View Single Post
Old 11-01-2007, 12:37 PM   #18
Andrea Barnett Budin
Senior Member
 
Andrea Barnett Budin's Avatar
 
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
Wink The Morning After...

My daughter just called to say the school called. Josie (11) -- who never misses a single day of school -- needed to be picked up. She had a horrible headache. She came home and threw up. ISN'T HALLOWEEN A FUN HOLIDAY? All the kids are coming off of a major sugar rush and every one is exhausted, out partying far in to the (school) night. They need to make November 1st a holiday of rest, as Josie's teacher just mentioned...

Loved your tale Marryann. Well done! I totally related to becoming invisible to friends, or more accurately having certain *friends* disappear off the radar screen... Their loss, I say. Yes, and the alien in the mirror (a greyish green, bleary-eyed, bloated face -- from Dexymethazone), bald, no eyebrows or lashes). Desperate Housewives portrays the chemo patient w/eyebrows and lashes, if you note. So not a true reflection (no pun intended). Mummy, check. Frankenstein, check. You and I could go as Wonder Woman, little walking miracles!!

Yesterday I found myself wearing my leopard shirt and red lipstick. I'm feeling very crazy sexy lately. Must be the 160 mg of Black Cohosh I'm taking for my hot flashes... I'm feeling hot in a whole new way...

Andi
__________________
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...
Andrea Barnett Budin is offline   Reply With Quote