

Hugs to all from Iowa,

Cindy 

Oh, Mel, I feel your pain.  Do you know I am STILL waiting for window blinds from Home Depot?  I ordered them the 3rd week of April.  I just called Bali (Springs) who said the material is on hold, something about it isn't up to par.  HELLO?  Now they've pushed the date out to June 4.  Two weeks ago they told me May 29.  I am done.  I have to go another avenue.  Luckily, I can kick and scream at Home Depot.  That is a dilemma when working w/friends.

Well, girls, I had my cardiology appt. today.  I am thrilled to report that my EF is 55%!  I had an EKG as well and that was fine.  Showed one small premature heartbeat but he said it isn't a problem.  Anyway, this cardiologist wants to look at taking me off Coreg and Lisinipril in December.  I was stunned as my OH dr. said I was on them for life.  Truthfully, I'm a little afraid to go off them, despite them monitoring me closely.  I said I had no s/e's, so why risk it?  He said it's just better to be on less stuff.  He actually isn't even positive I have cardiomyopathy.  He said if it came from the A/C, that would have shown up ten years later and I have read that.  He said if it were from the herceptin, it would have been early into my infusions, not a year later, which my old onco. also said.  So he had his facts straight.  He asked if I'd ever heard of something called Takasumo's cardiomyopathy, which I have not...I'm not even sure I'm spelling that right.  I need to google it.  Anyway, it's a newly recognized from of it and it's stress induced.  He said perhaps due to the stress of the surgery, the cancer...  and of course, I'm thinking the stress of the DH and his job loss last fall and all the slander/defamation.  Add anesthesia to that...  I don't know if this is what I have/had, but if I do go off the heart drugs, I'll want echo's at 1, 2 and 3 mos. out to make sure my pumping function isn't tanking again.

Anyway, I'm glad it was a good report, just taken aback a bit by his different treatment approach.

Well, some progress today on the bathroom, but they're not done.  Maybe tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.  It has been 9 days now since they started the 3 day job, and we are so sick of seeing them!  I am slowly moving back into the bathroom, though.  Oh...I was so disorganized over the weekend because of all of this that I misplaced my wedding rings and my emerald ring, both hooked onto my watch.  I remember taking them off.  I have no idea where they are now.  I hope they are just misplaced and not stolen - that would really be a terrible end to a terrible experience.

Viddie, this is Houston - if the hospitals weren't air conditioned everyone would die.  However, because of the heat in the flap ICU, and because of the hot flashes, they say we can bring one of those mini fans for our faces.  I dread the warm room more than any pain or scarring or drains or anesthesia or anything.  Also, I'll miss my dog.  Thanks for the  advice.

Tina, I think it's great that you might be able to get off those meds - so glad your EF is where it needs to be, too, that's very good news.  It would be wonderful if you didn't have cardiomyopathy, at least not the bad kind.  Sounds to me like your new doc is a good one.  Good luck with your window coverings.

Cindy, I hear you on the gas prices - I'd like to do something radical, too.  Then tonight, after hearing on the news how high prices were today, they had a story about hydrogen fueled cars and how they could be making them now, but when they finally do they'll charge a fortune for them because of huge demand.  I understand supply and demand concepts, but if they had done this before we got in this crisis we all would be so much better off now - not to mention the planet.  I think mankind is really screwing things up.

Skye, can't wait to read your book!  I'm sure with your writing style, it'll be a really fun read.

Well, guess I'll go look for my rings a while.

Hi,

Mel,

Did you find your rings? My mothers says to put a glass upside down. That is a superstition that she says helps find lost things. it doesn't hurt I guess.



Rebecca,



Buying a new car is the pitts. There is a supposedly a $3000.00 rebate on 2008 Hyundai Sonata's. Right....When I called all the dealerships within 100 miles, they said that they were all sold out on 2008's, except one. They said that had quite a few 2008's.

I called them 20 minutes before we got there (they were an hour away) to make sure they still had plenty of them (they said they did), and guess what, when we walked into the door, the salesman said that they didn't have any. The person I spoke with was apparently a phantom phone solicitor. He even had the nerve to tell us that he "just" sold the last one. Ed took a fit and walked out. The salesman started chasing us and told us that if we came back inside he would sell us a 2009 of $3000,00 off. Right.....Ed told them that they were liars and kept walking- as Ed was crossing the street to our car, the salesmen yelled to Ed that he was being infantile. Imagine!!!



Finally we found an honest salesman at a Toyota dealership that gave us a tremendous deal on a Corolla. I love it. We did a lot of research and we do not know how he was able to give us such a great price. It was actually under invoice price, according to Consumer's Report. Everywhere else wanted at least $1000.00 more for the same car with the same features. That shows how much negotiating room they really have. We even have 0% financing for 3 years. After we signed all the papers, we asked him how he could give us such a deal. He told us that when I called and said I was from the Cape- he wanted the business, so he lowered the price. He even said that if someone called from Weymouth, where they are located, he would have charged them $1000.00 more. Sounded good to us.

Enough babbling.



Yippee that you booked your flight. I am so excited to meet everyone. I just checked my Delta flight and they changed me on the return trip to a one stop instead of a non-stop. I am leaving at 11:00 at night, and now I have to change planes at 5:00 AM in Atlanta. When I called to complain that they didn't even e-mail me the change, I got a person in India (sound familiar to any of you- especially computer service), who kept repeating- "I am so very sorry, I am so very sorry." He sounded like a parrot. Of course besides repeating those words over and over again, there was nothing he could do. Apparently they no longer have non-stop flights at night. I just wish they would have at least told me. So frustrating!!!

Regardless, I am so happy that July is almost here.



I also hate shopping for bathing suits. Luckily my old suits still fit me. That is so strange because I went from a DD to a C. The difference is I don't have that "sexy" cleavage I used to have. lol. I used to have too much cleavage.



Skye and mary,

I hope both of you are feeling better.



Joni,

How are you? My thoughts are always with you.



The weather here is so beautiful today. I have my girls here cleaning today. That is such a treat. Do all of you with cleaning ladies spend time cleaning before they get there? It sounds crazy, but I always clean- tidy up- before the cleaners clean. I hope everyone is having a great day.

Rebecca - good luck with the car situation. I own a lemon also and can understand the frustration!

I went to my local bc group's annual pool party last night. Had a great time. Ended up chatting with 2 women who have recently had implants removed as a result of infections. One has expanders again now. The other is taking a year off to heal before she decides what to do.

Also spent some time talking to a woman who starts chemo next week. Boy, did that bring back some memories!

I am feeling more or less completely recovered from stage 2. I still don't have full range of motion back in my arm, but it is returning quickly. I'm climbing tomorrow night. There's another girl that climbs on Thursday nights and we've both been trying for weeks to finish a rather tough climb. Anyway, we've made a 'date' to both try to climb it tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed that the rain stops. I'm hoping I can make it this time. I've been trying it for weeks (since before surgery) and only make it 3/4 of the way up each time. Last week my arm and chest muscle were still too sore to really push hard on it. I'm hoping a little friendly competition will help.

Mel - I've been reading all of Viddie and Lynn's DIEP advice and really don't have anything to add. Shower chair was a life saver. Everything was better once the drains came out - I had 4 the first 2 were taken out while I was in the hospital, the third was out before I left Charleston (day 10?) and the last one a week later. Have lots of pillows ready to make sleeping more comfortable. Remember that the pain meds cause constipation - you really have to stay ahead of that b/c you do NOT want to be consiptated with that big belly incision! Ouch!

I just wore button down shirts or my husband's t-shirts and comfy yoga pants. The comfy pants I wore for the first 6 weeks I think. Also - you might want to make sure you have some gauze and paper tape. One of my drain sites bled for awhile and I needed to keep it covered. Also sometimes just putting some gauze around the drains made them more comfortable. 

I think I started driving around week 4 or 5. I've already forgotten!

On another note... 

My last chemo was 1 year ago this week.  

WOOHOO!!!  I just found my rings!  What a relief that was - I thought about it all day, and finally figured out where I thought they would be, if indeed they were just lost.  It took me three or four hours to get up the nerve to look, because I wasn't anxious to face the chance that they might not be there.  But they were there, at the very end of the bed where the quilt and comforter are kind of wadded up.  I remembered that I changed sheets the day I last saw them, and also remembered that I piled up everything that was on my desk in a pile on the bed, so there was lots of "stuff" there.  I feel so much better.  And Viddie, maybe your mom's superstition is valid after all....

 The bathroom isn't done yet, but it's closer.  Perhaps tomorrow.  Then we have to pick a color and Larry will pain the walls after I come home from the hospital.   They did work some today, not morning as promised, but they did work some.  It's easier now that I expect nothing much of them.

Jan, I just ordered a bunch of cheap yoga pants ($10 on sale at Old Navy),  to wear after surgery - they're nice and soft.  So I guess my wardrobe in complete.  I think I still have gauze and tape from last year.  I am hoping so much that I won't go home with four drains - I hated that last year.  Two, I could manage.   Still n eed to get that shower chair.

Rebecca, so sorry about your car - it is so annoying to have a lemon, and it seems they just never get over being lemons.  My motto is, stick to Japanese cars. 

Hope everybody is having a good week.  Tomorrow is my last day of work, for 8 weeks .   I can't even pretend I'm sorry about that. 

Hello Ta Tas,

I've been reading, but not posting much the past few days - I've been super busy with work - meetings, getting out our customer confirmations etc. 

Tomorrow is the first "3rd Thursday" that I don't have to do Herceptin, like Skye had on Monday.  And Jan, a chemoversary for you too - Glad we're finished...

Viddie and Rebecca - yuch on the lemon cars.  We have a Toyota Camry that we love.  We got it just before the DH got diagnosed with his brain aneurysm - he actually drove it home from the dealership, with that thing in his head - OY!! When I think back now how that could have ended. Oh Rebecca you are so right how they stick you with extra stuff to be fixed when you bring the car in for the warranty repairs -

Mel, I am glad you found your rings.  I try to put mine in the same spots - I have a crystal ring holder in one of my kitchen drawers if I want to take them off while I am cooking, and a special satin box in my bedroom upstairs, so I know they will be in one of those 2 places.

Mary - how's your arm. - I was ROTFL with the paper towel story. 

Cassie's Israel trip is over tomorrow, but she and a group of kids are flying to Greece Friday morning - she'll be there for about a week and then will fly back to Israel for the wedding.  My mom and stepfather are in Israel now too, they are on a tour before the wedding next weekend.

Not too much elso to say.  Can't wait to see everyone in LV. 

Hello Ta Tas,

I've been reading, but not posting much the past few days - I've been super busy with work - meetings, getting out our customer confirmations etc. 

Tomorrow is the first "3rd Thursday" that I don't have to do Herceptin, like Skye had on Monday.  And Jan, a chemoversary for you too - Glad we're finished...

Viddie and Rebecca - yuch on the lemon cars.  We have a Toyota Camry that we love.  We got it just before the DH got diagnosed with his brain aneurysm - he actually drove it home from the dealership, with that thing in his head - OY!! When I think back now how that could have ended. Oh Rebecca you are so right how they stick you with extra stuff to be fixed when you bring the car in for the warranty repairs -

Mel, I am glad you found your rings.  I try to put mine in the same spots - I have a crystal ring holder in one of my kitchen drawers if I want to take them off while I am cooking, and a special satin box in my bedroom upstairs, so I know they will be in one of those 2 places.

Mary - how's your arm. - I was ROTFL with the paper towel story. 

Cassie's Israel trip is over tomorrow, but she and a group of kids are flying to Greece Friday morning - she'll be there for about a week and then will fly back to Israel for the wedding.  My mom and stepfather are in Israel now too, they are on a tour before the wedding next weekend.

Not too much else to say.  Can't wait to see everyone in LV. 

Hi,

Tic,

I am glad you stopped by to say hi. Come visit anytime. We are always here.

Tina,

I am happy to see you can relate to the "I am so very sorry" line. LOL.



Mel,

I am so glad you found your rings. Whew!!! Now you can concentrate on more important things.

Caya,

Where is Cassie going in Greece? Congratulations on your 3rd Thursday without hercepton.

Tomorrow is my last hercepton. Now we're all done with hercepton. Yippee!!!



Jan,

When is your Stage 3? Please take it easy on the climbing. I do admire you though on your perseverance. Good luck tomorrow night.



Rebecca,

Have fun in the Outlook. The car dealership where I bought my car said that they make most of their money in the car repair department. Hmmmmm.



Time for bed.



Love,

Viddie

Caya, my nephew was in the "Holy Land" for three weeks and now in Rome.  I pray for Cassie's safe return. 

Rebecca, I hope they really fix your car this time.  I know it is hard to trust them and I just heard a story about people working at dealerships turning in things to get paid under warranty when they weren't really necessary.  You might want to get the full story and parts!

Mel, glad you found your rings.  I know your emotions must really be going right now, but it's good that you don't have to worry about work.  Will you be ok to go to LV?

Jan, good luck on climbing.  I hope you don't overdo it.  Remember if it hurts bad, that is not good.

My arm is really scabbing and ugly.  I keep putting on antibiotic cream but I keep bumping it.  I think it needs to dry out.  I just hope it's not getting infected.

Hi, TLC, good to hear from you.

Saturday is the Race for the Cure.  We have to leave at 6 am to get down there.  I've never been there before, just saw it on TV.  A friend at work has gone several times and we are going together.  I hope it is fun.

Mel, I hear it on the contractors.  My DH, being in the real estate business, always gets someone he knows to do our stuff around the house, and they squeeze us in when they are not busy.  It is very frustrating.  Have a good night. 

Mel, I will be thinking of you while you are going thru the surgery. God Bless.

Mary, take care of that arm. I am a bike rider too. I find that the older I get, the more it hurts to fall. I remember all those days when the kids would fall, and I would brush them off and tell them they were fine. Now I can't believe how much it hurts to fall!

Melia

bump

Hi Ta Ta's,

Just checking in..I've been trying to keep up, been a real busy week at work (so what else is new).

Mel, just left you a pm! Did you get the shower chair yet? It was a MUST for me to take a shower for 2 weeks...please please get one.  I agree about posting here..I just can't keep up with the emails.

Vegas is less than 2 months...woo hoo!  I have a gay friend at work that is getting married this summer, he's inviting George and I to his wedding, turns out the wedding is on the day I fly to LV.  Oh well, I'm not changing my flight.

Tomorrow my sister and I are going to Boston to shop for a dress for me to wear next week to a wedding...figured I have a new body, need a new dress!

Has anyone seen the movie Failure To Launch? Picture me as the room mate that is about to kill the mockingbird because of how loud and annoying.  Yup, I have a mockingbird sitting right outsite my window for the last 2 nights...in the middle of the darn night, screaming up a storm.  OMG! They don't care if it's dark.  I'm hoping it's not there tonight..I need to get some sleep.

Back to watch the basketball game...go Celtics!

love and hugs,

Lynn

Hi all,



Mel,

It is very stressful, especially because we want everything in order before the surgery- and your bathroom issue is understandably a stressful situation. Did they fix the leak?



I am so glad you found your rings. Did you turn a glass upside down?

Did you get the hospital bed? I had a reclining chair, but I ended up sleeping on the bed. I used lots of pillows and slept sitting up. I used two small couch pillows under my arms and around three pillows behind me. I was so drugged, I had no problem falling asleep.



I also agree about posting here. It is easier to post in just one place, except for personal issues. We don't want to read about our personal stuff in some book someday.



Two more days!! Best of luck. Don't forget, we will all be holding your hand. You are going to be so happy with the results. I will be thinking of you all day on Monday. Can Larry let us know when it is over and that you are fine?



Lynn,



Celtics Won!! Yeah!!!!



I am sorry you have to miss the wedding. You won't regret your decision, we promise to show you a great time. Did you find a dress- perhaps a halter top??

I know what you mean about the mockingbird. We have a woodpecker nearby.



Speaking of animals, has anyone seen "Meerkat Manor" http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html on the Animal Planet channel? OMG!!! They are so cute. I was clicking buttons the other night, and found this really adorable program.

Jan, Tina, and Rebecca, if you have not seen this yet, your kids will specially love this program.



Mary,

How is your arm? How was the Race for the Cure? I hope you are having fun.





My sister, Barbara, had back surgery yesterday in Boston on Thursday so I spent the day there yesterday. I will probably spend a week at her house helping her when she gets out of the hospital. She is divorced and I think she will need some help. I would have her stay here, but the extra bedrooms are upstairs and she will find it hard climbing the stairs after the surgery.



Arlene is going for her second opinion on Monday and she will have the surgery the following week.



It is rainy here today. A perfect day to stay home and lounge. I have had a little edema due to the liposuction and have been putting off taking my leftover lasix I got from my oncologist. I have not been home much at all this week so today is the day with peeing on the agenda.



I hope everyone is having a great day.



Love,

Viddie

Hey chicas,

I agree...it's nice to post here and be able to go back/re-read, etc.  Nothing too new here this weekend.  Humunga rainstorm here until about 2 pm and the the DH, Jaclyn and I headed to IKEA.  We left at 2 but didn't end up getting there until, I swear 3:30 w/all the rain, traffic lights...  and then Jaclyn had a sleepover (a camp-in) so we had to leave by 5:30 pm.  I need to go back alone.  I did get some modern track lighting for $29 to hang in my kitchen as they didn't put a fixture over the table.  There is some canned lighting, but nothing over the table and it's dark when I try to read the paper, etc.  I didn't want a chandelier or hanging fixture as the adjacent dining room fixture is a real attention grabber and two fixtures, so close, would be overkill.  Less is more.

Made some killer chicken quesadilla's for dinner tonight, cheesy Mexican rice and a yummy, big glass of Barefoot Cabernet. Felt like we went out to dinner.  I used 3 cheeses, including Helluva's Extra Sharp Cheddar and it was soooo good.  I don't cook well often, so...  I enjoy it when I do.

Watched Discovery Health tonight and saw a poor woman who had a 200 lb. tumor removed and if I heard things right, it was benign.  Good God.  It wrapped around from her abdomen to back and her normal weight was like 100 lbs.  You should have seen the thumb width blood vessels feeding this thing.  Freaky.  The woman looked like my now deceased MIL, skinny, hollow, sunken cheeks, dried out, crisp hair, sunken eyes.  Skeletal, really.  Two years later, she was a chubby, healthy looking girl w/shiny hair.  She's 42 now.  It was pretty inspirational, watching her get through that surgery.  Just caught AMW after that.  Something like 5 shootings in DC overnight.  Glad I'm out here in Leesburg.  FINALLY, my son said tonight, when asked if he still "hated" Viriginia:  "No."  Things are seeming to come together for him in the neighborhood this weekend.  All of the kids are coming together and playing and he's really enjoying it.    They are venturing up behind our area, on a dirt road into the woods and claiming it's haunted and they are scaring the hell out of themselves.  Btw. that, basketball, tag, scootering, skateboarding and the park, they are all wiped.  Jac is over at Nina's for a "camp-in".  Can't camp out here due to foxes, etc.  Anyway, DH and I were very happy for a thumbs up Virginia report.  He is finally warming up to "liking" a fourth grader too...after we explained the DH and I are a year apart.  This adorable, girl down the st., Deanna, has a big crush on him...she's asked my daughter how she can get my son to like her....funnny.  It's all very innocent stuff.  Finally, I pointed out how adorable she was.  I said is she fun/funny?  Oh, yes he said.  I'm like what more do you want?  (All kid stuff, but she is such a doll...a models figure at age 10, long, curly hair, half white/African American with a gorgeous healthy tan look, big brown eyes and a huge smile.)  Very pretty girl.  Let's hope he has such good taste when it matters at 16 or so...