Tag Archives: Breast cancer

Little Pink Houses

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I’m sitting here at chemo with Xavier.  Once again the nurse was able to get blood return from my port so my arm was spared.  Thank God for small miracles.  The neuropathy continues to be a problem.  I can’t sleep.  The numbness, tingling, and pain continue to keep me awake, as do the non-stop thoughts that run through my mind.  Unisom doesn’t help at all.  My right breast continues to fill up with fluid.  I see Dr. W on Friday, if not sooner.  He will probably remove about 100 cc’s this time.

I got some nice news yesterday.  Back in April I saw an article in a magazine that mentioned a website that caters to breast cancer patients/survivors.  The website is breastcancerfreebies.com. This website is exactly what it sounds like, a place where people affected by breast cancer can find freebies such as wigs, mammograms, scholarships, lymphedema sleeves, retreats, and financial assistance.  I found a retreat that I thought looked interesting: little pink houses of hope.

  • Little Pink Houses provides FREE week-long beach retreats in private homes in North and South Carolina for breast cancer patients and their immediate families. The aim is to promote recovery and reconnection in a relaxing environment. Meals are served in a common area with other families. Activities include fishing, yoga and parasailing. Babysitting is provided so parents can have a date night. Click Here, or call 336-213-4733.

I applied for one of the retreats that same day.  I then forgot about it until a week or so ago.  I figured if we had been accepted, we would have been notified in early June.  Well, yesterday, I received a call and the woman informed me that my family had been accepted.  I guess we were on the wait list.  One of the families that had been accepted had to cancel.  We will be going to Emerald Isle, NC for a week this summer.  I am excited.  We could definitely use the break.  According to the woman I spoke with, all of the families get their own houses for the week.  The house is stocked with breakfast food and some snacks.  Lunch and dinner is usually with the other families.  There are also activities that the families do together. It will be nice to be with people who are going through the same things that you are.  In past retreats, the activities included kayaking, sailing, fishing, hang gliding, golf, stand up paddle boarding, massages, etc.  It looks like a lot of fun.  The only expense to the families is the cost of getting to the location.  We will probably drive down to North Carolina and maybe visit some family on the way.

This morning I did 35 minutes on my stationary bike (the Tour de France model).  I did a part of stage 2.  I didn’t have time to finish the stage because I had to get to my appointment.  I think I’ve only ever done Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 (not at one sitting, my butt would be hamburger).  In one of my last posts I joked that steroids aren’t included but I realized later that I do take steroids.  Every week.  Unfortunately they are the kind that PLUMP YOU UP.  They don’t PUMP YOU UP.  When all this is done, I’d love to get rid of the spare tire that has been developing in my stomach area.  Damn you steroids.  I always had some junk in the trunk but my stomach was always pretty flat, even after 3 kids.

Just finished up with chemo.  The needle has been removed.  We are heading home.  Later!

PS- Family-  that date that I mentioned as a possible going away party for Chris, it isn’t going to happen.  We will be heading home from North Carolina.

A triple play?

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I am no sports fan.  As for participating in sports, I’ve tried, but I stink.  My hand/eye coordination is lacking, I over analyze when trying to participate, and most sports don’t appeal to me.  As a young teenager, I started taking dance classes, which I paid for.  I loved tap, jazz, and ballet. Tap was and still is my favorite.  I wasn’t very good at acrobatics but I took the class anyway.  I also loved, and still love, to read and to sing.  I started taking Tae Kwon Do (TKD– a Korean form of marital arts) about 9 years ago with my children, Xavier, Christian, and Gillian.  You may say, “But that is a sport”.  True, but my favorite part of TKD is the poomse (forms).  I like the dance-like moves.  As for full contact sparring (fighting), I can do without it.  I don’t like getting hurt and I really hate the bruises that resulted from getting hit.  (I haven’t been able to spar in quite a while though).  Gillian, on the other hand, loves to spar.

There were a few reasons why I wasn’t good at sports.  I was the only left handed person in my family.  My parents didn’t have much money as my dad was ill and my parents had eight children to support.  When I first started learning to play “catch”, I had to use a “righty” glove.  When I tried out for Little League, as my older sisters had, I had finally just gotten a “lefty” glove, and I was ass backwards when it came to fielding and throwing a softball.  I didn’t make the team that everyone who tried out for was supposed to make. That was the end of my Little League career.  I also wasn’t really into sports.  I didn’t enjoy playing softball, basketball, volleyball, etc.  I was a bit of a “girly-girl”.  I liked dance.  I was thrilled when in the second half of my freshman year in high school, I was allowed to join the “Modern Dance” class.  Modern Dance became my gym class for the remainder of my high school years.  Hurray! No more changing for gym class and no more embarrassing myself trying to play games that I had no coordination for and no interest in playing.

So why “Breast Cancer‘s Triple Play”?  Charles.  My husband Charles is a huge sports fan, as are my sons Xavier and Christian.  When I met Charles 24 years ago, he played full court basketball everyday.  He also played softball and baseball regularly in Central Park.  He played football and racquetball.  He was good at any sport he tried, so unlike me. He and Gillian watch Mixed Martial Arts matches together.   He is a fan of the Yankees, the Giants, and the Knicks.  Charles came up with the name.  It certainly fits as I’ve had three breast cancer diagnoses & my cancer is Triple Negative.   We all hope that this round of treatment will be “the triple play” and any remaining cancer cells will be “called out” in my body and this extra inning and this game will end with me and my team as the victors and those pesky cancer cells as the big loser.

Definitions and explanations

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I got some feedback from friends regarding my first post.  There were a few technical terms that I didn’t explain.  I have been reading, writing, and living this stuff for over 17 years so I wasn’t thinking like someone brand new to breast cancer.  I will edit my previous post but for now, I will explain a few of the abbreviations, acronyms, etc that I mentioned in my previous post.  Thanks for the feedback.

Triple Negative– a type of breast cancer.  Triple–negative breast cancer refers to any breast cancer that does not express the genes for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and Her2/neu. It is an aggressive type of breast cancer.

CMF– Cytoxan, Methotrexate, 5 Fluorouracil.  A breast cancer chemotherapy regimen.  I was on this regimen from February-August 2012.

FAC– 5Fluorouracil, Adriamycin, Cytoxan. A stronger breast cancer chemotherapy regimen than CMF.  I was on this regimen from October 1995-March1996.  Adriamycin is toxic to the heart.

Taxanes– a class of chemotherapy drugs, including Taxol and Taxotere (the drug I am currently taking).

Neuropathy– damage to the nerves.  In my case-pain, tingling, and numbness in my extremities (especially my feet).

mammogram– basically a breast X-Ray

sonogram– an image made from sound waves (another diagnostic tool).  A sonogram can show whether a lump is a solid mass or a cyst (fluid filled).

MRI– Magnetic Resonance Imaging.  Another diagnostic tool.

OWS– Occupy Wall Street

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.