MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Claire a year from now hopefully you will like your hair better and just go get your licensed renewed again. Tell them you lost it. That way you won't be stuck with a post bc picture with the reminder.
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My hair is coming in straight. I was looking forward to chemo curls
of course it's gray - no luck with the color either.
And Mr. Softee just went down the block while I was in the tub. The dog wouldn't go get it for me so no vanilla cone with rainbow jimmies tonight
Probably better off since chemo is tomorrow which means a visit to the cruel scale again. I think it's out to get me.
Congrats Jo!0 -
claire, I hope you read this before bedtime, or before going for your license. they CAN digitally keep the same picture - tell them exactly why you'd like it - say that in a month you will NOT look like your picture would look now - I honestly have heard of women doing that during treatment and the centers being very cooperative. good luck hon
reesie, mine came in poker straight too, just like it was my entire life. nicer texture though, so at least I got that!
Eph - I usually peak during the week, just don't post. Since I don't have tv to watch, I'm doing a little posting too!
Time for bed now though..nite all.
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Hi again and thank you all for the BIG WARM welcome. I live in Australia and it has been a little cold lately so I have been doing a bit more laptop therapy.
Elmar, I haven't done any Chemo or rads yet. I am on hormone therapy taking 20mg tamoxifen and monthly Zolaex implants. I am learning about hot flashes, especially at night when I wake up absolutely frying in my own sweat! I will continue this treatment for as long as my mets are stable. My next onc appointment is tomorrow!!!
I'm off to do a little bit of overdue gardening!
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jen_b, if you read back a little, you probably saw that I am on Tamox. too, of course now I feel like an idiot for going on about reducing my dosage because of the hot flashes because then along you came and the situation is a little different. That 20mg. is controlling something known to exist in your case, while mine is anyone's iffy guess.
One thing you have going for you is you have not been on the Tamox. that long, and some are lucky enough to have the symptoms diminish to almost nothing after some months. The only thing that made mine ease off was the mid-Winter months when there is less humidity in the air. (So, I don't know how that will work out for you since you are having your Winter now, and you say it's cold but it must still be warm enough if you are off to do gardening...Warm enough for gardening, warm enough for a hot flash, i always say.) If you read some of the other posts, you did see the other women mention that if the flashes get unbearable there are a few medications that can help, and your doc would be familiar with that, I'm sure. With a little luck, your flashes may settle down on their own.
Marlegal, Big ole metro-area like Philly, I thought for sure you would have been familiar with the delightful Pineapple Whip frozen treat. Then again, I would kill if I could get my hands on an authentic Italian Ice. No such luck.
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"Warm enough for gardening, warm enough for a hot flash, i always say." hahahahahahaha-ain't that the truth????????????
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So much to catch up on in 24 hours!
I took amitriptyline for sleep for awhile. It does give you a good night's sleep, but it can be difficult to get up on time in the morning.
We don't have Pineapple whip, but we have plenty of ice cream trucks. Ours have that hideous electronic music and frequently play Christmas tunes and Happy Birthday. We do have lots of "Sno-shacks"! And many of them are on wheels!
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I need a customized Sno-Shack hut in my driveway. Not just for treats, but to live in during the peak of hot flash season. Ahh, real snow!
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Early morning observation (not really ranting):
Over the last two years, I have kicked myself more than a few times for not creating a snappier title for this thread. It is kind of lackluster, isn't it? More recently, I have had a change of heart. At least that title IS WHAT IT IS!
Recently, I have come across so many that are titled so obscurely like, "Just Don't Know" or "Should I Panic?" or "F- This!" (Those are titles I made up, but you get the idea.) Well, I love a mystery, so I'll open the thread having no idea what it could actually be. Then it turns out to be a question regarding the safety of emptying a litterbox during chemo or someone is disappointed that their hair didn't come back in curly or something. (I made those up too.) I try and use the forum groupings to keep me in the places I am most interested in or could offer the most help, but we all know thing get posted in the least likely forums sometimes. It gets confusing and all I am saying is I have been winding up in threads I have no place in much more frequently lately. It's not a big deal. I'm just saying I have come to appreciate the precision in the name of this thread, even if it is quite ordinary.
I'm also saying that I wrote about the above because I don't feel like starting my chores today.
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E that was great. I want the sno-shack in my driveway too but for the snacks lol.
And I haven't done chores in 7 months - how long do you think I can keep this up before my DH realizes that I'm physically able now ?0 -
Oh, Reesie, now you have me wanting a Mr. Softee vanilla cone with rainbow jimmies. I can't think of Mr. Softee without thinking of my cousin. He told his wife just after his son was born not to get upset when she saw him because he looked like Mr. Softee. LOL I would have killed him. I think all babies born without C sections have at least a little bit of those elongated heads. His son wasn't any more than most.
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Well, Elimar, I would say you have successfully diverted yourself away from the chores - atta girl! The title of this thread is just what it needs to be, but we could always ponder it for a good few hours to buy you some more time.
I'm hung up thinking about that Pineapple Whip in a trailer! I wish we had one of those around here. I started thinking how refreshing that would be and how I could make it myself. I think I'll throw some pineapple chunks in my super-duper blender, blend it to a thick pulpy mess and then fold in some fat-free Cool Whip. Then freeze it! Does that sound about right? Thinking about doing that today because 1. it's hot as hell and 2. I have to go to my MO today and I'm dreading it. Again. Of course. I wish I could reach the point where these appointments don't make me as nervous as a whore in church (as my funny aunt used to say). Naturally, I've been feeling fine until today - now everything hurts. Ughhhhhh - I don't want to goooooo!
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((((HnS)))) I am in your pocket.
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Elimar I know about not wanting to do the chores. I am still home sick and not duing any chores. DH is sweet but not good at keeping things up when I am down. He is trying though so I will not complain to him. Had to call the Dr this morning and he is calling something else in for this diarrhe. I just can't seem to get it under control. Although overall I am feeling better.
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Sherryc, I don't care for the stuff too much, but you might consider chuggin some Powerade or Gatorade. You must have flushed away a lot of your electrolytes by now. That virus is taking a long time to run its course, but hopefully it's about done. At least you have an excuse for shore avoidance!
HnS, I have carefully considered your symptoms and concluded that you are suffering from APPOINTMENT-ITIS! It should be gone by evening, thanks goodness...just in time for your homemade P-Whip treat. (The actual whip does have a component in it to make it more creamy than icey, like how sherbets usually are. P-Whip is kind of like a sherbet, but more whipped, more smooth, and more yummy.)
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In fact, Sherryc, since your hubby is not that good about pitching in, you really need some HELP. Sending out our morphed-up Perfect Man, to use as you see fit. Just make sure you send him over to reesie by the weekend, for her extended B-day visit.
He answers to Geo-tonio too.0 -
Need some help/advise!! I am dealing with no periods for months at a time. I had one last september 2010 and one this may 2011. But for some time now after sex I will bleed enough to 1/2 way fill one pad then it stops. Theres no pain involved but it happens almost every time. Has anyone else out there had this happen? Did you talk to your dr. about it? Im on Tamoxifen since feb. 2010. I had rads and no chemo. Oncotype score was 13.Any ideas???
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I would like to join you ladies if I may...
I am 53, married almost 33 years and have three beautiful children through the miracle of adoption. I'm also a homeschooling mom...I'm going to start my 18th and final year of homeschooling in August. (My youngest will be a senior in high school.)
I had a lot of wonderful plans for my summer break but God had other plans.
I am very thankful that I get to skip chemo (oncotype 10) but I just started rads yesterday.
I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone here.
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dualgate, I do have an idea. Tamoxifen (and lack of estrogen, in general) can cause vaginal dryness which, in turn, can cause irritation and rawness. You could try sex with a lubricant and see if that changes anything BUT do not put off mentioning this to your doctor, as it may indicate something more serious. We don't have the luxury of "wait and see" like we used to, o.k.?0
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Hi Barb58, and I will just say that anyone who can do 18 years of homeschooling just has a mind-boggling amount of patience, IMO. Sorry to hear that B/C threw a curve ball your way. Someone else here is just beginning rads. I will look and try to find out who that was and also I will repost some tips too. BRB.0
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Welcome Barb58. Looks like you got married around the same age as me (20 almost 21). I still have a ways to go to get to 33 years (just turned 27 here), it's always awesome to hear about long term marriages.
dualgate, I'm no doctor (or nurse or any kind of medical person for that matter) but I think you should talk to your gyn regarding this issue. Not to frighten you, but my thoughts lean toward endometriosis, especially with the use of Tamoxifen. Of course I have absolutely no medical education, so take what I say for what it's worth (just random thoughts).It's probably something much simpler than that.
Kay, I was at my brother's in the Poconos a couple of weeks ago and we stopped at an ice cream stand after dinner one night. When I saw the sign said sprinkles I told my brother to make sure he ordered jimmies for me because sprinkles was NOT the right word lol.
If I could only train Puck (my dog) to get that ice cream for me. Of course she would probably eat it before it got to my hands anyway.
Just got back from chemo and asked the nurse if I could color my hair since I'm still on chemo (if it would even take). She said it's pretty new like baby hair so I should wait - it might just take offense and fall out again. Guess I'll stay gray for a while longer.
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dualgate I have also read that tamoxifen can cause cervical polyps that could bleed after sex so that's a possibility too. Unfortunately, you should probably get it checked. =( I don't mean to scare you, I just hate going to the gynecologist so just the thought makes me sad. I had enough of those guys during my infertility treatments. It's what I dread most about the hormone treatments that I know are coming.
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Barb58, The other one who just began rads last week is Huskerkkc. I wrote this for her too:
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. Drink lots of water too. Good Luck and keep us posted.
p.s. If you don't have tatoos yet, the other option is to have marks done in Sharpie pen. The techs or you have to keep re-drawing them butthat was my choice. It is an option that the rads team sometimes does not even mention to people.
Finally, we have another member on here called Barbe1958. I don't think it will be confusing (well, no more confusing than how we normally are!)
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Thank you for the welcomes reesie and elimar! and thank you for all of the information elimar! I hadn't seen the Barbe1958....I hope I don't confuse anyone!
As for homeschooling, it helped make me more patient, that's for sure! ; )
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Oh yeah, Barb58, look in the Radiation Forum on here and find your "group of the month" for rads. You might as well go into the July 2011 group since you are so close and will be going on from there. That is really great to be with other all doing treatment at the same time and comparing notes.0
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I could have never homeschooled my kids. I think my youngest son is WAY smarter than me and the others aren't too far behind. And when he gets to talking on a subject I tend to shut him out for a few minutes (he talks A LOT)..
The other night he was in the bathroom for an hour (no exaggeration) and I said "What are you doing in there reading a novel?" (he reads everywhere). He came out and said he was watching a movie (on his laptop) and started talking about the movie - I tuned in once in a while. Then he said that he was looking for info on joining the next solar car competition so I said "What are you going to Race the Sun like the movie?" That was when he said "that's what I was watching mom and that's what I said 10 minutes ago". Uh Oh, caught.
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Barb58 and Jen - welcome. I am fairly new to this thread as well and sometimes forget that I'm 40(ish), when I'm 45 and forget to check in and seem to have a lot of catching up to do.
Oh........the icecream trucks!!! Such wonderful memories from childhood. During the dog days of summer, I can remember hearing it blocks away, then me and all of the neighborhood kids would race inside for money, praying our moms would give it to us. Then race outside just in time to catch the icecream man. I used to love the red, white and blue popsicle. It would drip sticky sugary mess down my hands and arms and then drip to the ground as I tried to eat it before it melted. We still have an icecream truck that passes through the neighborhood, but it exceeds the street speed limit by 15 mph, playing the music on speakers that are in terrible condition making it sound like a warped record. If the kids are lucky enough to get out there in time to catch the icecream truck they need to make sure it doesn't run them over - it's not like it used to be.
Eli - I take Effexor and I guess am one of the lucky ones in that I really don't have too many SE's and it helped tremendously with the hotflashes.
Well.........I got the results of my scans today and I am so happy!!! The big tumors in my lungs have all shrunk, and I don't have anymore new tumors (all of the tiny ones still remain). Yipppeeeee!!!! I will continue with Gemzar/Carbo for now.
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Jenn- Yeah for your scan results, must be a huge relief that the chemo is busy kicken ass
When I moved from NE to NY sometimes I thought I had moved to another planet. There are so many words for one object and I got tired of being laughed at so I used to take notes, especially when I asked some young man at the grocery store if he had a sack and he looked at me as if he wanted to call the police, geez I just wanted a "bag" for my ice cream LOL
Getting ready to go to my girlfriends for a Birthday party and I went to the bakery and bought Pina Colada cupcakes yummm.
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OG, Don't look now, but i stole one of your Pina Colada cupcakes to give to jenn3.
Woot-woot, jenn3! Congrats on the good scan results, keep up the good work!
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OG-I burst out laughing at your comment about the "bagboy" & his sack...oops I mean a sack....oops I mean a bag! Oh you know!
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