thread for middle age to older Christian women.
Comments
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I am new on this form, I'm 65 and had treatment in 2011. I am so trying to loose weight too. I walk every day but it is only 30 min and slow - walking the dog that needs to stop and smell. So need ideas for more exercise. I take levothyroxine for thyroid, that stopped working this summer. I can so relate.
I love bc.org it has given me so much information and spirit.0 -
Hello ladies. I'm so with you on the weight gain because of the drugs. Once I got off the hormone blockers, I was able to shed 30-pounds! I didn't diet and ate my normal, healthy meals. I rested when I needed to rest and exercised when I had the energy. I've been on Xeloda since August and I've noticed that I drop a pound or two with each cycle. I'm still about 10-pounds over where I'd like to be but I'm happy if I don't lose any more. You may want to check out doing a juice fast for a few days. It's great for your body and wonderful for cleansing out the toxins. You'll lose several pounds in just a few days and after the initial detox, you'll feel super charged. There are tons of websites out there that can help you along if you're interested.
Just finished my 7th cycle with the Xeloda and hopefully it's doing the trick. Have the dreaded scans again on the 18th and am hoping the hip pain is not progression. Praying for arthritis (ha ha)!
Blessings. Sue
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hello all.
I lost my post so I'll start again.
Welcome Quinn: Kathy and I are joining you in trying to lose weight and I'm sure we're not the only ones.
I've been gone but you all have always been on my mind and in my prayers. I had to get an EKG for chest pains. No problem with heart. I had to get an endoscopic exam yesterday for GERD. Had biopsies, but dr doesn't expect anything bad. I had my CT scan and X-rays for rads and will start Tues and end Christmas Eve. The radiologist saw a mole on my breast that looks like a basal cell something or another. I made the appointment for a full body check for melanoma. I told my husband I'm trying to see every doctor on Thomas Moore Pkwy.
I certainly will pray for you, Kathy. It's a task to lose, but you can do this. I have some meal ideas that are filling and low calorie. I'll share later.
HAIR: I had my last chemo onOct. 28, and noticed whiskers on my head a couple of days age. There is a hair God looking out for us.
Prayers for all of you. God bless each of you and may he comfort each of us according to his will. Sharon0 -
Char, what an answer to our prayers for you! We've got you covered with prayers and support here and now you have somebody to talk to who's just in your situation about how to proceed (or not) with any treatment. We'll pray that the two of you will be able to work together and you'll know with absolute certainty how best to go ahead. Hope your knee is back to normal. I won't tell you to take it easy because I know that won't happen!
Quinn, welcome! I know just how you feel about walking with the dogs. I take our two (or sometimes three, with a foster) greyhounds for a couple of "sniff and stroll" walks every day. Not much energy unless/until they see a squirrel or rabbit.
Deborahanne and Lovewins - hope the chemo SE are under control - lots of prayers coming your way for these days.
Sharon (and Kathy, soon) - so great your hair is growing. I haven't noticed any growth yet and started getting antsy - found a thread about hair and a couple of ladies there said that they lost theirs with the taxol chemo I'll be getting next. So - I guess it's the wig for me till at least January. Then - Satan really got me going and I found another website where ladies are complaining about permanent hair loss from taxol - just what I needed to be thinking and worrying about, of course. God's got it, right?
I'm playing hooky from church tomorrow and feeling guilty....going with a friend to help at the registration desk at the local greyhound race track for the annual reunion (dogs and people). I hate that it's on Sunday - but it was really fun last year so I'm going to go again. At least I can watch the church service online on my church's website. We're having a really good series about Paul - his travels and trials.
Blessings to you all, sweet ladies!
Bev0 -
Bev...my hair started coming back when I started Taxol treatments. I had 12 treatments and by the 2nd treatment my hair was like baby fuzz. It is about at least an inch long now.
I am almost two weeks from my surgery. Had two of the four drains taken out. Hopefully the other two will come out next week. Have not felt good today. I am ready to feel better and get out and do something. I will start radiation in a couple of weeks.
I pray all of you have a wonderful Sunday!0 -
oh, algranna, thanks - so there's hope?! yay! I'll be following you down the treatment path - and be praying that every day gets better for you. How long after you finished chemo did you have surgery? I just figured out I'll finish chemo on January 24 (boy, does that sound far away...but hopefully through the holidays, the time will go quickly).0 -
Looking good Deborahann! No more chemo will be the best Christmas present ever.
Blessings!0 -
Bev...I had surgery four weeks after my last chemo treatment. The four weeks were great. I was feeling good. Surgery is not as bad as I was prepared for. I have not had a lot of pain, mostly just sore, very sore. My family has been great! My church family has been bringing meals for us every day. I am just ready to get back to my bed.
You have been a great christian inspiration for me. I do not write much but read all of the posts.0 -
Glad to see so many of you on here. I'm hanging in there with those dreadful side effects. Took the last of the steroids tonight, so I'm celebrating each time I go through something related to the chemotherapy. Perhaps I should have a more positive view that the steroids are actually helping reduce the side effects, but they have side effects also so I'm glad to say good-bye to them as well.
Sharon - thanks for suggesting a low fat diet on the days surrounding chemo, that has helped reduce some of the nausea I've had. I've considered see a dermatologist as well. I still haven't had a colonoscopy, thought I'd wait on that.
Algranna - I had bilateral mastectomies and had soreness on my sides under my arms for about about 5-6 weeks and then it was gone. I had my surgery on 7/25. I feel great as if I never had the surgery. Did you have reconstruction? I didn't and I'm considering not having it done because once all the soreness went away, I've been about to sleep on my sides and stomach and I've heard other women say they can't after reconstruction. Be sure and do message on your incision and entire breast area to prevent scar tissue building up. My surgeon told me that without this regular message women feel like they have a tight band around their chest. He also told me to use a lotion with vit E. The other weird sensation you might be feeling is the nerve regeneration feeling on the chest. Ibuprofen works well for this and the underarm tenderness that is related to inflammation. The pectoral muscles are also tight after the surgery giving another strange feeling. Be sure and do the post mastectomy exercises as directed. With all the suggestions followed regularly you should feel great in about a month. If you have any questions for me, just let me know.
Bev - I was getting worried about the hair not coming back when I read 6-10% of those on taxotere lose their hair completely. It's not suppose to be that common with taxol that you will be on. I'll be glad when I see some come back for me, but looks like it might be a month from now before I'll know.
Mankostate, Lovewins, Quinn, and Sharon and another other concerned about the weight gain. Any weight gain I've had with chemo had been related to the steroids. I've tried to exercise but it's been harder while on chemo. I was eating the perfect diet after my surgery, then the chemo has altered my taste that I've moved towards fried chicken and few unhealthy items but not too much to cause weight gain. Thankfully I've craved fresh cooked spinach, fresh orange juice and some other healthy items. I'm only about 10-15 lbs overweight but it's really hard for us when we get older. Because of my size and how few calories I eat, exercise is just about the only thing I can do to loss weight. If you like to log in your calories and exercise this site and app is really good for tracking food intake and exercise, and for motivating and encouraging you to reach your goals. Also wearing a pedometer has been really helpful for me.
Char - I'm so sorry about your knee. I'm glad that it seems better. I'm praying it heals well and doesn't require surgery.
Milehighgirl - Sue - I'm praying the Xeloda is working! And that your scans show good results!!!
Hope you all have a blessed Lord's Day! - Deborah
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him". Psalm 28:70 -
Thanks, Algranna for the information - and kind words. I've been so blessed by you all - I'm so glad God led us all here!
Deborahanne, glad you're feeling better - yay! Sharon just reminded me (when I was whining about hair) that the important thing is to use the drugs and treatments that will get rid of this horrible disease. That sure put everything in perspective! Unfortunately, though, I will be getting taxotere (and yes, I'd read the same statistics that approximately 6% have permanent hair loss - ouch!). The MO said since the FDA just approved perjeta using a specific protocol, that's the only way the insurance companies will approve it at this point. So - instead of the 12 weekly taxol/herceptin infusions she'd planned (and told me would have much less SE than the three-week dosage), I'll be getting taxotere/herceptin/perjeta every three weeks. I start November 22 - so I'm going to be asking y'all to pray for me that week....I'm sure God will get me through whatever the SE are but after A/C, I was hoping the holidays would be relatively normal (whatever that is at this point, right?)
Fridaygirl - how are things over there? Have you had another support group/treatment? Hope all is well -
Love you ladies - thanks for being there!0 -
Bev - Sharon is right we need to be more grateful for the availability of the drugs to help us. It's just so hard having to go though all this and each additional assault makes it harder. I was talking about this with my husband and how it's hard for women to lose their breasts and hair which are two features that outwardly identify them as women and he pointed out that a woman is still a woman even if they lose their hair and breasts. I love how he tries to encourage me. :-)
I'll be definitely praying for you!0 -
Quinn-welcome. I see you are from Minnesota too. Any where near Mankato...maybe we could walk our ground sniffing dogs together. Lol.
Sharon- you made me smile with your visiting every doctor around comment...I sure feel that way...I am glad they are cautious but I sure don't feel like I need all the visits they keep planning for me.0 -
Hello Everyone,
Things have not worked out quite as I had hoped they would. I attended the support group, only to be told that as so few women turned up they were going to close it down. Then I went on to the hospital for my monthly treatments of Faslodex and Xgeva injections. I told the oncologist that I still had serious pain in my left leg, which under normal circumstances stops approximately 6 weeks after radiation. I had my last bout of radiotherapy on the first Monday in September (can't remember what the date was) so the pain should have stopped by now. The doctor refused to give me a scan or x-ray as I am not due for one until December or January! She gave me morphine and told me that she would review the situation next month. I have tried using the morphine, it does nothing for the pain and just makes me sleepy. I told my GP about it and she advised me to wait for 2 weeks, then let her know if I am still in pain and she will arrange x-rays for me. Thank goodness for my GP, she really is marvellous. Of course, I am hoping that the pain will stop soon, but at least she is there for me in case it doesn't.
So many of you are completing stages of your treatment, I remember it was very exciting to realise I had reached the end of chemo then of radiotherapy the first time around. You should treat yourselves to something special each time you get that little bit closer to the end of treatment and the re-commencement of normality, you have definitely earned it.0 -
Fridaygirl - Good hearing from you. Sorry to hear the support group isn't working out. I'm praying for you and the rest of us that God will give give us opportunities to share our faith, afflictions, and blessings from God with others who are in need of support. Where I live is such a small community that it's hard for me to see where I can help. And all my medical care is over an hour away since I've chosen to not have it done my town. Right now I'm just being a witness for Christ as others see how I'm getting through this.
I hope and pray your leg pain goes away soon and that you get some answers on the cause!0 -
Hi Mankatostate, I'm in the Twin Cities. I would love MN sisters to get together.
SaltyJack sounds like you have a great MO with the new protocol, pray it is easy on you. Oh FridayGirl hoping pain eases, glad you have your GP.
I am working on the weight, made a great vegetable soup yesterday. It should give me low cal lunches and lots of vitamins this week!!0 -
Welcome newbies,
Sharon, I hope your upcoming radiation therapy is easy on you. One more step on the way to recovery!
Bev', Praying that your upcoming treatment has minimal SE's. I know you have a ways to go, but you have been through so much already. Like Fridaygirl says, celebrate as you go! You so deserve it.
Fridaygirl, I am sorry you are having pain. I know your GP is taking good care of you and will get to the cause soon.
Love the pic, Deborahanne! Thanks for sharing.
I have my MO appt on the 14th to get my onco-test results. My intuition isn't telling me anything, so I guess I will have to wait and see. I am learning patience...I really am!
On another note, please keep my dear friend and her husband in your prayers. He was having severe back pain that meds wouldn't help and had an MRI. They found a malignant bone tumor. More tests this coming week. They have been married almost 30 yrs and do absolutely everything together. I cannot even imagine her without him. Thanks~
You all are such an inspiration to me!
Blessings and HUGS!
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I have not posted for some time, but am requesting prayer for a pain in my back (on liver side and near spine) I will have to have some tests run. Please keep me in prayer , my sisters..
Thanks.0 -
I pray all goes well for you Bestock and that you are comforted by our great Healer in Jesus name.0 -
Bestock, praying that your upcoming tests go well and your pain is relieved soon.
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Bestock, praying for comfort, peace and trust in the Lord during this time!0 -
Thanks to all of you, keepthefaith, Deborahanne,lovewins and all..... keep praying...I feel low because of fear, I know Who is in control, but I still get fearful,
Becky0 -
Presence of fear does not mean lack of faith. We're human. God knows your heart. I'm praying for pain relief and that the cause (and cure) be found quickly so you receive the relief you are seeking.
Blessings0 -
Bestock-Praying for you!0 -
Becky, didn't you have some good test results just recently? We're going to believe that this is going to turn out exactly the same way. I spent the weekend in pain (hip) which despite pain prescriptions, is getting worse. I'm not convinced it's the cancer but possibly the bone shot I get every month. I get the dreaded scans next week so I'm with you Becky - they're going to see only good results!
Blessings.
Sue
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Becky - when will you have the tests (and more importantly, the results)? We'll all be praying!
Sharon and Kathy - hope all goes well with the rads (especially that the weather cooperates so you don't have travel miseries on top of everything else!)
Lovewins and Deborah - hope the SE are about done by now. I'm 10 days out from last A/C and feeling just fine - waiting for the new chemo next Friday.
Fridaygirl - praying that you find support and encouragement - even if it's not in the way you expected with the support group. Sometimes God answers prayers in a way we didn't even know to ask!
Quinn - hopefully you can stay motivated through the cold weather. I know most of the country got a little taste of winter weather this week. Brrr!0 -
Dear all sisters
,I had an xray yesterday, hope today to know something. I already have mets, and hope for NO MORE
I have very low tumor markers ca27/29 which seems to be an accurate marker for me..I am Leaning on Jesus.. Pray that I will keep trusting..HE is my LORD. and Healer!!0 -
Friday Girl..Praying for YOU0 -
Dear Prayer warriors....
xrays are clear, I must have some muscular thing going on thanks for praying!!!!!God is so good to me and I am grateful every day for HIS love
Becky
Friday girl, still praying ..........and to all of you that are faithful to give me words of encouragement and sincere prayer...THANKS0 -
Yeah Becky! That's a way to go God moment! Now pass along those good vibes and pray my tests next week come out the same!
Blessings. Sue
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Hi Ladies,
I have been reading posts and haven't disappeared. Just trying to help hubby get ready for surgery next week. We had a tree taken down and He was using neighbors log splitter while I moved logs onto it and stacked wood on log racks. Having some issues with a student in my class and trying to resolve issues with him. Smart kid but he has every kid in his class mad at him because of his behavior toward him. Also trying to get an area cleared in my dad's basement so they can move his gas meter outside. He won't throw anything away for fear it is worth money. He has +National Geographic from his aunt that goes back to the first ones they published. I can't convince him that no one wants them. And today my team mate and band teacher's dad collapsed and died from a heart attack while at his fire company. So it has been a long couple days to say the least.
Welcome quiinnofmn. Glad you found the thread. I truly believe God has brought all of us here.
My prayers are with all of you as you have been experiencingside effects, unusual pain, more tests. fears, decisions and new treatments. Hair loss and breast loss hits home for us.The Bible speaks of a woman's hair being her crowning glory. So to lose it permanently is still a loss. I believe God will bring each of you through this.
People have been asking me at work if I have come to any decisions and I feel more and more strongly that I will not go on Tamoxifen therapy. I think the risks out weigh the possibility of me getting breast cancer. I am stepping out in faith that God has this under control. If God wants me to have cancer then no matter what preventative measure I take, it is not going to stop His decision. I am going to continue to take care of my temple by eating right, making sure I keep the weight off, exercise, avoid foods that are harmful. I also think that if my BS doesn't feel it is important for me to have more frequent mammograms like most recommend and yet she is throwing a questionable treatment at me that does not show good results for women in my situation then she is wishy washy in being proactive. So......I am going to move on and treat this as a bump in the road. If I have A 96.5% chance of not getting cancer and have the Greatest Physician on my team....I can not have any better odds. So thank you for prayer. I feel at peace over this decision and I have not felt like I am second guessing. With that said, I am here to pray for all of you because where more are gathered there also there is God also.
I lost my thread I tried to post a couple days ago but Fridaygirl....I wanted to say that good works never go to when it comes to spreading the Gospel. 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.I have found that through this experience God has given me a renewed boldness to speak out when at times I would have been quiet. I must ask myself if I am ashamed or afraid. And God has given me more confidence to speak. I know that He will use you in some way that will serve Him. Just the fact that you are making yourself available speaks to that fact.
Praise God for answered prayers and for meeting each of our needs. It is snowing here. Leaves still falling and snow on the ground. We are supposed to be the 20's tomorrow. It's going to be a cold outside bus duty week.
Blessings.
Char
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