Bug

Hey! Bug! It's me. I'm doing fine health wise. Thought I'd drop in and see who is still giving all the great advise. I see some names missing like Azsuper and HearMeRoar. I'm on so infrequently that by the time I see a post I could comment on, it already has the responses I would give. You sound like you are doing well. It's finally getting cooler here so I'm loving that. Maybe I'm getting a little nostalgic with the holiday's around the corner. Well, just checking in.

Welcome back from your trip. I hope you had a wonderful time. Take care.

Hi Bug, I'm not sure if I asked you already, but, I am looking for another WhatNexter to write their story out for me to be featured on our Blog for our WhatNexter of The Week. Would you like to do that for us? It's pretty simple, you don't have to be a "writer". You just write out what has happened with your diagnosis from the day you found you had a problem and went to the doctor up through the current day. I usually just say to cover these points in your story and it writes itself.

How did you know you had a problem?
What was your diagnosis and stage?
What was the plan for treatments?
What have you had done so far, surgery, chemo, treatments?
What sort of side effects have you had?
What are some of the worst parts of the whole thing so far?
What have you learned about yourself, your family, friends, and life in general since diagnosis?
How has cancer changed your life in general?
How are you doing now? Still in treatments, maintenance, cruising smoothly and just watching?

If you write that out and email to me greg @ whatnext . com with a few pictures we will edit and put it together. You don't need to worry about most of the technical things while writing it out. We will make it flow, if needed, and edit for grammar and spelling, etc.

Thanks and I hope you can do this for us! Again, thanks for being with us and helping others.

Greg

Thanks again for helping others on the site by sharing your own personal experiences and answering their questions. Newly diagnosed members find it comforting to know that others have been where they are at and have made it through and been able to move on with life. We appreciate you!

My oncologist said tamoxifen during my lumpectomy. I told her I didn't want to take it. my apt on wed was to discuss it again. that is all there is for me to take, I still don't want to after discussing it with a few friends and family that have taken it. she said if I took it there was a 40% chance that it wouldn't return and a 20% chance if I didn't take it. did you take anything?

Hi, Grace! How're you doing? Is your skin all healed?

I'm okay, getting ready for three exhibits, two group and one solo. The solo is, obviously, the most to get ready for. It's in Maryland and my work has to be ready for pickup and shipment by next Friday or the following Tuesday, latest (waiting for word from my art mover). I don't mean to make it sound bigger than it is. It's in a community college art gallery (Harford Community College, in Bel Air, MD). I've had several solo shows, one as far away from me as Oregon. If the show is outside the Tri-state area, I don't go. I'll see it in installation shots, usually. I hate leaving my comfort zone, and as I tell my artist friends, "I've seen my work already."

I hope your having a great Labor Day weekend!

Love,
Carol

I hope the rains have cleared the air. I lived in California during the Pioneer fire. Part of my boss's land was burned her house and her horse were not damaged. Now that fire seems tiny compared to today's fires. California is still in my prayers.

Hi Bug
The smoke arrived in Boise this afternoon, I have turned on my air purifier. Do you have one.

Hi, Grace. I'm hoping you're nowhere near the fires. When you can, please let me know (meanwhile, I'll look up Woodland and where the fires are).

Love,

Carol

Are you alright are you going to have to evacuate?

Okay, for some reason our long post will no longer allow me to add comments. Weird that you guys both still can. Anyway, I don't want to leave the conversation, so I'm just starting it over with a new message where I can comment

And, I am going to start with ... oh Carol, I am so, so sorry to hear about the lay-off. You'll probably be happier in the long run not having to work with that woman, but it still hurts to lose a job, especially one you have had a long time and that you enjoy. She sounds awful.

I decided to retire earlier than I would have otherwise (which cost me quite a bit in monthly retirement) because the people I worked with were making life so miserable for me and for another girl who had already been there when the new regime took over. The other girl was retiring and the more I thought about how lucky she was, the more I decided medical retirement, even with the smaller pay, was the thing for me to do. I tell all of that to say that we had to make some adjustments financially, but I have not one day missed that place. I have a lot less stress ... and oh is it nice to know if I wake up feeling bad, I don't have to call in with an excuse that won't be believed!!!

Where I was, the young kids who were running the dept would come to work as sick as could be without regard to the fact that I was undergoing chemo and should have had no defenses against their germs. They just didn't care what the impact was. Ugh. I'll get off of the subject of lousy workplaces, but I do hope that you experience what I have - relief at not going somewhere where there was tension.

I hope Bernard is going to be okay!!!

About the supt that embezzled the money, if I remember right, she was the first female and first Hispanic supt. the very large school system had ever had. She was as mean and as crazy as they came so we were happy when she was sent to prison. Working at that school district was one soap opera after another I made some good friends there though.

Dang it ... I can't find out previous message now to be able to reread it and remember what all I wanted to comment on. Gotta love chemo brain that can't remember long enough to just come type...

I do know two things ... Grace, the report on the polyp - I am also interested in hearing those results (praying for negative, of course!!!!) ... and Carol, when do you go now to hear about your knee? Did you say it is bothering you again?

I've been suffering from sinus or something since the weekend. Runny nose, stuffy head, phlegm in my throat, cough... I was supposed to do a lung cancer walk tomorrow with my clinic, but I talked to them yesterday and said if it is rainy like predicted, I was staying home. It hasn't gone into my lungs, but I don't want it to either

Sorry I had to break away from our big message ... I don't know why it won't let me comment ... it let you guys ... I'm feeling ostracized by the system

Hi, Grace. Thinking of you. I know you're having a colonoscopy this month. When? I hope you pass with flying colors!

Love,
Carol

Hi, Grace! Taking up your "new-thread" idea.

geekling asked how you're doing re the fires. I mentioned you're okay (from what I know), but you might want to look at that comment.

Are you okay? I know, from what others have written, and from the news, that the air quality is bad (I know you alluded to how you can smell the smoke, and I know you're very close to the fires). It's so awful.

My week off work was great! Time moved slowly, and the week felt like two, which is wonderful for me as long as it felt like two restful, indolent weeks. Our one fan (we have no a/c) suddenly spun its last spin at 2:00 AM on Thursday, so off my partner and I walked to the 24-hour Rite Aid and bought the last fan available. Then put it together in the fancy, air-conditioned exercise room in our basement (our latest landlords built that instead of making more important but less enticing structural improvements in the building). We finally got to sleep at 9:00 AM. Fun night! Not.

How's your skin healing?

Hope you and your husband have a great weekend!

Love,
Carol

I do have a sinus infection from the smoke. My daughter was visiting and we went to a little pub for dinner after church and the only tables they had were outdoors so we sat outdoors in the smoke. I am so thankful for my air purifier. It seems that mother nature gathered up the smoke from the Canadian and California fires and dropped them on us. Today it rained and cleared up the air. I am now on antibiotics and they are kicking in
How are you doing. Were you harmed by the fires

Bug, are the fires close to you?

Hi, Grace! I'm writing just to say I'll be thinking of you on July 19 and with you in spirit. When you get a chance, please let me know how you are.

Love,

Carol

Hi, Grace. I just wanted to say hello and ask how you're doing and wish you a happy Easter. I'm fine, glad to see signs of spring suddenly appear (though this Monday, some snow is predicted - yes!). And at the end of this month, I'll turn 70. Hard to believe (not because of cancer but, well, 70 - how'd THAT happen?). And glad it did, though I do miss being younger.

Hugs,
Carol

Grace, how'd it go today? I guess you don't yet have results. Hugs, Carol

Bug, you'll do just fine for your fur baby. You know him better than anyone how he is, so you'll know. He's a cute little guy--what breed or mix is he? Take care of yourself and him.

Sending you best wishes for a wonderful, healthy New Year!

Bug, I haven't seen a post from you for awhile. I hope all is well, and that you are all settled in your new place. Take care.

Hi, Grace. I've been thinking of you. Did you have your knee MRI? How's your knee feeling? Hugs, Carol

Hi again, Grace. I think I got a message today that you'd written on my wall again, but I see nothing. I just wanted to ensure that I didn't ignore your message.

Hugs, Carol

Hi Bug, just checking in. I am hoping you are not close to the fires. I see you reached out to hearmeroar. Did you ever hear back? I finally had a chance to go on vacation. Went to the mountains. Absolutely beautiful. So glad I went. And also, enjoyed the cooler weather. Hope all is good.

Hi, Grace. I'm wishing you a very boring mammo. Please let me know how everything went. Hugs, Carol

Hi, Grace! How's it going? How's your house stuff unfolding? And your mammo is in a week, so I'll wish you good luck, and I look forward to hearing good news about that. I know you'll let me know.

I'm okay, rolling along through the sad days of our country. Somewhat depressed - nothing really heavy, though. Hugs, Carol

Adorable
Lorie

Hi, Grace! How'd your gyn exam go? I'm assuming it was fine. And how's your move?

Hugs, Carol

Grace, how're things going now? Have you had your exams? Hugs, Carol

Thank you for your kind words Ms.Bug.
Once I could take oxycodone 30mg once a day, the seroma was tolerable. Now in the second month the pain is maybe a 2 on the pain scale 1-10.
Thank you for asking. Katie