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Re: Brain Mets Shrinking Yay, God!!
Oh yeah...I forgot to respond to Laurel's question about Sandy!
We're fine! Lost power for 2 days, but the freezer stayed frozen. Used the fireplace for heat. Lost 3 trees, but they didn't do any damage when they fell, so no big deal (IMHO our yard has about 10 too many trees anyway!)
No water in the basement...and got 3 days off from school because my school district lost power! All in all...we didn't do badly at all.
And...seeing how much others are suffering has really sparked the spirit of giving around here. I'm sorry anyone is suffering, but it's very encouraging to see all the generosity.
The elementary school where I teach "adopted" a hard-hit school in Belmar, New Jersey. In one week's time we collected 32 new and gently used winter coats, $720 in grocery gift cards, more canned goods than we could pack into the two vans sent to deliver them, and a 55 gallon trash can filled to the brim with shampoo, toothpaste, etc...
The most heartwarming part of the collection for me was when one of my students...a child from a very disadvantaged family...who would almost certainly have qualified for a Thanksgiving food basket themselves...sent in two grocery bags full of canned goods for the Hurricane Sandy food drive. It brought a tear to my eye to see how proud she was to be able to help.
Hope all of you did okay too!
Denise
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1/11-needle biopsy
2/11-Lumpectomy/axillary node dissection - Stage 3c, ER/PR-14/17 nodes
3/11 - Post-op staph infection,cellulitis, lymphedema,seroma,ARRRGH!
4/12/11-A/C x 4, then T/H x 4, H only,Q3 weeks
8/26/11 finished Taxol!!!
10/7/11 mastectomy/DIEP recon
11/11 radiation x28
1/12/12 1st CANCER-VERSARY!
1/12 Low EF/Herceptin "Holiday" :(
2/12 EF up - Back on Herceptin, heart meds
4/2/1212 surgery to repair separated incision from DIEP recon
6/8/12 Return to work :)
6/17/12 Fall, shatter wrist,surgery to repair/insert plate :(
7/10/12 last Herceptin
7/23/12 Brain Mets %$&#! 3cm and 1cm
8/10/12 Gamma knife surgery, LOTS of steroids;start H/Tykerb
8/23/12 Back to work
12/20/12 Injure back-3 weeks in wheel chair
1/12/13 2nd CANCER-VERSARY!
1/14/13 herniate disk in back - surgery to repair
1/27/13 Radiation necrosis - edema in brain - back on steroids - but not back to work - off balance, poor cordination in right arm
5/3/13 Start Avastin to shrink necrosis
5/10/13 begin weaning steroids
6/18/13 Brain MRI - Avastin seems to be working!
6/20/13 quarterly CT - chest, abdomen, pelvis - All Clear!
7/5/13 finally off steroids!!
7/7/13 joined the ranks of the CHEMO NINJAS I am now Tekuto Ki Ariku cancer assassin!
7/13/13 Symptoms return - back on steroids
7/26/13 Back on Avastin - try again!
8/26/13 Not ready to return to classroom yet :( But I CAN walk without holding onto things! :)
9/9/13 Brain MRI - fingers crossed
“ Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds you down or polishes you up is for you, and you alone, to decide. ” – Cavett Robert
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