Just for fun...

[Montana]

My husband and I built a campground with cabins near Glacier National Park, Montana in the early 90's after we left Houston. We still own and operate it during the season of May - Sept. We have 4 kids - #1 daughter is a heart/lung transplant nurse at St. Luke's in Houston; #1 son is in construction here; #2 son is a chef here; and #2 daughter is studying criminal forensics and will be moving to Houston next semester from NJ. We also have 4 grandkids and have been married for 30 years.

I was "fortunate" that I was diagnosed in late Oct. '04 and had surgery, A/C and finished up rads by June 1st so I didn't miss any of the season.

I see an awful lot of RNs listed here and it worries me for my#1 daugther. Do you think there are a lot of RNs because of their natural interest in health, and coming online here for information, or because of the circumstances of their work? There is no history of B/C as far back as 4 generations on either side of my family. I think mine was from HRT for 10 years.

Montana is a beautiful place to LIVE!!

edit: Okay, Lani's post about the nurse's nighttime work just answered by question.

[Becky]

I am the National Sales Manager for a division of BASF (a German Chemical Company). I have 10 sales reps that report to me and they sell our product lines (surfactants, dispersants and solubilizers) all over the USA. I travel a lot all over the place. This is why you sometimes don’t hear from me, as some hotels are bad for “hooking in”. I liked and enjoyed technical sales which is what I did for many years at BASF and then they promoted me to the highest level of my personal in competency (as I have already had to fire a person and I despise that) so I am always on the watch for open sales positions where I don’t have to move.



I have 3 daughters – Robin is 19 and is at Rutgers University studying Environmental Science. Leigh is 17 (in 11th grade) and Cara is 14 (in 9th grade). I have been married to my husband, Peter, for 21 years (and he has been my personal rock through all of this).



Peter just got a job selling construction equipment for Ingersol Rand. He stayed home and raised our daughters while I worked so we are in a new phase of life (he says working is very tiring - lol).



We also breed sport horses, primarily hunter/jumpers and will be moving on February 16 (not far from where we currently live – no school changes) to a house that has more land for this business (so don’t worry about us if you don’t hear from me the week of February 13th) . Peter, Cara and I break the horses when they are ready. We have a bichon-poo (or poo-chon as Michelle U says) named Chloe (who is 4 yrs old) and a cat (Oil – his brother was Vinegar but “Vinnie” recently passed away). I also enjoy gardening, hiking and camping. After we move, I plan on starting to take horseback-riding lessons again.

I love this group and being able to help everybody out and that you are there to help me out.

Warm regards

Becky

[Cathya]

I just started back to work this week (two days for three weeks, three days for the next three weeks, etc.) after being off for 14 months. I work in the securities industry selling stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and offering financial advice. I work with my brother so it's kind of nice. If we ever disagree we close the door, have it out and then forget all about it. He was very upset when I was diagnosed and keep all of our clients in touch with my treatments by posting info on our weekly market updates. Now I'm getting lots of calls and it's great. I graduated university with a BSc in microbiology 30 some years ago. I am a single parent with two kids in university about an hour away. My daughter Amanda is 21 and studying political science and human rights. My son Richard is 19 and studying Mass communications. He's not crazy about that though and being an extreme extravert would like to go into Radio and TV arts in Toronto. I live in a small town near my parents...85 year old mom and 87 year old dad...both extremely healthy....mom's a small bowel cancer survivor and went through chemo 13 years ago. They have been taking me to appointments, bringing me home made soups, etc. I often have to laugh that at my age (56) I'm still being taken to appointments by my parents. My other brother is a retired police officer...now a PI and head of security for the NHL team in Ottawa. Living along the St. Lawrence River we have the highest rates of cancer in Canada I understand. I know two women going through treatment for IBC in our town of 5000. BUT....life is good and somehow better since I've been diagnosed. I just take the time to enjoy it I guess. I am so grateful for this site and all of you. Super idea.

[harrie]

I am a dental hygienist. My husband is an optometrist. I have 2 children, a daughter age 27 and a son age 25. I am an excercise fanatic. Played adult soccer for 10 yrs, and currently workout at the gym and am starting yoga.

[tricia keegan]

Hi before dx I was a sales mgr,mainly top end furniture and designing kitchens,I also did interior design.I took a year out for treatments and to rest as my job was very stressful with long hours.I have two daughters and a son and three adorable kittens and one older long suffering cat! I don't see my children too often as my daughter is a teacher in Oman and my son is married to a japenese girl living in Scotland but moving to Japan shortly.I do see my youngest daughter every second weekend as she lives near college.I love to read swim and walk and since dx last year spend time on my laptop.I discovered the Komen site last year which was a great support to me and just recently found this site which is brilliant and everyone seems very friendly and helpful so I hope to get to know you all a bit better over the coming months.Not sure when I will return to work as yet as I still have some treatments to go but enjoying the rest.
Tricia

[Barbara]

Hi:


I am a retired hospital administrator with a Masters in Hospital and Health Administration. I was diagnosed 1/04 stage 2B, 3.5 cm, one of 13 nodes positive. I had 4 A/C and 4 Taxol teatments and am nearing the end of my second year of Hercpetin. Unfortunately, my Herceptin was sequential and not concurrent. I have four great children, three are married and four little grandson's between 4 months and four years of age. I am now 61 years of age and hoping to beat the odds. I have the most supportive children/spouses and my husband of almost 35 years to cheer me on.

Barbara

[Marlys]

Just bringing it forward again. Would love to hear more about some of you who post frequently and have not add to this thread.
Marlys

[julie a]

Hi All

From Melbourne Australia, 47 yrs young and just diagnosed staged 4 (lung).

Have worked for the government either in the water industry or telecommunications doing a myriad of admin/account activities. Have 2 wonderful kids that are 22 and 21, two very cute dogs (king charles spaniel x maltese) and a fantastic partner of 17 years. Still keep in contact with the kids father which is a plus.
Love anything outdoors - love golf and really really enjoy gardening and grow alot of vegetables and fruit including thornless berries -raspberries, blueberries, loganberries, blackberries, strawberries..yum. Really enjoy listening to the birds in my backyard - eastern spinebills,blue wrens, firetails etc.
Had a great trip to Canada/Alaska last year - beautiful country!
Have a great oncologist who is a gem!
No one else in family with this. I have a twin brother and sister and very healthy parents that are coping well with all this and feel as if my whole family are truly spoiling me. Enjoy every day!

[SherriT]

I am 37 and was diagnosed in Dec/05 with stage IIIb invasive breast cancer (IBC). There is no family history of breast cancer so this came as a very big shock to someone who has generally never been sick a day in her life.

I am a paralegal at a large law firm but have not worked since just after being diagnosed. I have been married to a wonderful man for seven years (we've been together for over 14 years) and have the most precious [soon to be] five year old boy.

I am now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with chemo treatments and am now having to make the surgical decision of "remove just the one or both". I keep saying that it would be so much easier to make the decision if someone would just tell me what the 'right' decision to make is.

This site has been a huge source of information for me. Thank you to everyone who posts to it. I wish you all nothing but the best for the future.

[Petesmom]

I am an administrative assistant with a new project that is working to increase family practice doctors in rural Alabama. I just transitioned into this job after working for over 6 years with a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant called the Southern Rural Access Program which dealt with addressing access to health care issues in 8 southern states. That was a great program and I felt like I was part of a family that included Alabama, Arkansas, Goergia, Louisiana, East Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi and West Virginia. There are some wonderful people out there working to improve health care for rural, underserved folks. Before the admin assistant job, I was a therapist at a mental health center ( I have a masters degree in counseling) working with adults and older adults in nursing homes. When I had my first bout with bc in 1998, I felt I needed to get out of that stressful environment which is how I found my current bosses. It was the best move I could have made. Life is good.


Petesmom

I live in northern Minnesota with my husband of 11 years. I am 50+ years young and dx'd stage 4/mets liver & spine 11/05. On the prior path of life (b4 bc) I was a mainframe software engineer and business analyst for a major health insurance provider. (ironic!?) I have 3 grown children and 8 super :-)grandchildren. (ages 16 to 1 year)
My husband (Dave) and I have 40 acres not far from the hq of the Mississippi. We have an 'oldie but goodie' 5th wheel parked out there and will soon be camping out! (got elect & water recently!) My in inlaws will soon be returning from Az to join us out there for the summer. Hubby drives school bus and occasionally OTR with his brother. (he prefers to be in the woods!)
I am starting herceptin/taxotere today (3 weeks) with Zometa monthly. From reading the postings in this site from you all, I have added faith that this disease CAN be controlled. I am still on the planet and fighting!
Blessings to all from Minnesota and 10Q!!!

[sadie]

I live in lower Michigan. 52 yrs old; Dx Oct 2005 w/1cm IDC; No family history of bc;
Work as a billing specialist at an engineering firm for almost 20 years.
Before that, I worked for 12 years in the medical field as a registration clerk at a hospital and then as a biller at a neurologist's office.
I have a daughter who is married and has given me the most precious granddaughter, almost 3 yrs old; and a son who just recently moved to Washington.
Before bc, I was caring for my mother who has alzheimer's. We had to put her into a nursing home once I was diagnosed. I didn't know if I would be able to care for her any longer. My family and friends have been wonderful supporters thru-out these trying times.
I love to read, surf the net, shop for the home, dine with friends, watch tv(big fan of "Lost"); Also like sitcoms. I have 2 cockerspaniels that also keep me busy. I plan on living a long, healthy, happy life!

[RhondaH]

as the last entry was a month ago

Rhonda

[rinaina]

This was a great idea, a way to get to know more about everyone other than their cancer histories. I am a retired dental hygienist. Four and a half years ago I had a 4 level cervical disectomy and fusion and was told by my neurosurgeon and my rheumatologist to give it up due to a few other bad disks that they couldn't operate on due to where they were located, (too much of a threat to the brain). Then 2 1/2 years later I had a tumor removed from my parotid gland...a by product of having Sjogren's Syndrom...they were worried it was lymphoma but thank G-d it wasn't. then 1 1/2 year later I had b.c. So basically now I guess you could say I am a full time manager of my health and becoming an expert researcher. I will be married 33 years this August to my high school sweetheart who is a CPA and we have a 27 yr old daughter who is a teacher and a 24 yr old son who just finished his 2nd year of law school. I am very thankful and appreciative for this wonderful life I have been given and intend on living this life out for many years to come.

[panicked911]

Great idea:

When I was diagnosised last Septemeber - I was workig as an attorney specializing in all types of litigation - Now needless to say all of that has chnaged and I am only working part time on a greatly reduced scheduled.

For me, the law was second career, previously I worked as a journalist for 16 years until the kids came and my mother became very ill and subsequestly passed away in 1998. Hence law school.

My husand hasbeen a saint thru all of this and I relalize I have been very fortunate that mt cancer was diagnosied early ( stage 1 no nodes) and that I live near and am being treated at major NY cancer center ( MSK) - my 10-year old daughter's best friend father is a doc there so when I freaked out he stepped in and paved the way.

I have 7 more herceptain treatments left ( it will be atruely happy thanksgiving ) and as the trweatments are progressing it is getting harder to work - I am losing words, my memory is shot and I beleive I am ADD. STill thru it all I realize I am very lucky.

I have two children a son who is 13, and a daughter 10 ( i received my diagnosis on her 10th b'day) . My kids do not know and neither do many fo my friends - I have chosen to kep this very private - hence my sign on. Since then I have been immersing myself in the PTA ( I am VP this year) and sit on the school's foundation board) and renovating a new house - anything to keep my mind busy.

thank you all for all of the information and support you provide.

Susanne

[LovingDaughter]

I am a brand new first year (almost second year) attorney! I started out as a corporate transactional attorney, but I switched to become a health care attorney after my mom was diagnosed. I decided that I liked the idea of working with doctors! I still do a lot of transactional work, but now I assist with buying and selling hospitals instead of assisting my clients to set up ventures overseas (I've never been a big fan of outsourcing etc. anyways!). I also take on a lot of pro-bono cases. Right now I am defending a breast cancer survivor from an overreaching large international bank.

My mom is in the title business, and my boyfriend of seven years is an artist/graphic designer (he does animation, toy design and the like).

I have only one child--a small 4 pound chihauha named Tinkerbell. She keeps all of us sane when times get tough.

I loved reading about all of you =)

[bobbiw]

My entire work career has been working for people who have disabilities; developmental and mental health issues. I was working for a private company who provides residential services. My job was supervising clients and the staff that support them. I am 49 (soon to be 50) and have not worked since I began chemo (12-6-05). I just finished weekly Taxol and an now continuing weekly Herceptin for a year. I am anxiously awaiting to have reconstructive surgery and am pondering if I am 'with it' enough to go back to work between now and then. I have a very supportive husband who I have been married to for the past 14 years. We live in Minnesota. Although I dont post often I do visit the board often.
Bobbi

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[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...