Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Oh, Mandy, I hate when I have to add all my programs
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Lynne, Look under topics for Abbreviations for newbies. I found it very helpful when I first came here.
Welcme. I do hope things go better for you from here on.
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Thanks, BarbaraA!
Just printed them all out so I can join in the conversations. Where do i find my "Feb. '11 chemo" sisters on the forum?
deep bow,
Lynne
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http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/764090?page=6#post_2225881
HI Lawteach,
I never have much luck posting links... you may have to copy and paste this but it should take you to a thread about Chemo in 2011. Otherwise look under The Forum Index, scroll down to Treatments (Tests, Treatments and Side Effects), scroll on down to Chemotherapy (Before, During and After) and look for Chemo 2011 Pals.
It sounds as if you have really had a rough start. We are all wishing smooth sailing for you now as You continue your treatment. You should find lots of support on this site and much useful information. Hugs and prayers.
Pam
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((((Lynne)))) Good Grief-you have been thru it all!! Hey don't worry about the Abbs-we don't even know what they are! ya just sort of catch on-and welcome Shirl!! The last place any of us want to be but NEVER a better group of gals than here!! Barb, so glad about your bro-whew!!! And Lisa, the photos are so good of teh zoo animals that they don't look real-except for the panda that you knocked out of the tree ;o}}}} and i love the elephant-I got to ride on one once and it was the WORST ride ever-I mean no matter where you are on the animal, you are covered in elephant!! Having awful asthma attacks at night-coughing til I feel like a rib broke-have to sit upright. Gees, if anyone had told me in my 20's that I'd be living like this in my 50's I'd have shot myself!! WHAT HAPPENED to me!!!! I mean it seems ya slam thru puberty then get 10 years of gorgeous body and fun fun fun, then it is freaking over!! XXOO, SV
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SV, you crack me up! I'm trying to remember the 10 years of gorgeous body I had and for the life of me I can't! I always wanted to be tall and willowy and I just got short and squatty. Wonder what's triggering your asthma attacks. The weather propably doesn't help, and they're calling for more snow here tonight. Enough of that, already! Just heard on the news that NC has already used all of its snow removal budget for this year. Just great.
Welcome Shirl and Lynne! This is such a great group of gals and we're glad to have you even though we'd all rather not be here.
Amyjo, hope you're feeling okay today. Your Daisy is a doll---loved the through the years pics.
Barb, wonderful news from you re your brother. Hope you can take your mom to see him soon.
3jays, any news? Waiting to hear and hoping for good results for you.
Thanks for all the recent pics, everybody. Lisa, are those little things meercats? They're adorable.
Kathy
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Welcome Shirlrae and Lynne....nice to see 2 new ladies here, sorry for the reason that brought you to us tho'.
Lisa...flippin' superb pics, you look as if you can get right up close to those lovely animals.
Ginger. NO I am not having an extra bedroom for my G/son. I have been getting lots of comments tho', about having too much room ...but, water off a ducks back. I like lots of space, and besides I am not here alone . I have 14 dogs live in the house with me ( dogs allowed in 2 rooms only !) but that's what I throw back at the comments I am getting. So, there are 15 of us in this house, so we NEED space !! I am doing it to have a bedroom on the ground floor, save climbing stairs. I should have done it 18 months ago when I was doing alterations....no-one would have noticed me sneak it in then, and no comments would have been made !
Barb. Pleased your brother is beginning to look a bit better...a big relief for you.
Amyjo....you Daisy is a doll, such a lovely little face.
I have 2 of my dogs quite ill at the moment, both are very old, around 16/17. Neither will make summer without a miracle. I hate it when the end begins to look a possibility. The first one is a very old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the oldest one I have, they're not a very long lived breed, so she has done well. She has been getting quite slow since Christmas, and one afternoon my sausage dogs attacked her, biting her badly round her neck. She must have got out of her bed and blundered into them. It can only have been the sausage dogs, as they are trouble with a capitol T, and are always in the front of any fighting and biting. The rest of the Cavaliers are not of a confrontational nature. This happened about 10 days ago, and I have been close nursing her since then. Gave her a course of Antibiotics, had to force feed her for 8 days ....sardines....I always give poorly dogs sardines, they're full of goodness, the dogs love them and just easy to get into them. Just yesterday she started to eat by herself again, and can now stand up and lurch around the kitchen, looking stupid in a little lilac coloured fuzzy jacket I made for her to keep the heat in ( the only coloured fabric I could lay my hands on in a rush ! ) She is blind, has been 2 years, so she is always going from obstacle to obstacle....but I don't think she will go on now for too many weeks.
The second dog, a crossbreed, ( Pekingese X Cavalier, BIG mistake !! I just kept her because she was such a cute puppy ). She's been a lovely little dog, a bit nippy now and then, but very loyal. She has started to suffer with her heart, and has difficulty breathing. Have fetched some expensive tablets from the vet, which won't do much other than ease her breathing, her heart is packing up, and that's about all I can say about her, nothing will sort it out.
So I am watching and waiting now, can't do more. At the other end of the scale I am fetching my Alsatian puppy this coming w/end, so will be tearing my hair out at the size of the puddles and anything else ! that she'll produce. I just could get ratty and plonk her in a kennel if I can't clean her act up quickly. I dread the other dogs walking back and forth thru' all the mess when I am not in the house. I shall end up getting 2 puppies, I just know it, as I won't ever put one out on its own....I think there were a couple not sold. Its hard to clean up a puppy when you're not in the house much.
Right , off for a nice hot shower and then its bed for me.
Isabella.
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Lynn,
Just read your post and wanted to give you some cyber support/hugs. I too am a feisty 65 and have been going through bilateral mastectomy (BMX) with reconstruction for months now. I also had a mild stroke at age 63--not much residual but still it worries me! You sound like you've had your share and I'm really sorry you had to go through so much. I'm a retired nurse/health plan manager and thought I knew a lot of things but have found out how much I didn't know about being a patient! I hope you do well through your chemo--there are lots of people on the forum who have gone through it and have great suggestions re: side effects. As a nurse, the best advice I could give is that if you have something bothering you speak up and if they don't listen keep insisting until they do. Always advocate for yourself to any extent you can--doctors and nurses are angels of mercy but we aren't perfect!! I'm a boomer too, born in Jan. of '46 (the first boomer year!) My parents met in a defense plant. I lived through the vietnam war and lost friends there. I'm glad there are so many of us--we should be able to have a big influence on the future of health care legislation. I too have never smoked but have had lung disease all my life due to second hand smoke. Currently diagnosed with COPD due to long-term asthma. Remember how smokey the world used to be? Thank God that changed! My best, Lynda
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Anything can be borne with lots of strong shoulders-no matter the degree of difficulty-and the love and support here is so very genuine...I know I would not have made it thru this past year without my sisters!! OH OK (((((((GROUP JUGS))))))....UHHH....O My Lord, I wrote Group Jugs when I meant to WRITE {{{{{{{GROUP HUGS}}}}} and tried to get all smooshy. So much for that-I do get points for the effort. And Isabella, I am about to expect to see you on the UK version of "Extreme: Animal Hoarders".....but your sick puppies - very sad and a worry!! AmyJo, I put your pix together and thought i mailed it-did you get it? I have to get round to getting the rest of presents sent out. Waiting for Mitch-my matte order guy to get back so I can get the colors i want!! I am having the worst day-ya know when nothing is really wrong but you can feel that something is really wrong-and I cannot seem to shake it. Time to go watch Ghost hunters International-they are in Scotland tonight-a land to visit on my bucket list!!!! XXOO, SV
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Lawteach - welcome to our thread. I so sorry you have to meet us here, but I am glad you found us. This is the best cheerleading squad for anyone going through any part of BC (Breast Cancer). The is a list of all the abreviations just go to the search box and type in abreviations for newbies and you should be able to find it from there. Here are a few to help you get started;
DH - Dear (or other D word) Husband, DD - dear daughter, SIL - Sister in law or Son in law, RO - Radiology Oncologist, Onco or Onc - Medical Oncologist, BMX - Bilateral Mastectomy, Rads - Radiation.
Anything you want to ask or want to say is fine to do here. There will be someone on-line soon to answer any question and we are all here to help one another and we all have good days and bad days when we just need to vent a little. We all understand where you are and what you are delaing with so welcome to the group.
Joy and blessings, Amy Jo
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Well, I did it again. I commented on a post before I read the next page. Lynne, I see you found the abreviation and are getting into the swing of things here.
SV - I have not received the picture yet. When did you mail it? I will let you know when I get it. Thank you for your generosity in doing this for all of us that wanted one.
BarbaraA - what is the latest news on your brother?
Isabella - so sorry to hear about your dogs. I know how attached you can get to dogs and Daisy is part of the family. Sometimes I wonder if she knows she is a dog. ;-) I did not think I would ever get another dog after my giant Lily dog died, but Daisy sort of adopted me and who could resist that face.
Hope everyone is getting enought rest and taking care of themselves.
Joy and blessings, Amy Jo
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Here's what I did this morning since I didn't have my appt for treatment until 11:20....baked the cookie dough I mixed up last night...took sugar cookies, iced cut out, and peanut butter cookies to the onco's office for the staff and also took my own little container to pass out to patients in the treatment room. And I had a good visit with the PA....I complained about my skin getting so bad, just hanging there, looking like crepe paper and that for the lst time I am seeing all these wrinkles around my eyes and know it is not just from sunbathing and how it has been happening in a matter of weeks and months and I can SEE it happening......and she admitted it is the chemo....not necessarily this chemo, but it's cumulative and after all this is my 4th one. Why this make me happy I do not know, but it does....probably because now I have something to blame it on and it's not just old age and I am not imagining it. She told me to use Eucerin, drink lots of water and use the humidifier in the BR. She said my cell search is zero so try not to worry so much about the tumor markers.....also liver function is still normal so that is good. All in all it was a good day AND they reduced my steroids so maybe I will stop eating like a horse, but not until I have consumed some of my cookies myself, and also I will get back to normal sleep....and I am sleepy now so I going to gather up Harley and go to bed. Welcome to you newbies.....no one is a stranger on here for long, not to say that a few of us aren't strange, but we are harmless. I will comment on post later Night all................
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for lawteach 0 -
welcome lawteach. glad you finally posted. there's a list of abb.. but i don't know how to bring it up. someone will be along shortly to help you with it. you've been thru it, girl..many of us have. i had trouble with the dosages, they can chenge it if you have s/e's side effects from chemo. have you had a port put in?? 3jaysmom0
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Barbara.. am so glad yuour bros . doing better.. will be praying tommorrow it all go well... 3jays0
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welcome lynn and shirl...just jump in as everyone has said and abbreviate or not, this is the one place where you do not have to mind your ps or qs...
barbaraA- fantastic about your brother...will keep the prayers coming to see him through recovery:) you get some too and a big fat hug as I know how damn exhausted you must be
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Sunset in southern california (SoCal)
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for lynn and shirl..3jays 0 -
Welcome to Lynne, Lynda and Shirl sorry you had to join this group but we are not a bad bunch and some of us have been around for a while.
Haven't posted very often but do read all posts each day. Am a little worried as my mast side from colllar bone( extremely painful) through my shoulder and to mid back is really sore. The area below my collar bone is swollen and tender. Having had a false alarm, well a benign cyst on the chest wall, I am bit reluctant to make a fuss as its probably nothing and the pain in my back will be the arthritis and degeneration but its making me feel so tired and just generally not right. Do have onc's appointment in 3 weeks so hope I can wait until then but we will see.
Anyway I have worked well today and have written 2500 words for a Social Studies textbook now just have to insert it into the chapter. Should get that done tomorrow afternoon, then get answers finished.
Its a lovely day here, not so humid but humidity is expected to return at the weekend.
Marybe, wish I could have one of your biscuits or cookies as you call them, They look lovely.
Lisa I would love to vist your zoo as it looks great. Saw pandas once years ago when they came here.
SV look after yourself.
Big hugs to all.
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Lynn, Linda and Shirl, welcome. We are all at different stages but make up a fun diverse group with experience in just about every aspect of life. We were all around during the Vietnam era and that of course means different things to different people.
I just love this group, I always read here everyday and some times post. Enjoy yourselves here. Isabella, am I crazy to get two foster pasture horses from ahorse rescue group? I have a fenced pasture, not too big but when I moved here there were two mares and two foals living in it. The barn has two stalls and a tack room and a hay loft and such. It is not too old, maybe twenty years. Someone will come to take care of the horses everyday if I do this. I would love love love to be able to go out and and get some horsey love and maybe offer carrots or some treat. I am not too strong lately but I am tall, nearly 6 foot, and pack some extra weight so I think I would be safe. I rode a little as a kid and always wanted my own horse but lived smack in the middle of the city. My knowledge of horse care is very limited. What do you think? Anyone?
GInger
14 of 35 Rads completed so far. Sleeping pills work fine.
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Oh Ginger, I would go for it! How cool!
MaryBe, you are a cooking fool!
Alyson - I would be worried because that's how I am. Gentle (((HUGS))).
My brother's ENT surgeon called me last night. She is the wife of a coworker of mine. She is very happy with his progress and I am meeting her at the hospital around 8:30. THey will try to wean him from the respirator today. Whew. Things are looking up.
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Ginger, I know nothing about horses, but I'd say to go for it. It sounds as if you have a good plan and the rescue horses will be lucky to have this wonderful new life.
Barb, Glad that things are looking up for you.
Everyone I've missed, have a nice day.
Hugs from Mandy
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Allyson,
I am a retired social studeis teacher and just threw away my manuscript for my book on teaching methodologies. I still have it on hard drive, of course, but I realized that I had to learn something new during this journey---how to care FOR and ABOUT myself for a change. That is taking up alot of my time, and my friends are helpful in pulling me back to grounded when I begin to incorrectly put their needs ahead of my own.
Kathie, I forgot to mention ponchos. I have one really lovely one and it does a great job of hiding what's underneath.
I'm happy everyone is animal-obsessed here--so are we. It's been a brutal winter here in NJ and we faithfully feed all the wild animals. Then there is my delicious 7 lb. bundle of love, Chloe the Malti-poo who gives me loads of licks and soulful glances, and cuddles with me at night.
Must go clean up.
Monday is looming large for me. Prayer and good thoughts to all,
Lynne
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Re: animals and cancer. I like to say that when I was first diagnosed I was in a state of maddness; my state rock was the one I wanted to throw at somebody and my state animal was the white llasa apso, or, specifically, my white llasa apso, Ozzy. He seemed to know I was a mess and followed me everywhere, esp. if I was on the phone. Boy I must have looked like "phone call monster"--getting some of those results was grueling. No matter how crazy I got he just padded alongside me making sure I was never alone! In Tibet they say that when a monk dies, his soul enters into his llasa apso--I think mine is already there! I've written 2 books, neither published and both pretty mediocre (it's a minor talent!). Have outlined a book about this cancer journey--I used to say it was like trying to push a 747 down a dirt road. At the end of the road I found trees and stuff (I live in Oregon, 'nuff said!)--am starting to hike now. I also found spirituality that wasn't there before. And I will never take any day for granted again. Still wondering whether to get my reconstruction revised--they aren't symmetrical. Maybe just leave them that way and try to accept that life is always slightly askew. Love and wishes to all.
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i haven't seen you here before dragonfly mama..welcome..that's a cool thought they have in tibet!!GINGER: i think thats' great!!! as long as you're not doing the work.. why not!! id love to have em here; the condo assoc. would frown on it...hehe it was a nightmare moving in here; we have our 2 chiuahuas regerstered as service animals.. a LONG story.. ans 1 lady on the board tried to enforce the "no pets" rule, and deny us to move in. after many phone calls, to everyone from my dr. to my vet: i had Equal Opportunity lawyer call, and threaten to sue.. guess who had to sign the papers for us to move in officially? weird.. the head of maintenence here.. they figured if they crapped outside, he'd have to pick it up! what a crock!!(we carry scooper bags, thank you) mostly, they're inside dogs..
i was so freaked out at first, then got really P&&*%%'d off, and got it done. its' a lovely place, and we're ALL happy here, now..
Animals have been so much nicer to me in life than the 2 leggeds...
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Barbara; im so glad your brothers doing better. its a scary thing. saying prayers for you both. we went thru the process with my mom. its' harrowing, scary; but she was ok and he will be, also. 3jays0
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for those of us who are relatively new to "our bc club"
the only thing I can say as a ten year survivor is to take
just one step at a time..it can be a very long journey or short but
you just can't get ahead of yourself
Sending warm hugs from Southern California (SoCal)
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Welcome to all the new ladies, the reason you are all here is not the best because of the beast, but having a place like this makes it a little more bearable.
Barbara, so glad your brother is showing improvement and can be taken off the tubes soon. Did they decide it was the flesh-eating bacteria? How did he come in contact with it?
Ginger, as far as the horses go, I say go for it as long as someone will come out and tend to them. I'm sure they'll provide much solace for you.
Isabella...new puppies!! How wonderful for you. How are your 2 sick puppies holding up today? hope they are better, but as they get older we all know what the end result will be. You have been such a wonderful "mum" to them.
Love all the pix, Lisa. Zoos can certainly be so cool.
I had my 4 month onc visit this week. I am finally OFF ARIMIDEX!!! WooHoo. I do hope some of the side effects I've been experiencing will go away, however I do know many are irrevesible. Now I have to do the mammo thing (tit-squisher), a chest x-ray and today I had cat scan of abdomen and pelvis. This doc insists that I have a follow-up appt with him to get the results....grrrrr. Does anyone else get the hershy-squirts after drinking that prep stuff? I sure do and must make sure I am close to a bathroom. So I decided to take today off.
gentle hugs~ suzie
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Suzie, I finished up with arimidex four years ago now...most things get better..
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Welcome to all the new ladies!
Barbara - so happy to hear the good news about your brother! What a scary moment in time that was...life literally hangs in the balance. Tell him he had a lot of women with bad boobs praying for him!
((Alyson)) - hope you feel better soon.
Ginger - Yes! Get those horses! You need some horsey love since you don't have your birdies anymore. It's a win-win!
Lawteach - I have a malti-poo named Molly. That's her picture in my avatar. She really is a bundle of love!
Dragonfly - what a nice "minor" talent to have. The cancer book sounds like it would be very healing and you sound like you are well on your way!
Suzie - so happy you get to go off the Arimidex now! It must feel like a 5-year sentence is over - I dread it because I have just started tamoxifen.
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