MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
-
That's cuz we're getting old Reesie.
Yes, my friend had ovarian 15 yrs ago. I didn't know it until one day she had a tank top on and I could see the port, so I asked. She said she just has chosen to leave it in. It looked kinda small but did stick out enough for me to notice right away.
Foxy0 -
thank you, everyone, for your thoughts. i talked to my doc's PA today and she said to call her on wednesday if it didn't feel better. here's the thing: it still has steri-strips on the port incision and on the incision where he stuck that damned thing down my jugular. can they access the port even with the ster-strips? can i put the numbing creme on it with the strips still on it? i know i can ask the PA or the radiologist who put it in, but i'd like to hear it from those of you who have gone through it.
reesie, much, much good luck with your left tibia. geez. so much happening. I hope everything goes well.
0 -
My Oncologist wanted me to wait until I healed.
They never used a numbing cream it doesnt really hurt.
Good Luck YaYa
♥
0 -
The access is not where the incision is. The steri strips won'tt be a problem. My second port was accessed the next day (would have been same day but anesthesiologist thought she might have to put me totally under so she nixed that).
0 -
I'm in awe of you ladies working full-time during treatment! I still feel barfy, but I'm going to blame it on this infernal heat! Today, I was so hot and nauseous, that I actually took one of my old chemo nausea pills. Fortunately, that helped a bit and now that it's cooled off I feel slightly more human...
reesie - I hope they fix you up STAT so as not to interfere with your surgery. There's nothing worse than delays and more waiting!
sherry and mbj - prayers going up for your dads. I love these men from the WWII generation. I can't believe how brave they were. And funny, and self-depracating, and most of all - humble. I hate to see our old soldiers die - they know so much more than we do.
I never had a port, so I don't know anything about them. I was never offered one - I believe I would have taken it. I heard chemo really does a number on your veins!
I know, I'm playing musical avatar...decision-making is not one of my strong points!
0 -
Waiting right along with you, reesie, to find out what's going on with the left leg. Normally, I'd say fracture would be better than ligament tear, quicker healing time; but you might have a longer healing time for bone, so I don't know. Whatever, I hope you are not (semi) immobilized (again) for too long a time.0
-
Reesie I hope they find out whats up quickly for you. Take care!
0 -
Reesie - good luck (((hugs)))
(((BIG WARM HUGS)))) MJB & Sherry
Yaya - RE: port. I had the first port put in my chest - no problems. The second port that was put in a few months ago in my arm hurt terribly. The surgery was extremely painful, it was swollen and tender for 2 or 3 weeks after the surgery and bruised terribly. I normally don't get the numbing spray, but did get the spray for a chemo infusion during that time and it did help.
I've been off boards for the last week while I was on vacation. We spent a wonderful week @ Perdido Key Beach in Florida. I could live on the beach, the warm grainy feel of the sand between my toes, the taste of the salt water when the waves splash, the sound of the waves crashing into the shoreline. I just love it!!!!! Anyway, I have good news to share. My DD#1 got engaged while we were on vacation. Yipeeeee!!!! I am so excited for them, my DD and her fiance make a beautiful couple.
0 -
Congrats Jenn!!! It's always better when you like the spouse....ehhehehehee.
0 -
Sound like a great getaway...Congrats on the exciting news, jenn3!!!0
-
Jenn- Sounds like a wonderful vacation and congrats on the good news. When is the wedding?
0 -
Jenn...congratulations on your daughter's engagement. How exciting!
Perdido Key is beautiful. We have vacationed there several times and it's always so peaceful there.
0 -
Is it Thanksgiving already? No, but you can give your thanks to BC.org on the link below:
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/90/topic/769020?page=1#idx_10
I did, even tho' I've been jumping to the wrong page for months now.
0 -
Eli - When I click on the link I get a page that says "Page Error" What is the supposed to take you to?
0 -
jo....copy the link than search. It worked for me.
0 -
I tried to copy and paste the link twice and it did not work
0 -
Do you want me to bump the thread for you?
0 -
A friend sent this to me, I thought some of you may enjoy it. If inappropriate for this topic, please let me know! Have a good night ladies. Zometa kicking my butt right now. Going to bed
Foxy
If you need a good laugh, get ready because this one will do it for you!
POWER OUTAGE DURING A MAMMOGRAM
I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with, "Hi! I'm Belinda!" This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, "All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown.
Everything clear?
I'm thinking, "Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science."
Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors.
With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, "Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?'
Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off?
My body was in a holding pattern that defied g gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two 4 inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt a zap! Complete darkness and the power went off!
"Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag." Belinda headed for the door.
"Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?" I shouted.
Belinda kept going and said, "Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back."
Before I could shout "NOOOO!" she disappeared.
And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half-naked and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass!
After exchanging polite "Hi, how's it going" type greetings, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.
Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible "Uh, yes, yes I did thanks."
"You bet, take care" Bubba replied and waved good -b y e as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store.
Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, "Oh I am sooo sorry!" The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?"
And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps....
0 -
Thanks Fox
0 -
That's funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! enjoyed the chuckle
0 -
Foxy - That's a good one. I got that on an email one time and laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
0 -
Jenn--congrats on upcoming nuptials! How exciting! What a great end to a beautiful vacation.
Foxy, that was toooo funny!! Thanks, I needed a pick me up!!
0 -
Funny, Fox! This thread has been known to have humor once or twice in the past.
0 -
jo & anyone else, I was trying to direct anyone with a thankful comment for BC.org to a thread called "Thank You." The thread can be found in the Moderator Messages forum, accessed by the forum index tab up at the top, if you are not able to get to it even by cutting and pasting the link I posted above. Don't know why some links don't work. (I would be even more thankful if they did.)0
-
Jenn, congrats! So happy you had a nice, relaxing vacation.
Reesie, hope they get you fixed up soon.
Fox, LOL.
0 -
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0 -
Good one foxy!!!!
Congrats Jenn on the engagement!
0 -
Foxy, I roared with laughter and my DH asked what I was laughing about so I read him your story not expecting him to get the irony of the whole thing but at the end he also was toaring with laughter!!!! Thank you very much for lightening our moods.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
0 -
Eli - Thanks! I will go in search of the thread.
0 -
This won't be of interest to all, but may be of interest to some. Back when we were talking about hot flashes for only the 100th time, a couple of prescription drugs were mentioned, one being Effexor. Now having tried it, this is my story.
Started on 37.5 mg. in the morning, time released, , and it really had a stimulant effect on me. Like I was talking twice as much. Given how much I talk to begin with, even I noticed the excess. So that was BAD.
Like a stimulant, it dulled my appetite. I lost a few lbs. of belly fat. So that was GOOD.
It gave me dry mouth. BAD I drank more water. GOOD.
Around the third day, I started to sweat excessively. Yuk, that is BAD.
The kind of sweat where beads form on your face and cleavage, then start to drip. But, it seemed to clear up about 2-3 days later on it's own. O.K., GOOD.
Got constipation, BAD. I take magnesium anyway, so one more tab. as needed corrected that. GOOD enough.
The first three days, my FM pain (neuropathy in hands and feet) became a nerve vibration feeling. Neither good nor bad, just WEIRD. Then, after I got to the therapeutic level in my bloodstream, it definitely helped with the FM pain. So, GOOD.
Effexor has a short 10-12 hour half-life, so by night when my pain is worse, the pain was breaking thru'. Back to BAD.
I had reduced my Tamox. down to one 10 mg. tab. because the hot flashes were over the top, and although I still had about 30 or more a day, they were a little bit milder. The Effexor seemed to help, to the point of me feeling only about a dozen warm flashes a day. Very GOOD!
I felt guilty not taking the two tabs (20 mg.) a day like I was supposed to. I'm BAD.
After one week, my doc said take two Effexor tabs, at which point I figured I should take the two Tamox. again also. The flashes did come back stronger, but not all the way to the pre-Effexor levels, and I am getting "only" about two dozen a day, which is still a reduction. So, I'll say GOOD.
After the first week, and even tho' I was taking more Effexor, I got sleepy in the afternoons. Not groggy, like I shouldn't opereate a motor vehicle or heavy machinery, but like I should just lay on the couch, see if Law & Order was on and nap. Kinda BAD.
Still, I had no trouble falling asleep at night, and was sleeping thru' the night with improved quality and less waking. Excellent GOOD!
The doctor told me to take both Effexor tabs. in the morning, but found that if I take one with breakfast and one with lunch, I have more coverage for the nightime FM pain, so that worked out o.k. I think that brings me to one GOOD to the plus column.
Overall, I think I can deal with the side effects well enough and it is helping with my FM pain. I have heard it is hard to wean off this drug, so that is a hurdle I'll have to face at some point. I don't know if I would recommend this JUST for relief from hot flashes. I'm not really in favor of using one drug to take away the side effects of another drug, but if the flashes from Tamox. are so bad you feel like quitting the Tamox., what are you gonna do? I don't know about the natural remedies, but as far as prescription drugs, I would check out gabapentin (Neurontin) first before Effexor, because it seems to have less side effects and less interactions. It did not work for me, but everyone is different and it has helped some women to reduce the hot flashes.
I had a real compulsion to write about all the details. Guess it still gets me a little hyper.
0
