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MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish

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  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 1,482
    Sandee I swear to God I had to ask a coworker the other day how old I was ... to me, I'm older than 20 but a hell of a lot less than what I am!!  (55)  I am close to many nieces/nephews who are in their late 30's or early 40's now, so they want me to stay young - makes them feel young still too!  I think it's what you surround yourself with, I really do.  I work mainly with younger people, and mentally I truly stopped about 20, so I plan to feel young for a very, very long time.  Now if my knees and back would only cooperate with that plan!!!
  • Sandeeonherown
    Sandeeonherown Member Posts: 1,781

    I agree...I work mainly with 20 and 30 year olds as well....am considered 'mom' to teachers and students alike but I don't feel like it ....I still do all the school trips , jump off the bridge in PEI (ok,,,,maybe not this year with the heart event ) and last year ran into the atlantic ocean in may (in Canada...not for the faint of heart)....you are only as young as you act...or as old as you feel? Physically, I feel a bit older than 20 these days.....but I don't look all that different ( according to others)....but at almost 50, guess I am older....first time in my life have I thought "oh...maybe I should have a will and let someone know where my life insurance plan and safety deposit key are"...would hate to leave all that for someone else to figure out...and the time for it is now...not when something major happens and I can't do anything about it...guess that is the thoughts of a woman in her late 40's....

  • sunangel27
    sunangel27 Member Posts: 234

    Talking about best friends and the internet.......I don't have the energy or want to go back and check if I had said the friend of mine that just flew in yesterday and I met on the internet 9 yrs ago. We had talked for about a year and 8 of us decided to all meet in Maine. We went and Joan and I just really got alot closer. We have made trips back and forth to see each other once a year since. Either I will go to Atlanta or she will come here.  It is so strange, but so awesome that something like the internet can bring such an awesome person into your life.

    Today, IF I NEVER EVER thought of her as my best friend in the world or as a "sister", I would have today!!!!!!    I woke up in the middle of the night last night with such pain in my breast.....since my biopsy (12/9/10) I have had pain, constantly, 12/22/10 was the excersion. Still pain continued....even more, but thought ok, after this is all done healing will come and pain will subside. HOW WRONG!! I have had constant pain in the breast...and at times, some days it is all day.....and sharp jabbing pains, sometimes needle poking me in the nipple pain also. I have taken iburprophin and tylonal like it is candy for most of this time. Especially when it is hurting so bad which I have had about a total of three/four weeks of days where I CRY all day due to the pain not going away.. 

    Anyway....last week, I called the surgeons office, his nurse said I need to call my primary dr. since it had been so long since my surgery! Ok, go to the p.d. He tells me it could be nerves coming back to "life".....gave me a stronger ibuprophen and said he wanted me to make an appt. with a pain management clinic.  Ok...that was on 4/14. I wake up in the middle of the night last night, wanting to scream the pain was so intense....and it didn't let up. I call the drs. office...talk to nurse.....dr. says stop that and take tylonal and ibuprophen!! I about YELLED at the nurse......isn't he listening to me????? I was doing that before I came to him last week!! Why can he not tell me what is going on......test more...do more...give me something to stop or slack up this pain!!!     He finally told me I could have nerve damage......or something he called nuro...something, I cannot remember the name of it.....says there are a few of the women that have biopsy's/excersions that get this and it is very painful for quite awhile.......DUH!!! My blood pressure was up so high the nurse took it twice. Once when I first went in and then after the talk with dr. ... It was 174/something.....I didn't see the number.....second time it was 182/something.  She said......YES I can see by your blood pressure that you are in pain bad.....it is usually very very LOW!!    

           Anyway, I told ya all this to tell you that my best friend in the world came all this way to have a great time with me......to have fun, to enjoy her vacation with me on my vacation......and she spent an hour with me at the drs. and about 5 hrs. seeing me cry in pain....         and after wards she hugged me and said thank goodness they finally did something to give you some relief and I'M GLAD I WAS HERE FOR YOU!!!!! That touched me so much!! 

    Dr. gave me hydrocodone and after taking one...it eased up to the point that I was able to grill dinner for us tonight and sit with her and my boyfriend and enjoy the evening!!  I haven't had to take one tonight, it is eased up to where I can handle the pain that has been constant....

  • gmafoley
    gmafoley Member Posts: 5,978

    Hello ladies - I have just joined this side of the forums so I will just introduce myself I guess.  I'm 56 years old, and am a wife, mom and grandma.  My daughter and son are both in their 30s and my grandsons are 4yr and 1yr old. My granddaughter is 10 yrs old.  I'm an archaeologist out of work at the moment so I got a job at JoAnn Fabrics in the interum. They give me time off if I get a archaeology gig as long as its not over a month LOL. 

    Anyway March 27th I was doing my self check and found a lump.  I believe God showed me the lump when the mammogram didn't; He got me through the process from seeing primary, mammogram, ultrasound, surgeon and then surgery within 2.5 weeks.

    The surgeon said there was a very small micrometastases in one lymph node, which he removed, but said he wouldn't have to take any more lymph nodes they caught it in time.  They got the lump and the margins were close. I found out Tuesday, I will have another surgery to clean those margins up next Monday..  He was nice enough to do the surgery before he went on vacation. The surgeon said he didn't want me to wait until he got back in Mid-May.. What an awesome doc to take that into consideration. 

    I got the rest of the pathology report today (ER+, PR+ and HER2-) When surgeon gave me these results, first he told me this was all the best news I could want and that he was making me an appt with the oncologist. That's on May 2nd.

    I'm just taking one step at a time.  I know I will need at least radiation.
    I WILL get through this just need the love of God and the support of all my friends to encourage me along the way.
     

  • sunangel27
    sunangel27 Member Posts: 234

    GmaFoley....... welcome to a place where you will get the support and encouragement you need at a time like this!! These ladies are awesome!

    Glad your doc did that for you! 

    AND YES YOU WILL GET THRU THIS!!!! :)

    Paula

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    Paula, have you found out if they've left a titanium clip in your breast? That SUCKS by the way. Pain is debilitating!! We have the technology to be pain free. Just do it!

  • elimar
    elimar Member Posts: 5,885

    GmaFoley, welcome to our group!  Sounds like you have lots of support around you, and you will get more here.  I joined the discussion boards right before doing radiation, and I got in on a thread that was for the month of my Rads.  If you do that, you will be in good company and can compare notes with the other women there.  I know you will fit in with us...we have quite a few quilters on here that love fabrics, and the rest of us like to dig in the dirt...I mean, who doesn't, I know I do, I just never find anything. I LOVE your two interwoven jobs!!!

    sunangel27,  Glad the doc finally responded to your desperation with something that takes the edge off. 

    And on that note, marlegal,  I will add that it is immensely easier to feel young at our age if we can get to that point of being pain-free.  Age IS a mental thing, but if you have pain on a daily basis, it really detracts from the youthful spirit inside us. Middle age can be pretty awesome if pain doesn't give you that 48 going on 80 feeling.

    Sandee, your heart must have been pretty strong when you went into those cold N. Atlantic waters...I think I would have had a heart attack right there on the spot.  Wink

  • nativemainer
    nativemainer Member Posts: 7,898

    It drives me crazy when docs don't listen when patients report pain!  Aaarrrggghh!  I've trained my docs to pay attention to me by showing up in the office, saying I need to be seen or I need him to call my records to the ER so I can be treated, and then sitting in the waiting room moaning and crying until something gets done.  It usually happens about 3 minutes after I tell someone who asks me what's wrong  "I'm in terrible pain and Dr. X won't even SEE me!" 

  • Sandeeonherown
    Sandeeonherown Member Posts: 1,781

    sunangel- friends are gifts we give ourselves....so glad yours was with you when you needed her and that you were not alone....so glad yo uwent to the Dr. and insisted....and yay to being able to grill!

    grammie esther- best case cenario indeed my dear!!! and good that he is goin gin to clear up the margins now so you will have the least invasive post-surgery care....you have come to the right place ....we are here if you need us

    Elimar- yep....strong heart for those darn cold waters...don't think I will do it this year though....I will simply prepare the coffee for consumption when they get out of the water!

  • nativemainer
    nativemainer Member Posts: 7,898

    why is it that every time I click on this thread it takes me to page 40?

  • Meece
    Meece Member Posts: 10,618

    These boards are acting so weird!  When I went to this thread today it took me back to Nov 8, 2009!  I am just going to start back with today, and see what happens.  Since they updated the site awhile back, it hasn't been the same.

  • Meece
    Meece Member Posts: 10,618

    I just checked, Nov 2009 is on page 40.

  • elimar
    elimar Member Posts: 5,885

    And why is it a slightly differnt page for individuals?  I go to page 41.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438

    Mine comes to where we are.  No probs at all on here for me except for when my post has been submitted then it takes me to the next empty page and I have to go back to the Active Topics to be able to re enter.

  • elimar
    elimar Member Posts: 5,885

    I've had that thing happen on some other threads on this site.  Weird.

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503

    Gmafoley welcome but sorry u have to join us. Ask any questions u want or if u feel the need to whine this us a safe place.

    Sunangel I think what your dr said is neuropathy. That is what my BS diagnosed me with. I think I told u she put me on Elavil for the pain. It took about 1 1/2 weeks to really kick in but now is working pretty well. I still have breakthrough burning and stabbing pains put they r tolerable. I had to take the hydrocodone until the med kicked in. My BS and my MO have not given me much hope that it will get better and go away. My BS says the nerves r damaged. Sorry your BS would not see you it had been 5 months for me and mine saw me.

  • nativemainer
    nativemainer Member Posts: 7,898

    This seems to be the only thread I check regularly that is taking me to an odd page.  Ah, the hoys of technology!

  • JeanH
    JeanH Member Posts: 132

    Hi everyone,



    Jo happy birthday and hope you are enjoying the cruise.



    Sherry prayers and hugs for you and your dad.



    Congrats on the cancerversaries and crossing off meds and followups even to just stretching them out a bit.



    2more Taxols then 30 rads, then tomoxofin. Between chem and rads followup with breast surgeon, back to dermatologist ( rash better but he wasn't to prep me with cream as a preventative for rads.

    I am slammed at work but took a vacation day Thursday to have a 4 day weekend with out chemo....what a nice change went to NY botanical gardens and took lots of photos at the orchid show. It was actually sunny!



    Happy easter and happy Passover to all those celebrating.



    Hugs jean

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    When people say PFC when they're talking about chemo in general...as in "I am 3 months PFC"...what does that mean?

  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 1,482

    Sun, wow...that was quite a story. I am soooo very sorry you're still having those pain issues but hope the new meds continue to help. I love that your friend said those words to you, about being glad she was there for you. I'm sure you've been that kind of friend to others (if not her) and you know that it really does feel good when you help someone and know you really, truly are making them feel better. Gentle hugs to you for continued healing and lessening of pain symptoms.

    GMA, welcome to our thread...it's a goodie :)  I'm glad you found one of the good surgeons out there - I had one too, and it makes a huuuge difference.  Some of us - like me - walked this walk long ago - I'll be 6 yrs in August - but we continue to come to these boards to get and give encouragement.  We also have a lot of silly fun, so don't mind us if we start a silly party or talk about tons of things other than BC!

    Eli you are so right about the pain issue. I've had chronic arthritis in my lumbar spine since I was 13, so believe me, I understand. In a way it was a blessing that it started so young - it's kind of just always been there for me to an extent, but manageable so that it's not the first thing I think of each morning. I really meant when I said that mentally I'm about 20, and I kind of doubt that will ever change - at least I hope not :)

    Maine, I have 5 threads as favorites and this is the only one that is acting up on me too. For me, it's page 12 ...sometime in 2009.  If moderators are checking these posts ... any updates??

    Jean, I hope you thoroughly enjoy this four day no chemo weekend. We sooo need a break from the routine sometimes - it can do wonders.  Glad you got to the gardens in the sunshine :)

  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 1,482

    awwww...I just noticed the bunny!!!!  I love bunnies - they reduce me to talking like a 3  year old when I see them in the backyard, which doesn't happen too often.  they're just so darn cute and cuddly.  Thanks Eli :)

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503

    Thanks for all your prayers for my dad. The update is that he does have colon cancer as well. So the plan is he is having surgery on Tuesday to remove it because it is bleeding. They will let him heal about three weeks then start chemo for his lung mets. By then they will have the path on the colon and can decided what to do about that as well. Have a happy Easter everyone. We are camping in our RV and one of my old friends is coming for dinner. Will be great to see her

  • Sandeeonherown
    Sandeeonherown Member Posts: 1,781

    Sherry- glad they are getting your dad in fast and that you have a weekend of relaxation planned!

  • Carrol2
    Carrol2 Member Posts: 1,477

    PFC = post final chemo

  • elimar
    elimar Member Posts: 5,885

    Sherryc, sorry to hear your dad got the "double barrel" Dx, but a great many people have successful colon cancer surgeries and I hope he will be one of them.  Although my MIL is a colon cancer survivor, I don't know much about the chemo they usually give for that but since your dad was going to be having it for his lungs, maybe there is one regimen that is effective for both.  Let us know on that.  I would be interested in which chemo they use for him.

    marlegal,  What a cute Easter Pic, right?  But my mind is twisted, so I had to get a cute one that ALSO looks photoshopped so the bunny is wearing lipstick.  I can't look at that without cracking up!!!!  Hyuk, hyuk!!!

  • Paula66
    Paula66 Member Posts: 1,572

    Hi girls.  Its good to see ya post Jean, I have had you in my thoughts since we stared chemo the same month.  Im so glad to move on to the taxol its so much easier to tolerate.  I hope the SE are better for you as well.

    Sherry have fun on your RV trip.  Seeing old friends are great.  You are going thru so much right now and a visit with an old friend seems to do wonders sometimes. Enjoy.

    Love the lipstick on the bunny.  Reminds me of back in the day when my Auntie came at me with the bright red lipstick on ready for a kiss.  Back then I remember yuck and all I wanted to do was wipe off that lipstick.  I sure do miss her now.  But one day I will see her again and she will be there waiting with the bright red lipstick ready to plant one on me, lol.  Love and Miss ya Antie Lou.

  • leisaparis
    leisaparis Member Posts: 326

    I'm still trying to catch up from when I was gone on vacation. Have @ 3 pages to go but wanted to wish everyone a H A P P Y  E A S T E R. Have a great day everyone. Gonna go see the grandkids now. Talk to ya all later. God Bless.

  • heartnsoul76
    heartnsoul76 Member Posts: 1,204

    Happy Easter middies!

    Beautiful picture Leisa - hope everyone has a blessed day! 

  • Kay_G
    Kay_G Member Posts: 1,914

    Happy Easter Everyone!  I have been enjoying reading all your posts.

  • marlegal
    marlegal Member Posts: 1,482

    Kay I don't think we've met before ... welcome!  I'm from Delaware County...Collingdale to be exact. Where are you?  And where are you in this journey, your profile doesn't tell us much.

    I hope you all had a wonderful day whether celebrating Easter or just enjoying whatever you do on Sundays.