Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Good morning everyone.
Stella, you are a very good sister and like Pam I would like to claim you too,. I had one sister ( 15 mos. older than me, now deceased ) who was not kind at all to me. . In fact, she was so un-kind that a few years before she passed on......actually she passed away 11 days after my mother did......I sort of divorced her as a sister. Apologized to my Mom and Dad ( Dad always had weird feelings where sis was concerned ) but told them I was not having anything to do with my sis again. That every time I spent any time around her ( she and my folks lived next door to each other on 10 acres ) I came home and cried for three weeks and would be upset for months trying to figure out how to get her to REACT sisterly towards me. I was dumb I guess.....in my 40's and just figuring out after all those years.......that I could NOT do anything.....my sister had to want the relationship as much as I did and it was not going to happen. What a long way of saying that your sis is so fortunate. Even if she tries to give you a big fat no.....in her heart I'm sure she feels your love and care Stella and I bet it means the world and more to her.
Helen, wish I could help you with the picture thing. You might just go on the Internet and ask and see if you get any instructions ( a lot of times it's still too hard for me ) you can actually use. I'm pretty un-skilled when it comes to computers.
We do have a big group of mia's.....though some are on vacations now, but I think lots of them are on threads of this forum that have to do with their txs. Maybe one of these days they will stop in and say hi. Hope so.
Big hi to Debbie and we are all glad you found us too.
Hugs,
Jackie
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I hope everyone had a good weekend, It was hot here in Washington!
And I have an Old house that doesn't keep heat out to well. Thanks Jackie,
I really like the nice people here (Jackie was my moms name, I love it) Helen,
Pam, Spar, Jan, Susan, Leslie, Phyllis, Annette and any other ladies, God
bless you in your walk to win this battle. Hugs, Debbie
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Forgive me everyone.....I saw this and got a big chuckle out of it.
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the preservatives they can get.
- Robert OrbenHugs,
Jackie
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Hi Ladies,
Jackie, you are funny, I love a good laugh and you just gave me one. Chuckle, Giggle, ROFL.
OK, I have actually "bought" some good rhubarb and am going to attempt it tomorrow. We shall see.
I bought two Caladium, two Coleus and two tall grasses to plant in front of my planter, yesterday, now to just get them planted. LOL.
My ettegre has been put together and is up in my bathroom so now I don't have to run through the house in my nudey cutey's to find towels, washcloths and tt paper. (what a sight ;-O)
My sister, --- well today she sent me an email and asked how I was doing, so I told her. I will wait to see what she comes up with. She has just retired from 40 years of teaching K-3 grade. She has always been active, I will have to see how she reacts to this new change in her life.
My mom is doing well she said but the doctor is hedging about taking out her colostomy bag and reconnecting her insides as she is 85 and he is not sure she would survive another operation. Gee, glad I am not the one who has to tell her that. LOL
OK, ladies, I am back to putting my desk together, a job that has yet to be finished. Sigh.
Blood Draw tomorrow and monthly docs appointment next week. I have questions for him this time, I have had some SE with the Zometa and I want to ask him about a test they do to find out if a person is susceptible to ONJ.
Have a good one Ladies,
Hugs, Pam
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Woke this morning with usual aches and pains. Took a shower and left leg had this lump and when rubbed HURT like heck- just below the back of my knee. Googled "blood clot" and decided to go to ER via taxi. Long story short: Ultrasound showed Superficial thrombophlebitis or small blood clot. Treatment: elevate, take one 325 mg aspirin a day, wear support hose. It could and should get better on its own, not a deep vein clot. Of course everything I get tends to have long names. I should be grateful I don't simply have the flu...0
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Hi to all Chooks! Which reminds me-- how ya doin' AussieSheila? I'm "behinder" than usual--just catching up on reading posts from last week.
Nancy It was fun to go to the LGFB site and see someone I "know!" And the blood clot--good grief--quick thinking on your part.
Jan OMG...intestinal bacteria. Just what you need--a little Montezuma's revenge (although I don't know if he ever made it to Guatemala). When I think of the lives you're touching with your own experience with BC, I'm in awe. I have wonderful onc nurses, but, still, they haven't had the "experience." Doesn't mean they aren't excellent nurses--but I'm sure the patients you work with appreciate your special insight.
Pam Interesting to read your comments about the possible new drugs--especially in the recurrence area. I'm like Patoo and Jackie --well, every one of us--every twinge makes me wonder... But Pam, the outhouse thing??? I have some terrifying memories of visiting an elderly aunt who lived in the "country" when I was about 4 or 5. She had an outhouse and I was so scared to sit down (I remember it was a 2 holer) because I thought a snake (Denali, are you reading this??) would bite me on the butt. If we stayed for a few days, my mom would load me up on Fletcher's Castoria when we got home because I'd get so constipated. :{
SoCalLisa: "Older than dirtsters"--exactly the way I feel today! Hope you had a great time.
Stella I think you are a wonderful sister!
Nana I don't have a problem with mismatched shoes. I think it's a privilege of age to wear whatever we want, whenever we want! All "fashion statements" were probably considered radical at one time.
Mother of 7 Hope you're holding up with all the park visitors--will July 4th be even bigger than Memorial Day? I see the 4th is on a Saturday, so you'll probably have mobs of folks there.
Debbie--Love your spirit! Keep it up.
Rita and JO Are you guys still traveling? When are you coming back???
Hope everyone has a good evening--take care. Helen
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Hello Ladies, I hope you are staying cool, It is 80 here in Washington and I am
ace wrapped with lymphedema swelling. I thought of a air conditioner, maybe
next year. I hope to find out the soon if I am changing cancer dr before appt.
What do you ladies think? God bless you all, Debbie
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Helen, I'm still on the road! We're in Sedona, AZ tonight and plan to explore this area tomorrow. We did the Grand Canyon today! What an awesome and breathtaking site! I'll be back home this Sunday, probably in the evening. Thanks for asking! It's nice to be missed. I am so far behind on posts that I probably won't get caught up with everyone until I get home. Still....I find myself checking in every so often to see how you gals are doing!
Rita
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Foot, there may be some "agency" that can provide an air conditioner window unit for you. I have heard of others getting them, but not recently. One was a child with asthma. Ask your doctor or social worker, patient advocate at your treatment center. You have nothing to lose, but lots to gain by asking -- MY opinion.
Wow, rita, you are really doing the grand tour. I lived in Phoenix when in high school and the Grand Canyon IS awesome. One year we did a mini grand tour and ended with Carlsbad Caverns and watching the bats fly out in the evening. Once in a life time trip.
The lump on my leg is much less and hardly hurts today. I am elevating it and not sitting for long periods of time. Take short walks around the apartment complex and neb nose around (you seasoned ladies surely know this word)...!!!! I noticed last night that some lights in the parking lot are out and will make a report once the office is open today.
Hugs for all, Nancy
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Good morning everyone,
I think I am liking how they have the blog set up now with the content to consider along the side. I had never done a blog before and at first did not venture away from the site where I was posting....that's one way I guess to tell a **seasoned** lady. Early on in my computerhood I learned to stash things in bookmarks or favorites.....so I could get to the "blog" part easily everyday. Don't even want to admit how long it took me to realize that you only saw the picture of someone or yourself after you signed in.
Debbie - I hope you at least have a fan so you can move some of the air around.....you might call your local city hall. They may have a list of agencies ( I live in a very small town ) that provide low-cost or no-cost help. I would say anytime you are not comfortable with any of your Dr's, find another one. It is difficult in any situation to have the most fruitful outcome with anything....if you are not seeing eye to eye. I think it is probably even more important when you are talking about your health.
Hi to everyone else. Hope you are all going to have a good day. Sunny here for now in southern Illinois.
Hugs,
Jackie
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Thank You, Jackie and Nancy I will go ask them tommorow, I have fans going
its 87now and hotter tomorrow, Rita I hope you have more beautiful adventures.
Nancy I hope your leg continues to heal. Jackie Good luck on making your blog.
To everyone else, Take care, Debbie
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Gramof3
Memorial Day went pretty smooth, it was raining up there, didn't have many visitors, Boy! Did we make up for it this last week-end, we had 860 people on Saturday, and 1062 on Sunday, it was like a zoo. We have 93 car parks, and 93 boat launching spaces, we filled up with cars, and had people waiting in line for over 30 minutes to go in to go to the beach, it was the first week-end they had some sunshine, and everyone up there was trying to make the best of it. I think the Corps has about seven parks up there, and all of them were packed full of people wanting to go to the beach. We went to work at 8a.m. that morning, and we closed the ticket booth at 9p.m. Boy were we give out!
TO ALL YOU LADIES:
Good Morning. Hope everyone is doing o.k. today. I have to have blood drawn today, see the Dr., and then get Herceptin. I know it has to be done, but 99% of the time, when they draw my blood or give me the Herceptin, I get bruised up pretty bad. I look like someone has beat me up, there is only about 1 nurse at that cancer center, that doesn't bruise me up, and I rarely get her. So i just dread having to have it done. Guess that's just the breaks of the game.
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Hi everybody, I'm back home from my vacation. Got home about 3 pm Monday. I waved when I went by Bloomington IL, both ways. I'm going for my postop surgical appointment in a few minutes.
I talked with one of the doctors I work for yesterday (okay, he is a pathologist.) I told him about the reservations I have about starting anything like Arimidex or Tamoxifen. Obviously - he has access to all of my pathology reports! Read a couple of my slides! He agreed with me, that at my age and with my diagnosis, I could be borrowing more trouble than good if I go on the therapy. I have my medical oncology appt tomorrow. I do have some questions for him, and if he wants to order me a bone density scan I may go ahead with that, as that information would be good to have anyway.
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Glad to see you back Cheyanne. Glad that you will have a few questions for your medical Oncologist. I think you basically make the best choice you can.....for your situation and then don't look back. I acted more out of fright with my choices.....though I am not un-happy about them. I needed to do as much as I could and though I have some reservations about being on AI's for a long time ( mainly because I may become dependent on **taking** something ) and also because no one knows yet if we are doing ourselves ( all of us anyway ) any good or are a whole bunch of us taking on se's to deal with when we would have done just as well not taking anything. I'm not looking back much....guess if anything I wonder how I might feel after years of taking something if I find I didn't actually need to.....well, time will tell. I wish you well in whatever you choose for yourself.
I think bone density ( since you can get help with that ) is always a good thing to know.
Hugs,
Jackie
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Rita..don't you just love Sedona??
Here is Wisconsin..
we are swapping stomping areas..
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Ritajean
The grand canyon was breathtaking. My problem was, my husband was terrified of it. He always worked in construction, climbing up and down ladders, but he was terrified of the canyon. But, we climbed a mountain to see the cliffdwellers, I asked; What's the difference? He said; I'm just scared of the canyon.
I am all bruised from takin Herceptin, yesterday. They went in my arm four different times before they were able to get the blood to come out of a vein. It really hurt. Now, they are going to do a liver scan, a total bone scan, a follow-up Echo,and a chest AP & Lat.
Hope you are enjoying your trip.
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Gramof3
If July 4th is worse than this last week-end was, I think I'll scream! We had over a thousand people on the park on Sunday, it was exhausting! I enjoy most of the folks, but some are very rude, we have to tell them about the awful language they are using, we tell them it's a family park and that kind of language is not allowed, then they want to curse you out. I have to say that abou 90% of them are very nice, about 10%, you just have to say;"Lord,please help me with these people".
Please pray that all the test they are going to do on me in June & July come out o.k. I pray for you ladies each morning and each night. I ask the Lord to heal each and everyone of you, and to put special blessings on each one of you. I remember quite a few of your names, and the I say; "Lord, heal each and everyone of the ladies on the breastcancer forum, and please Lord be especially kind to each and everyone of the seasoned ladies on the breastcancer.org forum." I don't think of us as old, I think we are all seasoned ladies.
Hope all is going well with you and your family.
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Joke for today:
One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob:
'If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts.'My one hour infusion took 4 hours because they were backed up, but I got a nice nap while waiting. NO housework was done today and none is getting done this evening.
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Jo..it took quite a while for the effects of arimidex to wear off--- for me--at any rate...I had my last
one three years ago now...
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Hello Ladies,
I am new to this forum, and I have a question to women with a similar situation to mine - postmenopausal, early stage, grade 3, node negative, ER++++, and Oncotype 26 (found that out just today.) I understand that they don't often give chemo to older women, but they do sometimes if the risk of recurrence is high. How many of you had chemo with similar diagnosis?
BTW, I see that so many of you are Stage IV. That is really lousy. I think you are all great to keep such an optimistic attitude. More power to you!
elisheva from New York. (67, going on 68).
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Hi Everyone - I need some help. I just got my stitches out from my lumpectomy that was the easy part. The results came back - Good News - Noninvasive Bad News the DCIS is extensive. I am however still Stage 0 Grade 3 with 6.75 cm. I am definitley getting a mastectomy on the left side and am considering doing a bilateral. I am 52 years old and this is driving me crazy on what to do. I making appts with some recon surgeons to decide on the surgeion to use. My question has anyone received just the Unilaterla surgery and was happy with the results if you had recon? I'm so exhausted!!!
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Elisheva
I have your same diagnosis, my tumor was not quite a cm, it was 8 mm, grade three, ER positve, Her2 negative with an Onotype of 26. I am 58 years old. I did 4 rounds of adriamycin/cytoxan. The medical oncologist told me they like to do chemo if it reduces your recurrence rate by 5 percent. Chemo reduced my rate from 17% to 12%. I am now going to start radiation therapy and I have already started Aromisan. The chemo was very doable and I worked the whole time with about 6 sick days.
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Hi Knowledge, thanks for your response. This chemo combination - aren't those the drugs that make the hair fall out? How did you fare in this area?
Elisheva.
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Elisheva,
I lost all my hair two weeks after my first round of chemo. I am now waiting for it to return. I will admit having no hair makes getting ready in the morning a lot quicker and I never have a bad hair day
. I wear turbans and scarves. 0 -
Hello all of you! Hope everyone is well. And a big welcome to the 3 new posters who just posted tonight! Elisheva - I had 8 (full strength) treatments of Taxotere and Cytoxan. I did so well on the first 6 that I begged for more (due to my prognosis) and my onc relented. I did have side effects, but nothing unbearable. Exhaustion more than anything. BTW, I'm 61. Fayth - can't help you our on your question - maybe you should ask on the reconstruction thread. I bet you'll get a ton of replies. Oh - my hair fell out on day 17. Like Knowledge, I also just wore scarves and turbans. It was cold for most of the time, so I looked for hats, but I have a really large head and didn't have much luck. Finished my txs in Jan and my hair is about 21/2 inches now. Still snow white - I was hoping it would grow in brown, but no such luck. I always had chin length hair, but I will def. keep it short. Very easy!!! Movers are coming Monday and then I'll spend the rest of the week cleaning over here before we give possession on the 15th. Whopee! I'm almost through!!!
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elisheva.....I was stage 1, grade 3 with a 1.4 cm tumor. I had a lumpectomy and then they went back in because my margins were not clear. Because I was grade 3...(and thus had an aggressive tumor) my oncologist suggested that I do CMF chemo. It is not as hard on the body as AC or TAC and you don't lose your hair. It just thins. You do 6 CMF treatments and they are considered equally effective as 4 AC in early stage cancers. I also did the rads because of the lumpectomy. Although I was very upset with the idea of chemo at first, I am now glad that I did it and the CMF was quite doable. You may want to check out this type of chemo before making your decision. The decision-making is one of the hardest parts of this journey and not everybody thinks the same, so your decision just needs to be one that you feel good about. I"m sure you'll do the right thing for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.
Rita
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elisheva- I was stage one grade 2 er+ pr+ Her2+ no nodes. The only reason I ended up doing chemo was to get herceptin, which is so good for the her2+. They do not usually start herceptin without chemo of some kind. I was on taxol x 12 weekly and had herceptin every 3 weeks along with it. There are several other choices of treatments given along with herceptin. My onc would not do one with the adriamician (sp) in it in combination with herceptin because they are both hard on the heart. I had to have an echocardiogram before i started herceptin and am scheduled for another in 2 weeks. I have finished taxol and have had the first herceptin by itself. I see the radiation onc next week and will probably be starting rads in July. I had a lumpectomy and had to go back to get clean margins. Knew I was going to need rads, the chemo was the surprise because of the her2+. Herceptin cuts the recurrence rate in half for her2+. Since I am also er+ pr+ I will be taking some kind of AI pills (femara or something like it). I am 61 years old (although some days it feels older). Right now the se's from the chemo have me feeling very tired and I have some neuropathy in hands and feet. It seems to improve a little every day. It has been 2 weeks since last taxol and 1 week since herceptin. It will take a while to be feeling any where near normal again. Hope this info helps. There are lots of choices, you need to listen to all of them and then do what you think is best for you. I hope this helped and I would answer any thing else if you have a specific question that I know an answer to. Best wishes Annette
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Hi Rita..enjoying Sedona?? you have to go to the airport at sunset for channeling...
we head into Canada today for Moose Jaw..
for the ladies deciding on chemo...I had CMF eight years ago...still dancing with NED...
It took six months total for me of the chemo...I did one year on tamoxifen and four on Arimidex..I was 2B..
Here is a light house we just saw from Lake Superior
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Annette and for elisheva - I am 61 as well (which always surprises me) and have had surgery and chemo this time. Five years ago I had DCIS with lumpectomy and radiation which is likely part of why I am getting the full deal of treatment now. Like Annette, as you can see on my signature here, I am positive for everything (first time that's not so great) so will also have herceptin and radiation and hormone suppressants and whatever else is in the arsenal of things to make this thing stay away. So far, the chemo, while not the most fun I've ever had, is doable. I plan to be here to see the baby my daughter is expecting grow up. And maybe even get good at playing bridge,
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Hey JO Glad you are back! Hope you get rested up soon.
Elisheva Looks like you are getting good responses to your questions--will throw in a bit more. I was Stage I, Grade 3, Triple Negative. Tumor was 1 cm. I had a lumpectomy, clear margins, no node involvement. My oncologist suggested AC x 4, then Taxol x 12 and I will have 6 weeks of rads after I finish chemo. My MUGA scans have been good--72 on first, 71 on second, and I have been blessed with few side effects. I did lose my hair after the second AC, and it's growing back now that I'm on Taxol. Low rbcs have been my only problem on the T--and the fatigue from the anemia has been hard, but I have concentrated on "iron-rich foods" this week (Total brand cereal, watermelon(!!), and baked potatoes with the skins on) and haven't been so tired. I go in this afternoon for my 5th Taxol and am thinking my rbc will be up a bit--hope so, anyway. I know the hair issue is of major concern to most of us, but since I'm a TN, I decided that my main focus is to do whatever it takes to beat this BC--whatever chemo, whatever side effects--so that I can retire in 3 years, move close to my kids (er--actually my grandkids), be a full time "Grammy" and, in the words of the 5 year old, "Spoil us rottener." I think the treatment options depend on your particular DX, and how comfortable you are with what your onc suggests--(((hugs and prayers))) as you make some difficult decisions--we're here to offer support!
Lisa and Rita I love hearing about your travels. Lisa--the lighthouse pics are outstanding. Rita--I got to the Grand Canyon and Sedona only once, but hope to go back someday. When I think back to those places, I remember the colors. Sedona makes me think "reds" and the GC makes me think mauves and purples--absolutely fantastic.
Well, Chooks, I'm off to infusion. The least favorite part for me is the Benedryl--my eyes actually go out of focus, I start slurring my words, and just get loopy. I remind me of a stripper I arrested for DUI about 10 years ago.
(Well, all except the stripper part!!). Have a good day! Helen0
