Bonfire of the Goddesses
Comments
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Kath.
I love that photo. Thank you so much. :-)0 -
Gritgirl, you are awesome! What a great blog! I am so sorry you are having to deal with all the crap in your life right now, and this fire is the place to be!
I have been away for a bit, just not able to cope with stuff, not able to talk about it, even here. I am just tired of being a patient. I have had to deal with appointments once or twice a week for the past several weeks, and have 2 more weeks to go, each of which takes nearly the entire day to drive to the clinic facilities, wait, do labs, wait, get vitals done, wait, see doc, wait, nurse comes in to fiinish, wait, finally go to checkout to wait some more to get more stuff scheduled for the next few weeks and months. Tossing in "being a patient"! When I don't have so much contact with the medical profession, I can be relatively happy and certainly more at peace. Whenever I spend a day with the medical profession, I am anxious, depressed, reminded that I am not whole and never will be, that until I die I will be in treatment for this miserable disease. So if I can just avoid these folks, at least I will be happier, and so I persuaded my MO to give me a 6-week follow-up instead of 4 weeks. Now I just hope I don't have any major SEs from new meds that require seeing her sooner!
Sorry for the rambling. Happy to contribute to the fire to keep those flames leaping high!
My usual positive self should surface again soon, I am doing a few things to "feed my soul" as best I can, and hoping my attitude will shift soon. (((((hugs))))) to all of you around this fire!
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Gritgirl, Tell you father not to worry. The rocks in his head will not melt either. What a chump! (((HUGS)))
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Linda: I know what you mean. I hate the constant doctor appointments. I just looked at my calendar and was shocked to see I only have one doctor appointment next week. With the Herceptin, I have to go in every 3 months for an echiocardiogram. I would love to skip that. If I could get it down to 2 appointments a month, I'd be thrilled. The doctors are nice, but I don't want to see them anymore. Can we break up?
Just posting here, and hearing everyone's love and support, has made a huge difference to me. That and I talked to one of the folks at Sharsheret. They've have been so, so kind to me. I am not Jewish, yet they help me. And frankly, their kindness has almost convinced me to convert. There are Jews in Ireland. I'll pretend that my ancestors were a few of those, and came over to live in the hills of Virginia. Kindness makes such a difference in life. I don't want to throw that on the fire at all. :-)
Susan
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Good Morning-friends, have been working on an issue with a member. Wanted to share with you all the note below b/c of it's importance. Hope you find it useful Sassy
(members name deleted) Glad the link helped. If you get the AARP magazine this months issue (probably dated may 2013) , there is a story about the safest hospitals and what safety procedures that are in place that cause them to be safe. The article cites that 180,000 people die a year due to medical/surgical errors AND 400,000 drug errors are made a year. The articles states that these numbers are likely higher b/c these are the ones that are reported. I agree. I know you've seen where I've said on the threads "Sorry etc for too much info, just want too make you(BCO memebers) safer". Guess I should stop apologizing for writing stuff in this regard. These numbers are higher then the last set of numbers that I had known. The problem is either getting worse OR there is better reporting. I'll go with better reporting.
It cited that one of the safety items was having an ICU Intensivist. It cited that only 35% of hospitals had Intensivist. I was dismayed at this percentage since residencies for Critical Care Medicine have been available since the 1980's. Truly thought by now that the "industry" would have been driven by demand for better care that this statistic would be 70 to 80%. ICU medicine is absolutely in need of a specially trained doc. Just as in all subspecialties of the American Medical Association(AMA), the knowledge and skills of this subspecialty are critical to survival when a patient is at this level of need.
I'm going to post this on the threads, I'll take off identifiers. My hope is those seeing this will locate a copy of the AARP article. Read it throroughly. Then question there local hospitals on each item. Based on what they elicit re:safety of each facility, they can choose the safest hospital near them for care. It can mean the difference between life and death, and or avoidable complications. Spreading the word to others regarding this may save lives.
Your description of where your friends daughter is now is typical. So, the care may have been fine or she recovered in spite of them. I'll go with the care b/c of your description of how she appears now. What was truly lacking here was the communication in lay terms to the family of was what was going on with the patient. All the lay person then can do observing is assume, as in this patients case, there appeared to be fractured care delivery and choas. What can the untrained person concluded observing this. As in all care, communication is the center of it all. Very often even the care givers question what the recovery will be. AND then the patient pulls through. Continuing with evaluating the records will lend a lot to the understanding of this event.
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For all of you who might doubt how MAGICAL the Bonfire of the Goddesses is....I want EVERYONE to know a few of us Goddesses got together yesterday in New York City and the time we spent together was even more beautiful than the magnificent weather. The sun shined brilliantly on Manhattan, but it was NO MATCH for the warmth generated by the Goddesses.....truly MAGICAL!
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VR - Want details please. I know granny was supposed to be there and I have not heard from her recently. So glad the get together went well. All those memories. I bet it was truly a magical time.
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Jo, four of us got together...and Granny was not able to come. She has had so much going on and her symptoms reared their ugly head the day before our meet-up.
Sheila and Annette were there. I know you met Annette in TX awhile back. Both Sheila and Annette are as lovely in person as on the threads. We just felt like we knew each other! It was a beautiful day. We had a lot of stories to share, and laughs, along with good food and cheesecake (sorry, VR that you had to miss that).I hope that other sisters will be able to do this someday....and if anyone is within a stone's throw of NY, I'm happy to meet up!
I'll let VR fill in any details that I missed.I am tired; pharmacy gave me the wrong generic and I had to take it...seems to make me very flat and sleepy.
I would like to toss out the clutter in my house....over 20 years of my kids' stuff...and clothes that don't fit...why do I save???
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It was unbelievably special. I am seldom at a loss for words, but in this case, I am. It makes me sad they are so very far away but I am so grateful we were able to meet in person.
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Joan & Annette, Sounds like a lovely day for everyone. I do keep in touch with Granny on a regular basis and I know she felt so bad about not being able to make it. That is all she talked about for weeks. I know she was disappointed. Perhaps there will be another time.
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Jo....Sende bir gun Newyorka geleceksin.......
♥
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Sheila - I wish I could have been in New York to see you. Never seems to be enough money. Seni Seviyorum
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Sheila, I figured out the "Newyorka" part...LOL
I agree with Annette...it isn't really possible to describe the instant connection that we all have here on BCO....so meeting was especially meaningful.
Jo, I know you had a meet-up in TX and with Annette, so you know...i just can't figure out how to find a day, time and place (and a million dollars) so we can all get together!I like Mondays, but I think I hve to throw them into the fire until the summer...maybe just roast them on a long stick so I can take them back when I have time off. It's a long non-stop day for me and I'm never ready...back to back long classes, and additional hours of assisting other instructors and overseeing all the laptops used by students...easy job, but I just get tired.
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Throwing in being a patient all day today! Started at 8 am with zometa infusion, then had PCP/palliative care appointment, then MRI, and I am wiped out! It is a beautiful day, and my brain wants to go out and garden, take a long walk and enjoy the sun, but my poor body just will NOT cooperate - example of "spirit is willing, flesh is weak". It wasn't as rough as it could have been - at least I got the chemo nurse that I trust, she got the vein first try, left it in so the MRI folks could use it, they got me into MRI about half an hour early so all in all, not really all that bad, but geez, the day was long! Just wish I didn't have to do ANY of this, want a normal life. Learning to accept it will NEVER be "normal" again, and am actually doing better, not fighting to "get back to normal" and wasting energy on THAT particular fight. Kind of like banging your head against a brick wall - not worth it as the situation is not going to change.
So please join me for a little while by the fire, watch it burn the worst of breast cancer, but warm us in friendship and love as we watch the flames leap high into the night.0 -
Linda - I will join you sista. We can throw in all the crap and then have the fire warm us. (((HUGS)))
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Linda. I'm with you. Being a patient sucks. Glad the iv was at least tolerable.
Susan0 -
I don't think we will ever stop being patients. Now that sucks for sure.
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(((Linda))) I can't know what you are going through, but your description of your day helps me see your reality.
Your wisdom will save strength for those good days when things seem better...it's useless to swim againt the current and wear yourself out ...float lightly, be carried through these times, and on those days when you can put your feet down, breathe in all that is good and gain strength from beautiful things and from those who care...and those who want to sit by the fire with you.
Hugs...0 -
Sending lots and lots of love to you all... Linda, you sound amazing, I'm standing by your side, by the warmth of this fire as it takes the events of your day away into the flames... Can you feel my cyberhug?
Karyn
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Linda and all, sitting by the sweet fire, mellow, feeling your warmth, listening to soft music, we are here because of a common bond. We say to newbies "So sorry you have to be here, but come join us, we will throw our arms around you, in times of sadness or joy." What a great place. We can dispell horror and stupidity, and embrace joy. L&H&P's sheila/sassy
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Hi Ladies,
I was diagnosed last October, which as we all now know is breast cancer awareness month (irony) so I just have to throw in the pink pumpkin brought to my hospital room (in late November) by a well intended friend. Who manufactures this sh$&?
Lol
Ruby0 -
Well Ruby, right into the fire that (*&%$# friggen pumpkin goes eh? So, Have a seat. We'll sit awhile and watch the friggen thing burn to an ash-sassy
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Kary. Join us, the fires burning sweet and glowing warmth. But anytime you need it to blase and rip, come and throw them in and the fire will zap them to a crispy
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Ruby. A pink pumpkin? Simply fabulous. Throw it on. :-)
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I would have thrown into the fire the pink poodle that I saw last October, but thank goodness I love dogs...
Linda....hope you know we're always with you. Always.
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Ruby - A pink pumpkin? Seriously? Into the fire it goes.
Sas & VR - Glad to see you are still here. I know I haven't been here often. I am going to try really hard to check in more often. With so few doctor appts these days - 5 a year - yea! I have been focusing on work and of course my quilting. I so missed sewing when I was spending endless hours in the doctor's office. Glad that is all over.
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I would throw in these dammed tears that come from nowhere but fire would go out!
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ipc, Let the tears come. This fire will never be put out by tears. Sit and we'll roast some marshmallows.
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Lost my sister to Ovarian and Uterine cancer a year and a half ago... I miss her so much!!!
I'd like to throw ALL CANCERS into this fire..... CANCER SUCKS!!!!!!!
Another dear friend in the midst of treatment for Ovarian Cancer..... Not enough research or attention to these silent killers!!! That SUCKS too!!!
I'm adding some tears.... This all sucks!!!
Going in for lumpectomy next Tuesday. I have faith I'll be fine, but I'm sad for my parents. They have already lost one child to cancer..... now, they are worried about me...
Did I mention that CANCER SUCKS?
So, throwing in CANCER!
Throwing in FEAR!!!
Throwing in sadness!!!
Throwing in worry!!!!
And in return, breathing in warmth, healing, bravery, peace, strengh and over all, ass-kicking, cancer-fighting, warrior super power love... And spreading it around to all of us!!!!
OK BC lump! Your time is limited! I am serving you your eviction notice. Ya got less than a week!!!! There's no use fighting back you little Ba&^$*(x#*rd!!!!
You don't stand a chance!!!
Sheesh! That felt good!!!!!
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Thanks wren! This is all so new. Glad I found this community and the support it brings. Tomorrow is first round of chemo wish I could throw that in fire too!
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