Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Keywest - my oncologist gave me a 2 month break and I never went back. I endured 3.5 years of side effect after side effect. Life improved so much in those 2 months. That was in 2010. I hope you get some relief off the AIs and figure out what is what.
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Judy, my PT (Mara) has me mostly doing stretching & core-strengthening exercises--she hasn't been able to do much massage or myofascial release because the trigger points are so painful. I increased my Tylenol to 8-hr x2 at bedtime & morning, with 6-hr at 6 or 7 pm (I so wish I could take a nightly Celebrex, but will have to rule out a GI bleed first. CBD with turmeric does help a bit). My ortho (Bass) & her trainer are on break this week, but will try to see her a couple of weeks early at her Lincoln Park office rather than wait till 7/11 at Skokie. Will discuss possible add'l imaging (venous Doppler for "squeezing" calf ache & MRI or at least hip/thigh ultrasound to determine muscle damage or inflamed hip bursa).
Since going off Letrozole my hair has gotten much fuller, my "back-ne" has cleared, the non-arthritic joints don't hurt, and my head & neck no longer sweat.
After talking with the new podiatrist this a.m., I have learned that the "boat has sailed" on conservative (non-surgical) mgmt. of my L bunion, due to the fact that the 1st MTP joint is, in his words, "shot." Had my old podiatrist last year been willing to discuss bunion surgery, the OA in that joint might not have progressed this far--but now that a year has passed, it'll have to be fused (even if I don't get the bunion realigned). Too far gone for shots (Synvisc or cartilage graft). New DPM says "whenever you're ready, I'll operate." In the meantime, Voltaren gel and ugly stretchy shoes are my only options. He also had some very choice words for the Sklar Bunionectomy group--the words repeatable in polite company referred to venality (no-insurance/cash-only policy) and "malpractice suit waiting to happen" (surgery done on-site in their office rather than a hospital or hospital-adjacent surgicenter). He said the photos in their ads show young patients whose bunions were mild to begin with. So I will try to get my traveling & performing (including Bar Show) in before I get the surgery, which will require at least 2 weeks of rest & elevation and 6 weeks in a cast & then surgical boot. At least it's not my driving foot. And I will have to ditch all my wedges and even "kitten"-height heels. Will probably see if I can get wider-forefoot sneakers (the newer Hokas, even W width, seem to have narrower toe boxes than their predecessors).
The toe OA has been half a century in the making (my bunion first began to bother me at 21),, so AIs had nothing to do with it. And my knees needed replacing in 2012-13, before my BC dx. My MO is ordering a new DEXA, in light of the deterioration of L3-S1's facet joints, but she also thinks Letrozole had nothing to do with it.
And though my PCP is onboard with authorizing my Paxlovid refill (label says "1 refill before 4/24/23"), N.Shore's policy is "no positive test, no Paxlovid." I can't even bring it in to CVS or Walgreen's, because they'd have to call Glenbrook Outpatient Pharmacy, which would deny permission. So I have to hope I either don't catch COVID again, or wait to test positive until just before the refill eligibility expires. So frustrating--we always keep Tamiflu on hand just in case, and we ought to be able to do the same with Paxlovid.
I have my dreaded weigh-in tomorrow--am teetering between size 12-14 (or L). The only Ms/10s that fit are either those that are not "body-conscious" (tops, dresses) or stretched over the past year or two (jeans, shorts). I might get sympathy over not being able to exercise, but none at all for the nocturnal carb-comforting. I fear they'll put me on either strict keto or meal-replacement shakes (which taste like the container they come in).
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Sandy, My PT also has me doing mostly stretching, core, glutes, and the lateral orange band steps that give me such pain after. So have cut them out- even sit to stand is difficult now.Also, lot of stair training because of my anxiety about curbs. I started Voltaren gel on Sunday. but stopped it today, because with my break from Arimidex, I only want to change that one variable. Otherwise, if knee gets any better, I wouldn’t know whether it was because of the Voltaren or no Arimidex.I don’t take anything else for pain, except a Tylenol before PT. Think I will finish my 3 remaining sessions, then go back to Skokie Ortho walkin, since I don’t have an orthopedist and the wait would be long. Your mention of a hip thigh ultrasound sounds like what I need. Having knee( in good leg) bursitis, why not have inflamed bursa on bad side and certainly hip and thigh do hurt. PT says no need at all for knee injection but think I will check that out at Skokie Ortho, after Arimidex break.
Your bunion, et al sucks.
Karen, it scares me that if I feel better, I might not go back on the Arimidex. But I’m basically compliant and I’m pretty sure MO wouldn’t agree. But, also, I’m 88, and if it is the AI causing the pain..
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Judy, last time I had hip bursitis (and inflamed glute) was in spring 2015 (on the sunny side of the BC "break in time"). Dx'ed at Skokie walk-in by Dr. Hoeper (sports medicine)--he did an ultrasound and injected the bursa. (Same side, IIRC). What got me through a 3-city CLE trip through Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville) was the cane (Leki "Wanderfreund") and both Flector (diclofenac, RX-only and crazy-expensive in the US) and lidocaine (5% Lidoderm, no longer covered by insurance now that 4% is OTC) patches, alternating every 12 hrs. Never did try PT; about a month later, in Las Vegas, the pain just faded away--needed a cane on arrival, packed it away for departure. I will ask Dr. Bass about an ultrasound--Mara (my PT) suggested I might inquire about a cortisone shot, which requires ultrasound for proper placement.
Mara is at a loss to explain why I keep getting worse. Myofascial release is hitting my trigger points and I keep wincing & flinching. I see Brooke 6/27 & 7/6--Mara will consult her as to game plan. I noticed that doing the abductor work with a rigid belt (the kind they put around a patient's waist for walking therapy) rather than elastic bands was less painful. Bob is singing the praises of the butt-raising/leg-extension cushion I bought him off Amazon--maybe I'll get one each for the recliner and my own driver's seat so that my butt isn't lower than my knees.
I'm gonna tough out the bunion & arthritic toe as long as I can. I had expected my next surgery to be a L breast reduction (for symmetry and an instant 5-lb. weight loss), so this foot development threw me for a loop.
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Speaking of the seat cushion, Bob says it's a game-changer and is making him willing to nurse his car till it absolutely croaks. (Next to break down will definitely be the throttle-body, which has been a known Fusion issue since at least 2010 and what killed my 2002 Taurus SEL in 2011. It doesn't show up on the analyzers, but I've said that's what it is all along). Right now his ideal car--a highly-rated hybrid or plug-in hybrid SUV, with (hahaha) CD player--is unavailable at any price, thanks to chip shortages and insane demand. (Not to mention 99% of drivers don't play CDs). If his car bites the dust, he's gonna have to decide between fuel economy/ecology and being able to get through snowy alleys & side streets.
Why doesn't he rip his CDs to his phone? Surely you jest. It's moot anyway--none of our computers have CD drives, We can rip LPs to computers--Gordy got us a USB turntable awhile back--and then upload to a thumb drive.
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I quit AI's at 3+ years and I absolutely believe that my quality of life (but not my hair) has improved. I tried both astrosole and femora and I hurt all the time. The former also made me a real "bitch." I was mad at everything.
I'm having a good spring/summer. Lost about 10 lbs. and have more energy and my golf has improved, although the very dry course may also have something to do with that.
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Oh 1946taco, you just made me laugh. Yes, the Anastrozole made me feel mentally awful, I was mad at everything too. I turn 67 in Nov and maybe this thread will be my new home here, since I guess I am done with all treatments now if I can't take the AIs.
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Thought you might like this. I have it on my door.
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All the world is searching for joy and happiness, but these cannot be purchased for any price in any marketplace, because they are virtues that come from within, and like rare jewels must be polished, for they shine brightest in the light of faith, and in the service of brotherly love. -Lucille R. Taylor
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Welcome oldladyblue. Glad to have you join us. We remain a small group, but we hang together well.I too, quit Anastrozole ( generic for Arimidex ) in my last three months. I started out with Arimidex, but was automatically switched by my provider when generic became available. Had horrid time ( likely with the carrier material in the pill ) at first and thought I'd have to find something else. Then, my system adjusted. Over time though -- not only did I get irritated and mad OFTEN, but it was often instantaneous. From big things to little -- everything qualified. When I figured out why the huge change in my otherwise rather serene, un-ruffleable personality I quit the pill early.
Took a fair amt. of time to get back to being more sensible and reasonable, but a tiny bit has persisted. I have to watch my frustration level. That is when I'm vunerable.
Sounds like we may get afternoon storms today. I have to work, but hope to be done soon enough to not have to be out in a storm. Our last one, last week was a doozy. Then again, here in our little pocked sometimes most of what is predicted slides right on by us.
Hope you all have a ood day. MC -- love your sign.
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Mary - love it!!
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I had no problems at all with anastrozole. I'm hoping for the same with letrozole. It may be a little rougher on me than anastrozole, but I hope not too much. I just started Xeloda so I'm blaming all my problems on it.
Great sign!
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Mary, I love that sign!
PT today was at noon. He massages the tendon at the attachment site. Yowza! I have an ice pack that I’m sitting on, with a heating pad on my low back. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?!? I’m taking some Advil. I have by GYN appt at 3.
66 cloudyand I think rain in our future.
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Love the sign Mary. I need a tee shirt that has that in it. I’m doing Ok with anastrozole. I’ve had trigger finger and some other joint pain but nothing debilitating, just annoying.
At Outer Banks (Duck) NC this week. Enjoying time with our kids and their pups. We’re close to the beach, but the stairs over the dunes are gone and it’s hard to return from the beach. Thankfully there’s a place nearby where we can easily access the stairs.
More PT on my shoulder when I return home though, mostly from mastectomy/implant surgeries. Stay well.
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I went searching for that image. Didn't find it. The artist is Shari Jenkins, for Leanin' Tree, Inc, which mostly does greeting cards.
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Welcome - oldladyblue. This is a good place to hang out. Lots of support here and some laughs as you can see.
The fillers in the generics do make a difference. Some doctors have managed to get the original approved but not all. When I was on the AI threads, I seem to remember that there were preferences for specific manufacturers.
Reading "Lost Book of Eleanor Dare." I think I'm going to like it.
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MC, Love the sign
I am still having problems with logon. I have to keep filling out the same information over each time I sign in and then, I can't find my favorites. DH continues to have problems. It wearing both of us out. The neurologist added some meds and I think he maybe over medicated. He is calling the cardiologist to review the additional meds and see if other meds need to be changed.
Arimidex caused problems, at first. My body seems to have adapted, but I still have facial hair growth, thin hair on my head and dry vagina ( zero sex drive). 2 more years to go.
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We played a rousing game of spoons last night after dinner, in which I was the first one out. I blame my short arms. We had thunderstorms last night and today it's a cloudy, cool day. We'll probably just take a walk. It's quiet in the house right now. The kids have taken the dogs for a walk as we had a maintenance visit since the cable box hasn't been working. Usually there's some barking at something. Lots of rabbits in the yard, so maybe they're protecting us from the bunnies.
The login issue is annoying. It's about 5 clicks to get to favorite topics once you gain access to the site. I sent a note to the Mods. Wish they wouldn't break things that are working. Enjoy your day
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It is only in exceptional moods that we realize how wonderful are
the commonest experiences of life. It seems to me sometimes that
these experiences have an "inner" side, as well as the outer side
we normally perceive. At such moments one suddenly sees everything
with new eyes; one feels on the brink of some great revelation. It is as if
we caught a glimpse of some incredibly beautiful world
that lies silently about us all the time.
J.W.N. Sullivan0 -
Cardplayer, what kind of game is "spoons?" The only non-culinary "spoons" with which I'm familiar are the kind played as a folk percussion instrument, or the sleeping-à-deux position.
Nice day today--will try to suck it up and don socks (as loose as possible) & sneakers and do my walk--with the cane if necessary. Got read the riot act by my weight loss NP yesterday, who told me I have to try to tolerate more exercise and intermittent-fasting--especially not eat ANYTHING after dinner, much less the carb pity-party I've been throwing myself. She said that it's more important not to lose my inhibitions at night, in order to keep the insulin & therefore glucose "spikes" down. Tough to stick to an 8-hr eating window, especially with Bob's work hours so unpredictable. Dinner at 8 most nights is as early as we can eat--often, much later depending on new admissions and traffic woes. As it is, I have to wait till after 2pm most days before solid food touches my lips. (That's not a problem for him, as he fears eating before leaving for work will "get him going" during his commute, with nowhere safe to make a pit-stop en route). She says I can't let him dictate my eating hours any longer--but if I eat alone I tend to overeat out of sheer boredom, since I really need the distraction of personal interaction rather than either watching TV or staring off into space.
As to exercise, she said to use the treadmill, which I can do in OOFOs sandals. Will have to--by June 30 I need to report whether I've completed the mandatory biennial 30 hours of continuing legal ed (CLE) to keep my law license. The CLE videos I watched in 2020 were what got me "sanely" through quarantine. I can prop up the iPad on my treadmill's book rack and watch while I walk. Alas, there's no podcast option, so I can't listen while I walk outdoors.
Why do I maintain my law license even though I'm retired? Because I never know when I'll have to use it. Not going back into full-time practice, though--as the technology required to do closings, transactions and especially litigation has gotten way past my aging abilities to comprehend and utilize.
Had my CBC draw and FIT stool screening test yesterday to check on my anemia and rule out a GI bleed. The CBC is improving (the only actually, rather than bordline, "low" component is my hemoglobin, which improved from 11.7 in May to 11.9), and the stool test was negative. So I asked my PCP whether I could safely take a Celebrex or even an Aleve to relieve the inflammation in my hip/knee/back. He replied that there are "risks & benefits to everything," but I could try--"just not make it a daily thing." Back in the day, a Celebrex at bedtime really helped my arthritis & connective tissue pain, far more so than Tylenol. I think the reason I may have had that "small gastric ulcer of probable chemical origin" back in 2014 was that I was abusing ibuprofen: in 2013, I had weaned myself off Norco, tramadol & gabapentin by taking the "Bonesmart Cocktail" of 3 ibuprofen plus 2 extra-strength Tylenol. (Bonesmart.com is the forum to which I subscribed before & after knee replacement surgeries in 2012-13).
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chisandy - here's a link to instructions on how to play spoons. https://www.considerable.com/entertainment/card-games/spoons/
My kids learned how to play in their after school program in elementary school. They're 40 and 35, both married and still enjoy playing. We played with 2 decks.
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Steps and walkway hardscape workers finished on Tuesday and I am so pleased with the results. Our old steps had been replaced once before but were not to code since the steps had varying "drops" and were murder for me with short legs. We changed to 5 new steps with "drop" at minimum to meet code, and this required both guard rails and a handrail. The new steps are also 5 feet wide. They look nice and are much safer than previously. The two natural stone walls they built, one for the lilac that was being strangled by its previous concrete and natural stone surround and the other to fill in a low spot on the lawn, are beautiful. They are shaped like a relaxed letter "C". The second one became the new home for a Black Lace Elderberry bush and a rhododendron that used to be next to the old steps. My son had decided to toss a Japanese Holly that he thought too sparse. I suggested he rehome it with me so it is now in an area near the driveway where it can grow as large as it wants. We need to replace the pachysandra that used to be in one of the beds but we have lots on other areas of the property that we can transplant. This same company did the realignment of my flagstone patio and that looks great as well. There was a lot of natural stone left over from the project (1.5 pallets) that because they don't have a forklift, they were going to have to just trash. I told them to move it to the top of the driveway and to leave it. Also there is about 5/8's of the pavers pallet left and it was to meet the same fate. So we now have an idea of how to expand the area where we have a fire pit; we have the materials except for a crushed stone base which we can buy and the space to do this. My DS likes projects like this and he has offered to help us. We just have to figure out the layout (area). Unfortunately we have very rocky soil which means for every hole you dig you extract at least 5 lb. of rock and that explains the rock walls around every flower bed I have. The contractors did haul away all the rock they unearthed when digging for which I am thankful.
I am still waiting for the floor guys to contact me and I will call next week to remind them that the 2 year anniversary of them beginning the restoration is fast approaching as is the 3 year anniversary of the initial damage. It is time for them to be done and out of my house. I would never hire them again. The caliber of the work is fine, they do not coordinate the contractors and that is an issue. I have a punch list of items they still need to fix as well. I want my house back now that the outside was done in record time. Last thing on list is refinishing kitchen cabinets and I have a contractor for that. Have a good weekend.
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Hello all, I am to finish whole breast radiation tomorrow (16 treatments), and will have 4 boosts starting next Monday. My skin is not holding up well. I have clearly defined lines , redness, and swelling. I am experiencing a side effect I've not seen mentioned, nor have read about. For the last week I have had more than usual sweating in my underarm on the treated breast. The underarm on the untreated breast is fine. I live in a hot and often humid climate, but this exceeds normal. I plan on asking my RO on Monday, but would like to know if others have experienced this particular condition. I'm hoping it's only temporary.
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Petite: Here's how I log on and I never have to fill anything in.
Choose Log in on the opening page
Click Username and my prefilled in user name and password appear
click on Sign in
Select Community at the top of the page and then click on Active Topics
Click on the 3 horizontal bars in the top right corner
My favorites appears in a list, off to the right is a number if there is a new message you haven't viewed, click on that # and select which forum you want to go to, otherwise just click on My Favorites
I agree, it's a lot more clicks than we had to do before.0 -
Betrayal - everything sounds lovely. Happy for you that everything is coming together
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Puffin, my login routine is exactly like yours. I haven't experienced any problems described by others. I always use my laptop, not my phone.
We had rain in the early morning hours but not wind. So we didn't have to get up and roll in the awning. Our awning is electric, not manual, so we can't tie it down.
Today is supposed to get very hot and lead to storms by 4 pm.
I did not have radiation treatments so have no insight into side effects.
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The people of our nation and the people of the whole world need to be gripped by the moral imperatives which grow out of the nature of God, by a sense of right, by principles of truth, and by ideals of decency. Nothing is more needed by this world than a revival of simple goodness and genuine uprightness. -Clifton J. Allen
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I went to the church rummage sale this morning and bought a thread rack, a small deep fryer (for treats only-- not a steady diet, thank you). And a set of very heavy glasses to drink out of, and another with a lid and insulation. Those are the things I had wanted when I checked it out a few days ago.
My right leg was an achey mess last night. I guess I was trying to do too much.
Bean soup is cooking on the porch, and I have bundles of mint hanging in there, too. I think it was about a gallon when it was freshly cut. Still have bunches of things to do. Asked for my prescriptions to be synchronized.
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Took a walk along some of the nature trails and cut-de-sacs near our rental. Seemed like we walked for 3-4 miles. But it was less than 2. We did spend some time chatting with a woman who retired to Duck full time. We’re going out to dinner tonight as a family. We have a favorite restaurant - The Paper Canoe. We try to go every year.
Son and DIL leave tomorrow and daughter and SIL, and DH and me leave Sunday. Enjoy your Friday
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Has turned out to be a busy day for me. It is hot ( a bit of mugginess to it ) but we were out early to look at a piece of property for another family member. Then, home to breakfast, then to Mt. Vernon ( 20 miles south of us ) for SIL who had an errand. I took advantage to go to the Kroger grocery store. Back now to put things away and have a light snack ( pepper jack cheese and crackers ). My go to when I want something quick.
So will spend the rest of the day catching up.
I hope you all have a really good day.
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