Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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A greater poverty than that caused by lack of money is the poverty of unawareness. Men and women go about the world unaware of the beauty, the goodness, and the glories in it. Their souls are poor. It is better to have a poor pocketbook than to suffer from a poor soul. Jerry Fleishman
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Snowing again here as we speak. It is the first REAL winter we have had. Two other very light dustings and the rest of the season rain. Can't say for sure how much will come down but at times there will be some sleet in it. Could end up with 9 ins. but I'm not really expecting that or maybe just hoping it won't come. Kate can get a ride to work and home from her boss so don't have to worry about her. We do have new tires on my car so it would go I think if needed but we have lots of food so no real reasons to go out. Dh also backed up into a space in front of the garage (makes it hard to turn our other parked cars ) pointing outwards if he needs or wants to go somewhere.
A couple of warm days over the weekend and first of week which will begin the melt of what we will get in this storm. Sigh !! Couple of appts. I will have to change.
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Hello friends. I managed to whine and whinge through my surgery day. There was way too much sitting around for my taste, giving me too much time to work myself into a state. They even had to come up with an Ativan at one point.
But then I woke up and (after more waiting) they let me go home with my responsible driver. I have a little swelling and some soreness in my breast, but it's not limiting my motion. The incision is covered by Steri-Strips so I haven't had a good look at it yet. I took a day off, but I'm resuming regular life today. Now all I have to do is hold my breath for a week until the path reports come back. I may turn blue in the interim.
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Vandercat, Wishing you a Type A person who does the results in 3 days rather than a week. Nothing wrong with an Ativan. I know what you mean about waiting. They want you there well ahead of the time they need you to be there.
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Vandercat - The waiting prior to surgery was pretty bad for me as well. My surgery was scheduled for 1:30pm. They finally came to take me to the surgery around 4:30pm. When I "came to" in recovery, I was the only patient there. My husband had to track down the recovery nurse to come to my aid for a sip of water, which she reluctantly did. I reported this experience to the hospital when they called the next day to check on me. After picking up scrips, we finally got home around 8:30 pm. Wish they had given me an Ativan prior to wire insertion & that long wait for surgery.
Hoping your recovery goes well and your results arrive sooner than expected.
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Vandercat, as with everyone I agree having to wait can add to whatever nerves are trying to jangle at any one time when you're waiting for a surgery. Now you can hopefully mark one more thing off your list and I too hope for a quick result. Glad to hear you say some light-hearted things. I think it helps as much as anything to keep us pointed in the right direction.
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Still snowing this afternoon. Not sure how much is out there but we I think are not quite done with our snow. Even read we may have more tomorrow. I think it's possible. My two biggest cats are distressed about being in. They are indoor-outdoor and we did let Buddy out early this morning. He came and wanted back in right around noon. Finally figured the snow wasn't stopping so he had to stay under a car or the outdoor garage awning which became too tedious to suit him. We made him stay in after though after he had something to eat, warmed up, dried out, and had a small nap he wanted back out. Gordie i5 pounder with lots of med length orange hair, went out twice and then came right back in. So they are in now and we won't let them go back out.
The trees should do fine. All the ice crystals melted off and now there is only snow on the limbs which doesn't do much to the regular trees. The pine tree limbs do tend to sag somewhat. Dh will shovel another path before Kate comes home from work. It's turning out to be quite pretty but not all that wanted. Earlier in the season I might have enjoyed it, but it is so late for this now. Oh well -- by Sunday we will start thawing if not before.
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A friend who lives in the mountains here posted a photo of her fir trees covered with snow. The next day or two she posted a video of an entire branch dumping all the snow off without warning. That's called a snow bomb and best if you're not standing under it.
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Saw the orthopedics guy today. I told him that my progress with this knee is unsatisfactory. Showed him my fitbit readout from last night, with multiple spikes into wakefulness due to pain. Showed him how swollen the left side of my right knee is. Told him that I had only shed the knee brace less than a week ago, instead of three weeks ago.
His response was: it usually takes nine months for such an injury to heal. I need to work it, and tolerate a moderate amount of pain. I have been through enough physical therapy that I can choose the activities which can keep it working. I need to obey my seventeen pound "coach" and get out and walk. We have an appointment scheduled in three months. If there is not good improvement by then, then I will be getting cortisone injections. If that is not satisfactory, given my arthritis in that knee, and accelerating arthritis because of the injury, the price will be knee replacement.
I am still not happy, but such is life. My sister had knee replacement almost the same day as I had my mastectomy. I am going to see her tomorrow, so we will have a lot to talk about.
I think the reason I was so tough about the whole cancer thing was that I had had trouble with righty ever since I was eighteen-- so I felt like it was bound to happen. Like my immediate reaction was-- then cut it off.
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Mary, can you get a consult with a pain management physician? I find that with any surgeon no matter their specialty, including orthopods, their response to pain is "grin and bear it". However, it is not something that is affecting them thus their somewhat callous response. I have had orthovisc injections in my left arthritic knee (bone on bone) and it helped. Medicare will pay for 4 injections every 6 months whereas my former private insurance would only pay for 3 injections. I got a lot of relief and used voltaren gel applied liberally, too. Troulbe is I am intolerant of most opioids and the 2 I have left I am holding in reserve for a future need. I asked for a referral to pain management for severe thoracic radiculopathy (did not need pre-cert, only a name) and the doc is amazing. He has me on a weekly regimen using gabapentin (which I thin you had issues with) and I am actually having days where the pain is manageable. Nights can still be a challenge but I use gabapentin plus a Lidocaine patch and am sleeping better.
Many physicians in pain management are anesthesiologists and they have a whole range of meds they use to relieve pain. I refuse to take any type of antidepressant, which is one type of drug they use, because of my history of side effect issues to other drugs. I take so many supplements to offset the side effects of my current prescribed drugs that I am unwilling to try them. Your ortho doc telling you it will take 9 months to recover was informative but to tell you to withstand moderate pain for this same period is just darn right cruel in my book. You will be more compliant with exercising and walking if your pain is milder. Good luck with finding some relief.
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I have serious issues with opioids-- I am already dealing with injury from chronic constipation-- may need surgery for that. I am drinking prune juice daily, increasing fluid intake, eating one salad a day, and avoiding milk products. Given that pain triggers nerve pain, I will have an option of increasing gabapentin, but right now I am contemplating walking around the block once daily. Plus an exercise program. But you were right, he was not very compassionate.
And I have a scar in my stomach that gets triggered whenever I take NSAIDS of any type. Voltaren gel is a topical NSAID!! I thought it was a lidocaine type thing. On my shopping list tomorrow. Thank you.
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Vandercat, the waiting is the hardest part (per the late Tom Petty). But I got my surgical path report in only three days. No matter the news, there's a sense of relief that you finally know what you're dealing with and can set a game plan in motion. At 71, whatever you have will likely be very slow-growing. Know that we here are "in your pocket" whenever you go for scans, procedures & treatments.
Judy, I had exactly the same illness in Dec. 2019 as did your friend. I never did get tested--my (late) PCP thought it was pertussis, but there was also a lot of adenovirus going around.
I sensed something was "off" about the last two negative rapid tests I took. The first one (from the same kit as Bob's positive) was Abbott Binax NOW. The second, on Tues. 1/25, was FlowFlex (single test per kit). The last two (Thurs 1/27 & Fri 1/28) were OnGo (the kind with an app). By Wed. night I had begun to feel "off," in fact downright feverish by Friday. Still in denial, I was sure it was a strain of flu that wasn't among the four in the vaccine; the banner headline in my NShore Connect home page mentioned that both flu and PCR COVID tests were available on a walk-in basis at their Immediate Care centers. So I got up early Sat. morning, had my vitals taken, and got the "brain stab." I was shocked to find out I'd PCR-tested positive for COVID. The NP came out into the waiting room to discuss the result and told me she'd already put in an order to the Therapeutics team to get in touch with me. She thought it'd be a sotrovimab (monoclonal antibody) infusion like Bob got. I wasn't home more than an hour before the Infectious Diseases doc called to tell me he was prescribing Molnupiravir (the Merck pill).
I asked him why not the infusion, and he explained that they were saving that for immunocompromised patients, especially un-and-under-vaccinated ones. I also asked him why not Paxlovid (>85% protective) rather than Molnupiravir (30-40% at most). He replied there was a "drug-drug interaction." I asked which drugs and he replied rosuvastatin (Crestor) and Bupropion XL (Wellbutrin). He said that Paxlovid increases blood levels of Crestor but decreases those of Wellbutrin. I pointed out I was on the smallest dose of Crestor and could easily discontinue it temporarily; and that not only was the Wellbutrin the long-acting version but it was basically a maintenance med I'd been on since 1999 (and the only time I'd ever been diagnosed with depression was postpartum in 1984-5). I mentioned that a week of a reduced dose of Wellbutrin was extremely unlikely to cause dysphoria. He put me on hold while he talked to my PCP; and when he got back on the line agreed to give me Paxlovid.
The order was phoned in to NorthShore's outpatient pharmacy at Glenbrook Hospital. I had to call to let them know my ETA, and again when I pulled up to the "Patient Pharmacy Pick-Up" area at curbside. I then had to put on my mask, open my passenger side window, and they tossed the bag through the window onto the seat!
Here's the kicker: sotrovimab provides some more neutralizing antibodies, which for triple-vaxed "immunonormal" patients might be redundant. But what Paxlovid (and to a lesser extent Molnupiravir) does is prevent the virus from replicating: sort of "birth control" for the coronavirus. He also said that as supplies increase, it will become standard-of-care for every just-diagnosed and ambulatory COVID patient. The only side effects it gave me were slight muscle aches in one thigh (the one that used to bother me before I lost weight); bitter-tasting saliva; and--unfortunately--the munchies, especially for sweets. I took my final dose this morning and the side effects are easing. (All except the munchies--bad Sandy)!
BTW, ConsumerLab.com has rated home rapid-antigen tests. The two it found most reliable (fewest false negatives) are QuickVue (2 tests per kit) and FlowFlex (which is actually the cheapest). When I was ready to emerge from isolation, I took a FlowFlex--which was negative. (Never use a PCR for that purpose, because you will test positive for up to 90 days--it detects the tiniest traces of viral DNA but cannot distinguish between live virus and dead particles).
Mary, the best elective medical decision I ever made was to get my knees replaced. Because I was obese & over 60, I had them done a year apart; but quite a few of my fellow rehab "guests" who were slimmer &/or a tad younger had them done bilaterally, for a shorter rehab stay and faster recovery. The only limitations I have on distance walking now are my lousy feet (specifically toe-end calluses & the Bunion From Hell). I don't think I could have lost the weight I did had I not replaced my knees. In the meantime, Bob (who doesn't want to take the time off for surgery) swears that wearing a neoprene sleeve at night helps him immensely. (And he says that if I set the treadmill on a slight incline, it takes the pressure off the forefoot).
Voltaren gel (or the cheaper store brands) is a topical NSAID, and as such does not get absorbed into the bloodstream. If you have digestive upset from NSAIDs, even a transdermal version (assuming there is one) that reaches the bloodstream would bypass the digestive system anyway. I have also found Arnicare gel (which is arnica with a little menthol & aloe) to be helpful. Receptra Naturals has a CBD balm (zero THC) with turmeric; ReLeaf makes a roll-on with CBD & menthol that helps too. I sometimes use a transdermal balm containing 1:1 CBD:THC for when my back gets really bad; if you don't have a medical cannabis card (or marijuana is illegal in WI), Mary's Nutritionals makes a transdermal CBD (zero THC) gel pen. It releases a metered dose that you rub into the skin over the vein on the inside of your wrist, and it gets into your bloodstream for pain relief without being diluted by stomach acid. (Mary's Medicinals makes a stronger version with THC, but it's available only in certain dispensaries and is in very short supply).
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Sandy, Have. missed you. Apart from the dreaded events in life, which we've all experienced to one degree or more, what gives me most trouble is- are?- logistics. Thank you for such a clear explanation of how to proceed, especially on the North Shore, if it comes to my suspecting I have Covid. Glad you are well and back with us and that HK is back with you
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It's an ugly day here. Wind and cold but no snow or ice. I will probably go to my 11:30 senior exercise class at the gym. My younger sister and her daughter have started coming to the class so that's fun.
Hugs for all those with pain issues.
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Good morning, ladies. It has been beautiful the last couple of days. I have been energized, taking my old lady walk and doing Silver sneakers exercise videos. DH has been feeling well and we went out last night and the night before. We even danced a little slow dance. I had 2 Organic Ultras, Low calories, low carb, low alcohol beer. Maybe we are reliving our youth. LOL It has been fun.
Vandercat, My surgery was at 1:00 pm and I was the last one out. We didn't get home until 10:00 pm. We stopped at a drive through for a bit to eat. I was NPO since midnight the night before. I did know it was cancer, before going in. It was a short wait before getting all the specifics. 2019 was the worst year ever.
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In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. -Flora Edwards
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Our snow finally stopped late yesterday. Not sure how much but at least 7 or 8 inches with much larger drifts. We will have some sun today though not sure how much. It will be nice to see although it will remain quite cold and won't cause any real melt to take place. That comes I think over the weekend. I look forward to that. I'm hoping that this will be our winter snow for the yr. and that once gone we will have no more. Will be nice for everyone to get back to our regular routine.
Hoping all with pain issues find satisfactory fixes for it and hope you are close to well again Sandy.
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Great quote which I think describes what happens on this forum and others on BCO.
This is the second day of rain and third day of flophouse sheet skies: gray and dingy. One day was rather dense fog and that was a challenge for driving visibility.
We have started cleaning the basement. It took me over 2 hours just to cleanup the kitchen area we have in the TV viewing/entertainment area. It was an accumulation of dust from the workmen and not being able to clean well for the past 2 years. I am wet wiping down all surfaces, furniture, etc and washing the new floors with just plain warm water. I am finding that there is residual grout on the tile surface so I am using a metal spackle applicator to remove it. It's sort of gritty so it will be a dirt magnet. Today we will reconstruct the TV stand section area and then try to move the shelving back into the larger storage closet. All the furniture is sort of heaped up in the middle of the room and it looks like the game Jinga. I am culling unwanted items as I "redecorate" areas so Purple Heart will benefit from this. It actually feels good to be able to get a sense of normalcy by being able to reassemble this room after 2+ years. Giving DH assignments that he can handle so he is contributing to this work and not just standing by watching me.
The rain is dissoving the last snow and we are now expected to get a cold wave and face feezing ice. I hope it doesn't happen, we need some relief from winter. Have a good day.
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Jackie, I love the daisies, one of my favorite flowers. You must be thinking Spring!
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petite 1, I also was NPO (inc less than 12 oz water) from midnight to 4 PM-ish, when they gave me crushed ice and half a graham cracker. Not nearly your 22-hour ordeal! I see you had radiation and Arimidex, two things I dread and abhor.
Today the nurse called me because I reported my incision was itching a little, but I didn't have the sense to ask her if there had been any news on the pathology front. Three days down, five more to go. Yuck, or something that rhymes with it; now I'm all reminded about my poor boob..
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"Yuck, or something that rhymes with it." Can I steal that, Vandercat??? AIs and rads sound scary, but they both turned out to be eminently endurable. I was 64 when I went through rads (15 targeted sessions--which at the time was a new protocol for the over-65 set but now standard-of-care. You might even get brachytherapy, for only 5 days. Research proceeds at breathtaking speed--the 7 years since my dx seems like a lifetime ago). As to AIs (in your case, Arimidex), the further past menopause you are the milder the side effects seem to be. I'm on Femara (my MO may tell me when I see her in April whether 6-1/2 yrs was enough), and any side effects I had (mostly lowered metabolism) seem to be gone.
Judy, logistics are and have always been my bugaboo. I never had stage fright so much as worried about whether I'd attract a large enough audience, where to park, where & how to load in, equipment snafus, strings breaking, an unexpected throat tickle, winter weather, etc. Usually, those fears were unfounded--but each one of them had happened to me at one time or another. Performers' PTSD?
Betrayal, I had to chuckle at your description of your precariously-stacked furniture a la Jenga; but I wince at the prospect of you removing the wrong piece!
Snow stopped at twilight yesterday; sun is shining; both Bob & I were able to get out of the garage (him to get to work & the car dealership service dept., me to pick up Happy's medication refill). Due to an inconsiderately-parked car he passed en route Tues. from Union Health to Holy Cross, his passenger-side mirror got knocked off and was hanging by a thread (yesterday he was able to take public transit). He left the house so early this a.m. to drop off his car that he forgot his cell phone. So all day long I've been his de facto page operator--physical pagers have been replaced by the (im)PerfectServe app: phoning him at Christ Hospital every time (im)PerfectServe "dings" on his phone. Thank goodness he'll be home by dinnertime so I don't have to drive down to Oak Lawn to drop off the phone.
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Carole -- yes, yes, I am thinking Spring and I dearly love daisies as well. I had yellow daises in my wedding bouquet and bridesmaid with yellow dresses had white ones. I still have great fond memories of the day even though the marriage dissolved after 10 yrs. I married a week after my divorced was final and we are still married. We were married at Rev. Floyd Gresham's home on Lemongrove Ave. in Ventura, Ca. Rev. Gresham was one of Johnny Cash's best friends and the clock on his mantel struck 10 a.m. just as Rev. Gresham pronounced us officially man and wife. I always say that is why we are still married to this day.
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re: Voltaren equivalent. So far I am very impressed.
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I'm not certain that I agree that AI's are easier the farther out one is from menopause. I had a total hysterectomy at age 37 so early menopause. Tried both femora and arimedex and quit after 3 1/2 years. I am convinced that they are the reason that my knee replacement has never been right - nothing shows up on X-ray but the pain, especially when walking, hasn't gone away in almost 3 years.
If braceotherapy is an option, take it. I was done two weeks after surgery.
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I took Arimidex for 5 years with no side effects except feeling chilly. The people having a rough time post, but there are a lot like me who never had problems.
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One year and 23 days left of anastrozole. I’ll be very glad to stop taking it.
We’ve had two beautiful days in the mid 80’s. So it’s hot again, too hot to pull up some lantana plants that grew way bigger than I expected. Honesty, I don’t know what I expected as they’re annuals in NY. I think maybe I’ll keep my plantings in pots now at the front walkway.
Tonight we went to the Art Walk , got to hear some music too. Busy weekend ahead with an antique car show, all Fords at their winter estate. Down town Arts Festival in the afternoon. And Sunday some music from New Orleans. As long as weather holds up it should be fun.
Everyone stay safe and enjoy the weekend!
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Hola 1946Taco - I am post-lumpectomy by three days, with the follow-up visit with the surgeon's nurse in another three. I am a retired librarian and cannot stop researching things. Even though I haven't had the path consult yet, I am panicking about the possibilities of rads and AIs.
I was interested in your comments about brachytherapy (a positive for you) and anastrozole (a detriment). Why did you dislike the AI? I've heard of joint pain and the brittling of bones, and now, being chilly (Wren44). I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thank you.
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Vandercat, I have had some SE of AL, joint pain, but I also have Lupus and it is hard to determine what is causing it. I also had a THA, so early menopause and I still had initial SE's of hot flashes with AL. I take Turmeric and Antihistamines to help with SE's.
I have enjoyed the pleasant weather the last few day with long walks and outdoor activities. I had more energy and got the business taxes completed and in with the CPA. It has been a good week for me.
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Vandercat, I, too, am a retired librarian before becoming a social worker, LCSW. I, too, researched night and day, still do, and basically drove/drive myself into fits of anxiety. I met a friend the other day, a very well known Chicago psychoanalyst, who has just stopped anastrozole after five years and she said she never had side effects, and when I told her my leg has been painful and giving way a bit, she asked if anastrozole could cause joint pain. She knew zilch about possible side effects. This is a very bright woman, with a highly positive, non anxious, personality, not like me. She, too, is far from menopause. I had surgical menopause at 35. It is very difficult for me to know whether leg, joint pain, is my Arimidex, my 10-12k steps a day, or being 87. Maybe all three my MO said and also that I could find out by going off the Arimidex for six weeks. Will revisit the subject with him in March if leg is not better. And dryness, loss of libido?
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I’m not a librarian but I researched everything. I was not offered hypofractionated rads, but based on my research I asked for and received it. Knowledge is power. On the flip side a friend of a friend who was dx with bc wanted to know nothing, just get it out.
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