you don't know us from Adam, but we and banana-mom (MIL) may well be in your area around the time of your surgery. If it miight possibly cheer you up, we'd be happy to visit or invite you to join us at the airforce museum.

Go Bri!

Good luck!

Bri,
I am in awe of your courage. I'm starting chemo March 3rd, and it's nowhere near as intensive as yours(I hope), but I'm wimping out big time. So much for macho. Hang in there, and be my hero, and maybe I can absorb some of your courage vicariously.
God bless.

Good luck to you as well Spud!

Right on, Bri did it, and spudcon can too. Nothing but winners here.

You are beautiful. I am rejoicing with you.

haven't been here in a while----nice to see the posts. monster--the AFM is about 15 min. from where I live---let me know when you are coming and if I am able I would love to meet you all!!


Spud--I had no idea. look, it's truly a bitch but not a TOTAL bitch. If there is anything I can do----any info, a shoulder to cry on (although pretty much everyone here in the cellar is a positive force for good health and a great shoulder,too) any weird experiences....like, no one told me about all the emotions, the weird dreams, the weird cravings....goood luck, my friend. I'm a complete wimp---if I can do it, anyone can do it.

how many rounds are you getting?

One treatment a week for six weeks, then 30 days off, then check for growth, then one a week fo three weeks, then 30 days off, continuing but decreasing for two years. Eventually, I'll be an old pro at it.
Thans, Bri for the encouragement, and thanks to the rest of you folx too.
Joe

That's a lot of rounds! do you know the kind of chemo you're to be getting? the drug name?





(yay! my ativan is ready!)

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. Yes, it's a lot of rounds, but I've been fighting this for a long time. They tell me the cure rate is good with this stuff.

Hope it goes well spud. I'm sure you'll get through it well.

I say we all meet at Bri's hospital, bribe the recovery room nurse, dress like insane clowns, and be there when she wakes up.

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
Looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today?”
So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

“H-M-M,” she said, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today?”
So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

“Well,” she said, “today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.”
So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up,
Looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head.

“YEA!” she exclaimed, “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”

So you're saying we should from some kind of insane clown posse???

Braid My Hair -- Randy Owen

She could be the first female president
Or be the doctor who’s experiment
Finds the cure to what she’s in here for
But right now treatments keep her sick in bed
That baseball cap never leaves her head
And while she sleeps I sit and dream
One day I asked her what do you wanna do when you grow up
I soon found out I wasn’t dreaming big enough

She said, I’m gonna ride my bike, I’m gonna climb a tree
Gonna fly a kite, score running little league
I’m gonna go to school, make a friend, be able to run again
Take off my mask and just breathe in the air
But most of all I’m gonna braid my hair

She could question God, Lord, knows I would
She could just give up, I don’t think I could be that strong or fight so long
How can such a little girl have such big faith
And even through the pain she still prays, saying, God will make a way

For me to ride my bike, for me to climb a tree
I’m gonna fly a kite, and score running little league
I’m gonna go to school, make a friend, be able to run again
And take off my mask and just breathe in the air
But most of all I’m gonna braid my hair that’s down to my waist
Then I’ll get it cut so they can make
Locks of love for some little girl who’s just like me
Wonders if she’ll ever be

Able to ride her bike, able to climb a tree
Able to fly her kite, and score running little league
Able to go to school, make new friends, be able to run again
Take off her mask and just breathe in the air
And most of all she can braid her hair
She can braid her hair

:DBri,
I can't travel far enough to be in your room after surgery, but rest assured I'll dress up like a clown that day anyway, and wish I was there.

thanks, spud and you all.

Last chemo is on Wednesday. I'm fighting a rotten cold so I hope and pray that my WBC's don't dip too far and they have to reschedule....nah, that ain't gonna happen! I'm gonna be feeling good and healthy on Wednesday and they'll be able to do it and then, babies, I am gonna FLY OUTTA THERE!!!

*smiles* go to it honey! And good luck:)

Cool For You Brianna! Kick ass!

That's the attitude, Bri!

Bri,
Had my first chemo today, it hurt like hell, but I came through it better than I thought. I've been home a couple of hours now, and so far, no side effects.
Good luck on your last one on the 4th, and your surgery. I hope they can't find anything left to operate on.
I'll pray for you,
Joe:hugnkiss:

thanks, joe. My thoughts are, likewise, with you.

My last chemo was today. I'm done. I get another mammo and an echocardiogram (adriamycin/cytoxan is cardiotoxic--YAY!) and see the surgeon march 24. surgery first or second week of April. My onco can no longer feel the tumor.

send me lumpectomy wishes!

:)

I'm lumping all my wishes together for you.

You did it, chica! Time for a month off. You're almost all the way through.

very excellent!

No more lumps! Fantastic!:thumb2: And did I say FANTASTIC?

Want a second opinion? :yum:

bruce, I thought you'd never ask! :heartpump

DONE!


May the hair re-growth commence!

:cheerldr: Woot! Good stuff Bri:)

Nay, nay, not done. START!!!
A new beginning!!! I knew you're a winner, baby. :grinnylov

Im so glad to hear that you have finished up your treatments and am looking forward to hearing an update on your surgery and particularly interested in what the cardiologist will have to say. I had my chemo right at 20 years ago and am at present dealing with the heart issues that I was told would accompany it further down the road. Just reading the word adriamycin makes me feel kinda shakey even after so many years,the bright red/hot pink stuff,I catn recall if it was icey cold or burned like hell? Its hard to get past all of it and you will think about it everyday for the rest of your years,but like love lost, over time you will think of it less and less. I really wouldnt concern yourself with the cardio aspects,they are usually something that wont show up for many years. I cant wait to hear about the new hair, mine came in as soft as a baby's. Just keep living for the day and try to avoid stress whenever you can. Make sure to keep trying new things,if something sounds fun or interesting GO FOR IT!!

Yay Bri!!!

You kicked that MF'ers arse :D

A while since I posted on here. I usually just lurk around the image of the day and the internet stuff so i've missed this thread. Good luck with everything. I can understand what you have been through as I have been trying to beat Non Hodgkins for a year and a half. Beginning a stem cell transplant in a couple of weeks. Not looking forward to the month of isolation....

Keep us up, on the nitty gritty details of that, Roosta. I'd like to more about that.

I've had four rounds of chemo so far. All the lumpy bits have gone along with my hair. The last burst before my stem cell harvest was with a little machine that I had to wear on a neck strap pumping stuff in for 96 hours continuously. It feeds into a Hickman line in my chest. I dread one of my kids pulling on this thing one day. I had to give myself injections of GCSF every day for 10 days to boost clean stem cell production. The next stage is going in for some really bad chemo that will kill my bone marrow / stem cells completely over a seven day period. Then they will infuse my harvested cells back in. Hopefully, I won't get an infection that will put me in a box in the meantime.

Good luck & well wishes Roosta

Thanks for the explanation, Roosta. I guess you should avoid whorehouses and opium dens for a bit. ;)
Best of luck, we'll be rooting for you.

Roosta, best of luck with it all, please take your comp and internet access into your bubble -you don't need to be isolated from us. If Bruce doesn't ban us we're certified virus-free ;)

Roosta--my heart and hope goes out over the sea to you and I will keep you in my thoughts. Compared to what you are going thru, my chemo was a walk in the park. Oh, my. You have your work cut out for you but YOU CAN DO this. Are you in any pain? That's what wrecked my world for a bit--the taxotere gave me constant, gnawing bone pain that nothing got rid of (the Rx they gave me just made it bearable) but now I see how constant pain will change a person.

I was given Rituximab and Vinchristine for nearly a year. During the three hours it took to get it in my veins, I felt as if I was being kicked in the stomach. They gave me morphine and gas/air but It still made me crease. In the end they sedated me so I slept through the pain. It left me feeling battered for days but the 20 steroid tablets I had to take for ten days after kept me awake even though I was really tired. Thanks to you all for your nice comments, I will beat this thing! Cheers, everyone!

Roosta---you are a warrior. I cannot imagine your ordeal. Holy moly, I hope they are giving you good drugs to cope. 20 steroids? I was given IV steroids and then a few by mouth after the chemo and it made me very nuts and crazy and I cried for DAYS. (Though, in my awful defense, I was going thru chemo induced menopause, too) but, shite, dude/dudess. Please keep us updated on how you are doing--even if it is only a word or two (I know the fatigue) but please keep us informed. I, one of many, I am sure, am sending you good vibes, good love and good healing.

Roosta, best of luck. My father is currently undergoing a chord blood BMT for CLL, so I can certainly sympathize with the treatments you describe. Are they doing a mini-auto, or full?

The stems are mine, harvested a few weeks ago. I don't fancy the prospect of someone elses stems - there is a 20% chance of not making it through due to the the new immune system rejecting me!! My brother and sister weren't matches for me so my own being implanted again was the best option.

Roosta, all the best of luck to you and you have my greatest respect for posting about the experience.

If you ever fancy a visit from a complete stranger you can always PM me your details and I'll see what I can do about finding your locale for a cup of tea and a cake. My shout I promise :)

True, but there is a much higher chance of relapse of the cancer with your own stems. Graft-versus-leukemia is a stronger effect in Allo, but as you said, GvH can kill, too.

Best wishes in your treatment. My father is in day two of the heavy chemo/radiation.

Thanks for the offer Sundae!

My good wishes also Roosta. My sister went thru that bone marrow thing too, but that was 20 years ago. Technology has skyrocketed since then.

I go see the surgeon today at 2.30. It's kinda stupid, though, as I don't get my mammo and echo until thurs. and friday this week. Cart before the horse sorta deal.

I'm scared, lonely and feel desperate. I'm also broke.

my stomach hurts.

Were I the surgeon, I wouldn't want to wait until next week to see your tits. ;)

Don't be sad Bri - we're all there in spirit.

Creepy, huh?

Good luck Bri. We know you can do this -- you've done so much! It's just one more step on the path.
Best wishes, Pie

You really pull on my heart strings girl. Make a cup of tea. go light on the tea heavy on the sugar. Go steal a daffodil out of someones yard and put it in a pretty vase in your window or whever you are so you can see it and giggle about it.

I know it is hard enough to be without a dime. Believe me this last week I'm feeling it too but the other stuff. wow. You are so strong. I know you don't feel it but you have the power to pull it right from the screen so know the power is in you to pull every good thing from life to you.

The cancer has shrunk to size of thumb-nail. Pretty sure lumpectomy, but she will take all my lymph nodes in left arm due to previous tumor size and then 6 weeks radiation.

thanks, all.

:thumb:

da rest o' dis shit is gonna be easy and you gonna have this ass kicked in no time atall!

Shit, that's even less than squash-it-under-your-heel size. That's like... I dunno, give-it-to-a-squirrel-to-bury-for-the-winter size. Okay, this analogy isn't really working. The point is, you are the awesomest, Bri.

Sounds like you're kicking its butt, like we knew you would. :)

Bri, I just wrote a long philosophical message about common feelings and circumstances. I just flushed it, because the simple thing is, the physical stuff is hurting our emotioal stuff. But it's all temporary, more so for you, because you're much younger than me. You don't have to be lonely, because you have all us Cellarites who love you, but there are people close by you who love you also.
You can't pick your relatives, but you can pick who you love, You sometimes can't control being broke, but you don't have to be poor. Choose to be loved, because you are, and that's the true reality.
Ah nuts, I got philosophical again. OK, you can't pick your circumstances, but you can pick your nose.:3eye:
It works for me.

that works for me, too, spud.

You're wonderful to care so much. from the bottom of my grinch-y heart, I thank you all, again, for being so good to me.

Today I am declaring a moratorium on all thumbnail sized objects, to show my disdain for the thumbnail sized badness still lingering.

In fact I'll staple my own thumbnails to the desk.

Ah, wait - I can see a problem with that immediately.
Well instead I'll take the more sensible step of saying congratulations Bri, I know this has been a hard path, but you're near the end of the worst section now. Sunshine and flowers and lemonade and lollipops (and some hard drugs) from hereon in.

Thinking of you xxx