Any 40-ish survivors?
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The Lifetime show Five glossed over a lot of the pain from BC but really how can a tv show truly show the mental anguish and physical disfigurement on prime time... I was encouraged to see that they showed men get BC too but discouraged at how the women with stage IV 'completely' cured and the young dancers death was completely glossed over (she was not in the final kissing the wall ceremony although her DH and DD were). Had I not been dx'd with BC, I probably would have thought 'good show' and missed a lot of the subtleties that only someone who fought cancer might have noticed.
I have one hair growing on my cheek...right on the cheek bone! It usually has to get about an inch long before I can find it and pluck it
My hair actually came in twice as thick but my eyelashes are barely there...even with makeup 
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Michelle- I thought the same about the stage IV in "Five" I was a little dense, I was wondering what happened to the dancer and thought maybe I just missed her. They never really said that she had died. I too realize that they can't show all the anguish, but I think there could have been some tweeking with some of the stages. And in the beginning in 1969 the mom was not sick enough to have all those people sitting there mourning for her when she could still carry on a conversation. Sorry if it sounds like I am on a soap box. I guess you have to live it to really know, but I do not wish this on anyone.
My DH like to point out my one and only chin hair when it gets long enough. Unfortunately it has been there for years before hyst. and BC. Eye brows and eyelashes aren't recovering either like I would like. Look at pictures from the day before I shaved my head and eyebrows were very thick and dark, now they are barely there. Have to enhance them a lot.
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Hello all, just checking in. Realize it was pages ago, but really liked the pumpkin picture kiwimum!
I missed "Five", I'll have to see if I can get it on demand.
I worry very much about LE, but have been fine so far. I was sick after my surgery and my fingers would swell up over night and then go down during the day, but that seems to have tempered off now. I did buy an LE sleeve and glove for flying when I went to Florida in July...but I forgot to wear it on the way home...
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Sarah...I missed the deleted posts..I didn't catch what you meant..I did look for the show..I will look again to see what I can find
I did not see the show "Five" guess I'm not ready to watch it...maybe I will not try to see it though based on your thoughts..I bet I would feel the same as you all do.
Me too with the menopause..I also have the hairs here or there..I wish I could say it is one..you know what is really great?? When you get a white hair and they are very coarse..I do not know how I got them but I have two on my chin. The other thing is lack of memory...I will tell you yesterday...I had dinner ready to go and looked for it in the fridge...I had put dinner in the freezer instead...so we had plan "B" dinner Lol
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Meegan- I actually watched it on line at Lifetime's website. We don't get Lifetime. Not sure if you can still get it, but possibly.
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I watched it on online at http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/five too...
I have those wirey grey hairs too but mine are 'down there' and they are very pokey
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My Hair ( on my head ) THANK Goodness...has come in much thicker too Michelle. Pre-chemo I had really thick eyebrows...think "Bert" from Sesame Street..I had to pluck or uni-brow for sure..now they are much thinner...I also use shadow to darken and thicken.
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Ummmm...Yeah, my hair on my head is what came back thicker
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Oh Gosh I knew that's what you meant...sorry I did not mean for that to sound that way. We were talking about chin hairs and eyebrows...sorry if it sounded the other way
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Kim, I was just teasing...no worries!
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So tonights topic is hair. My head hair was fairly fine precancer, and looks like it is coming back the same way, as long as it is coming back. I will probably keep it fairly short, my DH has aways liked me in short hair. Eyebrows and lashes doing well, and I too have a few stray chin hairs, I think it is the chemopause.
Kmur, still having my tailbone discomfort, the PA was going to call me back this week to see how I am doing, since I would not commit to a scan last week. I just don't know what I want to do. One minute I think I should do the scan and be reassured, next minute I think I can't have a scan everytime I have an ache or pain. Does this make sense??
So had more allergy testing today, talk about a barbaric procedure, sticking you with all those needles and waiting to see how much each spot swells. Looks like I had lunch with a porcupine. I tested positive (allergic) to several medications including pennicillin, ancef and rocuronium. Who knows how much all this testing is costing my insurance company.
Kmur, someday you, Mamachick, and I will meet up. When we get together we will plan the big trip for the rest of the girls. I am sure by then Ellen will have called and be paying for it all. Maybe we can make a movie for the Opra network.
Tomorrow is Friday!!
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Hi Everyone,
Yes Christine...it makes sense with the scans. I find myself noticing pain here or there too. I really think it will get better. Speaking for me..I hope to get myself thinking like everyone else..I am getting older and I will have pain..( I say that in my head)..now I just need to listen to me..so yes, I think I understand what you mean. I also know about the testing as my son had to go through the allergy tests...bit like a voodoo doll....what will you have to do next? About scans though...you will make the best decision...and I'm glad your Dr. supports you.
We will meet sometime I'm sure. I know we would really have a great time actually talking. I have said it so many times...meaning in a typed text is so difficult...words much better!! I think Oprah/Ellen would love us all!!
We have another family member just DX. She was a "lets wait and see girl"...Just so frustrating now she must have chemo and has had BMX in October. Saw a BC friend yesterday and she knows far too many ( I think 5 women ) in her neighborhood just DX..I just don't get what is going on...do you all remember our mothers era?? I don't remember so many women being DX maybe that is because they did not get mamos?? Does anyone else see more ( not less) DX ? I really don't know or look up stats..this is just all what I see/hear.
Sorry to ramble this am ..I am just a bit troubled by it all I guess.
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kmur- it likes an epidemic. My 1st cousin just got diagnosed. Same age as me (44), and we both dont have the gene. She just underwent MX and started chemo this week.0
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I agree, I have ran into so many more people that have had or being diagnosed with BC than ever before. I remember when my sister was DX we started seeing more and more young women being DX after that, but before that no one. Makes me wonder if it is something in our food or something like that, that is changing things. Do I want to change how I eat?!?! Of course not or I would weigh 130lbs. in a heart beat.
Waiting for the day Christine to meet you and Kim for our tattoos. Told my PS office about Earleen and the nurse manager was very interested. I emailed the info to her but haven't heard anything. So I guess that is where I will be going when the time comes. Need my larger "squishies" before I even think about tattoos.
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Mamachick...I can't wait to meet you and Christine...I will most likely have one more go of the fat grafting...I will know more in Feb....but we should see if perhaps this Spring or Summer..if we can meet up.
I really thought maybe it was just me...hearing more BC DX..thought my radar was stronger now...but I knew no one ..not one woman as a young girl being DX. I agree mamachick and it's funny you say that about food..my PS said the same thing...she is seeing more young women and she also questions things like hormones in chicken and milk...someone else was saying young girls are in the need of bras earlier and they are much bigger breasted than in years past?? I just keep telling my girl friends to self check..I don't know what else to do...
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Happy Friday everyone!! What's on tap for the weekend? We have my son's 8th b-day party on Saturday, only 3weeks+ late this year, much better than last year when it was 2 months late I think. It is all boys, except 1 neighbor girl and my dd. Its out at a place, they will play "turf games" (think dodgeball) for 1/2 hr, video games for 1/2 hr and pizza + cake for 1/2 hr.
I am definately in chemopause and have shaved my face twice and am due to shave it again. The last time was June, so I hope that it eventually goes away, others say it will...
I also do hear about more women dx. I wondered myself is it because there is more general awareness, younger women testing and/or since I am dx myself do do I just hear more about it? Not sure. For sure, I think environmental issue are causing more cases. I had hoped to start looking into nutrician myself, but now will have to wait until after bmx.
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Meegan...just had to hop on and say YAY!! for boy birthdays..They are fun!! Hope you have a great weekend!!
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I have noticed a lot of people being dx'd with all kinds of cancer in my small community...it is really heart braking when a young person is dx'd with stage IV cancer (two in the last year bone and lymphoma). I really do think it has quite a bit to do with the toxic environment we live in and all the bi-products that are put into our foods...unfortunately I cannot afford to eat organic and really unless you raise your own meet and grow your own veggies, you just don't know...
I am taking my kids to the Winter Jam concert on Saturday...10 bands...$10... I am a bit nervous because I HATE driving in Phoenix and I get lost very easily...I hope there are no detours for road construction.
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Hi girls! WELCOME to the new girls! I should get on here more and give a proper welcome and response to everyone. I used to be so good at it. Now I would need a pen and paper to keep everything straight. Especially with the chemo brain-I am so out of it most of the time! I used to have such a good memory, and now I can't remember anything without writing it on a sticky note. Sticky notes in the kitchen-in the bathroom-by my computer. LOL. We also have a 40ish group on Facebook in you're interested.
I get lost in Phoenix too Michelle, and I was born in Mesa. Especially downtown Phoenix. What's with all the ONE WAY streets! Next time you're planning a trip down, tell me in advance and I'll drive to meet you! I think that would be awesome. And I sent a PM to the new girl (holy crap forgot her name) who lives in Mesa. Hoping to meet her and help her out on her way to BMX.
So, hair! I have been done with chemo for 16 months, and the hair on the top of my head has only grown to 3 1/4 inches. Who knows about the sides and back as we shave them every 3 weeks. It is VERY thin, and I had super duper thick hair before. I have to lay it down with some gel/tacky stuff to get it to cover the thin spots. I still look like I have a small bald spot at the back/top of my head because I have a crazy cowlick and it won't lay down. My eyebrow hair are thinner than before, but the actual thickness of the shape finally came back in. I also had super thick, long eyelashes and they have come in thinner and shorter. They came back after chemo finished, fell out completely again 6 months later...came back, and I still lose about 8-10 a day. Weird. But at least they look good with mascara on them finally. I also stopped wearing eyeliner for the first time in my life because the eyelashes look longer. I have no idea how I figured that out. The hair on my arms came back thinner and blondish. Hair on my legs is just as much of a pain in the ass as before. Chin hairs-about 4 of them, all dark, which I pluck out as soon as I can feel them. I do have one dark hair that grows on my neck under my jawline so it's hard to get too until it's about a half inch long. Crap.
Here's my funny hair story...so I had the nipples made (skin origami I call it where she used skin already on my boobs), and one day while I'm looking at them they are really hairy! Lots of little fine blond hairs sticking straight up...accentuated by the fact my nipples were so big and swollen. Realized that it was my normal, fine blond hairs I have on my skin...just so weird to see hairy nipples. They are hardly noticeable now that the nipples have shrunk. Although they have not shrunk enough where I can go without a bra around the house when the 16 year old boy is home. Don't want to traumatize the kid. Lol.
My baby girl had fun trick-or-treating with her best friend in their neighborhood. There's only 5 houses in mind so we don't get anyone-good thing because I would eat all the candy. Her friend's mom just picked them up to go to a movie-now I thought she was taking them, but found out at the front door she is dropping them off, then picking them up with the movie is done. I am going to be freaked out for the next 2 hours until she's home. She's only 11-waaaah!
We're supposed to go 4-wheeling tomorrow, and I will not have a hangover this time so yay! Although it's supposed to drop 20 degrees overnight so I'll have to figure out what to wear. I spend about 250 days a year in flip flops.
Gina hasn't been feeling good at all, so I'm waiting to hear from her on Facebook. Let's hope she gets some relief today.
Everyone else, I think of you and miss you daily! Keep warm and safe girls who are in the middle of snow. Love to all-Kim
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Hi Girls,
Kmur, thanks always for your reassurance and kind words.
Burley, always good to see you on the boards, you sound like you are feeling better? Boy we CAN talk about anything on here, "hairy nipples".
Speaking of nips, mine are loosing some projection, but still look good. Anyone have any idea when they finally reach there final size?
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I've wondered that myself. My best friend's nipples are almost flat. Bummer. And it's been about 5 years for her.
Oh and I'm feeling a lot less depressed. Last evil Effexor pill was last Saturday. Hot flashes are really bad again, but that's better than feeling so horrible. Thanks for thinking of me
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Burley, When did you do your nips? I am still protecting mine with some little pads.Must then wear padded bra to hide pads. I can't protect them forever. I am sooo glad you are feeling better. I love your one good thing about yourself thread on facebook, makes you stop and think.
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I got my nips done the 3rd week of march. They are about 1/3 of the size. More round like tiny mounds that straight out like nipples? Areola tatts were about 3 weeks after that. I only wish she had used the MX scar to create the nips. Now I have two long scars across each boob. It does make them look more real, but I hate my boobs so much I hardly look at them. I have an appt with the PS next week to talk about how much I hate them. I know there is at least one more surgery in my future and I want to get it done this year while I've met my deductible.
And thanks about the good thing thread :-)
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Hi all!
Kim - the show I mentioned, Loose Women, is about 5, I think, women, sitting around a table, chatting. I think it's based on a US show, but I can't remember what that was/is called. I checked out the website too,but you couldn't tell what they had deleated because they had just edited out the comments. Only, the conversation didn't make sense. The producers had removed the negative stuff , I guess, because they didn't want to scare those new to bc. Thanks for taking the time to look!
I'm going to be going on the LE pump at the clinic as my arm is slightly worse. Hope it does the trick!
Bonfire night here tomorrow, with loads of fireworks - our poor, old cat is permanently scared at the mo. with all the noise. A guy who works with my OH is a student and, apparently, the Uni. had told foreign students not to worry about all the bangs and wheeees going on this weekend as it is a UK tradition, not gunshots. I expect those coming from the troubled areas of the Middle East may be wondering what's going on!
Meegan - hope your son enjoys his birthday party! Gina - hope you're OK. Glad you're off the effexor, Burley,
There is def. more bc in Western countries - don't know the stats. though. I'm sure it's happening in younger women too. They need to pull their finger out and find a cure. Easier said than done, obviously....
Sarah xx
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Burley - I thought of sending a shout out to my Phx friends...I am a complete chicken when traveling in unfamiliar areas so I really didn't make the final decision until late yesterday... this trip is totally for the kids PLUS my DS (17) is actually looking forward to spending some time with his mom (the fact that several of his favorite bands will be there doesn't hurt)! of course DD (13) is wanting to bring a friend because she 'cannot cut loose and have fun with just mom and her brother'...
The first time my DD was 'dropped off' at the movies I was so stressed...I ended up at the theater 30 minutes before the movie got out just waiting to make sure everything went ok...it was kind of ackward when the other girls mom showed up to pick them up
I hope you can connect with Cindy-Rose (Mesa) - I have been following her story and she just got out of the hospital for double pneumonia and is waiting in PET scan results to determine if Stage III or IV...
I never got nip's...still on the fence regarding tattoo's...If Vinnie Myers comes to AZ and I can pull the $$ together, he would be the only one I would get my tattoo's from...he does wicked 3D nips
Sarah - got to love censorship (NOT!)... enjoy the fireworks!!! My kitties (and dogs) hate them too...
Meegan - have fun at the party ~ 8 is such a fun age!!!
I found a recipe for upside down pizza...it is sooooo easy and my kids gobbled it up, which is great because my DD does not like to eat alot of meat and she loved this!
Upside down Pizza Cassarole Recipe:
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (ground turkey)1 15 ounce can Italian-style tomato sauce (Pizza/Spaghetti Sauce)
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used mexican blend and probably 2 1/2 cups cause we like cheese)
1 10 ounce package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits) or Pizza dough or Crescent dough
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until no longer pink, stirring
frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.2. Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake in the
preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Makes 5 servings.we used crescent dough, added sauteed onions and black olives
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Michelle - that pizza thing sounds so good. Fattening, but good.
I am so glad the weekend is here. This week has been brutal. I cannot wait to sleep in tomorrow morning.
Saw my PCP today. She is so great. My onco referred me to her and called in a favor to get me in with her as she is no longer taking new patients. My first appointment with her was almost 2 hours. She knew my entire history and talked through everything. She is at Emory, which is where all my cancer treatment was, so she has computer access to everything. I thought maybe that was just her initial appt protocol and that in the future it would be the usual 10 min crap that most doctors do. Nope. Today was an hour. Just talking about things like diet, exercise, mental status, etc. She is incredible. Love her.
I have had some weird blood sugar stuff going on since about 1/2 way thru chemo. I started getting really high. She has being doing some blood work on me, but it is not showing diabetes, which is what she suspected based on my high fasting blood glucose levels. Unlike a diabetic, my BGL goes down after ingesting sugar, instead of up. All she could say about this was "its weird." LOL. Figures. Some other diabetes indicator (a three month test . . . something like that) is normal. So, in an effort to figure this out, she is going to have me do those at home sugar tests (with the strips like diabetics use) to gather data about what my BGL are throughout the day. I have to do this for a few months and then we will go over it and see if she can figure it out. Not looking forward to pricking my own finger.
Well, I am off to bed. I hope you all have a great weekend!
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LMAO. That is supposed to be "IT started getting really high" not "I started getting really high."
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Irr4993 (Lisa) I wish I had a PCP (hell any doctor) like yours...I feel like not one of my doctors really give a darn about me beyond keeping the cancer away and prescribing pills... I hope you can get your blood sugar figured out, I work with someone who is a type 1 diabetic and she has such a hard time keeping her sugars under control...
The recipe is only fattening if you double the cheese like I did
but then again I think butter is one of the major food groups! 0 -
That sucks about your doctors, Michelle. I have to say I have been very lucky with my doctors through this experience. The only one I was not crazy about was my rad onco. I have the impression from here that most rad oncos are less that great with teh bedside manner. But my BS and onco are great, particularly my onco. Her personality works so well with my craziness. Emory has some really great doctors. Although there are much more convenient options (emory is on the opposite side of atlanta from me) I will not treat anywhere but there.
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Lisa~ but i think the getting high part was funny! lol. The three month tests is an A1C. I'm not diabetic (yet) but unfortunately San Antonio is the diabetic capital....really.
I found a wonderful family practice doctor today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We visited for atleast an hour, or more? I got lost in time. She LISTEN to me, to everything I said, she took notes, then looked in my ear, nose, throat etc. She really thinks my whole mouth pain, radiates to the ear, the jaw, the head....is ....are you ready for this one.......nerve damage from the chemo. I feel so validated, cause I was starting to feel like I was going nuts! lol.
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