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Radiation recovery

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Comments

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited January 2013

    Sew, I totally agree with what you are describing about fatigue.  I sailed through rads and had a few weeks off...went back to work but oh my how I dragged myself through to May.  I couldn't wait until the semester ended and the students were gone.  I was physically exhausted.  I still believe that my body is still regenerating from rads and I am trying to work in planned sleep and rest.  I have had very active weeks and then I crash again!  I know it comes with age, but it shouldn't have been all of a sudden.

    SAB, I travel to SFO either in May the week before Memorial Day, or in end of July/early August after my summer classes are over.  I am willing to go about 3-4 hours most from SFO.  My DS and I want to go rafting on one of the great CA rivers but nobody else wants to join us.  Also there is a whale watching trip on Monterey Bay on July 21st that I'd love to do (with a company I traveled with this past summer) but I will want to do an overnight stay someplace.   My son likes out of the way places to hike.  I enjoyed Pt. Reyes but we did it in a day and didn't get to hike much. What's your favorite place?

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    Bunkie, I'm glad your skin isn't peeling, but am sorry to hear it's still so red and sensitive. Has your RO given you anything to help with it?

    I think taking the winter to heal is a good idea. I hope spring brings a season of relief!

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited January 2013

    Joan, I don't know too much about the rafting around here. Upper cache creek, american river, russian river are all places my friends have spoken about. These places are up closer to Sew I believe.  The water will also be very cold still in May, I think.  As far as Monterey Bay goes, you may want to think about Kayaking the Elkhorn slough out of Monterey or Santa Cruz (my daughter did this and loved it.)  We have a little bundle of state parks here, all gorgeous...not completely wild, as there are roads and trails cut and marked, but each a few hundred acres--doable in a single day for sure.  The picture above is Wilder Ranch State Park, there are bluffs and there is also back country.  Also check out Forest of Nisene Marks.  Anyway, this is turning into a travelogue, sorry!  PM me if you want more input, so I don't have to bore the other ladies  with my gushing about CA.  Also, Sew lives in an amazing place as well and could have some good suggestions.  Maybe the three of us should meet in the middle for a drink! I have a guest room if I'm in town...just sayin :-)

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited January 2013

    SAB, Wilder State Park looks beautiful.  I'm going to look into off the main path places to avoid crowds.
    Yup I know the water is cold but DS says that the weather is better in May and cooler in August.  Doesn't matter when I go, except in July/August I don't have to use vacation days - I'm off.
    Thanks for the suggestions - and I love travelogues.  Nothing like getting a tip from a local!!  But you are right - not everybody is interested...I'll let you know what I figure out!

    It's quiet around here...hope everyone is OK.

    My friend Angie is an angel today.  (melanoma, mets to brain, rads 1 year ago)   Cry  We did rads at the same time and place, and she attended my church when she could....saw her about 3 weeks ago.  She then developed terrible pain....life is just not fair.      I pray for her DH and two beautiful DDs.   I never thought this would happen to her.  If you please, see how beautiful she is....https://www.facebook.com/angi.warmuthscaglione?group_id=0
     

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
    edited January 2013

    Oh no so sorry, poor Angie......its so scary how one week you are fine and then in no time at all you are gone...with very little time in between, seems to happen to too many good women.......

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, Joan. May Angie rest in peace.

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited January 2013

    Joan, tears for your friend Angie.

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited January 2013

    Thanks for your kind thoughts

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Joan, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend Angie. im glad you got a chance to see her recently. hugs to you and her family.....

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Sab and Joan....I'd love to meet you guys. Joan, I'm only 50 miles north of SF, so an easy trip....I won't even mention the years I commuted down there. You know, if you're looking for rafting, there are trips down the American River which are great. They're whitewater, and the boatmen do all the work. Generally take several days. The Russian river is right near me and my family have summer homes there. It's great for day long canoe/kayak trips and rentals are easy. Some great hiking around here too...in Armstrong wood grove if you like redwoods and hills, or the bluffs at bodegabay if you want easier but beautiful......Sab, I'd recommend either of those places for you too.



    Bunkie, there was a post/forum I ran across this morning written initially by an RO about the damage we suffer during rads. You might want to find it, I thought it was very interesting even after all this time.



    Andrea, I think you'll find that you get better and better with a few relapses in between. It all just takes longer than we think it should! And I've also found that my friends and family all seem to think that since treatment is over, I must be all OK. ....luckily we have our family here who have been thru this and understand that this never really leaves us, that recovery takes a long time, and that life is different. My mom ask why I was being so strict about sugar the other day, and when I replied that I wanted to loose weight and that sugar fed cancer....she said that I didn't have cancer now, did I? I was hard pressed what to answer......I'd guess I don't have cancer now, at least I don't know of any, but I, like most of us, am still vaguely fearfull of what lurks. Don't get me wrong...I don't dwell on the thoughts nor obsess about it but its still there all the same.



    Meanwhile, I managed to walk my 2 miles today, settled some pressing family issues requiring great patience and long conversations with 2 very opinionated siblings and 1 aging parent and managed to do it all without reverting to an Ativan......things are definitely doing better for me.

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited January 2013

    Sew, If you have the link to that thread about rads consequences, let me know.  Meanwhile, I'll look for it when I'm not falling asleep on the computer at night.  Bunkie, Andrea, it is not unusual to have times of setback especially in energy levels for some time.  I hope the physical healing is going well
    About the sugar, I have been doing low carbs and last night I ate pure sugar food right before bed.  I don't know why.  I felt awful trying to get to sleep. Once off high carbs, the body protests fast acting sugars.  I am keeping off about 7 lbs. since the new year but have occasional slips when out or eating combined meals (stew, etc.) at home.
    I have to find a way to get to Whole Foods and try some new low carb high fiber foods.

    My little town was the coldest on Long Island this AM at minus 6 degrees.  My car started OK.  It's very warm and dry at work.  For all my complaints about going back to work after my break, I love my job.

    Thanks for the information on the rivers.  I am going to investigate ... so many choices.  But now I remember my daughter's 40th BD (7/30) falls in the middle of my vacation plans....not sure what she has planned or if it's for girlfriends only.  But I will get to the west coast, and am open to a meet-up when I can get away from the guys for awhile.  I can send DH out on a fishing trip for the day Laughing

    I awoke at 4 AM dreaming about my friend  (I was taking her for treatment in the dream...we never got there).  Never got back to sleep.  But it is good for me to work this through. 

    Janis, have you thawed out yet in ID?  Hope you are gaining mobility and less pain. 
    Elizabeth, how are you?

    Hugs & thanks for always being here.

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Hi Joan,

      I finally found the link about radiation damage, they made it one of those "official" type posts, but you have to go to the main radiation treatment etc. link to find it.  So, here it is.....

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/783321

        Hope you find it as informative as I did although it primarily deals with the initial aftermath of rads. 

         I'm off to knit with friends this afternoon, and.....tada..... it's not a "spare the air" day here, so I can look forward to being warm this evening!  What a red letter day......

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited January 2013

    It is chilly here, but since I woke up this morning to pictures of frozen fountains in the Eastern half of the country I am going to throw on a sweater and be grateful.  Keep warm ladies!

    Joan, we use VRBO.com when we travel.  Have you tried them?

  • BUNKIE10
    BUNKIE10 Member Posts: 670
    edited January 2013

    Joan I am so sorry about your friend.

  • joan811
    joan811 Member Posts: 1,980
    edited January 2013

    Thank you, Bunkie. 
    SAB - yes I use vrbo - that is how we found our mountain top home near Yosemite - where I went between dx and surgery 8/11.  It was total peace, beauty, privacy and nature.  I look there before hotels. 
    Leaving work...hope it's not so cold out there...will check in later.
    (((Janis))) how are you??
    J

  • cowpower
    cowpower Member Posts: 91
    edited January 2013

    Hi All, just checking in and hope Janis is doing better. Been having some stress figuring out a messy health issue with my son. It is a pain because there is no clear treatment and the genetic disease ( obviously from my dh's family, not mine- we only grlet MS and cancer, :)) can cause paralysis and heart damage. I am very thankful that we didnt reach a critical point while I was in treatment. At least I am able to cope well physically now. Mostlysew, I went to my knitting group on Friday for almost three hours and it was bliss- almost like meditating.

  • justmejanis
    justmejanis Member Posts: 1,474
    edited January 2013

    joan i am so sorry to learn of your friend angie's passing.  there are no words my friend.  i know you will work though it, but it is a process as we all know.  gentle hugs my friend.

    cowpower and all....thanks so much for thinking of me.  i am healing right on schedule but still have limited mobility.  that is the hardest part.  i try every day to use my arm just a little.  yesterday i did too much so this morning my hand and arm are very sore.  i have to constantly remind myself, baby steps only.

    dh and i had some sort of stomach bug so just now getting over that.  i had a low grade fever with a lot of diarrhea/stomach troubles.  zero energy.  Chuck started feeling bad yesterday, it was inevitable he would get it despite practically dousing the whole bedroom with lysol every time he came to check on me.  he napped a lot yesterday and had no energy at all.  this of course made him feel bad for not taking care of me, but i am over the bug and feel really good.  i just overdid it yesterday doing a few things to try to help out.  he is still sleeping and i hope his day is better today.  he is 68 and has very compromised lungs, so i worry when anything happens to make him sick.

    we actually got into the 30's yesterday so we had some nice melting.  i am sure this will casue problems later as snow is expected tonight through tomorrow morning.  not a lot...3-4 inches, but i think the streets will take a beating.  we had that inversion and had temps beloe 20 for over 3 weeks.  30's now seems warm.

    all this talk of california tugs at my heart.  i was born in san francisco and lived there until i was about 8.  then we moved to the sacramento area where we lived for another several years.  i have such fun memories of camping and fishing as a kid up in northern calif.  i caught my first little trout somewhere up there.  i was jsut a kid and have no idea where we went, although i know we used to go up near susanville and that area.  it was so beautiful.

    cowpower i am sorry there are health issues with your son, and i sure hope they improve soon.  you are dealing with a lot.  you are lucky that the knitting provides such an outlet.  i know it did for my mom as well. 

    sew and sad, my ca sistas, i think of you both always and admire your ability to avoid the sugar monster.  i did make brownies last night...from a mix, and chuck did the stirring.  i am so weak.....:)

    love and hugs my friends! 

  • BUNKIE10
    BUNKIE10 Member Posts: 670
    edited January 2013

    To the California group. I am having flashbacks and really miss my home. I lived in Pasadena area for about 21 years. I gave it up to come home to MI.and care for my parents in 04. That decision I do not regret because they are both gone now but not a day goes by I do not think I should sell this old home I inherited and go west. Things have changed there and a lot of my so called network has moved, retired etc but still the weather would be so much better for me. I am just getting to old for winter and seem to loose my health every year to something. I miss the palm trees and the sun. Boy do I miss sun. Michigan is the gloomiest place to live in the winter I swear. I am hoping to find a place out there and go back soon.

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Bunkie...Sab and I both think you should consider northern calif......tehehe. It truly is beautiful and a different view of this huge state. I don't know how you and Janis deal with all that cold and snow, although we've gotten cold (forus) this winter too....high 20s overnight. We could be your new network.....



    Janis, so good to hear from you. This recover is certainly slow and it must be driving you nuts, but I'm glad you're following orders. Sorry that you both have.had the flu too. It's just hitting Calif now, but I intend to avoid it at all costs!



    Cowpower, I'm so,sorry to hear about your son's medical issues. I do hope you can fins a good way to help him. It sounds like something no parent wants to face, but especially with you healing from rads/chemo right now. Sounds like you're doing we'll now, so that's good. Your knitting group sounds great. I went to a mini group last week and also enjoyed myself. I've started a new mindless shawl pattern as a take, but have yet to start the ribbing on my fair isle vest. All in good time.....



    A friend has just admitted to having DCIS, and is headed back in to surgery for her 3rd time. That sounds excessive to me to be a ble to get clean margins, but I've manage to refrain from telling her so. She didn't even tell her friends until today about the first 2 surgeries, but I do understand how she feels.



    Ok, Janis.....you'll be amazed to hear that I've indulged in carrot cake....home made carrot cake that is just wonderful. My DH made it for me for my birthday which is today..and a girl has to splurge sometimes!

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    Oh, I want to live in Northern California too! I was born and raised in southern Cal, moved to Utah 30 years ago, but California is where my heart still belongs. We've thought about moving to Oakhurst, which is by Yosemite. My sister-in-law lives there and it's beautiful! But 3 of my 4 kids live here still, so that makes it hard to leave. But someday I'll be a California girl again! Or old lady. Whatever.



  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Andrea.....we're all young here. Oakhurst is indeed beautiful. If you ever get there, let me know and I'll visit you! (And while I'm "technically" an old lady, I'm not letting it get me down

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited January 2013

    Happy Birthday Sew!

  • SAB
    SAB Member Posts: 1,121
    edited January 2013

    Well Bunkie, not too many palm trees but there are lots of reasons why I love Northern Cal...the biggest one is that I grew up in Ohio!!!!!! Let's see, so far we have Janis, Sew, Bunkie,Andrea and me...yup, enough for a  poker game. Anyone else in? Oh, Joan!

    On a serious note, Cowpower, sorry you are going through medical stuff with your son.  My hopes for the very best outcomes.  I know how hard it is.  Make sure to take care of yourself.

  • annemarieh
    annemarieh Member Posts: 124
    edited January 2013

    Sew!! Hope you have a very Happy Birthday!!!!!

    Cowpower....so very sorry about your son! Please get some rest for yourself too!

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Thanks guys....I managed to gain 2 pounds eating cake ( he made it a day early and I HAD to sample). Ah we'll, back to the diet and exercise for me.



    Sab....thanks for not trying to get 65 candles on that cake....geesh.......65.....Medicare what else?

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    Happy Birthday Sew!!!

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Thanks Andrea! Birthdays are great if you don't get on the scale the next day!

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    Lol, I got rid of my scale years ago! Best thing I ever did!

  • MostlySew
    MostlySew Member Posts: 1,311
    edited January 2013

    Ok, I'm jealous! I expect you let your clothes dictate? I tried that for a number of years, but just bought new clothing......oooops, not a good plan I must say......

  • andrea623
    andrea623 Member Posts: 572
    edited January 2013

    Lol! Yes I let my clothes dictate and right now they're saying I've got to lay off those Trader Joe's cinnamon graham crackers!

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