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CiGi 
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Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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 Posted: Dec 28 2010 at 12:59pm |
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Thanks for the advise!!! I have 2 more regular and 7 boosts. I have a tan boob too! The doc was amazed how well my skin has been handling the treatment. For the boost site, I have sharpie marks. They draw over the lines each time I go. They did not tape it. I keep putting gause over it so that my bra doesn't get stained from the sharpie. Can't wait to be done.
Does anyone have any joint pain? I cooked and baked for Christmas and by the end of the day my joints hurt! I talked to the doc and was told that sometimes after chemo you can get sore or stiff joints that could show up after 3 month after ending chemo and could last up to a year. We got tons of snow so the extra cold is making my joints hurt too. Has anyone felt this?
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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fountain_eee
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Joined: Dec 28 2010 Location: khulna Status: Offline Points: 1 |
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Posted: Dec 28 2010 at 1:46pm |
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I think this site is great for discussion among women whos are in physical problems...
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kirby
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Joined: Oct 09 2007 Location: bay area,california Status: Offline Points: 1088 |
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Posted: Dec 28 2010 at 2:10pm |
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CiGi, the joint pain is very common. I remember it even after all these years. I felt like I walked like an old lady getting up in the morning. Things would loosen up as the day wore on. The stiffness/pain lasted about 9 months. I did take glucosimine/chondroiton tablets. I felt like they helped. I finally quite taking them and didn't notice a difference so pain/stiffness had gone away. I felt the tabs were pricey so glad to forgo them.
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kirby
dx Feb. 2001. Age 44 Lumpectomy 2cm. no nodes stage 1 grade 3 4 rnds AC, 35 rads |
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snugltz
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Joined: Jul 10 2010 Location: Reedley Status: Offline Points: 438 |
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Posted: Dec 28 2010 at 2:29pm |
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Oh CiGi
I am so glad you wrote this about joint pain. My shoulder and hip especially hurt quite a bit. My hip wants to give out. And my shoulder hurts when I raise my arm. Mostly on the left side but both sides occasionally. I asked my onc and got the same answer you did. That joint pain was common after chemo and could last a year. My ribs also hurt a bit. They were not concerned but this being triple negative and the recurrance so high I was glad to hear you had the same issue basically. Makes believing the doctors easier. I finished chemo on 10/8. I have 3 more rads to go, the boosts. Have had 4 boosts already. My onc warned me that after I was done it was also common to get a bit freaked out since all treatment would be done and so I might feel that I needed to do something more to keep the cancer away. And thanks Kirby since I also am stiff when I get up in the morning and if I stay in one position for very long.
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1 cm, 0/2 neg nodes, lumpectomy 6/16/10, cytoxin/taxotere 4x every three weeks, rad start 11/8 33X
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Lillie
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Joined: Jul 10 2009 Location: Eastern NC Status: Offline Points: 3616 |
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Posted: Dec 28 2010 at 5:52pm |
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Dear Snugltz,
Your onc was correct when he warned you about "end of treatment" anxiety. I believe most everyone who posts here will tell you that it is normal. Believe me, it is not fun. You may become depressed, or feel a lot of anxiety. Staying busy is one way to deal with the problem, also a lot of us need to resort to some therapy and medication. I didn't have therapy, but I did use anti-depressant and anti-anxiety meds. Another way to deal is to share with others how you feel, what you are thinking, etc. This TNBC site is a perfect place for that. We understand. God Bless, Lillie |
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Dx 6/06 age 65,IDC-TNBC
Stage IIb,Gr3,2cm,BRCA- 6/06 L/Mast/w/SNB,1of3 Nodes+ 6/06 Axl. 9 nodes- 8/8 thru 11/15 Chemo (Clin-Trial) DD A/Cx4 -- DD taxol+gemzar x4 No Rads. No RECON - 11/2018-12 yrs NED |
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CiGi
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Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: Jan 02 2011 at 9:38pm |
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Thanks Kirby. Snultz - I'm not happy to hear that you have joint pain too, but also feel relieved that I'm not alone. I was freaking out that it spread to my bones. It's not really my bones that hurt, the joints in my shoulders and neck are the worst. After standing for too long or sitting for too long, I'm so stiff and in pain. I had no idea that this could happen. After all the side effects that go over with treatment, no one told me this. After I posted this I did some research and I've read a lot of posts on other sites about this so it is more common that I thought. They all say that onc's do not like to say it's caused by the treatment. Wondering - does a heating pad help or should I ice it?
I'm almost done with my radiation treatment :) I have 6 boosts left. My skin got a little red where my bra rubs under my boob. It really wasn't bad at all. The doc was really amazed how well my skin took to the treatment. So I'm grateful for that!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Peace, health and love!
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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trip2
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Joined: Jun 03 2007 Location: Under Palm Tree Status: Offline Points: 8549 |
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Posted: Jan 03 2011 at 9:35am |
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CiGi I found sitting in a nice hot bath helps, also a heating pad...
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Stage 2 2003
Stage 1 2007 BRCA 1+ |
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CiGi
Senior Member
Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2011 at 3:46pm |
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Hello everyone - I can say my joint pain has been easing up. I was hurting so bad over the last month. Not so tired from chemo and radiation. My radiated skin never got red, but it did tan. Well, over the past week it has been peeling. A large amount of my tan has peeled off. I still have hiccups and a puffy hand! But those I can tolerate :) I almost feel normal again! I still have to get my port removed. I wanted to wait for my follow-up to make sure I'm good to go.
During chemo, my triglycerides elevated even higher than there were before (started they were 300, last check they were 500+, normal is 150 or less). My doctor lowered my medication while on chemo so that we did not over stress my liver. Since chemo finished, my doctor raised my medication back to what it was, so next month I go for bloodwork and hopefully they are at much safer levels.
Had been a little worried about work - they are restructuring and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm not going. I do accounting so I see when they accrue for severance, and it was a pretty big number. Not too happy about it. The thing that annoys me about it is that we're doing pretty good even with the bad economy. I'm hoping since I'm the least paid manager who knows a lot that they keep me. I'd hate to have to find a new job, new doctors, just right now is not the right time. A couple of years I'd feel like moving on, been there for almost 7 years (promoted 2x's).
Still catching up on reading posts - be happy and heathy!!! Edited by CiGi - Jan 30 2011 at 3:56pm |
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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overwhelmed
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Joined: Apr 06 2010 Location: Greenville, SC Status: Offline Points: 490 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2011 at 4:52pm |
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CiGi,
My joints and feet still hurt. Just when I think they're feeling better I go though another bout of significant pain.
I hope all is well with your job. It would seem so unfair to to through a job loss when you've been through all you have. Let's hope you get to move on in your own time.
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DX ILC TNBC 3/10 at 50, Stage IIb; Grade 3; 5.1 to 7 cm,SNB neg;TC-6 rnds, 30 rads, Avastin-18 rnds, BRAC 1&2-
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Lillie
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Joined: Jul 10 2009 Location: Eastern NC Status: Offline Points: 3616 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2011 at 4:55pm |
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Dear CiGi,
I hope those trigliceride figures come on down to below 150. That is a battle that I fight occasionally. Also, I pray your job stays intact. Are you out on disability, or have you been working some during treatment? You certainly don't need to have "job hunting" on your plate right now. God Bless, Lillie |
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Dx 6/06 age 65,IDC-TNBC
Stage IIb,Gr3,2cm,BRCA- 6/06 L/Mast/w/SNB,1of3 Nodes+ 6/06 Axl. 9 nodes- 8/8 thru 11/15 Chemo (Clin-Trial) DD A/Cx4 -- DD taxol+gemzar x4 No Rads. No RECON - 11/2018-12 yrs NED |
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CiGi
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Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2011 at 5:10pm |
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Lillie - I've worked through my whole treatment. I took a day off for each infusion and worked from home the day after. I did not tell many at work about it either. I feel that working helped me feel better because I had to do something. If I was on disability, I think I would have spent the whole time in bed.
I've never had test results of my triglycerides under 150. The lowest on a test I had was 199. I've had them as high as 2400 in the hospital. I was surprised that my last blood test my cholesterol wasn't that bad - total was just a little over 200, bad was 70 and good was low but I was just finishing chemo and was not as active as I usually am. I had this triglyceride problem since birth, I had a blood transfusion when I was 15 months old because my blood was so fatty. I can tell if my numbers are really bad just by looking at the blood, you can see it (vial looks like red foamy beer)!!!
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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CiGi
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Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2011 at 5:19pm |
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Overwhelmed - sorry to hear you are still in pain, hope you feel better soon. I've been trying to stay out of the cold as much as I can. There were some mornings I felt like I could not even lift my arms because my shoulders hurt so bad. Some days at work I felt like I could not even get up from my chair. And walking all stiff because my hips did not want to let me move. I hope that it doesn't come back like it was.
I have a bed buddy, it's like a heating pad/pillow thingy that you microwave. I warm it and place it in a pillow case and place it where I hurt and it works wonders. I haven't had to use it in over a week. My son had borrowed it because his back hurt from digging snow.
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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dmwolf
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Joined: Jan 22 2009 Location: Berkeley, CA Status: Offline Points: 3619 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 12:37am |
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I have a bed buddy too. He has little tufts of hair on his shoulders and he snores. I have never put him in the microwave (not that he would fit).
;) d |
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DX 2/08@43 stg II IDC; gr2,0 nodes. Neoadj chemo, first ACx2 (fail) then CarboTaxotereX6(better). Lump, Rads done 11/08; Clodronate. False alarm queen: PetCT lung & TM marker. NED. PBM w/recon 9/10.
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overwhelmed
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Joined: Apr 06 2010 Location: Greenville, SC Status: Offline Points: 490 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 8:53am |
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CiGi,
I blame some of the joint and foot pain on the cold. When I'm out and I'm cold I tighten up. I know that it will pass (maybe not completely), but it may take some time. Thankfully, everything else is getting better all of the time.
Lori
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DX ILC TNBC 3/10 at 50, Stage IIb; Grade 3; 5.1 to 7 cm,SNB neg;TC-6 rnds, 30 rads, Avastin-18 rnds, BRAC 1&2-
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TNBC_in_NS
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Joined: Jul 26 2009 Location: NS Canada Status: Offline Points: 2028 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 9:15am |
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Denise, you are so funny! It is so good to keep a sense of humour at all times, especially now with all the ups and downs, gains and losses!
Cigi:
I sure hope that you are not the one to have to leave your job, at this stage in the game, I know how you feel. My work cut my hours down to three days a week and I have to find something to fill in the other two days.. not fair, but what is fair in this life. I am just glad I am able to get out there to work let alone anything else. The chemo & rads hit me hard! Guess age might have something to do with it and the fact that I have been working for the past 42 years.....Ughh looks awful doesn't it but I am not a stay at home person, have to be doing, doing, doing.....
Blessing to you on this journey back to wellness.....
Hugs, h.
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Diag@57TNBC04/092.5cm Lquad 05/09 TCx4Radsx30CT03/01/10 FU03/31/10ClearBRCA- 01/2011 RTNBC BMX 06/14/2011~2013 clear
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Cathy Leigh
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Joined: Mar 03 2010 Location: Chattanooga, TN Status: Offline Points: 72 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 1:27pm |
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Hi everyone, I have been off the forum for a few weeks, but checked back in today and saw so many new members. Welcome to all of you, and I hope you find answers and encouragment from the many senior members who have such a wealth of knowledge.
I took my last chemo the end of September and have been getting stronger each day. Almost back up to normal with my schedule but still seem to get tired a little faster than I used to. I have an appt on Feb 15 to see my onc again, and hope she will let me have a scan just to satisfy my own mind that I am clear. I asked for one about a month ago, and she asked me why I wanted it, because in her thinking I am clear since I had no lymph envolvement and the tissue around my tumor was clean when they did the surgery.
I told her I wanted a scan to satisfy myself that I am healthy and can get on with my life without this awful disease clouding my days with worry. I know the percentage of recurrence, and have accepted that this is a possibility, but I just need to know now that everyone is clean after the chemo.
Have any of you had experience with your onc not wanting to do a follow-up scan???
Hi Donna, how are feeling and how are your treatments going??
Love to everybody
Cathy
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61 years old at dx 12/1/09
Left Mastectomy 2/4/10, 2 sentinel nodes negative and margins around tumor negative Clean PET/CT scan on 3/2/10 ac/taxol began 4/2011-Finished 9/10. CT Scan 8/11 NED |
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SagePatientAdvocates
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Joined: Apr 15 2009 Status: Offline Points: 4748 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 2:02pm |
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Dear Cathy,
Many oncologists, including my daughter’s, at a major cancer center do not do scans on a surveillance basis unless there seem to be some medical reason to do so. Other oncologists seem to incorporate scans into their surveillance protocol. In my daughter’s case there is a specific reason for her not to have scans and that is the fact that she is BRCA1+ and the heavy ionizing rays from the CT scan can further compromise her DNA repair function. But I also questioned her oncologist about non-BRCA+ women and their approach is the same..no scans unless it is deemed necessary. good luck to you as you recover.. all the best, Steve
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I am a BRCA1+ grandson, son and father of women affected by breast/oc-my daughter inherited mutation from me, and at 36, was dx 2004 TNBC I am a volunteer patient advocate with SAGE Patient Advocates
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Cathy Leigh
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Joined: Mar 03 2010 Location: Chattanooga, TN Status: Offline Points: 72 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2011 at 3:02pm |
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Steve, thank you so much for your response. I will try to learn to be patient :-)
Cathy
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61 years old at dx 12/1/09
Left Mastectomy 2/4/10, 2 sentinel nodes negative and margins around tumor negative Clean PET/CT scan on 3/2/10 ac/taxol began 4/2011-Finished 9/10. CT Scan 8/11 NED |
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CiGi
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Joined: May 12 2010 Location: Bound Brook, NJ Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: Feb 06 2011 at 10:45pm |
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Well for now I'm still safe at work. The department I used to work in 2 years ago is going - they're moving half to Florida and the other half is going to be outsourced. Out of 50-60 employees, there will be 5 left here in Jersey.
Denise - love the humor!!! I too have a bed buddy like that :)
Went for my one month check-up from radiation and everything is good!!! Go back in 3 months. This week I go to my onc, 3 month check-up so we'll see what she says. Still a little tired but much better than before.
My hair is getting really thick - WOW it's like a carpet. It's so scary when it first falls out and with all you are going through, but if feels so good when it comes back :)
My son read tarot cards for me - he told me I was not going to lose my job, might get promotion but work will be like a jail and I do great things and not get the credit for it. He did a reading on my health, and it came up that I would have health issues but would overcome them and I'm a source of strength. Did one about going back to college and I would have restrictions of my time, would achieve my goal though help from my family and I would never give up. My son really surprises me with the info he knows and reads.
Well time to get ready for bed - happy healthy wishes :) Edited by CiGi - Feb 06 2011 at 10:46pm |
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Age 40, 4/28/10 lumpectomy (3 cm) TNBC Grade 3 Stage 2 0/3 nodes, TAC 6x 3 week cycles start 6/15 finish 9/27, 33 rounds rads 11/22. BRCA1 & 2 neg. Lymphedema rt hand 8/14. Joint pain Dec 2010.
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abcmom
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Joined: Dec 15 2009 Location: Summerville, SC Status: Offline Points: 738 |
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Posted: Feb 08 2011 at 6:47pm |
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Yay Cigi!!Glad to hear all the good news.
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Diag 11/06/09 @ 40; Diag w/ TNBC Stage IIA, Grade 3 12/01/09 Node Neg. Dble MX with Recon 12/09 (twice)
Chemo 1/13/10 Chemo done 4/22/10 More recon surg 07/10, PET/CT Scan clear 07/10 NED 07/11 |
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