Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[Sha]

pictures... well some will be on FB... and I need to get another memory card for the point and shoot. Not sure I want to carry around the big camera. Am doing some things that I havent done before on Friday. Will post them that evening or something. Dont want to post about it in case I dont do them LOL.

have thought of several people including yourself Ann who do not have their mom with them right now. Am blessed and thankful to have mine even if she does drive me crazy sometimes for not using her cane, climbing on a ladder, not being careful when getting dressed.

 

[snappy]

I know I am lucky to have my mom. DH and I are going to our neighbor's son's engagement party tonight. DH just dropped off DD14 at my mom's house.

It is so good to live so close, less than a mile away.

Everyone else is scattered.

DD's exams are over.

Graduation here we come!!!!!

countdown to Thursday.

We bought a lot of stuff today that DD14 needs for upcoming pool party, youth group trip and camp in July. She is so easy to shop with, so grateful and cooperative.

My feet were tired but my heart is full.

Love ya, sistas!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Happy Mother's Day, friends!

 

[snappy]

Enjoy the day!

 

[wdw4us2]

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

 

[TruBlu]

Happy Mother's Day Everyone! I'm very thankful to have mine for another year. She's sick from chemo., but she's still fighting! The colon cancer chemo has been so much worse than the breast cancer chemo for her. But, she's going to beat it!!!


-Tracey

 

[MinnieTink]

Tracey, prayers and blessings for you and your mom! I know she'll beat it too!!

Well, you may remember that I was not going to tell my children anything of my moms diagnosis until it was necessary. Oh well. Friday night I was outside with my neighbors when my 14 y/o DD sent me a text that said Does Gram have breast cancer? Ugh. She snooped in my iPod and found an email from a coworker regarding my mom. She was so upset of course but we talked and cried and she's ok now.

Today I looked like a mental patient in Hallmark. Every card I read was making me almost cry. I had the lump in the throat and everything. I was actually getting mad and muttering dammit and shoving the cards back into their places. LOL!!! I'm sure the Hallmark employees considered calling the men in the white coats for me. Haha!!

I hope you all enjoyed your Mothers Day!

 

[TruBlu]

MinnieTink, so sorry she had to find out that way. I'm sure you weren't ready to talk about it yet. Telling my kids was the hardest part when Mama was diagnosed. Telling them she had a second cancer was even worse.

Big hugs for you.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Sha - hope you have a great trip and have fun with Fl Lisa and her dd too. That is awesome that you are getting to meet up.

Linda - Hi and I was thinking of you when I was watching the Yankees/Red Sox gme

Minnie Tink - so sorry your dd had to find out that way. My poor ds found out as soon as I found out since the stupid surgeon, whom I never saw again, just called on the phone and told me "you have cancer". I lost it then and poor ds I think had to go to college and take a test etc.

Tracey - Glad you had some special time with your mom and good to see she is still fighiting tough!! She is blessed to have you.

Laurie - wow, graduations are great. I have both ends of the spectrum this year, ds18 high school and ds 22 college.

Well lets just say I had a horrid night saturday due to this diet. I had horrid cramps in my feet , legs, thighs etc. I had to eat 2 bananas. After I went to bed it was still bad and I was screaming at the top of my lungs. Dh got me a huge cup of OJ and 2 percocet. That and not moving and keeping 1 leg up on the pillow did the trick. So Mothers Day I was exhausted from the day before. The day was um "forgetable". The ds didnt even buy me a card, but dh gave them one etc. Ds 20 said he got me a card but left it in Emilys car. Not exactly what I envisioned the day to be.

Well in a few hours will be the lst shot. I am not cooking for the ds this week. I will have all I can do to prep my own food. I made the soup in the freezer and now I am thinking of making homemade applesauce.I did atually have some hagen daz raspberry sorbet. It was soo good and had all the acceptable ingredients.

I will give an update later maybe.

GTAGWTA. Hope you all had a good day yest. I miss my mom. I wish she was here to encourage me through all of this etc.

 

[Sha]

yes.. we are suppose to meet up Saturday evening. I have to start getting ready for the trip. Havent packed. Taking mom to dinner tonight with my sister. We went to Epcot and then MK yesterday. Epcot was packed and MK was not crowded. Was nice. Mom enjoyed it.

 

[MinnieTink]

Jealous of u, Sha! Hope you're having a great time!!

Lmp...l

So mom update... Path report came back. Infiltrating ductal ca. Grade II-III. Then it said something about being sent out for ER, PR and Her 2 something...?

If anyone can tell me what I just wrote feel free.

 

[snappy]

I went to my Dr.Susan Love book and looked up infiltrating ductal and grading tumors.

Infiltrating ductal means the cancer started in the ducts and has grown outside the duct where is started and into surrounding tissue.


This is a quote: "the prognosis is based on size not the type of cancer."

Is the size of her tumor described? That was the crucial aspect of my path report as well as the multiple areas.

I think the grade in this case is related to how many cells appeared to be dividing and how actively. The more agrressive cancers tend to have a lot of cells dividing.

My book says the features of the grade are very subjective and varies depending on the pathologist.

So you have a copy of the report?

What else does the report say?

 

[MinnieTink]

Hi, no I don't have a copy of the report. I guess I should have printed it. I just read it @work. The size of the tumor is I believe about 1.5 cm.

I did look a bit on breastcancer.org regarding the ER, PR etc. Am I correct thinking that if you are positive for these they would treat with hormonal therapy?

We are just taking it a day at a time. My mom is at least. That works for her. I'm more of a 'what's gonna happen next?' type.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Linda - Hi and I was thinking of you when I was watching the Yankees/Red Sox gme

HA! You must be psychic, I was there! Someone gave us free tickets which was sweet! So my son played in 3 games yesterday and then we went to Fenway last night. My idea of a great Mother's Day!

pea-n-me...how's baseball season going down there??

It's going great, thanks! Have made it to Fenway 3 times since the season started - that's never a bad thing, lol. DS's teams are doing well and we're all having a lot of fun. Thanks for updating us on you!

Minnie Tink, yes, those indicate hormonal receptor status, ie whether the cancer grew as a result of hormonal influence (ER = estrogen receptor; PR = progesterone receptor). If they're positive, she'll be able to take tamoxifin or something similar. Sometimes they are negative (mine were) so you can't take tamoxifin. They will also look at Her2Neu status to see if she's eligible for herceptin therapy. You're doing a good job figuring this all out. PS 1.5cm is a good size to have (relatively small).

I'm keeping up with reading, but haven't had a lot of time to post. Been working on some work projects that are taking a lot of my time right now. Good news is we're days away from starting our sunroom, something we started planning in Nov, 08. Getting the permits was a nightmare as we're in a hurricane zone. But we finally did it so I'm happy to get started.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good evening ladies

Minnie Tink - I am of the same type, always wondring "what is gong to happen next". I think sometimes drive the surgeons crazy. Its good you are so organizxed and in your moms corner on everything.

Well I survived the lst shot. I did feel a little foggy headed before. The guy did a good job on my blood test. I like when they use the butterfly.

The rad. onc. was so generous. Actually I never even saw her, only the nurse. She brings the scrip back and ready for this..it was for 4 zofran, yup count em, 4 TOTAL!!. So I guess if I feel like I am going to puke in the next 2 days I must ration that out to 8 hours each.

We met the surgeons research nurse for dh in the hall. I asked her was it right that dh is not having a followup for so long. She said generally they dont do them for 2 months, gheesh! She wished me well. I guess she figured since I was in rad. onc. I must have cancer.

Then while the nurse is in the room (the door is open). I hear a voice in the hall. I ask the nurse, is that M? (remember the messianic jewish lady from the ds school that I knew. She was shocked. She says, yes its M. I said can you get her. She said - do you know her, yes etc. So we talk. She tells me her ds is applying for a job at the hospital. Asks how I am etc. Later the nurse wants to know if I go to synagogue with her and she is very active there etc. No, I tell her the story, small world today.

Dh is en route to the conference. His boss says, oh we are just drinking tonight! Gheesh, he knows dh does not drink alcohol. My ds amaze me, Ds 20 asks me for breakfast money today, um yeah, right, like that is going to happen afte my "lovely" mothers day yesterdayl They make me laugh sometimes. I think its getting easier for me to say no, and I told ds 22 here is a new word for you - brown bag (for work lunch).His last interview with them is thurs. I think.

I know people have mentioned tumor size before, like Minnie Tink just did. When I hear everyone elses numbers, I feel like I had a monster, since it was 12.5. Well the np described it as "quite large" and I already know how agressive it is etc.

Tomm. is shot #2 which ds22 is taking me to and this is the one where I felt so sick at night last time. Oh goody, having to deal with it myself with dh gone,
GTAGWTA

 

[snappy]

Great way to spend mother's day, Linda.

LMP, hoping the shot tomorrow is easier for you than last year.

Hang tough with those sons. They are old enough to fend for themselves in the food department this week. You need a break.

You can tell them I said so!

My DD19's boyfriend helped her get her belongings back from the dorm this weekend. He is a very nice young man. I have to say I am impressed. She is thinking of going to meet his parents in early June if she gets a reprieve from work. There is a music concert in Fayetteville they want to catch as well.

Ah, young love.

He liked my ettouffe too. He has developed an appetite for south Louisiana cuisine. Imagine that!

Not sure how long the relationship will last. He is doing an internship in July/August in Orlando and then doing a semester in Vancouver.

Who knows, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder.

They do seem to have a lot in common.

 

[NHAnn]

GAGWTA....

I woke up worried about Merry Poppins out in Oklahoma with the tornado reports. Hope she and her loved ones are OK.

I got creamy/blush/pink-tipped roses from DH yesterday for my 5 year "cancerversary"

Thinking of you all

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

MinnieTink - the HER2 is Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2. If this is positive it means that the cancer is more aggressive than if it's negative.

Positive readings are not always a bad thing though. ER/PR positive readings mean that those people can be treated with Tamoxifen and AI's after their surgery, chemo/rads etc. An aggressive cancer that is HER2 positive, as was mentioned by Pea can be treated with Herceptin and some aggressives respond better to chemo because the chemo is killing the cancer as it grows. If the cancer is very slow growing, the chemo is gone before the cancer cells are there to kill. (Hope that makes sense)

to you and your mom as you go through this journey together. It's probably harder on the family members than it is on us.

Ann- Congratulations on your Cancerversary. What a wonderful milestone.

MaryAnn -

 

[snappy]

Congrats on your cancerversary, your roses, and especially your DH.

Well if it is 5 years for you, it must mean it has been 5 years since the original GAGWTA thread started, since you were just diagnosed in those first days and weeks.

I am going to go on a trip down memory lane and read the first pages.

Thanks again Laura and Linda.

Love to all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Merry hasn't posted since January. I know she was having computer problems. Sending prayers that everything's ok.

GAGWTA