Australian Sisters
Comments
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My dentist told me about it Jezza. Said he saw lots of people come in with far less reason to be on the scheme than myself and anyone else having ongoing hormonal treatment for BC. I then contacted my GP who agreed. Not sure if the armidex alone did it, but the biphospherites sure topped it off and made it a sure thing. Had a root canal on the one that was agony and then he crowned it and Ive asked for a break till I see my onc next month before getting a crown on the other broken tooth. Will then get a nightguard I think so I dont grind and break any more in my sleep. Used $1500 or so of the money already just for the one tooth.
Congrats on the good US Jenn, Im hoping mine in May shows that as well (fingers crossed). I think from memory I just washed my head with plain unscented natural soap. Did use the moisteriser on it as well though. Have to say I miss the natural brazillian and not having to shave legs and underarms and have upper lip waxed. Wish they could just find a way to restrict hair loss to just the body and leave the head and face alone, would make life would be so much better for peeps underoing chemo.
I dont know if this is going to help anyone curently doing chemo but other than getting my few eyelashes and eyebrows tinted about a month after chemo was over, I also had them trim my 1.5cm hair to tidy it up and she dyed it so that the grey regrowth would blend in better as well, then I went back each time the regrowth needed it and had a trim and a complete redye. Lets face it, who cares if hair that short gets damaged lol, it was always going to be cut off soon enough anyway. My hair grew back really fast doing that so I think constantly getting a very slight trim on your hair once treatment is finished helps to make the hair grow faster. Worth checking into to help spur it on ladies. I admit it was a bit sad the second or third time to have it trimmed just that little bit, but considering it was only a few months before my hair was long enough to just be like anyone else's it was the right choice for me. The bummer was it grew back so gray
thank god for dye's and foils hehe.0 -
Hello Everyone
This is kates husband Paul and just writing to say that Kate has to stay in overnight as they had some 'fun'during the surgery today. Everything is Ok but she needs to be kept in overnight.
Kate will update you all tomorrow, thanks and best wishes PaulT. and kisses from katey
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Paul, thanks so much for letting us know. And how very typical of your wonderful Kate to think of us and to ask you to update us so we wouldnt get too worried.
Please let Kate know we are thinking of her and hope she feels heaps better tomorrow. So bummed out for her to have to stay in overnight. Hope you are looking after yourself too Paul, this whole business is hard on you as well, we know.
Hugs and kisses to you both
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Thanks Paul, much appreciate the update. Give her our love and let her know we are all thinking of her.
Yay Jenn!!! Great news about the scan being clear!!! That's the news we always like to see.
Thanks for all the info Lyndal on the dental front...............it's always good to get info that saves us money!
Trish, more rain? Oh no!
I sure hope it's not a lot this time.Alyson I'm glad you are enjoying the time with your family. Glad to hear that your trip is now on the drawing board and can't wait to hear when!
Phew, one more day! Tomorrow is bag packing day...........I think I've washed all that I need if not I will just have to do another load.
Love n hugs all! Chrissy
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Kate, so sorry you have had to stay in hospital overnight. It's disappointing as I'm sure you were looking forward to being home in your own bed. I hope you sleep well and hurry home tomorrow.
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(((((((((((Kate))))))))))))))) - thanks for the update Paul - hope it wasn't serious.
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Good news Jenn!!!!
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Chrissy, will you be spending time in a rehab unit after your op? How long will you be in hospital? Will you have access to BCO???!
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Racy, I will have my computer and a mobile USB internet connection with me so I will definitely be able to check in on BOC and all of you......lol. I won't know if I will go to rehab until I see the PT after the op. I'm told I will be in hospital between five and seven days it just depend how I pull up and how strong my leg gets and that all depends on what the PT says.
I'll let everyone know how I am as soon as I feel up to it............possibly on Saturday as I'm not exactly sure what time surgery is, I'm guessing around 2ish and I am told that I will be in theatre for a couple of hours and then in recovery for at least another two. I'm expecting to be pretty groggy Friday night.
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Kate/Paul - hope everything's ok! Will be looking on here tomorrow to see how you are.
Jenn - yay! Great news about US.
Jezza thanks for the pm re dentist, will look into it.
Chrissy - thank goodness for mobile technology lol
Well it's 1.00am and I slept from 9.30pm to 11.00pm and have been wide awake ever since. So now I'm up and trying to get tired again. I hate, hate, hate this. I've never had problems with sleep. And that's after I took 15mg of melatonin!!!! Now I won't be able to go into work tomorrow as I'll be too tired.
Trish
xoxoxo
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lol Trish, I havent even tried to go to bed yet. Getting to that time of night though. Hope you can get back to sleep soon
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Morning all, I have been awake since 1.30am.
Hugs to Kate, thank Paul for being so thoughtful, thinking of you.
Last FEC yesterday. It went OK. They gave me iv maxalon as well during, and i think that helped keep some nausea at bay.
Our onco unit is setting up a new "blue book" system, (at least it's not pink) to keep all our info to take to other doctors etc.
Anyway they went through it with me and I left there feeling pretty stressed out. I asked for some percentages on survival and recurrence and they won't commit yet. Apparantly my satellite tumour was a long way from my main tumour with margins borderline (not great). Because my tumour was grade 1 my ki-67 should have been very low and instead it is high, which apparantly means it is aggressive and explains why it spread. And to top it off they said although extranodal spread isn't too dreadful they are still worried about the cancer in my lymphatic channels. So basically I got the "you don't fit into any categories" talk and "lets wait and see".
Wish the temazapam would kick in. xxx
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Poor Kate, having to stay in. Hoping it wasn't too serious (no collapsed lung please) and you are home tomorrow/today to give us an update. You also have to tell us what you are wearing to the wedding :-)
I had a weird choking episode in the middle of the night. Feel a bit weirded out by it and hoping I didn't breathe anything into my immune suppressed lungs.... call me paranoid these days.
Getting up now to head off to work and will do my pre-treatment bloods today before weekly #3 tomorrow.
Jenn0 -
Goodness Kylie and Jenn you are up very early.
Kylie, don't focus on stats because thats just what they are - numbers, You are you and hopefully the chemo will hit it hard. I was told general stats and it has only been recently that the docs have told me of their initial concerns about prognosis. I am five years out from dx now. It's so hard not to worry but try to think about beating this thing.
Kate big hugs, do hope all is well.
Jenn take care and don't push yourself too hard working and having treatment.
Chrissy will be waiting on news of how things have gone - I know I have knees that need doing but I am putting it off.
Big hugs to all. Must get dressed.
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Chrissy, I hope you will be home for Easter and not in hospital or rehab.
While I'm here typing, wishing you an easy and successful surgery tomorrow. Don't feel you need to rush and post. We will assume that 'no news is good news'.
Or you can take Kate's lead and get your husband to post lol.
Maybe there should be an Austral(as)ian husbands thread. That could be interesting lol.0 -
Kate, my heart skipped a beat when I started reading your husband's post. I hope he doesn't need to post again but, just in case, ask him to preface his post with 'don't panic' lol.
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Well I was up unitl 3.30am and awake again at 6.30. Not good. Have stayed home today - just couldn't face the drive into work, or work for that matter.
Kate sent me a text this morning, she's ok - and I'll let her explain all the drama when she's able to get on here. Poor love has had a bad time - but no collapsed lung thank goodness.
Kylie don't stress about stats as Alyson says - they are just numbers. It's easy to get caught up in them, but you have to get yourself to a point where you can relax about them. It's hard, I know, and it will take some time. I used to stress about them too, but have now gotten myself into the place where I can think, if it happens again it will happen and no amount of stress or worry will change that. If it doesn't happen again, I'll have stressed and worried for nothing. Easy to say, harder to get yourself to do it though.
Jenn - ((((hugs)))) I had something similar - but I can't remember which chemo cycle I was on at the time, it only happened once, and I'd forgotten about it till your post. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you again.
Hugs to everyone else too. I'm going to have a very lazy day today, but try not to sleep, so I can get a good night's sleep tonight.
Trishxoxo
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Home Sweet Home... I'm OK, sorry to worry anyone. Paul said last night that I should just post today, and I said, NO, they'll all be worried... as I know we all are when anyone of us going MIA.
Good news is the port is in place and not causing any discomfort at all - you were all right about that, but for some reason my surgeon decided to put the line up my neck and then down through the jugular vein. He found a wonky looking lymph node on the jugular (I didn't know they grew there...) and it was enlarged and hard so he took it off, then I bled a lot apparently. In recovery it started to bleed again as the stitches had come undone. This wasn't pleasant as the local anaesthitic he used wasn't enough and I could intensely feel the last three or so stitches. I kept tensing up (as you do when you can feel hook needles going through your muscle and skin) and he got cranky at me and kept telling me to do it, as of course the blood was spurting out a lot. I asked him for some more local (would seem logical to me) but he said we were nearly finished... three stitches might have been nearly finished to him, but oh lordy, it bloody well hurt!!!!
So he put a little drain in and things settled down. Then I picked at dinner which I then threw up. First time I've actually vomited with chemo, but it was the anaesthetic. So I was given a shot of something, then during the night I keep getting sick so I had zofran and molaxin or whatever it's called. Did the trick and I've been fine since. So I am home now. My neck is quite tender and sore when I move my head, and coughing isn't so good either. But I am armed with lots of meds and the good old anti-biotics as my Dr said the last thing I need is an infection near the jugular vein. That would not be good.
Thanks for everyones wishes. They mean an awful lot to me.
Love Kate xxxx
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Awe Kate. So glad that you are home safe and sound! When do you get the results of the node the doc took out? It's sort of good that yu had the port put in as you probably would not have known it was there for quite a while. Glad to hear that your port is comfy and it's just the neck that is a bit sore........it will heal fairly quickly and you sound like you are well armed with meds.
Love n hugs girl! Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Kate, so glad you are home safe. What a horrible dr! Sometimes they just don't have any people skills at all, and need to be reminded we are people who feel! And on top of everything else, chemo etc, you'd think he'd have been more compassionate. Well what goes round comes round - maybe he'll be on the receiving end one day. grrr
What are they going to do with the lymph node? Will it be tested?
Love and hugs to you
Trish
xoxox
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I hope it will be tested. I am thinking it might be this lump I have had for the last 20 years or so near my thyroid. I've always had a ''swelling' on one side of it. Quite large that people can notice it, but now it's gone. If it's that then I won't be too worried, it's probably just a benign lump. Still I have learnt with the cancer business not to make assumptions. I will be seeing Dr Buck (the oncologist) tomorrow for my pre-chemo check up and I'll ask him if he'll be getting the results.
I was supposed to be having wedding guests stay with me today through the weekend. We've all reshuffled sleeping arrangements as I really don't think I can cope with a very lively 6 year old here at the moment. I was really up to it before this, but I think I just need to be able to go and rest if I feel like it. Paul has just gone off to work and my mother in law is coming to babysit me for the day as I was told I was not allowed to be alone. I shooed Paul off to work with the promise that I would just be sitting here on the computer until Mum arrives, so of course I'll be fine. I have the hens night dinner tonight which I'd organised. I'll still go to that. The bride has turned into a Bridezilla (which I knew from when I saw her on Sunday) and she was supposed to have guests last night, but said she couldn't cope with them so they have been scattered around the remaining family. Her friends from interstate are arriving today to stay with her. Bloody weddings - I'll be truly glad when it is over.I'm sure she'll be her sweet self on Saturday and it will be a case of what was all the fuss about.. but honestly she is being really difficult to everyone at the moment. Those table runners that she insisted on making with her overlocker and which I went out to help her with on Sunday, were bought around here yesterday by Mike as she couldn't remember how to thread her overlocker, with the message that if I want table runners, I can make them! So I have 10 table runners to make (I'm thinking I'll just cut them and not bother hemming them, I mean it's a backyard wedding and I have real ivy and candles etc to go over them, so do you think anyone will notice a neat raw edge??). I really don't have the hummph to be doing them now.
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Hi Kate, thanks for letting us know how you are. Take it as easy as you can, so you can get through the wedding. I found somewhere I could sneak off and rest at Bridie's wedding, hopefully there is somewhere you could go if you need a break.
Have you got some pinking shears? They make a zig-zag edge. Bridie had to adjust some of her table runners and she just cut the sides and used double sided tape on the ends to hem them. Better still let the ivy and candles make their own statement.
Lots of gentle hugs, Kylie xx
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Sitting at my desk at work eating lunch and hooked in to see if Kate had posted - {{{{{{{{Kate}}}}}}}
You certainly did have an eventful day yesterday - what an ass of a surgeon though... Which side did you get your port on? Mine is on the left (BC side is the right) and they did tell me that they had to do it slightly differently when it's on the left side. Mine does not go "up" my neck though.
You poor thing having to contend with bridezilla - it must be really bad for her to be sending more work over to the relative going through chemotherapy who just had surgery YESTERDAY... Glad you are remaining calm.
My 20yr old daughter (living at home, going to uni) broke up with her boyfriend yesterday so we had that drama last night. Hubby and I decided to drag the kids out for dinner to get her out of the house and we used a work success of mine yesterday as an excuse. She still initially said she "didn't care and wouldn't come out for dinner" so I had to tell her to get her head out of her a_ _ and come out for a family dinner with her mother who is going through cancer treatment. After a quiet word from my hubby she did come and I think it was good for her.I have very little patience for "drama" at the moment though...
Going off soon for my pre-treatment bloods before my 3rd Taxol/Herceptin tomorrow. Hope the levels are OK...
Not sure what happened with the "choking" thing last night. I woke up suddenly with a choking feeling and almost threw up. Then spent ages down in the kitchen trying to gargle and get the vomit taste out of my mouth. Then spent ages lying awake worrying that I'd inhaled something and will end up with pneumonia... Feeling OK today but tired and a bit "off". Have no idea what happened - whether it was sleep apnoea (husband says I have started snoring loudly) or if a bug had crawled down my throat or something. Weird...
Jenn
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Well girls had the visit from the community nurse and in fact she has just left. I am well armed with all the equipment neccessary for things to be made a bit easier and I can take them with me to my DD's house so I don't have to worry about things there.......yay!!!
Packing has started but I've found I need to give my dressing gown and a few other things a freshen so they are at present in the washer. When they are done they will have a visit with the dryer and then my bag! Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight and I think I will take a pill to ensure that I do as it is going to be a full on day tomorrow.
I think I'm looking forward to the rest!.................lol
I remember my eldest DD and the week before her wedding, likewise Kate, she turned form a very gentle loving girl into the bride to be from hell!!! I even threatened not to do anything else and not turn up to the wedding as she was so hurtful but the wedding day dawned and the excitment overtook the snappishness and all went well. The wedding went off beautifully and she looked a picture. I'm sure the same will happen with your DD and the wedding day.................just don't stredd out over things. The guests will only have eyes for the bride and groom so rough edges on a table runner will not bother them at all............they may even think that that's the way you intended to do them all along.
Jenn hope your levels are all okay and you don't have any problems with your treatment tomorrow. Also hope the choking episode doesn't happen again................it sure does give you a fright when woken like that.
Must go and finish organising! Hope you all have a good day and tomorrow is even better!
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Kate so glad to hear your home and so sory you had such dramas. PLEASE take it easy and let everyone else do any work, your body has been through a lot this last few days, weeks and months and its time for everyone else to step up to the plate and let you just enjoy the day. Hoep the day goes brilliantly and that you dont get too tired.
Jenn, know exactly what you mean about no patience for drama. Life is far to short. Why not tell your daughter what my mum always told me. "If this is the worst thing that ever happens to you, you'll be doing okay". Always worked like a charm on me haha back when I was an angst ridden teen and helped see me through divorce heartbreak and BC as well. Hope your levels are okay and that all goes well.
Chrissy, so excited for you. Wont be long now till your up and about just like you used to be. lol you might even have to take up ball room dancing to test out that marvellous new knee.
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Jenn ...that sounds like reflux...sometimes called heartburn? I had it the first time when I was pregnant and it really frightened me,
I still get it from time to time..I think when I have eaten too much rich food..but I certainly know the feeling of waking up and coughing with the most vile horrible vomity taste in my mouth and down my throat. I usually get up and clean my teeth and drink water but the :scratchy" feeling in my throat sticks around as well as that taste.
Kate...sorry to hear that you're having a tough time..((( )))
Weddings and family gettogethers bring out the best and worst in people I've found! Usually ends up happy though and all is forgiven.
jezza
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Kate - I don't like the sound of that doctor - is that a normal way to put in a port? After we all told you it was easy surgery, he goes and bungles it. Glad you're ok now though.
Chrissy - thinking of you - you are SO brave!!!
Sue
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Bloods OK for going anead with my treatment tomorrow. Have come home though and have realised I have a sore and tickly throat :-(. I know it's not even 7pm but I'm going to climb into bed and read.
Jenn0 -
Jenn, do you have Listerine handy? When I feel a sore throat coming on, I gargle immediately and repeatedly throughout the night and it usually doesn't progress if I catch it early.
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Awake since 3, hubby has just gone to work so thought while i am up i would log on. I have rapidly gone downhill after having an ok morning yesterday, I just keep telling myself it's worth it.
Lots and lots of hugs and good thoughts to you Chrissy.
Kate, I hope the wedding goes off well and you are feeling a bit better.
Jenn, good luck today.
Lyndal - I like your Mum's thought, I will borrow that one.
Hi to everyone else, I am going to try and go back to sleep. Kylie x
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