Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part II -GAGWTA!

[Aliceacc]

Hi and GAWTA everyone!

Sorry I haven't been around much; the end of the school year is always incredibly hectic.
Yesterday was my last day-- and how did I celebrate? By scheduling BOTH upcoming surgeries!!! YAY!!!! I'm actually able to get them both in, along with my week in Disney, before the start of school in the fall!!!

I'll have the end of the reconstruction on July 8, then the thyroid on Aug 18 (we're in Disney from 8/5 - 8/12) It's a little tight, but that's OK.

How bizarre-- 18 months ago, I would never have dreamed that something like this would make me so happy. But I can get it all in over the summer,without missing any more time from school-- this past year was brutal in terms of time away from my classes.


Looking forward, my condolences on the loss of your mom.


So we're calling this a reason for celebration!!!

 

[Sha]

Good morning Ladies...

I am only on to update quickly, as I need to get dressed and see my cousin this morning before we leave. Am back in the States and had a wonderful time. I didnt want to come home

will try to catch up this evening

hugs and prayers!

 

[snappy]

Always always always love resons to celebrate!!.

Love your positive news, LMP, Let the healing continue!1 always good to see the dancing smillies.

Alice, how gret to be able to get it all scheduled! And a trip to POLY!! How great is that ?????

Sha, sounds like you had the trip of a lifetime!

Back to the real world?

One word for you: PICTURES????

 

[Sha]

Always always always love resons to celebrate!!.

Love your positive news, LMP, Let the healing continue!1 always good to see the dancing smillies.

Alice, how gret to be able to get it all scheduled! And a trip to POLY!! How great is that ?????

Sha, sounds like you had the trip of a lifetime!

Back to the real world?

One word for you: PICTURES????

I am not back to the real world until Tuesday morning.... pictures will come soon.

Cheers!

 

[MerryPoppins]

Yay for getting surgeries scheduled and for upcoming trips!

Yippee for healing taking place!

Sad that Sha is on her way back to the real world, but glad for the memories made.

I tried to get on the boards yesterday and they were down. Just never made it back.

I took DD to get her new guitar yesterday. She's been saving for a long time because she wanted a really nice one. Her graduation money completed the funds needed, so we picked it up. She's in love.

I have a "to do" list as long as my arm. I'm the only one home today, so I need to take advantage and get stuff done. Unfortunately, I'm not inspired. I keep telling myself I'll get some me time if I mark some stuff off my list. Maybe it'll work?

GAGWTA

 

[honugirl]

GAGWTA everyone!

I just haven't been feeling great at all since that test.

I know there were some people I wanted to reply to, so I'll try to get to them later. I just don't really have the energy right now.

Welcome back Sha! Hope you had a great time.

 

[Candy30]

Hi everyone!

LMP - Here's to healing and more healing. That is great news! Alice- Good to hear that you will get you surgeries done w/o losing time from classes. I know that feeling.

Honugirl- Hang in there baby girl. I am praying that you feel better and stronger.

MP- The boards were down yesterday in honor of a moderator passing away. My DS got his guitar about a year ago. He is taking classes and pays for them himself. He keeps up with it! Occasionally we will get a brief Solo from him. How long has your daughter been taking classes?

Sha- Welcome back to the states and that's right....hang on to that vacation as long as you are able!!!!

LF- I didn't know that about the identity theft either. Great advice!

Well, we are still going to Disney. My hubby and I have taken on a 2nd job. I have to make my ADR's tomorrow. I asked my boss if I could come in late tomorrow and he said Yes ! So I will call and wait. I was going to try the new online reservation but since I made my trip through a travel agent, my reservation number does not register and it will only let me have one day for reservations not the 90+10. BUMMER The worst about it is that you can actually start your ADR's at 6:00AM. An hour b4 anyone else. Oh well....what can you do? I really don't have a lot of ADR's...I say about 8 maybe. I think something maybe wrong with my port. I have this burning sensation at the site. It doesn't happen all the time. It is not swollen or red or hot (not infection). Just the burning sensation. I may call Dr. tomorr if I get it again. Any thoughts?

 

[Sha]

Heard that Kim's friends double mastectomy surgery went well today... thanks for the prayers.

 

[honugirl]

Honugirl- Hang in there baby girl. I am praying that you feel better and stronger.

Thanks Candy! I hope tomorrow I'll feel better. I had no idea that test was going to hit me like a freight train. Holy carp.

Well, we are still going to Disney. My hubby and I have taken on a 2nd job. I have to make my ADR's tomorrow. I asked my boss if I could come in late tomorrow and he said Yes ! So I will call and wait. I was going to try the new online reservation but since I made my trip through a travel agent, my reservation number does not register and it will only let me have one day for reservations not the 90+10. BUMMER The worst about it is that you can actually start your ADR's at 6:00AM. An hour b4 anyone else. Oh well....what can you do? I really don't have a lot of ADR's...I say about 8 maybe. I think something maybe wrong with my port. I have this burning sensation at the site. It doesn't happen all the time. It is not swollen or red or hot (not infection). Just the burning sensation. I may call Dr. tomorr if I get it again. Any thoughts?

Yay for Disney! Here's some pixie dust so you can get those ADR's you want.

Good luck with your port. I don't have one, so I can't offer any advice on it.

I think tomorrow I'm going to go pick up my handicap placards. I've had the paper work since last Saturday, I just can't make myself do it. But I keep telling myself, it's there if I'm having a bad day. I don't have to use it all the time. I don't have to use it on a good day.

I have to go to Walgreens and pick up my Zofran (I LOVE that stuff) so I think I'm going to buy one of those folding canes to take with me when I travel. I'm going on an RV adventure with my parents next week, so we'll see how that goes. We're going to the beach. I'm not sure how that's going to work.

Kind of bummed too because it sounds like I'm going to have to wait for my 6th month scan to see if I can have another surgery, so that sets me back to September. That's when if everything went well I was supposed to be back on the ice playing and refereeing hockey, which really is the one thing that keeps me going. I love hockey more than anything else. I miss it so much, I can barely watch it on TV. It hurts too much. Really bummed that I'm going to have to miss out on next season and maybe the one after (depending on which surgery we go for).

I was watching something today, maybe on TLC or something and they said "Whatever you dream, if you just work hard enough, it'll come true." Yeah, right. Sure. I got sick just when I was making my bid to hopefully qualify to start the process to get an international license to referee. By the time it's all said and done, I'll be too old now. They won't want a 33 or 34 year old rookie who's been through at least one brain surgery and is on replacement hormones and has the possibility of growing another brain tumor no matter how hard I work. No one would invest the time or money in me needed to get there because one stupid out of control brain cell could knock me down at any time. I almost feel like I don't deserve to dream anymore because no matter what, this stupid disease screws everything up.

 

[snappy]

Oh, Honugirl, I think you need a hug.

I never knew much about hockey. It looks so difficult to maintain balance.

Do you mind sharing about your experiences or is it too painful? I have to say it sure sounds like a more exciting job than accounting!!! Especially the international part.

I think it is good to have a goal to work towards. Hang in there, sweetie!!

Candy, I hope you get your ADR's!! Where are you planning on eatting?

I only make ADR's at Cali Grill or the Mickey's place in the Contemporary. But we have not done much traveling during the free dining or extreme crowd times, never Christmas and only once at Easter. The Easter trip we rented a house and ate a lot of meals there. That was in 2003, and we don't travel that way anymore.

I hope you get the port issue resolved today.

Laurie

 

[Aliceacc]

OH, honogirl, I'm so sorry-- both for the chain of events and for how awful they're making you feel.

Let us know... do you just want to vent or do you want the pick-me-up speech? I can go either way (you know how it is with us teachers ) And it always makes me crazy when I want to wallow in self pity for a short while and people insist on giving me the speech.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Honugirl, sometimes you have to adjust your dreams, but you never have to give up on them. Please keep dreaming.

Pea N Me-How have you been?

Thanks for asking. I've been pretty busy with lots of things. Baseball is probably #1. Wound up running a tournament cookout last weekend for 150 people, given the task just a few days before (and had to work two 12 1/2hr overnight shifts in between), so it was nuts. But had lots of help so we managed to pull it off. DS finished up his Rec league, but made the summer team so that's just starting. AAU is still going on, but winding down. That was a whirlwind, but lots of fun. What a great team they turned out to be - really proud of all of them. They've been working hard since last fall, all through the winter, spring and now summer. You wouldn't believe they're a bunch of 11 yr olds if you watch them play. There's hardly been an error in the past 4 or 5 games, which is amazing. They've learned so much about playing the game this year and really come together as a team. We have a regional tournament this weekend, I think one more set of games, then one out of state tournament after that, and that will be it. We're all going to miss it when it's over, but tryouts will be again in September, so we'll probably get right back into it, I imagine.

The kids are also finishing up 5th grade, "graduating" from elementary. There's been a lot of activities related to that. I helped do pictures for the yearbook. Hard to believe they'll be middle schoolers next year.

Candy, both my kids play guitar, too. (I didn't know Merry's daughter played - MP, what kind of guitar did she get?) They also started about a year and a half ago. DD11 is playing really well, especially (you can tell who practices, LOL) - she was asked by the music teacher to play patriotic songs for the 1st graders three times this month. We put lessons on hold for the summer, but she's still keeping up - she was on her electric guitar last night writing two part harmony songs, it seems to be her thing. (They both have acoustic and electric, and generally she prefers acoustic but I think she was inspired by.....)

Guess who we saw play the other night? Aerosmith. It was the kids' first ever concert. So much fun! I am planning to do a PB thread about it when I get my pictures done, will link.

GAGWTA

 

[MerryPoppins]

My DD got a La Patrie Hybrid from Canada. DS also has one of their guitars, but it's not as fancy. Hers is a nylon string acoustic with a cutaway. She loves that she can also plug it into an amp. Check it out here...

http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001644.html

Sorry Honugirl. That stinks. But don't give up on your dreams. Maybe regroup a little, but don't give up. Dreams are what keep us going through the rough spots sometimes.

I've got a lot of work do do. DS's girlfriend is coming over to sew something for his birthday this afternoon, so I need to finish a project that's parked on my machine. Also need to finish the chores I didn't get to yesterday.

DH's birthmom is coming into town this afternoon. We'll meet them for dinner tonight, or tomorrow, or both? Not really sure of the agenda. I'm trying to stay loose.

GAGWTA!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon sistas!

Linda - wow, you sure are busy these days!!

Candy - Hope your port issues get resolved. I only had radiation and the ingestable kind, so I cant help you either. My cancer doesnt even respond to chemo. Your kids comment about the automatic windows cracked me up. My van is like 18 years old, has the manual windows and a broken ac. Dh says I need a newer van.

Honugirl - Hold on to your dreams tight and like Linda said, you just have to rearrange them and maybe do them differently. Hmm, when I read your post I thought of the Olympic team and the "Do you believe in miracles?", Well yes I do sista!! and I am sure you do too.You just might have to use your talents in a different way. When I saw your horse, I thought of therapeutic riding programs that they have for kids around here etc. But its o.k. to have a little pity party, I do too. Just all the sistas here will make sure it wont last too long Have a great time on your RV trip. You are a fighter, so dig in deep!!

Alice - Gosh sista, you are organized and booked up to the max. Hmm, where is the sun around here, right? I get depressed listening to the news 12 weather guy. Did you see my sweet Alyssa on any of the news? She was on channel 2 and 7 for sure. I have to get the link her mom sent me for the ABC video.

I had dh drive me to the salon last night. I was enjoying a lovely percocet so no driving for me! Ds lifeguard job got cancelled today because of the rain. 3 ds in the house all day today, look out, at least 2 are sleeping now.

Laurie - hope your dd cc issues get straightened out.

Melissa - what kind of music does your dd like to play? None of my ds are musical. 2 have been in theater though. Their 1 classmate got a job on the Disney Cruise line acting. He was so funny and great at improv.

Thinking of you all. GTAGWTA

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Merry, I'll look at the link tonight. How long has your DD been playing and what does she like to play? Have a good time tonight.

I forgot to mention before in speaking about the kids' elementary days:

I found a lump in my breast about two weeks after my kids' started kindergarten at this school (for those who don't know me too well yet, they are boy/girl twins). Anyway, it was an akward time - we were new to the school, having no other children, and were meeting all kinds of new people for the first time. I kind of felt like, "Hello, I have cancer" was what people were going to see me as. But the big thing is, I begged God to not take me from them so young (I'm sure many of you can relate to this). I am so grateful for the time I've been given and so it's extra special that they've made it all the way through all the grades and I've been able to experience everything right along with them. As lmp would say, God is good. And I am appreciative every day of what I have.

And I also wanted to thank you for prayers and let you know that my brother got good news this week. (My mother was running around saying her prayers had been answered. ) He saw the pulmonologist re spots on lung on CT scan. Apparently they are "atypical" and they are going to recheck them in two months rather than put him through bronchoscopy w/ biopsy right now. I told him he could get another opinion if he wants, but we're both fairly comfortable with two months and him being watched closely after that. Funny thing is that the doc asked if by any chance he's around birds. Well, of course, his gf has birds in his house. So they're going to test him for some type of strange bird infection that you can get when you have birds. Wouldn't that be amazing? I told him as of right now, he's won the lottery. Thank you again. I think prayers do really help.

And lmp, I keep forgetting to mention to you that I take care of patients that are waiting for heart transplants also (and sometimes after they've had them). They are extremely sick. Some of my patients over the years have been as young as 18-19. I am glad that your friend has done well.

 

[NHAnn]

Hi ladies....
sorry I've been scarce....last weekend was my youngest stepson's wedding...it was wonderful!! Will try to get some pics up soon.
Problem with that is my laptop is finally totally dead. "Black screen of death" as DD says. Fatal system error blah blah. So DH and I are "sharing" DD's old "rebuilt" Dell and it has issues too. And my all my pics are on the hard drive, shame on me no actual backup...other than KodakGallery thank goodness. I have to take it in and see if they can retireve them onto a disc...or something...I hate even asking because I am so technologically impaired.

I am leaving this morning for my "Casting for Recovery" retreat...going to learn to fly fish with a group of survivors !

Laurabelle -sending you prayers and hugs!

And all the rest of you too....I have been trying to read along and keep up when I can....sorry for not responding to one and all....

know that I am thinking of you and I MISS getting on here and keeping track daily!!

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[snappy]

Yea for some happy news, Linda! Is your construction zone in full swing?

Good luck with the computer, Ann!! Glad the wedding went well. I assume you solved the dress dilemma.

Nice guitar, Merry. My sister is a guitar guru, and has bought each of our three kids some nice ones over the years. We have three accoustics and one electric. DS20 seems to have the most time to play, and he definitely has the best years, especially for the blues.

DD19 plays mostly for stress relief I think, but scarcely has time for it.

Gotta go to the bank and order pouns and euros for DD19 for her trip. I guess we live in a backwater, they have to send to New Orleans for the currency.

Honugirl, I hope things look brighter today.

Alice, yay for summer vacation. Ours is well into month two, since the college two get out early and May and for some reason our 7th and 8th graders get out mid May.

I have thoroughly enjoyed having DD13 at work with me this week. She is staying home today to get ready for the 2 week away camp she is leaving for tomorrow. Gosh I will miss her.

She now has a boyfriend, had one for a couple months last year, and is talking about going to a movie. UGJ+HH!@!!

Where oh where has my baby gone? Move that rocking chair a little closer, will ya?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning sistas!!

Ann - Have a great trip. I love fishing too. I was a tomboy and my dads fishing buddy.

Melissa - What did you ds girlfriend sew him for his b day? Hope you have a great time with your visit.

Laurie - I Hope the time goes fast that your dd is gone. Can she call you etc? I am sure she will have lots of stories to tell you.

Hmm, whats new? Well there is a situation that I just dont know how to handle. I need to pray about it I guess. I feel like I got my cancer butt kicked or my cancer heart ripped out of me. I always help at our churchs VBS. I am the only person who actually helps a teacher. I do 2 lessons and she teachs 3 and mostly runs the room. I decorate it with ds17. Well last week I asked another girl, oh what are you doing to help? Her answer...Well actually I am taking YOUR place!! I guess my draw must have dropped. The director never told me anything, the girl I helped never said anything to me etc. I dont know how to handle it or what to do. Maybe the director meant well and thinks I need a break. Honestly I wish she would have talked to me. I have to ask the other girl if she wants us to decorate the room, because I am not going to hurt my stomach etc, bending and getting stuff ready. We will see what happens. I just wish people would stop "feeling sorry" for me and maybe ask what I can do and STOP assuming what I cant do etc,. I had sent the director an e mail saying I was helping that teacher etc. Even my dh said, wow you really love doing that etc.

Ds21 actually thought he had the job at costco, then the manager said he didnt have alot of sales experience and he was interviewing more people and will let him know by mon. If not then I guess its back to lifeguarding if he can find something.

Dh revelation - well our summer is ruined. Um, gee what ever gave him that idea? I think I said it myself last month or even before that with the new surgery around the corner etc. We usually dont go anywhere anyway,. So get this..he says when you get better and feel better lets go to Disney!! Hmm, we generally go in Dec. so I dont know if we should go sooner,.

And dh isnt going around the world but maybe california, we will see. Yippee!!

Alyssa story will be on cbs with katie couric next friday I think. Will update that later. I dont know if its the pre show stuff katie does with our local ny cbs or not?

Have a great week end. Rain here as usual. GTAGWTA.

 

[MerryPoppins]

what kind of music does your dd like to play?

DD is a singer. She's been in Chorale (select classical choir) and Jazz Choir at school. She's also been in the school musicals. So her taste in music is very ecclectic. She got interested in guitar through church summer camp, so she first learned to play Christian camp songs. Since music is her thing, the guitar seems to be a natural extension of what she loves.

How long has your DD been playing and what does she like to play? Have a good time tonight.

DD played flute 4 years in school and piano 3 years in private lessons. Last year she decided she really wanted to take up guitar. Her dad and brother both play, so they taught her a few chords. The rest she just sort of picked up on her own. Last summer she went to a guitar workshop and the guy was very impressed. She picks up anything to do with music very quickly. She's been saving money because she didn't want to get a cheap guitar and be sorry for it later. I think she knows it's something she'll continue to love.

Nice guitar, Merry. My sister is a guitar guru, and has bought each of our three kids some nice ones over the years. We have three accoustics and one electric. DS20 seems to have the most time to play, and he definitely has the best years, especially for the blues. DD19 plays mostly for stress relief I think, but scarcely has time for it.

A lot of the reason DD wants a guitar is probably for stress relief. Although she loves to play and sing along....guitars are much more portable than pianos for this purpose. She says if she ends up teaching vocal music after college (music ed is one of her possible majors) it will come in very handy, too. While she'll mostly be interested in accoustic, she might want to dabble a bit with electric. I know she's had fun playing around with DH's electric on occassion. And it's nice that she has the amp option with this guitar.

And I also wanted to thank you for prayers and let you know that my brother got good news this week.

That's fantastic news. Is the bird thing they are testing for an easy fix?

We had a nice dinner last night. We get along great with DH's birthmom. She's a very nice lady. We'll meet them again for dinner tonight. I love it. I didn't cook last night, won't cook tonight, and DS's family birthday party is Saturday night. I'm guessing we'll probably take DH out for father's day, soooo I'm getting a kitchen vacation. We'll have to be extra careful next week to eat right. Oh well.

 

[snappy]

Bad news, at least for me I think, it seems the central Florida Orlando now has a new date for their race for the cure, along with a new website.

New date is October 25th. Not doable for me I don't believe workwise, although I am assessing the situation for at least a weekend trip.

It is also no longer at the Wide world of Sports?

I wanted to post as we had earlier discussed meeting up.

Still want to meet some more of you wonderful gals.