For Older People with Sense
Comments
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Hi Ladies,
I've been having a hard time keeping up on these boards lately but enjoy reading them.
Amy you remind me of myself with sleeping so much. I slept 20+ hours while I was on chemo and got absolutely nothing done. I still sleep more than I like to. I have so many things that need to be finished. Have about 5 things started and cant complete anything it seems. I hope you get to feeling better soon. I luv ur dog..so pretty.
Ducky, I was 43 when I had rads and had no problems. But my mother who had lung cancer at age 74 had a hard time. She had been healthy up til then. We are all different and its hard to say who will do okay and who wont. Mom said it felt like she had been beat from head to toe and she was sick alot. So maybe give a try and see how you react to it. My mom's onc stopped hers when it was no longer considered in her best interest. Good luck on whaever you decide. Hugs and luvs to all, Mazy
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mazy, sleep still evades me at the strangest times. ive gotten adjusted to a new sleep pattern, but now am unhappy with it. it doesnt allow me the "full" liife i want, insist on. so, im attempting to stretch hojrs differently.. the whole bc journey has been strange; but i find sleep, or lack of it, a long going problem for many of us. we just have to keep insisting to "change " the new normal; but it all takes time. that's why im still up at 6am.
today, i upped the anti..i ordered zumba; trying o increase my energyy output may help sleeping earlier in the evening, besides, its' a fun way to excersice as we need, after all we've been through, we need to retrain our new bodies.. wish me luck.. i'll let you know how it goes. it will be short bursts at first, ive taken a few classes, and they were ok to do. i hope to increase my endurance... 3jays
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Ducky, I think you will feel better about what to do with a second opinion. Do that!
Isabella, a short trip away is definitely needed. Please do that for yourself. Hopefully your DD told her DH about the affair and they made up. Otherwise your GS will feel compelled to tell. And that will tear him up.
3jays, did you order a zumba DVD? I need to get a rebounder. That is a great way to get ecerything moving, so I hear. But they aren't cheap. Maybe I can get one on Craig's List.
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Hi all, nice to see you all sitting a jawing the buzz of conversation is great to hear!
Amyjo, I'm looking forward to meeting you at Uncle Bill's place in September. Sometimes I think it's never going to get here and then at others, the time is just flying by and I feel I'll never get organized in time....lol Hope we are all feeling energized by then....
3jays, yup you got it right, Kiwis and Aussies....lol Most people get a surprise at just how big Aus is. Mmmm, Zumba hey? You'll have to let us all know if it's okay for crook knees...I've seen it advertised and often wondered if I could do it.......maybe not at the speed they do but I'm sure I could get the belly going.....lol
Dragon, your baby sounds like my baby, when I bath her she stands still under sufferance with such a dirty look on her face the whole time she is being shampooed.......it just cracks me up. When we are done and she is all dry and brushed I get a killer look every time I go near her for the rest of the day.
Ducky, I didn't have rads first time round as they said it wasn't necessary as I had a radical mastectomy with way clear margins. I did have rads when I was Dx'd with the bone mets and other than needing extra sleep for a while and some extra moisturizer on the skin I didn't have any other SE's. The choice, when we get to the bottom line, is yours and yours alone. The onc can recommend a treatment but we have to right to refuse it...............what ever you way you go, we will support you whole heartedly.
Alyson, even though you whispered, I heard you say Aus was beautiful.....lol and I think New Zealand is beautiful so we are even...lol but both are very different. What are you writing? A novel? Sounds like fun!
Oooo Isabelle how on earth did you manage to keep up with a two year old with your crook knees? I can't say I envy you the task. Hope you DD has got herself sorted one way or the other. It's good to hear that the weather is warming enough to let the animals out of the barn and into the fields. I guess that means that spring has definitely sprung.
Mazy, Lassie, Barb, Annettek, Valjean, Barbe,Pj and Kathy, it's nice to see you.
Well, the weather has been just beautiful and perfect for getting out and into the garden so that's what I've been doing. It is finally starting to look like my garden again instead if the weed patch it had become. It's really nice to feel well enough to do the things I used to do.
Enjoy your day girls and I catch you soon. ((((((hugs))))) to all!
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Chrissy, isn't it the END of your garden season?
Ducky, ER+ cancer is slow growing. By the time if/when it comes back you could already be 6-feet under from something else! In fact, I don't even really have to worry for the first 5-years out, but have to be extra vigilant past the 5-year mark. Good luck on your decision.
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Barbe, we can grow things all year here and if we want a good showing in spring, now is the time to prepare so we can plant in about four weeks.
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Honest ladies this to me right now is worse then then anything that preceded it, even "tech Ratchet, with the gorilla hands who massaged the dye to the lymph nodes for the SNB.............At least that was over and done with ......this is a life decision here, and I'm not gonna kid you, I feel like tossing a coin in the air, and making a call.............Sounds stupid doesn't it............and it is........but in this case, your damned if you do......damned if you don't......and the script for Femara.............well now isn't that a happy little pill to have to take.......
This reminds me of my husband when he had his Pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and in the end 2yrs 6 months later they decided to do Chemo...........The Onc said "well when we do this you are going to lose your hair".............His answer to the Onc.....'"well I guess we're not going to do it then "are we"............cause I do not want to lose my hair........"cancer has taken everything from me....it will not take my hair".................................I said to him when we got home................."are you nuts"..........how can you even say those words with a straight face"..........I held my hands out palms up and said "ok pick"..............hair.......dead..........hair...............dead........hair..........dead............."please do not say that to anyone else.......................
Now I know what he was speaking of since I'm in the same boat only its not Chemo, its taking a pill that could possibly put you on your ass..............but again............do I take the chance without what is suggested, or do I fight the fight like you ladies have done, get the rads, take the friggin pill, and even if the joints and bones put me in a wheel chair......................Hell, I'm still alive.............Guess I sound like I'm angry...................well I am.....................it appears the ch;oices are "your alive, but your quality of life sucks."
Well here I go again, worrying ahead, but statistics say to me.................This hormone crap is no walk in the park..................The Onc said to me "well you appear a spry 76 year old......................my thought .............".Hey..................are you talking to me"
Thanks ladies again....................Sorry for the whinning again.......................have a great day..............as for me I'm going over to my daughter's to make a Sour Cream Pound Cake for my son-in-laws birthday which is today.................My daughter is doing Shrimp Scampi for dinner, and I'm putting all this cancer bullshi- behind me at least for the next 24 hours.0 -
Ducky, I was very afraid of taking Femara as I already didn't do well with Arimidex but to my surprise and relief, other than hot flashes and a little fatigue (which is not a bother), I have no other side effect at all........no aching joints, no aching muscles absolutely nothing. If you don't give them a try, you will never know if they are going to be good for you or not and if you find they are causing you more harm as in your aches and pains, there is nothing stopping you from discontinuing . You may be surprised at the result. Hope your SIL has a nice birthday!
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Have a great day all....I'm off to bed!
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Ducky, it's a difficult time - and by this stage of life, most of us are used to being "in charge" of our lives to some degree or another. BC sends us on a roller coaster with so much to learn in such a short time; and then the eternal "it's your decision." What the *%$#?
I decided to believe it was best that it was my decision instead of cookie cutter tx since I generally don't fit anyone's "normal" anyway. My dx was similar to yours; and my oncotype was squarely in the gray area middle.
MO recommended chemo, BS and PCP voted against. I chose not to have chemo. MO was ok with that.
I had the full course of rads. With the MOs approval, I did rads first, waited 2 weeks, then began Arimidex (generic) because I wanted to deal with one set of se's at a time. Rads were exhausting and for some time after, but certainly do-able; I drove myself an hour each way every day.
Arimidex was more scarey to me partly because I have a rare autoimmune disease that requires careful management (mostly self-management because 99.99% of docs know zip about this condition; zero known about this condition + AIs). I researched how women were coping with se's of AIs, and tried to mimic the success stories - exercise & diet, supplementing calcium & D, etc. I'm happy to report I have minimal se's - eyes are dryer; a little achey. With me,'grouchy' is hard to tell the difference - compared to what? Hah. Blood work in March, after 7 months of A, was good. Heart doc was pretty happy - and saw no residual damage from left side rads... So, taking the little white pill gives me a sense of security; I sure hope it works!!!!!! One nice thing is there are several AIs to choose from, and "quitting is an option."
Although the se's are there, and all must be listed by the maker, they are not necessarily going to happen to you. But they might, which comes back to "your decision." Once you make a choice, and choose a path, I think you'll feel somewhat better. Your family is such a blessing. A second opinion would probably be helpful. Best wishes!
Chrissyb, nice rose! We are getting antsy to start our garden; but woke to low snow yesterday!
Summer is around the corner because our climate is basically a rain forest in winter, then desert in summer with zero rain for 150-180 days.
I wish you all a pleasant and easy day, and ease from any troubles.
Isabella, get thee to a hotel with room service and a jacuzzi.
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when you start the femara or arimidex make sure to get a baseline
DEXA bone density scan..
Love the rose Crissy, I am a real rose lover
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Lisa Thank You for that very important DEXA reminder.
We'll see how happy I am with Arimidex after the 1st annual DEXA scan is ordered later this summer after one year, and whether the calcium/etc has helped maintain my baseline numbers. My bone density was decent to begin with - but not everyone is so fortunate, and I forget what an issue it is for those who already have bone loss problems.0 -
Dear Ducky,
My mom was 79 when diagnosed, had a Mast, clear nodes, but she didn't want Chemo or Rads. After five years the cancer was found accidentally in her liver and a year later in her bones. She had other health problems but still died of cancer at 85. I had rads at 65 and while tired the treatments weren't bad.I would go for a second opinion.
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Lost Creek,in my baseline DEXA scan I showed way above normal bone density
and it nosedived at the 18 month mark on arimidex...ever vigilant...
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for those of you who might want to know
I finished up my five years of hormone therapy five years ago..
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Lisa - has your bone density improved much over the last 5 years?
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I took fosamax for a few years and that helped..I have not been on the fosamax for 2 years now
and my bone density is holding ...I have been doing weight bearing exercises also
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It's hard to keep up but duckyb, I hope you make the decision that works best for you. I opted for BMX rather than do rads and Tamoxifen--everybody has a different tolerance for stuff, but for me the thought of going to the hospital every day for rads was worse then losing my breasts. With Tamoxifen it was a no-brainer as I didn't qualify for it due to a former stroke. I do hope you can get a second opinion also.
Two words jumped out at me from the posts: sour cream pound cake (that sounds like heaven!) and zuma. What is zuma? I'm hoping to get cleared to get a little more exercise in a week or two.
Chrissy, it's true, some dogs are just NOT water dogs! He went to the groomer yesterday and got scalped. He looks really funny but he smells soooooooooooo much better. It's a trade off I guess. They even did his teeth. If there is reincarnation I hope I come back as a pampered dog with a Mommy just like me! I'd be spayed at a young age then spend all my time getting treats and going to dog spas, getting massage, and having my nails shaped. At the end of the day some nice fresh liver...wait a minute...I don't want to be a dog...
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Dragon, I'm with you on the liver. What I can't figure out is why I like liverwurst. ??? Hate liver but love a liverwurst sandwich on rye with mustard and tomato. YUM!!
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Barbara, I also love liverwurst! It reminds me of my Mom--that's the sandwich she used to make. We weren't very close but still I miss her cooking on a regular basis. Oh her potato salad!
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What fun/odd cooking dishes are you whipping up these days? I usually do quite well anti-cancer diet wise, but every now and then I crave something sweet.
Yesterday, I made m&m cookies w/whole wheat pastry flour, xylitol (low glycemic natural fruit sugar), and regular brown sugar. I reduced both of these sugars for the recipe. I had 2 whole cookies and packaged the rest off to friends/relatives. They actually came out fine - just not quite so sweet, which is what I like. For kids, I think you could do this and substitute 1/2 the flour w/whole wheat pastry flour, and 1/2 w/regular and no one would notice. I got the w/w pastry flour at the health food store.
Any other unusual tries?- Kim
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Kim, I like me some blueberry banana bread! Today got some frozen blueberries in bulk from a friend. Next, going to try new muffin and bread recipes using blueberries and for the muffins, olive oil instead of butter. It's the anti-cancer diet from heaven!! Of course, dark chocolate is good for you as well, and goes with that age-old staple, red wine. Haven't used the zylitol yet but will try.
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hey lafies: my scheduale has been really "off " the last few days.. been medicated to the max, BP went thru the roof( its a long story) and they tripled a few meds. its' better, sugar is still wonky... they have NO idea what happened, but the stress level has been tremendous here, so for me, its' a no brainer...
ok, 1st, Chrissy, i love the rose. and yes, Zumba seems to be something we'll be able to do, WITH modifications.. which, they show. im used to no jumping, of watching my knees carefully... i took a few classes, and i enjoyed it so much, that it wasn't like excersice at all. i've just got to not overdue it!
i did rebounding, BARBARA, for awhile: but i've lost the ability to jump; a rare neurological side effect of MS; so, its' not as effective for me anymore. i can get going with marching, but this looks to be much more fun! i've started yoga in a chair, and Zumba... thats' me, two ends of the spectrum!!! i'll let you know. Faith and Fifty was taking the class in Ocala, and got me wondering. i love latin dance, so its' right up my alley!
will def. take it to uncle Bills, God willing i get there!
Dragon: i love blue/banan muffins.. im signed up for Betty Crocker online. they have every recipe known to man, even have an online file for you to keep them in. the muffins were one i got from there, ck it out!and for both you, and Barbara, i hate liver, cokked, but since meeting my in laws.. LOVE chopped liver on ritz. its a rare treat; for the cholesterol; one im indulgin in the last few days since not feeling well.
starve a fever; feed a cold?.. ifeed just plain not feeling good! thast's why i look the way i do, and you guys look the way you do!!lol
one last thing.. Barbara, i just looked up the rebounders with the bar to hole at Sports' Authority, and they've come way down.. like $80.00 from there120.00 not long ago, ck it out.
i didn't catch up reading, am trying bedd again. i have Fischer for the whole day tommorrow, he'll knock the wind outta me, so gotta try to rest.. hope to get in to see "rio" with him tommorrow. for me, not him hahaha i'll try to catch up on sunday.
godd luck, and hope all tests and tx go well for everyone..... 3jays
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Well, the weather has finally broken and the temp has dropped dramatically.....ugh......gentle rain fell of and off today but thats okay as we need it for the garden. DH and I have been invited out to a Luncheon tomorrow and according to the weather beaureau the temp is supposed to be around the 58 degree mark....brrrrr....that's a wee bit cooler than mid seventies! Guess I'll have to dig out the woolies and rug up warm, I might even end up wearing the ol' Uggh boots to keep the tootsies toasty.
3jays, have fun with the munchkin tomorrow and don't let him wear you out too much!
Hope everyone has a wonderfully relaxing weekend in preparation for what ever may come next week.
Love n hugs to all, Chrissy
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Most seem to have gone to sleep tonight.
Have had a busy Saturday. DH cleaned out a lot of rubbish from under the house as we are getting underfloor insulation put in soon, 120 year old houses don't come with such things.
Then this afternoon took GD to see her Great Grandma who is still in hospital and afterwards to the park for a while. Had a lovely cuddle with the baby when we got back. He is trying so hard to focus, its so sweet, as her frowns when you are talking to him as though he is trying to understand.
DH is watching rugby but I think its time to call it a night myself.
Big hugs to all
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Chrissy, we're excited here when it gets up to 58!!! It was there on Thursday and we were walking around without coats on!!! hehehehehehehhe This temp at the end of summer seems like the end of the world, but now, it's the beginning of Spring! woo hoo!!!
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At 58, I would have long pants, sweatshirt and socks on. I have had the windows open for the past couple weeks and the highs are around 82 and the lows in the mid 60's. LOVE this time of year!
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I am following you around BarbA.....not really but you just seem to be in front of me today on posts. FB is all messed up again for some reason and I have been messing with that. Computers are just not my thing....Skype is a poor connection, FB has just disappeared, my posts get lost half the time.....and here you make a living with them !! Ah well, different strokes for different folks as they say. ZUMBA!!!, 3jays! Are you serious? I have watched them do that at the Life Center my Dad goes to and then they were doing a demo at some festival I went to last summer.....that is one heck of a workout and not something I could do, that's for sure. Barbe, know exactly what you mean about temps....it is all relative...what seems warm in Spring is cold in Fall....guess we have been conditioned to think that way. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend from highschool at a restaurant on the river and we ate inside because it got too hot out on the balcony. But this is a teasing time of year and probably we will get one more snow shower before Spring is officially here....however the trees and flowers do not know that and it looks like Spring.0
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Dragonfly.......This Sour Cream Pound Cake is amazing.......If you want the recipe let me know and I will "post it" for you.......Dinner was fantastic. I must list the desserts for you all, and keep in mind there were only 6 people at the table.
1 birthday cake...my son-in-law..White with choc icing
1 birthday cake..my son-in-laws-mother, her birthday is today..choc with white icing
Crumb cakes ....to die for
German Butter Cake.....heavenly
Sour Cream Pound Cake...always the big hit
Pineapple Upside Down Cake....homemade by me.
We all felt sick after we tried each one.....but what fun getting to that point.
My son-in-laws mother is 75........at 52 she was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 1988. She had a mastectomy, followed by Chemo and Rads and Tamox for 10 years, not the usual 5 the treatments were very hard on her, but she got through it Tamox was no problem....14 years later she got cancer in the other breast.......again removal, and at that time they put her on a different drug (can't recall which one), then they switched her to Arimidex and she has been on that for 2 years................I asked her if she got any SE from it............Now this is funny......she said "no, none at all"........I said , Gee that's great..........not even joint pain, nothing?????.........Then she said "I feel good".. I said "you don't have any joint pain, or hands and feet hurting......................She said "oh yea, sometimes I have to put my hands in hot water to make them feel better, and when I get up to walk in the morning my feet really hurt till I get going, but that is it, and that is old age................I said "Nancy that is probably from the medicine, how long have you had it.............she thought and then said "gee, since I've been on the Arimidex........we both laughed, and I said "well that is what the Astra Zeneca website said could happen..........................She said "oh I never read those SE pamphlets that come with the medicine, if I did, I would probably get all the symptoms, just from power of suggestion alone......................................I thought to myself...........ok, who is the smarter one...................me who reads every SE on every pamphlet of every script I am given.......or her who just takes the crap, and doesn't know the difference.....But anyway she is 23 years since diagnosis, and is doing fantastic, and her tumor was big.
You ladies have really given me some "food for thought" with your posts......I came home last night and read them until 1am, and slept on everything that you said........You truely are good friends........Who knows any better then the very people who have gone through all this. I think to myself at times............I TRUST MY BC FRIENDS MORE THEN I TRUST THE MEDICAL PEOPLE................Hugs on this beautiful warm and sunny day in my town.....
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I had bulbs one year that didn't know what to do! They would start to open, get snowed on and close then start again....and the cycle went on. Finally it was too hot for them and they never grew! We had no Spring that year - went right into a very hot Summer.
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