MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
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Wow, NDgrrl,, glad that all worked out. Was wondering why I was in this strange pocket!! But now I know why!!wishing you a speedy recovery.
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ndgrrl - congrats! That is great news...amazing they could get you in so quickly!
glennie - thanks for the link for knitted knockers...I missed that when I checked this thread the other day. I was on my phone, so it's always more challenging! I looked at the thread tonight and I think they are really cool. My sister is great at knitting - she's great at pretty much everything crafty! I sent her the link to the page with the patterns to see if she wants to make some for me. I suspect she will and she'd be able to do them super fast. Only bummer is that she lives in England, so I'm not sure how much it will cost for her to mail them to me...lol!
deborah - I checked out your site as well - what a great product you have come up with! Very clever and fun, too!
twolumps - it looks like you got some great tips from everyone. Best wishes for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!! My 16 yr old did all the laundry for me for a few weeks. She did a great job with it, but...now it has been a few months and somehow I am back to doing all the laundry!
As for Christmas - I am looking forward to putting up the tree over Thanksgiving weekend. My oldest will be home for the weekend so it is always fun to put it up when she is here. We do that and watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel! There are so many movies out these days that we can never watch them all!
Edit: check out my new profile picture!! My little Chugg is soooo cute!
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ndgrrl, sometimes it is best if we don't have too much time to think. glad it worked out for you. Happy healing.
thanks for mentioning that you guys have the banner, too. I just thought it was kinda weird.
wecome, sophie, join right in. Let us know about you.
glennie, I'm with the Jan 2nd diet date. The book really recommends cleanses for your liver. But I am going to make some small changes now and work into it slowly. I used to be a jump in with both feet kinda gal, but not anymore. I get in way over my head these days.
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Hooray, Ndgrrl!
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Two lumps, first off I am single with three grown daughters. Only one close enough to help, but in school full time so not here much after surgery. Financially it is hard as I am on my own. I contacted cancercare and got a one time grant of $800 payable to my mortgage. If you are a first time bc and never had a grant before you can get up to $800 toward bills. Check other resources in your area to. There are people who will help if they know you need it.
You got great advice on the post surgery. My help? I have a really high bed. I was so glad. I had to scooch back getting into it, but getting out I just slid my legs around and slid my feet to the floor. I was pretty much standing already by then. My mom stayed with me, but I needed no help with bathroom and could not shower right away. I stayed an extra day in the hospital. It just made me feel better and I was more stable on my feet. I threw up the first time I stood up after surgery. Your daughter may be a teenager and probably scared too, but hopefully will help more than you think.
I am done with chemo. The made the decision this week that my neuropathy is too bad. Only had a few left, so woot. So Herceptin weekly and rad consult in Dec to see if I have to do that. I am thinking maybe as I decided against an ALND. I also need to go for my prosthetic consult. Right now, I am just going flat. I just got divorced in Dec 2013 so am not ready to date anyway, but have been wondering how this will effect that.
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Well ladies, after 3 years and 10 months on Tamoxifen, I decided to quit. Such a worrisome decision. But I think it's causing neurological problems. I saw my MO the other day and told her I thought it was killing my nerve endings and she didn't dispute the possibility, like usual. The biggest clue for me was that I started having terrible bouts of vertigo in August. About 20-30 times per day. I thought maybe it was the melatonin or an inner ear thing, I never would have guessed it was the Tamoxifen. But after I quit it a month ago the vertigo just stopped. After chemo I had 2 numb toes, now I have 8. And I think it's started attacking my back. Symptoms of spinal and cervical stenosis to be precise.
So now she's scheduled me for a spinal MRI and a brain MRI. She said we have to rule out the possibility of tumors pressing on the nerves and I understand that - I want to do that, also.
But basically we have to remember that Tamoxifen and the AIs are mild chemo drugs and I guess they can damage your nerves over the long-term just like the heavy-duty chemo. I'm almost mad at myself for sticking it out as long as I did. It also caused bad tinnitus in my ears and blurry vision. I'm glad I didn't hang in there with it until I was blind, deaf and crippled - good grief!
In the meantime I decided to take DIM. I guess something is better than nothing. But it's such an uncomfortable feeling. It's like losing your security blanket.
And Eph, I'm so happy for you - you made it! It couldn't have been easy. Way to go!
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heartnsoul - I'm impressed that you made it for almost 4 yrs! I hope that the side effects you mentioned will go away now that you are off of it and that you will get good results from your MRIs. Hang in there!
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heartnsoul76. I get it. As described above in this thread, my MO took me off AIs. My joint pain did eventually go away. However, my knee joints are about 20 years older than the rest of my body from the AIs. The other SE's -glaucoma and bone issues are still on the radar. I now snap, crackle, and pop like a bowl of Rice Krispies. And that Cinderella TV show with Leslie Ann Warren when we were kids- where one of the evil sister's knees creaked whenever she curtsied? I could be her understudy.
So, you may be fortunate that some of the SEs will actually dissipate and your QOL will improve.
Keep us posted as to what if any SEs do improve. It's useful info going forward.
You did your best. When the MO says stop. We listen. Good job.
Deborah2012
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Thanks, HnS. I hope you recover sooner than later now. Damn drugs! Don't want them, but in some cases they help, but geez, what a way to live!
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Had to share that my sister already emailed me back about the knitted knockers asking me all sorts of questions about how I want them, size, material, nipple or no nipple! Knowing her, she'll be done with them by Sunday!
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That's great, Mel. Hope you will like it.0 -
twolumps, do you have a beauty school in your city? The ones where I live only charge like $5 for a wash and blow dry, not much at all. Check and see if you have one.
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ndgrrl, My aren't you the impulsive one! Didn't have much spare time for anxiety, a least. Now, let the healing begin.
twolumps, You gotten a good outpouring of suggestions, I think. Someone beat me to the punch to recommend cooking stuff in advance (because even the most reluctant teen can to a re-heat in the microwave.) I don't have experience with BMx healing myself, but reading on here made it seem like there is a wide spectrum of time spent for recovery. Some are up and around in a matter of days, some take a few weeks. The healing seems quicker if you are not getting immediate recon. I think that if you are able to get to the bathroom by yourself (and you will know this by the time you leave the hospital,) then it would probably be o.k. to just have people stop in to check on you. Oh yeah, my mom had something they used on her in the hospital. It was waterless shampoo that didn't need to be rinsed out. Maybe they could send you home with a pack of that, if you asked for one, and daughter or friend could help you with it.
(I see my pic at top got correctly identified as being of the Great Lakes region. I liked that it was abstract enough to also look like a woman reclining in some surf or a snow bank.)
I will try to check in again before Turkey Day.
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Eli - I thought picture was some eagle taking flight in the snow. Shows what I don't know.
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Eph - love the idea of Thanksmas . May you and your family share many wonderful "Mom" memories while you whip up those pizzas and celebrate the holidays.
Mac and Luv - The missing lights were purchased new last year, so they weren't tossed because they were old. However, that's not saying that they didn't get tossed by accident. Oh well - will have to add Christmas sparkle some other way.
Welcome sophie14 - always happy to have new middies join in although not crazy about the reason you are joining. Chime in and let us know a bit about you when you are comfy
hns - hoping that those SEs dwindle away now that you have stopped the tammo.
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Thanks so much for your response, missingmercury. You touched on two of the things that I've worried about the most: my high bed and how I'm going to pay for it all. I'm going to be getting in and out of bed like you described and just figured if it hurt, that's what pain pills are for, right?
I have pretty good health insurance, but there is still a deductible and co-pay. I try to just focus on what is right in front of me, like the BMx and not think about the other therapies until I have to, but I have to admit, I'm still pretty stressed. I just bought my own home late last summer after a really ugly divorce. Really didn't need this added little wrinkle right now, but we caught it early. I have a lot to be thankful for this week! Just ready to have the surgery and path report part over with.
In the meantime, still unpacking on the weekends, a Christmas tree to decorate, Thanksgiving to cook for. I guess if it had to happen, at least I have a lot to keep me busy.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. I'll catch you after surgery on the 2nd, if not before.
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Thanks ladies! As usual the support here is wonderful. It's comforting to be able to talk to others who understand the fear that creeps up on you. I read somewhere on these boards that fighting cancer feels like you're the only one that can see the invisible elephant in the room.
Your plate is so full twolumps! I'm glad you're getting helpful advice here. I agree, it's good to be busy - at least that will help time fly.
I do feel so much better off the Tamoxifen. Those damn drugs is right, Eph! How are you feeling? Can you tell any difference yet?
Elimar, I knew it was the Great Lakes right away. Lake Michigan always gives it away.
The schools certainly gave the millennial kids a poor education in Geography. We had to learn all the states, their capitals, identify the states on the map, name and label the Great Lakes, inlets and sounds and all the mountain ranges. Of course I only remember about half of it, but it's still more than my son knows.
Nice to meet you sophie14! I hope you find lots of good advice and some good times here.
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The beauty of Thanksmas! It's been changed to 12/19-21/14. Flexibility is the key!
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Hi All,
We are looking to share your journeys on our website. Recently we started a new section on acknowledging our dear members of the community (http://www.breastcancer.org/community/acknowledgin...).
November is Caregiver Awareness Month, and we want to share stories to and from caregivers. If you are interested in sharing your story on our site, please Private message us your story, your inspirational message, suggestions, advice to other caregivers, and a photo of yourself or something that represents you.
Many thanks!
The Mods0 -
The dear members? I wonder who those could be?
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Cute new header for Thanksmas Eli. Thanks.
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Nice picture for our header! It reminds me of a story. When one of my boys was in preschool, one class was the Indians another was the Pilgrims. They got together to celebrate Thanksgiving with chopped apples, Fritos (to represent corn). The kids sung traditional songs. It was great... until a couple of days later. We found out one of the Pilgrims exposed the younger Indians to chicken pox. Sharing disease, just like the first Thanksgiving.
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LOL the Pilgrim exposing the Indians to Chicken Pox! One of my little cousins exposed all of us grandchildren one Christmas Day at the family gathering. Gotta love Chicken Pox stories!
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Poppy, that is so funny. Happy Thanksgiving all!
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Poppy, that is funny now,,, I bet it wasn't at the time!! Congrats on your last chemo!! **party**Love the dogs at the top!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
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so I was merrily cooking cranberry sauce and pumpkin muffins yesterday and my DD causally mentioned it was only Tuesday. I was shocked, thought it was Wednesday and panicking that I had so much to do. Now I'm like oh, I've got an extra day. lol It's all in the perception.
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Yikes! Getting a late start on my cooking! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
Here's a picture of my family at the dinner table.
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HnS, I always wondered whose family the Martian belonged to !
The sharing disease story is GREAT!
I too love the header. When it is Thanksmas here, there will be 7-10 people & 7 dogs & 4 cats! The more the merrier!!!!
Everyone, truly, have an absolutely fabulous holiday tomorrow. Don't over-do if you are one of the ones in active treatment...let those family members & friends pick up the slack. Aren't they always saying, "Let me know what I can do..." Well , let them do! I know those of us who have- been there, done that,- highly recommend that approach, especially since some of us DIDN'T let them do (my hand sneaks up...what a fool I was!)
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