Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part III - GAGWTA!

[wdw4us2]

Cheryl - I'm so glad you got good news on your PETscan! One less thing to worry about right now. Keep close tabs on your blood sugar level, though. Mine has gone down significantly since I've lost all the weight and changed my diet. I no longer hear "Have you been tested for Diabetes?" every time I have blood drawn lol.

Laurie - Happy to hear that your DD is on the mend from her injury. She must be feeling frustrated, though.

MaryAnn - I enjoy hearing about your Fall activities. Sounds like fun visiting the farm stands. We won't see any pumpkins around here until about a week before Halloween.

I just had a visit from the man at the propane company. Looks like I'll be having the pool heater installed sometime next week and not a minute too soon. It's 70 degrees outside right now and the pool is 76. Makes for a really brisk workout!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Cheryl - So Happy to hear your good news. Celebratig with you sista!!

Lisa - If I drank alcohol I would have loved that drink since cherry is my favorite flavor, maybe a non alcoholic version?? Hope the heater installation goes well. I guess its a good investment to extend your swimming time.

MinnieTink - for your mom finishing chemo and for the Yankees too!!

Laurie - would the pt place give you any of the elastic colored bands. I asked mine for them once and they said, oh when you are ready etc. I honestly think they didnt want me to do it at home so I could come back there more etc. etc. I am going to see if ds can get me some from the pt place. I need a freebie here!! from ds. Can you describe your exercise, since I dont think I ever did anything like that??

PatsMom - hope your treatment went as well as can be expected and that you are resting and not having too many side effects.Hang in there!

KJ - my new animal word, well not exactly - "bees". Ds20 told dh to look at some tree in the back yard. When he went near he heard huge buzzing. He said he will wait till winter to maybe cut the tree etc. Hmm, guess he learned something from his dad and aunt who were bee keepers on the farm too.

Hmm whats new?.. ds20 was in his full blown bad mood with me yest. Today he is ok. Dh told him to be nice etc. Dh cant come home earlier than Oct 30 unless he tries standby. I dont know how that will work out. Dh might not even come home tonight and has to work on a project. The judge in our court case decided he needs more info from the company so I guess I told dh we should think about renting out his dads house again, oh I hate being a landlord. Still waiting to hear about my blood tests. My stomach has been hurting but I think it might be the scar tissue pulling and ds18 is determined to apply to the state univ. again for jan. I doubt he will get in, at least this kid wont give up. I will be watching my Yankees tonight.

GTAGWTA. Blessings to you all always.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Lisa and PatsMom - thinking of you both

Linda (PeanMe) - Of course you know I will be rooting for the Yankees tomm.
My bf in Texas is rooting for the Rangers.

Well dh got home like 7:40 am. He told me to wake him up at noon as his presentation is 1 pm. The church lady is asking ds20 to watch the dog again starting next week end. I think it will be about 5 days. Ds18 tells me he is working more at the pt place next week as both the owners are going on vacation. The one is going with her Mil to Disney World!!They are taking 36 people to OKW. Ds proceeded to tell her his mom is a dinsey nut.

Have a good week end everyone. GTAGWTA, Blessings to you all always.

 

[PatsMom]

Cheryl - glad you got such good news about the PET scan, now good luck with the blood sugar. Since my cancer, my blood sugars are all over the place. I am a long time diabetic and had pretty good control until about six months ago! Now I am really working at it. My endocrinologist upped some of my meds and is thinking about putting me back on insulin since she believes that my body needs to focus on fighting the cancer without having to fight for blood glucose control as well.

LMP - thanks so much for the good thoughts. I had my second treatment on Wednesday and it went pretty well. Main side effect I am having is headache and tiredness. But they could also be due to the pretty bad anemia I am still experiencing. I am also having shortness of breath that is most likely due to that as well.

I've always tended toward anemic and the docs think that my body just hasn't recovered by the tumor bleeding and then two surgeries so close together. Both of the bladder resections had a pretty good amount of bleeding. So I"m taking iron and trying to eat some more high iron foods.

Looking at a beautiful weekend here in NH. I plan to try to really enjoy it!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Lisa - Thinking of you and sending good thoughts and prayers for your appt. tomm.

Laurie - hope your shoulder is healing

PatsMom - Hope you are recovering.

Well it was a great week end. Sat. was a bust as ds18 insisted on going with us so we couldnt go as he had a party to do. Poor ds - a pen exploded on his new jeans at work and he didnt get a tip from the party. Dh andf I spent the day running around doing errands. He went to get a haircut at the salon. My stylist sat and talked with me, so sweet. Ds20 was tailgating and I am sure participating in activites we dont approve up. He slept at the dorms for 2 days.

Sun. after church dh was counting money and a call came from the lady who has cancers husband.His car was in the shop and they needed a ride home from the hosp. She was being discharged. So of course dh,I and ds22 was with us and we went to go pick her up. I havent seen her since may. She looks pretty good from all that she has gone through.She needs 3 months of chemo and has hardly had any due to her constant problems. She didnt mention the word cancer. Fine with me. I just listenend. She said she has a tube comng out of her kidney with a clip on her back and its so painful. My heart breaks for her. She wants us to come over for dinner. OMG. This poor lady has all she can do to get well and heal. I should cook for her sometime. All 5 of us went to the farm. We got 5 pumpkins, a hay bale and a cornstalk for $75. We also had roasted corn,warm cider donuts, warm cider (yuck - tasted like cough medicine), and ds18 picked out a warm carmel apple pie with walnuts. Yummy! I just sat there as did ds20.

GTAGWTA, Blessings to you all always.

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

MaryAnn - Your story reminds me of the people who remember "bee trees". Most people in rural areas were thrilled to find a bee tree in the woods because it was a great source of honey back when they couldn't just run to a store for sugar or honey or other source of sweetener. We have a bee tree that just started up in the last couple of years. Someone had put out hives over winter down the road from us some years ago and maybe some decided to take up residence here. But I'm not brave enough to go after the honey because I know the bees are brave enough to go after me . We also have a lot of hornets and wasps - those I'm not so happy with.

Wishing everyone good recovery and good news with doctors appointments.

I just found out I'm healing well and will get rid of the expander soon and get the softer implant . That will feel like another milestone met. And hair no longer looks like new "chemo growth" but like I just have short hair. So while I'll never look like "me" again, the "new me" is emerging - not exactly a butterfly out of a cocoon, more like a molting tarantula gone wrong .

GAGWTA.

 

[CherylDan]

So while I'll never look like "me" again, the "new me" is emerging - not exactly a butterfly out of a cocoon, more like a molting tarantula gone wrong .

GAGWTA.

OK, that's just wrong! Too funny. But glad to hear that your hair is getting longer. And yay for making more milestones!

LMP, sounds like a fun trip to the farm. But wow! $75?!? I guess living out here in the country in the midwest it just seems crazy, seeing as how we are surrounded by corn stalks, and pumpkins are everywhere.

Went to see the oncologist today. He is not at all convinced that my scans should have been clear, rather he thinks that it is quite possible that any new cancer just might be too small to show up yet. So, he is ordering another round of scans in six weeks. And a mamogram for next week. Not at all what I was expecting to hear. We briefly discussed my high blood sugar level, but hell if I can remember what was decided about it. I think he might be referring me to somebody?? I don't know, I was still trying to wrap my head around the new round of scans he thinks I need.

In other news, I have a turkey in the oven. Nevermind that it is over 80 degrees today! LOL, it was cool out when I bought the thing! Anyway, I'm making the whole roasted turkey dinner thing for dinner tonight, yum!

GAGWTA!!!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

KJ - your hair being like a molten tarantula. You better hope the tag fairy is not reading this or you could end up with a strange tag.

Lisa - thinking of you and your consult today. Hope it goes well sista.

Cheryl - Sorry that the oncologist has ordered more scans. But I guess its good they are top of things and being very thorough. With my cancer even if the scan is clear I have to have a blood test as that is more definitive etc. That is a nuclear scan and for the pet scan my surgeon told me that anything microscopic and too little would not show up on it etc. He did tell my dh what the minimum amount of cancer was but I forgot. Wishing you all the best too. Hang in there, remember dont bleed until you are shot sista!! And the pumpkins here are like 39 cents a lb. I guess this is urban farming.

Laurie- hope the new software is going well for you. How is your shoulder coming along?

Pats Mom - Hope your treatment tomm. is bearable.

Tonight dh and I have meetings. Dh is already taking about next months trip. I think it might just be china and new zealand and he hasnt even left for this months trip. Oh well more frequent flyer miles for the next disney trip.

GTAGWTA. Thinking of you all always

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Well - I was repeating the "don't bleed until you're shot" mantra on the two hour drive home from the doctors appointment today. She found a lump on the right side now and wants an ultrasound. The mammo came up clear . Can't get an ultrasound until I have a diagnostic mammo which no one thinks I need since I just had a regular one so then they won't schedule the ultrasound. Spent 45 minutes trying to get one scheduled and it still wasn't done because no one could figure out what order it should or shouldn't be done. In the meantime I could feel the lump growing I'm going to call to schedule myself in a few minutes. I was so hoping to get the "you're good to go for another 3 months" though. Oh well, someone has to keep these clinics running and give all those people their jobs.

GAGWTA.

 

[CherylDan]

KJ.... Sorry you are dealing with this. Cancer sucks. I hope they get your scheduling figured out soon, and hopefully it will be nothing more than a false alarm.

I just heard from my oncology office, the bloodwork they did yesterday showed my tumor markers at 103, up from 80 two weeks ago, and up from 30 six months before that. So, seems pretty certain there is something to find, now it's just a matter of where. Did I mention cancer sucks???

 

[NHAnn]

GAGWTA!

Lisa-your getaway to F&W sounds wonderful.....I was reminiscing about 2008 before I even read Laurie's comment ... Disney with my 2 sisters during F&W, and meeting Laurie and her DH for Race for the Cure and Sha and her dear Mom too. Where IS that photo of Laurie and I doing a dance by the New Orleans spot n Epcot (Laurie will tell you the correct name of this New Orleans dance, but it is forever in my brain as "the hankie dance" )

Cheryl.....what an emotional roller coaster! We will be with you in spirit through this round of scans.

KJ...the "molting tarantula"comment had me Then I got upset and worried about the lump and the scheduling debacle....then you had me laughing again with the comments about feeling the lump grow and keeping people employed You are in my thoughts and prayers too.

PatsMom, thinking of you my northern NH neighbor! I hope you were able to enjoy the wonderful fall weather over the weekend that's continued to today!

On my end, I had an upper endoscopy this morning. Been on prescription strength Zantac for 5 weeks now, a after not being able to tolerate Nexium or prilosec before that. The discomfort in my chest is diminished but still there. While I was in "recovery" (gotta love that "conscious sedation med) the nurse said they didn't see anything "really bad"... the GI doctor then said (and showed me pictures) that I do have a bit of "very mild" inflammation in my stomach, and "some irregularity in the tissue lining of the esophagus" . He took biopsy samples of both. Results in 7-10 days and stay on the Zantac in the meantime. I'm to follow up with his Physician's Assistant in 3-4 weeks. I was still spacey when we talked and looked at the pics, he didn't seem very concerned but I don't know what the picture should look like where he pointed out the "irregularity" or understand if it meant color or shape or what. I have been trying NOT to google, and will continue to try not to bleed before being shot. I have some Ativan that the PCP prescribed when all this stuff started a couple of months ago, haven't used much of it, so it may come in handy as I'm waiting for these results when I let my mind run away with me

In the meantime....the weather here has been SO beautiful...sunny and crisp and great autumn colors.... I hope the weather holds for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday! This year I am volunteering in the Survivor Tent as well as doing the walk itself! My NH sister is coming over to walk with me and my DH too!
Thinking of you all!!

 

[KJ Luvs Pluto]

Cheryl - many to you. I hope they can figure this out for you quickly. And yes Cancer Sucks!!! I will be thinking of you.

Ann - 7-10 days is a long time to wait for results isn't it even when they say words like "irregularity" and "not very bad". That doesn't make one feel reassured does it? And that Goggle sure can be tempting can't it - it's as bad as chocolate "come on, you know you want to, just a bit of information, just a taste then I'll stop. I can stop any time I want to" But then we get all the horror stories and before you know it what happens, yep, we're bleeding before we're shot. So I know what you mean about trying to stay away from

Well finally got the appointment for Monday so I don't have long to wait. I'm busy with a new project at work and trying to get house and yard ready for winter and the trip coming up .

Thanks for all the good wishes and glad I can bring smiles to those lovely faces out there.

GAGWTA

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Lisa - hope your consult went well and thinking of you

PatsMom - Hope your treatment will go well today

Cheryl - So sorry that you are dealing with this. I hope the testing will give you some answersI asked my dh and I think he said my surgeon said only something like 1 or 2 mm would show up on the pet scan. Maybe Linda can comment about this? He said its like less than a grain of rice.

KJ - Sorry you have to deal with these new "bumps" too and in honor of animals I am sending you (double, as its a bear hug!!)

Ann - I hope you get your results soon too.Nexium didnt work for me either. I take generic protonix its a ppi.I need the proton pumps turned off for sure. The trees must be beautiful up there for you,Linda and Pats mom. I hope the weather is nice for your RFTC and that is so great that you are volunteering.

Laurie - I am sure you must be crazy busy.

All is o.k. here. Dh surgeon visit went well mon. The dr. again commented that dh was the worst case he had. He had to do alot of forms for the research project.

GTAGWTA. Blessings to you all always.

 

[PatsMom]

Good afternoon everyone,

Thanks as always for everyone's prayers and good wishes. I am through the treatment and staying at a friend's house for the night. I cannot go home because I am a biohazard! The treatment uses live TB virus so I have to bleach the toilet everytime its used for six hours after the treatment. Bleach and septic systems don't mix well so I am at a friends. But this means three treatments done in this round!

Ann, I have a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus called Barrett's esophagus. It was diagnosed during the round of tests to determine why I was so anemic (turned out to be the bladder cancer). I was told that they will monitor annually and biopsy to make sure the changes in cells aren't getting worse. Perhaps that is what you doctor is speaking of. Best of luck to you and take the Ativan! It is a life saver sometimes.

KJ - sorry you are getting the runaround. It is hard enough to deal with cancer without dealing with that too!

I will keep thinking good thoughts and praying for all. We will get through this!

 

[wdw4us2]

Spend a few days away from this thread and all heck breaks loose.

KJ - to you as you await your appointment and the results. I agree with CherylDan - cancer does suck!

PatsMom - I'm sure you're happy to be done with this treatment. I like your biohazard comment.

NHAnn - Don't you hate the waiting? At least you have the beautiful foliage to take your mind off everything.

MaryAnn - Happy that your DH's visit with the surgeon went well.

My visit to the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center went well, I think. The doctor there concurs with my oncologist here - no new course of chemo for now - yea! He did say that he doesn't think I need to continue the Herceptin after this week (it will be a year since my first one) but he wants me to start a new drug to be taken along with the Femara. The drug is called Tykerb/Lapatinib and has only been out since February. DH didn't know anything about it so he is going to see if he can find some info about it at work today. I was very impressed by the way the facility in Miami is run. I had an appointment for 1:00 and actually saw the doctor then. That's the first time that's happened in quite some time!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good afternoon ladies

Lisa - I am glad your appt. went well. I noticed that the univ. hosp. here where I go too is pretty efficient. Sounds like you have a good dr. there.

PatsMom - I was a biohazard for a week last year and then a few days this year. Its nerve wracking to remember all the rules etc. By the time you are done you have it down to a science. Hope you are recovering.

Did you all see my - when is it time to get a new doctor thread?? I had the blood tests 12 days ago and this guy, office etc. cant even call me, come on, not to mention I have stage 4 cancer, cut me a break!! I am so seriously thinking of going to the dr. where ds20 goes. He is efficient but not too friendly but he could hook me up with any specialist I would need at the univ. hosp. so that might be a plus.

I was sending an online birthday card to Alyssas mom and I saw this that I wanted to share with you all. I hope its not offensive to anyone. I had tears in my eyes when I read it and am sharing it with you.... (its an e card for someone fighting cancer)...

You are a fighter, survivor
A woman of faith and strength
You are a tough opponent for any challenge
Even the big "C" is no match for you because you belong to a bigger "C"
Christ,who is with you and many prayers are with you as you fight this battle. Psalm 138:3

I think I may send this to the lady we picked up from the hosp. sunday. I dont know if she does e mail. I will see.

GTAGWTA. Thinking of you all. Blessings always.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good morning ladies

Cheryl - has the oncologist come up with a plan of action? Or is it just watch,wait and see etc? Wishing you all the best sista!

KJ- Wishing you all the best too.

Laurie - where are you sista?? Post us something sista!! (O.K. its not mardi gras so I cant say throw us something mister!! Heah, you know I have a weird sense of humor. Hope all is well.

Ann - hope you are feeling better and they get to the bottom of this.

They have still not called about my blood tests, so I am assuming no news is good news. I need to finish folding dh laundry, but I am being half lazy and half knowing if I do it that means he is going again etc. etc. It will be a long 2 weeks for sure. At least ds20 will be dog sitting for the week so it will be a little more quiet for one week. I will be glued to the tv watching the yankees.

Have a great week end everyone. GTAGWTA.

 

[PatsMom]

LMP, hoping you are right and the lack of response on your blood tests is good news. I did discover during my diagnosis that it was not good when they rushed tests and when doctor's rescheduled appointments to get you in quicker! I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

It is a cold dreary day here in NH. We are having a nor'easter that will get the rest of the leaves off the trees most likely. Then it is time to rake. And then we wait for winter.

 

[CherylDan]

GAGWTA!!

Ann, here's hoping for good results! Have fun at the walk, hope the weather holds out for you!

KJ, glad you got your appointment set up, waiting is the pits.

Lisa, sounds like your appt went well. Great news on no new chemo!

PatsMom, hope you are feeling better after your last round. Interesting what you said about bleach and septic systems, I've never heard that and we have a septic. LOL, the things you learn on the dis!

LMP, yes, I think no news is good news! Sorry you are having issues with your doctor. Sounds like I'd be in the market for a new one too.

I have an appt next week regarding my high blood sugar, so we'll see what that brings. And then I'll just be playing the waiting game for several weeks before the next set of scans.

We had a scare with our dog Charlie....he managed to get ahold of a piece of sugar free gum that was sweetened with xylitol and ate it. He's fine, but apparently it can cause very low blood sugar and can be fatal! We just had to give him some sugar and keep an eye on him....the vet said it would probably have taken one and a half pieces (according to his weight) for it to cause problems, and about a half pack for it to be really serious. I never knew that xylitol was so toxic to dogs. So, there is my PSA of the day!

 

[Bilberry]

Just thought this was an interesting article that was out today. Saw it on Dr Eades sight and thought to post.

"As we wrote in Protein Power, cancer rare in ancient Egyptian remains. Probably environmentally caused."

http://twitter.com/DrEades