MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Lovely!! Love the peonies!
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Everyone thanks for the birthday wishes, between here and FB I was completly overwhelmed. but in a very good way.
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Mumayan - how special - they look so happy - may they be happy for ever more!!
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mumayan - she's beautiful! Best wishes to the newlyweds!
Elimar - I know it says to take SAM-e on an empty stomach, but I've always taken it with food and it doesn't seem to affect the effectiveness...I've read where people do cut it in half and that it's still effective for them. Different doses for different folkses!
Also, I only take one 200 mg pill per day. I know it says to take 2, but hey! It's expensive! Are you taking 200 or 400 mg per day?
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HnS, The first two days I took 2x 200mg. (a.m. & p.m.) on empty stomach and my stomach hurt. The third day I took 1x 200mg. one empty stomach (a.m. only,) same thing, all the way thru' to nighttime. Today, I did cut it in two and took 1/2 (in the a.m.) with some food, not crampy and hurting but it is churning in there still. Buurrrrrp! I can probably do that for a few day to see if it will settle down to the point that I can take more. If not, you are right...an expensive experiment for me.0
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E, thats the same problem I had, upset stomach even though GNC's is enteric coated, and from everything I've read you should slowly titrate up the dose to eventually be at around 800 to 1200 a day, but boy that would be expensive. Oh well like my avatar say's "yes there were side effects" I just love that Anne Taintor she has the best sayings! I think we could have some fun posting favorite sayings etc.
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Valjean- just read your post a few pages back and do not have time to read all the pages in between but...fear is tricky....the unknown is tricky...wishing for things that are no longer is tricky....we cannot go back in time no matter how much we want to-all we can do is go forward, making the best choices we can possibly make....you are 2.5 years out. I am told that it gets easier with each year. I know in 12 months I will be scared again but in the meantime, I am trying to live my life loudly. Trying new things (realizing I am actually a lot more competitive than I thought I was....and more athletic actually) and being open to new people. Trying to think in terms of loving kindness towards all kind of squashes the fear so that is helping...the 24 hour rule helps a ton....If it is not getting better or feels paralyzing, give yourself the gift of visiting a homeopath....they have very special remedies for helping us to get 'unstuck'...really works...or give yourself the gift of a ciuple of appointments with someone who gets paid to listen to fears and to help wash them away.... you deserve to be fear-free my dear. You really do.
hugs
Sandee
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E I found the enteric Sam-E in the Puritans Pride book they are buy 2 get 3 free, but still pricey. I have been having some positive results using a combo of tumeric, glucosimine, and 3-6-9 Omega Oil. I have serious osteoarthritis and have been struggling to get around but this combination is giving me some relief as long as I "behave" myself.
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Been off the boards a week or so...hard to catch up and not doing anything very exciting here either. Someone posted a corn head (tribute to Nebraska Cornhusker football, for those who are unfamiliar)...was that you Elimar? Believe it or not, my DS (age 15) has one of those and proudly has worn it to games (in his "younger" days!) Kinda like the Cheeseheads of Wisconsin, I guess.
Linda (OG56)...hope you aren't getting flooded or rained on tonight. We've had tornado watches/warnings, plus thunderstorm warnings all evening. Should be hitting Omaha by now (8pm) My sister lives in Papillion; my parents are in Lincoln, where I grew up.
Congrats to the new grandmas and mother-in-laws, those with birthdays, etc. Chrissie, good job on the pic. Still haven't figured out how to shrink a pic to "mystery" size. I had a good pic, but now can't remember where it is (or what it is!) Another chemo brain SE (Suebak...SE's stands for side effects)
I see radiation doc this Thursday and then probably start my 30 treatments on Monday or Tuesday. Have peeked at rads board for June, but got scared and haven't been back (yet). I thought the rads were supposed to be easier than chemo? Obviously there are potential-even likely-side effects, but those who are currently going...how has it been for you? PM me if you prefer. I am trying not to psych myself out (did a good job of that pre-chemo). I will drive myself 25 miles one-way, but am off for the summer (school counselor) so I guess will have some leeway for scheduling, I think.
Am hoping to get some sleep tonight. Weather radio went off 4 times last night because of thunderstorms. NEED ZZZZZZZZZ's!
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C--79, I do have the enteric Nature Made kind, but now that I cut it in two it is probably mostly disolving in my stomach. I am trying it for fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and mood, in that order.
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Huskerkkc rads were not too bad, are just several daily routine items that you need to adjust such as deodorants, soaps and lotions AND of course, going for treament everyday...Basically, you just need to use the most natural hygene products without perfumes & dyes. My RO only allowed me to use Lansinoh a 100% lanolin creme, very sticky & goopy but it absorbed pretty quickly for me. I did not have issues with my skin at all. The only SE I had was a deep muscle fatigue that hit me during the last week of treatment (I had 5-1/2 weeks of treatments) but it got better quickly. I have to admit it was pretty difficult to walk up the steps in my house and I actually had to stop every couple of steps. If you follow their recommendations it's not too bad.
Apparently I missed birthdays, a wedding (beautiful couple) and a page 400 party, so of course I need to post some party pictures, some drinks...
presents & chocolate cake...
some dancin, hootin & hollerin!!
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Huskerkkc, Glad you appreciated the "corn head." As for the radiation, most eventually get some fatigue. A few say they don't but they are the exceptions to the rule. Don't worry about being tired on the half hour ride home, it won't hit you that fast, but you might find yourself napping later in the day. The fatigue seems to hit by the second or third week. As for skin, we all get the tan/pink area. About 1/3 of women get a more pronounced skin reaction, like weepy blisters. It does not matter how fair skinned you are either. You can try to avoid this if you moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. kal mentioned lanolin already, but something not as goopy is Fruit Of The Earth 100% pure aloe gel (Walmart has it) which is very cooling. If you use that, put some on right after treatment before your drive home, and then a couple more times that day. But make sure to have nothing on your skin before the day's treatment, don't even use soap on the treatment area, just water. If you do begin to get blistery, ask the nurses for the prescription Silvadene creme. Finally, make sure to eat a good amount of protein to help your body repair the damage taking place. Good Luck and keep us posted.
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I echo everything elimar has said, right down to the creams & when to use/not use them. I did use Aqaphor for a while, it is on the sticky side & I did ruin a coule of camisoles, so you might want to be careful what you choose to wear if you use that. I swear by the Aloe Vera & the Silvadene. I must be one of the exceptions to the rule because I had no fatique at all. Honestly. A couple of times early on, I did have some dizziness when I arose from the tx table, but I just sat for a moment & walked a bit slowly leaving the tx room & then I was fine. My body handled the tx well, at least what I could see on the outside, but the emotional part was another thing. But, I made it through & I hope you have minimal SE's as well. I went on a 7-hour drive/trip the next week & my skin was pretty much healed, for the most part. I still used some Silvadene to finish the healing process. I bought a Tom's deodorant to use on the affected side, but I only used it on the weekends.
Love the partay pics!!!!!
mumayan, the picture of your DD & new SIL is beautiful! How happy they look & how proud you must be.
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Thanks Kim, Elimar, and Valjean for the helpful tips!0
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Hope all had a lovely Midsummer Day today...and be sure to have a Midsummer Night's Dream!
I'll probably just have the usual dream again. (OG, I love Anne Taintor too.)
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I was one of those unlucky ones that turned lobster red and blistered. And I never , well rarely burn. "Brown as a berry", my mom used to say. And I lubed and lubed. Calendula cream is reasonably priced and helps ease the burn. I spent the money on Miaderm, went thru 1 1/2 tubes of that 2 of calendula and then I bought the Aquafor. It is "thick" but extremely soothing. I am two months out and I still have a very pronounced dark tan rectangle on my chest. I can't wait for the tan lines to go away, it just seems to make my chest look crooked!!
Just curious, cuz I am too lazy to google it, but what is Sam-E??
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My last rad was Nov '09 & I'm still discolored, just so are aware of that possibility cmblastic.
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E, love those ladies at the top, love the clothes from that era! My DD and I used to watch Mad Men and laugh at how the wives didn't work and they had full time housekeepers! We were very jealous.
Husker, I forgot about how much the weather sux's in NE. LOL (shhh don't tell E we spoke of the weather on this thread as there is a thread especially for that topic
)I didn't burn or darken I did the Mamosite, thought I would cause I am blonde and pale, hope all goes smoothly for you!
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I used XClair cream and it was really good. I did not burn but I turned raw like hamburger meat. But skin healed very quickly once I was finished. I am 5 months out and still very tanned and boob is still swollen.
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Perhaps our virtual dude should have a little bit of Shemar! Enjoy ladies.
http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/video/?pid=gflOJQr0TNeVhLxk1JZR1QFZjH2d8mCl&vs=Clips&play=true
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BS & RO tried the mammosite - couldn't get the catheter to fit right. 6 weeks rads - burned, topical rash, used Aquaphor after the damage had already been done. RO was such a frigging moron and would not let me use creams until it was too late. Finished rads 6 months ago. Now have permanent nerve damage in the BC boob and have to take amitriptyline to get rid of the burning/stabbing pains.
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I used emu oil and I had no burn, no skin problems at all. My RO was astounded, since I am blond/blue/fair and he now recommends it to his patients.
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Morning all! Im just wondering if there is any of you gals who lost your hait during chemo just plain got tired of wearing a wig or scarf? Did you just say the heck with it and go topless outside of your house? Im so tiried of covering up. the hotflashes get bad at times so I have to take my scarf off anyway. How did you handle it. Any comments about it will be helpful. I'm just have little stubble so Im still pretty bald, but thats ok. I took a picture and posted on my fb page so Im ok with it.
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I took the wig off as soon as I got home from work, but always wore a scarf. As soon as my hair was 3/4 of an inch long I stopped wearing anything on my head. I remember the first day I went wig-less at work and a friend of my boss stopped by my office and told me he tought I had cut my hair a little too short. Boy did he shrink back when I told him that's what chemo will do to you.
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Paula, I stopped wearing a scarf (never wore a wig) and started wearing a baseball cap - it was more comfortable for me (and I've always worn them out in the sun, so it was "normal"). I wear the cap at work and out of the house but mostly to make others more comfortable - it comes off as soon as I get in the car to drive home lol.
I'll be honest - if I wasn't comfortable in the cap I would say screw everyone else's comfort and go commando. My hair is SLOWLY growing - even on Abraxane (if only it grew as fast as the hair on my legs) so I think I will be hatless soon.
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OOh something to look forward too!! Can't wait!!
Had a first last night. Woke up with a charley-horse--not a leg cramp(thanks to my 3am research on the www --I now know the difference!!) OMG, scared the crud out of me! And it still hurts. One more tick of the clock,reminding me my birthday is right around the corner.
Happy Second Day of summer!! Toast with a nice frozen lemonade--vodka optional (although I don't know why!!!!)
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So, what IS the difference between a charley horse and a leg cramp? The locatoin of the cramp?
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It's always location, location, location!!
Basically a charley horse is a muscle cramp in your calf. OLD people, pregnant and people with fewer "reserves" are more likely to get them. But a charley horse comes on suddenly and painfully at night. Anything that wakes me up out of a dead sleep makes me nervous. I have often gotten foot cramps day or night, very painful, but nothing that woke me up so forcefully. I know I'm being a whiner right now, but its just one more stupid thing that says my body is changing and not the one I've known for the last 49 years. 0 -
Claire - That drink looks so inviting. It is really hot here and that would definitely cool me off.
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I've been away for a while.........I became so anemic I could hardly function, sleeping 16 -18 hours a day and unable to even bend over to pick up something without losing my breath and feeling like I've run 2 miles. I had a blood transfusion last week and am feeling so much better, a lot like my "old" self.
I am one of those that did everything I was told by the RO, moisturized with Miaderm and Aloe, except 2 hours before raditation, moisturized after each treatment. A week after finishing my skin got bright red, blistered, oozed something I can't even describe and hurt like h#!!. I went in daily for a week to get the area cleaned, in addition the daily cleaning I did in the evenings. My RO said that women who have had a masectomy usually have a harder time with rads because there isn't as much tissue in the area to absorb the radiation. That was the case for me.
Congrats on the wedding, the bride is beautiful!!!
I wore my scarf when I left the house. However, after I had a small amount of hair, like you I got sick of the hot flashes and decided I had had enough and went commando. The first day or two at work was the hardest, but we all got used to it and all was fine. FYI - you may already know this, but Effexor works wonders for hotflashes. It's in the antidepressent/anxiety family. Some women don't like Effexor, but for me it worked wonders with viturally no other SE's except that I am "nicer"
.Jenn
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