Take our poll: Caregivers, what do you find most difficult about caregiving?
Weigh in: What are the best and worst gifts for people with breast cancer?

Australian Sisters

1…110111113115116…410

Comments

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    Marnie, my mother has "thin" skin and I think I just inherited it from her... I tend to scar from scratches and dings that others don't scar from and my scars always tend to stretch over time.



    My BS did a great job with my lumpectomy incision. She didnt use stitches but sealed it with glue or something and it is the best scar I have. My port scar on the other hand is pretty ugly. It initially looked good but with normal stitches my skin became quite irritated around them. Then when it was looking good after the external stitches had come out I ended up with all the internal stitches "spitting" out through the incision - which then has never really healed up well again..



    Jenn

  • kyliet
    kyliet Member Posts: 587
    edited July 2012

    Jenn, it is great that you are already getting your surgeries organised, it must be a huge relief. Bummer about your scarring.

    I was thinking Berrima might be a nice place to meet up. Trish, if you and Jenn can work out a time. Joy is also local and will hopefully come. x 

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012

    Berrima would be fine with me, anywhere that's convenient for others.  I read this thread most days but as a semi-autistic I find social talk baffling so I find it hard to join in.  How many are coming?

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2012

    Kate, how is Jack, i have not caught up with you about him, i hope everything ok with him. it is you with jack, or linda as i know she has dogs too. must check up, don't want to offend anybody getting you mixed up.

    I went trucking with Hubby yesterday. one of our drivers was sick and so we did the masterton run , which is two and half hours south east of us. Was a lovely day,  But i am sore today  heaving myself into  that truck, the steps are little high, and DH gives me a shove from behind and helps get into the dam thing, 5 years ago i was in and out of those trucks like a spring chicken, now i gotta have hubby  help me in there, feel like an like chook now/ terrible, have not got the same energy at all, how we change, it was a lovely weather ways too, Hubby and i used to do the Masterton run together and i was so fit, i was beating him at things,  quite depressing really. i need to get fit again. i get tired so quick too. But I am still alive and able to talk to to you girls. thats a big blessing. have a good weekend gals.  CYA,  Happy Birthday Kylie, hope you had a good one::

  • Alyson
    Alyson Member Posts: 3,737
    edited July 2012
    DD1 about to go on stage to sing in The
    Ride of the Valkyries. Die Walkurie was a wonderful production. DH managed to sit through 6 hours of opera really enjoying most of it. It must be spectacular when staged as an opera, they did a concert version. It is recorded on Radio NZ's Concert programmebut can't find the link.
  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited July 2012

    Hello all

    I'm back in the land of the living lol.  This cold really knocked me around.  I've still got it, but feeling a lot better now.

    Wow Alyson, you must be proud, it really is a wonderful opera, but yes - it's long lol.

    Kate - good to hear Jack is doing a bit better, when do you go on your week away?  And do you have any dates for December yet?

    Jenn - good luck with your appointment.  Perhaps we can look at a weekend around mid August to meet up at Berrima?  What do you think Kylie?

    Chrissy - how are you going? 

    Sue - you've been quiet lately, everything ok?

    Marnie - you can have all our cold weather you can handle, hmm.. wonder how I bundle it up and send it over ...

    Have a good one everyone

    Trish

    xoxo

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2012

    Hope you Lasses over in Auz are doing well. , Trish how is the new postion going, you been down with  a cold, hope you really on the mend now and can get in there and enjoy your  new job. It is very windy where i am today, blowing the place inside out, it is a windy place,  Palmerston North, sometimes you have a hard time standing up. down south the other day on the truck, it was calm, but that gets so bad  at times with Gales, that it is hard to keep the truck on the road. you get a gust and it pulls you over, scarey, and the poles that hold curtains in place fly out and you gotta know when to duck, if they hit ya in the head, knock  you out, can be dangerous at times. anyway i need to feed bunnies and gineapigs( gutses) they can eat those things and squeal when they hungry. 

            (((((((( HAVE AN AWESOME DAY LADIES))))))))

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited July 2012

    Where is everyone?  Hope you are all just hibernating from the cold.

    Midnight - new job is going well - it's interesting and keeping me on my toes.  I was suprised at how much information I actaully got down last week given how rotten I felt.  It's a new position so I'm having to set up systems and procedures as I go and we had a review yesterday, I think everyone was surprised at how much was done.

    It's cold and windy here today - and we are expecting snow on the hills this afternoon, so will be nice to sit and watch the Olympics with a lovely hot fire going tonight.


    Have a great day everyone.
    Trish

    xoxo

  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 1,661
    edited July 2012

    And I've just realised I forgot to put my foob on!!  I'm at work and to go home and get it would be a 90 minute round trip, so have stuffed two pairs of gloves in my bra lol

    I knew I'd forget one day!

    Trish

    xoxo

  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2012

    Good Morning ladies, this thread is about as active as  the Nz one, must be olympic time and everybody at work in day. i have watched Olympics and some of the kiwis need a  boot in the bum,  to get a medal or two,  oh well guess they doing their best, it must be alot of pressure on  them. I enjoyed watching the gymastics, watching your  girls over there  in the gym is so cool, i just love watching them full stop, where ever they are from.  have a good day girls.

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    Work.... :-/



    And I have been making an effort to get dinner on when I get home and then jump on the treadmill. By the time I do that, serve dinner, have a shower, I am exhausted and only good for looking at tv...



    Hope everyone else is OK :-)



    Jenn

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012
    I'm busy trying to do my parents' family tree.  I started it 6 years ago with a lot of help from a cousin who had done most of the work for one branch. Filling in the software and finding more relatives was massively time consuming.  I'm researching the other side of the family now.  My mother gets very mixed up with her Alzheimer's and my father died years ago.  Oh... why didn't we do this ten years ago when they could both help?  Frown  My sister phoned a distant relative overseas we've rarely contacted.  She was close to my dad and cried when sis spoke of him.  Again we could have made an old lady very happy as she is thrilled to have contact with us now.
  • midnight1327
    midnight1327 Member Posts: 1,331
    edited July 2012

    Joy, have you ever gone on that ancestory .com.au, we get  adds over here about it looking up your ancestors. i thought one day i may try it or another one. you may find things you never would of known.  i wish you every success in your venture, very interesting that stuff. take care.

  • kyliet
    kyliet Member Posts: 587
    edited July 2012

    All done!!!!  I am so happy, my last radio finished today.  

    Now I just have to work out what to do with myself. It has been 11months since I found something wrong and went to the doctors. What a chunk of your life this takes. Oh well it's for a good cause.

    Trish, that is great about the job, well done, I hope you're enjoying the new work.  

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012

    Midnight, I'm trying to do the best I can with a limited registration to ancestry.com which came with some software, also the library has a library version that doesn't allow users to see other family trees, but we can look up birth, marriage etc information, census lists, war, emigration and more.  Due to the expense of ancestry subscriptions I'll join up when I've gone as far as I can.  I have a relative in NZ too but haven't got to his family yet.

    Kylie, that's fantastic.  It does take a year or so to really settle down to a new normal and everyone seems to have some down days but they don't last.  

    I'm celebrating three years today since the cancer was removed by surgery.  That drops the odds of it returning since the first three to five years have the most recurrences.  So the number remaining who will recur drop to a smaller percentage.  Of course we're never down to nil odds, but anything has to be better than the more than 50% I was facing with stage III.  I think I'm down to 38% now, and I'll be under 20% if I'm NED at five years.  Those percentages are for not surviving fifteen years after diagnosis.

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    YAY KYLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



    Jenn

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    Onc appt and 3 weekly Herceptin on Thursday morning. Assume I will walk away with my Tamoxifen script... Any tips on taking this from the Aussie (and Kiwi) women? How much is this going to cost me for the next 5 years?



    Jenn

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited July 2012

    Hi Girls - I've been MIA - I'm still here but haven't had much to tell.

    Steve has booked us on a cycling trip in the Sth Island of NZ next Feb. I could have killed him but it appears it's a relatively easy track - the Otago Rail Trail - the steepest incline is 2% gradient. So, I've had to start riding my bike. I did 3 days last week (7.5km). Just got home from today's ride and did a bit extra 8.4K - doesn't sound like much but it took me 40 minutes. I'll increase the distance each week. I must say, I needed something like this to make me get back on it seeing I haven't been exercising at all.

    Jenn - Aromasin just costs me the PBS amount $35.40 a month or some such - Tamoxifen will probably be the same.

  • Linda1966
    Linda1966 Member Posts: 441
    edited July 2012

    Hi Ladies.

    Congratz Kylie

    Sorry Im MIA. really busy with work and am reading everyones progress just not posting regularly at the moment. Things should ease up over the next few weeks and I'll be back to normal (or as normal as I get lol).

    Jenn, to be safe. Take the first one when you dont have to go to work the next day. I took my first Arimidex and had the worlds worst night and following day. Every bit of my body was in agony. You probably wont get that s/e, but its better to be safe than sorry. (I stupidly believed them when they said it wouldnt stop me from working and had to scramble to find a replacement for myself during that time at work)

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012

    Jenn, my Tamox costs $35.40 for 60 tablets so that's two months worth, and they write a 6X repeat script that lasts a full year.  I don't have side effects apart from hot flushes.  I read somewhere that 50% come off them after 2 or 3 years due to side effects so I guess I'm lucky.  Hot flushes are a small price to pay for the big increase in my odds of living but I understand why those with a low risk to start with prefer to stop them after a few years of SE's.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438
    edited July 2012

    Hi girls!  

    Yay Kylie!!!   Well done you!!!!

    Joy congrats on your three year cancerversary!!!!! Love it when those odds start getting smaller and smaller....lol!  Good luck on getting the family tree done.....it's really facinating to read about the people who went before us and where they were from.  My cousin on my mothers side did the family tree and another branck of my fathers family did theirs but she also did all branches so his was also included and it is updated each year with new births deaths and marriages............it's huge!!!

    Trish, glad you are feeling better and back on deck at work.  Have you already started that new position?  Lol at forgetting your foob........I have done that on numerous occasions so now tend to not worry about putting it in unless the clothing makes the boobs more visible..........   It's amazing really that usually we are the only ones who notice that we are lop sided......lol

    Jenn the Tamoxifen will cost just the normal script cost as it is on the PBS list.  Hope you do well with it and you don't have too many SE's. If you feel fatigues with it try taking it at night rather than the morning other than that, just be aware of what the SE's are so you are aware of how you feel.

    Sue good luck with getting your fitness back up to scratch!   That trip sounds lovely and what a great way to enjoy all that glorious scenery!

     Midnight I'm right there with you on the gymnastics!  Those girls are so tiny and oh so strong and gracefull.  My sleeping pattern is changed so I can watch most things live.......yes I've turned into a vampire and my food is the olympics and right now I'm feasting!.....hahahaha!

    Have a great evening all!

    Love n hugs.   Chrissy 

  • Kate60
    Kate60 Member Posts: 523
    edited July 2012

    Whoo hoo Kylie. Well done darling!!!!!!! now don't be surprised if you experience a big down afterwards. I did, and aparently it's quite common and normal when everything suddenly stops. Also I found that my breast and underarm continuted to "cook" for another 7-10 days afer I'd finished. I never got that bad, but it sort of looked red and peeled a little bit, then it just settled down and went away.

    OK I'm going to book my flights to get up to Brisbane on Saturday 8th December. I'll stay up there for 10 days so maybe a get together in Brissy on the Saturday night?, I can't wait to meet those of you who will be there. Trisha, I'll see if I can find something suitable accommodation wise in the city for us. I'll let you know how I go.

    I'm madly cleaning the house for the house sitter. I'm paying attention to all those tasks that I usually don't bother with and everything is now gleaming. OH and big news, we hadn't done our tax for a couple of years but we are getting a good amount back it would seem. So happy. I am hoping our hard days are behind us. It's been a very rough ride for the past 18 months since we moved over here. I'd like to think we have turned the corner.

    The other night I went to pick Paul up from work drinks and I had 3 dogs in the car with me. He was well and truly pissed I must say, and I was in my dressing gown ( as it was cold). Well wouldn't you know it, this lovely little black cat dashed out to run across the road just as I was approaching. There were two lound thunks. I felt terrible but in hindsight, it was lucky that it happened before I'd had a chance to thingk about taking evasive action. That might have been well and truly CATastrphic Surprised.  Just hoping I don't have terrible bad luck now..... xxxxx

  • racy
    racy Member Posts: 976
    edited July 2012

    Hi ladies, I am reading your updates every day and all is very interesting.



    Kylie, congrats on your birthday and finishing rads! You deserve a big celebration.



    Kate, would love to meet you in Brisvegas. Where is the party? I can advise on accommodation places if you want.



    Sue, have you tried the new tunnel yet? I have both from Toombul and Kedron. It is cool.



    Trish, it sound like you are doing well in your new job. Did you hear about the other job you applied for?



    Joy, what software do you use for your family tree?



    Alyson, your daughter is beautiful. You must be so proud.



    Hi to everyone else.



    Things are fine with me.

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012

    Racy, I originally used PAF, (Personal Ancestral File, free online from the Mormons) which uses the Gedcom standard. Then hubby brought a copy of Family Tree Maker home from the library which takes PAF files so I installed that with supposed free access to Ancestry.com.au.  I find it limited in use as it keeps reverting to the page urging me to apply for 14 days free use then pay to subscribe. Then I lose my search and have to enter all the details again Grrrr.

    Have you used either of those programs?

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    With everyone talking about Brisbane (which I won't be able to get to...) maybe we should set the date for our Southern Highlands get together as Trish suggested the other day...



    I know it is soon but how is everyone placed for Saturday the 11th or Sunday the 12th of August? Or the following weekend the 18th or 19th? After that we may be getting into the time when I will have surgery and my daughter's 21st party is on Saturday the 25th...



    Jenn

  • luv_gardening
    luv_gardening Member Posts: 362
    edited July 2012

    Jenn, I'd prefer either Saturday but can always change my visiting day for my mother.  She doesn't know what day of the week it is anyway.  I go on Sunday as it's the only day they don't have activities.  Also it doesn't hurt to miss a week.

  • Kate60
    Kate60 Member Posts: 523
    edited July 2012

    Racy, would love some tips. Would really love something central with a balcony (I don't like feeling confined). Any suggestions? I thought maybe we could meet up for dinner somewhere in the city then who knows? paint the town red .....or pink in our case? anyway, my intention is to just let the hair down (well what little there is of it in my case) and enjoy fine company and have a jolly good time.  So mark your calendars for Sat 8th December QLD girls!!!!

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited July 2012

    Racy - no I haven't tried it out yet - just experienced the horrible traffic on Stafford road from it. I do have to go to Toombul tomorrow, not sure if I'll try it yet.  I will be at Lutwyche before I go to Toombul, so it would be a good idea to try it. Having a day off to get my eyes checked and have a visit with the onc in the afternoon to get my bone density results. Having lunch with my bc friend I met on the Aussie BC boards.

    Joy - I was lucky - a lady in NZ did our family tree right back to Ireland in the early 1800's. Unfortunately I can't find out much about Steve's family as no one in his family has ever been interested. I went to NZ a few years ago by myself and visited all of my ancestor's graves. My great great great grandfather and 2 of his brothers fought in the Maori wars. It really meant a lot to me to know where I come from.

  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 1,095
    edited July 2012

    Hey Susie,



    Both my husband's and my ancestors came from Ireland via NZ and we have the family tree details that a family member did. We could be related :-)



    Jenn

  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 1,422
    edited July 2012

    Jenn - I'll PM you the family name

Categories

Join Us on Zoom: Upcoming virtual meetups. Read more...
Give your account some personality! Add a profile photo.