Dis Breast Cancer Survivors Part IV - GAGWTA

[Feralpeg]

Interesting day today. Kendall found a kitten at DTD near T-Rex. It was really friendly. It let us pet it and it rubbed against us. We have been thinking of getting a kitten, so Kendall thought we should rescue this little guy. He was fine until I picked him up. He got very scared. We got him to the car okay because I had a tight hold on the scruff of his neck. However, once in the car, he got away from me. By the time we got home, he had crawled under the passenger front seat. I tried to lure him out with tuna to no avail. Finally, I put on my garden gloves to pull him out. He bit right through my glove. Now, he is in quarantine at the vet for 10 days and I had to have a tetanus shot and am on an antibiotic. I hope he end's up being a good jitty. He is costing me a fortune!

 

[CherylDan]

Oh wow, Peg! Here's hoping everything goes better from here on out!

Laurie, glad to hear that you and Snappy are still enjoying some nice quality time together. Your weekend plans sound wonderful! I hope the doc appt goes well tomorrow.

LMP, I hope your back feels better soon.... Back pain is the worse.

We (and by we I mean my poor DH) finally got the condo done and DD moved in. I think it turned out pretty nice. It's a bit odd having her out of the house. I'll attach some pictures.

Our oldest DD is looking more and more pregnant all the time. She and her DH were here this past weekend to celebrate her younger sister's birthday. DH grilled and everybody else pitched in and did the rest.....I did spend a little time sitting at the counter chopping veggies. It was a nice day.

I have chemo #4 tomorrow. I will also get the results of my latest CT scan that will tell us if the chemo is working. So I'm a little nervous about that.

GAGWTA!!


Here are some pictures.


Bathroom, before and after:

Fireplace, before and after:

Kitchen, before and after:

 

[CherylDan]

Oops, sorry some of those are so big!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That came out beautiful, Cheryl! Love all the selections!

Peg, I hope your finger is ok. What a situation!

lmp, baseball is underway. Trying to get to as many games as I can.

Enjoying the puppy but he is keeping us busy!

My girl is hanging in - her 10th birthday is Friday and we are taking her out for ice cream! Glad snappy's hanging in as well.

GAGWTA

PS one of my friends from the Photography Board (Handicap18) mentioned on a thread there recently he is battling Stage 4 rectal cancer. He has a wife and three young children. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you.

 

[Feralpeg]

Cheryl, I think the condo turned out beautiful. She will be very happy there!

I will be praying that you get great news from your scan. Thinking of you!

 

[CherylDan]

Thanks, Linda and Peg. Seems like rehab projects always take on a life of their own - I'm glad this one is finally finished! Of course, I've started another one.....turning DDs bedroom into a guest room. Easy project, DH will paint, and I've been shopping on line.

Linda, I bet your girl enjoyed the birthday ice cream!

Didn't get the best of news from my CT scan. The mets In my peritoneal area are stable, we were hoping to see improvement. What is even more telling, I think, is that now bone mets are showing up in my spine. Nothing definate showed up on the bone scan last month. My oncologist still thinks we should stay with the current treatment for a few more rounds and then scan again, and see how it is then before deciding to change treatment. I don't know, I'm feeling pretty deflated by it all.

 

[snappy]

Ah, Cheryl, I am so sorry you did not receive better news.

You are a fighter though, that is without doubt.

Did your Oncologist talk about what treatment he/she has in mind after this one?

Those were great photos of the reborn condo, thanks for posting.

I love the flooring changes in the kitchen and bath, the tile on the backslash in the kitchen looks great with the new look of the fireplace. The change to the fireplace is astounding, love the grey/white look. How did y'all do that? Paint?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Cheryl

 

[Feralpeg]

Cheryl, I'm sorry your scan news wasn't better. It's understandable that you are feeling down. Give yourself a couple of days to absorb the situation and then, pull yourself up and continue the fight. I totally believe that a positive attitude helps keep this beast at bay. You are a fighter and you have all of us backing you. You are a lays in my thoughts and prayers. If you ever need to talk, or just someone to vent to, I am here for you!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Cheryl, - so sorry the results were not what you wanted to hear, I can understand your feelings.

But as the other have said you are a fighter and your strength and courage and grace inspire me for sure. Keep on keeping on. My motto is never give in and never give up! I am sure you and your onc. will get a plan that is best for you.

I love your redo. I feel ilke I am looking at some of those shows on tv. Youngest ds is really into them. I think you certainly do have the interior design gift and can envision things before and after. Once our contractor said I cant envision anything, lol! My thought and prayers are with you and wishing you all the best as always.

Linda - I have to read your hamster thread. Hope Woody is doing ok.

Laurie - the festival sounds fun.

Peg - how are you feeling? How is the cat?

Jillyb - thinking of you

Diana - thinking of you too

smiley - miss you posting.

Well my back muscle was terrible yest. I asked ds what homeopathic thing he knew. So he decided to whip me up a little concoction on the stove of warm olive oil, honey (?) and lavender that he broke out of some sachet that dh gave me from a trip. He then proceeded to spread that on my back. I must admit it did help it to feel alot better.

The weather here has been spring like and beautiful, nice and the next few days are rainy. The birds are singing.

GAGWTA.

 

[Dancind]

Cheryl, so sorry to hear that news. The spine mets sound painful, I hope there is treatment, relief for that. So wonderful to have family all around, I know that will help in continuing the fight.

Love the remodel photos. Nice tile in the kitchen. Hope we don't have to buy DD a condo to get her to move out again. It is nice having her here, but she's such a homebody. At 23 I had to be on the go all the time! I think I worry about her more when she lives at home.

Maryann, glad your DH's trip did not include Russia. Kind of scary over there now. My DH did something to his hip and is in terrible pain too. I've got him taking my Great Lakes gelatin and he thinks it is helping. Really helped my hip. He's going on a dive trip to Cozumel in a week, it needs to work faster so he can climb in and out of the boat.

Peg, that kitten didn't want to leave the Happiest place! Would not have gone well for it there, though.

Got my two year all clear. Didn't like the diagnostic mammo co-pay, but did like not having to wait for the news.

 

[CherylDan]

Thanks for all the support, you ladies are wonderful.
The side effects from this latest chemo round are wearing on me, but nothing too awful.....I've discovered that Vicodin is my friend at the end of the day, helps me sleep better.

Woke up to two inches of snow and 15 degree wind chills this morning!
It was 80 degrees last weekend. Strange weather this year for sure.

Linda, saw your thread about Woody, how is he doing?

Laurie, hope Snappy is still doing ok.

Thanks for all the nice comments on our remodel. Yes, the fireplace was painted (turns out that is easier said than done! LOL) and the front part tiled. It really brightened the room.

Dancind, I know what you mean about your DD being a homebody.......you do worry about them more when you know everytime they come and go.

LMP, glad you got some relief from your sore back muscle. Seems like it just takes time for those type of injuries.

Peg, have you picked up the kitten yet? Hope you are healing ok.

Hope you all have a great day
GAGWTA!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Cheryl - I feel your snow pain. We had some too today, just light but still snow

Well my back is killing me. I can actually feel the muscle spasam. I took a shower and am trying tylenol. Didint notice too much difference with motrin.

Ds1 is sick. He refuses to pay the $50 co pay and go to urgent care. God help the girl he marries one day.

Great news - ds 3 got accepted into the accelerated one year bsn program. He is so happy. He thinks he can handle it. Its classes in summer and winter too so no break whatsoever for one year. Its all online except one little part so he should be ok. He wants to work part time. Good luck with that one.

Dh informed me he is going to Calif. on Mon for a few days.

GAGWTA. Thinking of you all.

 

[snappy]

MaryAnn, I have had very good luck using a prescription called Flexerol for muscle spasms. An orthopedic has prescribed it. I agree warm showers help too.

Hope you get some relief soon.

No snow here, but it did get down into the 30"s night before last. Not good for the local strawberry crop or the crawfish.

It feels like free air conditioning to me. I love this, but I try to keep a low profile about it because everyone is cold. We will be wishing for some of this mild weather in a month or two.

Happy Easter everyone! DD23 participated in the passover meal earlier in the week at her BF's grandma's house. We are grilling steaks, not very creative, but I need easy. Will have strawberries and asparagus out of my sister and BIL's garden hopefully (if the cold spell hasn't derailed that plan).

I am trying to avoid ordering am extravagant dessert. It's difficult!

Spring break for DD18 next week. And then graduation in less than a month! Yikes!

 

[jillyb]

Hope everyone is doing well!

No treatment for me today as the office is closed for Good Friday. I was surprised but very happy to have a morning to sleep in. DD is out of school today and next week is Spring Break. We're going to see DisneyNature Bears this afternoon. Love those movies! DD will be going to a Spring Break Camp at a nearby park next week. I've asked to come in later next week for treatments so we both can sleep in a bit. 4 weeks down and 2 to go! I have some skin darkening in my armpit but other than that no major skin issues...just some redness.

I posted this on my FB page on Wednesday:

Got a bit emotional today after radiation. I see my radiation oncologist every Wednesday after radiation. This morning as the nurse was taking me back, a woman that I see almost every morning was coming past me. The nurse had her stop and wait while she was checking my weight. Today was her last treatment and they were ringing the bell for her. As I was sitting in the room waiting for the nurse to come back, I couldn't help but think how that bell will be ringing for me in 2 weeks. Getting closer every day. Hearing that bell ring and the cheers from the doctor and nurses was an awesome sound.

Happy Easter everyone! GAGWTA!

 

[Feralpeg]

I was given a congratulatory certificate when I finished my treatments. It was a very bitter sweet moment.

I got a call from animal control this morning. They have released our little, feral kitty from quarantine. He is doing fine which means no further treatments for me. He will stay at the vets a couple more days. He will be vaccinated and fixed before coming home. Kendall has named him Loki. Of course, this could change. Since he has been in quarantine, he hasn't been examined. We aren't even positive the he is a he. We will know soon now that they can actually touch him.

Hope everyone has a nice Easter! As always, you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

 

[smiley_face2]

Hi there ladies! First off, Cheryl all my prayers are going out to you! I have my 6 month scan next Tuesday, bloodwork for tumor markers, and visit to my onc on the 30th to see how things are going. it is such a super stressful thing waiting for those test results!! The work you did is awesome!! We have the carpenter coming to start on the 28th to finally gut and redo my laundry room, and finish the bathroom that hubby started 4 years ago!! and finish the kitchen! had a chat with him about it and he admitted he was not likely to ever get to it. I would much rather spend that money on another road trip to California though!! lol....
Been busy with our 4 grand daughters all having birthday around this time, so back and forth into the city for birthday parties. It'a a 6 hour return trip but worth it to see them! We also had them come and stay for several days over spring break which was 3 weeks ago here. In preparation for that, I finally got around to cleaning out our old bedroom and turning it into a guest room!! and got the kids guest room cleaned and straightened up. next week I will be busy getting everything out of the laundry room and bathroom, so lot's of work I do not want to be doing going on
I'm sure you all know how it goes though...one thing always leads to another! I want to redo the floors nearly 3000 sq ft of it.... but I think I will have to wait until next year for that job! and then in our living room we have a bar area, it needs redoing badly too. those things are not essential, just would like it....and you think "well we are doing this, so we may as well do that, and I know this flooring cost twice as much but it wont' be done for another 20 years so I should put in the good stuff...." renovation justification I heard it called..... going broke in other words! lol....
Had a trip to the ER with youngest grandson the other night too, very bad croup poor little guy. I am so grateful we had our hospital completely rebuilt last year, so the emergency room was totally new to me. The old one had far too many very bad memories and when I was doing chemo I was just about at deaths door before I would go there....where they tried to put me in the same room our son died in. Traumatic beyond belief. This was like being in a different town so that was great. He is doing much better now, but I think I got the bug so woke up with severe pain this morning from spasms in my esophagus, and severe lymphedema on my right side
Anyway it's busy busy for me, some good, some stressful, but nothing really bad. I would do a before and after of my laundry room, but I would be too embarrassed to post the before so you will have to settle with an after....after! lol.... the bathroom I will do a before and after
GAGWTA!!
Oh and Dancind..... my adverts are all "California, Dream Big!" teasing and tempting me to say to heck with the reno.... and make another road trip to California!!

 

[Dancind]

I say "go for it!" We are going again, northern CA this time. Almost a week in the Healdsburg area then a week at our timeshare in Napa. So looking forward to it. We are driving, so seems we will be gone most of May. Means no income for either of us, but oh well.

 

[smiley_face2]

I say "go for it!" We are going again, northern CA this time. Almost a week in the Healdsburg area then a week at our timeshare in Napa. So looking forward to it. We are driving, so seems we will be gone most of May. Means no income for either of us, but oh well.

Lol.... you are a bad influence!! We do have to stay and get this done....and we have a trip already booked in May to wine country up here in BC.... then it will be summer and truly summer here is amazing We live only 3 blocks from the beach, and the grand daughters are really looking forward to coming to stay with us this summer to get their fill of beach time.... they moved a good hour or more drive from the beach so I have to say I am quite certain we won't be heading south again until the fall! ..... unless of course we do.....

 

[snappy]

Smiley, your upcoming home projects sound wonderful but tiring. Even if you hire someone else to do the work, moving everything out and then back is such a chore. I think I first started having problems with neuromas on my feet when we redid the wood floors in 2006. They behaved themselves last year after I visited an orthopedic who specializes in feet and a PT she sent me to, but I started with a flareup on the left foot about two weeks ago. I am trying to only wear the shoes with the metatarsal pads right now, and also wearing shoes with the pads instead of going barefoot on hard floors.

I am also going to the PY office to pick up some more pads for other shoes.

At least I learned a lot last year front he doc and the PT. I also know surgery and cortisone shots are last resorts.

Dancind, your two week trip sounds wonderful.

Peg, I am glad the kitten was given the all clear so that you don't have to have more treatment.

Jillyb, glad the radiation treatment is going feel, and that your side effects are minimal so far.

LMP, congrats to your son for getting into that program.

Busy weekend leading up to yesterday since celebrated Easter at our house. It motivated me to do some much needed cleaning. DH did a fantastic job cleaning my aquarium, and I even bought a cute little ornament in there that look right out of the WDW Tiki birds attraction. DH situated a stream of water somehow coming out of a little pyramid ornament in there that the black convicts like to treat as a nest. And I bought two new little guys, some clown loaches, which I have had good luck with in the past, even mixing with my cyclids.

I also went a little crazy at the plant nursery and bought a trunkful of plants for my pots outside. It looks very spring like here. I am happy with the result, but I am thinking I did not do my feet any favors.

Snappy is moving very slowly these days, but still "walked" down the block with me yesterday. Her appetite is way down though. We are sad but since this has gone on since November, I think we are more prepared than we were.

Linda, I hope your Woody is doing better.

GAGWTA!