Radiation recovery
Comments
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I love this thread- thanks for all the positive posts ladies!
Kate- I just saw your comment about gaining weight and how most other people lose on chemo. I also gained weight- about 15 pounds (yuck) and my oncologist said that almost all of her breast cancer patients do as well. Someting about the chemo they give us, and often steroids too, they dont know why really. It isn't like we radically change diet and start living JUST on donuts! Although the temptation is there- teehee
Three months post-chemo I have lost ten of the fifteen "chemo pounds". It is slow.
I just wanted to chime in and say you are not alone, by any means! Thanks for the pics.0 -
Hi Sciencegal. I noted in your post that you saved your hair with a cold cap, and from your picture you have quite a beautiful head of hair to save. Thanks for stopping in. My niece just finished chemo and she gained weight as well.
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Hi Sciencegal,
Besides having breast cancer two years ago I now have bladder cancer. So, I am taking a different kind of chemo than you had for breast cancer. I am not taking any steroids, but I am gaining weight. In my case I am gaining from stress and chemo. Most of my life I have been very petite. I quit smoking two and a half years ago and gained 20 pounds. Looks like chemo is going to make me gain 15 more, yuck. Since I always watched my weight I am eating as a reward, but that will have to stop soon.
So glad you are off of chemo now, and have lost weight. I am very anxious to hear about your cold cap. Is it very expensive? Is there anything difficult about it? Where did you get them? The kind of chemo I am taking for bladder cancer does not cause baldness, but there is some hair thinning, and I would love to avoid more hair thinning. Also, God forbid if this type of chemo doesn't work I will have to go on the kind of chemo that does cause baldness, so anything you can tell me about cold caps will be great.
xoxo,
Kate
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Kate - I am ok today. I went to my PT and worked on my leg strength. OMG am I out of shape. 15 reps on the machines is all I could do and only 4 minutes on the treadmill going slow. I have never been this bad. There was a older lady there about 70 and she was going like crazy. I felt like I was 90. Doing nothing this week end. Might go to Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma to look around. I have a lot of their stuff in my house.
Glad the leg is better. I left LA in 04 so did they do then promenade over after that? I loved it before. It is a hike down to the pier. Venice is also but I love it there. Talk about hippie skirts. I used to own several.
I got a black print cowboy skirt when I was in Santa Fe I also love. It is crinkled and very long. I wear it with my cowboy boots. I have 23 pair. For some reason I do not wear that stuff here. Need to get back to my places that I used to go to. I have been looking for a place that is as much fun as Cali but have not found it yet. If I can list the house next year and get it sold I can start to travel again. That I also miss.
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Sciencegal - Can I ask what a cold cap is?
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Going for my one year mamo and ultra sound tomorrow. A I the only one who feels nauseated whenever I'm back in the breast center. Ok now, but I know I'll be very anxious and vulnerable tomorrow.
Bunkie, it must be so hard to have gone through the changes and losses you've faced in the past few years. I 'think that moving to a place where you can be happier will make a world of difference. Never mind that70 year old on the treadmill anyway, you'll get there!0 -
Susannah, I have been putting off making my appointment. I know I need to, and I am feeling the anxiety just at the idea of setting it up. I know once I do, it will be on my mind until it is over with. I am a little late getting there, so I am also afraid my breast surgeon is going to chew me out. What can I say? My mom died, and I have been in the middle of a tidal wave of emotion and work - trying to get my father situated? I guess that is what I will tell her. She is highly competent, but very cold and not interested in my as a person. My MO has retired, so I need to find a new one. My PCP has been keeping a good, close eye on me, but now I need the mammo and the boob feel. Gotta get that appointment!! Meanwhile, I will be with you in your pocket and heading up the pocket party when you do yours!
Bunkie, when I go walking at the health club, I am very often lapped by old ladies and old men. It bugs me a little, but I keep telling myself that I have very short legs, so what the heck? :-)
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Hi Bunke,
I am glad that you are doing ok. I am also glad that you worked on your strength training. You will improve. Going to the Pottery Barn and William Sonoma is fun. I especially like Pottery Barn.
I moved to Santa Monica in 2006, and they have not cheanged the Promenade since I've lived here. I don't know if they made changes in 2004 or 2005.
Wow 23 pair of cowboy boots, and a cowboy skirt sounds like fun.
xoxo,
Kate
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Hi Suzannah,
Will have a pocket party for you tomorrow. What kind of food do you want? I totally understand your anxiety. You will be relieved with a negative mammo when you are done.
Gigil, Please book your appointment asap. You too will be relieved with a negative mammo when you are done.
Hugs,
Kate
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Josie, lovely pictures!
Kate you put me in the mood for flowing skirts, that's for sure.
I'll bring something for Suzannah's pocket party. Do we have a theme? How about bbq for Memorial Day? I will bring the beer!
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Dear GiGil, Kate and SAB, thanks for the support! I will be holding onto your little hands in my pocket the whole time I'm in the breast center. Your words have meant a lot to me. SAB, what a good idea, I love barbecue! I hope someone has a nice, sweet sauce.
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How about sweet baby rays bbq sauce ? I'll bring that.I'm still trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.I was going to make tacos but no shells.I already fried up the hamburger.
It's the same dilemma even every night.Maybe I should be more organized.Nah that's just not me.I've tried, not working.Sometimes I feel like all I do is work work and fall behind on my housework.I just don't have the energy for it and even though I try to keep up its never enough.My mom came over today after picking my daughter up from school.It wasn't cool.
She means well but ends up saying hurtful things about the house and driving her grand daughter's further away in the process.0 -
Suzannah ,Ok you've got it. How are barbacue chicken and barbacue baby back ribs with sweet sauce? If not what else do you want?
Sab, come to the promenade. There is a nice kiosk there that sells cute skirts.
xoxo,
Kate
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Kate and Josie, I love ribs and chicken!
Josie, I hear you, and feel your pain and exhaustion. Now I only buy precut vegetables, expensive, but anything to save some tedious work.
Just had a crying jag. I hate, hate scans.0 -
Susannah, ((hugs)) it's ok sometimes it helps to cry and let it out.Did you have a mammogram 6 months out also?
My breast surgeon said 1 yr would be fine.I always thought I heard sooner than that?0 -
Josie, I did have a mamo and ultra sound at 6months. Hated that too. Maybe because you were stage 0 you didn't need one at6mos.
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Josie, that puppy's just too cute for words. Your daughter is too.
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Sew, thanks too bad she grew up and likes to run away any chance she gets and likes to chase people on bikes.My pc is down right now so I can't get recent photos a of lackey.Thanks for the kind comments about my daughter.She is a twin of her big sis literally.When my 18 yr old was 10 she looked just like her.Sarah is my oldest she is the blond that's in my avatars.
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Josie....call the Dog Whisperer? I'm amazed at what the guy does, if its true. I do sympathize about the unruly dog problem
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I have had her through 2 classes .She is just a mess.
loving dog but she has some issues.I'm sure part of it is she needs to exercise more.Our lives don't really allow for that too much.She's in our bedroom from 8:00am until 3pm when my son gets home.She used to get to roam free in the house but then started rushing the door when my son got home and would run out the front door.Yesterday she got out because my DH forgot to put her in the bedroom before he left for work.Andy just let her run until she decided to come in.Not good.She chases anyone that walks down the street.I was walking her every evening.But this week it's only been once.Tonight I played ball with her in the backyard until she was wore out.0 -
I had a dog like that years ago. It's tough getting the time to exercise them, especially the bigger breeds who need so much. Perhaps she'll outgrow this, you can always hope.
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Susannah what time are your tests? I am definitely going to be as brave as you are and get it done. I have never had to have mammos and ultrasounds every six months. They have me on a one year recheck, but I am behind on that, due to my mother's death. I am behind schedule!! We will be there in your pocket and that barbeque will be waiting for you when you are done. I hope the food doesn't smell so good, it will give us away in your pocket.
Josie, my daughter's house is chaotic at times. She has a special needs son and a very busy household. I am grateful to be welcomed into her home, and I wouldn't dream of saying anything to make her feel bad about it. Until you walk a mile in someone's shoes... It sounds like you are so darned busy, and a neat and orderly house is something that means the world to someone and doesn't mean anything to someone else. Sometimes it is more important to have peace of mind and be satisfied with your life, no matter what the darned house looks like. I had a mother who believed Saturday was a day for misery and house cleaning. Consequently, I would never think of cleaning on a Saturday. When I am at my daughter's house, if I can do anything to help out, I just do, and she is always grateful for the help because she knows I am doing it to help. Life is hard enough, right?
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I have my six-month mammo coming up in a few weeks. Naturally, my stress is growing--will they find anything? Will they miss anything? I asked for an MRI as well, but apparently, the purpose of the six-month mammo is just to establish a baseline. They assume all the scans, surgery, and radiation, have identified and/or eradicated whatever was lurking around. I think they photo only the one breast. At least, they schedule the mammo one hour before the BS appointment, so there is no waiting for results, and, if there is anything, I guess they can send me right back downstairs for more pics. All of a sudden, I'm doing a lot of self-exams!
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For all of us who are housekeeping challenged: Try flylady.net. She converted me several years ago. Really. She gets you started with one task, just one. Here it is: You are to polish your sink every night before you go to bed. That's it. Well, I did that. Pretty soon all my countertops were clear and my kitchen sparkled. Then the rest of the house.
I'm afraid that with surgery, rads, and all, I've fallen into my old ways and the house is a mess, mess mess. I live in fear that somebody will drop in. After reading your post, Josie, I went back on the site. Her task for today is 15 minutes under your bed. Well, that's not happening today, but I get the idea. Another day this week, it's ditching all those mismatched socks. Another day, it's just dusting the tops of your windows and doors. My issue is I take the all-or-nothing approach, so these little tasks give me permission to not do it all, and that's great. Uh oh. I think I just committed myself to doing it. Ugh!
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Hi GiGil, tests are at 9. Thanks for being there.
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I'll be with you too, Susannah. Sending thoughts and prayers for a nice, normal, and very uninteresting, scan.
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Thanks Brookside and Gigil for understanding.I've tried Fly lady but couldn't keep up I guess.I will eventually get caught up and if I don't the world won't end
Got to go to work.Have a great day.0 -
You won't believe this--after my shower I cleaned the sink and counter top. Then I went downstairs to do hair and makeup, and cleaned that sink. Not my usual before-work activity, I need not tell you. I didn't plan to do it--it just happened. Shocking! Kitchen sink, we need not mention.
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GiGil - Ok I am done. I also had a mother that thought Saturday was for cleaning the entire house and I could not go outside till it was done. She even checked behind my work. Such a perfectionist. Could be why I clean any day but Saturday. Separated at birth I tell ya. Since I am adopted ask your dad!!! Ok just kidding but it is rather strange. I have a domestic diva that comes in every 10 days and does the icky stuff...like toilets, tubs, floors, dust and vacuum. I do the in between and the bedrooms. She has worked for me 8 years and worth every penny.
Ladies I went to the shrink yesterday and we had a good session. She agrees I am stuck in the past with the house etc and time to move on. So that is my focus. She has been my dr for almost 4 years total and I really like her. I remember reading about Sharon Stone last year and she said she had been through a horrible 10 year period with her health, family issues etc and I can relate. The choice to come home and care for my folks was a good one but the house, probate and health issues have kept me here too long. Time to move on. I think I will move next to any of you that bake. I can cook but not bake so here I come.
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