Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[snappy]

Sorry you are facing what you are, MaryAnn. Does it help to know what you are in for rather than the first go round when you did it for the first time?

I am glad your DH is there to buffer you from your middle DS.

When do the shots begin?

Less than 3 weeks to the trip for us, must be same for you.

Nice to see you, Barbara. How is your newest granddaughter doing?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon ladies

Barbara - Hi! Glad to see you pop in

Laurie - This is my schedule:
May 10 shot, May 11 shot, May 12 radiation (I dont know if its a pill or shot, I think a pill to swallow), May 13 I get the day off and May 14th is the scan and then the onc. will discuss it with me and then another blood test. Also I think I have to do the pregnancy blood test on the 10th. Its a law they say. Also the bad part is the last blood test will show if the cancer is back. So I will or maybe be going to disney and again, not knowing if the cancer is back. I am having the blood test at the hospital and I will ask her how fast will they get the results? It would be good if she could call me monday before I leave etc. If not I might give her my cell as I doubt the ds would give me a message etc.

Worse yet, all this is happening when dh is suppose to go to that retreat. So its a nightmare. We forgot he also has a surgeon follow up that day, so he is trying to change that time as well as my first day time. He might get a ride with his boss to the place. I told him I am so not happy. I am going to be so sick and the ds will be useless etc. Also I have to try and get the ds to take me there on tue, and wed. and dh will be back friday. He says he must go to the retreat or they will talk about him behind his back.

Well our renter contacted dh and said his fil passed away and that is why the rent is late. We will see.

I typed 6 pages for dh last night and was up to 1 am. He said its 2/3 done, so I guess we will finish over the week end. Well at least it keeps my mind off food. I was actually eating an apple while typing.

GTAGWTA. Have a great week end everyone.

 

[snappy]

MaryAnn, you have a lot scheduled, right before the trip. You are going to have to take things slow in Disney.

I do think it would be helpful for your DH to be with you during the days of your treatment. I think I would insist he skip the retreat or reschedule your treatment. Is rescheduling your treatment even possible at this point?

Do you arrive on the 18th?

 

[wdw4us2]

MaryAnn - Sounds like you have a rough month ahead. I hope everything goes well for you. I agree with Laurie that you should take it easy on your WDW trip. I wish your DS 20 would wake up and realize what he's doing to you and your family. Hopefully, one day soon he will.

I went for my Herceptin infusion today. Everything went well. My blood work was the best it's been in a while. Only by RBC is still low. I spent the last two days trying to find a replacement vehicle for DH. Very difficult to do when you have a limited amount of money to spend. The last time I looked for a cheap, used vehicle was 20 years ago!

I am looking forward to the weekend, though. DD comes home for the summer from UCF tomorrow!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hi Ladies

Lisa - Hooray for your dd coming home. Hope you do good in the vehicle quest. I looked online at a used arcadia and they are over 30K, um, I think I will downsize what I want and start again.

Laurie - yes we arrive on the 18th.

Warning: vent ahead: I am hungry, very hungry. I guess last year I didnt think about it so much since I did the diet after operation #4, now I am feeling better so I guess I am exerting myself more, hence being more hungry. How many fruits have I had so far? Banana, apple, grapes, raisins, strawberries, blackberries, orange, craisins. O.K. I am running out of fruits. I think I need cantelope, honeydew and pineapple and that will be about it.

Cooking seperate stuff also makes for more dishes and more work, sigh, sigh. Hmm, instead of a disney countdown ticker I need a diet ticker.

It is so hot here. I had to go to church and do something with the very nice lady. I must have looked pathetic helping her. I didnt want to say I really couldnt do much etc. Also went with dh for a lawnmwer quest. Finally at store #3 he hit paydirt. I got to have a sierra mist in the car. Clear carbonated soda is allowed. Oh what a treat!!

As far as our trip, we got our travel documents from the airline for the vacation, hmm, hotel voucher, ticket voucher and ME voucher, which we arent using. But no $750 gift card voucher??? I am having dh call them again to verify this, like how are they going to know to give it to us etc? They also have a number to call while we are on the trip if we are not happy, yeah, until I get that gift card in my hands, I will not be happy. I dont want to cancel any adrs, since that is what we were going to use to pay for it. I might just cancel one, all the others I really want and need after this diet.

GTAGWTA.

 

[minijeanie]

got my schedule date for my chemo...I start May 12th for every other week getting A/C then every other week with Taxol...I have so many prescriptions my head is spinning.. Still have to go for bone scan and a mugha test(heart)
I almost wish the 12th was tomorrow so it will be one down and 7 to go.

Is chemo really that bad? I am a wreck thinking about it. Going to look for a wig this week as they tell me that I will be bald in 10 days(sigh)...

Find it so odd that modern medicine has not found a way to not let women loose their hair...it is just the icing on the cake.

okay I will move forward and just hope for the best.. Looking for others tips on how to cope with chemo...both physically and mentally..

thanks

 

[NHAnn]

GAGWTA!
Missing sista checking in! Bit the bullet and bought a Macbook yesterday. The sick old Dell is still with one of the DILs (the IT expert) and IF she can revive it DH will use it.

This is my busiest time of year at work, doubly so with some staff vacancies and reorganizations, it's a rather stressful environment, so I'm doing a lot of deep breathing and trying to focus on the real positives about the job such as the paycheck and benefits.

DH and I got our fly rods out over the unseasonably warm weekend and did our first flyfishing adventure of the year. Thank you Casting for Recovery! For you new breast cancer survivors to the thread, google Casting for Recovery and sign up for a retreat! It's great (even if you don't like fishing!!!)

Hope to be here more now that I have a speedy new laptop!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

got my schedule date for my chemo...I start May 12th for every other week getting A/C then every other week with Taxol...I have so many prescriptions my head is spinning.. Still have to go for bone scan and a mugha test(heart)
I almost wish the 12th was tomorrow so it will be one down and 7 to go.

Is chemo really that bad? I am a wreck thinking about it. Going to look for a wig this week as they tell me that I will be bald in 10 days(sigh)...

Find it so odd that modern medicine has not found a way to not let women loose their hair...it is just the icing on the cake.

okay I will move forward and just hope for the best.. Looking for others tips on how to cope with chemo...both physically and mentally..

thanks

That is the same chemo my mom had. I was so worried about her, but she seemed to do OK. She did have a reaction to the Taxol, so they switched her to Taxotere and cut her total chemo short by a couple of doses. She didn't have much nausea, mainly just fatigue. She chose a wig but she never really wore it becasue it was too itchy and hot. She made some little soft caps out of knit (T-shirt) fabric and mostly wore those until her hair grew back.

Ann, yay for a new computer!

Maryann, are you hanging in there? Thinking of you!

Lisa, yay for DD coming home for the summer!

DS has 18 regular school days and 4 exam days left. His friend got her high school course listing on Friday, but we still don't have DS's. If it doesn't arrive today I will have to call the school and try to see what's going on. I despise regular mail. Our mail service is not very good, so when we have something important coming I get nervous. Makes me wonder how much not-so-important stuff never gets here.

Hope everybody had a good weekend!

 

[wdw4us2]

minijeanie - Hang in there. Hopefully, it will go by fast for you. Don't spend too much time worrying about it, you'll only feel worse. Make sure you bring a "chemo bag" with you and fill it with things to read, snacks, water and an iPod. Make sure you drink lots of water while you are getting the infusions. I hope you don't have a reaction to the Taxol. The hair loss was traumatic for me even though I was expecting it. You might want to get your hair cut shorter before it starts falling out. I didn't like the wig I got from the American Cancer Society, so my hairstylist/friend ordered a Paula Young wig for me. Looks just like my hair did before it fell out! I only wear it when I'm going out because it does make you feel hot, but I've never had a problem with the itchiness. Come back and talk to us if you have any problems or concerns - we're here for you!

MaryAnn - I sure hope you get that $750 card before your trip! I understand why you're so concerned. We just got a $200 reward card for getting someone to join DVC.

NHAnn - Fly fishing? I haven't done that since I was a little kid! Sounds like a lot of fun, though.

jacksgirl - Hopefully, your DS's course listing will show up soon. As a former Letter Carrier I will tell you that when people say something has been mailed out, they actually mean that's when it left their desk. I had instances where it was over a week before something was actually entered into the USPS after it left someone's desk.

I am thrilled to have DD home! I didn't have a very good weekend otherwise. The radiation burns started peeling and some of the raw spots are painful. I have tried all kinds of gels, lotions and cremes but nothing seems to be helping. I see the radiologist on Thursday so if it's not better by then, I hope he has a solution. Still feeling the constant fatigue, too.

Have a great week everyone!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

minijeanie - Hang in there. Hopefully, it will go by fast for you. Don't spend too much time worrying about it, you'll only feel worse. Make sure you bring a "chemo bag" with you and fill it with things to read, snacks, water and an iPod. Make sure you drink lots of water while you are getting the infusions. I hope you don't have a reaction to the Taxol. The hair loss was traumatic for me even though I was expecting it. You might want to get your hair cut shorter before it starts falling out. I didn't like the wig I got from the American Cancer Society, so my hairstylist/friend ordered a Paula Young wig for me. Looks just like my hair did before it fell out! I only wear it when I'm going out because it does make you feel hot, but I've never had a problem with the itchiness. Come back and talk to us if you have any problems or concerns - we're here for you!

MaryAnn - I sure hope you get that $750 card before your trip! I understand why you're so concerned. We just got a $200 reward card for getting someone to join DVC.

NHAnn - Fly fishing? I haven't done that since I was a little kid! Sounds like a lot of fun, though.

jacksgirl - Hopefully, your DS's course listing will show up soon. As a former Letter Carrier I will tell you that when people say something has been mailed out, they actually mean that's when it left their desk. I had instances where it was over a week before something was actually entered into the USPS after it left someone's desk.

I am thrilled to have DD home! I didn't have a very good weekend otherwise. The radiation burns started peeling and some of the raw spots are painful. I have tried all kinds of gels, lotions and cremes but nothing seems to be helping. I see the radiologist on Thursday so if it's not better by then, I hope he has a solution. Still feeling the constant fatigue, too.

Have a great week everyone!

I wish we were eligible for referral bonuses for DVC, but TX is one of the states where it is prohibited.
I wouldn't think so much about DS's course thing, but his friend who got hers lives in our same zip code and her name is also in the first half of the alphabet meaning she has the same guidance counselor as DS. They got their acceptance letters on the same day, so I thought their course lists would arrive the same day as well.
A couple of years ago we went for TWO WEEKS with no "envelope" mail. Junk mail and flyers, yes, but no first class mail type stuff. I was UNGLUED. I went to our leasing office to see if someone with our last name moved out in case the forwarding orders got messed up, went to the post office, nobody could explain it. I still don't know what all wasn't delivered in that time span, and I don't know what ultimately happened to all of it.
I am sorry the rads are causing so many issues. Hopefully you will feel better soon!

Maryann, I will tell you the one time we got a gift card as part of a package we didn't get it until we checked in. But I do understand your concern that it isn't noted anywhere on your confirmation papers.

 

[MinnieTink]

Minijeanie, I have no advice/experience, just hugs

We are moving forward with my mom. She goes to the hospital for preop tests Wed and is having a needle biopsy Thurs. (How painful is that? And is there a recovery afterward or are you really good to go soon after?). Also the lumpectomy that was supposed to be end of May is now mid-May, so we are happy about moving forward and moving quickly.

 

[minijeanie]

thanks to all of you for your kind words of encouragement and advice.
I have made notes of what I should be doing for chemo,
For those of you who chose to wear a wig, what type did you buy?

I need to buy one soon for I have to wear it to work..I wish I wasn't getting chemo during the summer. I am menopausal enough. I would imagine a wig is extremly hot during hte summer months and I certaintlydon't need another reason to sweat(lol)

 

[MinnieTink]

Minijeanie, as I mentioned, I have no personal experience in this, however a woman I work with who is a breast ca survivor...and ironically a mammo tech...used pretty scarves or cute hats when the wig was too hot or itchy.

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Lisa - sorry to hear about the burns. I was either really lucky or the cream they gave me to use worked very well. I got very pink but I didn't burn enough to peel. I put the cream on right after getting zapped and then several times throughout the day. The pink did start going soon after treatment ended - if that helps any.

MinnieTink - The core biopsy that I had wasn't really painful (until they hit an area that didn't have any lidocaine). It felt more like pressure. I drove myself there and back. It's over 90 miles each way and I got dinner on the table that night and did dishes. I was having to lift and use my arm a lot for work so I was a bit restricted for a couple of days because of that but normal activity I could do the next day.

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

minijeanie - Lisa gave you some very good ideas. I always had my chemo bag ready to go. Drink lots and lots of water. The day before your chemo and the hours before are very important to keep your veins plump so it's easier to get that needle inserted. Then the couple of days after is important to get the chemo flushed out of your system to try and lessen the side effects.

I kept mint tea in the house for nausea. I used cuticle cream twice a day and while my nails did lift off the beds they never came off completely. I brushed and lightly flossed my teeth three times a day and rinsed with a non-alcohol based rinse two/three times a day and never had a mouth sore. I ate prunes at most every meal.

I didn't get a wig because I hate, hate, hate anything on my head so I went to the TLC website and ordered a couple of hats to wear when I was outside (it was winter in Wisconsin) but went topless indoors. At work, they got used to seeing my bald and friends never minded either. I was so used to it and I would forget once in awhile on my way into the grocery store until the cold hit my head and I had to go back to the car for my hat. Now I have some fuzz and I bring my hat along but rarely ever wear it.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask anything - the ladies on this thread have been so helpful to me and they will be very helpful to you as well.

GAGWTA

 

[snappy]

Minijeanie, I have no advice/experience, just hugs

We are moving forward with my mom. She goes to the hospital for preop tests Wed and is having a needle biopsy Thurs. (How painful is that? And is there a recovery afterward or are you really good to go soon after?). Also the lumpectomy that was supposed to be end of May is now mid-May, so we are happy about moving forward and moving quickly.

I don't remember any pain, but then it has been 6 years. I was given ice packs to use on the way home, and then got the tip to use bags of frozen peas when home. This is also a good ice bag after lumpectomy so I am told.

I was fine the afternoon after the biopsy and the next day. Just a small bandage over one area.

Ask for some warmed blankets for her, they kept the radialogy room where my stereotactic needle biopsy was done VERY COLD!!!!

I think it is better to have someone go with her if possible for moral support. The biopsy is a bit nerve wracking because you are not really sure what to expect. I felt out numbered by the number of nurses and techs involved and the awkardness of the position I was in for the test. It was good to know my husband was in the waiting room.

KJ you are my hero for driving yourself that far both ways.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon ladies

Laura - I know your surgery is about now. Sending prayers and wishing you all the best.

Minnie Tink - Its good to hear they moved your moms surgery up. My lst one got delayed over 3 weeks due to so many complications they found etc. I hope the biopsy goes well. Sending prayers and

minnijeanie - I am sure you must be anxious. . You are asking lots of good questions and the ladies here are great with answers. Next week will be another part of the journey. I am sure you are anxious.but hang in there. You are doing great!!

Ann - hooray for a new computer!! Hope the job isint too stressful and the fishing sounds relaxing and wonderful!!

Elizabeth - hope your ds gets his schedule soon

Laurie - wondering how you are all doing down there with the big oil spill. I am sure its taking its toll. I got your pm, thanks and I will answer soon. Soon with me could be days.

Lisa - Enjoy your time with your dd. Hope the burns heal well and that soon your dh gets a new vehicle.

I havve been on the thyroid thread over on the c and c board asking the resident expert christine lots of questions. I am the cancer newbie for sure.
My head is spinning with stuff. Ds18 college stuff, rearranging stuff for next week and seeing which ds can take me etc. Working around their finals. I typed 11 pages for dh. The secretary was really happy about that. Now she just has to revise it. Dh has the van in the shop today. Its making a strange noise and I hope it doesnt turn into $$.

I ate hot leftovers for lunch as I felt like I was turning into a bunny with all the salad.. Now for mothers day I think we might rent a movie minus the

GTAGWTA. Have a great day everyone.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

GAGWTA, Ladies!

I ended up calling the school yesterday because we never did get the course recommendations. Luckily the counselor had it on file and was able to scan it and e-mail a copy to me. My big fear was that something had gotten messed up and they didn't have him in their system! But it is fine.

Sending many hugs, good thoughts, and well wishes to all!!!

 

[Sha]

I dont have all the details yet, but ifyou would think of my friend K. in prayers and all. She is 4-5 months older than I am and has some form of uterine cancer. No children and no desire to.

BTW Miss Lee is doing well. Mom spoke to her last week but couldnt tell me if she was told all clear from treatments.

 

[MinnieTink]

Thank you all so much.

KJ you are a rock star. 90 miles!!! And dinner on the table?!?
And thanks snappy for the bag o' peas pointer.

I spoke to another radiologist today. She's another breast specialist at work. She looked at my moms films for me. I also spoke to her and an ultrasound tech about how well pts tolerate the needle bxs. They both said pts do very well. I will definitely be there for my mom. It is my office she is going to for the bx. I'm not working that day but I couldn't be anywhere but right there waiting for her.