Any ladies from WISCONSIN??

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  • ktym
    ktym Member Posts: 673
    edited February 2015

    dec14 I was TC so sorry I can't give insight into the AC. I've been watching the pictures of the lakefront though. We've been out of town and I miss the lakefront. I envy you living close enough to have your husband drive you to watch the waves. I could sit there and watch Lake Michigan by the hour I think. I'm so proud of how unique Milwaukee was in protecting the lake and river. A long way to go still for sure, but when you look at the other major cities in the midwest we have quite a treasure

  • dec14
    dec14 Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2015

    Hi Maidentired and all you cold weather folks.  I have had the first A/C and felt great until 3:00 that day.  Then my stomach was hungry but sick....finally threw up at 11:00 that night.  Felt really good after that and went to bed.  Must have dehydrated because I then blacked out he next day after I got the nulasta shot.  I feel for the nurses they really don't know what to expect from me.  This was last Wednesday (Feb.18) so I am feeling better now.  Only 2 more to go I will try to hydrate more the day before and I also did the ice chips.  I will not have to do the taxol so there is a possibility I will be done March 18th!  I let you all know how it goes.  Thank you to all on these boards for the information and support you give.  Keep the faith and the strength.  A shout out to bluewillowsky I hope better news comes from your mri.

  • ktym
    ktym Member Posts: 673
    edited February 2015

    dec14, glad you're feeling better, I hope the next one goes easier. Let us know

  • maidentiredofwaiting
    maidentiredofwaiting Member Posts: 143
    edited February 2015

    Dec14 I'm glad you got through the first one.  The MO should prescribe anti nausea meds for you.  They really help.  Keep hydrated too.  I hope all goes well for your next 2 rounds and you'll be all done.  Hang in there! 

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited February 2015

    dc, glad you're feeling a bit bettet. Count down is a good way to think about it. Much love.

  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,751
    edited February 2015

    Keep fighting dec14!

  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 515
    edited February 2015

    Catching up again after returning from Florida - not as cold there as it was here and they had hardly any snow drifts!

    Hi to dec14 - wondering if your reaction to TC was for sure from the taxane. Cytoxan/cyclophosphamide can be a problem for some people and would also be in the AC therapy. I was happy when my MD said I didn't need Adriamycin because I recalled learning about it in pharmacy school 30 years ago. The new anti-emetics are much better at preventing nausea than what was available back then.

    I'm almost ready to fire my endocrinologist and make an appointment with nephrology. I think those specialists may be better equipped to understand and assess my abnormal calcium along with a strange elevated level of a vitamin D metabolite, not to mention the effect of estrogen (or lack of). It's all very complicated and frustrating. Anyone know of a good kidney doctor at Froedtert?

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited February 2015

    i go to Dr. Hanna but he's in Ozaukee at Columbia St Marys on North Ave. and Aurora Grafton. He's very knowledgeable.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2015

    pics of the ice cavesimageimage

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited March 2015

    It was gorgeous here yesterday, 45 and sunny.  Actually walked OUTSIDE.

    Supposed to be in the 50's next week.  Ice & snow will be here no mo!  ♥ to all

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2015

    Only in WI does it hit 30 and coats are open and no hats or gloves!

  • maidentiredofwaiting
    maidentiredofwaiting Member Posts: 143
    edited March 2015

    Monica those ice caves are very cool!  My sister-in-law lives on lake Michigan near Port.  It's really beautiful over there.  

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2015

    My niece did the trek with her boyfriend. They just closed them yesterday. Too much melting.

  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,751
    edited March 2015

    Well its finally getting to normal temps here. Its been really nice here and today its sunny and we are supposed to see 53 today.

  • ktym
    ktym Member Posts: 673
    edited March 2015

    Love the pic of the ice caves. Very much loving the warm temperatures lately

    dec14 hoping things are going well and that they're still thinking next week is your last week

  • Marifurby
    Marifurby Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2015

    I am in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2015

    wW's only 48 here. Everywhere else it was even over 60. LOL

  • Nike
    Nike Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2015

    Hello fellow Wisconsin Ladies. I have been a "lurker" on this site to find helpful information but I thought this would be a good spot for my first post. I am now 50, living in Appleton, working as a labor & delivery nurse and in school for massage therapy, mom of twin daughters age 16 and wife of 20 years. My lumpectomy was January 5 and thankfully, all went well from a cancer perspective. Clean margins and no lymph node involvement. However, radiation is delayed because I developed a huge hematoma that bruised my entire upper half and had to be evacuated (after it exploded) and then a seroma that also exploded and got infected. Since my body has a tendency to fill up that space with nasty stuff, I now have a hole in my breast that has to close up from the inside-out, and I am packing it daily with Dakin's solution-soaked gauze.

    My biggest problem right now, other than the "hole," are the side-effects of Tamoxifen. Primarily night sweats and mood swings that take me from 0 to 100 without much provocation at all. I started regular Effexor 75 mg a month ago, and while it helped with the mood swings, it caused a lot of other side effects as well that were intolerable. I weaned myself off and had terrible withdrawal symptoms (vomiting, nightmares, sweating, dizziness) and still feel like my brain enters the room 10 minutes after my body does. I went off Tamoxifen just until I get totally weaned off Effexor. I want to start it up again with a better plan of action now that I know what it does to me. Anybody have more "holistic" ideas (supplements, etc.?) to help with side effects?

    Looking forward to getting to know everyone.

    Joanne

  • OncoWarrior
    OncoWarrior Member Posts: 3,326
    edited May 2015
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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 515
    edited March 2015

    Hello to Nike/Joanne & Marifurby!

    It's good to be a nurse when you have to pack your own wounds (I went to pharmacy school so I wouldn't have to deal with messy stuff like that). Sometimes clonidine or gabapentin have helped with tamoxifen side effects/hot flashes however they both have sedation issues. My current multivitamin/mineral tablet has 2mg boron so a little more is probably safe.

    Our snow banks are diminishing rapidly. Just a few piles left on the north side of the house where it's more shady. My crocus bloomed this week...

  • Homer14
    Homer14 Member Posts: 21
    edited March 2015

    Welcome Marifurby and JoAnn! I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time JoAnn. I hope things improve for you soon.

    I returned to work full time this past week. Things were very busy and I was pretty exhausted by the time I got home. I am taking it easy today - doing errands and trying to get the house back in order. It is wonderful to see the sun and not have to wear a heavy coat when out and about.

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited March 2015

    hi all and welcome Marifurby & Joanne.  I'm just finishing five-year course of tamox.  My worst SEs were foot & leg cramps esp at night, hot flashes and night sweats.  For cramps, try the bar of soap trick.  Google it and look for links to The People's Pharmacy, a program on public radio.  It seems crazy but it's simple & cheap and it works for me and many others.

    For night sweats, I kept the house cool (my DH would say cold LOL), had the ceiling fan going 24/7, and a portable tower fan aimed at me all night.  Also kept a pile of clean t-shirts by my side of the bed so when one soaked through I could whip it off and put on a dry one.  Got so good at that it hardly disturbed my sleep.  Those tapered off after a few months so (touch wood) that's over & done with. 

    Still get hot flashes just not as many or as bad.  I don't take anything for it, just carry around a folding hand fan and deploy it PRN (as often as necessary).  Dress in layers and avoid fabrics that don't breathe, they trap your body heat = Sweaty Betty.

    I have six tamox left and a bottle of anastrozole (generic Arimidex).  Apprehensive. 

    Mary, I'm going to peek under the mulch today, I bet my crocus are up too. 

    I'm in the southwest part of the state where it's supposed to hit the mid-60's today.  Ah Spring! ♥

  • ktym
    ktym Member Posts: 673
    edited March 2015

    badger I had to laugh when I read your comment about keeping the house cool, I woke up one night and realized DH had put on a jacket and winter hat part way through the night I had the house on such a "cool" setting. You would have thought we would have saved on heating bills but I think I made up for it in the increased time I had a fan running. A few years into it the hot tsunami's have slowed down a bit and our idea of cool is a little more in line with each other but I think he thought I was going to give him frostbite those first two winters

  • Stasiam28
    Stasiam28 Member Posts: 27
    edited March 2015

    hi. I'm from Wisconsin! West side of the state next to the twin cities in MN. I don't have breast cancer, but I do have a consult appt with the Stillwater MN breast center on March 23. I've had an itchy left nipple off and on for months. I have dense breasts so my Dr sent me for further evaluation. I'm a nurse and I've now researched all I can find about Pagets Disease. Sometimes nurses make the worst patients as we freak ourselves out. I hope I won't need to be on this site in the next few weeks, but if I do then I prepared to deal with what I need to.

    Take care everyone. Have a blessed day. Stasia

  • Nike
    Nike Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2015

    Thank you so much for the tips everyone! I forgot to mention the leg cramps, those were pretty severe too, so I will google the soap trick! I will also try the Boron and keep t-shirts by my bed. Very good idea!

    I heard a robin on Friday...couldn't see it but I know I heard it! And I saw and heard my first flock of Sandhills returning. Officially Spring!

  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 24,938
    edited March 2015

    hi Stasia, welcome to BCO and our little thread.  Although none of us wanted to be here, we're glad for this site.  It's a great place for info & support. 

    Whoever predicted mid-60's was off by 15 degrees, it barely hit 50.  Got out and walked anyway.  That's not warm but it's not cold either.  Peeked under the mulch and nothing's up yet, not even the crocus.  Still cold at night so best the garden sleeps a while longer. ♥

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited March 2015

    Hi all and welcome to the newbies.

    My neighbors crocus are up. Mine got eaten by critters. Been colder around here but Saturday was beautiful anyway. Today is pretty gray.

    Joann, there are many others who had to pack wounds around here. They are usually in TE Trouble forum. If you post there I'm sure others could help you with suggestions. I know one lady who used sanitary napkins for drainage as they were clean and cheaper Han special wound bandages. :)

    Much love to all.

  • coolcat
    coolcat Member Posts: 6
    edited March 2015

    I'm from WI! Live in Milwaukee - North Shore area.I'm new to the site/discussion boards- found it in the middle of the night when I had terrible pain from my tissue expander...and was googling "normal/pain/breast tissue expansion" . 😁 beautiful day today- but then what happened? It dropped 20 degrees in 2 seconds. Welcome to Wisconsin!

  • OncoWarrior
    OncoWarrior Member Posts: 3,326
    edited May 2015
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  • zogo
    zogo Member Posts: 19,735
    edited March 2015

    Hey CoolCat, I'm in WFB. Welcome :-)