Hello everyone
Hello Everyone,
I am new to this group and hope to get to know you all in time.
I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March this year. Since then I have undegone a Mastectomy and sentinal node biopsy. After finding there was cancer in the node several more were removed. Thankfully they were all clear, but I am faced with making a decision regarding chemo. I still have a week to make up my mind.
Has anyone else had to make that same decision. I have been praying, along with most of my church friends, for guidance and peace in this decision making process.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone more.
Comments
-
Hi there,
I am proberly too late to help you, nevertheless, whatever decision you have decided will be the right one. I too went through the same, making these decisions that will affect not only our health but spiritual lifes. I went through Chemo and now have to make a decision as to whether I will have radiotherpy and hormone treatment. I am heading more to the no. By now you may be on Chemo, I hope everything is ok for you and there are not too many side effects. If there is may I suggest changing your diet to the Alkaline. It will aid in your recovery. I found I recovered quicker and also had more energy. My eating habits before then was based on the triangle. I hope for a speedy recovery for you.
Christine.
0 -
Hi Christine
Thank you for your post and even though I have made my decision I was happy to hear from you with your thoughts as well. I did decide to go with chemo as I felt at peace with that decision. Mind you, by Sunday I did question my decision making. That has been the worst day so far. I can remember thinking that if someone broke into the house and stole everything, I would tell them they could have it all on 2 conditions. 1. They not harm my cats at all. 2. They make sure that I am very dead before they leave. A bit dramatic, yes !!!! Since Monday I have felt so much better, even though today has not been as good it is still so much better than Sunday. Taking each day as it comes is the best way to deal with it. I am now looking at it as - 1 week down and 11 weeks to go. Each day is a step closer to it being over. Once my round of chemo is finished I am to go onto hormone treatment. No radiotherapy has been mentioned. How much chemo did you need ?? I will also look into the Alkaline diet, but at the moment I am eating whatever I crave and today it is tomatoes. Home grown Roma tomatoes, they are tasting soo good and I am not having any bad reactions to them. Thank you for caring.
Elayne
0 -
Good on you Elayne,
keep up with the Roma tomatoes, they are alkaline and very good for you. Day 3,4,and 5 were the worst, get through that and your rolling. I made sure after Chomo I had plenty of rest. on the 2nd day I went to bed early and slept into the 3rd day. Went to bed again in the afternoon and still was able to retire early and sleep into the 4th day. Sleep helps build your amune system so don't hold back and listen to your body. I prevented going out, and doing housework for those days and made sure I had food easy to heat up. I do have a husband who was a great help also. Do you have someone to help you? I had 4 rounds of Chemo, thankfully for that. It has now been 3 weeks since finishing and I feel so much energy. My mind is now becoming clearer and can just see hair begining to show. After each chemo therapy my head was itchy, shaving my head before each chemo round prevented reacurrance. I also used coconut oil on my head to prevent drying and keep it soft.
I live on the Sunshine Coast. And have worked 2 days a week throughout Chemo and most likely through radiation. And yes I finally agreed to go ahead but still feel uneasy about this. I worked on day 1 and 2 after therapy coped quite well, after that bed for me. If you do look at the Alkaline diet check out "energise for life" on the website.
Great to have a sense of humour during this time, keep it up and be positive Well done for getting through the first round, it goes quick and before you know it, it's over.
keep in touch, let me know how your going.
Christine
0 -
Hi Vicky,
I am so thankful you are still with us as I am sure your family are. It seems you have had many trials of your faith and you have pulled through. My name is Christine and I was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. Going well and fighting fit. Staying positive is the best policy!! My whole lifestyle has changed from dieting to excersise (although this can be improved). I am very busy and learning to be free from stress has been challenging yet can be beat. I now have plenty of rest and besides still battling tiredness feeling much better. I hope you have a fruitful and blessed time with your family this christmas.
0 -
I am also thankful that you are still with us, and especially, still with your family. You have been through so much. Having a strong faith gets us through I know. I don't know how I would have managed without it.
Since having my mastectomy I would be fine with having the other breast removed too. At least when having a reconstruction both new breasts could be the same and not uneven as I am sure mine will be when/if I go that path.
Keeping a sense of humour does help a lot. The girls at work shake their heads at some of the things I come out with and things that I do. I have a t-shirt that says "Heck, yes, they are fake, the real ones tried to kill me" Even one of my doctors nearly fell on the floor laughing when he read it.
I am not making light of what is happening to us. I like to show others that life isn't all doom and gloom.
My chemo is well over now and my hair has started to grow back, just the same as it was before. I was started on Femara but that upset my heart so I had to be taken off after just a few days. I am now on Arimidex and doing much better, in fact barely any side effects at all. I also have Zometa infusion every 6mths, and that does have side effects but not for too long.
I am also happy that "The owl didn't call your name" and that you are making your life a Hoot. Owls are very interesting looking birds and I would love to put them on a quilt when I have time to make a bird quilt. I tend to collect cats, big cats, med cats and kittens. At the moment we have 4 adult cats and 4 kittens living in our home. The kittens and one of the adults are being fostered until the kittens are big enough to go back to the RSPCA and go up for adoption. (That's where I work) It is very rewarding to see the tiny babies grow and develop their personalities and then see them get their new homes. I love my job. Next year I will be studying again. I love the vet nursing so will be studying a Cert lll and looking forward to it.
Take care and I hope that you and your family have a wonderful and blessed Christmas.
Elayne
0 -
Thanks for your comments. It's Vickie with an e not Vicki or Vicky.
Our best man's wife made me a wonderful owl quilt when I was doing the chemo trip. It won prizes every where. On the back she had written to my dear friend Vickie fighting hard and making life a hoot. I believe you need a passion to get you through this journey. Doesn't matter what it is. Mine is travel and the OES......
I belong to the Order of the Eastern Star. If you don't know anything about it it is an off shoot of the Masonic Lodge. Look it up on the net. In May 2007 I was Installed as the Worthy District Grand Matron - head of out district. I had Retina Australia as my charity as they had owl badges!!!!
I went to the Sessions in Adelaide on an OES bus had a marvellous time for the 3 weeks. Home for a week and we packed up and started on a car trip to go to the other district Installations - there are 5 in Qld. It was in Tully that the shit hit the fan when I found the cancer.
I went everywhere I could during all my treatments with the bald head or glittery scarf even doing an Installation - had to relearn it all to say it off by heart with bad burns from the radium. The past Matron could have done it but then I would have been the one missing out. There were times I was grateful for someone driving me.
Then I was a point for the Grand Chapter of Queensland when we found out I had the bone cancer. Still went everywhere. I was very fortunate that the Oncologist was so supportive and when ever we could worked the treatments around 'the stuff you want to do'. For example in Sept 2011 I had Zemeta the day before we left for Canada and 8 weeks later the scans and another treatment the day after we arrived back in Brisbane. I was appointed the Australian representative to Quebec and went over for their Sessions.
I am not up to bus touring anymore so we had a week in the Marriott overlooking Nigara Falls 2 weeks in an apartment in Toronto 3 weeks in an apartment in Montreal during which we went up to the Sessions in Granby and then a week in Nashville. We went to the Grand 'Ole Opry on the 22nd Oct Clive's birthday and it was televised as it is their Breast Cancer day too. The barn was all in pink - very emotional. We had booked early so had seats 4 rows from the front in the middle.
People said you are mad to go because you can't get preexiting insurance. I prayed about it and asked for a sign and the day afterwards the travel agent rang and said Qantas has half price fares window of 5 days to LA but you have to pay now no refunds and fly before 31st Sept. Perfect. So we got the business tickets return for four thousand each. I thought that if I was too sick to go we would be losing far more than money.
Our super took a big hit like everyones did and it wasn't a lot to begin with - thank God for center link adding to the super pension . I would love to live long enough for the super to run out.
Then the Worthy Grand Matron asked me to stand for the position as her Marshal. I won the ballot and so go all over the place - when I can having a great time. Since March I have been to Cairns Townsville twice Melbourne heaps of place in the car and the OES bus have Sydney in March 2013 and Hobart in June 2013. They want me to climb the ladder to be head of Qld but I'm not. Just not up to it.
I have dreams of having another trip on the Queen Mary 2 and in 2008 we were intending to do the Orangutans in Borneo. That is still on the list.
Chemo gave me cataracts. They have been done. Had laser as well. My husband Clive said I didn't miss much before now she sees everything!!!
I am involved in the Rainbows. Look that up on the net. I am hopeless with craft except for knitting where I am an expert. Each year I manage to do about 30 little jumpers for Gardian. I train the girls in the speaking walking opening and closing the bible doing stuff with the flag but on craft night I just help the girls. My Grand daughter and my sisters Grand daughter are Rainbow girls.
Femera gives me the nightmares and the insomnia. Red wine and Southern Comfort help. So does the stuff my brother put on an MP3 I listen to all night. I am also crazy about purple and wear it all a lot..
I also love hats and have a huge colection I wear to church and in for my treatments. I belong to the Red Hats as well.
Live is a hoot. And very interesting. Praise the Lord. XX V
0 -
Wow Vickie, I am worn out just reading all that you have done, but I agree that we need to be passionate about some things. For me it is animals, but travel is up there too. We had saved enough for 1 1/2 airfares to Canada when I got sick. So much of that money was needed to pay excesses from my hospital stays (until we reached our limit then there were no extra charges) but I wasn't able to work so we used the rest for paying bills etc. My husband works only part-time (27hrs per week) so it was a bit hard trying to live on only is wage, but we have managed and now that I am back at work things are improving.
Some years ago we went to Niagra Falls too, but not in a hotel overlooking the falls. The Falls are spectacular though and I can see why some people climb that little fence and jump in. The water seemed so close in places that I wanted to put my hand over and touch it. When we came home from that trip I managed to get Meningitis and spent some time in a coma and then in ICU for a while. That put me off flying for many years, but I chanced flying again last year when a group of us went to NZ for a short holiday. I am now over the crippling fear of flying, so as soon as possible we will start saving again for Canada.
I see that you like hats, that is one thing that I have never liked, but now have become so used to wearing something to cover my head it will seem odd when I don't need to be covered. My hair is growing but not fast enough for me.
Femara made my fingers extremely stiff and sore, I could hardly work with my hands, but the worst thing was the arrhythmia it caused with my heart. I already have a problem and have a defibrillator implanted but this was too much so I was taken off that and put onto Arimidex and apart from a slightly sore finger everything is going well. (the only time I feel it is when I am typing)
Next year I will be studying again for the entire year. Since chemo didn't totally fry or melt my brain I thought I should use it.
You are right, life is a hoot and very interesting.
Elayne
0 -
Hi Vickie, I am going to study for my Certificate lll Animal Studies (Vet Nursing) and it will be done online through the Australian College of Veterinary Nursing based in Qld. I will need to do 30 days of practical placements which I am looking forward to. One of the placements I can do at work (RSPCA) I am hoping that it will lead to some more vet nursing work and depending on how I go, I may even try for my Cert lV Vet Nursing and become a qualified Vet Nurse, but one thing at a time.
Hugs
Elayne0 -
Soounds to me like it is your passion and if it is a passion you'd do very well.
Keep me posted. XX V
0
