I lied the last time - NOW spring is here!

Yeah! See the green? (Not on the trees yet.......) And believe it or not, this was just two weeks ago:

We actually had two major "spring storms" in April, both getting a foot to a foot and a half of snow. There is this fine line in the middle of MI - you live north of it, you get snow (in April), you live south, you get rain (like in GR).
Anyways, here is a picture of me with hair:

It's coming in a little grey - but I figure if I spend enough time in the sun this summer it'll just bleach out! I got my first compliment (from a stranger) last week, that made me feel good!

I'm sorry it's been 6 weeks since writing - I've gotten lazy I guess! I did get my ovaries removed a week and 1/2 ago (and have not gone crazy yet!) I saw a naturopathic Dr. and am taking herbs - so I guess they are working! I just started Arimidex and have to take that for 5 years - I know, it's a never ending process!

I have a busy month planned. Next wknd my friend Nicole and I are going to cancer retreat where they teach you how to fly-fish! (And it's free!) While I'm doing that James is going to take the kids to the UP to see his sister and her new baby, who are flying in from CA. At the end of the month two friends and I are driving to Detroit to go to IKEA and Trader Joes. Quinten also starts t-ball this month, and will be graduating from his pre-school. I have both of the kids enrolled in camp 2 mornings a week this summer, and we are planning a camping trip too.
That's all for now - Peace out! Darci

Spring is here!

Well, almost. Here are a couple of pic's of my kids in 42 degree weather, playing on the teeter-toter (sp?) The chemo brain is still bad - don't know whether I'm spelling something right or not.
Like I said, spring is (almost) here, and I figured it out tonight when I had 6 kids at my house! I thought I'd never be a stay at home mom, and now I'm that plus some, we always get the neighborhood kids over here! And I love it! My hair is growing back like crazy - but I'll wait until next time to show you. It is coming in grayer than before - but not completely gray.

Nothing else much is new............ I am seeing my Naturopathic Dr. soon though, to figure out what to do with my body when it goes in to menopausal shock! I'll let ya know how that goes, and next time I'll send pic's of  the hair! Until then, Darci

My husband is out of town,.............. (again)

and the same as before - my kids are in front of a movie, and I have a glass of wine in my hand!

This is me with my chemo nurse on my last day of chemo, which was on the 24th of Feb. - yeah for me! And I did meet with the radiation oncologist, who, when  confronted, started jiggling his knee up and down and said "uhhh." He had no reason for me to not do radiation other than it's "standard treatment." I said not for me! He could not substantiate any findings on long term side effects of the heart and lungs with radiation. My oncologist is cool with it, so I'm good. Now the plan is to get my ovaries removed in April (have to wait till after tax season), then start Arimidex for 5 years (pill form). It's never ending. One of my friends said (in reference to me applying to foundations for $) that "won't they only consider you if you are in active treatment?" and I said yes, but isn't taking a pill every day for the next 5 years "active treatment?" (vs. being in chemo.........) As I said before, it's never ending........

This is my new hair growth, I know it doesn't look like much (4 weeks in), but it is coming in! And it's not coming in grey (I'd talked to a couple of ppl who that happened to). Now that I look at this pic., I should've put some make up on......... (he he)
On a different note, I slept on the kids floor last night. Not too fun, but the problem is this: both kids, but particularly Quinten, gets up in the  middle of the night to come and sleep with us. All four of us cannot fit in our bed, so James usually ends up in the guest bedroom. Seeing how Quinten just turned 5, I've decided to (try to) put and end to this. So every time he got up last night (at least 5-6 times) I had to remind him that I was there and to go back to bed, which he did. I think it's more of a habit, but now I need to figure out how to keep him asleep all night long! If anyone has any suggestions, please email me!
Other than that, life is still the same, we are (not so patiently) waiting for spring..........winter seems to be never ending this year! I do want to thank Sue Coffin for bringing me dinner (and everyone else), but Sue, I do not know your email so I have no other way of thanking you! I have been blessed enough that yes, ppl are still bringing me dinners (soon to end though). They have been a great help after chemo, and the days where my energy has waned by late afternoon. Until next time, Darci

My husband is out of town,..............

the kids are in front of a movie and I have a glass of wine in my hand. Who could ask for more?

A few things to mention in this post.
1) As I was redoing the template on my blog, I happened to look at "stats", ie; the # of ppl who read your blog, etc., and found an amazing discovery. Not only do ppl I do not know follow my blog, they post it on their own blog as one that they follow. I have fans?!  Wow - my very own 15 minutes of fame! 

2) Those of you who know me know that while I do like to be outdoors (though I'd rather sit in the sun with a glass of wine vs. ski in the snow in 20 degree weather), what I did on Sunday astounded us all! ( he he). I went snow-shoeing (sp?). Of course it was a short time (an hr. long) and included wine and lots of food after, it was fun! I was even going to go again this Wed. night, until I learned the windchill was going to be in the negative's. I'll wait until it's warmer, thanks! Here are some pic's: (above)

3) My hair has been coming in to where it took 3 tries shaving it to get it all last time, so I'm officially going to let it grow. I'll send a pic. next time, and we'll catalog the growth!

4) I saved the worst for last. I talked with my oncologist last week about no radiation (guess I'd forgotten to mention that to him before) and he said normally with just 1 lymph node positive they wouldn't worry, but because I had so many tumors (in my little A sized breast!) he was worried about it coming back on my chest cavity (yes, they can take off your breast, but there is always room for the sh-- to come back!). So, I have an appt. next week with a radiation oncologist. I'm very much against getting radiation, so I'm going to go in there with lots of facts to back me up (and ready to argue), and I'll just have to see what he says. I'll let ya know.

That's about it for now. We are just having another Northern MI day. A lake effect snow advisory + lots of winds = snow drifting 1/2 way up the swing set (higher than our back porch).  OH! One more chemo (on the 24th) and I'm done!! Then on to bigger and better things (ovary removal, early menopause, etc.) Until then....... Darci


 

A boring January............

Which is why I haven't written. Not a lot going on. This new drug (Taxotere) seems to have a mind of it's own though. It was supposed to be better than the last drug, but it isn't, by much! Let's just say: intestinal cramping that is close to labor pains, extreme tiredness, nail color changes and joint pain (you don't want to hear any more, do you?!)

I did want to include the (before and after) pic's of what we leave for Santa every year (sghtti and meatballs, AND cookies/milk).

Quinten's 5th birthday is Tuesday and we are gearing up for a party next weekend. Also, my friend Michele and I have decided to make go on a spring  IKEA shopping wknd in May, which I am very much looking forward to. (So if anyone wants to send me an IKEA gift card for my birthday........)

I have 2 more rounds of chemo, then I have to start hormone therapy. (Not doing radiation - saving it for next time!) I have a cancer that responds to estrogen, so we have to make my body = no more estrogen! There are a few choices in doing this. Most premenopausal women have to take Tamoxifen, which has really bad side effects, ie; uterine cancer, cancer  of the other breast, cataracts, blood clots, menopausal side effects. NO THANKS! If I'm going to have the side effects of menopause, I might as well go through menopause! You have to take the drug for 5 years, so that would be 5 years of side effects, to go off of it and then go through the real thing! Might as well just cut them out and deal with it now! I'm already dealing with some of the side effects from chemo (night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and you thought I used to be a bitch - you should see me now!) Anyways, my thought is to cut them out and then take a drug with a lot less side effects - Arimidex - which is a drug that you can take when you are post menopausal.

I forgot to mention the latest political Dr. bullshit I've dealt with here. These Dr's here are very touchy and do not want to step on each others toes (that's what I get for living in a small town). I called the only woman oncologist here to speak with her (get her opinion) on ovary removal and hormone therapy. Her nurse kindly called me back and told me to speak with a nurse in my Dr's office or an OBGYN. I asked if she was refusing to see me and they said they would prefer that I took these steps (w/o directly answering my question.) HA!So I ended up calling my PCP and making an appt. with a (male)  OB. At least he knows about ovaries. All of the older women I've talked to about this said to get them removed. And I'm getting this stupid port out at the same time!

Next time I'll send a pic. of a tatoo (temporary) on my head. I got 50 for 5.00 from Amazon, all Henna style. I've gotten compliments on them! Until next time...............