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Old 12-17-2007, 04:57 PM   #1
RhondaH
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Smile Twas the night before chemo...

some of you may have heard this, others maybe not...

Twas the night before chemo, when all through the room
Not a patient was stirring, from Ativan I presume.
The chemo bags were hung on IV poles with care,
In hopes that a cure soon would be there.

The patients were nestled all snug in their lounge chairs
Sipping Ensure and hugging Relay teddy bears
And the nurse in her scrubs and I in my wig
Had just settled down for another chemo gig,
When out in the parking lot there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew like a flash
Tore open the blinds and threw up on the glass.
Soothing my nausea with the fresh cool breeze
The wind took my wig and it flew with such ease.
When what to my wondering eyes did I see?

Eight tiny nurses giggling with glee.
Leading the pack was an oncologist so sweet
With a mission of cancer that they would beat.
To help with side effects from chemo we blame
Was his arsenal of drugs that he shouted by name:
"Now Xanax!, now Ativan!, now Zofran! and Compazine!
Let's offer comfort with bon bons and magazines.
On Vicodin!, on Darvocet!, on Tylenol! and Morphine!
Let’s make them all loopy and cause a big scene!
To the top of Mt. Courage, to the top of Mt. Hope
Now dash away, dash away so we can help cope
With tumors and lesions and lumps, it is clear
We must make their cancer finally disappear!"

So up to the clinic-top, they flew and flew
With a sleigh full of drugs and the good doctor too.
Then with a jingling I heard from their purse
Was the prancing and pawing of each little nurse.
As I drew in my head and was turning around
In through the vent they came the doc with a bound.
His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples so merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.
He was dressed all in white with an ugly plaid tie,
And he preached to the patients, “Do not ask why.
Have courage, choose hope and just think positive.
Live, love and laugh and your life will be lucrative.

Never forget that you're heroes in my book
Conquering cancer without a second look!"
With a wink of his eye and a twist of his head
He soon let me know I had nothing to dread.
A bundle of drugs he had flung on his back,
He looked like a drug dealer opening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to work
Making me feel sick, so I called him a jerk.

A human pin cushion, I had become
So multiple pokes, again I succumb.
But then I remembered, my life he was saving,
So I realized I better start really behaving
"What comes around goes around" I always say.
And a bad attitude might haunt me one day
I thanked him for fighting with me side by side.
With two against one, cancer cannot hide.

Then laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the air vent he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, gave the nurses a sign
To travel the world fighting cancer like mine.
The sleigh held our hope, and he was the driver
Bringing strength and good cheer to every survivor.
I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight
Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!
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Rhonda

Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)

2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)


" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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Old 12-17-2007, 05:04 PM   #2
doh2pa
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Hi Rhonda,

Loved this! And it is the night before chemo for me, so I will be sure to share it with everyone tomorrow.

Thanks,
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Donna
Diagnosed 2/04 - Invasive ductal - no clean margins
node negative - er+pr+, her2++
Mastectomy 4/04 - 4 rounds AC
9/05 - mets to liver treated with carbo/ixabipelone/herceptin
3/06 - complete remission
9/06 - new liver mets, starting Taxotere/Herceptin
1/07 -Liver mets stable, staying on Herceptin
5/07 - Liver, lung progression - starting T/X
12/07 - Liver, lung progression - starting weekly Navilbene/Herceptin
4/08 - Liver progression - started Abraxane, Carbo, Tykerb and Herceptin
7/08 - Liver Progression - started Gemzar, Avastin and Tykerb
10/08 - Liver progression - starting Doxil
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Old 12-17-2007, 05:12 PM   #3
caya
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Very cute Rhonda. I'm going to print this and fax it down to my chemo nurse.

all the best
caya
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ER90%+/PR 50%+/HER 2+
1.7 cm and 1.0 cm.
Stage 1, grade 2, Node Negative (16 nodes tested)
MRM Dec.18/06
3 x FEC, 3 x Taxotere
Herceptin - every 3 weeks for a year, finished May 8/08

Tamoxifen - 2 1/2 years
Femara - Jan. 1, 2010 - July 18, 2012
BRCA1/BRCA2 Negative
Dignosed 10/16/06, age 48 , premenopausal
Mild lymphedema diagnosed June 2009 - breast surgeon and lymph. therapist think it's completely reversible - hope so.
Reclast infusion January 2012
Oopherectomy October 2013
15 Years NED!!
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Old 12-18-2007, 10:47 AM   #4
Believe51
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Location: RHODE ISLAND (Ed getting me a latte on 2nd Cancerversary Cruise 2008) 'BELIEVE': To accept as true or real, To have faith in, To presume ALWAYS BELIEVE
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Smile I love it!

Our next chemo is Friday and I will be sure to bring it with us. Those crazy nurses will probally make me read it outloud to our regulars. Cannot wait for Ed to wake so he can enjoy reading this. Silly Girl, I love ya>>Believe51
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9/7/06Husband 50yrs=StageIV IBC/HER2+,BoneMets10/06TaxotereX10,'H'1X wk,Zometa,Tamoxifen4/12/07Last Tax5/18/07Pet=Rapid Cell Activity,No Organ Mets,Lytic Lesions,Degeneration,Some Bone Repair5/07ChemoFail6/01/07Pleural Thoracentisis=Effusions,NoMalignantCells6/19/07+7/2/07DFCI
6/25/07BrainMRI=BrainMets,Many<9mm7/10/07WBR/PelvisRad37.5Gx15&Nutritionist8/19/07T/X9/20/07BrainMRI=2<2mm10/6/07Pet=BoneProgression
10/24/07ChemoFail11/9/07A/Cx10,EndTam12/7/07Faslodex12/10/07Muga7512/13/07BlasticLesions1/7/08BrainMRI=Clear4/1/08Pet=BoneImprovement,
NoProgression,Stable4/7/08BrainPerfect5/16/08Last A/C8/26/08BrainMets=10(<9mm)9/10/08Gamma10/30/08Met=5mm12/19/08Gamma5mets5
12/22/08SpinalMets1/14/09SpinalRads2/17/09BrainMRI=NoNewMets4/20/09BoneScan5/14/09Ixempra6/1/09BrainMRI=NumerousMets6/24/09DFCIw/DrBurstein6/26/09Continue
Ixempra/Faslodex/Zometa~TM now lower7/17/09Stop Ixempra By Choice9/21/09HOSPICE10/16/09Earned His Deserved Wings And Halo=37 Month Fight w/Stage 4 IBC, Her2+++,My Hero!!
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Old 12-18-2007, 11:51 AM   #5
Andrea Barnett Budin
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Wink Good One!

Much truth set to rhyme. Most enjoyable... Thanks for sharing.

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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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Old 12-23-2008, 04:26 AM   #6
RhondaH
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Bump...

it's that time of year again. Happy & Healthy Holidays everyone. Take care and God bless.

Rhonda
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Rhonda

Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)

2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)


" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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