Catholics
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Good morning sisters. I have had an unusual experience... a huge seizure, a ride in an ambulance, a couple days in the hospital, new medications, and a different brain now. Everything is different. My memomy is scrambled but I still love the Lord. I am not supposed to drive for 6 months and for me that is huge!.
Fortunately, I can still play the piano, I live in a marvelous house,... we've been working so hard to move and put it together this last year, my oldest kid drives and I have plenty to do before passing on. I've had a meningioma on my brain for quite some time.. perhaps it has grown. I am really enjoying noticing the changes if that makes any sense. I am on a super strong drug that is pretty sedative.
so.... I'd appreciate any stray prayers coming my way and I will pray for you all.
Mary
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Mary!!! You bet you're in my prayers! Let everyone take care of you for a while and just concentrate on getting better.
ps - head over to the hen house on the "stupid" thread and we;ll keep you entertained while you "re-coop"
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I have been out of town....and I am returning with great sorrow.....g94u67/ jeannine from our Catholic thread.....went to be with our Lord this past weekend. Let us all pray for her soul....and her family.....In Jesus name, I pray.
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Oh no Apple!!! Sweetie, that sounds horrible!! Please take care of yourself and rest up. Laura, I am so saddened to hear the news about Jeannine. And angry. Praying for all. xo
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Laura,
Thank you for sharing about Jeannine. I've often thought of her, having met her when I first came here. God Bless her. God Bless you Jeannine. Laura, do you think she would want to have her name on the Angels list?
Mary,
You are also in my prayers. You sound good for all you have been through, and I pray you continue to enjoy your piano, family and friends. Please keep up posted.
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Mary, Saying prayers for you right now. Take care of yourself. Sending all good thoughts and blessings your way. Saying a prayer for Jeannine and her family too.
Gina, I haven't had surgery yet. I'm doing neoadjuvant chemo.
Take care everyone. Gotta finish my taxes. Yikes!
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oh Beaglesgirl,
Reading your story...first to lose your husband so young, then to suffer a stroke. You bring to the forefront the dangers of neck adjustments. I worked Neuro for many years, and have seen this before. I'm shaking my head in frustration at this practice, and will absolutely have you in my prayers as you embark on your treatment. You have been through so much. So many here have. You ask important questions, and I'm wondering if your Oncologist has been in contact with you Neurologist? Many of us do experience "chemo brain" and the spring issue of Cure has an article on this. I know I did experience a temporary set back with the anesthesia and my latest surgery, manifested as word finding difficulties....that's how it was for me during chemo as well.
You have already been creative in dealing with some of the side effects of your stroke, and you are motivated for you and your children. I just had a flash picture in my mind of Mother Mary smiling and looking over you and your children. It was a nice image.
sending you love and hugs...
traci
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Sheila,
I'm still reeling from your three ring binder nipple accident. I imagine the pain was not unlike the sentinel lymph node dye injections (I'm still mad.)
Janet,
Make sure you account for all of the mileage involved with going back and forth to your PS for your seroma. I know what you mean...I think it was about a 2 1/2 month process for me...and that included my TE getting punctured during a fill, and needing to go to the OR for replacement. It was a lot of cab rides for me, and these can absolutely be declared on your taxes when you itemize.
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So I do have some good news to share, and I want to send a thank you from my friend who had a relapse after being treated for Stage 1 triple neg. We had prayed for her together, her name is Judy. Well, she has such a great will and is determined to turn the stats around being BRCA 1 and having lost her mother, sister, and three aunts to BC. She has been very much on my mind, and she had a PET scan the other day after 4 treatments on her new chemo.
She now has no evidence of disease!!!!!!
The oncologist was blown away
Thank you all, and she is very thankful too...
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Laura,
You and your children are in my prayers today and I will say special prayers for your children tomorrow. As mothers, I really think one of the major reasons any of us have surgery or treatment is not for ourselves but rather, for our children. We will do whatever is necessary to be around for them.
I have often thought of what my own Mother endured and am now old enough to realize she did not do all she did for herself but for me.
I pray you and your medical team are surrounded by angels during your surgery and pray your children are at total and perfect peace.
Sandy
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I pray for Jeannine. May she rest in peace in the Lord
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Apple/Mary...... I pray for you sister.... bless your heart. So unfair , this disease...I cannot beleive this happened to you.....
Paula..... your pain is heard and it breaks my heart for you. God bless your Mother and take her soul to be with Him in Paradise.
All new sisters... I have been out of town..... I will try to keep up with you... these BLESSED ladies here are amazing!
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So much to read, so little time...
Judy's news - God be praised
Mary's news - You are in my prayers
Jeanine - May the angels be with you on your journey home
Audrey passed away this weekend too. Please pray for her husband, Doug, and her son, Brian.
Beagles - You are in my prayers for tomorrow
Traci - you sound like my mother! :-)
Sheila - God bless you - you always are a fountain of knowledge for us
Ellie - I'll go to church with you! :-)
I'm just wiped out --- I hate Tamoxifen! I wish I could be a little more uplifting here... I'm on the fence about posting ... should I post and be a bummer or should I just remain silent for awhile until this passes, as it always does. So, you'll get my post... :-) thought you'd want to know about Audrey. I HATE cancer!
"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for woe, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:110 -
One of the assumptions I make about our wonderful group is that we can post no matter how we are feeling and we will be accepted for being where we are at the moment. I am glad you posted, Theresa.
Jeanine and Audrey--I am ashamed to admit I am not remembering details--can anyone help me with that? I feel so sad about this.
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Thanks Ellie...
I asked for prayers for Audrey on prayer night... she was a friend of my daughter and son in law and her son, "Little Brian", who is a young man but mentally challenged, wanted to kill himself. Audrey had bc.
Jeanine goes back further on this thread, before my time, but I think Laura and Michelle and Traci, etc knew her.
I remember NJ Pat posting awhile back that she had not been on bc.org in awhile b/c she's been so busy with her family that she almost forgot that she had cancer. That's a nice feeling. One of the hard things about always posting is that you do share in a lot of the suffering here. And your cancer is always before you. Our little Catholic thread brings hope and it is a kind of ministry for each other, to help keep up our hopes and build our faith. Like dear Mary after her ordeal, she's still a sweetheart. My brother, too, never lost faith to the end. I don't know when God is going to call me home, nor do I know how, when I have these low times (mentally and physically), I have to keep my focus on tomorrow. My tamoxifen pain will subside again. My tiredness will lift again. I just need to learn to cuddle up with Christ until it's over. This too shall pass. :-)
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Kayfromphilly~ I had chemo first aswell. I had AC and Taxotere at the same time in 21 day cycles. It wasn't until well after the fourth round, that I finally notice I couldn't find the tumor. At my fourth round, that week, I had a mammo to see where it was, there was improvement. After my six and final chemo, I had a mammo and ultrasound, they couldn't find the tumor!
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Ok, one Sunday after Easter (since Easter is a little busy with family etc) how bout we ALL go to mass, at the same time (if we can fit in with most time zones?) Even if we overlap a bit?
I know God hears our prayers, but sending up one collective prayer for BC and all those afflicted and those that have passed before, would be a heavenly sound!
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So, many thoughts and so little memory LOL. Sometimes I read and go to post and can't remember nada.
LMFSM----please i can't remember Audrey and Jeannine---It's all those damnable chemicals. Please don't let it hurt your spirit , you are such a good kind person. And don't let the fact that you are taking a break from church right now hurt your spirit.You may not remember that I took afew months break from BCO. It's for the same reason that Theresa said. I needed a break from the sufferings and it was still so close after Greg died. I came back for the very same reason that you said, we can post here whatever it is we are feeling and no one is going to admonish us. Someone will remember to give us the words to help us keep going. In part, that is why I reposted the Namaste story--It is so deeply profound in saying it each time to each other, that we are recognizing the God within each of us. Perhaps inclusive in that is The HOPE that Christ had for us when he gave up his life on the cross. The HOPE that our souls would be redeemed by his act. We hope for the well being of each of us here and others
Theresa I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but you're our benevolent teacher. You are our glue. We are here to share our beliefs and faith, but without your guidance, I know I feel we wouldn't understand what is best about our faith and even some of what we see as negative.
We are coming up to the most holy of times. I again ask for another novena that we could start after Easter . Please, let it include an affirmation of hope ,a recognition that at times we struggle in believing, that all have to struggle with the associated problems that keep coming our way as if we were magnets. Including the recognition of the death of recent sisters which frankly, reinforces our fears of our own mortality. Who among all the Saints would this be representative of. I think of Mother Theresa----but she is not yet a saint ---she's at beatification level or did I miss something? I trust wholeheartedly that you will find the answer.
I have become appreciative of the concentration that the Novena process allows for a very specific purpose, for a very specific period of time. Again it is something learned here, that I missed in the religious upbringing.
I'm not sure if I said this before Theresa and all that when I bring medical info here, my intent is to try and make whatever it is, as something useful to know for example the Bleach baths--Someone who happened upon that would say "and what has that to do with praying." Well beneath that is a prayer that it helps whomever had a need. I think Squid would agree that nursing and medicine has not always done the best at keeping it simple or even sometimes not giving an explanation at all, that is at the lay person level of understanding. Remember medical language is Geek/Latin and/ German. (thank God for high school Latin LOL).
JV remember I said my seroma was not aspirated , but allowed to absorb over months. My additional comment was it was a just a different approach. The thought on that, is the seroma is occupying a fixed space. With each aspiration, you reduce that fixed amount of space which allows more fluid, in this case blood, to reoccupy that space. So, if you don't remove any fluid and let nature take it's course and reabsorb it. As long as it isn't showing any evidence of nerve/artery/vein compression or infection. It's just there until it isn't. The con about aspiration is and I believe your doc told you, is there is a risk for infection each time you put a needle in for the aspiration. But it is a very valid and appropriate approach. So, If the aspiration is not showing any progress towards the fluid staying reduced, then maybe trying the opposite approach could be attempted. Which is also a very valid and appropriate approach. Google "BLOOD PATCH" .. The concepts of a blood patch are analogous to just doing nothing with the seroma. Googling seroma will discuss what i have stated here , but will go into more refined and complete info.
Beagles, blessings for success tomorrow and lots of prayers coming your way. You may have not been here when we discussed asking your team to pray with you before the sx. You can simply say "I bless you all and trust that God will guide you in my care".
Apple-mary May this Meningioma resolve and create no more trouble for you. They will do serial MRI's. One thing I learned in dealing with mine was a MRI that has a smaller ring(opening) gives more accurate evaluation of size and changes that can belost with the larger rings.
Squid I was reeling from the areola injury you bet , it's in a class all it's own LOL, but i still think it was one occurence that saved my life, but must admit was not having such a thought in those moments LOL. Wonderful news about your friend---What drugs did they use? Hope you are continuing to heal well
Kay----hope your healing is continuing well as well with the chemo.
Gina:) likely will see you tonite
If I missed anyone that needs a word of support Bless us all here forwhatever our need is NAMASTE! And a Blessing on nurse Karla for bringing such a wonderful word into our lives. SAS
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Theresa,
We will take you in any mood you are feeling. Please don't ever feel like you have to be in a good place, or perfectly in spiritual grace. (of course this is for all of us)
and we can send you love while you cuddle up with Christ.
Laura (Beagles)
Praying for your safe uneventful surgery tomorrow. May you be surrounded by your Angels as they guide your medical team. I pray for your rapid healing without any complications. We will wait to hear from you!
Traci
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Sagina, Thank you for letting me know that. I LOVE to hear something like that. It gives me great encouragement. I am having AC first and then Taxol with Herceptin. I'm not sure why I'm not getting the Taxol with the AC. I see in my March chemo threat that some are, and some are doing both, but separately like me. In any case, thanks so much for the encouraging words.
Very sorry to hear about Audrey. Prayers for her family as well. So nice to hear about your friend Judy Well.
Prayers for everyone's intentions tonight. It is Holy Week. I went to Mass this morning and remembered everyone there. I've been trying to go daily for a while now, but have missed some morning since the bc between some symptoms and appointments. I am going to try very hard to get there every day this week.
A lot of us are going through a rough time right now. God Bless us all. I do feel we're surrounded by love and hope and prayers on this forum. And beyond that, we have to turn it over to Jesus.Good night everyone. Sleep well.
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Just stopping by to say hello this Holy Week. I love this time of year. I love the concept of rebirth. I shed my snakeskin and am reborn. Theresa, I think whatever we are feeling...at that very moment, someone else can relate. We are never truly alone. Wishing you all the pure joy that this Easter brings!
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Theresa---------the blues get us all Come to OMG they found a cure for stupid. Start from page one and just read a few page at a time. It may not be your cup of tea, but there are so many hysterically funny things. It may help By the way I forgot to say Kudos on the job thing---you must have felt soooooooo good LOVE and HUGS sheila
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Aww, you guys are so wonderful to me, I am blessed. My leg pain is better today. I get so frustrated with my inability to do ANYTHING I used to do ... like gardening. Between the tamoxifen and doing some minor gardening this past weekend, it threw me for a loop!
I don't know if I shared this story here before, so forgive me if I did, but when I was having an especially dark period a few years back, I went to confession (face to face) and was telling Father about my dryness. I told him that every Sunday morning Mass that Skip and I attended, we'd go out to breakfast at one of the local diners. That was just *our* time, very intimate, talk about what was happening, no phones, no house beckoning to "clean me", just a little oasis for the two of us. I said I wanted that same feeling with Jesus. I wanted to be able to go to Communion, go back to my pew and meditate, just Jesus and me, block out as many distractions as I could. He said that was a very good way of looking at our time after receiving Communion, and I try to remember that. That goes with the cuddle time when I'm feeling low or sick. Our human experiences are also moments with Christ, as Sheila said, we greet the Holy Spirit in each of us with every encounter. There are times when that Spirit to Spirit is so real, you know you've touched each other. There are so many times that the Spirit touches our mouths to speak words that someone needs. We do it here all the time. I was in a contemplative prayer group a few years back and this one fella was talking about his new grandbaby and how he had to babysit one night. He held her in his arms and just gazed down at her lovingly and was in wonder and awe. Something compelled me to tell him, "Bernie, that's how God looks at you." He was so taken aback by that. He thanked me to sharing that insight. I said it b/c of His inspiration and He wanted Bernie to hear it. I'm normally the quiet one in the group.
Yes, we can start a novena to St. Theresa.
I was going to be named Cheryl but at the last minute, in the hospital, my Dad, a convert to Catholicism, said he wanted me to be named after the Little Flower, because he had a devotion to her, and so it was. :-) When should we start? Also, we can consider Divine Mercy Sunday ... the Sunday after Easter ... as our day of mercy and love.
http://thedivinemercy.org/mercysunday/prepare.php0 -
I'm in for the novena to St. Theresa!
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Theresa ~ beautiful words, thank you. In the heart of San Antonio sits the Bascillica of the Little Flower - such a wonderful place ~
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Oh well we have an opportunity---we could add our intentions, printed off, and if gina would be so kind to drop them off at the Basilica Of St Theresa. WOW. Didn't this happen before with another novena. Lourdes?
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Hi Sheila!!!!!!!!!! I would be honored to take the intentions, what's the best way, a PM I can print out? I have water from Lourdes that my mother brought back. She had BC in 1998 and about five years later she went to Lourdes and dunked herself in the water. She came back energized! I used the water all through chemo treatment. Instead of being so nervous about starting Rads tomorrow, I need to put it all back in His hands and go back to the water!
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Let's get our intentions posted, I'll get them together, Gina can take them to the Basilica of St Theresa and we can start tomorrow. Here's mine.
Theresa: That our NJ home will finally sell, bank accepts short sale. All our children return to the church. Surrender to God's will in my life.
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Lots to catch up!
Sad news about Jeannine & Audrey - WHEN is this ever going to end? Love the idea of another novena - my intentions are for my family and for God to bless the world with a cure.
Sheila/Traci - aspiration today down to 15 cc! They made another apptmt for next week but hoping it resolves by itself now and won't need to go back. Sheila - that's an amazing story of how your bc was found. Traci - such good news about Judy.
Theresa - I so hear you. I dread the thought of going back on tamoxifen. They took me off for the surgery & now time to start up again. I'm afraid to take it and afraid not to take it. I love that image of God looking at each of us in the same way we look at a new infant.
Maria - how is your daughter doing?
Gina - are you a nurse too?
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That is wonderful to do a novena to the Little Flower. My grandfather (who lived with us since before I was born) had a very special devotion to the Little Flower. He had a Statue of her on his bedside table and prayed to her every night. I would love to learn more about her and say a novena to her. That would be wonderful to take the intentions to shrine.
I am not sure what to ask about my bil. His memory has been damaged. I'm not sure if it is from tumors on the brain or the effects of radiation on the brain or something else. (He has melanoma.) He has tried several kinds of chemos, but was unresponsive. He was just trying a immunotherapy trial when the memory problems happened. Now he has no other treatment options. My sister has taken family leave (they have two kids 15 and 17) and was told he only had a few weeks to a few months at most given the sudden and drastic change. Up until the memory loss, he was doing well and still working. I want to ask that he be cured, but I know that would be a miracle. I guess it's okay to ask for a miracle.
My intentions: That my brother-in-law, Steve, be cured of cancer. That I be cured of cancer and it never come back. That my sons, Matt and Ryan be cured of depression, return to God's friendship, stay out of trouble and have a good life. Also, for my mother who has Alzheimer's and by sister and brother who take care of her to stay in God's care.
Thank you Theresa and Gina.
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