Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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H & I did plenty of shopping on Cyber Monday.
Christmas cards are in the mail.
We're looking forward to supporting local stores while shopping for stocking stuffers.
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Oh my goodness Teka - I feel so guilty. I have purchased my Christmas cards, but not begun to think about addressing. And I usually have my gifts not only purchased but wrapped by this time since 95% of the family lives in far flung states and they have to be mailed. I just have piles on my guest bed.
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Hi, All I am dealing with home repairs in Florida and crawl space basement insulation install in NC, I don't know if I am coming or going. My labs show hypothyroidism. Last time I showed that low was during radiation. The new doctor lowered my levothyroxine and now needs to increase it. Not a good first impression.
Welcome Marticcrn
My friend pierced my ears in high school.
Nice photos Cindy
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Petite1, sorry to hear your new doctor changed your dosage and now you have to increase it to reach stable. My sympathy about home repairs at 2 separate sites. I am dealing with a guest room that is on chaos due to A/C leaks damaging the closet. Clothes are strewn on the bed and also in DD's old room. The HVAC people are coming next week to make repairs in attic. Once they are done, we can have guy work on closet walls, so we can then paint the closet and install an organization system I found online. It is shallow so finding a system was a challenge. The ceiling in this room needs painting as well.
Dining room needs ceiling and walls painted. I have been unable to find a company that will take drapes and valance down, clean them and then rehang. I may just take them down and drape them on living room furniture. I have to take contents of China closet so it can be taken apart and moved.
The rugs for the dining room and living room are still rolled up after cleaning. They are in the living room for now. I will open them once dining room is painted. Just organizing this is causing stress. I find myself avoiding the rooms.
I bought a Christmas tree from Balsam Hill. I haven't had a tree since 2015. That was the last year I celebrated Christmas as I had in the past. That is when all the BC bullshit started with abnormal findings, and then a slew of tests with no final dx until January 2016. Yesterday's issues with another abnormal mammogram, triggered all those old feelings, so I am hoping I can proceed with decorating. It's hard for some to understand how I felt then and now.
Teka, you sound so organized. I am hoping my Christmas cards are in the attic, because I have no idea where they are.
Sandy, nice to hear from you. It sounds like your Thanksgiving was very nice. Sorry to hear your house was not adequately insulated by the restoration company. I hope sealing the windows works.
Hope everyone had a great day. We got freezing rain and it was very gray. Waving "hi" to everyone.
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We arrived today.
Ready to fall asleep sitting up. Hotel is great. Meet a bunch of different people today- drinks with some, dinner with others.
Very enjoyable timeI did read all the posts but took no notes. I’ll get back on tomorrow to catch up
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Betrayal - I’m so sorry to hear that the mammogram needs to be repeated in 6 months. (Hugs)
Cindy - enjoy PR. Are you there with a group?
Canarycat - good news on your test results
Marticcrn- a warm welcome. I’m sorry you had to join us but we are happy to offer support
Waving hello to all.
A few pictures from our trip.Seville Cathedral. We climbed the 343 ft Giralda (Bell Tower) on Monday
Hiking Caminito del Rey
Christmas decorations in Seville
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well, dear friends, I am official. Grade 3 TNBC T3aN0. PET scan on December 18.
KEYNOTE 522 starts Monday. She will re-MRI every six weeks and if the tumor is clinically gone, I get to go to surgery (so let’s hear it for complete response) and quit chemo.
I have my heart set on DMX but I haven’t had surgery consult yet. Since I’ve lost 40 lbs (thank you Zepbound), my boobs are just loose skin with very little contents. The tumor is 5cm, so resection would be deforming and I don’t want scanxiety. I’m also terrible about getting screenings done, as evidence by the fact I missed last year’s mammo. So …
telling people has been awful. I had my manager send out an email generally saying marticcrn has breast cancer (I’m a nurse) so people wouldn’t wonder/talk. My hair stylist cried when I told him. I haven’t told my adult kids yet and my 7 year old just knows Mommy had a lump tested. Gonna get there later this week. I really hadn’t anticipated how bad telling people would be.Port soonish, but chemo starts first. I need your nail care tips, your skin and stomatitis tips. Alll the hints pls.
Hugs to you all.
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I think scars are like battle wounds - beautiful, in a way. They show what you've been through and how strong you are for coming out of it.
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Marti, information brings a certain level of relief from uncertainty. I have no hints but lots of moral support.
We're in the 30's this morning. Winter weather but the sun is shining. The forecast is for rain tomorrow, and dh has a surgical procedure scheduled that will require us to travel to a city about 45 minutes away. He learned yesterday that the soreness in the roof of his mouth is caused by a cyst. He will have it removed under anesthetic, so I have to accompany him to drive home. We're hoping the rain won't be as heavy as forecast.
Yesterday hit hard on the bank account since we have no dental insurance. My cleaning and his trip to the dentist specialist amounted to almost $600. The surgery will be $1700. We're hoping that insurance will cover it. Older people without savings are "up the creek without a paddle."
Cindy, I know you are enjoying your trip. Thanks for sharing with photos.
Happy Wednesday to all.
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I forgot to commiserate with Petite for her expenses and headaches in repairs to two homes. Hopefully, the results will lead to greater enjoyment.
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Marti, sending support and prayers for all you are going through with treatments, finances, and the difficult discussions in your future. I have no hints since I was Stage IV de novo.
Cindy, love the photos. I miss travelling so they are appreciated!
Petite, I am sending prayers for you too. So much to do and go through.
It is snowing here today and schools are cancelled—the first one of the season. Fortunately I don't need to go out although my nurse daughter has to work tonight.
Blessings…
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Petite - I’m also commiserating with you in the headaches of owning two homes. It’s a joy to have a getaway but as I remember from my time of owning a vacation home, when it rains, it pours. Wishing you good luck.
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Sunny, but cold today. I'd like to be back in Puerto Rico and feeling the heat there. It was just above freezing. Neighbors had people using gas powered leaf blowers to clear their lawns, and it seemed like it was a coordinated effort because the noise went on for most of today at more than 4 houses. Our houses are not close together, but even then the noise was distracting.
cindyny, your photos are great. If you have a chance, hit the Marshall's there for great buys, and also hit the Drunken cookies store. I had the chocolate chip cookie and it took me 2 days to finish it. I also had the alcohol free pina colada and it was refreshing.
Did 4 loads of laundry today and straightened up between loads. I received the Tanzanite ring I bought for DGD back from the seller today. It had to be sized and I had forgotten it was being done. I thought the delivery was my DD's Alexandrite ring which needed a repair. That should be coming back soon as well.
I woke at 4:30 this morning and could not go back to sleep. Normally I'll read until I doze off, but I ended up finishing the book I had been reading without returning to sleep. I finally called it quits at 7:30 and got up.
harley07, loved your photos of Seville. It's a beautiful city. Post more photos. I went to Spain, Portugal and Morocco for my 25th wedding anniversary. I loved it. The food was so good.
marticcrn, glad you have a tentative plan and hope that the chemo reduces the size of your tumor. I can attest that surgery and radiation for BC can cause deformities, even for tumors much smaller that yours. Getting clear margins is their goal. So discuss your options with your oncologist as well as the breast surgeon. If you really want the DMX, ask others on here who have done that for suggestions. I can't remember the correct terminology, but there is a complete flat surgery where there are no residual "flaps" left. If your surgeon says "no" , then seek a second opinion. Remember no one else (including healthcare providers) can walk in your shoes, and this is your body. I am hoping your co-workers will be supportive during your treatment. Be aware that some might offer advice that is less than helpful, and wrong in more than one instance. We are here to be supportive.
Waving "hi" to everyone and I hope you had a great day.
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Great pics of PR and Spain. Spain is one place we didn't spent enough time in.
About StoryWorth. I don't know what it cost as it was a gift but I have found it a very good thing to do. It's encouraged me to really look at our lives. Ken isn't a writer but I've been able to ask some pointed questions and after 60 years I know a lot of answers. I have written from my perspective, sharing stuff from his life too. If you don't like this week's question, you can look for another one or just write about whatever you want. Or skip a week. And it's set up so DD can submit questions too. My problem is taking pictures of pictures to include. I'm afraid they are going to be very blurry.
Great pictures of Seville and PR. Wish we'd spent more time in Spain when we were traveling.
Marti - I'm not familiar with the chemo you are getting, but different ones do different things to hair and nails. Talk to your MO or nurse navigator about what you can expect. I lost all my hair but was fine being bald - what I hate is having a bald spot on the top now (probably from genetics and too many non-related surgeries.). I was getting fake nails and my guy managed to save all my fingernails and I lost only one toenail. I don't what he did but I suggest that you talk to your nail person now. The one thing I wish I had done was get my eyebrows tattooed. I missed them the most.
I was never nauseous but did have trouble with the constipation/diaherra syndrome. I found that if I was sure to empty my bowels (even if it meant taking a strong laxative) the day before chemo, I did much better. I was very glad I had a port put in. I suggest you start interviewing BS before too long to be sure you have one that's on board with the DBX. When my DH was practicing surgery, insurance was also a problem but I think the guidelines have been relaxed on that now.
We'll all be here cheering you on. I hope your friends, family, and coworkers are as supportive as mine were.
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I am so grateful for you all!
Breast MRI showed more inconsiderate cancer cells reaching out of Fred (tumor - he lives in the fold), making my size now 7cm. Clinically, I am stage 3a, grade 3. Nodes still look good. I have an incidental liver cyst she will probs want an ultrasound but it’s likely a nothing burger. I’ll stress about that later.
I’m glad I took December off. The sheer volume of calls, arrangements, appointments, would have made working my job (RN in endoscopy center) impossible. Every day this week has been at least four hours of appointments. But I live 15 minutes from a top ten cancer center, and the luxury of near immediate access to advanced testing is such a privilege.
I had labs Tuesday and they resulted in just under TEN MINUTES. TEN. MINUTES. Oncology, interventional radiology, imaging, infusion, lab, lil cafe, resource center, social services, etc all in the same building. It’s a sweet setup. (You can tell I’m a nurse)
Both my therapist and my new social worker reminded me that the last time I gave these chemo meds (taxol, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin) was, in fact, THIRTY YEARS AGO and people don’t just drop dead from sepsis all the time anymore. That’s my big fear.
surgery will seem like a relief. My visualization of the chemo is weird (kinda like I am): Fred (tumor) is a black blob. The chemo - ok, remember those little teensy plastic sabers they use for drink garnishes? They come in bright blue and green and orange and pink? I see each color as a different drug stabbing Fred and Fred screaming and dying a bloody horrible death.Idk, they said visualization was helpful. I might get some silly putty and some of those little sabers to play with at the infusion center. You think I’m kidding. I am not.
My psychiatrist gave me a script for ambien because (checks watch, yes it is 4:30am) I can’t sleep. But I did get a solid six hours tonight.
Can I go to Puerto Rico with you guys? I am indeed going for aesthetic flat closure and there’s a surgeon at the cancer center trained in it, so I’ll be bottoms only, lol. Trying to think of a cool tattoo for my scars.
Here in the Tein Cities, it is snowy and cold. Currently -3 in my back yard with about 1/4” of fresh sparkly fluffy snow on top of about a 7” base. I’ll sweep it off the walk in the morning. I love the cold beauty of winter. The short sunny cold days and the sparkly snowy silent nights. The earth is sleeping and healing. Maybe like me right now. If things go exactly to plan, I will be completing chemo just in time for spring, around the end of April. I like that imagery.
Today, I meet with my Rabbi and I’m getting my tattoo! I’m profoundly deaf in my right ear (from birth) and my whole life my friend apologize because they can’t remember which side it is. I get it. They look EXACTLY ALIKE. It’s much worse with healthcare professionals. And they talk softly.
Solution! I am getting a small MUTE BUTTON tattoo just below my deaf ear as a signal for my friends and HC workers. Gotta get it done today. Chemo Monday.
Any must-haves for 20 weeks of chemo? Fave lip treatment, lotion, whatever? What kind of head covering if any did you like and why?
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Marti, we don't live very far apart. I live in Monroe County Wisconsin, just east of La Crosse County. All these people saying it is cold at 32 degrees are so funny. It is -8 deg F right now.
A port is essential, because the poison then dumps into the largest vein in the body, diluting quickly to avoid damage to the circulatory system.
My daughter got me some beanie-style caps, very soft because the skin on my head was sensitive. Otherwise, my skin was plenty. I was sad when the curls grew out.
I love your creative visualization. Shows a sense of humor in difficult situations. My reaction is to grimly soldier through, not as adaptive, I think.
Harley and Cindy; beautiful travel pictures!!
I only have religious Christmas decorations this year. Tossed my little tree, it was getting ratty looking.
I got myself a 1 1/2 quart French press. It is very fussy if you use it for coffee, according to the directions, but I am using it for tea (decaffeinated). I was well-hydrated last night and slept very well. But I keep forgetting my early afternoon gabapentin, so things have not yet reached a state of balance. I ran out of tea, but have plenty in the fridge.
My SIL's family is building a family vacation home in Hawaii. It will be a duplex, with a caretaker's home on the other side.
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marticcrn,
I remained on my regular threads. Also, on the day of my 1st chemo treatment joined a chemo thread. 😘
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I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. There are no accidents; we're all teachers - if we're willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door.
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Chris, okay I will concede I am a cold weather wuss, lol. Our temps should be in the 50's at this time of year and we are 20 degrees off that prediction. The winds are not helping because they are making " a feels like" situation less than the air temp. I become a hermit when it is this cold, because once I get cold, I have difficulty getting warm again. Currently I have a long sweater covered by a Heat Holder fleece jacket on and I am freezing.
I met with the pulmonology CRNP today, she reviewed my sleep test results, and have to have a slew of additional tests done to narrow down what is causing my breathing issues. I was able to get a cardiology appointment for tomorrow due to a cancelation, otherwise first available is February, that is early in AM, and then I have a PFT and 6 minute walk test scheduled for the afternoon. I called today and was surprised I had a pick of appointments, including 2 times that were available for tomorrow and more for next week. The sooner I get these done, the sooner I can get a causation, and then a treatment plan in place.
Taco, thanks for the information on the story and what it entails. It sounds interesting. I have some family hx books (sort of along the lines of old baby books) that ask questions like these and have started those, but sadly have not finished them. It is a nice gesture to leave to your DD.
harely07, good to see you back.
Guess that's all for now. Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi".
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Marti, I didn’t have chemo, so like Carole - I have no solutions to share. But I’ll lend any support you need. HUGS
I can’t remember who asked, but in PR we’re on our own, no group tour. Before we bought a second home in FL we vacationed in PR for 10-12 years, always on our own touring the entire island and even the island of Vieques off the east coast of PR. But we haven’t been here in 10 years, since purchasing the vaca house in FL.
Petite, unfortunately I can definitely relate to repairs happening in both places. But it’s all worth it in the end .
Today we took Lyft from the hotel to Castillo San Cristobal. We were here years ago but SO wanted to see it again. We spent 2.5 hours there. Loved seeing it again! But it did drizzle/rain on us 2x. Temp was 84 but high humidity. I was soaked in sweat.
We then headed to El Moro, another National Historic Site and also part of the US National Parks. We used our America the Beautiful pass and saved a total of $40 in entrance fees.
We caught the rainbow in this one.
I think we were out for 5 hours, walked over 6 miles, and sweat out a ton of liquid.
Tomorrow is a beach day, I just want to chill out with a book listening to the waves. We’ll get back to Old San Juan over the weekend, to take the ferry to Casa Barcardi.On a side note - the San Juan Airport (I can’t remember if I already mentioned this, must be the rum drinks, ha!) has expanded so much; there is a terminal for just JetBlue. But anyway, we puttered in thru Duty Free looking at booze prices. Don’t know if it’s tariffs or what, but we didn’t see any deals. One of the employees told us to go to Walmart, prices are less. Rum cakes that my niece loves, thinking Christmas gift, cost more in Duty Free than they do back in FL Tee shirts were $23-28. We’ll grab some tees at the local drug store for $13.
Harley, your pictures were beautiful! Share more.
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