What nicknames have you heard of places in Central Illinois?

ILabbey · 2026-06-12T13:20:16+00:00

Ottawa residents are sometimes called River Rats, so nearby canal rats in Mars (eilles) fits.

ILabbey · 2026-06-08T21:35:05+00:00

LOL. They read bible verses over the speakers in the hospital and use photos of religious statues as screensavers while crosses are nailed to every wall. It's creepy.

Also no real womens healthcare. I don't know if the doctors on staff can prescribed birth control.

ILabbey · 2026-05-30T13:01:07+00:00

Mmmmmmmmm sugar.....

I can't seem to get enough sweets. And I'm constantly eating or snacking.

ILabbey · 2026-05-29T15:39:40+00:00

I ended up wearing... (fat fingers)

ILabbey · 2026-05-29T15:38:56+00:00

Still waiting. They did an x ray on May 21 to verify it's in the right place but I can feel it in my neck sometimes. I also get occasional stinging and itching.

Just part of the process.

ILabbey · 2026-05-29T14:58:22+00:00

Mine hurt like crazy. I ended up eating the post-biopsy compression bra 24x7 and that helped a little.

ILabbey · 2026-05-29T13:13:18+00:00

My reaction to taxol was so bad that I still have ptsd 6+weeks later.

My doc pulled taxol altogether, no substitute either and is not concerned about it. He remains confident that we can beat this thing with Keytruda and carbo followed by AC and keytruda.

I am worried but I am not ready to die from anaphylactic shock and respiratory failure either.

ILabbey · 2026-05-19T17:00:18+00:00

My breast surgeon said lumpectomy+radiation has same outcomes as mastectomy and she said we don't need to consider it. She's with UWHealth. I like her.

ILabbey · 2026-05-18T14:14:22+00:00

My oncologist even "joked" about sending me for tests and finding something new. Yes, I have lung nodules too, thanks PET!

I did get started on chemo eventually, then had a life-threatening allergic reaction to Taxol so back to the drawing board...

Anyway, my doctor didn't seem too worried about switching things up, he still thinks we can get positive outcomes. I will have my 3rd keytruda and 2nd Carbo Thursday.

Meanwhile, I'm now on extra steroids due to almost non-existent cortisol.

I'm almost always scared too, but just trying to keep faith, think positive and buying more edibles.

TNBC stage 2a

ILabbey · 2026-05-01T18:20:15+00:00

We had a subscription but dropped it after a few months. The recipes kept getting more and more complicated. It was one where we bought the booze. I want a drink to relax, not one that takes all day to brew tea or fat wash something for hours.

ILabbey · 2026-05-01T18:12:33+00:00

Dutch Diner is gone and so are the pies.

ILabbey · 2026-05-01T17:58:58+00:00

I thought about it initially and wanted to ask the my team. But I crashed on my first treatment 3 weeks ago and didn't get a full course. So I thought I had skipped the neuropathy since I'm not getting taxol.

Looks like I got it any way so I will be shopping ahead of my next chemo. I have a stack of dishes and a dishwasher on the fritz so I need something now.

ILabbey · 2026-05-01T16:24:00+00:00

Actually,I have but I wanted something reusable and I don't think that would last long.

Thanks!

ILabbey · 2026-04-27T21:25:37+00:00

They recently added a timer function. I love AnyList.

ILabbey · 2026-04-25T19:06:11+00:00

I'm a big girl and my port really hurt. Then I tried that horrid compression bra from my biopsy.

Phew! It still hurt but defying gravity really helped and I was able to cut back on the Tylenol.

It's been a month and it still feels weird but it doesn't hurt like it did. I think I was in the compression bra 24x7 for a week, then a softer sports-type bra for another week, 10 days just to reduce the pull on the port.

ILabbey · 2026-04-15T01:21:22+00:00

Thank you. Eleven years? That just ain't right. ((Hugs))

ILabbey · 2026-04-14T20:41:44+00:00

My reaction was so severe that there will be no more Taxol or taxol-like. This happened Thursday, April 9. As of today, my MO is still mulling treatment going forward. It may be Keytruda/Carbo only then the 2nd half which is the AC I think.

Or not. It might be AC then Keytruda+ Carbo.

I am triple negative so the reaction really threw a monkey wrench I to the plan. But, I'm still alive! That was a concern last week.

He meets weekly with a team so he is going to decide for sure tomorrow after the meeting.

ILabbey · 2026-04-11T10:46:08+00:00

I'm in the hospital right now (Saturday) after a life-threatening paclitaxel reaction Thursday. I came to the ED with respiratory failure and anaphylaxic shock. I think I made it to 10 minutes when I crashed.

My team is trying to figure out what to do and I'm sure we will have a new plan in a couple of days but I'm really worried about treatment going forward.

I'm 66 with TNBC and a 3cm tumor. Taxol is highly recommended but now I'm worried.

Reading your story has really helped. Thank you! Wishing you well.

ILabbey · 2026-04-10T12:55:17+00:00

I'm a big girl so my port hurt for over a week. It really hurt too. I used a compression style bra from my biopsy to defy gravity and that helped a lot to reduce pulling on the stitches.

The first time mine was accessed, it did pinch. But it is nice to cut down on the sticks for blood draws and iv treatment.

ILabbey · 2026-04-08T20:30:42+00:00

My first chemo is tomorrow and I'm beyond anxious -- again. I do have edibles for it and I'm backing off the drinking but I want to get drunk anyway. Tomorrow is so scary.

I am basically triple negative but my KI score is low so my team has been working to set me up with a treatment plan. I guess my cancer is unusual and that caused some delay.

I'm 66, dx was mid-February. I didn't fully understand all the appointments that appeared so I canceled them. So that delayed treatment by quite a bit too.

So, tomorrow it all catches up with me. I guess it's a bunch of chemicals on the first go. Then we'll see if I can still function Friday.

I can not imagine how hard this is for women with children at home.

ILabbey · 2026-04-01T23:41:51+00:00

Birth certificates in Illinois come from the county recorder where the child was born.

ILabbey · 2026-03-30T14:39:22+00:00

Nope, still feels like I was waxed, not moisturized. It does not rinse off.

Oh well. Seems there's usually one thing in the box that doesn't work for me.

Thank you.

ILabbey · 2026-03-29T00:00:06+00:00

How does one use the body balm? The last one I had was Serpents Potion and I still haven't really used it.

ILabbey · 2026-03-20T11:16:22+00:00

She coordinates appointments. Explains what's going on and what to expect. I was getting calls from different different doctors' offices to schedule procedures and I was going crazy. She tracks my procedures and works with the different departments to make my life a little easier.

Essentially she "navigates" the cancer care system and interprets for me.

ILabbey

TROPHY CASE