shakes fist at sky

[sunqueen]

Well, I was all ready to finally get my new hips next week. My employer brought in a mammovan the week before last to make it easier for us to get screened. Got it done. The next day I got a call that it was abnormal so I went to the breast center for more tests. Then I was sent for a biopsy on Tuesday. Friday I learned that I have breast cancer - infiltrarting ductal carcinoma grade two. YaY me!  I see the surgeon next week but I'm probably going to lose the girls and then maybe treatment. No new hips for now.

I figure I survived tx so I can probably deal with anything they throw at me.  

[smaug48]

I'm late to the party, SQ, but also wanted cheer you on this b*tch of fight.  Just keep thinking of that Young Frankenstein clip you posted many months ago, it's one of my all-time favorite movie scenes.

I had leukemia almost 30 years ago, did chemo, chemo again and then a bone marrow transplant with a 30% chance of success - smooth sailing since.  Not fun when the hair falls out, but there's a period of time when it's starts growing back that it's the softest thing you'll ever touch.  Kind of nice.

smaug

[GoofyDad]

Best wishes SQ. I hope you get through this phase OK, and without wishing you were dead!!!

Hang in there.

[Kathy73]

Amazing lady...absolutely amazing lady! You humble and inspire me.
Kathy

[Marcia2202]

You truly are and inspiration!!! what you are going through and the way you handle it so positively is admirable.

Wishing you a wonderful Xmas, strength to get through this difficult time and full recovery!!!

Much love,

Marcia

[Isobella]

Sending you love and peace and well wishes.  

Once again, I'm humbled...all I've managed to do is put out a generic-decorated Christmas tree that's totally vanilla.

(((Hugs)))
Isobella  

[Mary4now]

How are you feeling?  as a friend of mine once said, the hits keep coming, wishing you some peace from it all.

[Andiamo1]

You are one tough lady and an inspiration to us all.  Merry Christmas to you and here is to good health in 2011!

Eric

[child24angel]

Still wishing you the veryvery best

[Proactive]

I just had to battle my way through the massive onslaught of cookies medhep tries to install on our computers, to say Merry Christmas to you and wish you the very best. Sounds like you are hanging in there, as I expected you would.
You are an inspiration to all of us,

Pro

[sunqueen]

blargh. Started chemo a few weeks ago and got violently ill the first tx. They gave me a shot of neulastin (? - long acting neupogin) the next day and I tanked anyway. My WBC went below 2 and ANC was .6  No raw fruit or veggies and all I wanted to do was sleep.

Had second dose Wednesday and they managed my symptoms better. I take a 3 day course of Emend to help with chemo nausea and zolfran PRN. It really helped this time!   Dr couldn't understand why the rescue drugs didn't give me leg/hip pain. She said everyone comes in screaming about the pain the next week. I laughed and reminded her that I was scheduled  or bilateral hip replacements and could not imagine that I could hurt worse. Unphased by shot.

Doing well otherwise. Went camping and slept for 4 days, LOL. Came home and got Christmas tree and decorations done. Considering if I should bake. Was thinking that instead of 2000 cookies, I'll just do a few dozen cowboy cookies and a double batch of soft chewy gingerbread since they're good for the tummy.

Life is good. Chemo is doable. My hair fell out so I'm a baldie now. Looking forward to my Christmas Eve Lobster. Gonna make a little seafood salad but no seven fishes this year/

Love, Blessings and Hope to you all.

[child24angel]

Thinking of you SQ, I hope you're doing OK
Hugs and Love
Elaine

[IAmTheWalrus]

So, you know about the grenades!  It is great to have them removed. I never thought about the terrorist angle, but that really conveys the image! Thanks for the laugh. I guess that how much they weigh depends on how often you empty them :-)

Again, you are amazing. With your attitude I would be surprised if you don't beat this.

[eureka254]

Thank you for being such an inspiration to many of us.  Your will and humor are humbling.  I'm glad to hear you have your employer's support.  Wishing you all the best that can be.
~eureka

[frijole]

You have a remarkable sense of humor.  That goes a long long way.  I love the hand grenade visual.   How much did those suckers weigh anyway?
  Hope the radiation and chemo goes as smoothly.  All the best.
frijole

[mikesimon]

That should have been:

You're way way cool girl!

I mistakenly put a question mark at the end.

Sorry about that.

Mike

[Kathy73]

I double triple and quadruple mike's comment!
Kathy

[mikesimon]

You're way way cool girl?
Good luck,
Mike

[sunqueen]

{{{{{{ Izzy, Marcia, Elaine, Eric, Brent and Kathy }}}}}}} Hugs to you all and many thanks for the kind and encouraging words you have expressed.

I finally got the drains removed yesterday and today I'm so comfortable that I want to fall in a heap and weep tears of joy. Went to the oncologist the other day and she opened my shirt and snorted with laughter. "You look like a terrorist!" she exclaimed beteen between bursts of laughter. I hadn't thought about it so I was laughing too. Here I was with 4 clear rubber hand grenades strapped to a velcro belt and tubes going everywhere. Gosh, that was hell.

Someone said to me that I should be glad  that I went through HCV tx because I'll breeze through chemo and it reminded me of one of the people who drove some of us nuts. Who remembers the guy who made a post that he was grateful that he had HepC?  Yeah, I think I was on the list of people who wanted to stick pins in a voodoo doll in his honor.

I start chemo on Dec 1 and go for a neupogen shot the next day. I managed to avoid rescue drugs through tx so I reckon this is gonna be a tad worse. I have four dose dense chemo treatments every two weeks and the doctor said I will wish I was dead during this phase. After that, I think I have seven more chemo treatments at a lower dose (still not sure of frequency) and then I start radiation.

My employer has already said they will waive FMLA regs and my job will be waiting for me when I get back - a huge relief!

I'm going camping on Wednesday for the Thanksgiving weekend. Gonna go savor a little more of that wonderful life I found after HCV and to ready myself to kick the cancer B1TCH to the curb.

Thanks again to everyone!

[Kathy73]

Your strength and humor amaze me and I don't easily amaze anymore (or any less). You are a joy to all who know and care about you and are a shining light wherever you are. I suppose for every action there is a reaction and you are the reaction against the dark holes that are some individuals. May your spirit transcend all adversity! Thank you.

[IAmTheWalrus]

Sunny,

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis, but I am glad to hear that your surgery went well. You really are an amazing woman to soldier through all this. My best regards and warm wishes to you.

Brent

[Andiamo1]

Wishing you good luck with the rest of your treatment.  

Your thoughtfulness has always been a great help to me and I am sure all that good karma you spread around will flow back in your direction.  There are a lot of people here pulling for you and you can count me as one of them.
Take care,
Eric

[Marcia2202]

Sending you lots of love and prayers that it all will go as well as possible.

With much love,

Marcia

[child24angel]

My heart goes out to you in this difficult time.
You beat HCV..no doubt you will beat this too !
I'm sorry to read this SQ.  I wish you the very , very best

Elaine

[Isobella]

Sending you soft gentle cyber (((((hugs)))))

Your humor and inner light (read strength) are an amazing inspiration to us all.  You, of all people, know how important attitude is, and I am here as an old MH buddy to tell you that you humble me with your AMAZING outlook.

I wish you smooth trips to the mailbox and bathroom.  I wish you a minimum amount of chemo.  I have high hopes the side underarm boob will go away as swelling subsides.  

Godspeed to health, my friend.  Let's not discount the impact a good poop thread has on our morale!!!!!!!!!!!

All the best,

Isobella