August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Good day, warriors!
I heard something really interesting last night on CNN while watching Fareed Zakaria interview a doctor about this prostate cancer screening development. He said *some* of the cancers found in the prostate are "innocuous" and should be left alone as they will not become life-threatening. It got me to thinking how more people are dying of cancer so it is the txs or the cancer? Is a little cancer in everyone ok/healthy? I had never heard a doctor speak of cancer *and* use the word innocuous. Is it better screening or what the medical industrial complex is doing about cancer that is causing so many deaths? Were people really dying of undetected cancers before all this screening? It certainly is something to reflect upon and that which, most likely, will never garner a definitive answer. I guess I just wonder if they are using all this screening as a way to "hunt up" reasons to treat but, of course, I do also see the value in screening etc... Chicken or the egg, man?!
Tex: no, I knew exactly what the car ins co was up to and like an idiot, I called just because I prefer to suffer! Of course the story goes "everyone" in my zip code has gone mad and they are driving like wild animals so we all must kick in a few extra bucks!!! I knew it as that is always the story they use for these little, tiny increases. There is never a decrease, however. Never. In any case, they really castigated me, replete with a heavy dose of automobile insurance vernacular, concerning how my policy only went up by $2! They gave me a discount elsewhere. The last time I had an accident: over 20 years ago. The last time I made a claim: over 20 years ago. The last time I had a point on my license: over 20 years ago (thanks to my lawyer killing speeding tickets...he he he!!). It really is pure robbery however, plain and simple. They told me if I add a 3rd car what a discount I will be getting....gee, thanks! Their capitalistic dreams just might be coming true, however!
Do you have chemo every Monday?
Iowa: good for you, stay busy! The healthiest reason for not being here is moving on and putting it behind you. Have a good summer. Nice pic-you look great!
Well, I hope you all have a good day. Raining here..ho hum.
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Tex...When we first moved to Canada from England...all our relatives would ask us to go visit their friends/family in various provinces like B.C. We had to explain that B.C. is as far from Ontario as England is from Canada..so the chances that we would see their friends at the supermarket were extremely slim!
Auto insurance here in Canada is the biggest rip off every..barely anyone puts anything through their insurance for fear that their rates will go up. It is the biggest scam ever.....every year when my renewal comes it drives me crazy. Pay so much each month but never put in a claim...God forbid!
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Couple picture from my super busy last weekend....Sat. one step son got married....Sun. the youngest of my step sons graduated. That was quite a whirlwind wkend. Quite the kick off to summer. So thankful to be heathy enoung to fully enjoy it all. Even having few beers while enjoy the reception and dance.ou
Tex- love your camping pictures. Your kiddos are super cute !!
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What fun Sue. Thanks for sharing your crazy weekend with your gorgeous family.
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I love the pictures! Thanks for posting...it's nice to see everyone in their natural habitats! TEX: great caterpillar shot, you should send that into a photo contest.
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Good day, warriors!
Iowa: great photos!!!!!! Looks like you all were having one heck of a good time!!! Thanks for sharing.
Tex: Thinking of you
Hope all is well-Rachel: well at least the US and Canada have car insurance extortion in common! I just wish we had your healthcare, girl! Our system has gotten progressively more "pay-and-don't-make-a-claim" over the past 10 years it seems. Every car I owned since 17 to 40 were brand new. When I look at my old records of what I paid in insurance to drive a brand new car, I can barely contain myself! So stupid!
Good day to my lovely warriors!
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Tex: Love those pictures, you all look like you are having sooo much fun! And your children are absolutely adorable. In that picture of you and your son, it is amazing how much his face looks like yours.
Lizzy: Thanks for the soup recipe, it was amazing. I used fresh green beans since I was making in my crockpot and it was going to cook all day. And I put in some zucchini, just because I really like zucchini in soup. Everyone loved it. Thanks again!
Lady: You look fantastic! Congrats on all the milestones this past weekend. Geez, I am tired just thinking about attending those events all in one weekend.
Debbi
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This was on the Illinois thread, thought I'd share......
today.msnbc.msn.com/id/2618489...
Pink tutu dude.
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Good day, warriros!
Well, at long last the ACS has found me!!! I got an invite to a relay in June for cancer survivors. I think in CT there might be more "survivors" than people who have NOT had cancer so I think I better arrive early!! It is the first "direct" invite. I am clearly living in auspicious times!
Tex: what is going on? Where you been? Stop by and give an update, please and thank you!Sptmm: I knew you were going to be the first deviant to break from the Saint Francis Hospital soup recipe and go ahead and use FRESH green beans!!!! Is your crock pot the size of a Fiat?!?! You must have cut the recipe in 1/2 . My sauce stock pot was filled to the brim. In any case, I like zucchini as well but would most likely add it ½ way through cooking b/c it gets so soggy. I am just glad you liked it. I was having trouble finding a good vegetable soup recipe and not only is that one good, it has the added bonus of "cleansing" properties!!!!!
Adey: that was an absolutely poignant story, thank you. What beautiful photos.
Well, so there I was at the mall and this "man/boy" behind me was chatting with me. He was undoubtedly what I might call a "thug" but it is, of course, this Yankee gear I wear that gets the boys talking! In any case, he remarked something about my chest and how he likes women w/small ones!!!!! Not joking! I tell him that this look has been sponsored by donating my humongous ones to bc and he reaches in the "front" of his pants and now I am ready to die...he pulls out his key ring that he has attached to his belt loop and attached to that ring, and tucked inside his pants, is about a 2" long pink ribbon...his mom died of bc
It was sad. He gave me a hug. This poor, poor young man. None of you told me how you already saw the YouTube video I provided of "surprised kitty" so perhaps I should be thanking you all! I still it is one of the cutest videos ever!
Good day-
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And that Gotye song continues to play on a loop, in perpetuity, in my head! I mean I really love it but I am looking forward to relegating to the bin of "just a song I used to know!"0
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Lizzie: I attended a Webinar last night on early detection/screening of OvCa. The doctor who presented used the terms "indolent" vs. "viralent" cancers. He said that most of the cancers discovered by screening are "indolent," i.e., less likely to be deadly. He said the only thing that screening accomplishes (and by screening, I think he meant testing for a cancer before symptoms appear) is that you know you have cancer for a longer period of time; that in most cases, it has no effect on the outcome. Imagine how taken aback I was to hear a doctor say that! He was talking about OvCa, but I got the impression that he had the same opinion about any form of cancer.0
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Lady: that is interesting. So many people in this country have no health insurance, including 2 friends of mine both who have had skin cancer, and so the question remains how many are actually walking around with cancer? Are they ever dying of it? I wonder what will come of the way cancer is treated in years to come. You know it is not a "new" disease but what is new is the heavy treatment of it. We shall see! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a very interesting webinar. Good for you
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Lizzy- Yeah i have never had a ticket in my life and my rates still get raised for the most part every time as well. I would have said yeah its only $2 more a month from me but if you raise just a thousound of your customers rates $2 a month you're getting $2,000 more a month.
That tactic saved McDonolds too- the spicy mcchicken sandwhich used to cost only 99 cents, they raised it a whole penny (along with the other dollar menu items) and when they sell MILLIONS of these products a day they are raking in money. they were on the brink before that.
oh yes, i go every monday for 3 weeks, then one week off then back to 3 weeks and off one week.... for 6 months. They are gonna scan after 2 or 3 months to scan to see how its going...
Sue- what great pics!!!!! has anyone told you that your youngest step son looks like you???? when i read that it was your stepson i was shocked. funny cuz after my sis had her son everyone said he looked like our dad- which they didnt realize was our step dad.... BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!!!
Debbi- i might try it in the crock! i love to use that.
Lizzy- i totally cried reading about the guy at the store... cancer has touched too many ppl. BTW i think that my dr's great bedside manner is due to the fact that his mom died of cancer when he was a young teenager.
Lady- isnt it presumed that ALL of us, or all of the US i should say since our rates of cancer are so high, that we all have mutated cells, thus it could be said that we have dormant cancer cells- even though on a scan nothing would show up of course because its not large enough, but isnt it THERE????
not trying to freak anyone out of course, just my 2 cents
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Good day, warriors-
Tex: I was actually standing in a sporting goods store buying a Yankee jersey (gift) and the cashier was new so we were hung up, standing in line for a while. He actually looked a bit like my oldest nephew (32). I guess everything happens for a reason. When he made the rather inappropriate remark in a roundabout way, I just let it go. I am glad I did. He would reveal minutes later he was trying to make me feel more comfortable with my perceived "inadequacy" because of what his mom went through (bmx etc..). What was initially a very uncomfortable situation for me turned out to be a catalyst for someone else to work through something. I am just so glad I did not tell him "off" when he made that comment which normally I would not tolerate such things! I am not the kind of person that engenders such talk unless I am welcoming!
As for the cancer cells, you are correct as we all have the cells and our bodies make them every day. Of course, one of our's went crazy! #goodtimes
The countries where cancer rates are the highest are: Denmark, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France and then the US. I think the US being #7 for cancer incidience is b/c of the insurance problems here in that many, many in this country have no insurance, therefore go undetected, and I believe if we had socialized med, our number would be much higher. Of course, every country with higher rates are countries w/socialized med.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!! My friend and I were going to start "drunk bus" to pick up all the liquorheads in Norwalk and Stamford CT who go out partying on the weekends and need a safe ride home. The reason I mention this? Because I would love to get on "drunk bus" and stay on it all weekend after the past few weeks I have had!
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Tex: Yes, Dr. David S-S (don't know how to spell his last name) who wrote the Anticancer Book said everybody has cancer in their body. But most of the time the immune system kills it off before it grows/spreads. Or it never gets large enough to cause problems. It's not just small cancers that aren't seen on screens. My onc told me my OvCa didn't show up on PET/CTs I had for BC because it is low grade and low-grade disease doesn't always show up on scans. So my question ... why do they scan the heck out of us?
Hope everyone enjoys the holiday. It is hot HOT hot here, in the 90s all weekend, the highest predicted is 96 for Sunday. I plan to stay in the AC as much as possible! I'm going to dinner with friends tomorrow night and have been invited to cook-out and play in the pool at another friend's on Monday. I don't know about that one, but maybe the heat would be bearable if I have a pool to hop in.
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Drunk bus- On base they would offer free taxi rides on the more drunk holidays which i think would be awesome if civilans would do that as well in the metro areas too- would prob save a lot of lives.
I've had a few hectic weeks as well- so i'd be sitting right next to you on that bus! This whole PA thing is giving me a headache. I am dreading my trip
Its pretty hot here. It was 93 today, we stayed in doors- well no choice since my chemo makes me sun sensitive, we went out to play last night pretty late- 7ish i think til about 10. Funny cuz there were a lot of children still outside that late....
Oh and you're so right Lizzy! the fact that so many people dont have insurance has our reported numbers lower than it should be. I wonder how many ppl died of cancer without even knowing it.
Well night ladies- i am too tired to stay up tonight!
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Have a great weekend everybody. It was sunny and 70's today here. Up to 72* DH just told me.
DD and DGD were over, DSIL is trying to repaint his car and they wantd to be away from the house.
I have flowers in my window boxes now. I am thrilled! I love having all of these trees around us but miss my beautiful annuals. Now I have both!
I was sick this week. First I woke up with a migraine on Monday and even after treatment it returned from the beginning two more times in that 24 hours. Complete with Auras and the entrie bit. That has never happened before like that plus the pain was on the wrong side. Scared me a bit but it hasnt happened again. Then Tuesday I got gastritis again, not a good day. I just ate lightly all week and just hung out. I feel good today except for achy knees b ut that is not anything new. The headache did scare and I hope it doesn't return.
I am going to enjoy my annuals tomorrow, so much color right outside the window!
Have a nice weekend.
Love Ginger
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The weather was amazing all weekend here in Ontario. Kids both had football games yesterday but I learned my lesson from last weekend--packed lunches, water and SUNSCREEN!!
Happy long weekend to my US friends--we had our long weekend last week. Hope it is beautiful weather!
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Lizzy - I read somewhere that in autopsy reports, they find that some people who died of other causes have had cancer in their lifetime and it "resolved" itself! How crazy is that??
Hope everyone is surviving this hot weekend - those of us on the East coast --it's hazy, rainy, sunny, hot, humid - on and off all day for days! We need a good high pressure system to push through so we have no clouds and dry dry air for a little bit!
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Good day , warriors!
Thanks to our wonderful troops, both present and posthumous, who have made it possible for us to enjoy such freedoms and a beautiful weekend.
So in my travels this weekend, I was at a party with a few medical professionals. One of them was "holistic" and the other "medical industrial complex!" In any case, a friend of a friend told them about my situation and they said, and agreed, unequivocally that Vitamin D **and** iodine are fundamental to our success in attempting to negate recurrence. I did some research on Japan and they have the lowest bc, thyroid problems and obesity rates amongst women in just about the entire world. Perhaps some of you know I speak Japanese. More to this point, in my Wall St days I was using the language much more and I would also go to get sashimi, almost daily, with one of my bosses. I was also getting a lot more kelp via roles and Hijiki salad, pre-2005 which, consequently, was when I was dxd with thyroid problems. Sure enough, in 2008 my mammo showed "shadows."
When I worked trading on Wall St, lunch was often referred to as being for "pikers!" Long story about that word! In any case, I normally would arrive at 8/8:30ish, break at 4 for "lunch" which was almost always Japanese, followed by "cracktails (the Wall St word for cocktails!)" and then back to work until roughly 7:30/8PM. The hours were long but the money was fantastic. More to this point, I was consuming a Japanese diet regularly. I was probably having sushi/sashimi/rolls 3-4 times per week. Funny how the thyroid bus pulled up and then the bc bus shortly thereafter when, through lifestyle changes, I inadvertently distanced myself from my NY lifestyle and the consumption of a lot of Japanese food.
I know Sptmm is running marathons and Calamtykel is making the most of her soil harvest in NJ. Ginger is enjoying her family and her flowers and Ckptry and I have refused to give up our (occassional in her case!) wine/beer! I know Texasrose continues to struggle, at least in part, with the test results regarding this bedraggled disease and she always does so with much aplomb and dignity; Omaz is getting herself plenty of VitaminD in the Southwest and I am sure she has made a few changes as well. I have tried to limit stress, do a bit more yoga and try to get more of the stuff, nutritionally, that is known to fight this cellular disaster. The bottom line, though, is we have all been left trying to make little changes and not thinking we can control cancer through this process but trying to make small lifestyle changes that might help us exonerate ourselves of responsibility in revisiting this disease. I think Sweeney and Rachel have also made perhaps small changes even if it means going to a group bc sessions or running more etc... My point is this: all the little changes we have made could conceivably add up to something great. I don't intend to imply I might control cancer through little changes but I find you all remarkable and hope we all have many, many more years on this planet. More to this point, taking more Vitamin D and buying/using your bamboo mat to make California rolls at home so you can get some iodine perhaps cannot hurt. All these little things just might mean great changes for us in the greater scheme. I am off my soapbox!!! Seriously, though, those 2 medical professionals meant what they said about D and iodine. It is worth a shot, folks, simply worth a shot. It is not like you all have to go on a steady diet of squirrel to achieve this!Ladyinbama: It is hot HOT here as well! I think we crossed 90 today but I did get my Vitamin D in ! Get a pool ASAP! You only live once! I had a great beach house w/very, very little property but in the back, next to the garage, I put in a child pool and I would float around on my speedboat tube with my drinks in that little pool! It was "the best!" My seasonal neighbor would come over as well-loved her! Her and her husband were great and her Border Collie would watch the Yankees through my window! In any case, the pool does not have to be big is my point! Of course, CT has many, many jellyfish in August so that is the month when my little pool saw the most action!
Tex: drunk bus would be great but the *&^^%%$$# insurance companies will not allow it! I was thinking of perhaps doing a drunk rickshaw!! No insurance required. You know, the cabs would not even have to be free if they would issue "prepaid" cab cards. Things to come, no doubt!
Ginger: I am so glad you are enjoying your family and the bouquet outside your window! You really do inspire me to do more planting! I have not done much....but, like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I did plant another rose bush. A big step for me!
Calamtykel; LOVE the new avatar! We are starting to look like we used to! I told a friend about the autopsy thing. Sure enough, it is a truth. I seriously think, and I could be wrong, through diet and stress-elimination(reduction) we all might be able to conquer this crap.Good luck with the kale. I wish I could eat more of it. I was disappointed to find it is nutritionally antithetical w/my thyroid problem.
SO I have had a good weekend!!!!! Perhaps you all could have figured that one out! Get your iodine and Vitamin D and let's party on into the future!!!!!!!
Good times, good stuff (if you all wonder where this comes from it is "Along Came Polly" when Alec Baldwin is talking to Ben Stiller in the bathroom, at the urinal no less, about how his wife cheated on him w/a scuba instructor on their honeymoon!!!!) !!
Happiest of trails, girls!! After all, we are all "still here!!"I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
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Lizzy - my previous nutritionist had me on Standard Process iodine (Iodomere). You have to be careful with it, as too much can make you feel sick, but I imagine getting it through whole foods is totally safe. I wonder if chlorella has it in it? My current practitioner has me on that. I am Metagenics 5000 UI of D per day, however, now since I'm in the sun so much I'm taking it every OTHER day and alternating between that and Carson's cod liver oil (which has 400 units) every other day. The omegas are important too.
Guess what I got to do today??
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Sweet!
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Hi Lizzy - I didn't know about the iodine. Interesting. I like the roasted seasoned seaweed that they have at costco and trader joes. Apparently it has a lot of iodine in it. Some websites caution that you can get too much iodine as well.
from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002421.htm
Adolescents and Adults: Females age 14 and older: 150 mcg/day
A 1/4 teaspoon of iodized table salt provides 95 micrograms of iodine. A 6-ounce portion of ocean fish provides 650 micrograms of iodine. Most people are able to meet the daily recommendations by eating seafood, iodized salt, and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. When buying salt make sure it is labeled "iodized."
About the vitamin D, folks with darker skin or tanned skin apparently make less vitamin D. I tan really easily and when my onc tested my level it was 30. I have been supplementing with 2000IU for about 9 months and last it was checked it was up to 36.
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Omaz: the ridiculous thing is I *love* Japanese food! The further I got away from Manhattan, the less I had Japanese food. Also, Bob (my boss), disappeared for about 6 weeks because of a gastrointestinal problem largely, we believe, precipitated by his steady sashimi diet! "S" happens! I would not give up my days with him, however, at the Fulton fish spot, clapping his hands like a seal, as raw fish was tossed in his face! There was more to use than that, however! It was all good
Calamtykel: that is a great pic!!!!!! It reminds me of the Kel of 2010! I am so glad we are all starting to look like nothing ever happened!!! Let's do our best to keep it that way!
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Yes, we had to pick up my daughter from her four hour shift at the wildlife sanctuary (she does 8hrs a week) so the kids and Joe came. They were about the feed the fawns and they have 20 or so now - and were behind so they recruited the kids and I to help while Joe took pictures.
They are really adorable - it's kind of sad though - they look tame in the pictures, but they are really skitish and frighten easily - not at all "cuddly" - but certainly very cute! Their skittishness is a good thing - they work hard not to "imprint" the animals so that they will eventually be released back into the wild successfully.
A few more pix!
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WOW! Those came out huge.
Here's just the regular photo bucket link for all of them.
http://s1164.photobucket.com/albums/q575/kelsbucket1/Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary/
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cal - Why are there so many that need care?0
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Calamtykel: Those are great photos!!! Just great!
Omaz: I might be wrong but the parkway system in the Northeast is rife with dead deer. The Connecticut parkway is literally a deer cemetary. They are hit by cars, dragged to the side of the road by the DOT or State Police (just to get them off the road) and then they are left there to rot. The state has *no system* for dealing with the deer carcass. No one cleans it up off the side of the road, nothing.
About 6 years ago I sent a very comprehensive municipal underwriting proposal to the State of CT DOT. They were resistant and then 1 year later there were a bunch of layoffs amidst some corruption charges/allegations. One of the worst things that is happening is deer are "consumming" the carcass of the dead deer on the side of the road. At some point, it rots to the point where they can't tell it was once one of their own. The bonds would have been such a slam dunk withe people in that county. Purchasing a municipal bond meant to deal, at least in part, with the Lyme Disease problem and to stop having deer slaughtered all summer on the parkway would have been a very attractive investment. Of course this was also before Moody's went crazy and downgraded the full faith and credit of the United States etc...!
The proposal would have gotten them, over the course of time, off the parkway and onto foot bridges that would allow them to cross the parkway safely. Of course training them would take time but all in good time; it can be done. Every 4th or 5th pass would also trigger a gantry system that would apply tick spray. The foot bridge system works in the UK. In any case, another summer of deer slaughter all over CT highways but primarily the parkway and in Fairfield County.
All I can think is that sanctuary is picking up the babies of vehicularly slaugtered parents. On that note, and for whatever reason they are finding the babies and taking them in, they are doing very benevolent work. That is my guess as to why there are "so many."
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Seaweed: it is unequivocally the best source for iodine. Powdered kelp will also do. I am not going to make big changes but I am going to go back to making California and spicy tuna rolls at home. In this way I get iodine through the seaweed and perhaps I will have hijiki salad also. It is all so weird when you look back, trying to sew together when it all changed and what happened. Why bc, why at 40 years old?
Calamtykel: you have always been really good about taking your supplements. Sometimes I get so lost in this whirling dervish of a mind that I forget key points. I get my daily D but conventional wisdom surrounding this says we need 4000 IU daily. I might get kelp as a supplement at GNC when I get the D. I think kelp daily coupled with getting iodine nutritionally a few times a week will keep me pathing toward better health while I live with this dx.
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Kel my DGD loved the photo of you feeding the little fawn. She just smiled and smiled.
Here we have a new animal bridge going up on the first road to our north parallel to us. Because we have many hills and ravines there are lots of areas for deer, cayote and a few bears.
On the transCanada highway I saw several animal overpasses. Never saw a moose but I saw the roads that had been built for them.
I try to be religious about taking my vitamins except when I have felt ill. I back off a bit then lest I upset my stomach.
Have a good day. I am going to get my hair cut today. First pro cut since I got it really short just before it fell out. DD is not thrilled with my hair all white and getting close to being in a braid down the back of my head. Old hippy here.
It is bright shiny white I sort of like the color, no grey or silver. I may bend to pressure after I get it cut if it looks too thin on top. HmHugs Ginger
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