MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Thanks everyone, for feeling my pain. I am quite a bit better today. I think I could eat almost any solid food as long as it was not very dry and scratchy, and I still can't eat anything very acidic but would dearly love to try a slice of pizza tonight. So, maybe they'll strap the bag on me tomorrow. That cancer has had enough of a break.
I've had 10/28 rads now and I don't even see a tan line yet. Could I possible sail through this with minimal burning, or is a burning butt-crack looming in the near future just in time for the holidays? Stay tuned. (I made that crack about my crack because just like the under-crease of the breast, that is where the burn builds up. As annoying as the brest crease is, at least we don't have to sit on that!)
Dianarose, how are your rads coming along?
My port has finally settled down, with me only being restricted from more extreme arm movements, not the everyday ones, and I can sleep right on my port now without it feeling too weird. Good times.
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Really gals, this is like Saturday nite live on tv only better! LOLOL! Wouldn't we just roll over and dry up if we couldn't laugh! Xoxoxo
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Jo, you're right! I get more laughs here than SNL! Although maybe the general public wouldn't get our sense of humor. Oh, well, at least we amuse ourselves!
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Elimar- you are one rad ahead of me. I am tired now. Not that I wasn't tired before rads though. My skin looks the same so far. I have had some trouble with my shoulder, but it is better today. We are having one dam storm after the other this week here in Maine. I have to keep changing my times for radiation to go around them. I do not like driving in snow. The cancer center is 45 minutes away so I don't want to do it in bad weather.
My daughter is an RN and she said you can make your own mouth rinse for the sores by mixing 1 teaspoon of Maalox and one teaspoon of Benadryl. She said it is ok if you swallow it. She said it might help you sleep if you do.
I hope things get back on track for you so you can put this behind you. How long does your radiation take? Mine takes about 15 minutes because they have to reposition me 5 times.
Have a better week, Diana
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Damn these hot flashes! I hate breaking into a sweat with no warning. It's not comfortable and I haven't heard of anything that helps except antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs, which I'm not interested in taking. I miss my HRT! Waaah! OK, I'm done whining now. Hope all had a good weekend.
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Eli, I had 35 rads to breast and asked hub if I was delusional and no memory, or if I really didn't have probs like I seem to recall! (It was 7 yrs ago after all, and I have a hard time remembering this morning) I had minor areas of breast that burned, never peeled. I used 100% aloe gel after each tx, cheap and effective. I hope like hell that you have no butt crack issues .. not sure I could deal with the descriptions of that!!! LOL
JoCanuck, I love the SatNLive comparison - we are definitely our own comic troupe!!! Like who could make up this shit?
Tab, I had the chemo/tamox flashes for yrs - surprisingly I got used to it, though never enjoyed! But man, when I stopped tamox (moved to aromasin once post-men) the effects slowed wayyy down, and then when I stopped after 5+ yrs on that regimen, almost disappeared. I still get the occasional hot flash, and I still wake up a couple times during the night and throw covers off, but the sheets stay dry. I am amazingly grateful for that. Who knew the things we'd be thankful for, huh? No hot flashes for an hour - wooo hoo!!!! Don't have to change nightgown during the night? Yowsers!!
Love and hugs for a good week middies.
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I'M having bad night sweats lately and that really annoys me. I sleep on a bath towel over my pillow and everything and I'm still waking up with a soaked head. Getting pretty tired of this. My nightgown is soaked as well so I just take that off, but when I turn the towel over to use the dry side, there isn't one! How much DO we sweat??? I've heard of "Chillows" but don't know if sleeping on a cold pillow would be a good thing.... Any tips on head sweating would be greatly appreciated.
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I remember this thread in December from previous years...I seem to be a bit lax with the holiday spirit this year, and that has got to change. While I really don't want to put in the energy of decking my actual halls...come on...how hard is it to virtually spruce this place up? I will try and get more festive this week, which I will not be able to do if my only accessory is a chemo pouch. I was thinking this outfit would work a lit better for me:
Don't hate me 'cause I'm evergreen!
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Here's my outfit
LET'S PARTY!!!!
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Lookin' good, Meece!
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Thanks, my legs have never looked better!
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WHAT NOT TO WEAR
JUST DISTURBING
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The socks make the outfit!!!!
My hot flashes are driving me CRAZY! they aren't as bad during the day, and then at night they come on with a vegence. I am always either really cold or crazy hot! I just want to be comfortable for ONE MINUTE! Is this really going to last for the next 5-10 years? Pillow flipping, clothes changing all night??? Really!?
I tried Effexor and it got SO MUCH WORSE so I went off it immidetely. No one Gabepentin (aka neurotin) and it's seems to have gottena bit better. I must say, I was already on it for the neuropathy in my arm following my UMX and there are no side effects that I am noticing.
God - give me strength!
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Eli - Now that's festive - you would certainly be able to hide your tag along in that outfit!
Meece - VaVaVoom on the candycane outfit - lol. The lights are a bit much though - pretty sure they won't help with the hotflashes either.
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juneaubugg, I bet (at age 44) your natural estrogen levels were high, and you had to undergo a huge change when Tamox. flipped the switch. I do hope you get relief soon. You know, I started my Tamox. in the month of Nov. and my flsshes were barely noticeable, but kicked in the following summer (even tho' I should have been "used to" the Tamox. by then. Opposite to you, gabapentin didn't help my flashes or neuropathy, while Effexor did. The more I read people's stories about Tamox., the more it seems to very from person to person; and it seems not only to be hormone levels but probably a person's base body temp. and their individual metabolism as well as a lot of external factors. All I can say is try to look for what might set off your worst flashes and try to avoid it.
Meece, Every girl likes a change of footwear, so if you want to come out of the boots, I found you some maribou trimmed heels that would look great.
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Thought I would share this with you.Right now we all need a chuckle.
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Eli; you are certainly right about my age not helping. My period was like clock work and coming to a screeching halt... Enough said. I'm wondering if when it comes back (my MO said it would) if that will help.
I'm also not sure how to identify my triggers. Sleep, yes. Any type of activity, yes. Caffeine seems fine. Maybe sugar?? I suppose I should keep a diary for a few days and see if that helps me identify the problem.
Honestly if I'd done tamoxifen without chemo I think I'd be ok. My friend is fine, no SEs, but chemo never set her down the path to hot flash hell!0 -
juneaubugg - it probably wouldn't have made any difference with your hot flashes, we're all individual and the meds hit us all differently. I know women who did not do chemo, only AI's or tamox, some have horrible hot flashes, others have none (all within the same age range), the same with those that had chemo, so it is what it is.
The hot flashes are definitely a challenge. just when I think that I've found my triggers, it changes. I've been taking the apple cider vinegar now for a week, and I think that is actually helping, at least a little! I guess time will tell.
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LindaKR: Apple Cider Vinegar?
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Not sure which forum it was on, but someone suggested 2-3 tsps in a glass of water of Bragg's apple cider vinegar (it still has the mother in it so it's full of enzymes, etc..) Anyway, it's supposed to help with hot flashes, I started last week and my hot flashes have been backing off a little. I have another friend without cancer who started taking it this way a couple of times a day, and she lost weight... so I figure it's worth a try and I'd love to get off of the effexor (I think it makes me tired and gives me headaches, and only slightly helps with the hot flashes and neuropathy pain).
Anyway - I've been adding a little more vinegar to a glass of ice water and drinking it a couple of times a day so that I get about 2 Tablespoons a day. I think that it gives me a little more energy too. The Brags bottle suggests adding some honey, molasses or maple syrup to the drink to take out the tang, but I've gotten used to it, and dont' need the extra sugar.
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Ahhh - looked it up. I'll have to give that a shot.
Found this along the way...
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juneaubugg: Thanks for the laugh! I'm one of those who didn't have chemo, but suffers from hot flashes. I can't find a trigger. A few weeks ago I thought they were tapering off to something manageable, but now they're firing multiple times a day and at night. I read on the Mayo clinic website that for "most women they taper off after a few years." I'm looking forward to that!
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Tab55: LOL that's a great one too! I envy you... I am having them at LEAST every hour.
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Eli & Meece, those outfits are both soooooooo YOU!!
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Here's my outfit (ummmm that picture above was sorta an accident but I thought it might help juneau's hotflashes!)
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Linda, what does it mean that Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar still has the "mother in it"?? Don't know if I can get Braggs up here, but want to make sure I get one with the mother in it. How do I know???
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Barbe - The best I can describe it is that it has good "gunk" on the bottom. Found in health food stores mostly or really big gourmet grocers. I've bought it at health food stores, but alas mine is very old. My "edible clutter". It means like making sourdough you can make more of it using the "mother". Big page on Bragg ACV (abbrev.). Googled vinegar with mother.
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I agree with Joanne on the mental illness. Not that I want to take away anyones rights but our mental health laws are way too lax in my opinion. I have a brother who is paranoid schicophrenic and I have had to deal with this with him for about 30 years. I can tell you I have had times of taking him back to Houston which is a 2 1/2 drive with him talking to the voices in his head. When he is like this I do not feel safe. I take him straight to MHMR and all they do is change is meds and send him home. (like that is going to work). Spends the next few months in and out of mental hospital that will only keep him a couple of weeks (because of medicare coverage) and change meds and discharge him with him hearing voices. Finally he hurts a young girl at a school and finally a judge court orders him to the State Mental Hospital and he will probably never get out which is fine with me because I know he is safe and not a danger to anyone else and not living on the streets of Houston Texas not because he did not have the money but because for some strange reason that is what happens alot with people who suffer from mental illness. But it angers me that no one will do anything to prevent any of this they have to wait until someone is hurt. All because our society does not want to take away someones rights. But what about the rights of those that are hurt or killed??? so much for my mental illness soapbox, I could go on and on. Very frustrating for family members who actually try to help and their hands get tied.
Eli glad you are getting some food down.
Barb I have a question of gun control in Canada. Is it just for hand guns? What about rifles that people use for hunting purposes? Very curious.
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Now Eph that picture is mighty festive.
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