MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
-
lm68, I don't know why so much pain. Hopefully the doc can figure it out & HELP. Also, that you you return drainless. (I'm so glad I didn't have a typo on that last one.)0
-
Was away for the weekend and then crazy busy yesterday, so trying to catch up...
Lisamarie - hope you have a better PS appt today and get those blankety-blank drains out!
Dianarose - Sigh. I just don't have words. Your onc would make me crazy. I second (or third?) getting a second opinion - if not at Farber, then somewhere local outside of the group you are seeing now. There are so many GOOD doctors out there who are willing to fight for you that it is unreasonable to keep seeing someone who doesn't care about you. I wish you were here in GA so I could refer you to mine. She's SO good...
cmblastic - I need my shades for your dazzling teeth!
Talking about medical record errors - I'm a transcriptionist, and I hear the docs change things midstream all the time - left vs right, etc. I'll get through a report and they'll say "Please go back and change everything to LEFT instead of RIGHT." Since I transcribe pediatric neurosurgery, sometimes they change boys to girls (he to she) and with the funky names these days, I have no clue, so I have to flag it and have the office doublecheck. One of my docs yawns a LOT during his dictation and does not repeat what he said during the yawn, so he gets flagged quite often...
0 -
Madpeacock,
I'm a medical transcriptionist also and concur with what you were saying about docs. I don't have a yawning doc but I do have a burping doc! Every single day he belches during his dictation. I split a gut everytime I hear it..
0 -
dianarose--I am so sorry that you are going thru this mess. You should definitely seek a second opinion. I can't believe a doc would say that chemo would do nothing for you but give you side effects. I had ILC and 6 months of chemo knocked a 8 cm tumor to NED. Lord knows what it did to any nasty "floaters" in my body. I know its different for each and every person, but I don't regret my chemo. Seek and learn all your options.
lisamarie--yearh for the drains out--boo for the pain. Hope your doc figures it out. And at least getting the drains out will make you feel worlds better!
0 -
oohh burping and yawning. yuck.
HAPPY MAY DAY LADIES! HERE IS MY BASKET TO YOU!
0 -
Hi dechi (waving)!
Well, we won't even go into the urologist I used to transcribe that dictated in the bathroom - complete with grunting - and then flushing sounds. Oy. And the other urologist who was having an affair with his nurse and she would sit on his lap while he dictated. He let her say things sometimes (he would tell her what to say...), and then she would giggle. Double oy. He left town shortly after that...
Then there are the orthopedists who think it is okay to dictate outside of the cast room. "The patient comes in with a BBZZZZZZZAAARRRRRRWWWWWEEEEEERRRR (sawing off casts...)"
Good times!
0 -
Yawning, burping, grunting, flushing, sawing? So professional! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
0 -
Good Morning everyone, Has anyone heard from Janis?? I know she was having surgery, and was going to be in the hosp for a bit. Just wondering how she is doing.0
-
Madpeacock,
It's always good for a laugh, huh? I've heard arguments, talking about getting wasted on New Year's Eve, all sorts of stuff.
0 -
Lory...thanks for asking! I just finished posting in another thread before coming here.
I am doing much better than I was. The surgery was so painful...doctor said my bowel was a mess. I went home with a Foley catheter which I had removed Thursday. I could not pee at the doc's office so the nurse had to show me how to use a catheter. She sent me home with a bunch. I was determined NOT to use one so finally ended up going on my own. Thank goodness!
The whole experience was awful to be perfectly honest. I never shed one tear over my cancer. I had a huge meltdown in the hospital after alarms kept going off and nobody responded. Turns out my pulse/ox went down a bit and later Nurse Rachett told me the alarm going off in normal. Really? Nice of them to share that with me ahead of time. Long story but by the end of the day the nurse had to call my doctor to prescribe something for anxiety. I was about screeching out of the bed. It was bad. She was so inept. I ended up reporting her later to the charge nurse and requested a different nurse for Tuesday day shift. She had never even checked down south at my incisions. When the night nurses came on they replaced a nasty bloody maxi pad that had been there all day! I had no idea it was even there. It was awful!
Anyway home now and super sore but doing much better emotionally. I honestly do not know how I would have gotten through all this without knowing all of the love and support I got from you all. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Much love and healing hugs to all,
Janis
0 -
Janis.. (((hugs)))... praying for a speedy recovery for you.. putting this all behind you..
0 -
Drains are out
pain is still here ps gave me percocet 10mg now he said i was not overmedicating . and that it al lloks good he took bandages off . i didnt look yet . I cant poop again ugh life .. sennakot every day 
he did say i can shower now and shave ,,and i have no restrictions except it hurts much to move still...Janis, i know the hospital stay was the worst . i couldnt pee i had my light on plus cried my eys out and noone came . finally had to call a friend to call ato desk to please come in .. i was in so much pain they had to put catheter in and how rude nurse said i never seen such wierd anatomy , i was devestaed .. so unproffesional .. i thought someting was wrong .. it was her not me
sending u healing thoughts . 0 -
OMG lisamarie and janis!!! You both have had such horrendous experiences!! I can relate!!
When I had my thyroid out, the night nurse took out my IV and left the room, never to be seen again. I was reading and happened to look over and saw blood running down the back of my hand (IV was in back of hand), deep, red blood. Blood I probably needed; now pooling in my bent elbow. I pressed the buzzer and then put a pad of my gown onto the site and pressed down hard to stop the bleeding. No one came!! Didn't they used to call through the intercom "Whadya WAAAANT??" Nothing. So I know so much how you felt!! I finally made my way down the hall to ask for a bandaid. Made to feel like I was interrupting their chat!!! They WERE going to make me wait for "my" nurse, but I shamed them into giving me a friggin' bandaid so I could put it on myself!!
0 -
I am 50 years old, right in the middle and my diagnosis came on my birthday last year, well aug 12 and my op was the 31st and my birthday was the 27th, but i had miracale really as i rang up my gp about a medication change and they asked me if i had followed up on my mamogram, i live in new Zealand and its free for women 40 to 69, so i thought i had better to see to it and it ended up that i had a small cancer, but grade 3 ductal carcinoma that i did not know was there, i was actually Blase really, it turns out though the cancer was a very nasty form and once i was able to feel a lump, it would of been too late and i would of been gone before christmas if not terminal. they removed it, i had radiation and even though it was birthday and turning 50, i had the best present ever, a miracle as my life could of been over if i had not had the mamogram.
0 -
It's funny, I don't feel that much older but MY DOG HAD HER SWEET 16 PARTY TODAY!
She can't hear, is getting cataracts, lost her bark, lost tail control, has doggie dementia, forgot every trick I taught her except how to shake hands, and falls down when she sneezes. She is still incredibly cute, and the look on her face in the pic is anticipation over the MEAT PUPCAKE baked for her (with filet mignon flavor pate for frosting.)
0 -
Awww Eli - what a sweet pup! I have had some senior citizens myself, including a 22-yo siamese cat that we had had since our first week of marriage, and a couple of 17-yos. Now we have a 1-yo Boxer and a 4-yo Siamese. Too much excitement.
I want a meat pupcake!
0 -
Welcome, midnight327! You are a true poster girl for early detection. I had a tiny 7mm lump that did not show up on digital mammogram, luckily for me it was not deep on the chest wall. It was just under my skin and I was very lucky I could easily feel it and take action before it had more chance to spread it's evil.0
-
madp, The secret was the frosting came from the cat food aisle. Ssshhh! Don't tell.0
-
HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN TO THE PUP ..
hope everyone has a great day , I am off to my post op visit with BS at 1 :30 pm .. hugs to ya ll
0 -
Wow! That dog doesn't look a day over 15!!
0 -
I worked yesterday which helped take my mind off all of my crap and then had my hair done, that always helps me to feel better. I came home and took some Xanax and slept for 12 hours. That was absolutely wonderful.
Elimar- I thought about what you said about the whole staging thing and you are right. There are so many who only think they have one or two positive nodes because there docs don't take any more like mine did. They are then considered stage 2 when in reality could be stage IIIc like me. I really don't stress over the stage now, but it's the dam nodes like you said. I am going to call my reg doc and get the referral to DF like she said she would do.
Welcome midnight1327- these ladies are Angels.
0 -
Diana, amazing what a good sleep can do. It sounds like you are in a better place today.
0 -
I have a question for everyone regarding node involement? I am looking at all the diagnosis after your posts- An am seeing 0/2-2/2 and Diana's 17/17. The question I have, did any of you have neoadjunctive chemo? My sentinal node was 2/2- then after chemo they took 24 during surgery and those were clear.. I am 3b and was just trying to understand if it was the chemo that stopped the cancer from going any farther-thus the 0/24 after?
0 -
Lory48- that was never even brougt up. Maybe because my cancer was mostly microscopic lobular. I didn't have any large tumors to shrink.
0 -
Lory--it's not possible to know for sure if the chemo stopped the cancer from spreading past the sentinel nodes or if the sentinel nodes were doing their job well and stopped the cancer there. Neoadjuvent chemo is given to (1) determine if the cancer will respond to those specific chemo drugs and (2) to reduce the tumor size so that lumpectomy is an option. That chemo also circulates through the entire body and can attack any free floating cancer cells (especially those in the blood stream) is a bonus.
0 -
NM wrote my answer for me. Thanks, NM!
Did any of you ever get a solicitation call from Breast Cancer Society? Located in Mesa, AZ I think they employ a third party to call for donations. I just now got a call. After she asked for a pledge, I said I was paying off debts relating to my own B/C. Her reply, "Let's not stop there. Some of these women are fighting for their lives and cannot even pay their rent." I repeated saying, "I had breast cancer and am still seeing doctors for it. I have my own expenses right now." She spoke over me to say an insincere "sorry" and "have a nice day" before hanging up on me.
Guess what? I AM going to have a nice day, even tho' it started out with her dumb phone call.
p.s. I just Googled and found lots of red flags for this Org. One scammy example is that the phone service they use is Associated Community Services, and that sometimes they represent themselves as ACS. Isn't that naughty! I thought I smelled a rat.
p.p.s. "Let's not stop there," is still cracking me up.
0 -
Hi All,
This is my first post on this thread as I am looking to find the group I can most relate to. I am 63 and was diagnosed as Stage IV. I have bone mets which is actually how my cancer was discovered (the pain and it broke through the skin by the rib bone). Other than that I feel absolutely great. That said, I think my treatment options are more limited. I am ER+ so was recently started on Arimidex (1 mo ago). I was uninsured at diagnosis in Nov. so it took me a couple months to get insurance in place which I was able to find through the pre-existing insurance plan. In the interim I started the Budwig Diet Plan which I had researched on the internet and is an alternative treatment. The good thing about that is that I have lost 30 lbs and am eating healthy fruits, nuts and veggies. No sugar is allowed so I am also off that. It is well documented that sugar feeds the cancer. Interestingly when my onc had me go for a PET Scan for a baseline, I felt the rib bone pain again for a day or so (it is the cancer's rapid metabolism of the infused sugar solution which shows the areas of cancer on the scan) until the sugar was out of my system again. I have noticed only minor side affects so far of the Arimidex, a little joint stiffness until I get mysef moving and sometimes I feel tired for no reason but not always so it may not be the Arimidex. Are there others here who are diagnosed late stage and whose only treatment is Arimidex or another similar treatment?
An aside note to Lisa Marie, sorry to hear of your ordeal but it will get better. I noticed your post because of the Eastport NY which I think is near Rochester. (I lived in Lockport NY for 20 years). Anyway, a mo after my diagnosis, my first cousin was also diagnosed and chose the double mastectomy route and was in terrible pain for the first couple of weeks. The doctors kept telling her it was normal until she landed back in the hospital where they discovered she had an infection from the operation. They put in a port for the anti-biotics and now she is finally doing well and has just been told she will not have chemo or radiation but will be only having to take a pill. (I am assuming this is Arimidex or the like - she does not ask as many questions as I do and is in another state). So hang in there LisaMarie and never be afraid to trust your own instincts when it comes to pain, you should not have to suffer.
0 -
Welcome NNBBFL - This is a great thread, very supportive. I love Boynton Beach and lived there for several years! I sure do miss the ocean!!
0 -
Hello, NNBBFL! We have a wide variety of women here, all Dx's, at all stages of treatment and beyond We try our best to inform and support, however, you may find your best match in one of the Stage IV groups, and you might like the Alternative forum also. Check the Forum Index at the top of this page. You are welcome to pop in here as often as you would like, and if this is where you relate best.
With you being ER+/PR+, Arimidex makes a lot of sense, as it is the hormones stimulating the growth of your cancer. If you are thinking, why no regular chemo? Well, that is not the best for ER+/PR+, and may not even have much effect on you. I am sure the doctors will be monitoring you just as carefully as they would a chemo patient, and you will know the effect the Arimidex is having the next time they scan you and compare.
0 -
Thanks for the Welcome Dechi and Elimar....I am just learning my way around this site and will save this thread as a favorite so that I can pop back in from time to time. I may try the Alternative forum as well, thanks for that suggestion. Actually I had to really think about the hormone treatment and it made sense to me since it is specific and not an all out attack on my imune system. Luckily for me that is the best treatment option, as at this point I would have rejected regular chemotherapy. In the end my strong personal belief is that a healthy body and immune system is our best hope in managing this disease.
0
