Lisa's Story and Advise

Lisa sent us this added article that was in the Breast Cancer Website. She tells her story and gives very good advise!

Yearly Mammogram Caught Breast Cancer

My gynecologist put me on an estrogen patch after my hysterectomy, against my better judgment. Less than two years later, at age 50, a yearly mammogram and subsequent testing revealed a cancer tumor in my left breast. I had a lumpectomy in October, 2009. My surgeon said the tumor was too deep for me to feel and find. The sentinel lymph nodes were cancerous, so the underarm (axilla) lymph nodes had to be removed and 14 (over half!) were cancerous. That meant stage 3 -- chemo and radiation. I am currently in chemo, and winter is a good time to go through this with wigs and hats. I have a great husband, caring friends and wonderful people involved in my medical care and in my breast cancer support group. I also have an uncomfortable and ugly port in my chest and am dealing with lymphedema (arm pain and swelling) which can happen when you have lymph nodes removed and after radiation. I wish researchers would find out what causes cancer and cure it but, in the meantime, all we have is early detection. My advice is to get a yearly mammogram, especially when going through menopause, make sure they are taken and processed digitally, and avoid HRT if you can.

Lisa
Richardson, TX

Note and Pictures of a Happy Capper

Took a pic with my webcam in my favorite cap which I wore today in Baylor Plano's Infusion room. I still have my rosy cheeks from chemo (third of six). It doubled as a great blindfold. I pulled the front over my eyes a little while listening to a CD for a half hour during treatment. I still have most of my eyebrows and eyelashes but without the cap you can see the top of my head very, very clearly through the thinning gray hair. I'll also send you a picture after my first treatment before I lost any hair. I wear another cap at night when my head gets cold. And I have a third cap that is heavier knit and has a brim for when I'm outside wearing a coat in this cold weather.

Going to check when ya'll are at the Allen Senior Center. I saved the tags and pins and you can reuse them and I can help pin them on the new batch. Just need to know when you need me. My schedule is open except my weekly chemo days which are Wednesdays at 1PM in January.


Here is me after my first chemo in November, what my hair looked like. (Had gotten a shorter haircut so I wouldn't be shedding such long strands of hair.)

I had taken a cell phone pic in front of the bathroom mirror recently showing a friend what my chemo port looks like.



And my new look with a wig when I'm not wearing caps and hats.

And I want to wish all the knitters and cappers a happy and healthy 2010 and beyond!!

Note from Barbara

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful thing you've done with your chemo caps. I cared for my 55 year old sister here in Allen for about a year. She went to UT Southwestern for chemo for a very long time. She loved to go to the chemo cap box to look through all the lovely caps you all made. I believe she had one for almost all her outfits and last Christmas picked out the festive red and green ones. She even added little brooches to some to spice them up. She was single with no family and because of the cancer, had to sell her home and alot of her belongings. So whenever she got something she could call hers, she cherished it. I'm afraid we lost her in July, but she had a note on her to-do list to write and thank you for her caps. So, I would just like to thank you for brightening up my sister's life a little. I'm sure your caps have brightened up many other lives too. Thank you so much!

Barbara

2010

Another year is almost gone and a new year will begin. It was a sad year for many who found out they or someone they love has cancer. There were many happy people who had cancer and are now survivors.

We, in Joyce's Chemo Cap Project wish everyone a Happy 2010. There will be people who will be diagnosed this year, will have surgery, go through radiation and chemotherapy. Our prayers go out to those that will not survive this year or will lose someone to cancer.

To date, we have distributed over 4,500 caps to the infusion centers around the Dallas area and to some outside cancer centers outside of Texas. We are very proud of the people who took their time this last year to knit and crochet caps for us. The variety of caps was wonderful. So many colors and designs. They should be proud of what they accomplished this last year. I wish we had videos of our 'happy cappers' who picked out a cap or two that was 'just made for them'. We've had calls from women that said "she went to look in the box of caps and there it was, the cap that seemed to have been designed and made for her!" Finding out how much the women (and some men) smiled and, for a few minutes, forgot the reason they were in the infusion center made us really happy. I wish we had videos of the smiles and tears of joy others got from our caps. When Joyce told us three years ago that she wished she had something to wear on her head at night because of the pain on her scalp, she didn't what she started! Her wish became a reality, not only for her but for many, many others.

People used to ask us how long we were going to make these caps and what we were going to do next. They don't ask anymore. They know what the answer would be. Our answer to that question was always: "When cancer is defeated and there is no more cancer, there will be no need for the caps." But until that happens, we will continue to make the caps and with each cap that is put in the boxes at the infusion centers for someone to take, a prayer is included with the cap. We pray for a cure, we pray for the strength to go through their treatments, and the courage to accept whatever is in the future for them.

God Bless everyone who is involved with our project, either by knitting or crocheting, putting tags on the caps, delivering caps, donating money and yarn so we can continue making caps and God Bless everyone who has a need for our caps. Our caps are made with love. Happy 2010.

Correspondance Between Vivian and a Knitter

I am interested in donating chemo caps to your org. I have already made a few. Do I just mail them to you at the Thoreau address, or is there someplace I can drop them off?

Hello, Vicki you can mail them to our address if you wish. But if you would like to meet our group come by the center.
We are in Allen, Texas and meet at the Allen Senior Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
How did you find out about the Joyce's Chemo Cap Project?
We would love for you to donate your caps. And thank you so much for wanting to be a part of our group.
Jan and Vivian

Thank You From Susan

I have picked up a few of your caps at Texas Oncology by Baylor Plano Hospital. They are great, especially to wear around the house and to wear to bed. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to make a difference for those of us going through chemo. I have been amazed at the outpouring of support I have received from all kinds of people as I go through this process (diagnosed with breast cancer via annual mammogram in July).
Your friend Joyce (Schmitt) must be smiling down on you!
Warm Regards,
Susan

Thank you Susan for your kind words. We are so happy that our group can do something for other people and sometimes make them smile.
God bless you on the road that you travel. Our thoughts are with you during this journey.
Jan and Vivian

Additional Note from Lisa in Richardson

Feel free to use anything I have written to you. I have been telling lots of folks about your caps and about Joyce. A neighbor just had a lumpectomy last week and will hear this week whether lymph nodes are involved (which makes a BIG difference, as you know). I had a lot of lymphs removed so I'm on chemo right now and may do radiation after all that, and I am learning how to prevent lymphedema and am going to physical therapy and will be getting bandages to put on my affected arm.

When I am bald and wearing the caps, I plan on figuring out where exactly the Allen Senior Center is and come down and help pin the tags on the caps and meet the lovely people involved in your wonderful endeavor. I am not sure if I am going to be posing for many photos in course of my treatment (torn on whether I want to remember it with photos or not), but if I have a flattering shot in a cap, I will send it to you, or pose with your group when I meet y'all.

I still have a week with my own hair. They tell me the two drugs I am on will certainly result in hair loss. We'll see.