Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

Linda, DH likes your siggie! Poor obm only gets a countdown ticker because I don't have the patience to figure out how to put anything else in his siggie.

Laurie, sending lots of get well wishes your way!!

 

[CherylDan]

Laurie, hooray for being on the mend! I didn't realize you were having it already. I hope you get lots of time to rest and relax this weekend, sounds like you've got it all covered with the comfy bed and DVD player.

Linda, that is an awesome picture, what cuties! I'm glad to hear that you had such a positive experience....that's what I'm hoping for too. Charlie has turned out to be such a good pup. My main worry at this point is I hope he isn't jealous of the new puppy. He is such a cuddle bug, I can't help but wonder how he will act when he sees LuLu on my lap. Not sure I have enough lap for both of them at the same time! DH & I did discuss how getting them both only a year apart would mean that they would both be getting old at the same time, and how we would feel about that, how it will be twice as hard for us when the time comes. We finally decided that we wanted them to grow up together as buddies, and didn't want to wait until the older one was too old to enjoy playing with a puppy - of course since we have NO experience with this, we also felt that there was a good chance that we could be completely wrong. LOL. So it is very reassuring to hear that you wouldn't have changed a thing. We've been talking with the breader, and she agreed it would be a good idea to bring Charlie to meet LuLu there, on "neutral" ground, before bringing her home. Any other suggestions?

Not much planned for us this weekend, probably just some chores around the house. Still need to take down the outdoor decorations, but it's just been too darn cold.

I hope you all have a great weekend!
GAGWTA!!!!

 

[wdw4us2]

Sorry I haven't been around much this week. I took advantage of my extra week to get out of the house a bit and get some stuff done.

Laurie - I'm glad your surgery went well. I hope you have a speedy recovery and no trouble with your meds.

LMP - Sounds like you've been going through a lot lately. At least some of it was good news.

honugirl - I like the way you think! Always thinking of a way to mix some pleasure in with inevitable doctor visits/treatments etc. I hope you got to see the Tyler Perry play - we love them!

Good news at the infusion center yesterday. My platelets had gone from 101 last Thursday all the way up to 533 so I was able to have my full chemo. I never thought I would be happy about having chemo! No bad reaction to the taxotere - I think we have finally discovered that it's best to just do that bag at an extremely slow rate. I'm still feeling okay but expect the bad effects to start hitting me tomorrow.

Now that #5 is history, I'm also looking foward to my last chemo on January 29th. I will be going onto herceptin treatments every three weeks after that instead of the weekly infusions. So many changes coming right around the corner - I can't wait!

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Snappy - I'm glad to hear your surgery is over. I hope your healing is quick and that your back on your seat again soon.

wdw4us2 - You mentioned having the taxotere run through slowly - Same here. They try to run mine through too fast and I always have some bad reaction and they end up stopping it for 15-20 minutes, then running saline, then slowing it down etc. I wish they would just start it out slow - it would save some time in the long run. What is supposed to take 2 hours ends up taking 5-6 hours. I'm going to ask them on Monday to start this one out slower PLEASE and see what happens. If I knew how to run that machine I would just do it myself .

Hope everyone has a great (although cold) weekend.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi everyone, just checking in!

We have no trips to WDW planned, so I've avoided coming here-- we absolutely can NOT afford a new trip, and if I hit the DIS I'll start wanting to go.

Things are going well. I had my thyroid surgery in September and it went fine. Aside from the scar on my neck there are no reminders-- no medication or complications.

A year ago I was in the midst of radiation-- hard to believe it's been a whole year. It seems that the black cloud that lingered over my house for so very long has passed.

Hope everyone is well.

Alice

 

[wdw4us2]

wdw4us2 - You mentioned having the taxotere run through slowly - Same here. They try to run mine through too fast and I always have some bad reaction and they end up stopping it for 15-20 minutes, then running saline, then slowing it down etc. I wish they would just start it out slow - it would save some time in the long run. What is supposed to take 2 hours ends up taking 5-6 hours. I'm going to ask them on Monday to start this one out slower PLEASE and see what happens. If I knew how to run that machine I would just do it myself .

I had a bad reaction to the Taxotere twice, so I pretty much control it myself now. I take oral steroids twice the day before the chemo along with benedryl before I got to bed. The day of the infusion I have a solymedrol (sp) shot and a benedryl IV before they start the Taxotere. I start the drip about 10 seconds between drips for the first half hour, than change it to 7, down to 5, etc. until it is bearable. During the last third of the bag it is usually dripping about every second. The nurses are fine with me controlling the drip and there hasn't been a problem since we started doing it this way.

I hope yours goes better for you next time!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good evening ladies

Laurie - So glad your surgery was successful. Get lots of rest and praying for your healing and recovery. Let them pamper you! You deserve it sista

KJ and Fl Lisa - Praying your treatments would go well and no bad side effects

Alice - so glad to see you around. Dont be a stranger sista. I am sure you could offer alot of insight to the ladies here etc. Dont ya just love the cold and snow here. I kow we got more than you the other week and we had 2 feet for the blizzard.

I know this has been discussed in the past and was Ann the one who started it, about your cancerversary. Is it when you get the dx, or your surgery date etc? I told dh I want to celebrate my cancerversary on the 29th of Jan. the day Ihad the surgery (and almost died the wee hours of the next day). He said, no it should be the day you got the dx, I said no, I want to forget that day and forget that dr. who called me so impersonally on the phone etc. Never saw her again either. I would like a cake with survivor or cancer (stinks). So what do you all think??

 

[Sha]

Good evening ladies

Laurie - So glad your surgery was successful. Get lots of rest and praying for your healing and recovery. Let them pamper you! You deserve it sista

KJ and Fl Lisa - Praying your treatments would go well and no bad side effects

Alice - so glad to see you around. Dont be a stranger sista. I am sure you could offer alot of insight to the ladies here etc. Dont ya just love the cold and snow here. I kow we got more than you the other week and we had 2 feet for the blizzard.

I know this has been discussed in the past and was Ann the one who started it, about your cancerversary. Is it when you get the dx, or your surgery date etc? I told dh I want to celebrate my cancerversary on the 29th of Jan. the day Ihad the surgery (and almost died the wee hours of the next day). He said, no it should be the day you got the dx, I said no, I want to forget that day and forget that dr. who called me so impersonally on the phone etc. Never saw her again either. I would like a cake with survivor or cancer (stinks). So what do you all think??

my moms is the dates of her surgeries.

havent been on here much. Made random comments elsewhere but just havent been.... i dunno.

Laurie I was shocked to read of your surgery and pretty sure you did a good job with description with limitations. Am glad it went well and that you are healing up.

I have a lot of reading to do to catch up. Not that you have to, but please forgive me for not being up on everything.

Will post again soon... keep safe everyone and thinking of you all.

 

[CherylDan]

Good evening ladies

........I know this has been discussed in the past and was Ann the one who started it, about your cancerversary. Is it when you get the dx, or your surgery date etc?

I think you should go with whatever day has the most positive meaning to you. For myself, I just decided to pick a day right in the middle of that first call of "you need to see a surgeon ASAP", to the biopsy, DX, & surgery. So my "date" is actually a day that nothing happened. But it's never been really celebrated either.....seems like everybody in my family just doesn't want to bring it up. Giant elephant and all that.

Alice, so glad to hear that things are going well for you, and that black cloud is gone! What a great way to describe it.

wdw, hooray for your upcoming final chemo! It's such a great feeling to know that that part of treatment is done.

KJ, sounds like a good plan of controlling the drip yourself! I hope your nurses are receptive to that idea and it all goes smoothly for you.

Hi Sha

How ya doing Laurie?

How's Laura doing? I hope some of her problems are getting better.

I don't know if anybody remembers my post awhile back about me trying to get tickets to see Garth Brooks in Las Vegas, and how I am a HUGE fan, but I wasn't able to get any tickets and I was seriously bummed. Well, imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from the Wynn Resort (I had signed up for future info) saying that they had seats open up due to the cancellation of tickets bought by scalpers!!!!! Long story short, I was able to get two tickets, balcony, but second row center in a very small theater (only 1500 seats)! Soooooo, we are going to Vegas Feb 11-14 to see Garth! So, while my DH doesn't exactly get all sentimental about my cancer anniversay day, he does induldge my Garth passion! I am thrilled beyond words!!!

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[snappy]

I use the date of my diagnosis, but agree that the date itself is not a cause for celebration. It is the survivorship that counts, so the date is a number, the time since counts!

Thanks all for the well wishes.

I took myself off the narcotic pain med, after 2 pills I could tell it was only causing me to sleep. I don't really need that. I have realized though that I am not going charging back to work tomorrow.

I consider myself lucky so far. My mom brought over some wonderful okra gumbo yesterday and I am loving being lazy. i could get used to this!

Sitting is a pain so I will be brief for a change. Guess I need a laptop. Sitting at the desktop is not comfortable.

Man this cold weather is frightful. I am kinda glad I am housebound right now.

 

[NHAnn]

Laurie----sending you healing vibes and lots of prayers for speedy recovery. Take it easy and take care of yourself!!
I had a dream the other night about that "hankie-waving" dance...I wonder what that means

I agree the "cancerversary" date should be whenever you want it...I use the diagnosis date to mark myself as a Survivor...because if the news you have cancer doesn't kill you, you are then a Survivor

I have another urinary tract infection....hadn't had one in 20 + years and this is the second in 3 months. The antibiotic makes me feel just as yucky as the infection, in a different way. Ah well. This too shall pass.

Have my annual mammo coming up Thursday morning, then annual with the surgeon the following Tuesday. Forgive me if I already told you that, my brainis addled these days. My center is now all digital, lots of ladies getting callbacks, so I am trying to prepare myself mentally for that!

Avery (my grandson with leukemia) has spent the last couple of nights in the hospital...fever and low white blood counts...none of the cultures are positive for anything they looked for and his counts have rebounded in the right direction overnight, so they will let him go home today and be on "germ alert".....better at home than in the hospital for germs I always say!! Only a matter of weeks instead of years and months now til he is fnished with his treatment and officially in remission!

GAGWTA!!!

 

[snappy]

Laurie----sending you healing vibes and lots of prayers for speedy recovery. Take it easy and take care of yourself!!
I had a dream the other night about that "hankie-waving" dance...I wonder what that means

I agree the "cancerversary" date should be whenever you want it...I use the diagnosis date to mark myself as a Survivor...because if the news you have cancer doesn't kill you, you are then a Survivor

I have another urinary tract infection....hadn't had one in 20 + years and this is the second in 3 months. The antibiotic makes me feel just as yucky as the infection, in a different way. Ah well. This too shall pass.

Have my annual mammo coming up Thursday morning, then annual with the surgeon the following Tuesday. Forgive me if I already told you that, my brainis addled these days. My center is now all digital, lots of ladies getting callbacks, so I am trying to prepare myself mentally for that!

Avery (my grandson with leukemia) has spent the last couple of nights in the hospital...fever and low white blood counts...none of the cultures are positive for anything they looked for and his counts have rebounded in the right direction overnight, so they will let him go home today and be on "germ alert".....better at home than in the hospital for germs I always say!! Only a matter of weeks instead of years and months now til he is fnished with his treatment and officially in remission!

GAGWTA!!!

That "hankie waving" dance is second lining, Ann. Don't even ask me why they call it that, I'll have to research it.

Maybe your dream involved another "meet." My New Orleans friend Cindy wants to join me in a RFTC trip and stay at the Waldorf this fall.

All I need is the date of the race and I am so there!

I read about Avery. How scary! Glad the counts are climbing and he will be out. So glad he is almost at the end of treatment!

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Next chemo is tomorrow - I'll see if they let me control the drip myself. If not and I have a reaction I wonder if I can say "I told you so". Probably not - I'm too nice. At least I'll be 3/4 through after tomorrow .

Hope everyone has a great week. Go Pack!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good cold here afternoon ladies

Laurie - Hope you continue to heal and not be in pain. Sending you prayers for a speedy recovery and keep letting everyone pamper you!!

Ann - so sorry to hear about the infection. Hope you also heal quickly. Will say a prayer for Avery. Hope he feels better soon. I know what you mean about germs in the hosp. The lst time when I was having the blood transfusions I caught bad bronchitis. The dr. wanted me out of there asap.

Sha - good to see you and hope all is well. Any Miss Lee updates?

KJ - Glad you are almost seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Keep fighting tough!! Hope your team wins. Of course I will cheer for either the Jets since they are the team around here, but I am really a Giants fan over the Jets and really we are all rooting for the Cowboys!! Since we use to live in Dallas, my ds grew up on "lets go Boys!!".

Laura and Candy - hope you are both ok

Well I was talking about the cancerversary cake. I actually wanted something from a bakery. and ds 18 says, mom I am going to make you the cake, ok, very sweet of him. So we will be eating the cake on the 29th. Dh is at some conference. I told him and he agrees he hopes these are not going to be usual occurences with his new boss. I know he is blessed to have a job and he is on salary so he is not getting paid for this. Worse this is our religious day and my dh has to usher, count money etc. So I told him maybe talk to your boss and see if he is willing to give up his religious day on sats. and you can trade the meeting days once in a while etc. I hope this will work out. It will be interesting for sure. Ds is completing a scholarship application from dh work. One of the questions is what family member or circumstance has influenced your life etc. Well of course he wrote about me and the cancer. I had tears and my heart was mush when he read it to me ladies

GTAGWTA

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I forgot to ask this...inspired by Ann and her upcoming mamo

and since I have to make my appt. too. If the place I have always gone to is not digital is it good to still go there if I had a choice to go to some place new that was digital.

The place I go to is, um, acceptable. Though it does have some issues. I was callled back once for a sono and I know they do look carefully as I have already had a non cancerous tumor out and there is alot of scar tissue from that wrapped around the nerve. But this is the place where once ds and I heard the tech fighting with someone just to get them to read this ladys mamo and they said no because the other dr. always stuck them with all the film reads etc. I dont know if that is still happening there, hmm, maybe I should run away like Simba, but I think digital would give the better picture??

 

[MerryPoppins]

Here is a lost lamb, posting from Disney. I don't know what is wrong with my computer at home, but I have more trouble posting. I miss you ladies so much!

Got to meet Barbara. She's so sweet. Then, yesterday my son asked his girlfriend to marry him in front of the castle. It was very romantic. We were lucky to be able to witness it and a photopass photographer got the whole thing on film.

Hope to be able to post when I get home. Miss you.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, ladies!

Melissa, so good to see a post from you!! Hope you have a magical trip! CONGRATS to your DS!

KJ, good luck witht he chemo!

Cheryl, enjoy your concert!!

Sha, I hope everything is OK with you.

Sending lots of hugs and good wishes to all!

 

[wdw4us2]

KJ - Hope everything goes well today with your chemo. The nurses should be okay with the slow drip on the Taxotere since so many people have reactions to it.

LMP - Sorry you are less than thrilled with your, um, facility. Maybe there is somewhere more to your liking that your insurance covers?

Snappy - Hope the gumbo helped!

As for the cancerversary question, I don't think I'm at that point yet. I'll let you know what I decide further down the road.

Feeling decent today, but I'm really done with this cold weather. I don't know how you cold weather ladies take it!

 

[snappy]

Ann, feel better soon! Hope the mammogram is not too stressful!

LMP, I would switch facilities personnally. Make sure and get your films from prior years though and bring them to the new one. Digital is better; however, it does tend to bring on extra views, even when compared to prior digital so expect extra views when compared to prior non-digitals, do not be alarmed.

Good luck, KJ. Please let us know how chemo goes today.

Melissa, so good to see your post. What a romantic moment! Oh my! Hope your computer is compliant when you get home. I would love to see pictures!

I envy you meeting Barbara and vice versa. Someday. . .

Cheryl, I love the sounds of your DH endulging your Garth passion. Good for him! So glad the tickets became available after all. Great cancerversary gift!

My DH does not much notice the date either, but life has certainly intervened, not to mention over 5 years.

Alice, I know this thread makes a WDW trip tempting!

I crossed an important hurdle today and it was um worst pain in my life, even beat the stomach wound from reconstruction. Good news, the darn pain only lasts for a short time. The wonderful lady who cleans house for me is here so my house will be clean, and my mom just brought more okra gumbo. And mega tylenol doses and boatloads of water are both helping me alot, not to mention my dear DH. So I am looking forward to the next hurdle, what ever in the hell that might be.

I am going to try and go in to work for a little while tomorrow afternoon so I can stop agonizing about all I have to do. I am cleared to drive and work if I am up to it since I quit the narcotic on Friday night.

I WILL NOT be working in the am though.

Lisa, I saw that it was extremely cold in Florida too. I cannot believe it could remain cold this many days here. Must be a record. Our dogs are missing the walks. DH actually took them out yesterday in his hunting garb, he looked like a green abominable snowman.

If I complain about the heat and humidity next summer, just knock me upside the head, oK?

I have been soaking in the tub alot and that porcelain is cold! In fact I am SURE I have used my tub more in the last couple weeks than in the entire time we have lived in this house.

GATGWTA and stay warm, everyone.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon ladies

Melissa - Hi sista!! So glad to see you post and how wonderful for you son!! That must have been magical. So glad you got to meet up with Barbara too.

Cheryl - Hooray for Garth!! Your dream has come true!!

KJ - Hope your treatment goes well. Sorry about the packer4s

Laurie - Gumbo sounds good and take it easy there!! Dont stress about the work