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Old 09-08-2012, 06:16 PM   #8
Andrea Barnett Budin
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW...
Posts: 1,904
Loose fingernails...

I remember 1/2 " long hair! It was silver. And my then 3 yr granddaughter was sitting at my card table with me when she noticed I dyed it. Her mouth fell open and her eyes were huge(r) than usual. HOW DID YOU DO THAT???!!!, she asked. Then she said, CAN I TOUCH IT???? I smiled and said, Yes, of course, and I still remember her sliding off my leather chair to let her feet touch the floor so she could skeedaddle over to me. I leaned down for her to touch. So funny. She will be 16 in November.

And I am still here, hair and all...

I can recall Melissa Ethridge (the singer) performing post chemo w/her bald head. She looked fabulous! And sounded fantastic! She had on makeup and earrings and sported her non-do proudly. She was gorgeous. Radiant. Full of Life!!! So, Carla, you go girl!! Praise be!

Andi
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Andi BB
'95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive...

'98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!)
+ good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either...

Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...
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