Just for fun...

[Marlys]

This is without a doubt my favorite thread so am bringing it forward.
Marlys

[SusanV]

Great Idea & Amazing Women !

***********************
I was dx at age 37 on August 3, 2006 and celebrated my 11 year wedding anniversary two days later to my soul mate Chris. Ours was a love a first sight story, and the fairy tale continues....... We have two beautiful children ,my son Christopher John (CJ ) age 9 and my daughter Caroline age 6. My son is into his Playstation II and playing flag football, and my daughter is taking her first year of dance classes. I am an avid animal lover, and have a 2 year old golden retriever named Patrick..He is definatley part of the family. My office at work has as many pictures of the dog as the family !

I am very close to my parents and my only brother who is also the best friend a sister could have. He has been an enoromous support to me, went with me to my appointments, researched on the web and continues to call me everyday to check in. My mother is not handling my dx all too well, but I think in time she will do better. My family is known for our sense of humor which I think will pull us all through ! My husband works for the State of PA and has exceptional health care benefits (Thank goodness), he has also taken time off to help me, and is now trading places with me at home to take care of all the laundry, house work, running the kids everywhere etc....

I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing. I have been with the same company for the past 14 Wonderful years...Two years ago I received an amazing promotion and broke into the good old "boys" network. I am a regional manager responsible for 8 of our accounts. I am the only woman regional manager in my office, and take great pride in always being able to run with the big dogs. I LOVE my career, and I pray that I never have to give it up. I am one of those people who perfers managing the demands of both work & home together. I was off work for the first month of my DX and work was both supportive & understanding. I was very lucky that way.

I love reading in my spare time, drink way too much coffee (until the dx) and am your typical Type A over achiever....
I love this site and many thanks to Joe & Christine...

[Vanessa]

I have a Master's Degree in Social Work and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am currently working part-time as an adjunct faculty teaching sociology and social work. Previously, I have worked in foster care and as a therapist at a psychiatric hospital. I also worked as an on-call screener for a crisis center, but had to stop, because my sleep cycle got off track due to being called out in the middle of the night a lot.

I got the opportunity to teach Death and Dying this summer, (initially thought I wasn't going to be able to do it, because of my bc and my dad's end-stage Alzheimers), but it turned out to be a good experience and helped me deal with my dad's passing, incidentally the day before I gave the final exam in the class. My sister and I were fortunate enough to be with him when he died. He experienced a peaceful death. He simply stopped breathing. It was bittersweet as he had no quality of life.

I have 2 grown daughters. The oldest is 25 and has a degree in Corporate Communications. Her and her husband recently celebrated her 1st wedding anniversary and are thinking of starting a family. My youngest daughter is taking her nursing prerequisites at a local community college. They have always been an inspiration to me, especially now. I also have some furry family members, 3 dogs and 2 cats. I am an animal lover.

My husband and I were divorcing when I found out that I have Stage IV bc, so we have tabled the divorce for now. He is working in another city, but comes home a couple of times of month on the weekend. He doesn't seem to really know how to deal with this illness.

I am trying to stay positive and be proactive by making some healthy choices, but there are times when I feel really afraid and don't know that to expect. This board is helping me to feel more hopeful. I am having my follow-up catscan and petscan this week after my first round of treatment, so I am particularly nervous.

[kat in the delta]

Vanessa,
WHAT perfect timing your note was for me !!! You sounded so sad, tho, but I can relate.......my husband ignores me ........and my cousin who thought "I" had cancer soo bad and didn't know what to tell me, has ended up soo much worse than me. He is in stage 4 and has just stopped all chemo and rads as his bladder cancer has spread throughout his bones...and now popping up everywhere..He can know longer get out of the bed and I think he may be getting hospice. He is pretty much out of it, and I AM SO SAD about him......((.I know my husband is just sick of all of this eventho' he is in the healthcare field.)).....Can you help me out with my feelings about my cousin who is a few yrs. younger than me, ..... you said you were TEACHING the end of life ....???? His mom is there with him and his wife and( 2 children)-10-girl and 12-boy. I am so upset....he is about 2 hrs away and went to the BEST clinic.....now is he pretty much sedated....kat in the delta

[Vanessa]

Hi Kat,

I am so sorry to hear about your cousin's situation. I will gather up some information for you and forward it to you. One of the best sources for dealing with grief is Kubler-Ross. I have a full day of catscan and work tomorrow, so it might be the next day before I can get to it. I will not forget. In the meantime, best wishes.

[Mary Jo]

What a great idea. I feel like I know you all a little bit better and a bit more personally AND now know you all have a life outside of cancer. Thank God. I do too!!! :-)

I am a wife, mother and grandma. I am 46 years old and have been married to my highschool sweetheart (since right out of highschool) for 28 years. He has totally been my angel from Heaven all 28 years.

We have 2 grown sons and 1 brand new grandson Isaiah Christopher. Also a 6 year old granddaughter that came to be our granddaughter when our son married her mom. Her name is Jennah Elaine. Isaiah was born Feb. 5, 2006 - 2 days before my radiation was over and treatment was complete (except the herceptin) - What an awesome blessing during the treatment phase of this disease.

I am a food server at a 4 year old kindergarten. I feed approximately 250 little 4 year olds breakfast/lunch 4 days a week. I work 20 hours a week and have every Wed. off. I love my job and was fortunate and was able to work throughout treatment. I usually took off the Thurs. and Fri. following Wed. (bi-weekly) chemo but that was about it.

My hobbies are walking, listening to Christian music, reading (favorite author Karen Kingsbury) spending time with grandchildren, going antiquing, cleaning and decorating our house and basically just enjoying this life God gave me. I try to do all to His glory and live in His love everyday.

As we all are learning - ONE DAY AT A TIME - is the best motto to live by.

Thanks for being here guys - I feel like I truly love each of you.

Mary Jo

[Ceesun]

I HOPE I AM NOT THE LAST ONE!! JUST FINISHED "OPEN hOUSE" TONIGHT AS I AM A MIDDLE SCHOOL FRENCH AND LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER IN MICHIGAN. I teach a 6th grade language sampler, 7th grade French and 2 8th grade Language Arts aka English. I have taught for 26 years. I was diagnosed stage 2 in June of 2003 so I took the next school year off. This is my 3rd year back since the diagnosis. This past summer I found out that I had a lung nodule so I began treatment with Xeloda and Navelbine along with Herceptin which I had been on for about 9 months. My heart was not in returning to school even though my onc and nurses said this treatment is well-tolerated.........but I did and so far, so good. I am having a great time although it is very early in the school year!! I have a husband of 31 years Michael and 2 daughters Juliette and Faith. Juliette is having a baby due in about six weeks so I have to be healthy for my first grandson. I pray. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful website. I go by Ceesun because my first name is Cathy and love Florida and lots of warm weather places. Michigan winters are long, dark and gray. Good Night for now...

[kat in the delta]

Vanessa,
Hope your catscans are clear !!! Please remember to send me info. on end of life & possibly griefing soon to follow. Where do I find that info of ?-Ross you mentioned??kat in the delta

[vickie h]

What a great idea! I am 58 years old, married for 30 years to a wonderful carpenter/comic. I have 2 daughters, Samantha and Ashley 38 and 36, 4 beautiful granchildren, Travis 11, Lauren 6 1/2, Dylan 6, and Billy 4. I was dx 2/04 IBC stage 3b her2+++ pr- er-. I used to work in dental office as a front office manager, but have stopped working since my diagnosis as I am still on Navelbine/Herceptin. My life has been blessed with all that I have learned on my journeys, no matter how difficult the climb has been.

Today the skies are releasing a light mist on our pumpkins, the doves are feasting on worms and seeds from the garden, and the scent of the damp earth brings joy and hope. The feel of winter plays outside my window as leaves dance quietly to the soil beneath the swaying trees. We are all blessed to have one another everyday. Thank you for being here, for your support and love. You are all in my prayers, Vickie H

[Vanessa]

Hi Kat,
The information about the signs of dying are at dying.about.com/cs/caregivers/a/DyingSigns.htm

I tried to copy it, but was unable to. The guru of grieving is Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. I find find her information also. Best wishes.

[Nanc]

I am new to the group. I am also a RN---- seems to be a few of us.
I am many things and I often remind myself that I am more than a cancer patient.
I am a wife to a wonderful man named Vern, we have been married for 23 years.
I am a mother to two great kids, who thankfully haven't caused us much grief ( touch wood). Kyle is 18 and in his second year of university, he is in education and wants to teach high school phys ed. Trevor is 17 ( yah 16 months apart---crazy) he is a great kid, he has the gift of gab.
I am a dog lover and have a baby girl, her name is Casey and boy is she going to miss me when I go back to work.
I am a daughter to a fiesty 77 yr old mother and I am also a sister and an aunt.
I am a nurse with 25 years behind me.For the last two years I have worked as a vascular access nurse. I put in PICC lines (peripheral inserted central line) and help manage all central and peripheral lines in my hospital.
Oh yes I am a Canuck, I live in Winnipeg Manitoba.
I am crazy about genealogy and could search my family tree forever.
The cancer stuff: Dx Feb 2006, stage one, 1 cm, grade two, er/pr+ and her2+. Have completed chemo , rads and I am settled in for my year of herceptin, 3 down 15 to go!!!!!
Take Care
Nancy F

[Marlys]

Love this thread.
Marlys

[RhondaH]

thought it was time to bump this up. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[Heart Sutra]

"Eve-
Wheresoever she was, there was Eden" -mark twain

Sue and I met on March 25, 2005. A little less than 2 years ago, in better words, our whole lives.

At the non-stop pestering of a friend, I went with a group of people to a small cafe. I sat across the table from this beautiful woman who was talking about her (one of many simultaneous) jobs as a fitness instructor. I couldn't make the connection between the obviously intense fitness regime she practiced and the fact that she had her face practically submerged in a huge bowl of ice-cream.
I asked her (sarcastically I admit) if eating a gallon of ice-cream was part of some new work-out plan, and she said that there is absolutely no point in staying fit if you aren't going to enjoy yourself and eat whatever you want, and how she couldn't understand people who become obsessed with an idea of health to the point of making their lives one long penance of health food and weights.
As she came up from the bowl, with ice cream on her face, and I could see she was suddenly aware (embarassed?)that she was attacking this huge bowl in front of her. When she sheepishly caught my eye, I asked her if she was enjoying her ice-cream. She laughed and told me to perform something anatomically impossible.
The friend that had pestered me to go out with this group had been telling me for a year about this great woman she knew, and how her and I would be such a great match. I wasn't interested, having been through a terrible separation, and other relationships that seemed great for a moment, and then faded away. I was gladly destined to be a monk in a cave, without further insult from love or hope of love. This same friend had been telling this great woman about me as well, and she too, was not interested.
Neither Sue nor I knew that we were now sitting across from the wonderful person we had heard about for over a year. Strangely, even our friend hadn't planned this particular meeting.
We have been together every day since. We've both been married, have children, been through enough relationships to know what is good and what is not, and we have never once looked back from the moment we met, we never once considered "going slow." There really is a thing as a soul mate, a person who is more a part of you than you are a part of you ( make sense?) there really is very old, very sacred, Love...all we have to do is find it. I believe that Sue and I found this, I believe there is nothing more important, or better. Our screen name here is the title of a book (by Thich Nhat Hahn), an ancient idea, a practice, a way of life... It is what we are I think.

What do we do for a living? Stuff. When you have this...it makes no difference. Like many, what we do is not who we are. Together is who we are.

ask a simple question...

---Kevin and Sue---

[DEBBIE S]

Great Idea ..... I was 49 when diagnosised .... Have been married to my high school boyfriend since 1971 ..... ( had a 2 1/2 yr divorce and remarried ) ..Life had been going much better these last several years then I was told I had incurable BC ... a month later my husband became legally blind ( had been treating glaucoma for years ) .. So not only did I have to re-adjust my life, my entire way of living changed ... I have always worked full time and continue to do so ... I work for an ASI distributor in Alexandria, VA .. I currently do graphics for special orders as well as purchasing, billing, etc.... have been with this company for 15 years ....I have one son who is 34, married and trying now to start a family .. this would be great since he lives fairly close to me ....My husband is on disability and trys to make my life as easy as possible at home ...Also, have a 15 month old puppy shepherd, Jackson and two Russian turtles Mendel and Sampson....
Although our plans for the future did change once we had these health issues I am trying to stay positive and put it in God's Hand..I did just get back from a weekend to at NYC to see the Christmas Spectacular-Rockettes with my sister ... had a great time, weather great, was able to walk much further than I expected ... Will continue to plan short get-aways when feeling good ... I have always lived in Alexandria but have visited a lot of areas in the USA... Am grateful I have acomplished what I have because my life could have turned out very different ...
Thank you all for sharing, it is very interesting to know more about all of you..

God Bless,

Debbie

[Marlys]

Bringing it forward!

[KRISS]

What a great thread. This is the first time I've seen it since I was dx. It has been a great afternoon reading about all of you.

I started out as a stage actress and was very blessed to actuall make a living at it for close to 15 years.I got to travel and perform across the country. Most of the time I was in Chicago, Denver and Boston. I met my husband on the job in Boston. He was supplying the animals for the show. We have now been married for 10 yrs and our lives have done a 180. Figured it was hard to stay together when we were both on the road so we bought a large piece of property and opened an exotic animal sanctuary We had over 30 large cats, 15 primates and an assortment of smaller animals. We have scaled down over the past few years and I started working as a Zoo Keeper. Thank God for this job. I have never had health insurance before. I had only been employed at the zoo for a year before I was DX. They have been truely wonderful working with my sporadic schedule and my co workers are a givng and loving group of people. I's hate to see how my life would turn out without my husband, these people and the zoo it's self.

[Belinda]

Marlys - thank you for bringing this post forward - it is a great idea!

I am 42. I live in Adelaide, South Australia with my husband Mike (my best friend, a former Kiwi and an environmental scientist who is doing his PHD on environmental asbestos), and our beautiful daughter Lilly, who is 5, and just started her first year of school two week ago. We are a few (too many ) years into converting a former (inner suburban) catholic schoolhouse/chapel into a house, which we share with our dog wags and cat pussymellow. Needless to say all renovations are on old right now! Mike makes me feel like 'we' have cancer and I have never had a moment of feeling truly alone in this.

My 3 lifelong best mates - Kaz, Suzi and Helen - are also daily presences in my life, and the best 'Aunties' to Lilly that could possible be conjured!

I have a challenging public service career. I am the Director of a team that provides economic development advice, and establishes policies and programs for SA. My CEO, the Board and Ministers I report to, and my colleagues have been fantastically supportive since my diagnosis. The deputy they have appointed to role share and cover while I am unable to work is a former colleague and cancer survivor, who knows exactly what I'm going through, which is so good. And, having been told her chemo meant she would never have kids, is about 4 months pregnant!

It's funny, but over Christmas I was feeling more content than ever. It was (and is) summer, I had been spending time with great friends, my happy family, feeling like I had the perfect job, great workplace...then on Jan 3, diagnosis hit! Well, I guess if it had to come, then it was better that everything else in my life was going well, and that's all really helping me get through.

And, I just want to mention my Mum, Janine. She is 62 (sorry Mum! - she reads this board and won't be happy about me mentioning her age - she looks 50). She is a computer and software whizz (not many women can say that about their mothers!!!) who does training for a software company. She lives in Perth, Western Australia (about 2400 kms away) but travels Australia doing consulting work. She has been flying in as often as she can, her employer is giving her as much work as they can in Adelaide. And I love her to bits. Even when she is not here, I know she is sending me air to breathe and wisdom to drink, and she makes me feel - as she has done all my life - that I can do anything. And she has set up my computer so I can use my laptop wireless, and so I can join your chatroom when it's going. I love you Mum!!!

And to all of you who post on this board - thank you for what you share, good and bad, celebratory and sad, informative, challenging and seeking - I am learning so much from you.

Belinda

[Annemarie]

I was a pharmaceutical representive for 10 years. I left my job in September to enjoy myself and my one year old son. I was orginally diagnosed with bc in May of 2000 and have three single lesion brain mets since. I have been NED for two years and just want to enjoy every minute I have left!!

Annemarie

[Debra]

This has been great for me tonight learning a little more about each of you!

I am a mother of two great kids; age 15 (boy) and 11 1/2 (girl). My husband and I have been married for 20 years. I am an instructor in a Radiology program at our community college here in very cold North Dakota! Prior to that I worked as a Radiographer. I have been continuing to work as I am winding down on Herceptin; I had infusion #44 yesterday. Can't say I am excited about being done with Herceptin for it has been my security blanket!
I am very thankful for this site and for all of you out there. Even though I don't know any of you, I really do feel a special bond with you all because "you have been there" and that goes for all you spouses out there in support of your loved ones! I look forward to growing wiser and stronger with you all.