Best Of
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Tuna melt. I wasn't very hungry. DH's labs are not good and the drug is not working. We see his provider on Wed.
I'm so mad at D'artagnan ….they cancelled the order because they screwed up and are throwing out $200 worth of duck breasts. And there are starving people. Furious.
wallycat
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Thanks all - your words bring me comfort. I felt like I had been holding my breath until his appt with the oncologist, and when the less bad news was spoken into the universe I relaxed a little. I thought I was keeping it together on the outside, but I realize now that I was not. DH and I didn't discuss the situation too much, I think in part because we both thought if we talk about it our resolve will crack. Ugh! I was actually driving to the airport to fly to California to take care of my BFF who was having back surgery when DS was leaving the onc appt. and was able to give us the staging and treatment plan so I was able to get on the plane to help and at least be calm and know I could focus on her. It was such a relief. I knew I was glad I never had to tell my parents I had cancer, and I will never forget my in-laws faces (doctor and nurse) when we told them. As a parent you just want to lift the stress off your child, but you can't. Frustrating. The good news is that he is managing and has a committed wife and pets that provide comic relief and unconditional love. We are hoping to be able to go see them soon.
wally - DS is 37 - there is no right age for cancer, but it seems unfair when one is that young. It always breaks my heart when I read on this site that someone is young. My neighbor's granddaughter - who is 9 - was diagnosed with a rare version of leukemia earlier this year. Thankfully she was enrolled in a trial at St. Jude's and is NED at the moment.
When at the doctor I feel like I am one of those cars that is making the weird noise that magically goes away when it is being checked…
specialk
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Special, add my regrets to everyone else's. I'm so glad your son got a correct diagnosis and is getting the right kind of medical attention. Please keep us updated.
Minus, here is the simple recipe for the Asian sauce.
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (I use Splenda blend). 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce. 1 Tablespoon fish sauce. 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar. 1 Tablespoon sambal oelek. 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil. 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch.
Combine all ingredients, stirring well. Add to the stir fried veggies and meat near the end of the cooking.
Last night's dinner was linguine with Raos and ground beef.
DH had oral surgery this morning for removal of a cyst in the roof of his mouth. Dinner for him will probably be cottage cheese with home-made cooked cranberry sauce. He's supposed to eat soft and cold food today. Tomorrow he can go back to whatever he wants to eat. He paid for a pain shot that was supposed to last 72 hours but it didn't. He's taking pain medicine we had in the medicine stash.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Good morning. I have come down with a sinus infection. It is only on the left side. I have been so cold and sleeping a lot. I took some Mucinex and it helped. I did manage to do some decorating and started wrapping presents. I am not too talkative today. Need another nap.
petite1
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Wrote a long message and of course, lost it. I was switched from an APAP machine to a Bipap after my sleep study results. I scheduled an appointment for today to get the new equipment including an oxygen concentrator, too. It seems I have nocturnal hypoxemia, so I need oxygen during sleep only. I went for appointment expecting to get both, but it seems the oxygen tech is off on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was a new worker who set up my appointment and the person I met with was not happy with him. It was an inconvenience, but after learning the oxygen concentrator is quite large and heavy, I'm okay with a home delivery and introduction.
The tech I did meet with for the Bipap was very nice, informative and spent over an hour showing me how to assemble the machine, reviewing daily and weekly cleaning routines, and answering my questions. I was provided with my new mask, tubing and tried them with the machine before I left. This is a 30 day trial for the mask and if it works, they will send additional supplies. Pressures are much higher on new machine, so I have to adjust to this.
The oxygen concentrator and equipment will arrive tomorrow between 11 and 1. This experience was the first truly positive experience I have had with this company and I've been dealing with them since 2017. The owners were not known for being customer service oriented, but felt to be the lesser of the evils when it came to DME suppliers in the area.
The owner not realizing I was within earshot (because the tech forgot to shut the door between rooms) told another worker that I was the *itch from (named my town). The tech almost had a seizure because he knew it was about me. Meanwhile, I had never had an interaction with this man that I could recall. When I left, I had to pass his desk and the desk of the person he spoke to, so I turned to her and said, "let me introduce myself, I am the *itch from (named my town) so you will be able to put a face to his remark. She looked flustered and he abruptly left the room. I then left.
They did need to replace my equipment after the tree strike since the machine was covered in insulation from the attic. They dragged it out for over a month because it was still under warranty, which they reluctantly finally revealed. It may have been on the phone when I was trying to sort this out. I think they were trying to wait so they could charge insurance for a new one.
The daughter is a lawyer, which she revealed every time you had to interact with her. I just reminded her I was a paying customer and expected decent service whenever she was rude. She was a bully and her staff would try to keep her from answering the phone for this reason. The last time I saw her she was actually pleasant. Still trying to decide what was the change due to? Not sure if they are still the owners though. I did report this experience to the NP.
It was bitter cold in the 20's but due to high winds felt like it was in the teens and it was another gray day. Yesterday was gray and rainy. so today was an improvement. I'm ready for spring.
DSIL's father's funeral is next Tuesday. It will be a military service and he will be interred in Beverly National Cemetery in NJ, with his first wife. His second wife was a military widow, she survives, but I imagine she will be buried with her first husband when her time comes. DD and DSIL are going with us so they will drive and it's about an hour from here. We need to leave by 9 am at the latest. Lunch will be at the restaurant we used for my parents' 60th wedding anniversary party. It has since changed hands, but is still an Italian restaurant that DSIL says has great food.
Set up new machine and was able to sync it with my phone for daily reports, if I so desire. It is bigger than old machine in width and takes up quite a bit of space on nightstand. However, it is narrower from front to back so I could put the light controller behind it.
The tree is up, DH was able to straighten it and I need to start decorating it. Guess that's it from here. Hope everyone had a great day. Waving "hi" to everyone.
betrayal
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Marti - I seem to remember wearing zip down sweat shirts so they could get to my port. I second the suggestion about joining the "starting chemo" group. Mine still touches base periodically on our private Facebook account. Hope today wasn't too bad. You may have trouble sleeping tonight because of the steroids that are usually given with the chemo.
Loved the pictures of the Basilica. It was closed for construction when we there 9 years ago. We really enjoyed Barcelona.
Chris - what is happening to health care is just a crime! I hope you can figure something out. My daughter expects hers to go up over $500 a month and she is only in her '50's and healthy. Thank goodness we are able to help her pay for it. She doesn't qualify for MaineCare but is told she's too poor for Obamacare and of course her job doesn't offer any help.
I love seeing the snow pictures but don't want to be there. I'm playing golf in short sleeves instead of shoveling.
Bella is back with us. Her dad had a stroke Friday night. Jie has health issues too so who knows whether we'll become a 2 dog family
Computer is about to die on me so I'll say good night.
1946taco
Re: De Novo Stage IV
Yay! Today is the start of my 24th year after my dx of Stage 4 MBC de novo. Still hanging in here! Here's my history.....Dx’d in December, 2002. ER+, Pr-, Her2+++ Metaplastic BC. Had A/C & Taxotere. Left side was DCIS and Her2+++, but right side was tubular and Her2-.In 2004 my liver was filled with tumors. I had a liver resection, and then a clinical trial of then “New” Gemzar & Herceptin, which cleared out the mets in 9 months. Stayed on only Herceptin for 7 years, but had a chest node recurrence in 2012. Gemzar, Aromacin didn’t work. 3 years of Kadcyla along with Faslodex. When Kadcyla quit working, I had a Foundation One test which showed that my mets had turned to Her2- Somatic. Clinical trial of Poziotinib that got rid of the nodes in 8 days. But Poziotinib was so nasty and toxic that the trial has been ended.Now NED and have been on Xeloda and Herceptin for 8 years.
denny123
Re: So...whats for dinner?
Wally, Hugs for you. Hopefully the PARP inhibitor will work.
Minus, Wrapped presents piled in a corner count as holiday decorations. Enjoy your weekend with your son.
Carole, Nice books are a great gift for kids. Every Christmas our neighbor who was the buyer at the art museum gift shop gave each of us a children’s book from there. My kids loved them and they’ll be passed on to my grandson. He’s the only one who’ll get presents and they won’t be wrapped. Enjoy the woodworkers guild dinner.
Intolight, I currently don’t decorate at all for Christmas but my living room is green/red and we have close to 100 CDs of classical Christmas music and carols to listen to.
Nance, I love the name of the recipe you’re trying tonight. Let us know how it turns out.
Special, Happy Anniversary! Your celebration sounds wonderful. Thanks for the info on the FedEx special boxes. I hope your GI doc will let you test and try re-introducing foods you miss.
Rhonda, I'm glad your grades are in and the rads fatigue is lifting so you can enjoy the holiday season. My DH's aunt used to read cookbooks in bed. Sometimes she would get up in the middle of the night and bake something that sounded too good to wait to try.
Dinner tonight was Austrian pork loin with apple and cranberry sauce substituting chicken for the pork.
maggie15
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@irishlove I do appreciate the pocket duty. Have to laugh at myself as was dress for a 5.00 pickup from DB but then he said coming at 6am and I remembered. Oh well, that is fine. Of course one of the first patients, we got there before dept was fully open but oh well, made it a bit quicker. I did tell them about my reaction last MRI so the one person injected contrast super slow, I was periodically holding breath and another waved an alcohol swag. Needless to say, no problems or nausea. Got a donut and coke as my sweet tooth was activated.
MRI was good, I like listening to the sounds and then imagined a dj making sounds in another machine. It was a steady thump.
I am on wait for a consult to happen, apprently neurosurgeon going away in Jan so we will see when the consult happens. Must remember to leave my phone available when I go to bed. Shut off some of the notifications from apps but the neurosurgeon calls before I am up usually.
I will be dozing off and on, need some stuff done but could wait until tomorrow.
Thank you all for the pocket duty. I am also in yours. @irishlove sorry you have to be on antibiotics. I have a nagging cough but no fever or shortness of breath, wrote off as a PIA cold and flooding with water and honey to keep throat from irritation. I just don't always enjoy taking cough syrup.
Re: Getting ready to start chemo? Join the December 2025 chemo support thread!
**UPDATE - had more bloodwork two days later and sodium is now just slightly lower than normal. Not sure how long I have to be on anti-seizure meds. Hopefully this is the end of this mess. I find out in 5 days what the next treatment will be.
crossh