Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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GrannyDukes
My coordinating nurse told me something at the start of chemo that has helped me many times. She said, "You don't have to like it, you just have to show up!" I know that sounds sort of harsh but it is so absolutely true. Giving up a couple hours, Monday to Friday, for 5 or 6 weeks will be a big pain in the you know where, but it will end. Regardless you will still live those 5 or 6 weeks and have little to show for that time or have completed a difficult course of important preventative treatment.
I do not want to do it either, seriously I do not want to do this! I am 65 years old. and I know I will kick myself across the state if I don't do all the treatment and the cancer comes back.
I understand, I want it to be over! I want to go back to before this and start over in a different dimension where there is no cancer. I can't do that though, so here I am sometimes wishing it all away, sometimes rowing my boat down that river of denial. However when the morning comes I keep on marching forward to that little stanza, "You don't have to like it, you just have to show up!"
Blessings
Ginger
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Hi all just spent time reading as I have been away for a couple of days and before that my head wasn't in a great space.
Hope you are all going well. GD do hope DGS is doing OK but don't let hyis accident upset your treatment, listen to what Ginger said.
We also celebrate Guy Fawkes Night here and still tonight there are bangs and cracks sounding around the area. My cats had enough sense to saty inside on Friday night.
Rae, as we drove through the Bay I thought about you so will PM you as we often go that way.It was a lovely drive to a place called Whakatane. SV. you would have loved watching all the gamefishing boats going out. It is a very tricky harbour with about 3 hours clearance over the bar. We watched people whitebaiting - these are a very tiny fish which are absolutely delicious.
Will try to post pictures tomorrow when my camera has recharged.
Hope the rest of your day goes well.
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GD - really - other than the time it takes, radiation is not that big a deal. Some people get what seems like a sunburn - many don't even get that. 20% better odds seems good to me.
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Barb is showing me how to send pics.....think I will be able to do it when I get home....H....no, but for now here is a pic of me with Miss Kitty when I was in MO and one of my cat, George and one of the dogs, Harley and Hope (the stray we kept).
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((((GRANNYDUKES)))))) Hugs to you and I am praying for you and Eddie Jr.
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GD this is from both Marybe and Barb!
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Heres George.
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Granny -- I hope you really will consider the rads. They really are not bad and as someone above mentioned --- there could be many regrets if you did not do ALL you could to eradicate the possibility of this disease returning.
Since no one can be sure if or when cancer could come back --- one of the biggest tools there are is the ability to radiate and get any stray cell that might have stayed hidden all through other txs or operations. Basically the rads are only time consuming for the most part, and I found them more boring than anything as I had to go stay in a motel for the week ( week-ends off and spent at home ) and the whole procedure from start to finish only takes 10 mins.
I know it's a personal choice but you never buy half a life insurance policy, or half a car, or half a house ---- I hope you really will consider doing everything you can now to give yourself the highest opportunity to be FREE of this disease --- not half way, but all the way. There are no guarantees, and never are, but doing this type of protocol has proven to offer you your best chance to know that you did what you could, when you could.
I support you whatever you decide -- but hope you will think about increasing your chances for a healthy outcome.
Hugs, Jackie
p.s. Picture girls look great.
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Look at you guys! You look beautiful and look like you're having a great time! Good for all of you for making it happen. How was dinner, with wine I presume?
Did the rads mess up anybody's sleep schedule? I only slept about 4 hours last night, but slept all day yesterday insisting I needed the rest for this pneumonia. I'll probably sleep half the day away again today because I'm still exhausted - just can't sleep at this particular moment. It's just all messed up!
MB - love your cute little dogs and George, of course! And, of course, he's in a box!
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H&S, my sleep was disrupted. After it bothered me awhile, the doc gave me a mild sedative; I still have most of them - it passed. I don't have serious commitments, so slept when I felt like it.
Also: I drank lots of water, and ate a lot of good proteins - we are rebuilding cells during this time. (I did buy some easy-meals too!) For some odd reason, I craved watermelon and nearly ate my weight in it. Turns out it's about the lowest on the phyto-estrogen fruit&veggie scale. Who knew? Main thing, Just be good to yourself and don't sweat the small stuff. Save your energy for healing!
{{ }} to ALL
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Hi all!! It was so great getting to meet 3jaysmom (Cherie) and Marybe! I downloaded the pix Cherie's DH took of the three of us and dang it, they were blurry! We'll see how Marybe's turn out.
Here is another one of me and Marybe hanging out waiting to watch sunset.
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Doesn't look very warm, Barbara
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You guys, it is so fun seeing your pictures! Now the gals we've been "talking" to have faces, Ha! I really like that! It's like we're all Sisters somehow, & I love hearing about you!
George, Harley & Hope are very lucky to have you! Thanks for the pictures!
So this is a picture of Me, DH, & our youngest Daughter Janie, on our way to Orlando!
Okay, now the rest of you please send a picture so we know who you are!
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my picture is the avatar
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Great to put a face with the name, CB!! No Lisa, we had a cold front and the high was 70. For me that is sweater weather.
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A
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Thought I posted this before but maybe I didn't. This is the latest picture of me and my sweet fellar; Denny.
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Thank you for this page full of wonderful photos! It put a big smile on my face. It is so nice tos ee the pets and you gals and dhs getting together.!
Cyber hugs
Mandy
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hey ladies, hope marybe pics come out, but im pressing on, trying to learn how to post pics myself.. maybe marybe will know how to tell me. Barbara a will call me, later on.. i WILL learn this, too... i have been copying all the pics you've been posting, and have a bco folder now. i was feelimng like im 100, i still do, but to see faces to go with the postings is wonderful. meeting BarbA and Marybe in person was even more delighful!! ive been in bed much since then, walking still kills me, and had done a lot of it before Sat., so wasn't at
my best.. but, wouldn't have missed it for the world.. you guys ROCK here on this site@!
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Oh Good Jackie, you DID it, Ha! I was hoping you would post your picture too!
Isabella...I too watch racing on the week-end, ha! Did you get to watch The Nascar Sprint Cup race yesterday? THAT one really WAS good! Those guys really do get worked up sometimes, but that makes it more interesting! Thought Jeff Gordon was going to plant one on Jeff Burton! They had to be separated! Yikes! And then Kyle Busch, HE just ASKS for it...Ha! He has to cool his jets down a little, or those guys or officials are going to penalize him right out of his SHOES!!!
About your back surgery...what are they going to do, exactly? My Grand-son works with Depuy Spine....He has the "implements" and tools needed for spinal surgery, & is in surgery with the Docs in Orlando every day. He has the titanium tools, "cages" rods, etc. for each different type of surgery. I could tell him what type of surgery you are looking at, & maybe he could help settle your fears a little..... I had a "double Laminectomy" about 15 years ago, with no hardware added, & it took awhile, but I've done great! You said "Orthopedic" surgeon....I had a Neurologist...they specialize in nerve damage, like what was happening with my Sciatic nerve.....They didn't fuse my spine, because he said it would grow together anyway.
Okay gals....gotta see some more pictures! Ha! xoxoxoxoxo
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Boy, I don't know if it's the rads (of which I've only had 4) or the pneumonia, but I had a bad night sleeping Friday night - up and down - finally up at 3:00 pm. Then 4 hours later, at 7:00 pm, I went back to bed and slept for almost 12 hours! Needless to say, I am not tired now, for now - haha. I start a whole week of rads and no doubt I'll be worn out again soon enough.
I LOVE your pictures everyone! It is nice to put a face to the "voice". I don't have anything recent because I keep losing my good camera. I can always use my phone camera so I'll try to get myself put together for a picture, too.
I got my test results back Friday - only thing I need to worry about after radiation is this benign tumor on my adrenal gland. As far as I can tell, those have to be removed because they malfunction all over the place and mess with all your other hormones. My onc said we'll deal with this after I'm through with radiation, which means January. I think I'll put it off until February because I have got to get my immune system built up before surgery. They don't want you taking antioxidants or anything during radiation either, so I'm just hobbling along expecting my pnuemonia to come back with a vengeance (I just ran out of antibiotics yesterday - don't even know if it's gone). I found a recipe for an immune enhancing smoothie at Lance Armstrong's site, so I'm going to at least make those every morning for a while. Plus, Smoothie King has an immune system option - gotta start getting those. The doc said that's why my shingles haven't healed yet - because my immune system is so weak. Can you imagine having shingles for 4 months! It's driving me nuts!
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Aw HnS ((((HUGS)))))) 4 months of one thing after another and some still continuing really stinks!!! You are in my prayers for relief.
Jackie, great to put a face to the lovely words! Isabella, so sorry to hear you are looking at a surgery. I really hate doctors in general so my life now is rather agonizing and I can totally relate to what you are feeling about now.
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Oh, snap! I just came back from radiation and there was the BEST-LOOKING MAN standing in the rads area. I thought he was a doctor, then he came down the hall and introduced himself. He said, "Hi, my name is Eric and I'm a student technician. Would it be alright if I observed you today?"
I just had to laugh - he was sooooo good-looking. Kind of like a male model with gray tips in his hair. I felt completely awkward, and I laughed and said, "Why not? Sure!" because I've had to show this battered booby to everybody lately. I quickly changed the subject and started talking about his training, and real estate and whatever else came flowing out of my mouth. AARGH!
Later my son said, "What difference does it make if he's extremely good-looking? You can't show your boob to someone who's good-looking?" I said, "Well, if I was dating him that would be great, but in this context I'm not exactly at my best."
Then, when they started, the machine hit me in the arm and freaked me out because everything is supposed to be so precise. I think the way I reacted when we met probably made the poor guy nervous. It's not his fault he's such a hottie - I bet I won't be the first female today to have that kind of reaction.
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trying a pic w/ barb on phone
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i thought i got a pic of me &DH ok, this is me at my worst bald, and swollen from steriodds. my dear puppy licks my head the whole time.
im not quite sure how barb managed it, but with her help i got this one on. i HATE this pic, so its a lesson in humility.. will see if i can do it again, alone..3jays
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Take heart 3Jays. My best is my worst --- it never changes, but yours will. Not too many of us would have won any prizes amid our active tx. time. Just good that you are on your way to doing pics when you have them so congratulations -- you did it. Hooray.
Hugs, Jackie
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YAY!! 3Jays! You did it!
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YES! 3JAYS! Yeah! Okay, I hit "copy" then went to "write" and then the whole picture came out, WITH your little pooch! Now I will add it to my pages of pictures! Fun, fun FUN!
You gals are just too much fun! xoxoxoxoxoxo
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