Thanks everyone -
I feel a little better than I did this morning. Your messages helped a lot!
Yeah - we did get skinned alive by the plumber. They have prices by the job now and it seems they are all in cahoots with their pricing. Outrageous. I think we are going to send a letter to the Better Business Bureau on this one.
At least we have water and the guy did a good job - just the company he works for is a rip off. He was careful with our new landscaping and even put the big rocks back that he moved. The price (moneywise) was a big pill to swallow.
Irene - you are right that the new port is smaller. But it is closer to the center of my chest and I do not have a lot of tissue there so it will be a big bump and probably get a permanent bruise like the other one since it gets accessed so much. (I am tattooed on top of the old port.)
Tomorrow IS another day - and we had better make some money to pay for this plumbing rip off!! Scrimp and save and then your pocket gets picked!
__________________
"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau
Live in the moment.
MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~
Found suspicious lump 9/2000
Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement
Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR -
Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds
36 rads - very little burning
3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum
Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED!
2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa
Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18
All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET
Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying
Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa
Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?)
2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava
2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec.
Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011
STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer
7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones
Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED
2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED.
Same news for 2016 and all of 2017.
Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.
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