Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part II -GAGWTA!

[annrae]

Laura - There is a miracle around every corner! I am so happy for you. Hugs, Barbara

 

[snappy]

YAY for miracles and God's healing power!

And yes, yay for WDw to celebrate. Early September, right Laura, when we saw you for the RFTC which was also early that year?

 

[Aliceacc]

Having a rough day!!!

Yesterday my son stayed home all day with the sitter-- he had a nasty sore throat and cough. By the time I got to school I was incredibly nauseous, and had the chills all day. (And, needless to say, I skipped the percent mixture problemt that dealt with butterfat; it would have sent me right over the edge.) I warned all my classes that, in the event that I had to bolt out of the room, they were to stay seated quietly. Fortunately it didn't come to that.

I was home at 4:05. By 4:06, Brian and I were bed buddies until I sent him up to his own bed at 10.

This morning, both he and his sister were sick, crying to stay here with me and not at the sitters. So I called in AGAIN.

Since September, I've missed:
- a month for the mastectomy
- 2 days with the kids' head lice issues
- I left 3 minutes early every day for 6 weeks with radiation
- I left early a number of times-- missing my last class and study hall-- because of plastic surgeon appointments
- I have to leave early on the 24th because he moved my 4:30 appointment up to 12:30; he'll be in surgery that afternoon
- and now this.

I'm a GOOD math teacher. But after a while, you have to wonder how much that matters if I'm never actually in school teaching math.

My administration has been wonderful. But even 15 years of good will isn't unlimited; at some point everyone is expendable. In this economy, I'm getting frightened that it will be me.

As I said, a rough day indeed.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Oh, Alice, I am sorry to hear you aren't feeling well!
I am sure your school understands that NONE of your absences were on purpose! I hope everyone is better soon!

GAGWTA, Ladies! Thinking of you all!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Alice I'm sure they understand it's been a rough year. (With that said, I felt the same way at work, missed a lot, too.)

 

[Aliceacc]

Add to the mix that all I can do today is cry... so I'm making my 2 poor sick kids feel guilty about being sick.

Man, I need all this breast crap over.

 

[NHAnn]

Oh Alice here's hoping you and the kids feelbetter ASAP! ANd I hope you can "let go" of the work worry. You should be protected by FMLA legally...Iknow it's hard to miss work as a teacher, but the leave law is to provide protection for you going through a period like this.

Laura....I am thrilled at your miraculous news!! And of course agree with the means of celebration

Linda...glad your kids are on the mend!

snappy,thanks for the message from merry!

Keeping LMP in my thoughts...any news?

Barbara - nice to "see" you!

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Heard a story tonight about a (very) young woman who needs our prayers. She was recently diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She never knew she had cancer, no signs at all. She broke a limb (on a ride at Disney, no less) and the work up revealed cancer in her bones and other areas, spread from the breast. Until then, she had no idea. She has a very young child at home who she is having difficulty caring for as she is in a lot of pain and cannot breathe well. I told her family I would ask for all of us to keep her in our prayers. Her name is Melissa.

 

[laurabelle]

~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~

Linda- Praying for Melissa.

Barbara- Thanks! I bet you are all so excited there waiting for the baby's arrival!

Ann- Thanks! How are you doing? Have you noticed any difference since you ended the trial drug?

Maryann- Thinking of you...any news? Hope you are able to post an update soon.

Alice- I'm so sorry you all are so sick. I am not employed, but can imagine the added stress. Even if you work for the best boss in the world, it's hard to miss so much work, especially in these times.

I've done the math too. I guess adding up the costs of disease is part of dealing with it. Counting scars, missed events, numbers of surgeries, missing body parts, ect. Maybe we need to acknowledge these things before we can move on. You can draw strength for the next challenge life throws at you knowing that you got through all this. Sending up prayers for healing and rest...
So what are your Disney plans?

Laurie- Yes, NOJ was the same weekend we met up for the RFTC. I have such fond memories of that weekend, meeting you is at the top! My dd asked if RFTC was going to be the same weekend, she really wanted to do it again. I looked it up and it's in Oct., too bad.

Thanks for sharing my joy everyone!

 

[snappy]

Laura, what a sweet thing to post. I treasure that weekend too.

I expected you to be charming and lovely from your posts, but seeing how glowing you are, was wonderful.

I gotta tell you sista, looking at you, you looked the picture of health.

Alice, you will get there too. Having this flu will pass. Look how far you have come and don't concentrate about the road ahead.

I have to tip my hat to you about your attitude towards work. It sounds to me that you have focused to your own detriment no doubt to minimize your absences. I am betting the administration also sees that.

Not everyone has your dedication against all odds. You are inspiring me actually to forge ahead to work today when it is the last place I want to be.

Not sure if I posted this, but the non-profit I work for is in danger of losing a major part of its funding (state appropriations, unless the stimulus bill money intervenes).
Our PR director and a board member or two have gotten the board to agree that we should dabble in charitable bingo.
It will be an immense thorn in my side because gaming is so heavily regulated and yours truly is the the reporting maven.

The very thought makes me tired. But it might save a job or two, so I am forging ahead today. In fact I feel like a big wimp considering the stuff Laura and Alice and LMP are going through.

GAGWTA!

 

[Aliceacc]

Ok, so today I went to work... and felt like a bad mother, making my son get out of his sick bed to go to the sitters. She was wonderful; she jiggled things so he would be home till 11, so he could sleep in. But still...

In other news, I heard from my plastic surgeon. My expander/implant switch will be April 6, the Monday before Easter. That's ideal. We take trimester exams just before Easter, and mine is the preceeding Friday, while my husband's is Tuesday. So I can get mine graded over the weekend and hand in my grades Monday, while Peter won't miss his own exam. (Grades are due the next day.)

Of course, the pre-op is currently scheduled for 1 pm on the 31st. I called in the hopes that they can move it to later in the day so I don't have to miss still another day of school.

I am SO GLAD we booked Disney for this August. I need something to look forward to.. this stress is brutal.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Alice - I'm glad your surgery won't be too disruptive o your exam schedule!
When are you going in August? We'll be there Aug. 1-15.

Linda - Many good thoughts for Melissa and her family!

Hugs to everyone - hope you all are well!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Guess who sistas!!!!
Yup I am on dh laptop in the hosp. I havent read the threead but dont know eerything my dh told tuffcookie. I had a bowel obstruction and had to have 1 1/2 hours of emergency surgery after midnight last wed. He did a quick fix since I had a dirty bowel as he called it. They cut out 5 inches of necrotic bowel and I got to experience of the joy of the lovel naso-gastric tube for almost a week. All IVs are gone and my function is returning. I have eaten 2 small regular meals and if all goes well I am coming home tomm. the wound will take a while to close. DH will do the dressings at home. He has done this before. It seems the bowel got caught in my hernia. So glad this happened before the radiation. Now we are trying to get ahold of the oncologist to see when the radiation will be., worse its will be when dh has to be away as usual, sigh, sigh, Well I will write from home. At least I get to eat some regular food to build up my strength again. I am sure I have lost a ton of weight again.

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm SO GLAD to hear that you're feeling better!!!

Where are you, Stony Brook??

You remain in our prayers.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I'm SO GLAD to hear that you're feeling better!!!

Where are you, Stony Brook??

You remain in our prayers.

Yup I am here. I am getting quite the reputation around here. Words like, in the recovery room, heah, look, come here, its the thyroid lady, you remember her. You look so familiar. Gheesh.

 

[Aliceacc]

LMP, I just got this email from one of those compulsive senders we all seem to know. I have a feeling you'll get a kick out of it:

I've probably posted this before, but I just got it as an email and always get a kick out of it:

LONG ISLAND

You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the world,

but you almost never go there.

When you're away from Long Island, you love it

and when you're there, you don't.

You think if you're not from Long Island or NYC,

you're not really from New York

You know the exact point at which Queens

turns into Nassau simply on intuition.

You don't go to Manhattan, you go to "The City".

You never realize you have an accent till you leave.

Everything north of the Bronx is "upstate."

At some point in your life you've gone clamming.

Either your parents or your grandparents lived in the city.

You'd pay $11.50 for a movie.

You don't live in Long Island You live ON Long Island OH YEAH!

Your distant future might involve the state of Florida

You can correctly pronounce places like
Ronkonkoma , Hauppauge, Wantagh, Mineola, Islandia, Massapequa
ron KON ka ma,
HAP paug,
min e O la,
I LAND e a,
mas a PEE qua for anyone not from "the Island"

You know the location of 6 malls and a dozen McDonalds

and 36 7-11's.

You never, ever want to "change at Jamaica..."

You've tried to find the Amityville Horror house.

No, you don't want mustard on that burger!!

You can't understand why a diner would ever close. Where else could you eat at 2 am???

You've had a seagull crap on your car. More times than I can count!

You have or someone you know has fallen asleep on the LIRR

and ended up in one of these three places;

Babylon, Port Washington or Hicksville .

You know White Castle is terrible for you

and the food sucks but you periodically "Get the Crave".

You want the Yankees to stay in the Bronx,

but would probably go to more games if they moved to Manhattan

You think that somehow, the Jets and Giants still play in New York

You've missed that "Drunk Train", the 2:42 out of Penn

and had the dreaded wait until 5:30.

You or someone you know has owned an animal

that came from North Shore Animal League.

Quick! Who's your county Executive ? Don't know do you?!

You've never taken an MTA bus.NOT EVER!

The Long Island Expressway isn't really as bad as everybody thinks.

You don't associate Fire Island with gay men.

You know which parts of the godfather were filmed on Long Island

You think Islip MacArthur airport is cute

and you enjoy watching it grow up.

Billy Joel said it best,

"either you date a rich girl from The North Shore,

or a cool girl from the South Shore ".

You don't really see the big deal about the Hamptons,

unless you got smashed at the Bordy Barn. We rented a house next door to the Bordy Barn during the Son of Sam summer. Need I say more??

When people ask "where are you from?"

you answer Long Guy Land and automatically assume everyone in the world knows that answer means New York.

You've always liked Billy Joel and you own several of his "records."

The Belt Parkway sucks! You've been stuck in a traffic jam

for more than 2 hours (without moving).

Your parents took you to All American, Nathan's or Carvel

(on the way home from the beach).

Regular gas - $3.29 and you still pay it!!!

You hate paying tolls.

You don't have to go far to see your family.

You remember Grumman.

You know the color of the water at Jones Beach is not BLUE!And you know what "Field Four" or "West End 2" mean without even mentioning Jones Beach.

You were upset when all the Roy Rogers turned into Wendy's and Arby's closed for good.
You can spout off all the LIRR stops between

Penn Station and Huntington.

Paying $35 for a haircut doesn't sound so crazy.

You think the people from Brooklyn are

"da wunz dat tawk wit a accent."

You went sledding in the sumps.

You knew of Massapequa before

the Amy Fisher-Joey Buttafuoco nightmare.

You think going to Queens is a hike.

The first time you heard the term "Long Island Iced Tea"

you were somewhere else and you laughed.

When you live somewhere else and are astounded

to see that people actually stop at yellow lights.

When you just sort of presume that wherever you live,

you'll be able to find good delis, good pizza, and good bagels.

You can name at least three bands that came from Long Island

When you walk in the city and you see two men holding hands...

it becomes normal to you.

No word ends in an ER, just an AH.

You understand, without looking at a map, those bumper stickers that proclaim: "Montauk... the end"


You actually get these jokes

and pass them on to other friends from Long Island

 

[lookingforward]

LOVE IT! I grew up in Massapequa...from 1964 until 1972 when we moved to Connecticut. SO much of that rings true to me...do you remember Jolly Rogers? So true about Nathans...and clamming. My parents would have block parties with the other "parents" and drink gin n tonics and eat clams on the half shell while the kids (us) ran wild until the wee hours of the morning. It was like growing up in the Wonderyears. Thanks for making me smile!

LMP, I just got this email from one of those compulsive senders we all seem to know. I have a feeling you'll get a kick out of it:

I've probably posted this before, but I just got it as an email and always get a kick out of it:

LONG ISLAND

You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the world,

but you almost never go there.

When you're away from Long Island, you love it

and when you're there, you don't.

You think if you're not from Long Island or NYC,

you're not really from New York

You know the exact point at which Queens

turns into Nassau simply on intuition.

You don't go to Manhattan, you go to "The City".

You never realize you have an accent till you leave.

Everything north of the Bronx is "upstate."

At some point in your life you've gone clamming.

Either your parents or your grandparents lived in the city.

You'd pay $11.50 for a movie.

You don't live in Long Island You live ON Long Island OH YEAH!

Your distant future might involve the state of Florida

You can correctly pronounce places like
Ronkonkoma , Hauppauge, Wantagh, Mineola, Islandia, Massapequa
ron KON ka ma,
HAP paug,
min e O la,
I LAND e a,
mas a PEE qua for anyone not from "the Island"

You know the location of 6 malls and a dozen McDonalds

and 36 7-11's.

You never, ever want to "change at Jamaica..."

You've tried to find the Amityville Horror house.

No, you don't want mustard on that burger!!

You can't understand why a diner would ever close. Where else could you eat at 2 am???

You've had a seagull crap on your car. More times than I can count!

You have or someone you know has fallen asleep on the LIRR

and ended up in one of these three places;

Babylon, Port Washington or Hicksville .

You know White Castle is terrible for you

and the food sucks but you periodically "Get the Crave".

You want the Yankees to stay in the Bronx,

but would probably go to more games if they moved to Manhattan

You think that somehow, the Jets and Giants still play in New York

You've missed that "Drunk Train", the 2:42 out of Penn

and had the dreaded wait until 5:30.

You or someone you know has owned an animal

that came from North Shore Animal League.

Quick! Who's your county Executive ? Don't know do you?!

You've never taken an MTA bus.NOT EVER!

The Long Island Expressway isn't really as bad as everybody thinks.

You don't associate Fire Island with gay men.

You know which parts of the godfather were filmed on Long Island

You think Islip MacArthur airport is cute

and you enjoy watching it grow up.

Billy Joel said it best,

"either you date a rich girl from The North Shore,

or a cool girl from the South Shore ".

You don't really see the big deal about the Hamptons,

unless you got smashed at the Bordy Barn. We rented a house next door to the Bordy Barn during the Son of Sam summer. Need I say more??

When people ask "where are you from?"

you answer Long Guy Land and automatically assume everyone in the world knows that answer means New York.

You've always liked Billy Joel and you own several of his "records."

The Belt Parkway sucks! You've been stuck in a traffic jam

for more than 2 hours (without moving).

Your parents took you to All American, Nathan's or Carvel

(on the way home from the beach).

Regular gas - $3.29 and you still pay it!!!

You hate paying tolls.

You don't have to go far to see your family.

You remember Grumman.

You know the color of the water at Jones Beach is not BLUE!And you know what "Field Four" or "West End 2" mean without even mentioning Jones Beach.

You were upset when all the Roy Rogers turned into Wendy's and Arby's closed for good.
You can spout off all the LIRR stops between

Penn Station and Huntington.

Paying $35 for a haircut doesn't sound so crazy.

You think the people from Brooklyn are

"da wunz dat tawk wit a accent."

You went sledding in the sumps.

You knew of Massapequa before

the Amy Fisher-Joey Buttafuoco nightmare.

You think going to Queens is a hike.

The first time you heard the term "Long Island Iced Tea"

you were somewhere else and you laughed.

When you live somewhere else and are astounded

to see that people actually stop at yellow lights.

When you just sort of presume that wherever you live,

you'll be able to find good delis, good pizza, and good bagels.

You can name at least three bands that came from Long Island

When you walk in the city and you see two men holding hands...

it becomes normal to you.

No word ends in an ER, just an AH.

You understand, without looking at a map, those bumper stickers that proclaim: "Montauk... the end"


You actually get these jokes

and pass them on to other friends from Long Island

 

[lookingforward]

Hi everyone....I am thinking about all of you, especially Maryann and ALice. My prayers are also with Melissa.

Hugs to all! I had my three month check up yesterday...uneventful..which is good! I am slammed at work....is it me or is the crime rate up? The economy is so scary down here in south Florida. I hope it turns around sooner than later.

I am getting antzy to start planning another disney trip. I have so little vacation time left that it is really not a smart thing to do...but I have the urge to at least plan something a few months down the road. I am always happier when a disney trip is on the horizon!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hi Sistas!! Gues who is Home Sweet Home !!


Well I took a nice long nap and am sure there is lots more to come. I am so looking forward to sleeping without all the machines, nurses, blood tests, drs. coming in your room at 6 am etc. I actualy want to wake up and look at dh in bed instead of some nurse hovering over it

I made a followup with the surgeon for 10 days. He said no driving. Gosh, I feel like a trapped rat yet. Dh will again try to get hold of the onc. and see when the radiation and diet should start. The surgeon said she could page him. I am really disappointed in this ladys follow up. Her clinician did come to see me in the hosp. but that was it. Oh well, I am eating good food this week end. My pants feel like they are falling off me but my sneakers are tight right now. Its so good to be home.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am so looking forward to sleeping without all the machines, nurses, blood tests, drs. coming in your room at 6 am etc. I actualy want to wake up and look at dh in bed instead of some nurse hovering over it

Hey, I resemble that remark!

Its so good to be home.

I'm glad you're home, too, and everything is ok. I was worried.