MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Eph & BarbA, you are not alone.
annettek, if you go out on the ferry this time of year, bundle up. It's a nice cooling excursion in the heat of summer, but March...gonna be a little different. (My mom was a big O.S. fan too. Her favorite film was Dr. Zhivago.)
Welcome Linda54! I'm not sure how many have had hysterectomy on this thread, but we have a little of everything here so, hopefully, you will hear from a few who have had it already. It throws the younger women into instant menopause, but I don't think you will have to worry about that, at least.
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annettek - Hope you have a wonderful trip to NYC. Texas will survive without you. Good for you and I know you will get past the depression.
Welcome Linda54. I can't help you with your questions but there are others who will chime in and share their experiences.
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Jo how is the new dosage of Lyrica working.
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Eph, I'm with you, I remember that tight tush and those perky boobs, pre-BC. In fact, I think that's when I lost my head, too!
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Welcome Linda- I have no info on hysterectomy but eventually someone will chime in here with some ideas:)
Barbe- Century 21 is four or five story store downtown Manhattan filled with everything from discounted clothing and shoes ranging from nothing much to designer gowns. It is so much fun just exploring- I found it when I first went to the World Trade Center sit to pay my respects. I go every year even though it fills me with sadness, it just seems like the right thing to do. IThere are so many people I meet from all over the world there and have some incredible conversations. So it lands up being a reaffirmation of how we are all more alike than not. I was sobbing out my guts the first time and a woman from Vancouver (yep, a Canadian sister) came up and we just talked about the whole 9/11 tragedy. She said, do you like to shop? I shook my head and she pointed across the street- she said go have FUN! hahahaha And so I did.
I am looking forward to the cold since I have to be a bit covered up with this bra I am wearing (racerback). Have all day Sunday and Monday to myself as conference does not start until Tuesday and even then, it will just be talking with clients. Which I love to do- a few know about the BC (as I ihad to pause some research projects at times and am fairly close with them) and are all excited about meeting up. The sales staff mans the booth, so that is good. It is funny, I always spaz out before I go on this trip so I can look my best, etc...now, it is not that I am not gonna clean up but more so celebrate. At risk of sounding like a hallmark card- life is indeed precious.
I actually feel a little better than I even did an hour ago, (sometimes we have to measure it in hours;) Spent some time with my boy and he put me in a good mood. The sun is shining and I am going out in hunt of a beige racerback sports bra!
Big hugs
and don't you know I will have way too much to say when I get back from NYC:) like always:)
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Linda, I had a hysterectomy at 43 or so (honestly can't remember!) and I found it very hard to recover from physically and emotionally. I didn't realize that the emotional part was hormones until way later, I just thought I was going crazy!! The physical part is hard. You are really moved around in there and as you're getting other stuff done, I agree with your doc to get it done all at once. ONE healing time for all. It would really be better. I cringe at the thought of having to go in to do anything else as it was so bad. I had a HUGE uterus due to fibroids on it. I looked about 4 months pregnant. The "hole" that was left when all was taken out took a long time for things to adjust and rearrange themselves in. I say just do it ALL! IMHO
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Hi Barbe - I miss seeing you on the threads. Hope you are having a good day.0
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Annette, I feel like you do about Manhattan it just is so full of energy. That is why my mid-life adventure was moving there. I eventually (because I married a New Yorker) moved out to Queens and then Long Island, but get into the city often because you could never do everything there is to do in that city! Have a blast.
E- how did you find my 20 year old body? I thought it was lost forever
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Thanks girls for your welcome and your comments.
Barbe...good to see you and love your new picture. You know what I have been through with the recon and now facing this other surgery....will it ever end????
My surgery will be done vaginally. So I am looking at a quicker recovery time.
I figure it may be easier on me as far as mentally and emotionally since I am already in menopause. My hormones are shot anyway.
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Hmmm, I had to have the "incision". I complained. With my vertical hysterectomy scar intersecting my ovary-ectomy scar I look like I have an Unhappy Face on my belly!! Also, the hysterectomy scar isn't straight!! When I went back to the surgeon for my follow-up, I told him I wasn't impressed with the crooked line. He said "I went to Med school, not Art school." HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA too funny, eh????
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About to have a HUGE storm here, and it's freezing! Well, it's 53 degrees, but I'm freezing.
Linda, I have not had a hysterectomy so can't help much, but I did have a friend whose uterus had dropped and they just did a simple surgery and put it back up. And someone on these boards just had surgery for bowel obstruction (or something like that) because her intestines were twisted up from resettling after a hysterectomy. On the other hand, I would still consider it prophylactically. I don't know what I would do if the option presented itself. I do like the idea of getting everything over with in one surgery because of the increasing risks of too many surgeries. Wow, that was a great help, wasn't it? LOL - you can see I have a problem making decisions!
Haha, Barbe! Your surgeon is a regular comedian, isn't he? My mother had 3 c-sections and a hysterectomy. In her 60's, she finally got it all put together nicely with a tummy tuck.
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nothing like a comedian who pretends to be a doctor....
heartnsoul...love the name....thanks for your post. I have heard about the bowels getting twisted up...that is scary. With the pelvic surgery I would no longer have the fear of cancer in those areas.
We had those storms this morning. My family lives in Gwinnett County. I will be coming out for a visit mid April. Where do you live in Atlanta?
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I live right next door, in DeKalb County! April is a beautiful time of year to visit Atlanta, what with the Dogwood Festival and all the blooming blooms!
I think the storm is gone, but it was a humdinger! And the dripping noise I'm hearing reminds me I need to have someone look at my roof near the chimney for the 1000th time. I don't know if the contractors are ripping me off, or if they just have problems fixing things around chimneys, but roof leaks make me nervous. I just think.....cha-ching!
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Annette I love that New York/Omar Sharif story!!! He was an idol of mine for many years, after I saw Funny Girl when I was about 13. I love NY too - have only been two or three times, and I'm going with my dd's on April 30 for the day/dinner/Broadway show. Can't wait! Last time the 3 of us went we walked around a lot too. I could stand on Broadway or Times Square for hours
Linda I haven't had a hysterectomy myself, but know many women who have and those side effects didn't happen with them. Offhand I can't recall their stage of menopause, except one, who was definitely post-men when she had her surgery. Good luck hon, with all those issues.
Sherry the first time I did the Komen Walk as a survivor I was amazed at how emotional I got too. In Phila, the survivors gather on the steps of the Art Museum. As I was standing there and looked around at all the other women, it really got to me
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Linda - I'm sure the twisted intestines is a rare occurrence, but I would want to know if it was even a possibility. I guess I want to know ALL contingencies after so many unpleasant surprises following chemo. If you don't know the question, how can you ask the doctor, right?
I thought the storm was over, but boy was I wrong! We are getting slammed with hail right now! I suppose I should probably pay more attention to the weather - never have bothered looking at it. Haha - I remember once asking my ex-MIL what the weather forecast was (because they had their TV tuned to the Weather Channel all day, every day), and she said, "Don't you get the weather channel?". I thought I'm a little too busy with a 4 year-old right now to sit down and spend my day watching the weather channel, hoping I hit it at the right time where they are talking about Georgia. *sigh*
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Eli, just had a thought ... what did you 'google' to get that pic at the top with the mannequins???0
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HAHA, that's a good question, marlegal!
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So Annette-the Omar story literally had me bent over laughing -"drunk & 80" can life get better? When I lived in Honolulu in 82-85 there was a club we would go to & several times Don Knotts was in there - wasted to beat the band & daning up a storm-quite the sight let me tell ya!!!!!
Elimar was googling "Joni" what else?
@ Meece, the comment about losing your head cracked me up!
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Joni, I've been thinking about it and figured Elimar was googling "What happened to our real bodies after the aliens took us?", because that is definitely my slightly tilted pelvic bone and my formerly perky breasts.
Meece, I did not see where you lost your head but I hope you have found it by now.
Well, here I am up too early for me - trying to reset my hours - and now I'm a little loopy.
Okay, ladies, have a great day! My goal is to resist a nap and work on the taxes, but somehow those two seem contraindicated, you know what I mean?
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Heart, take another look at those mannequins...they have NO heads!
My breasts looked like that before my BMX. I'd had a reduction years ago that made them like that. No bra at 50! Woo hoo!!! Then cancer....sigh. A couple years ago someone posted that women who didn't like thier breats got mastectomies. How dumb was THAT??? I had great breasts!!
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barbe1958 I had pretty nice breasts before my BMX too although rather large and beginning to sag i embraced them finally at 46 although at 15 i was mortified and stuffed them into all kinds of reduction bras. But getting a mastectomy would not be a choice for anyone. I try to look at it like maybe my breasts will look nicer since they wont be sagging and they will be smaller. But we all know a reconstructed breast is not the same. Some look pretty good though. I am getting my tissue expanders in on tuesday and I am very nervous. My doctor wants me to be realistic about the results. I think I am I have seen some pictures online now. I am looking forward to not being flat now but not expecting to suddenly be Pam Anderson. When I was making the decision to do the implants I spoke to a woman who had this done and she was really happy because she was very small breasted and is now pretty large. But she is single and every time she gets involved with someone she has to explain before things go to far. I guess I am lucky that I am married and my husband already loves me no matter what. I hope he likes the new boobs though I am sure he will.0
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No heads! Well, I guess that could explain a few things....like I'm losing my mind, why can't I focus, I would lose my head if it wasn't attached - HEY! Those damn aliens!!!
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Good Morning all God has been good to me I can not tell it all. When it rains it pours the washer broke this weekend I pray God will have a nice one on sale when we get to the store. My hair is falling out fast now.
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lynniea, let us know when you get your buzz cut. Are you going to go with a wig or hats & scarves, or both?
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My B/C best friend IRL and I were just talking this weekend about her reconstruction surgery that just got set for summer. While surgery IS SURGERY, and therefore undesirable in general; we thought the big difference between the lumpectomy/mastectomy and having the reconstruction is the different mentality going into it. B/C makes you HAVE TO have a surgery, even tho' you are doing something good for yourself. The recon. is ELECTIVE and having a choice about it does make a difference going into the surgery, dontcha think?
In this case, I wasn't symbolizing us with those mannequins, other than we are all women and have a body image (and sometimes lose our heads.) We may have lost our slender mannequin figures, but we do have individuality which is better. But I do like mannequins and have a head and torso one in my basement. Just a relic from a distant past.
Carrol2, hope you get the expanders in and all goes well. I don't even know how much pressure you feel from those things. My mind has it linked with the feeling of pressure there when I had a Mammosite balloon in place, and that was tiny but it made me very uncomfortable. Of course, the area had just had surgery and was not healed yet? I would like to hear a good account of the stretching process, so keep us filled in on it. Yes, that was a pun!
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Elimar - Love the picture at the top. Somedays I feel like I have lost my head even though it is still attached to my shoulders. Take this morning for example, was making pancakes and bacon and forgot to push the button on the microwave to cook the bacon. I have never done that before. I think I will blame it on the Tamoxifen. Sounds good to me anyway.
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Went for a 3 mile walk this morning then came home and cleaned up the patio, pulled a few weeds and watered the pot plants. Been a busy morning so think I will go put my ice pac on my achy breast (as I jprobably irratated it) and get cleaned up. My DH has been gone all weekend working a spirtual retreat so think I'll have a nice dinner waiting for him when he gets home.
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E - do tell, why do you have a mannequin body AND head - in your BASEMENT???? Hmmm???
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Barbe, Why not?
(I came to have that mannequin--and her name is Monica, btw---ever since she was part of a retail disply for the Permanent Waves album by the band Rush--some Canadian fellas you might know. It didn't seem right to shove her into a dumpster when her work was done. She's in mannequin retirement.)
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sherry - wow, I haven't had pot plants since college!
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Aha-ha-ha!
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