Here's to a Happy Healthy New Year to You!:) I sincerely believe you can beat this with treatment, positvity and a strength of will & determination to make it and from your previous thread you have all these in spades. I admire you very much. Leslie

Thank you for checking in and starting a new thread. The other had gotten so large, that I couldn't open it and I was worried for you. I hope you have a wonderful New Year and that you have many more amazingly well days.
Ann

Keep up the good work--and I hope you can keep the good attitude going! I'm proud of you.

melanie

Glad you were able to mark a positive milestone for New Years Day. I hope this is a corner for you, and that 2007 is a better year for you. :-)

HUGS,
Michelle

Linda, it must feel good to be halfway through your treatment....and still smiling! You have all of my good, healing, thoughts coming your way. I think this halfway mark, coinciding with a new year surely means that a corner has been turned in a positive way. I wish you your best 2007 ever! Thanks for the update.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

You have such a wonderful attitude--it will surely help you through.

Florence

Linda, lovely to hear from you again, and to know you are at the half-way mark. Hopefully the Taxol is a lot easier on you. But girl you have done good - very proud of you. I'm convinced it will be uphill for you now. Thoughts and prayers are with you. Hugs!
Pauline - VI

I'm glad it's going well for you and I hope it keeps up.

Michael

{{gwi:210785}}

I admire your strength and attitude. Keep going! You should be ready for the spring flush.

Linda:

I am very glad to hear your news. I have agreed with the other posters that a positive attitude is 1/2 the battle. Don't give up, spring will be here before you know it!

Continued best wishes for a complete and swift recovery!

Linda, I'm so glad to hear you're doing well.

Carla

Thank you all for your positive thoughts and well wishes. It means a lot to me that I have your support. I seem to be bouncing back from the last AC chemo treatment a lot faster than the third round. This, in spite of a case of bronchitis!

Michael, awesome shot of San Francisco!

Linda

That's great news, my thoughts are with you as you continue your treatment.

Thought you would enjoy seeing me in my red hat, all ready for the Christmas party.

{{gwi:210786}}

Linda

HI Linda. You look really pretty and happy in your pic.
Your in my thoughts for a quick and full recovery. Sounds like your doing really well. Best to you.
Maureen

Linda, I'll bet you were the prettiest woman at the party. And I do notice your nails match the hat, that's one beauty step further than I will go even feeling well:)

Was today the first taxol day then? Let us know how it went for you!

Mor - also a Maureen

Lookin good there!

:)

MichaelAT

You look radiant, thanks for sharing!

You look wonderful! Thanks for posting the photo. When my dad did chemo it really showed, for you though, you can't even tell your going through all of this!

Its all a matter of attitude. I see this as a small bump on the road of life and refuse to let it get to me. This doesn't mean I don't have my bad days. I just don't go out in public on those days so most folks never see me when I'm feeling my worst. This first round of Taxol has been harder than I expected. Chemo was on Thursday with a follow-up the next day for a shot of Neulasta. Saturday I could barely crawl out of my recliner. Today is the first day I felt like doing anything other than sitting in that chair watching TV or reading. I've had some mild nausea which was unexpected.

My neighbor and her daughter brought me a miniature snowman yesterday. They brought it in to show me then set it out on the deck. It's little things like this that make the bad days tolerable. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Linda, You look great in your picture. I stopped by to let you know I'm still thinking of you.

Carla

Your attitude is what will carry you through, that and God's love and care. I hope if I ever get ill, I have your attitude!

Linda, I will be so glad when this is all over and you are well again. I love your picture...you really look wonderful. I know there will be hard days, but you are almost done. Hang in there. I am thinking of you.
Kathy

Wow, you are surely nice on the eyes! I love the hat. It sounds like you are doing well, relatively speaking. Winter's a good time to cozy up and rest if we can regardless, I think... Dream of summer roses and refuel. Take care!

Thanks for the update Linda. How much longer do you have on the chemo? Hang in there, spring is not too far off, I'm sure that will brighten things up too! I'm keeping you in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

Maureen

Linda, you look totally beautiful in your red hat!!!!

I love your smile!

Deb

Lindy I am sorry your are feeling sick and weak from your treatments, hopefully this will all be behind you soon and you will be strong and working in your garden again by spring.

Your picture shows a beautiful woman with a world full of life ahead of her. Love the red hat and fingernails.

Valerie

The Neulasta is probably in part to blame for the way you feel. When my sister donated stem cells for my dad, she was given Neulasta also and had complications from it. Nothing serious, just a lot of joint pain from what I remember. I don't recall my dad having side effects, but he did have pain killers which he took occassionally. He wasn't big on pill popping.

Rest up. It's what your body needs right now. If you need to stay in bed for the day, then do that. Things can wait.

Feel better.

WOW---I just saw your picture---What a beauty you are---

No one would ever know what you have been going through.

I bet you looked better than everyone else at the party..
I'm so proud of you.
Keep up the good work.

Florence

I thought I had responded earlier, and was going to add my well wishes, but I guess I didn't. I, too wish you the best, and think you look stunning in your red hat. I love your optimism, and think you are a great example of strength.

I wish you the best.
Sammy

I spent last weekend in the hospital with pnuemonia and am still feeling really puny. I don't even have the energy to take a shower. I better get the energy for that soon or Jon won't want to be anywhere near me. Even the dog will turn her nose up at me. For some reason I'm having more trouble with nausea than before. I hade to postpone today's chemo a week. There's no way I could have showered, gotten dressed and driven 40 miles to my doctor's office. Your encouraging words sustain me and give me the determination to charge ahead.

Linda

Somehow I doubt if Jon's complaining, and I've never met a dog that didn't just love horrid smells :) The person who would appreciate you having a shower is most certainly you.

I'm so sorry about the pneumonia, as if you didn't have enough on your plate! As for the nausea, if it's too much, is there an alternative to the taxol?

Is the Neulasta something to build you back up then? A young friend of mine was getting a shot following chemo therapy treatments that was supposed to help strength/energy/immune system before the next dose, but I think it had another name and not Neulasta. I know his mother would send out a prayer request when they would test his blood, the shot was helping him enormously but his insurance would only cover it if his blood values stayed below a certain number - the shot was about $4000 and he had four.

You've been doing so well, I only wish this second half wasn't so difficult. No need to charge ahead you know, if you just keep stepping in the right direction you'll be putting all of this behind you soon. (((((Hugs))))) and strength to you...

When you smell nice and ripe, lift an underarm to the doggy and see what glee you give her, lol. Silly and uncouth but I swear you'll get a chuckle out of it [oh, not that I know from PERSONAL experience!]

I'm so sorry you are sick, and glad you skipped chemo. Everyone has a different opinion perhaps, but we felt chemo was just not right with pneumonia, etc. It's a week. Rest, rest, rest. Snuggle in a blanket with a cup of hot tea. Let hubby fill you a bubblebath and carry you to bed after :)

Be sure to not lay around a lot. You need to sit up and move around if possible. I know it's hard to do when you feel so yucky, but getting fluid built up in the lungs is not something you need.

Linda, I'm sorry you are feeling bad. I hope you can get yourself in the shower and out and about soon. Until then, do a sponge bath and lay low. I will be thinking of you.
Kathy

Linda--I hope you are feeling better soon. Perhaps this will help:
{{gwi:208270}}

Thinking of you!

melanie

PS--snatched that from another message board I frequent--no one knew where it originated. Feel free to snatch it from here!

Your messages are always so encouraging. I started feeling much better yesterday. Still don't have much energy but the cough is under control. I finally managed to get tht shower. Ahhhhhhhhh, did that feel good. I then collapsed on the recliner.

You're right about dogs and nasty smells. Yesterday I was enjoying the sunshine, sitting on the glider on the back deck when Maggie came trotting up to me. Holy cow! What died?! She smelled like she had been rolling in s#@t. I left her for Jon to bathe today. She smells much better now. I'm sure she wonders why we didn't apprectiate her new eu de parfume.

I just did a search and don't see that she's posted in a long time, has anyone heard from her?

I know - I keep thinking of Linda too, especially this past week with my scare and the great folks I met going through cancer surgeries.

Linda, I hope this finds you well and hanging in there. Hugs and prayers to you!! I know it can be horrible and terrifying [so many years with Mom fighting cancer] at times. Know that we wish you the best.

If you ever need to talk, drop me a line. I remember those chemo times well... and daresay I helped find a giggle or two in the day ;]

Doesn't look like she's signed up to get email replies. I just emailed her.

Just did a forum wide search, found a post in the antique rose forum; asked her if she can come by and update us.

Hi everyone! I did receive emails from two of you. Thanks for thinking of me and nudging me to give an update. I went through a period of just not wanting to be on the computer. Didn't even write to my dad in the Philippines. I was doing fine and still am. I was just sick of the computer.

I returned to work part time on May 8. Tried working up to 40 hours a week but found it too tiring so I'm back down to 32 hours. Even that wears me out. I find I don't have the energy to do much in the garden on week nights. Weekends I get to sleep in so I'm able to work harder outside.

I'm all through with treatments other than a little pill I take everyday. No noticable side effects from that. I see my oncologist every three months and my physical therapist (my SIL) every two weeks. She's working on my adhesions so reconstruction will go better in the fall. My left side is still pretty tight.

Life is good and I'm basically happy. Your support has been wonderful. Just knowing there are people out there I've never even met who are thinking of me and cheering me on has been such a big help. Thank you to all my Gardenweb friends.

Linda

Hiya, Linda! I just said hello in my mastectomy post, but I'd give you helloes everywhere. Yeah!! on being over the chemo and radiation!! From your doc schedule it sounds like things are going very well on that end. I'm so sorry you are pooped. It still gets me that 'everyone' has to work 40 hrs with all the 'life issues' out there. 32 hrs is great and I hope the $$ still is, lol.

Thank you for letting us know how you are! It's a big scary thing, and I'm so glad you are getting by very well. Cheers for Linda! And Happy Happy New Boob Dance to you for the fall if I don't hear from you ;) :)

Thanks, Meredith. You're so sweet and I can picture you doing the hhbd. I'm really enjoying not having to wear a bra. I just throw on a camisole and put on a light blouse worn as a jacket. It's great, especially when it's hot outside.

Just checking in----I'm happy you are OK

You are a strong woman.

Florence

Thanks Linda, I remember how tired my dad was and how he couldn't even use the phone most days, so typing would surely be out. Glad to hear things are going ok.

If at any time work gets to be too much, be sure to cut back as you need to get your energy level back up.

Believe it or not, a garden can survive on neglect. In your zone you shouldn't get too cold, so that's a step removed. My garden was neglected from when my dad got sick until I had time this year, so that's 2 seasons. Might have lost 2 plants out of 160

Linda, very few people want to see my HHBD, but it's fun! I'd enjoy not having to worry about boobage about now... so hot, so sweaty, looks like I have to tape mine up all funny today so that my incision site can get some air, lol! I'll wear a baggy shirt in case the neighbors wonder what the heck I'm up to ;] Take care :)