I saw the conversations on "chemo brain" and I figured some of you might appreciate this story that was on NPR.

Another Side Effect Of Chemotherapy: 'Chemo Brain'
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012...py-chemo-brain

Emailed it to my boss. His sister passed away from breast cancer and he has been great support to me. :) Its frustrating not to have the same retention to things as I did before. I know its has to be frustrating to my co-workers at times. One co-worker and I laugh about me talking in fragmented sentences now. lol

I hope he reads the comments people have left on the article's page. The personal stories people have described will hopefully make it more real to him.

funny!!! I pointed a few out to him.

Speaking of chemo brain. I was going to post something in another thread and by the time I clicked on post reply, it was gone. I completely forgot what I was going to post. Didn't even have a clue. LMAO

question for the cancer patients?
 

so my friend is going through her chemo for stage 1 breast cancer right now and has started to loose her pretty thick long brown hair . it seems silly to care so much about your hair but its part of what makes her feel sexy and beautiful. so to my quesiton which is this . is it irrational of me to shave my head in support of her when she looses all her hair ? i told her of my plan and it amazed her and made her laugh . hair can always grow back but friends that support you through thick and thin are forever . always goodlilfemme

Ha ha ha---welcome to my world. Jeano

Goodlilfemme, it is a very loving and sweet thing to shave your hair in support of your friend. A friend of mine was diagnosed a year after me and lives in a different state. All of her friends in her area went to a local beauty shop with her and they all had their heads shaved. She said it was a supprisingly joyous and moving experience. You are a very special person to consider this. I have to admit that I didn't shave my hair since I had just grown mine back from the chemo--a little selfish of me I guess. Jeano

Hello goodlilfemme, a wonderful gesture. :)
I had friends offer and say they were shaving their heads. I didn't want anyone to. Those with long hair, I suggested a short haircut and donating their hair for wigs if they felt strongly about it. Maybe, I wanted to stay in denial as much as I could.
BUT at the same time, a friend who is going through chemo for stomach cancer, loves that everyone is shaving heads for her.at

The things that meant the most during chemo/radiation: people stopping by for hugs, a woman from work mowing my lawn in her heels (I laughed for days), a friend bringing me fried rice in several flavors one day when I was having a meltdown, people coming over and walking my dog, assorted bad hats made for me, a beautiful knit blanket a friend made, the WORST rice pudding made by a kitchen challenged friend, phone calls to say 'I love you' right I needed it.

I hid it from everyone that I had cancer. The people who had to know, knew. Outside of my partner and family, the only other people that knew were my best friend and work people. I was happy that my neighbors cut my grass and I was very thankful when the EMT across the street saw me in the hallway of the ER when I had an obstruction after surgery and intervened...

I am just not good with people ... what is the word...supporting me?

It is interesting how we can all be so different.

I was told about this thread by a beautiful person that I consider to be a friend. She knows who she is and I thank her. I have subscribed to the thread and will sit and read it when I can. But I wanted to post something.

Back in 2001 I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer on July 4th. By October 9th I had undergone more than a few surgeries that the surgeon hoped would allow me to keep my breasts to no avail. It took me until May of 2008 to finally face my scars through someone else's eyes and thus accept them unashamedly. It was a long hard journey.

Then in November of 2010, my partner was told she had a soccer ball sized tumour. I was there looking after her home and her while she was in hospital and afterwards. Then in 2011 when they decided to remove the tumour, I was there again. I did not feel I could have been anywhere else. I would have traded places with her if I could have. But of course that isn't possible.

Last year, again on July 4th I was told I have cancer for a second time and on Monday the 7th of Jan. 2013, I will undergo intensive and invasive surgery. No, it is not breast cancer again. But it has been said that it could possibly be a secondary cancer caused by it. I now have anal cancer which has and after the surgery will continue to change my life in many ways.

I was not afraid when I was told I had breast cancer, I really didn't have time to be. But this time I am scared and I don't care if anyone says "Damn, a Butch that admits they are scared." It is a fact of life, I want to live, I want to beat this horrid cancer but I know from Monday my life will be different and there will be no going back.

I'll post again after I have fully read the thread.

Thanks for posting and for reading.

I had colon cancer. I am very sorry you are dealing with this. Please write as much and as often as you like. We are a supportive group here.

I am sending white light and healing energy to you and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers on Monday. Jeano, cancer survivor and butch who has also been "scared as hell"

Gratitude .....
 

Congratulations! I have a CAT scan next Tuesday and really need to call about a colonoscopy.

The CAT scan is more the important test, however, for detection. Any recurrence I may get would most likely be in my lungs, rather than my colon. Assuming it is from the primary.

Aryon, you have already been through so much. I won't pretend to know what you or anyone else that has dealt with their own cancer, has gone through.

What I do know is that stark terror, that pit, deep inside, when one hears those words: "It's cancer".

Mine was thyroid cancer. Highly curable, if caught early. I did have my thyroid removed and received a high dose radioactive iodine treatment.

The radioactive iodine needed to be repeated again the following year, as there were still some remaining (or new) spots that were found on a follow-up scan.

I continue to have full body scans with contrast, periodically, to ensure there are no new areas.

Even though I have been fortunate, I think all of us have some degree of underlying anxiety and do share some of the same thoughts running through our minds: "What if it comes back?"

I hope that if mine resurfaces, I will face it as bravely and as head-on, as you are now facing yours (and as many of the posters in this thread have).

I send my prayers, positive thoughts and truly best hopes to you over the ocean, for what you are dealing with now.

Thank you, to everyone, for sharing so honestly and openly on this thread.

It was hard for me to hide D cup to flat chest and hair to shoulder blades to bald lol I didn't wear wigs and I won't wear falsies, since they are heavy and uncomfortable. I am also very open. I lack boundaries. :sunglass:

Aryon,

This human was scared, too. You have support here. This thread and the boards and chat rooms on csn.cancer.org were great support for me. Please, let us know how you are doing.

Hugs, Deb

Buddy it's ok to be afraid. Most people would be. I know you are gonna make it through this fine and beat it. I just feel you are. You won before, you will win again.

http://www.cancercenter.com/assets/i...er-fighter.jpg

Aryon,
Good luck on the good fight and surgery on Monday. Drop in and say hi soon as you can ,

Tommi

BOO!!! I think we lost Aryon's thread. Any updates?

Thank you,
Deb

Its that time again. I meet my new oncologist Tuesday and get blood work for tumor markers. I gotta say, I hate the stress of wait and see. My mom wants to go with, but told her I was fine going alone. Why did I say that??? WTF is wrong with me.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4109/4...9a51a55a_z.jpg

Let us know how your tests go. You will be fine. :)

Deb and Clay, my thoughts and prayers are with you both. Waiting to hear how you both are. Jeano

Hi Deb...here ya go. :)

Update from Aryons Partner...............["Aryon Cole update, JAN 17, 2013 - 9:40 pm UK time: Aryon is doing well and all seems ok for the moment. Aryon is scheduled to go home tomorrow (FRI) and I suspect will post on FB at some point after, of course, UK time :) "]

Thank you for the update, Lucian :) Glad to hear Aryon is going home and doing okay.

Since Aryons thread disappeared when there was the server problems i wanted to update you all here.

Aryon is back in the hospital. Please keep those good thoughts and prayers coming.........Lucian

Update from Angelika......"Aryon Cole update JAN 20, 2013 - 4 pm UK time: Aryon is back in the Hospital. An internal infection has developed. Aryon is receiving antibiotics. I will update everyone as things change, etc. Please DO NOT call or text Aryon at this time. Wait until Aryon is back home. If you have Duncan's phone number, please text or call Duncan for updates, or alternatively, you can reach me here on FB. Thank you."

Just letting you all know i started a new thread for Aryon.

I got blood work done today and they are going to push for genetic testing again. I sure would like to know for my sisters, daughter, niece and for treatment options and clinical trials.
I really like the new oncologist, he is a straight to the point kinda guy. I had the usual tumor mark blood work, plus x-rays and bone scans (Thursday) and will get results on Friday. I really don't like the waiting. I am still having neuropathy issues and some pain in my back and hips (why I am having the bone scan).
I am so over the fear of cancer coming back. I wanna just stick my head in the sand and forget.

Hi deb,
New Doc sounds like "just what the doctor ordered" :mohawk:
I do the sand thing real well. plus, I live near the beach :)

Aches and pains ~ maybe you have a touch of rhemutizzzz, as my Gramma would say.

And arthritis runs in the family, it just freaked me out a bit for him to remind me one of the ways it comes back is leukemia. And keeping my head in the sand is what got me in this mess. :|

Saying I know exactly what you mean is an understatement.


Same here. I kept my head in the sand by ignoring times of rectal bleeding when I went to the bathroom...for over a year. Then I ignored daily diarrhea for several months, pumping myself up with over the counter meds to keep it from happening. I finally did something about it when I couldn't get through a meal without having to jump up from the table due to having diarrhea.

What do you do now to keep yourself healthy? What does not keeping your head in the sand mean to you?

I have an appointment tomorrow with my oncologist to go over my CAT scan. I am a bit nervous about that.

Genetic testing? I did that. I will look back in the thread and see if you started talking about it in an earlier post to get more information. If you didn't, could you explain here?

I think that my neuropathy is less than it was. In my hands, anyway. I was surprised that it decreased even after a year of being done with chemo, as evidently, it is the first year out that determines the long term effects. My feet, however, have not improved, but I know that mine is a hell of a lot less than some other peoples, so for that I am thankful.

Please keep us updated.

thank you
 

Thank you all for everything you do-I've been fighting for family and friends for years, loss after loss. I most recently lost a dear friend only days ago after her fight wore out and it was time for her to go home.

I just wanted to take a moment to show my gratitude-none of you I know but that matters little.

http://www.pathways4all.co.uk/wp-con.../thank-you.jpg

I'm a survivor from 1994. I was very lucky in that it was caught early. But even luckier in that i was having a procedure done for something else when they found it. Had i not been having another medical problem. It would have been a lot longer till it would have been found i'm sure.

I've had many loved ones affected by cancer over the years too.

I met my Buddy Aryon who was very involved in Relay For Life as a survivor Hymself. With hym and others i too got more involved over the past four years. Where as in the past i had only done a few walks.

I've had loss of loved ones in my life, and others that are doing good.

I have to honestly say. I never thought my buddy Aryon would be diagnosed again. Once hy made it past that ten year mark. I don't know..I just didn't expect it.

I..like i'm sure all of you, just want to see cancer eradicated. So many people are affected themselves or have friends, family, partners that end up fighting this battle. I just hope with all i have that soon, nobody will ever have to fight that battle anymore.

I'll be keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

Those who can get involved with Relay For Life. Please do. Every penny helps.

This is all hard to hear. I am praying for all of you survivors and hoping all the tests come back clean Deb and Dapper. My Mom is on hospice now for lung cancer with brain, spine and liver mets. I just spent the weekend with her to give my older sister a break from 24/7 caregiving. We are so blessed in that my Mom is living now in one half of a duplex owned by my brother. Her rent, utilities are paid for by him. He came and helped me take her to get an eye exam and some new glasses the other day at Costco. She loved being out and shopping!

My other sister lives in the other side of the duplex. She is an amazing cook and whatever my Mom wants for dinner she makes. They look at cooking magazines and watch cooking shows and then my Mom says "I want this for dinner"! I am the cleaner. I scrub and organize and take care of keeping the house in order. It takes a village to raise a child but it also takes a village to help someone transition!

I worry about my own health and my partner's. Mortality is a bitch! I am in a limbo state right now. I am not the best partner, Mom or rattie caregiver. My own house is a mess. It is hard. I am though so grateful that I have this time with my Mom.