Well ladies we have all made another full revolution around the sun. I don't know about you but that time has flown by. Personally when I was diagnosed back in 2018 I never would have guessed or hoped that I would be here to ring in the year 2024. What an amazing accomplishment we have all made. For me 2023 was a challenge with pathological fractures that required major surgeries and then the dreaded first progression that required me to change to my 2nd line treatment.
I'm sure we will all face many challenges in the new year too but with friendship and support from ladies like you who really know how hard this journey can be , we will all persevere and move forward.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in the past year?
So ladies lets raise a glass🥂🍷🚿 and give ourselves a big pat on the back for our accomplishments despite set backs and hope that 2024 will be a good one for us. Hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve. Take care.
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awesome4ever
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No replies? I think they will flood in. That is a good, positive question.
On my fourth treatment, but doing well. I didn't know what to expect after my diagnosis in 2019 (actually had severe symptoms in 2018 but couldn't get docs to listen), but it is surprising to be going into my fifth year still on my feet (except for quite a bit of resting) and seemingly normal (except for diarrhea and the cashmere beret I now wear inside and out because of what I feel is a bald spot that others don't see).
Proudest of? I am dancing, getting better, and really annoyed that I was not chosen to train as an assistant because the director felt I can't be counted on to show up, and it is a long-term investment she won't make in me. (Note that I put a negative after every positive.) Proud, too, that mostly I have managed to be upbeat (not always).
Proud that I have made good friends this year, with Kokopelli17, my bestie, and with two young couples who adopted me on Martha's Vineyard. (We just hit it off, surprisingly.)
And it will be 2024 in a few hours, still here, still me (mostly).
Thank you. You definitely should be proud of being able to do something you love which is dancing. Boo on the director that wouldn't consider you for the position. Perhaps it is a good thing in that you can dance whenever you feel able but not have the obligation and responsibilities of being a manager.
Good friends certainly are very important. That name Kokopelli17 sounds familiar...is she from this board? If so how cool that you connected. I have chosen not to disclose my illness to only a few close buddies and my remaining family lives far away so it is easy to hide what is going on.
Keep on dancing my lady and Happy New Year to you. Take care.
Cheers to you and cheers to all of us who share this dx and support each other here . Great topic ! I agree with you...I was dx a year after you in 2019 and at that time did not dare to hope to ring in 2024. The unknown was overwhelming .
I am sorry you had surgeries for fractures in 2023 :/ You have made it through that which is a huge accomplishment.
2023: I have continued to work but took some fantastic trips with my husband. One of these trips was planned in 2021 (to visit France and see World Cup Rugby games with friends ). In 2021 I had a lot of concerns about planning a trip 2 years in advance . Would I be able to make the trip and my oncologist at the time wasn't very supportive told me to get trip insurance :/ My current oncologist was super supportive and the trip didn't interfere with my fulvestrant or ibrance schedule . We had a wonderful trip, visiting Portugal, France and Spain . I've never taken a 3 week vacation and we had a blast . It was a big accomplishment for me to not let fear of the future stop me from making plans (within reason).
Let's welcome 2024 together and hope it will be a good one for all of us !
Such wonderful accomplishments. I can't imagine continuing to work with this disease but I understand many people have various reasons that they continue to do it, whether it's financial, own a business or simply want to keep busy. I have bone mets in almost every bone in my skeletal system and unfortunately experienced horrific pain from the very beginning.
What an exciting trip you had! I'm very envious of the places you visited and yes you should feel extremely proud of yourself. Has it given you the bug to plan another trip? If so please keep us updated. I definitely welcomed the New Year last night...albeit about an hour earlier than the clock turned to midnight but I can't stay up late anymore like I used to.
Hoping we all have loads of stable and positive news into this year and when we don't we know that we can come to this board to find support to get past the rough spot. Take care.
It has made me want to plan another big trip, but most likely not in 2024. I have some fun family events coming up next summer and fall so will keep my travels within the US and Canada . The next World Cup rugby games are in 2027, in Australia. My oncologist told us to plan for it , but that seems pretty far away hope to retire in 2 years . I'm self employed (sell real estate ) and am riding the market , still. I also have elderly parents and a son in college so I'll feel more confident to "retire" when he is launched !
Take care and thanks for starting this 2023/ 2024 discussion !
Wow lots of exciting changes coming up for you in the next number of years. When you said your oncologist said to plan a trip to Australia in 2027, I had to peep at your profile to see where you have mets. It looks like from your bio the mets are minimal so that's likely why your oncologist encourages and I have no doubt that you will get to make that bucket list trip for many of us. Riding the real estate high with your own company is great. You can do as you please really and not have to answer to a boss...because we all we have go for labs, scans and other appointments all the time. Love the sound of you retiring when you son gets launched. Sounds like a great plan. Take care.
Thanks for your supportive comments I think my case is somewhat unusual . Distant Mets were scattered through my chest , all "no evidence " on scans for a while . My first onc compared it to bone only Mets . I try to take it one scan at a time
Cheers to a new year! Praying, hoping and wishing a good year for all of us, and raising a glass in 12 months once again! My biggest accomplishment this year is living. It may sound overtly simple maybe, but I never believed I would still be here this far down the road. I have found joy in my grand children, in my daughters and their husbands, in my dogs, cool mornings and late nights watching great shows on tv, laughing with friends…..every moment is precious, life is precious! Cheers to 2023 and cheers to 2024, and savoring every moment ❤️
An accomplishment of living is a fine one my friend. I think we all can appreciate those words. Like you I take joy in a quiet relaxing life and making time to embrace movies, good food and of course ride my ebike whenever I can. I definitely hope that a year from now we can all raise our glass in a toast to whatever beverage of choice you desire. Onward with positivity in 2024.
Happy New year. Many blessings for 2024 awesome4ever 🎊🍾🥂🎉All I want this year, is to be stable. I am on my 4th line of treatment in 15 months . Back to treatment this week, been so nice to have a break over Christmas and New year.
Stable is the magic word I want to hear as well. I remember when you started your doxorubicin first infusion and was so worried you wouldn't feel well to celebrate Christmas with your kids. I hope that you were able and that the next treatment this week goes well. I will remain strong and I hope you will do so as well. Take care.
Thank you lovely. Yes I did have a lovely Christmas with the kids. I did sleep on and off but I finally got dinner out by 7pm little late but we got there. New years day I managed a full roast dinner even though it's ridiculously hot here.
Took my time to cook and the kids woofed it down. Typical teenagers think they never eat 😁. They have been wonderful though cleaning up and helping me when I struggle. I am very blessed.
Tomorrow I have radiotherapy (wed)
Friday second cycle of the doxorubicin so hoping it's not too bad and no allergic reactions like last time. I have my pre meds ready to take and they will probably give me a sedative again.
Thank you for your kind words awesome4ever. Hope you are feeling well.
Glad you were able to enjoy your holiday meals with your family. Yes teenagers can really put down the food quickly that's for sure. Oh well at least you know they enjoyed it and help with cleanup.
Good luck with your radiation and fingers crossed that your second infusion goes as planned. Now that they know about your sensitivity reaction they will be prepared.
Thank you for responding. I am feeling well at the moment.
Happy new year and congratulations to all of us for making it through!
I'm proud of moving my son into his new flat during September. I did all the planing, ordering, packing, unpacking and fixing, sorting and cleaning...oh and I made him some abstract paintings too.
It was flipping exhausting and it took me a few weeks to recover...but was worth the effort to see him settled into a place with a bit of me put into it (I'm an interior designer)
I also have extensive bone mets with reoccurring joint pains but luckily these seem to shift about and not be too severe.
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hope to retire in 2 years . I'm self employed (sell real estate ) and am riding the market , still. I also have elderly parents and a son in college so I'll feel more confident to "retire" when he is launched ! 
I think my case is somewhat unusual . Distant Mets were scattered through my chest , all "no evidence " on scans for a while . My first onc compared it to bone only Mets . I try to take it one scan at a time 
Treatment done
Good-bye and thank you all
One year journey 
The new normal
