Hi everyone - Just joined today. My name is Stephanie, I am 39 years old and completed treatment for Breast Cancer at the end of November, 2008. I live in the United States - Florida. Have two children, a 13 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. I have a wonderful, caring, husband, without them I would have never done as well as I did. I had to keep a posetive attitude for the sake of my children - my son kept me busy and running even when I didn't feel like it. I didn't have much choice! I am currently going for blood work every 6 weeks - so far so good. I'm only a few months into my "new normal" life. I am still feeling the effects of the chemo (the sore body, stiff joints and fatigue) Don't know how long that is supposed to last. I have tried getting back to the gym - some days I am so sore, I just can't make it. Perhaps I started too soon? If anyone has any insight I would love to hear from them. Anyway - I am glad I found this group and I hope to get to know more of you and make friends who actually know what I am going through.
FormerMember
Hi there Stephanie, hope you find this site both useful and good for making friends.
Glad all your treatment is over, how are things now? I finished my breast cancer treatment in December '08, now in remission. If you want to know about my experience read my blog entitled 'My Journey', it's not depressing - honest! Let me know your experiences too.
Well I'll say goodbye from the not so sunny Gosport in England.
hi stephanie, welcome to the site that, as one woman told me, you don`t want to be here but you`ll be glad you joined,(i think it was rose and she goes onto chat) never a truer word, i hope you find some help, comfort and even some laughs here, i have and although i am quite new here i am not new to cancer unfortunatley. first diagnoised in june 1999, any way, welcome! join in, they`re quite patient with us new ones.
Yes Stephanie welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of! You'll find great support here. I have made some lovely friends in 'chat' from all over the world. Call in and say hello. Wishing you to be well, from across the pond. linda
Yes, the club to which no one wishes they belonged, but are very glad they found! I am a caregiver and currently live in N. California (a fellow Yank), but just relocated there after 27 years in Maryland outside WDC. My in-laws live in Florida.
I like that you have already figured out it will be a "new normal" as you are forever changed by cancer no matter what you are facing. I'm a carer for my husband, 49, who has Multiple Myeloma, a rare blood cancer and we are receiving treatment in Little Rock, Ark. We were in the middle of relocating when all this occurred. Had this grand idea of ditching the kids before they ditched us! It has been an adventure, albeit not the one we had in mind.
Take it easy and the trick is to find the balance between pushing yourself a bit to get stronger, but not so much that you feel constantly run over by a truck. I'm impressed that you are doing so well so quickly quite frankly. Just remember when you had your children, you didn't bounce right back, even if you jumped right back in! It takes a while. Continue with your courage, bravery, optimism and being a wonderful friend, wife and mother.
We have 'met' before on this site when you asked a question about scars aching. I rather guessed you were from the States when you talked about paying for treatment and used the word 'automobile' when describing your nickname - Crash! I'm very interested in the nuances of the English language and always notice when British English differs from American English. As in:
Car - British
Auto - American
Mobile - British
Cell 'phone - American
Some famous British author (whose name escapes me) once said "Two great nations divided by a common language".
Anyway, enough of my waffling on - welcome and I hope you benefit from using this site.
