Radiation recovery
Comments
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Janis, it sounds like u are taking care of everything. I think the nurses are right, you need and orthopedist, not a pain specialist. I've had friends who've run into problems using a pain specialist b.c they often misdiagnosed the underlying problem and let a bad situation go on to long. I had a colonoscopy a few weeks ago. I was convinced I had colon cancer, but everything was fine.
Do any of you overreact to medical issues since b/c? I am hoping this eases off as time goes by.0 -
Hi Gigil,
Thank you so much for the compliments. Congratulations! Your granddaughter graduating this month with a degree in fashion design is wonderful.
Your mom sounded so moxie, I love it.
So glad you are enjoying time with your dad.
Love,
Kate
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Janis, I think if you had some advanced imaging on your knee, you wouldn't have to have contrast which would make it much easier. I hope you find a good doc who will properly diagnose your situation there. Maybe it will just take rehabilitation, or maybe a small scope procedure and you will be good to go.
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Janis, So glad you will be going to an orthopedic suregeon
Mostly sew I am now taking ativan for sleep and last night i had 2 mg and still couldn't sleep
xoxo,
Kate
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Kate is it the pain that's keeping you awake?
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Hi Kate, Ativan is mostly for anxiety. You might need a sleeping pill like Ambien, but do talk with the Dr. about it because of your chemo concoction.... Or, you could do like a friend of mine, and when she can't sleep, she counts "kegels".....says we need to do those anyway and it's a good exercise ... lol
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Susannah I agree, I am looking to get a referral to an orethopedist. I made a mistake when I said early I am having a colonoscopy. I meant an endoscopy! Different end. Nothing has helped my chronic heartburn so time to take a look in there. That is on the 16th.
Gigil I thank you too for your input. I am sure an orthopedist will order an MRI before just filling my knee with cortisone. I envy you so much with such a loving father. I always wanted that but my dad is not that way. He has no relationship with any of his grandkids. He has lost two sons, one to suicide and one to drugs, yet has never had any reaction. Now that he is 82 my sister and I try harder to stay in touch. He lives in NM with his girlfriend, Gold Digger waiting for a big paycheck. She is my age and can be a nasty woman. Just sad all around that my dad never got the value of his kids or grandkids. I think this girlfriend tries to keep him from us. When I call she always answers the phone and I think she listens on the extension when we talk. It is sad.
Kate thanks for the cheers. I am really sorry you had a long night despite the meds. Please elevate that leg as it will really help with the swelling. You can lie on the couch and put it up on the back of the couch. That works really well. I hope it gets easier throughout the day and evening. Oh your granddaughter is just darling. She chose a wonderful profession!
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Kate - I am so sorry you did not sleep well. I had an off night also but just could not get comfortable. I sleep propped up a bit because of my vertigo and some times a pillow gets all crazy and I wake up stiff and sore. Here is hoping all the things you have planned for today will tire you out. I agree with you about the support and not feeling so bad. I had a great day today out with a friend. I started physical therapy for my leg weakness caused by the steroids today. He was cracking the whip already but I like him.
Josie - Thank God that cyst was nothing much. I would have been scared too. Gosh I just get a pimple on my breast now and I get worried. I would be eating ice creme too. Matter of fact I had carrot cake ice creme in your honor.
RMlulu - I love that area also. Michigan Cherries are the best. When I was a kid we would drive up all the back country roads and stop at all the fruit stands to buy fresh corn and cherries. There are some really beautiful places in Michigan. I just can not take the winters. I have yet to go to Turkey-ville for dinner. They say it is great. We had a summer cottage up in Ludington area but it sold when I was out in Cali. Really loved that area too.
Joan - I really want to do that bath now but financially it will have to wait. It needs a gut job. It is the only full bath in this house so I would have to leave for a month to get it done and aired out. If my value would go up a bit instead of going backwards it would be worth the investment.
Gigil - Really pretty picture of you. You are a good daughter taking care of your dad like that. It is very hard to do because you keep remembering them at a better place when we were all younger. I do not have any regrets but man it takes a toll on you mentally and physically. My step dad was 94 when he died and I was more prepared for him. What I was not ready for was my mom to get vascular dementia overnight. We always think when someone gets dementia or Alzheimer's it is gradual. Not always. My mom got hers from having surgery. Nothing like planning stuff and talking the day before to have her come out of surgery scrambled. Because I was still taking care of my dad I was forced to deal with them both. So I had one stubborn and bed bound most days that I was cooking and cleaning up after and the other walking all night and trying to burn down the house. I have to laugh now because I survived but man that was a tense time. So I hear you about caring for your dad.
Sew _ a french manicure on the toes is just that clear polish with a white strip they do on the fingers...but on the toes.
RunFree - I bet you knocked them out with your looks and that dress. Can't wait for the pictures.
Ladies I asked my computer guru friend to come by this week and show me how to do this avatar so I can finally post a photo. I hate being stumped.
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Suzannah, what is keeping me awake is my mind racing.
Sew, besides Ativan I sometimes take Trasodone for sleep, but I will ask my doctor about Ambien
Janis Thank you for the compliment regarding my granddaughter. I do try to elevate my leg as much as possible. The swelling is getting so noticeable I am going to have to buy some long skirts to hide it is. In a pair of jeans my leg looks twice the size of the other one
Hugs,
kate
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I had a little bit of good news today. I spoke to a law firm, for close to an hour, and I think they may handle my malpractice suit. They will do a little digging first to see what my bad doctor wrote in his records. If they take the case it is worth $250,000 plus god forbid the cost of a good hospice etc. The lawfirm gets 30% and he said the cases usually settle in 12 -18 months. I would get $175,000. That is nothing in comparison to what I am going through, but something is better than nothing. If I win I am already thinking of something fun to do with part of the money. I would like to take a trip to Vegas with my daughter at bad doc's expense. Some retail shopping would definitely be in order. I wouldn't mind having an eye lift if my MO would allow it. The rest I would save as an additional inheritance for my kids. All I did was talk to an attorney, and I already have the money spent lol
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Kate - Maddie is really pretty. I see where she gets her looks. Wow.
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Hi all! I finished my rads w/boost on March 20th. In the last few weeks I keep choking on my saliva or whatever I'm drinking. Not every time I drink. Today I've got this irritation in the back of my mouth/throat and I keep coughing and choking. You know how it feels when you drink something that's too hot and you burn the back of your throat? That's what it feels like. I don't know if this is from the rads or not but I don't know what else it would be. Anyone else experience this?
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GiGil - I lost 35lbs when I went off all added sugars last summer. I gave up all sodas and fruit drinks for plain water. I still get some sugar in regular foods and I do use some raw sugar or pure maple syrup in some things but I don't eat a lot of sweets either. I have been overdoing it the last two weeks for some reason with Dunkin Donuts and ice creme and lets not forget the organic oatmeal raisin cookies....Ok I have been a bad girl now that I look at it. They are going to test me for wheat and gluten problems soon so I may be starting all over. Have you noticed that your skin is really dry now that you are not using the sugar?
I was going to ask you and others how you get enough protein when you do a vegetarian meal.
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Bobisil - Let me welcome you to the after side of rads. CONGRATS on finishing. You will love this group of ladies.
As far as the choking I am not sure. I know my mouth got really dry after I finished rads and I had to start using that mouthwash and paste for dry mouth. Bioteen. It has helped a lot. I could not even eat a piece of bread with out water washing it down. You could have a mild infection in your mouth/throat. It could even be a little yeast. I know that sounds icky but there is a mouthwash for that the DDS gave me called magic mouthwash. It was gone in a few days. Check with your RO to see what they think.
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Kate - I hope that attorney does take your case. You deserve it. Time waits for no one so plan to spend it any way you want.
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Bunkie, you made me chuckle when you decided after all that you have been a "bad girl" now that you think about it. If I had a Dunkin' Donuts anywhere near me, I would be constantly fighting with myself to stay out. We used to have a Krispy Kreme, but they closed. Thank God. Every time I saw that HOT sign I would get weak in the knees!! Your stories about taking care of aging parents is so familiar and as you say, when you look back it was really stressful. My sister stayed with my parents last year when my dad was recovering from surgery. Everything she did was met with resistance. My mother was working at the time - she kept coming out of retirement to do private duty nursing. My dad finally just told her that he would be fine without any assistance and sent her on her way. He is usually so compliant, but he does have a stubborn side, and she seemed to bring that out in him. My husband's father was a really verbally abusive man, so my dad has been a great comfort to my DH. His own father died with his family at his side, even though he treated them all terribly.
Kate, I am not a religious person, but I am deeply spiritual. I heard someone lately saying when you can't sleep at night you should picture an angel next to your bed holding a basket. You then mentally place each of your worries into the basket and let your angel take care of them while you sleep. I use a lot of meditation sountracks when I can't sleep at night. I use them a lot. At first it doesn't seem like they work, but your brain eventually accepts them and it calms a certain area in the brain and allows sleep. I like the one by Wayne Dyer called The Moses Code Meditation. My mind is very stubborn and it won't settle down some nights. Relaxation has been a real learning process for me.
Welcome Bobbisil. I remember coming of rads one day and taking a drink of water, and my swallowing muscles didn't want to work. It only happened once, but it scared me. After rads, I found out my thyroid gland was pretty well petered out for awhile. It is back now. Could you be having trouble with allergies right now, and some post nasal drip? Just a thought. That always chokes me when it happens, and I sputter and gasp when I eat or drink certain things.
Thanks for the nice comments on my pic. I am not photogenic in any way. I have a hard time finding a picture where I am not cringing and waiting for the flash! Ha! Ha!
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Hi Bunkie,
Thanks so much for the compliments. Usually I try to be somewhat conservative when it comes to finances. If I win this case to heck with being conservative. Treating my daughter Mindee to Vegas will be a blast. A fine hotel, dining, gambling shows etc and the bad doctor pays will be fun. Then if my MO allows it a little plastic surgery to look younger will be fun. I love Bloomingdales, but it is too expensive, but bad doctor treating me to an outfit or two will be fun, fun, and more fun. Meanwhile I should hush up. Maybe if I talk about how I am going to spend it I won't get it so mums the word now.
xoxo,
Kate
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Kate, I think you are having fun thinking of how you would spend the money, so you go right ahead and think about it.
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Bunkie, protein is really easy. Here is a quick chart of protein levels in typical grains, greens and legumes:
http://www.theholykale.com/plant-based-protein-chart/
Cheese, dairy and eggs are all good sources too. There's lots of information out there. I just ate lunch--a huge chopped kale salad with cranberries and pumpkin seeds and a laughing cow cheese sandwich on a fresh whole grain ciabatta. It was really yummy tons of food and under 300 calories including a sugar free salad dressing.
Kate sorry your leg is vexing you. I hope the chemo kicks in soon and your leg shrinks down to normal and you can sleep again. I hope your lawyer is a tiger, and does a great job.
Susannah, Yes, I do overreact.
Bobisil, Welcome to you. I used some lozenges from my dentist to combat dry mouth during rads so I'm sure there could be come sort of relationship. Everything went back to normal pretty quickly for me. I hope your experience is the same.
Gigi I like your new picture too.
Paper work again today. Blech.
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Bunkie--Whoopsie, my bad, the ciabata roll was way more calories than I thought it was (yes, worth it!) Anyway, we need about 46 grams of protein a day, except right after rads when we need more. Sew, I think you said about 80, right? I believe that my lunch had about 15 grams. Breakfast yogurt adds about 15 more. A bowl of bean chili plus my too-frequent snacking habits will easily meet my protein for the day.
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It is pretty easy to get enough protein in a vegetarian diet if you eat beans, whole grains, nuts and a lot of veggies have protein as well, right? I have read that a combination of rice and beans makes a perfect protein, so you can't go wrong with that combination. And if you are keeping dairy in your diet, there is a lot of protein in dairy products and eggs. I cut out all dairy for awhile, but I now eat yogurt. I couldn't live without it. It is a staple of my diet. I eat cheese too, but not as much as I used to. I have completely stopped drinking milk, and I use either almond or coconut milk. I now like it better.
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I have also added rice protein into my morning smoothie. It is very palatable.
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Miracles do happen! I've been fighting with this for 24 hours and was in the middle of a post explaining the problem when I tried it one more time and it worked! So this is me with the dress on, taken on my back porch yesterday. It's not my favorite picture--like GiGiL, I almost never like pictures of myself actually--but it shows the dress and you can sort of see the sparkly earrings I paired it with. I wore blue sandals to work but they're very faded and wouldn't have enhanced the picture.
I'm loving this nutrition talk too--that's one of my favorite topics. Kate, I have a separate post running in my head about Ambien. Short version: it has changed my life for the better, and I have not gotten addicted. I'll post about that later.
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RunFree - Very nice and you should wear a dress more often. You have legs!! I have toothpicks. Haha. That has my favorite color in it too. Turquoise. Well done.
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Janis, I feel your heartburn. I had an upper endoscopy when I had the colonoscopy. Nothing was found, so I'm just trying to modify my diet, and see if that works, in additionto the accupuncture. I had one treatment, not sure if it helped, am going to try it a few more times to see if helps. Darn heartburn!
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Runfree you are a beauty! Pretty dress, but I think you need some nice blue toenails.
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Gigil - Thanks for the info. I am going to get my stomach checked out but in the meantime...I can not eat eggs, most dairy and many veggies. Nothing with fat in it much. Nuts are the worst. I love and miss popcorn. I eat a little yogurt because there is now one that is lactose free. This is all since GB surgery. Before that I ate everything. I do put organic lactose free milk on my cheerios. I just got some almond milk. I really want to find a way to get some fruit and veggies in a smoothie. I am thinking that I will not get so much bloat and bubbles from a smoothie? I ordered a Vita-mix but the color I want is on back order...turquoise of course. I used to love peanut butter but now it gives n me heartburn Ugh. I can eat bananas and apples. Some days grapes bother me and some days not. I know you are not a dr but was wondering where to start. Where do you get rice protien? Does it have a taste?
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Bunkie, yeow, that sure does limit your diet. It appears to me that any kind of fat is certainly causing problems, hence no nuts, peanut butter, avocados, cheeses etc. it may be that the veggies are causing problems due to the way they're prepared? Stay away from the butters and oils. Try raw or steamed. I'd suggest you try a fat free Greek yogurt, which is about 15 to 20 grams of protein, try some black beans but if you buy them canned make sure no fat added. I'd stay away from dried fruits because it concentrates the sugars. I'd try adding a bit of tofu, or tempeh to a simple quinoa salad. You may find brown rice does well for you. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and getting your protein is quite easy. For you a bit more difficult but I think the digestion problems seem to be related to fats. Have you tried raw carrots with hummus? Hummus is a great source of protein and shouldn't have inherent fats, as I recall. There is also whey protein drinks or powder you can mix in water which usually have 30 grams of protein or so. Good luck
Sab, yes, 80 to 90 grams of protein daily during rads...... Your lunch sounded great...
Run free....that dress is great. Looks so comfortable and great on you. I'd wear one if I could look that good! Glad the Ambien helped you too...it was a life saver for me during rads and even after. Nice to know I've got it when sleeplessness hits several days in a row, isn't it?
Oh, you know Bunkie, isn't there a "lactaid" product on the market which fights lactose intolerance? I have no clue if it would help
Bobisil, welcome. I'm hoping someone can help you with this one. It sounds more to me like you've got swallowing reflex issues, not actually dry mouth. I've had a few episodes of that since rads....like when I go to take pills, they're in my mouth, so is the water and I can't make myself swallow. It shocked me the first time it happened. I've found if I just wait a minute or two, then I can swallow normally. I never did check what was up with that. Yours sounds a bit more long lasting though and I think it's worth a call to the RO to check. I don't know where your tumor was nor if they had to treat more of the clavicle area which might cause something like this. I do think a lozenge as has been suggested might help some too. Good luck, and let us know. Oh, and now I come to think about it, the back of my throat is quite dry right now...hmmm, maybe I need a lozenge.0 -
RunFree love the picture of you in your dress. You look great! I absolutely love that dress. Lookin' good girl!!
Bunkie, I get the rice protein in the health section of my local grocery store, but I think you could get it at a Vitamin Shoppe. YOu could maybe make a smoothie with the almond milk, or coconut milk, the yogurt you mentioned and one of the fruits you mentioned that agrees with you. Add a scoop of the rice protein powder. I think you can buy it vanilla flavored. P.S. You can also get almond or coconut yogurt. But the lactose free one would work great.
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Gigil you are right I am having fun thinking of how to spend the money.
Sab thank you so much for your support. I pray my lawyer is a tiger too
xoxo,
Kate
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