Radiation recovery
Comments
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RunFree, What a wonderful day of celebration ad support for you...shopping with your mom...very special. I am so happy for you! 0 -
SAB, I hope you have a great week end hiking...is it warm? Still pretty cold here. We were waiting for our grass to grow....and now it's coming up. We were excited until we realized the shrubs don't look right. We are not good at this stuff. Too much water? too little? too much sun? wrong pH?
My week end is going to be cleaning the basement and clearing out two guest rooms which were accumulating clothes & shoes not being used. DD & family coming next week end so we need all the bedrooms and baby-proofed.
TGIF0 -
Kate it sounds like you are doing OK with your first chemo treatment. I know you are very determined to keep life as normal as possible. I read your explanation of your surgery and dx....and there are no words for all you've been through. Sending hugs and wishes for a beautiful day tomorrow.
Joan0 -
Run Free....Congrats...DONE! Let the final healing begin. What a great way you chose to celebrate.
Josie and Run Free, I'm taking Arimidex so the SE's are different, but Run Free, I agree, in general the women who post on the thread are the ones with problems. There are many who have no problems at all. It's the same with Arimidex. I think the best thing to do is take it with an open mind and don't anticipate any problems. That is what happens to most people. If you end up with problems, they can be addressed then. I know that I had a few SE's from Arimidex, but they were all minor or annoying only and now my body has adjusted (or my mind has) and I no longer have even those. I'm just thankful of having the option of taking the drug. Oh, and we've always used this forum to discuss in general the hormonal drugs etc. yes, it's rads, but it's also recovery issues and we've become such friends, none of us old timers have left, and now all of you have joined us. So, don't be concerned about raising any issues you've got.
Bunkie, have you reclaimed the rest of your house yet? I hope so
Well, I managed to pass my 3rd 6 month mammo today. And for the first time they didn't do an ultra sound also...so I guess my lumpy bumpy breast must be stabilizing. Happy Dance here... I will still stay on the 6 month schedule, but that's ok by me. Unfortunately some scar tissue has sort of grabbed the underneath of my boob, and she had to do the cancer breast twice. Once is no problem...twice isn't any fun!0 -
Hi Mostly Sew,
So glad you passed your 3rd 6 mo. mammo with flying colors yeah!
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Hi Joan,
My first 5 hour treatment week of chemo is almost over, and it wasn't too bad. I don't have another 5 hour treatment till June 3 YEAH. This Monday and the Monday after my treatment is only 1 hour, and my doctor said that will be so much easier for me. He said no Emend anti-nausea drug because I won't need it. Yeah! Yeah Yeah! after the next two Monday 1 hour treatments I will have two weeks off of chemo and that is a hip-hip-hooray. So since I will be doing chemo 4-6 months I will only have 4-6 bad weeks, and honestly this one wasn't bad at all.
Have a nice weekend,
Kate
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Sew, I am happy to hear about your uneventful mammo.
Relax and enjoy the week end...0 -
RunFree, what a celebration! Not only a certificate, but kazoos, and dresses ,and flowers, and Starbucks, and you are done, done, done. I can see you now at the grocery store, sashaying about in your new dresses (one at a time, please), with your armload of flowers. But now the nasty estrogen thing raises its head. I’ve been on arimidex for a month, on high alert for side effects, nothing concrete so far. Have you talked with you MO about the tamoxofen and all?
Kate, how wonderful that you have cruised through chemo! Bummer about lawyer #1. No doubt he is at a place in his career where he takes on only a very few, very lucrative cases. Age, of course, does have an impact these things, but life expectancy is surprisingly lengthy, even at older ages. A 100 year-old woman still has a 2.5 year life expectancy. That’s all the 100 year-old females, healthy or not, gathered together and number crunched into a mean. The census bureau publishes a data base, easily googled
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April, maybe by now that nasty rash is history? Hoping your fatigue is lifting. So proud of your bravery—daily double rads and ditching the cigs. Amazing! Do please keep in mind that your body will not thank you (nor will anyone else) if you push too hard through that fatigue. Perhaps another form of bravery would be rescheduling a few client appointments?
Joan, about those shrubs and their ph: When I lived on Long Island, azaleas, rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and hydrangeas were everywhere. Every spring I’d dump some acidic fertilizer around all their little feet. Can’t remember the name of the product, but it was everywhere. Are your shrubs the same?
So happy, Sew, that your mammo was just fine. My lymphedema lady showed me how to shove my scar tissue around on a regular basis so it wouldn’t do what it sounds like yours is doing. Any chance you’d find something similar helpful?
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Just a quick post to congratulate RunFree on being able to ....wait for it.....RUNFREE!!!!LOL...I crack myself up sometimes and yes, I am easily amused. But, Yahoo, done with rads. Congrats! Hey, I am jealous that no one played the kazoo at my last session. But, my husband framed my certificate as a joke. HA! Gonna hang it in my bedroom..lol
Ok ladies, that is all the energy I have for now. Rads really kicked my butt and with the rash (that is now going away thankfully since I stopped the wellbutrin) and working all week except Monday which I took off to rest, I am wiped out. Tomorrow is my EAster (am Greek Orthodox) and I usually do holidays but I played the "BC Card" and said no go this year. Seems everyone is relieved and busy anyway...sigh.
Kate, WTF? AGE???? Never heard of such a thing. Going to speak to my daughter about what that means. She just finished a case with a 86 year old man whose wife had poor trmt which caused her death. So, not understanding this reasoning at all. As Brookside said, life expectancy is much longer than it used to be.
Ok, hoping to plant some annuals this afternoon but first I need to go buy some. Thinking geraniums this year. Boring? Maybe but I think they are pretty.
Hugs to all
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Run free, yay!!!! So happy for you, you're done! How rich in family life you are, and I loved the photos everyone posted in celebration.
Mostly Sew-yay for you too, on having a clear mammo!
Kate, so glad this week was not so bad, and that u handled it with aplomb.
Joan, good luck with the closets and room clearing, it will feel good when it's done.
My 25 year old DS is home for the weekend-he is disabled and moved to a group home almost 3years ago, comes home for part of most weekends. Tonight we'll see some old friends for dinner, so a lot to be thankful for.0 -
Hi Brookside,
I really did cruise thru the first 5 hour treatment of chemo, but I had an issue with constipation, Yesterday I was miserable from it, Today I am a little better.
The second attorney I have found seems to be ok. I saw a new internist yesterday. My lawyer asked me to nonchalantly ask him a few questions. I asked him if this would be founf 18 mon ths ago I be in better shape, and he said I would only be stage 0 or stage 1. He said the negative ct scan taken 14 months ago proved I didn't have mets. This lawyer said he didn 't need anything in writing. He can subpoena the doctor. I am suppossed to call the attorney back Tuesday with this info and see if he will take my case, I am keeping my fingers crossed. $250,000 -$100,000 is $150000 for me . Definitley not enough for my pain and suffering, but it is better than nothing.
Thanks so much for your support
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Hi April I am so sorry you feel Fatigue and hopoe it goes away quickly
Love,
Kate
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RunFree.
....huge congratulations, and kudos to your family for the flowers. How awesome they are!
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Where do you guy find these awsome photos to post?
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Sew, my dear friend, always here for everyone. You are such an awesome lady. I am so thrilled your mammogram was clear. Big high five to you my friend!
I know your cats are celebrating with you!
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Hi Janis...
they are, but I don't think any of my kitties jump quite so high ..Great pic, thanks, my friend.Kate....I've no clue where they find them, but expect they search google images.......
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Hey ladies not on any topic but could I get some prayers/positive thoughts? My son just called a little bit ago, crying. He and his wife have 2 Golden Retrievers, like we do. His oldest he adopted from a rescue the same day we got Sampson...in fact, Sampson was my Mother's Day gift from him almost 7 years ago to the day. Anyway, his dog Will is in emergency surgery. He is bleeding internally from a tumor on his spleen. They had a very long talk with the vet, who said this is one of the easier cancers to fix in these dogs, most people can't afford the chemo. They can, and they agreed to the surgery. Adam was crying when he called, that dog is like a child to him. The more prayers and good thoughts I can get going, the better. I am so upset, he is my Granddog! I love Will too. I know some people will think 'he is just a dog'....but our dogs are so much more to us. Thanks!
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Janis, so sorry to hear about your son's golden. Sending him strong prayers and thoughts, as well as love. We too have kids we love, but adore our dog Peggy too, just like a baby to us. Am praying the surgery goes well.xoxoxo
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Thank you Susannah. My son and DIL have no human children. They love their dogs. Adam got my Sampson for me for Mother's Day 2006. He and Jen took Will home the same day. Will had some health issues and they took care of everything. About 2.5 years ago they decided to add a second Golden, from the same rescue in Colorado. They decided on a special needs dogs, and "Liffey", who is blind, joined their family. Will is literally her guide dog! She adores him. Will is still in surgery and I am a wreck. Hope to hear some news soon, good news of course.
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Janis I will pray for your sons dog
I'm so sorry to hear that.Our animals are our babies too.Or at least that's how I feel.My hubby may not feel that strongly but I know he loves them .We have 1 dog and 3 cats.As a former Vet Tech I know that is a hard situation to come through for any dog.Goldens are pretty resilient though.They feel it's there job to hold on for there owners sake if nothing else.0 -
Josie as a former vet tech you probably can understand the seriousness of this surgery. Adam said he knew this morning something was just wrong. Will is very healthy and gets a ton of exercise. He was lethargic and didn't eat, so off to the vet. They take no chances with their kids. They ran a lot of tests and the vet feels he is very healthy, but the tumor is on the spleen and that was bleeding badly. They did discuss chemo and she said most people put them down becasue of the cost. Adam and Jen are both geologists and that is not an issue. The vet thinks chemo will not be too hard on him and he should be fine. Now if he just makes it through the 2+ hour surgery. They had to call the surgeon in, so I am not sure when the surgery actually began. Adam called right at noon our time (mountain) and they were just leaving the vet. They live in the Denver area. All this waiting is making me nuts of course. Tick, tock you know?
We have the two Golden's as well as three cats. We have a large fur family!
I hope everyone is busy doing something you enjoy. Sew.....glad you liked the picture. As soon as I saw it, of course I knew it was you!
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RunFree congrats on being done. What a feeling of liberation that is. It sounds like you have a loving, supportive family. What a blessing that is. It sounds like you celebrated the day in style.
Kate, well you did it! You made it through the first week. My niece is starting her final treatment this Wednesday. She is looking at the end, and she has done quite well all through. Of course her type of chemo for bc involved losing her gorgeous head of red hair. It will grow back though. She has amazed me with her strength and resilience. I can't believe she is only 30!
Sew so glad to hear you had another clear mammo. I NEED to schedule mine. I am scared!! I don't have any symptoms or signs, but getting any surveillance scares the heck out of me. Anyone else going through that? I am almost paralyzed with fear every time I have to have something checked.
Janis, I am praying for your granddog. They become so precious to us, don't they? We put our dog to sleep over a year ago, and I haven't been able to take the plunge again.
April rest all you need to. It will help you heal.
I hope the rest of you ladies are having a wonderful weekend. I have been fighting allergies and my old enemy anxiety. One feeds on the other these days. I keep plugging however, and do things even if it feels like a giant effort at times. My allergies affect my ears and balance, which is no fun at all!! Ah well, it is improving, and the key is prevention. Take care, GiGi
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Gigi thank you so much for the prayers for Will. I am sorry you lost yours so recently. Yes, they do become family.
Your niece sounds amazing! To have to deal with cancer so young, and the loss of one's locks is always traumatic. You are right though, it is only hair and will come back. Much better to lose your hair than your life! I'll keep her in my prayers of course.
Sorry about those pesky allergies. We have them here too and they are so annoying. DH is much worse than I am. He has emphysema and so they hit him extra hard.
I wish I could come with you to the mammo and hold your hand and give you strength. The anxiety leading up to it is perfectly normal. Deep breaths, deep breaths. You can do this, and trust me, your results will be all clear. No worries Gigi. I'll be right alongside you in spirit, okay? You will feel my positive energy I promise.
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GiGil,
I also have problems with anxity, especially since my diagnosis. Having any type of scan now frightens me too,you are not alone at all in this. Once I went alone, never again, I always have a friend or my DH come with me, I find it helps.
I am with Janis, will be right by your side in spirit, holding your hand. Make the appointment, it's just adding to,your anxiety to delay.0 -
Thank you Janis and Susannah for your support. I can't believe how good it feels. I have a family who takes the attitude that it is over now. They don't realize the inner turmoil that we go through. I am not one to bring it up to them either. My DD has a handicapped child and she has enough to worry about. My DH works ER and when he comes home, he really has no energy left for my problems. He comes home for R&R, so I don't talk much about it to him. For my sisters, I look good and the surgery is over as well as rads so they are not tuned in. My mom was a bc survivor and she died this past November from surgery complications. The sister I have always been close to moved to Boston this past winter, and I find myself alone a lot. I know I have to reach out and make a life for myself, but after the bc, I really don't even know what to do. I am left with worrying about this type of thing and spending a lot of time alone. Our group here has meant so much to me. BC sisters supporting each other has been a lifesaver for me. It will be good to know I have some friends who will be there with me in spirit. It will help a lot.
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Hi Janis,
I am so sorry that your son's dog has cancer, and is in emergency surgery. I am sending prayers and positive vibes.
Hugs,
Kate
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GiGil, your note really touched me. Really, very few people do understand what we go through and how life changing it is. I applaud you in not complaining to your DHI'm afraid I wear my poor husband down, although I spare my DD.
I wish your sister lived closer. It is a lonely feeling, and I don't really remember whati did before bc. I guess it comes back slowly.
But u are definitely not alone!0 -
Thank you Susannah. I think part of it is that the things that seemed so important before the BC diagnosis just don't seem to matter at all anymore. I am at a crossroads where I am trying to decide what I want my life to be like now. A diagnosis like this makes a person re-evaluate everything and see things very differently. I did recently join a group of women who are going to get together once a month to discuss books, do qigong or yoga, discuss the writings of people like Wayne Dyer, Deepok Chopra and others. It seems to be more on track with the kinds of things I have been concentrating on. I think it will be uplifting. I hope it will. At a time when most people are thinking of retiring, I am also thinking of maybe working part time. Just some thoughts I have been having. I think it is time for me to get busy.
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Hi Gigil,
I did make it through the first week, and it should get easier.
Thank God it's your beautiful young niece's final chemo treatment. God bless her she has been through so much. I am thrilled that she is strong and resilient.
I am so sorry that you are having anxiety and allergy problems. I hope it clears up soon.
HUgs,
Kate
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