Class of 2009 - Sisters in the same time frame
Comments
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Oh I think it's the same as Glucosamine and condroiten? I'm not sure but have heard it's good for joints.
Lilah
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Hi ladies,
I do not know what I may have done to trigger the Lymphedema. Over use of the arm, or trauma of some sort are usually the main causes of onset. I do a lot of laundry ( I have 2 boys, my hubby and me) so it could be just from lifting laundry baskets. There were massages they had told me to do and gave me instructions on how to keep them going at home as well as some excerises. Basically, if you massage your affected arm, and aim upwards and out towards the outside and work your way up and over to the healthy side across your chest. You may even be able to Google lymphedema massages and find some on line. Then as far as excersises go, I have one where I lock my fingers behind my head and move my elbows in and out. Then there is one where I take a cain of some sort and lift it up and down and side to side. This is to loosen up the muscles in my axilla area.
Hope you are all having a great day!
Jen
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jen, thanks. I was so afraid of getting lymphedema and I guess I still am. I try to protect my right arm and that is why I am afraid to get started on the yard work this year. I can't usually work out in the yard without getting nicks and cuts and really dirty. It may just not be worth it from now on.
pam, well I guess that jar opener that I bought several years ago and haven't removed from the box will come in handy. I did check with my prescription company and the Arimidex will cost me $50.00 for 90 days of pills. I guess that will keep me working for the next 5 years.
The rad machine was working today, so I did get my tx. Also saw the Rad Onc and he said I was doing go well that I didn't need to come back for 4 months after the treatments are finished. He said he normally has his patients come back after 3 or 4 weeks from finishing. So far the SEs have been very slight. No fatigue and no burning, just some itching and soreness inside the breast.
Had a bone scan on Monday, and will get the results next Tuesday when I get my prescription for the Arimidex.
I have gained 20 lbs since all this has started, I think I have really gained it since chemo. I have got to get back on track and get to exercising and eating right.
Juannelle
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GIDAY ALL
I'm just getting over the flue boy it was a good one I'm so sick of being sick but soon ill be a lot better. Ive just been reading about all the medical coast to some of you ladies so far all the chemo has cost us is about $90and I'm thinking Rads will be around the same cost then my hormone tablets will be around $6 a packet which id say will last a mnth i think our medical system is a lot different to overseas id hate to have to go through cancer and end up with a huge debt
JUANNELLE
WOW you have been so lucky with hardly any S/E from rads good on you and good luck with your up coming tests
I really don't mind strangers coming up to me and asking questions not that i have had many i think more education needs to be bought forward about the treat and all the S/E because many people tend to stay home through treat cause of illness and so forth , not a lot of healthy people come in contact with chemo patients and they don't know what to expect i had one 5 yrs old girl say to her mum ,mum thats a lady so why hasn't she got any hair, the mum gave my a sympathetic smile and pulled her little girl away 5 min later i passed them and i said to the girl i haven't got any hair cause when i was little i didn't eat any vegetables ,her mum and my self had a bit of a giggle.
Well I'm going to have my little arvo nape now
LOVE LOTS JOJO
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Jen I am so glad your arm is much better from the Lymphedema. Woo HOO!!! I noticed you are paying 10.00 for your Tamox. I pay 4.62 for mine from Wal Mart.
Juanelle congrats on almost being finished with rads and not having to pay an arm and a leg for your Arimidex.
Pam I wish your insurance paid more on your Arimidex. Hopefully it will go generic and will be much less expensive to you in a few months. I'll say a little prayer.
As for the more side effects you have with the Arimidex the better it works and the less risk your are for recurrence... HMMM, I'm not to sure I believe that. I think that would be questionable at best.
Hope the rest of you sweet ladies are having a great Thursday evening.
Renee
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The thing with activity and lymphedema is that you really have to pace yourself and start that yard work and other things very slowly. Even though I've had the manual self drainage lessons and physical therapy to help keep my lymphedema in check, I can feel the difference in the amount of swelling in my arm and chest if I've vacuumed too aggressively or gone out to clean the horse stalls and not paid attention to how much lifting I'm doing.
You know, there is a fine line between feeling better and stronger but the body not necessarily going along with that idea.........at the end of the day, my body sure gives me the "talkin' to" that I've overdone something. Here in Oregon we're having our first days of sunshine after months of cold rainy gloom. It's hard not to run outside and dive right into gardening mode. Maybe this is the year that I hire some kid to help out. Last April after my bilat was the first time I hired someone to wash my windows inside and out, now I'm SOLD and can't wait to call the guys to come out and do it again!
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Just popping in to say hi GIRLS ! Happy Friday to all.
Jen hope your lymphedema is behaving ~ Glad to hear it is just your hand now..
Juanelle, Renee, Lilay, Echo, JOJO, Pam, Michele, SHELBY~ hugs to you all and anyone else I may have forgot.
All is good here. Trying to move a bit more each day. Just washed the car being it is about 50 degrees out ~ woo HOO
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Alicia, I love your new picture! Hope everyone is having a great day. I just got back from my CT scan for rads - a little upset because not only did they do tattoos, but they marked me all over with India ink, which apparently will remain throughout treatment. I wouldn't mind if it weren't visible, but there is one long line of ink that you can see even with my shirt on. This is not what I thought would happen. I guess the surprises just keep on coming - I could do without them.
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txstardust,
I am so sorry you are being initiated into the radiation club. I really felt as if it was just one surprise after another. I am sure "they" knew what the plan of action was but I never did. I was marked and remarked three times which ruined a brand new expensive bra and made me wonder why I had to have tattoos if we were going to use magic markers. Many days my scheduled appointment was changed, sometimes because of problems with other patients, sometimes because the machine was "down." One day I waited three hours only to have no treatment. I was told how many treatments there would be but ended up with more.... and no reason why. I spent one day being remarked for boosts, had one boost, then the next day being remarked again. I am not suggesting I did not get good care... just that I, the patient, was never filled in on what to expect or why.
I had been so totally in the loop with my surgeon and med oncologist that I was not prepared for the lack of communication from the radiology team. I hope you are able to get more explanation than I could!
Having said all that... I healed up, survived the process and feel like life is almost back to normal. I wish good results for you.
pam
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Hi, I hope everyone is doing well. There was an interesting article in my local paper (The Toronto Star) about Vitamin D and breast cancer. A link to the article is below. You'll have to copy/paste into your browser because I can't figure out how to make hyperlinks in posts:
Sherri
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Love the new picture Alicia!
Thanks for the link Sherri -- about a month ago my ONC told me to starting taking 2000 IUs of Vitamin D a day... a simple blood test measures how much you have in your blood (mine was low at around 21). I am a notorious vampire when it comes to the sun
Lilah
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Alicia love your new picture!!! and Sherri thanks for the link I loved the link it was very the interesting.
I need to get started on some D3 but not sure how much to take?
Renee
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PJ, it's like they're speaking a special language that only they know (the rads people). And I had the SAME QUESTION in my mind, why the tattoos if they've got all these markings all over me? I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with questions. I'm glad you made it through okay!
Peace,
Shelby
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Would you ladies say a special prayer for a friend I met on the December Rads 2009. Her name is Michelle and she is not doing well. They don't expect her to make it much longer. She has a young son. Please keep her family and her in your thoughts and prayers.
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This is so heartbreaking. Bad enough for us older women BUT it is so cruel for this disease to take young women. My thoughts and prayers are with Michelle and her family. Wishing this was not happening to her, to anyone.
pam
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Hi ladies~
Alicia-Love your new photo! You look beautiful
Renee- I will keep your friend in my prayers. That is so heartbraking to hear.
Echo- I hear you on the rads markings! I was drawn on everyday of rads with a Sharpie pen, and had to wipe it off everyday. That alone irritated my already irritated skin. They had a special stash of baby wipes for me that I used to take off the marker. But, they were exact and did their job well. And they were nice too, if I wanted to know why they were doing something, I was the pesky patient that just asked! And they were happy to answer. God bless you Bill! (he is the rad tech that recently passed on)
Well, I had my last official PT treatment yesterday, they wrapped me back up, but I went to the medical supply store and got the gauntlet glove that the PT wanted me to wear. It is a fingerless glove that goes up to my wrist. I am not too fond of it. I took my wrap off as soon as I got it, and this morning my hand and wrist are back to swollen again. It isn't doing as good a job as the dreaded wrap. I wore my wedding ring for a couple hours yesterday, then had to take it off because it felt tight. UUUUGGGHHHH!!!!
Love and hugs to you ladies today!
Jen
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Shelby ~ sorry you are sad about being inked up.
Renee ~ so sorry about your friend.
Jen ~ hope your hand gets better soon. Hopefully that glove gets working !
I am with you girls on needing to start taking some vitamin d3. And I am thinking an aspirin 3x's a week can't hurt either.
I have pre-op testing on Monday and my exchange a week from then. woo HOO
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Hi Ladies.
My primary care physician found that I was my vitamin D level was low, so she prescribed 2000 IUs of D3 daily. I am going for a follow-up bloodwork on Monday, I'm anxious to see how much improvement there is.
Jen - I also hope your gauntlet works, I'm sure it's very frustrating. I've seen many knit and crochet patterns for gauntlets that I've thought of making for those days when the office is skimping on heat. You may be giving me a creative idea...
I plan to take advantage of our first spring-like weather - the outdoors activities are calling!
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I am taking 4000IU's of D3 daily. I've been told you can take up to 10,000IU's a day. I think just asking your doc to check your vitamin D levels the next time you have blood work done is pretty simple.
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Echo thanks for reminding me once again, I've got to buy some of the D3 when I go to Wal Mart grocery shopping today
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You know for those of us in the Northern latitudes getting such a reduced level of sunshine, it's really important to supplement with D3. This is the first year I took it and I am not certain if the D3 helped me to not be so down and depressed through the grey gloomies of winter, or if I just had a better appreciation of life regardless of my surroundings after spending the year battling cancer. I suppose next winter will be a better barometer of those feelings once I'm further out of the whirlwind of living with cancer.
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With all the discussions about D3 I have started taking 5000 iu daily. Living in Texas we get the sunshine, but when you are working it is hard to soak it up every day. I haven't had my Vit D levels checked, but I don't think it will hurt me to take it. Maybe this summer, I will be able to get out and do a walk each day which will help.
Hope everyone is having a relaxing and fun Sunday.
Juannelle
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The vitamin D issue is quite big in Canada I think. Lots of press about it. Not so much here... my onc said she had not yet had anyone test low. I was in the mid 50s. But it is hard to avoid the sun here. Guess we have the opposite problem. :-)
pam
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I'm frustrated because so far I've asked my onc and my surgeon to check my Vitamin D levels and neither of them will do it. The onc said, "We don't check that"....and the surgeon said, "Why would you want to do that?" Next stop will be my family doctor and it that doesn't pan out, then I'll find a naturopath. I'm in Canada where it's not exactly t-shirt and sun weather (although today is unseasonably warm and I did go out without my parka).
Sherri
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I too take Vit D and Calcium supplement, I use Caltrate not sure if ther is much difference or not I think I got Citracal last time anyone know if one is better than another or are they all the same? Well I go for my first mammogram since radiation tommorrow, my first bone scan, and then my blood work for my thyroid surgery next week. Busy week had a great vacation. Hope to feel good this summer so I can get out and about more thsn last summer. Time will tell. Beuatiful day here in Michigan, sunshine and int he 40's.
Carol
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Sugar77,
I was sure I had read that right about Canada so googled it....
Vitamin D deficiency in Canada is a multibillion-dollar contributor to skyrocketing health care costs, according to a soon-to-be published report commissioned by the Vitamin D Society. Dr. William Grant, whose Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center is a leading vitamin D advocacy group worldwide, is the study's author. Dr. Grant conservatively calculates the cost of vitamin D deficiency on the Canadian health care system to be no less than $9 billion annually, based on established disease risk reduction in individuals with natural vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is now associated with higher risks of 22 forms of cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, flu and many other disorders.0 -
Carol - it's nice here in Ontario, too. I'm half thinking of taking my family to Frankenmuth and Birch Run next week as it's March break from school and we're heading to Sarnia to visit my mom for her birthday. Good luck with your mammo.
Sherri
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Speaking of nice beautiful days, it was 65 today here in Alabama and tomorrow here in Cullman we are forecast for 71. Simply gorgeous weather!!! Then they are giving rain to set in by mid week for several days and it will stay about 50'ish. I really don't like a lot of rain, it is so dreary and here it always gives us the chance of torandoes. Yuck!!!
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Mimi, are you pretty much healed up from rads?
Juanelle, are you finished, almost finished? Doing okay?
Who's where and what's up?
I am off to pull out my fridge and clean under and behind it. If you never hear from me again you'll know the dust bunnies got the better of me in my weakened, post radiation state. :-)
pam
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Pam - wow, you're adventurous! Last time I did anything like that with the fridge, I was on steroids for chemo, lol
I'm going for the CT scan/planning for radiation on Wednesday and will begin rads w/o March 22nd.
Have a great day ladies.
Sherri
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