MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Another thing, most everything I have written on here is my mind not on drugs (not counting Tamox.) but that is about to change. My PCP is giving me Cymbalta. I'm getting it for anxiety (mom) and also for fibromyalgia-type pain. Have any of you tried Cymbalta? Please let me know the good, the bad and the ugly about it if you have..0
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wasabi and mayo sounds truly awful.....
but kimchi could be tasty
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Don't know what kimchi is so I probably wouldn't try it, but the wasabi and mayo is intriguing....
As for Cymbalta, it will work for fibro (I have it) as it is good for peripheral neuropathy. Takes a couple weeks to build up in your system so give it a chance. BUT, weight gain issues. BIG ones. If you find you're gaining weight it could be the Cymbalta. I can't afford more weight so had to stop the Lyrica. My already high (treated) blood pressure would go through the roof! Fortunately for me I was on a NO carb diet for the 5 months I was on it (without knowing about the weight gain). My brother lost 75 pounds. I didn't lose an ounce!
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Red wine and thin mint girl scout cookies sound like heaven. Even at 8:55 am it sounds good but I'm sure my employer would frown on that - LOL. I had the red wine last night with dinner but don't get my thin mints until next week : (
Faith, have a wonderful and relaxing time walking on the beach - enjoy.
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Just FYI everyone: Found Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint ice cream at the store the other day. Limited time. It is delicious.
Hmmm...maybe dip the Cheetos in the ice cream?? 0 -
barbe1958, thanks for the heads up. So far, in three mos., I have not gained weight from taking Tamox., maybe I can dodge the same bullet with Cymbalta. Does anxiety make your fibromyalgia pain worsen? My joint and muscle pain have stumped at least half a dozen doctors. I have often wondered if it was related to hormones/low estrogen as I neared menopause. Well, I definitely will never be trying HRT now, so I'm going to give Cymbalta a try.0
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second that on the Lyrica!
I was a puff ball!
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elimar--a freind of mine has fibro, and she can see a decided link between stressors and flare ups, to the point that she can predict some of her flair ups. Another freind was taking Cymbalta for anxiety and depression while he was preparing for gastric bypass surgery and had to stop because it shot his blood sugar sky high. He was really upset about coming off it because it was helping him so much, and he wasn't gaining weight on it -- he was in the phase where he had to keep his weight unchanged right before the surgery. I know a few other people who have found Cymbalta very helpful. Babe is right--it takes a while for the full effect to be felt.
I'm not sure about Thin Mints and red wine, but I'm willing to give it a try! Cheetos in Thin Mint ice cream sounds like a must-try combination, too!
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my favorite thing in the world (besides melted cheese) is the Samoa cookie ice cream.
Better than crack! (well I have never really tried crack)
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We girls, I have DS scouting out the CHeetos front in Okanowa, Japan. He said he'd never seen them, but hadn't really looked. If I know him, it will be his new misson to find Mom her Chocolate covered Cheetos.
Carolinachick, yes, I do seem to be getting good care. I went through quite a riggamarole today though. I am supposed to get an MRI, Mammo and CT scan. Each at a different time, and the Ct in a different location than the other two. Today, I called to schedule them and found out that they can't schedule the MRI and the Mammo on the same day because they don't do that type of Mammo on Mondays. The Ct can't be scheduled yet because I am allegic to contrast (iodine) and I have to get a rx from onc before they will allow me to schedule. I got the rx planned out, called back to schedule CT and the schedulers were all helping other patients...for 15 minutes. The receptionist got on the line and took my info and told me I would get a call back before closing. When I hadn't heard by 4:40 I called, and the office was closed. Called to confirm my onc appt, and she is unavailable on my scheduled day and I have to wait for someone to call me, to rescedule. All this and I had to stay late at work to make up for the time I was on the phone, and I overheard my Manager's Supervisor telling her that I can't give such short notice about my appointments! 6 days is too short!! I must take a deep breath and relax. Thanks for letting me vent.
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Read this today and thought about all of us on our journey:
"Women are Angels and when someone or something breaks our wings... We simply continue to fly.. On a broomstick........... We are flexible like that ...."
Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
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Oh, Omaha, it took more than just one person or one thing, but my wings are broken now. I know that for a fact. Unless they can grow back, I will be doomed to stay on the broom.
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Oh Meece, so sorry you had such a run around yesterday. It's hard enough to get through all of this! I swear, we all need to be assigned nurse case managers to deal with the medical world, it would be one less stress on us. I should open a case management business but alas, insurance would not pay it and I can't afford to do it for free. It's crap that your manager's supervisor is giving you a hard time too - people need to be more accommodating to others no matter what the situation. I hope today is all sunshine for you.
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Thanks, Suzette. I am dreading going in to work today, because I know I will "Get called in" to discuss my handling of doctor appointments. If I am still under the stress of appointment making I might break down and cry, so I hope I can hold it together.
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Hugs Meece, I go through it to here at work they are very nasty about my taking time..I just took vacation for my last MRI/biopsy and then excisional, and never told a soul! F---them, opps sorry but thats how I feel, and thats what I think in my head when they are lecturing me about time. I will be keeping you in my thoughts today.0
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Oh, Meece, I understand that frustration! Why are you calling to make all these appointments? The office staff of the doc that ordered the tests should be making these appointments, not you. If you want to rattle the cage a bit call the CT place and ask who to contact with a complaint and then tell them that you were told you'd get a call back before closing and didn't. Ask them if this is how they handle reporting the CT results to the doctors/patients. Ask them if there is another place you can get your CT done, someplace that is more dependable. That will really shake them up and get you some action, I bet! Of course, I've been told that I'm a vidictive b!$@h when I don't think I'm getting the treatment I deserve. As to your manager's supervisor, well, you can't fix stupid. Next time maybe ask him/her how much time the Americans with Disabilities Act requires for notice of appointments. And how long he/she would be willing to wait if he/she was in the same position you are. But then, that's the vindictive b-----iness showing again, I suppose! Or maybe it's just the transition from flying with wings to flying on an uncomfortable broomstick. . .
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NM I want that on my car (for real) LOL0
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I am making the appts because I have to travel 120-150 miles one way to get to them. I want as many as possible on one day. I have 5, and only one got sceduled yesterday. This is all for follow-up for my biopsy in September, and my surgery from Nov.e
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its not only women with kids at risk I am 54 and never had kids. and yes you need humour to get through after my massectomy I make my nieces and nephews laugh by saying look Im half man and half woman. I had all my chemo (which made me very ILL), and surgery. I went back to work in 8 months, I work in a rock yard with heavy lifting. I found it hard at first and probably could of had longer of work, but right at the beging I said this cancer was not taking me, in fact I told him upstairs if he was going to take me don't muck about just take me. or let me get rid of it. I guess I won, I am coming up to my 1st year of being cancer free. Also I too had a 2 hr journey to most of my appointments,and a couple of times an 8 hrs journey so tried to get as many of my appointments in one day. I live in a very isolated part of canada.
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Hugs to you, Meece! It's hard enough to have to handle all the scheduling and runaround that we seem to have to deal with, but to also have to take crap at work is just too much. I hope that you can get your appointments scheduled today and that you won't have to deal with insensitive, callous remarks at work. That just takes the cake!
Wait, did someone mention cake???? Now I'm hungry...
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Meece: I am really sorry that you are having to deal with insensitive people at work. And the appointment making issues just add to the frustration! Don't they all realize that we are just doing what we have to do? Do they seriously think that we would choose to miss work on short notice? And put ourselves through all these tests and follow up if it wasn't necessary? They just really have no idea what we deal with physically and emotionally. Anytime you need to vent, we are here for you!
TCK
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Hope things can fall into place today with your scheduling, Meece. I live less than 10 minutes away from my Cancer Center, but if I know I need two tests or screenings or whatever, I still try to double up and have them done back to back. The whole supervisor/job thing...that was right in my opening statement. It is a juggling act for Mid-Age women. It's not like you became a less responsible person, but cancer demands your time and attention. Some workplaces aren't too tolerant or flexible on that which, in itself, creates even more stress. My advice, stay calm and ultra-professional in any workplace discussions. Then, come here and tell us what you really felt like saying. ;-D0
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Meece - well, I can see why your supervisors are complaining. I mean, you chose to get cancer, and now you're irresponsibly whiling away productive work time with the fun of setting up appointments. And later, you'll be playing hookey so you can enjoy testing and such with doctors... Good grief, people!!! I think if someone has never had anything like this happen to them, they are just clueless. It's ridiculous. This is where a forum like this comes in handy, because we totally get it. You can be professional and appropriate at work, and let it all hang out here.
Nativemainer, I am making a list of people I want to have you call for me, making use of your vindictive fabulousness.
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Thank you ladies for you words of encouragement and support. The Rad. Dept for my CT called around 9 this morning. Nope, they cannot schedule because it really has not been approved by insurance. I called my Onc's office and told them that this is not the first time "Daisy" in the approval dept has dropped the ball. I am told that maybe I will find something out in the next day or so. Now I don't even know if the MRI scheduled for Monday has been approved. More deep breaths and back to work. Thank you again, ladies. You are the BEST!!!
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barbe and cookie - how much Lyrica were you taking? I'm on Lyrica and luckily I am losing weight (lots of exercise - little food) but I'm still quite achy only on a small dose though 25mg in the morning and 50 mg in the evening - onc says I can increase the dosage but now I wonder would that reverse all my hard work in losing weight. Thanks.
Hi to all !!
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I was on a pretty hefty does Ainm, as my Fibro is debilitating. I was on a cane and electric scooter before...
Maybe you'll luck out by slowly increasing your dose until you're painfree or notice the weight gain.
Good luck!
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meece--I can understand your wanting to coordinate appointments. I drive 95 miles one way for most of my in-state appointments. I still think you should talk to the Onc's office, they or the PCP's office is supposed to coordinate all that. I hold my Onc's office responsible for making those kinds of appointments AND coordinating them to minimize travel time. WE'RE doing THEM a favor by bringing out business to them, I pay the bills, therefore I call the shots. The beast takes so much control away that I grab onto any bit of control that I can, I guess. Besides, if Daisy knew she had to answer to the office nurse or coordinator or admin or whoever sets up the appointments she may either smarten up or get replaced by someone competent!
And to whoever has a list of calls for me to make (it's on the previous page and I can't go back without losing everything here) bring it on! I haven't gotten into a good screaming match for a long while now, it would help me blow off some nervous energy! I'm still a bit jumpy from yesterday and I could use a distraction. . .
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Meece- So sorry you are dealing with all this.................... and how dare they torture you further at work. Hugs to you ........many,many hugs.........big hugs!
Pat
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Hey My Middle age gals! am sorry I havn't post lately I been having some boo-hoo days.
I appreciate reading your post It help me get thur rough days!
I am now 18 day post -op today & still have both drains too . They driving me crazy, But still haveing 55 cc in one today. I can't figuire it out. The surgeon wont take my out til under 25cc & he wont start filling expander until both drains out.
Are any of my TE friends having Rib pain. The expander is causing sharp pain in my ribs. Sleeping on my Back doesn't help I am trying pillow for sl releif.
I do hope you all are getting stronger every day!
Hugs to all
Gina
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I think I worked up from 25 to 50.
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