MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Back then, Emend was around $250 per 3 day dose. Guess the Insurance co couldn't justify the cost.
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Wow, that is steep. I suspect it is still pretty pricy. Luckily my insurance will pay whatever my doctor orders as treatment. They even paid for neulasta without whining and that stuff is outrageously expensive. It cost about $1000 each time, which here was more than the actual chemo, doctor fee for the chemo etc.
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dianarose...I found while doing CMF, I had to take nausea drug...compazine...every day .That was the only way I could combat it. good luck today!
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Hot off of Yahoo News and, as an early stager, I am very interested:
Blood test 'can save breast cancer patients' lives'
We take the path. report at its word when it says no LVI, but I seriously want to inquire whether I could get this CTC blood test done. I'm supposed not to have anything circulating, but I'm all for checking that out.
On a related note, today is my big day to re-check my low platelets. Can you all cross your fingers that I come out o.k., because I really don't want a summer of trying to figure out what the malfunction is. I am hoping the last blood draw was a freaky fluke and today I will have platelets galore.
Meece, Lucky you, how cool.
(Smiley in eclipse glasses!) Lucky me, my retinas have recovered.0 -
Meece...very cool for your neighbor to share!
Elimar: here's a prayer for oodles of platelets!0 -
I did just fine with my platelets this morning. Last time, I had them use an alternate vein , so then the needle was not placed well and the draw went very slow. I surrendered my usual vein this morning and had over twice the number of platelets as last time. I guess there is a lesson in there that it's possible to get a false read and it doesn't hurt to do a re-check before taking further action.
Don't think I was ever actually low, but if I was then that cruise ship cuisine was great for builing them up again! Must have been the "Chocoholic Buffet" night. If you ever get low platelets, how great to get a 'script for that...Rx = one night of total chocolate binging and call me in the morning.
I'm about ready to get some pics onto Photobucket, but I'm not quite ready to tell my tale yet.
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Yeah, Elimar! Love the rx idea too!
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E-I knew you weren't low cause Barnabas (AKA Johnny Depp) wouldn't have visited you aboard ship. Tell the truth now........................
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But I did keep a lookout for for Captain Jack Sparrow!
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Alright, let me begin some of the Cruise story...which, unlike the Fantasy Cruise we had on this thread a year ago, will be all factual.
Cruise Part One: Seattle Departure/Juneau
I flew in the day before departure, so was able to check the bags fairly early the next day and then have some time to wander in Downtown Seattle. My son and I decided to head over to the Pike Place Market (pic #1 below) which is very active on a Sunday...lots of people milling around the street, shops, craft stalls; watching buskers, or getting jacked on caffiene at the original Starbuck's location.
We returned to the ship (Norwegian Pearl) for a late lunch. Their biggest dining room for open dining is called the Summer Palace. It's Russian themed and adorned with large paintings of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Over the course of the week, I had many a dee-licious 3-course meal in there, and I can tell you for a fact that nothing gives me more of an appetite than staring at old-timey representations of a tragic royal family wiped out by Bolsheviks, but that's just me.
Sailing was calm enough while we were in Puget Sound, but a few hours later we were on the open sea. Oh Lordy, we were reeling and rocking and reaching for the diphenhydramine. (That's a no-no with Tamox., but I'm a veteran rule bender and there was no way I was going to start off barfing on the first day. It worked like a charm.) The next day was all at sea, but calmer. We explored the ship and I am going to skip that mostly. The Pearl is probably similar to most other cruisers out there.
Our first port day was in Juneau. Lots of people sign up to do pricey side trips involving boats, helicopters, dogsleds, etc. In my low-brow (and you can substitute the word cheapskate here if you want to) syle, we instead took the $16 shuttle trip to the Mendenhall Glacier (pic #2 below.) While not being an official tour guide, our driver pointed out some hills where we spotted a few (white) bald eagle heads in the tree tops, a black bear crossing the road (he was a Yogi, living on the kindness and food scraps of strangers,) and "the biggest garage" in Alaska (what? it was a metal barn.) An inlet blocks everyone from walking right up to the glacier, but we still got close. At the end of the trail leading there, there is a big waterfall. There is nothing more refreshing to drink than the water that comes from an icy mountain stream. Sure, there is a possibility that a molecule of bear pee might be in it, but I got a couple looks like I was drinking the runoff from the pallisades along the Hudson. Now Juneau is not what I would call a cute city. It looks kind of scrappy. I saw the capitol building. It was nothing special at all. I have an indigent hotel in my city that looks very similar. The only way to get to Juneau is boat or plane, but everyone has cars that have been ferried in.
More to come tomorrow....
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I have been thinking about you Elimar and am so happy that you had a good time. Will be looking for the second installment of your cruise tale. Marybe
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More! More! What a wonderful trip you had! Tell us More!
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I want to live vicariously through your trip, Eli.
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Eli- disappointed that my namesake wasn't nicer. But since I married into it a couple years ago I won't get TOO dispondent. I have much bigger things to worry about right now. My UMX is on June 26th so I'll miss half my summer recovering. There goes my vacation, so please.. Keep it coming. :-)
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welcome juneaubugg, good luck with your UMX and hope you heal quickly
Eli love your stories, keep them coming. My son lives in Seattle and use to live across the street from Pike Place Market. Very interesting and fun place and when the flowers are in season you can get huge bouquets for $15. DH always buys them for me and then I leave them with DIL
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Beautiful glacier shot Eli!
Juneaubugg: we're with you during your UMX, recovery and beyond! My UMX was on April 3rd and I was fine for a vacation in Italy in May......so don't assume you'll miss too much of your summer. (((hugs)))0 -
Welcome juneaubugg! I missed summer too, with my 2009 Dx. Forgive my derogatory blurt about Juneau.
The foot-in-mouth icon was created for me. Also, I hail from a fabulous hometown, that anyone else would think was a punishment to go to. Forgive them, they do not know.cmbear, how is your post DIEP healing? I am thinking about you.
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Has anyone heard how cmbear is doing?
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Cruise Part Two: Skagway/Art Auction
Next stop was Skagway, gateway to Klondike gold. Tourists can pan for gold, take a town tour hosted by a costumed good-time gal, scream on the ziplines (if you have about $100) OR just hike in the hills because they are right there. Main street is six blocks of tourist shops (and I picked up a trinket or two, as I did at every Alaskan stop) and after that it's just homes and hills, as in small mountains. So, up we hiked and here you can see my view of the harbor, including the Pearl (pic #3.) My son later took a 5-6 mile hike and found a mountain lake. Like you, I only get to see the photo (pic#4.)
I love art. You might want to skip these two paragraphs if you could care less. Little did I even know that there would be an onboard gallery, entertaining talks about art and collecting, and several art auctions during the cruise. I'd never been to an art auction, so I had to sign up and get a bid card. Middles, this was no "starving artists" sale. Among the pieces auctioned were unique paintings and numbered, signed prints by Picasso, Rembrant, Marc Chagall, Peter Max (he's going to be painting the hull of a Norwegian ship for 2013,) and some storyboard art that was a 1940's collaboration between Salvator Dali and Walt Disney. How did those two ever get together? Supposedly Dali thought the idea of a talking mouse was fabulously surreal. No clue as to Walt's affinity for Dali's work. The storyboards were for a short film, called Destino, which Roy Disney found in the vaults and it got completed for a 2003 film festival release and has since been shown at several major musuems. WE got to see it. I loved it.
I BID $30K ON A PICASSO. Totally true. The etching was valued at $57,900 and the bidding started at $1. The auctioneer was having some fun with us and told us he would not sell unless it got to that price, so we should all get a bid in so we could say we bid on a Picasso! The auction wasn't just for $famous artists$, but also comtemporary ones that I could have actually bid on. I didn't bid, but still managed to win a raffle for a numbered print by Marcus Glenn. My pic hasn't arrived yet, but I linked his name so you can see his stuff. For me, the auctions were a lot of fun. Did I mention free champagne?
More later...0 -
OK, we must be separated at birth because viewing the Russian royalty would totally get my appetite juices flowing.
The art though-WOW! How COOL to be able to say you bid on a Picasso! Envious! I'm surprised the free cham-pag-nee didn't get your paddle up more often. I was always a sucker for Wolfman Jack & his promotions after a 12 pack or so of Bud, back in the day!
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Welcome juneaubugg! I had a UMX (modified radical) in June of last year and was still able to enjoy my summer. I think that the sunshine and warm temps helped a lot. Hoping that you too will heal quickly and get in a holiday or two.
Eli - great pics! Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Is wonderful to be able to experience an Alaskan cruise - even if only virtually. Congrats on winning the Marcus Glenn print - very cool!
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Well, I haven't been around in days and am just popping in to say I'm leaving for the beach today! Our beach house claims to have Wi-Fi - we'll see.
Eli - I have been enjoying your Alaska pics. Funny story - We are going to St. George Island, FLORIDA. When I was checking Weather Channel for the forecast there, I typed in St. George Island and hit return without really looking at it.
Apparently, there is a St. George Island, ALASKA. So when the forecast popped up it was .... snowing. Wha?? The next time it was 39 and raining. Not my idea of a beach trip!
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Could
Have sworn i was here yesterday . Woops!
Must have been the morphine talking. They are weaning me today. Doc says I am looking at coming home on Sunday. Have to make sure I am adapting to the new meds. thanks so much for
All the treats too! Sees Chocolate? I woke up and
Almost thought I was in heaven!0 -
claire glad you are doing OK even if you are in a morphine coma. keep us posted.
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cmb, You know we all enjoy a drug-addled/morphed-up post every now and then. You are pretty coherent, but I have to say your line spacing turned your post into a prose poem!
All other middies should follow your example and post their free-form, post-op verse here! You know I mean it. Happy weaning today. Be good and get home by Sunday as planned. We'll be waiting.madp, I need another warm vacation after that last one. Not that I want to promote weather talk, but I will tell you that I left home in 90 degree weather, then had 45-60 degrees on the cruise. The 45 was onboard in Glacier Bay (some wind chill too) and the 60 was about the tops it hit on land in Alaska. Seattle was a bit warmer. I dressed in "layers" and got up to four layers, with gloves and hat, for the coldest time. My rainiest days were (unfortunately) the one in Glacier Bay, and then Ketchikan. That's all the weather you'll get from me, I promise.
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Cruise Part Three: Glacier Bay/Whale Singular
One hundred years ago, there was no Glacier Bay...it was just glacier. Glacier Bay now consists of several inlets. I think we headed right down the middle, past cloud covered peaks (pic #5, try and pick me out) and several smaller glaciers, right up to Margerie Glacier (pic #6.) We did not get that close to it, so it may look small here, but it is a mile wide and rises 750 ft. above the waterline. If you ever see pics that are a lot closer, they probably come from someone who has a good zoom on their camera. A park ranger had come aboard and provided some commentary, which included some facts about naturalist John Muir's exploration of the area. There is an inlet named after him.
I'm sorry to say I didn't see or hear any glaciers "calving" but we did have to sail thru' a couple areas with losts of floating ice. Nothing that looked even close to creating a "Titanic" fiasco, but the chunks we sailed thru' were still scraping the (turquoise) paint off the ship (see pic #7.) The ice chunks looks deceivingly small, but many I saw were as big as a queen bed or maybe a Mazda Miata. This should give you an idea of the setting, with low cloud cover, and the scale of the peaks around me (pic #8.) Look close for another cruise ship in the distance, tiny in comparison with surroundings.
Early on this morning (like 6 a.m.) we allegedly went thru' an area of whale pods. Everyone was bummed because who was awake to see that? We were assured that we'd pass thru' the area again around 2 p.m. on our way out. My son hung out on an aft deck, I was inside at an art talk. He got to see four whales, their backs and some tail splashing. Our art group all left their seats and ran to the windows at the whisper of "whales," and I saw the blink of tail and then another went totally "Free Willy" and breached entirely out of the water (show-off!) heaving his white Orca stomach toward the heavens before flopping back with a massive cannonball splash.
I should note that their are side trips of Whale Watching (guaranteed sightings) for those who can afford to pay additional costs. Me, I was stretching it just to afford the cruise itself, so had to see what I could see without many add-ons. Still, I had been saying the entire time, "I better see at least one whale, or I'm asking for my money back." Guess the monetary gods favored Norwegian, and let me see the one, at least.0 -
Beautiful pictures, Eli! Thanks for sharing!
Claire: so good to hear from you! Glad the surgery went well and I'm adding my prayer that your recovery goes even better! (((hugs)))!!!0 -
Love the pics please keep them coming
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El nice pics we loved our cruise last year, I agree layers are needed! The art auctions are great fun, so cool you got to bid on a Picasso.
Still hoping around after 4 weeks found a hairline fracture so are baking off a bit on therapy and back to very limited weight bearing aarrgg but cellulitis infection looking good
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Cruise part Four: Ketchikan/Trivia Brag/Choholic Buffet & REALLY DESGUSTING BRAG
Our final Alaskan port was Ketchikan. It looked "cute" (see for yourself, in Pics #9 & #10) with colorful buildings, some on stilts, and I only saw the touristy waterfront area. The "liquid sunshine" (as they call it) was really coming down and it kept me from doing the 2-hr. walk that goes thru' their Historic District. It kept my son from attempting another hike into the hills that Ketchikan is nestled in. It kept us from counting all the totem poles around town. So, we decided to acquire a few final souveniers and call it a day.
Good thing we didn't spend a whole rainy day here, and left in the early afternoon. One activity the ship had several times every day was trivia, on assorted subjects. By the time I decided to play, the "brain trusts" had already formed, so I just went solo and scored pretty well, but never first place. Then, came Motown Musiic Trivia. I left my son reading Philosophy in the cabin, telling him, "I know I can win this." My confidence was not misplaced and I was the Champ in this subject, edging out a family and another 2-person team. What is better than winning a game of trivia? Winning a game of trivia , then going to the Chocoholic Buffet. Why it makes for the perfect day, really! Some of you have probably heard of these legendary buffets. I'm not going to mention the dozens of different drool-worthy confections, but besides the classic chocolate covered bananas, my favorite was the Opera Cake. It's layers of sponge cake, and layers of espresso creme, with a chocolate fudge layer on top. (Looked like the pic from Google below.) I am quite sure I tried over a dozen different things (none of them on any anit-cancer diet either) and consumed hundreds of calories at 11:00 at night. All this on top of the dee-licious and plantiful cruise food I had been devouring all week long, and when I stepped on my scale the morning after I returned home...I had gained NOT A SINGLE POUND. (O.K. to hate on me a little.) This clearly was some kind of cruise ship MIRACLE!
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