Dis Breast Cancer Survivors - GAGWTA!

[Disney Debbie]

They were telling us that they took it to the USF campus and a girl about 19 year old came by and asked what was going on. They explained it was a breast cancer seminar and she had no idea what Breast Cancer was. She had never heard of it.

This totally astounds me! How can you be 19 years old and never heard of breast cancer? I'm honestly not being a smart aleck here - but has she been raised in the jungle or something?

I'm pretty down today. A wonderful man from my church chior died this morning from liver and colon cancer. He was diagnosed in May - in fact I saw him at the cancer center his first day. He had such a sweet heart and such a good attitude - he was a dentist and although he didn't take well to chemo he saw patients every time he could. He had to miss several treatments due to low blood counts. He got a blood clot Sunday and was admitted Monday and unresponsive yesterday. Anyway - it really hits close to home nowadays. He did an excellent job of "hiding" how bad he apparently really was.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That's sad, Debbie. I'm sorry about your friend.

I've also felt those old feelings of fear creep up a little bit this week hearing all these news reports about cancer and discussions related to Peter Jennings and poor Dana Reeve. I have a good friend who has been battling lung cancer with brain mets and some of the statistics I've heard this week make me think about her a lot and how afraid she must be with this bombardment of information as well. Kind of tough to "stay positive" when it's so in your face and the information's not very favorable.

I do hope, though, that some good will come out of it and that this will have a positive impact on people's smoking habits, though I know my friend and Dana were not smokers.

Anyone else feeling this way this week??

 

[Lessa of Pern]

I am now officialy bewigged.

I've been shedding since saturday. woke up this morning and every time I touched my head, there was long blonde hair everywhere.

bagged the orffice and headed to my wig salon and got what my mother called "a pixie cut". it's a very short haircut, like I used to wear when I was 5.

 

[NHAnn]

..........I've also felt those old feelings of fear creep up a little bit this week hearing all these news reports about cancer........... Kind of tough to "stay positive" when it's so in your face and the information's not very favorable.................Anyone else feeling this way this week??

yeeeaaahhhh.... definitely...though my fears aren't so "old"

check ups scheduled with surgeon 9/8 and oncologist 9/22......hoping to get shed my fatigue and by red skin by then

Keep looking at the hormone (or I guess I should say anti-hormone pills) each morning and part of me wants to chuck them in the wastebasket and declare myself cancer free FOREVER... the onc nurse (for the trial) said I need to start by the end of the month and just let her know the first day so she can document for the study.... ....I don't knwo what I'm waiting for except part of me wants to get in a place mentally where I don't have a fear of side effects before I start....so...I need LOTS of people to tell me they tolerated it very well and of course I will too

So sorry about your friend Debbie

GAGWTA.....

 

[laurabelle]

Debbie- I'm so sorry...every time I hear of someone dying of this disease, it hurts.

Linda- I was watching the ABC morning news getting ready for my scope when I heard about Peter Jennings...I just had to change the channel and the other station was doing a bc story...I just turned it off....somedays I just can't listen to it, you know???

Lessa- It's good to take matters in your own hands! I cut my hair short before I shaved it, made that part easier too.

Ann- You'll feel things in stages. Right now you want to say it's over, and rightly so! I begrudgingly took my Tamoxifen every day for 5 yrs (ok, except those couple of times I forgot!) and I hated the daily reminder that I had cancer, because I felt like I was done with it. But I was ultimately glad there was something else I could do. Hopefully it made a big difference in my survival rate and I bet it will for you too!

GAGWTA!

 

[MinnieM3]

My only post today. First day of schoool and I am sooo pooped! My class is great and it was a good day, but I'm exhausted. Tonight was also my first night of neighborhood Bunco, which was fun, but I wish it had been another night.
Just wanted to stop by and say GAGWTA, though.

 

[MerryPoppins]

MinnieM3, glad the day went well. Get some well-deserved rest.

Debbie, I'm sorry to hear your news. So sad when people are lost to this disease.

Yes, I have felt sad and a tiny bit of fear with this week's news. I had my mom at the emergency room when I heard the news about Peter. (She's okay by the way!) It was so sad that he went so fast. But I try to stay positive and keep fighting the fight. I don't think fear is productive, so I try to avoid it at all costs. I allow myself to express the fear and then I start to think positive thoughts to fill the empty spot where the fear was.

Ann, my experiences with Tamoxifen have been mixed. I generally think that the end result is worth what I've gone through, but I understand how you feel. I actually waited almost a year to begin. Now I wish I hadn't because I'd be that much closer to finishing.

Lessa, I like a pixie cut. I think going short will make the transition easier. I'm thinking of you. I know it can't be easy.

GAGWTA!

 

[Laurajean1014]

headed to my wig salon and got what my mother called "a pixie cut". it's a very short haircut, like I used to wear when I was 5.

Congratulations on your "new and improved" look. I bet you look beautiful. )

 

[Laurajean1014]

Debbie: I am sorry to hear that you lost a wonderful person. His pain and suffering is over, and he is smiling onto you...... :0)

 

[Disney Debbie]

GAGTWA

Thanks all. Last night we had choir practice and it was pretty tough. We've been asked to sing at the funeral and the song we're singing is a wonderful medly of "old" gospel songs - very atypical for our choir but one we sing during "camp meeting" services in the summer. It actually is a perfect song for a Christian's funeral - very upbeat but talking about life after death. I did okay until we got to "one fine morning, when this life is over - I'll fly away" - especially since he did die in the morning. So ya'll be saying extra prayers for me tomorrow around 11:00.

I'm embarrassed that I've been as emotional about this as I have - but I think you all understand. He was a dear man - but not a particularly close friend. It's just I can't stop thinking about how we both were in the choir and had cancer - and I'm still here and he isn't. I know it doesn't make sense and I'm embarrased by it in front of other people because I don't want to be one of those crocodile tears people that try and make themselves the center of attention at the funeral of their great uncle's second wifes' cousins funeral - you know what I mean?

 

[snappy]

Easier said than done, but don't be embarrassed. Sharing a disease like cancer is a strong connection, as all of us here can attest too.

I will be thinking you tomorrow at 11:00. I bet he would love the music himself.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I'll be thinking of you at 11:00, but you'll do okay. And if you do have tears, anyone would understand. Snappy's right. You guys had a connection. And now you'll have an extra angel watching out for you.

I got my daughter registered this morning for school. Now both my kiddos will be in high school. Boy does that make me feel old. I sure am proud of them though. They're such lovely young adults. School starts here on the 23rd. Just a few more days of summer.

I've got to run some errands. Guess I'd better do it before it gets too much hotter. GAGWTA!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

GAGWTA!

Debbie, it's normal to feel what you're feeling. Don't be embarrassed about it.

When I was plugging away in treatment a girl in my support group died of metastatic breast cancer. She was only in her 30's and had just gotten married and was planning to start a family when she was diagnosed. I hardly knew her but it just tore me up for some reason. Made me quite distraught, in fact. I guess it was a bit too close to home.

Funny thing. One day we were sharing favorite life experiences with eachother in an exercise to teach our minds to focus on the positive. She talked at length about seeing a double rainbow over a lake while she was hanging out with her brother drinking beer one summer night. A short time after she died - during the time of difficult emotions for me - I saw a double rainbow for the first time in my life up over my house. At the time I attributed it to something else (two of my friends from childhood who had recently died) but later someone in the group reminded me of her telling that story. Lots of "strange" things were happening in my life last year so I chalked it up to the fact that (I believe anyway) things in our lives have deeper meaning than we sometimes give them credit for. I guess you could say it was somehow calming and reassuring to me either way.

Someone recently gave me a good book to read called When God Winks. It is about learning to recognize those "coincidences" in life as signs you are on the path that's meant to be. I'm enjoying it since I do belive there's a lot at play here that we don't fully understand. It helps me cope to think that there is meaning somehow to all of this.

 

[Lessa of Pern]

it's very understandable, Debbie.

my daughter Jen is in high school. she sings in the chorus. a few months ago I got a letter from another parent seeking a donation. it said something like "one of the music department families is going through a rough time. one of the parents is fighting an aggressive form of cancer." between the time the letter was written and the day I received it, the woman died.

a few weeks later my daughter Becca went to her friend's bat mtizvah. two weeks after the bat mitzvah, the girl's father died of cancer.

and then there was the guy at my synagogue. another cancer victim. Jen goes to school with his son, and Becca goes to school with his nephew.

so cancer has been a very senstive subject around here.

 

[Disney Debbie]

Thanks all

Pea N Me - Sounds like a good book - and I believe in "coincidences" like that as well.

Lessa - My DD is named Becca as well

Merry Poppins - My DD is starting sophomore year of COLLEGE! It's just amazing how fast it goes.

 

[NHAnn]

Linda...who wrote that book? It sounds good!

- My DD is starting sophomore year of COLLEGE! It's just amazing how fast it goes.

Hey, mine is too!!!

Laurajean.... how are you doing? Are the "boys" back from hockey camp ?

I thought Soutwest Airlines would release fares today (it's usually n a Thursday) for their next schedule block....but nothing yet!! Last year the Mid-Dec into Jan window opened at the end of JULY! I'm getting antsy to book ...and the fuel price increase does not bode well for the fares to come.........

GAGWTA........have a great evening!

 

[snappy]

I am going to try to find that book, Pea-n-Me, it sounds like a great read.
I mostly read novels so I am due for an inspirational book. I believe things happen for a reason too.

A co-worker who I really admired was diagnosed with liver cancer back in 1996. She was gone within 3 months. I knew and worked with her during a period when we were working a great deal of overtime, lots of organizational changes and new system implementation. We had a lot of stress. She adopted a little girl in the midst of this in Dec 1993, and I had a late, unplanned baby (at age 42!!) in Nov 1995. I remember how sad I was when she died, it was very difficult for me. A couple of weeks after I returned to work after my maternity leave (this was before she became ill) I decided I needed to be with my children more and gave up the stressful job. I continued to work for the company on a contract basis but very part time and on my terms. After she died, I gave thanks for deciding to spend more time with my kids. Her time with her little girl was so short. A few months after I quit, I was so happy with my new life that I told myself (and my DH actually), that God had blessed me so much, especially with the third child being healthy (not to mention a red haired, blue eyed sweet tempered angel) that even if my life was cut short like my friend's was, I felt like I was so lucky to have all these blessings, that my life was complete. I have thought about this alot, I still feel this way, however, when cancer actually happens to you, it is a bit different than the what ifs. I think what happened to my friend has helped me though, it has helped me learn to appreciate my gifts despite the threat of cancer.

I have two in high school too, DS17 is a junior and DD15 a sophomore.
DD15 had her first day yesterday, and DS17 and DD9 started today. DD9 (the redhead) has a wonderful teacher, the same one DD15 had the year we moved here and had trouble adjusting to a new school at first. This teacher really helped her make friends. Today, on the first day of school, this teacher, who is really into science, had her students do an experiment. Talk about excited, DD9 is bubbling over. What a great start for the new school year.

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

My DS is 18 and a senior. DD is 14 and a freshman. Sounds like a lot of our kids are around the same ages. Wish we could get them all together. Wouldn't we have fun?

I'll have to look for that book too. Sounds like a good read. I believe that coincidences happen for a reason.

 

[Cruise04]

Hi guys - just checking in. Ann - I am anxiously awaiting Southwest's rates for the rest of December too. If I happen to see them, I'll PM you. I get their email daily and nothing yet. UGH

Got another possible news shocker today and I just needed to come here. My boss had a mammo last week. Got a call on Monday that the doc wanted her to have a more evasive mammo. Had that yesterday and got a call today at work that he wants her to have an ultrasound. She apparently had a spot last year and it's still there. He wants to check it out to make sure what it is. Her mother died of breast cancer about 24 years ago. My moms death anniversary date is next Friday. This news just came at a very bad time for me. I am absolutely so much more emotional right now - I have been the last two years. So Debbie - I'm right there with ya girl!!!! Let's go shed tears together. I was watching Larry King Live on Monday night and I was sitting in bed bawling. That's how I get anymore too when people die of cancer (even people I don't really know) or someone close to me has these calls. It's just so hard for me to fathom her going through this. She is older - same age as my mom was when she died. She has an 11 year old special needs daughter. I really really really really hope it's nothing. Already have 1 friend dealing with cancer in the family - it's going to be hard to deal with 2. But my boss is like a partial mom to me. We always joke about her age and my age and that she could be my mom. She's been here for me the last 3 years when I need to ask her something I'd ask my mom. It's definitely funny how these things affect you, you know.

HUGS to everyone - I just really needed to come here and just read about you guys tonight. I've seen a lot of monarch butterflies the last couple of days and when my mom died and we buried her ashes there was a monarch that came to rest on the flowers by her grave. We said it was my mom because she followed me around a bit that day and the monarch showed up at various places during that fall. I saw a story on the news tonight about the butterfly and how it's a sign of rebirth and I truly think my mom was reborn in that monarch that day and with all the ones I've seen. I really miss my mom right now.

I'm sorry to be a downer, I'm really sorry. I'm just having a bad day.

 

[NHAnn]

I'm sorry to be a downer, I'm really sorry. I'm just having a bad day.

It's OK...we all need a place where we can be down....and share the ups and downs...it's been a rough week in a lot of ways for a lot of us........
but we WILL get through it!