Best Of
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@illimae, Were you affected by the flooding in Texas where you are? I do hope you are safe.
Re: Starting Chemo June 2025? Let's support each other here!
So nice to meet you Linda @iambecoming ! Chemo went well but starting to feel a little drowsy and fatigued with a touch of nausea. Yay! haha How are you feeling?
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
I decided that a board break would not be for me. Even if I am the only one posting, I do not want to let this go. I should also stop worrying about what I post, makes sense activities would be same most days. I will not be worried anymore. Thank you to those who thought I need a break too.
Laundry is on the go, cloths mostly. I no longer dry the regular cloths and just take them out of spinner into a basket I keep them in. They are dry enough after a spin. I need to clean up my new yoga pants and am liking the skorts as pajama bottoms. Socks on the drain hose are still working well too.
Nothing on the agenda other than bill payments and budget boosting games on mobile phone as well.
I am planning to make cheese pizza, start with shredded cheese spread out for the crust, turned some beans into paste in my spice grinder and put on top, heated oven to 425 and just checked on it every few minutes. Should come out very cheesy with some refried beans on top. It should taste really good.
Later, going to try some ramen and peanut butter snacks, found recipe on youtube under allrecipes, 13 ways to use ramen. Just melt peanut butter and mix up some broken ramen, mix together and put on a baking sheet. Raw ramen, not cooked.
Again, Happy 4th for my US friends and in pockets for all who need me.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@mara51506 Gosh I was thinking you really should keep a cooking journal and self-publish it. It's great for single folks, or quick meals on the spot or even how to use products in your pantry or fridge. I really liked the big mac idea. Food is so terribly expensive and your ideas make sense and sound very scrumptous. Gonna miss you, but if you need that break, enjoy the down time. Just don't stay away too long.
@micmel Oh I'm so relieved to hear that Gabby had her Mom to take good care of her. She's just so young to deal with this sh*t. I read your line where you mentioned that she is so strong, sure she gets that from her Mama. I hope her tx is gentle and she sails thru it all as smoothly as possible. Sending love and prayers to both of you and your families, too.
@illimae Oh don't you just find stable scans wonderful. Hope that plumbing gets done and parties ensue.
Hi all, my brain is full of inflammation and devoid of everything else. Just getting by here. June 26 pet scan-ct showed stable, so hurray. Was one sketchy area speaking of "patchy hypermetabolism in left occipital lobe without discrete CT correlate. No corresponding abnormality on prior MR brain. This may be artifactual, however, a contrast-enhanced MRI of the brain could be obtained to exclude underlying lesion". I told the MO only artifact I have is my almost 80 year old husband and I am not concerned about this since 1. I have MS 2. Always have inflammation going on 3. There are inactive lesions of MS in brain. 4. I have an inactive cancerous lesion in the left occipital bone. Perhaps this is the culprit. Frankly, I am not putting any stock in this finding and I couldn't wait to leave his office happy as a lark.
Different subject, looking for input. Has anyone done the 3 month Xgeva shot versus monthly. My copay is $600 per injection , and that's just not affordable monthly. I checked for efficacy and it doesn't appear in the one study to be a problem, but that was all in hind sight. MO didn't seem happy about my decision but it is what it is. Not sure if Xgeva falls under the $2000 maximum payout benefit or not. Any comments appreciated. Today is our 46th wedding anniversary. We were broke and figured the fireworks would be a wonderful end of a perfect garden wedding. He gets the award (if you know what I mean).
Happy 4th everyone and hold Buster's ears closed if he doesn't like that booming noise. Crank up the music. That's what we have to do for our poor girls. In pockets for all your needs, scans and all.
Laurel
Re: Birads 5 with calcification
@lisat8228 Happy to be one of your girls!
As for fatigue, I’m sure you are physically and emotionally exhausted but you will find a way to take it all in with wearing yourself down. Everyone who’s been here knows that there will be likely be more fatigue from chemo but steroids are your friend. I did my 1st 5k on chemo thank to steroids.
illimae
Re: How long have you been Stage IV?
@EddieJ Juliana, it sounds like you had a fabulous trip. So glad you stayed healthy. And, you are so correct about the beauty and majesty of that part of Canada and Alaska. Photos can not do it justice.
Praying your scans on the 16 are all great. I have an ECHO and brain MRI next week and a PET/CT on the 14th. 🤞 I have had all of these several times before. You are so right about realizing this is the new normal.
I also understand your coughing fits. I developed a chronic cough after a “super cold” 3 1/2 years ago. It is way better than when it started, but just one molecule of something can irritate my throat and a coughing fit ensues.
Overall feeling pretty good though.
Hope all of you have a fabulous 4th of July!
🇺🇸
Hugs, Pam 💗
Re: All about Xeloda
@denny123 What you are telling me is very sad and makes me angry! This guy doesn't realize that he is condemning his own citizens instead of protecting them. This world is going crazy.
Re: All about Xeloda
@soldanella It's horrible here and Medicaid will be cut. I am on Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps and they all will be cut or eliminated. King Trump has cut cancer research and clinical trials. My chemo costs $20,000 a month and I only get $1,180 a month in Social Security.
When he cuts Medicaid, hospitals and nursing homes will close down. We are pretty much doomed.
Sorry if this offends anyone, but I have been in discussions with several oncologists and doctors and those are the facts.
I only got one yellow squash from my garden besides the lettuce and green onions that I have had for months. Seems like I have to fertilize the squash blossoms myself.
Good luck with your scan!
denny123
Re: Diagnosed 1 mnth+ ago, deciding on treatment
Hi @mollybocil, Sorry that you have to join us here. The information provided by the oncotype is based on statistics which looks at the rate of recurrence for a large population. It can't predict what will happen to you but gives an indication of the likelihood. It is reported in percentages which makes imagining a room of 100 women an easy way of understanding the data. In your case 3 people in the room would have a recurrence in 9 years. There would be no way of knowing if you would be one of the three. I like to look at it backwards and say that 97 of the women in the room would not have a recurence since it is a more positive interpretation of the data. The confidence interval is a statistical measure of the range of values used to calculate a population mean (average). 1 - 7 % tells you that the recurrence number could actually be anywere between 1 to 7 people if your particular room of 100 people were followed for your lifetimes.
Since you had a mastectomy and no nodal involvement there is no benefit for radiation. Both radiation and chemo are toxic to kill the cancer cells but can cause lasting side effects like neuropathy. These treatments are only done when the benefit outweighs those risks. As someone with permanent radiation side effects I can attest to that.
Statistically (not an assurance for you) aromatase inhibitors reduce the risk of recurrence by 50% while tamoxifen reduces it by 40%. For a recurrence percentage of 6% AIs would make the risk of recurrence 3% while tamoxifen would make it 3.6%, not much of a difference. I personally can't attest to ovary supperession/removal but from what I have read on this site it can be difficult to live with. You can read up on that by using the search bar at the top of the page.
Positive lifestyle changes or continuing your healthy lifestyle can also reduce the risk of recurrence by 50%. A healthy diet, aiming for a normal BMI, avoiding alcohol and exercising at least 150 minutes a week are recommended to get this benefit.
Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the cancer will not recur but your numbers make it unlikely. I hope your appointment with your onco goes well.
maggie15
