Radiation recovery
Comments
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RunFree that is a great story about your mom's yard sale. My mother used to do the same. She would sell the shirt right off her back if someone wanted to buy it!! I can't believe what people asked to buy and what she sold. Everything any of us left behind - prom dresses, cheerleading outfits, skates, wedding dresses - she sold it and walked away with a nice profit. I think she even sold the bucket full of clothespins she had at the clothesline when someone wanted to buy it!!! As for depression mentality, I think I have it too, and I was born long after the depression. I keep thinking I need to hang onto everything for a rainy day. By the looks of things, I am expecting far too many rainy days!!
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oh the guilt...
Gigi you just reminded me that I'm supposed to gather my donations for a charity yard sale
SAB, more guilt...
scratch scratch....it's spreading....my clothes hurt on my skin today...i put on band-aids over the bad spots and within hours it got much worse. I want to stay home tomorrow...but have essential "stuff" to take care of. Then, my 2 grandkids (6, 9) are coming for the week end and I have no idea what we'll do. !
Sew, you are right, I shouldn't have had that roll in the hay in CA....scratch scratchSusannah, sorry to hear about your friend ... so sad.
My bff's sister got her pathology report yesterday for ILC - had huge tumor and UMX. Many positive nodes. Stage IIIC...she had neoadjuvant chemo which shrunk the tumor for surgery. Now she's going to have rads. After that, uncharted waters...am praying that it has not left her axillary area and that she can be cancer free. Doc has not given her any prognosis or encouragement. I think he is worried and this sister of my friend is deliberatly avoiding the truth and chooses to live in denial. Her (idiot) boyfriend keeps asking about reconstruction and TEs. NOT happening. It is hard for my bff who is a lactation consultant and understands the seriousness. I hate BC. This bff of mine is NY city this week end and never asks me to meet up with her. It makes me sad...She seeks out all these random people to see and doesn't make time for me. I will always love her unconditionally and be her rock, though.
I did confront my department chair for a clarificaiton...he deferred to the union VP who is my colleague and co-author. Not a great history there ... Thing is, I read the union contract and all written interpretations of seniority and bumping process and there is nothing that excludes my request. However, I am asking only for clarificaiton and not for the extra night of work at this point. Of course my chair can never be wrong and he flipped blame back on me...but I flipped it right back. Last summer he offered me the exact thing that I requested this year...now he says I requested it last year, and he was wrong to go along with me (not true not true)... Here's the thing...I need 69 teaching credits for my next promotion. I already have 21. But losing two summer classes in a row sets me back another year for promotion. Since I'm already 64, each year matters. I think I'll work another 6 years but we never know how the health will hold up.
My defense? to become certified for every intro-level Earth Science course offered so that I can bump anyone with less seniority.
Second line of defense: put a pool in my yard, rent my house for part of the summer, go to a beautiful quiet place and do NOT work.Kate, I see your wisdom and have decided not to add the extra night of work. I have enough...and plenty to do.
Bed time...will catch up with everyone as my grandkids allow! They are precious, but I need to keep them busy.
Right now, I'd love to jump in the ocean and let the salt water heal my broken skin...it' just a little (no, a LOT) cold even though the air temps are heading to 90 degrees.
Anybody here know if salt in a bath would work?Hugs and happy start of the week end...hey can I wear my white pants and flip flops now?
JPS - good to see you here, April. Janis, glad the knee shot is working.
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Joan I have had white pants on all day, and a nautical hooded top. It is time. Ooh! Sorry about the itch. Grandkids and entertaining I am a pro. I just let them call all of the shots and I follow along. Sometimes we eat at Noodles and Company, sometimes we go to Target early in the morning, sometimes we go to movies. The older they get, the more expensive the ideas become. One day we went to Michaels and bought a kit with foam Easter eggs and little thingamajigs to paste onto the eggs to decorate them. Even my college aged granddaughter joined in that fun. We watch kid movies, make tons of popcorn and kid friendly food. I basically become a kid again and just hang out with them. We color, paint, mosaic, knit. All the while movies are going on in the back ground. The grandkids are the easy ones. Get them away from mom and dad and they are much nicer to grandma. Ha! Ha! They never want to go home and get back to reality. Love it!
Sounds like your situation at work is laced with politics. I just love how people like that can bend the rules and plead amnesia and you just have to put up with it. They wouldn't know how to function if they ever stepped out of their fiefdoms, I fear. They won't step out though because it is too easy to stay.
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Joan I forgot about how much they like making peanut butter cookies and rolling the dough in their own hands and smashing them down with a sugared fork. Another time I bought ready made dough in the refrigerator section, and they made their own pizzas.
One of my best memories was the day my granddaughter then aged 10 and I shopped at an antique shop and got her the cutest old fashioned party dress for little or nothing, and a hat. I had a similar dress and straw hat at home. We went home and made tea cookies and sandwiches and had an old fashioned tea party in the back yard. It was a garden tea party - a great memory for both of us, now that she is 22.
On a more serious note. So sorry to hear about your friend's sister. It is is hard seeing someone else going through this maze of uncertainty with no promises. Hugs to you for having to sit on the sidelines, and not being able to help. That is so difficult.0 -
Sew- haha That is what I need. janis baking something good. It would offset all this crazy stuff.
Kate- Ok no problem. just thought I missed it. Love your skirts and glad you are doing better. You are one tuff cookie.
Runfree - It is a lot of work. This took me 3 years. I still look around and see stuff that needs to go. I kept some of my moms old bedroom furniture so I would not have to buy any till I get where I am going. That will be donated so if I look at it all I am quite downsized. I am only planning on keeping my dads old rustic bar from the 50s. It is small and a good memory and my moms antique desk that she got from a great aunt. Everything else is out of here. She has a old buffet that she painted green with gold trim that I was going to keep but have changed my mind. Just do a little at a time. One closet, one drawer etc.
Janis - I wish you were here too but thanks for the support. I keep looking at all this in the last 10 years as a hurdle I have to jump. I can see the goal but still have 3 or 4 more to go and I am tired. I keep saying if I could get a whole year without issues I would be over the top. Good luck with that yard sale.
Gigil - You know you are on the right track. That bathroom will be a great way to start. I had all of moms old meds and years of stuff they had. Then I had my own. I threw out all mismatched, old, hard to the touch or torn sheets and towels. Actually the towels ended up as basement clean ups I keep. So good use there. I have all my stuff in plastic bins also and there is still more I can weed through.
My collection of Southwest Cookie Jars is down to about 20. They are displayed in my breasfast nook on shelves above. There were about 38 or more. I donated them and other Southwest stuff to my family reunion and they went up for auction for the family fund. Raised about 500 and kept it going. I still have about 40 sets of salt and peppers.... not touched. Before they start to work on my basement I still have to remove all I want to keep and put it in a storage unit.
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Good Morning y'all and Happy Friday!
So glad we move to often to collect much stuff...yeah 2 homes but I'm more of a minimalist. Maybe it's all those years living on a sailboat...no room for stuff.
Kate - so sorry about the leg...15# oh my. Loading up those pockets on your mighty warrior princess coat...we will all be there Monday (((squeeze))) cake balls wine giggles and more!
Hoarders RunFree, GiGil, Janis, Brookside...I'm laughing it is hard to let go and I hate to clean, but can't handle mess...but beware if you open a door or drawer. My mom use to do inspections...if there was a mess in closet or dresser she kept those items a week do it again and it went to good will ugh! I hand all my clothes up...no folding...hangers
Bunkie - wish the house would just ago finally fix itself and be on the market with a SOLD sign fast! Then you could return to sunny CA:)
Sew - did PT make your painting ok! Hope so:)
Joan - how's poison oak...nasty stuff ugh! Santa Barbara hiking got me some so bad:) don't stretch or spread...
SAB - have fun kayaking! Watch the arm:)
Susannah - hope this has even a better week and it s Friday:) yippee
Josie - go walk the pup, catch a fish, and let daughter make dinner!
April - rad fatigue seems to come and go...slept 10 hours the other day so pacing myself. Think our bodes are working hard to make all new beautiful tissue in our breast:) and you are so busy...work, dad, kitty, family. Try and find time for you!
Take care all...this thread so busy...sending a carefree weekend full of laughter and fun
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(((Hugs)))
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Bunkie when my mom died it was pretty sudden. My sister and I came to see her from out of state and found out she had lung cancer. It is complicated. My brother was a lifelong heroin addict who lived with her. My sister and I were able to get some of the old family items but there wasn't much. My brother did not show up for her service. After the service we went to her apartment and it had been stripped. Nothing left but the trash. My mom's BF had a lot of rental homes in Reno and she said you can call these companies that will come quickly and take everything and give you a lump sum of cash. My brother and his daughter had apparently done this, then vanished. We were lucky we had gotten some things a few days earlier. My mom rented and didn't collect anything. So I have never had to deal with the death of a parent and inheriting anything. My dad is still alive, he lives in NM with his much younger girlfriend. She will get everything I am sure. So really my challenge is just to thin out things I no longer use. I used to love long earrings and I have a zillion pair. They are all going out for fifty cents a pair. It won't free up any storage space but I feel better getting rid of things I don't use. I think you have a much greater challenge with all you have had to deal with. One day at a time, it is all any of us can do.
Gigil you are an amazing grandma! What lucky grandkids you have. You are fun and creative and clearly they adore you. The memories you are making will stay with them for life. What a gift you have given them!
I am happy to bake away for all of you, anytime!
Joan I am sure that poison oak is miserable. I don't think soaking would hurt, thinking an oatmeal bath would be soothing. They do make oatmeal soak products. I hope you find some much needed relief very soon my friend.
Kate I am sorry the leg is still so swollen. I can imagine how uncomfortable that is. I hope you see some improvement very soon.
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Janis, thank you. I was kind of an uptight mom, a decent student, a rebellious daughter. Being a grandma is what I was born to do. I have loved every minute of it. I am grateful for my grandkids and their love. My sister always envied me because it didn't look like her daughters would give her any grandkids - career women all four of them. She just got her first grandchild. She is as over the top in love with him, as I am my grandkids. I am so happy for her. They brought him to visit recently, and I forgot how sweet they are when they are so little. My 42 year old son just told me they are expecting! Surprise for me! I thought our baby days were over in this family.
Next week we are celebrating last day of school with a couple of them. My 14 year old granddaughter is having the governor of MN at her school and she has to be the one to introduce him! Fun!0 -
Janis and Cindy thank you so much for your support
Cake balls, wine and giggles sound perfect after my chemo treatment Monday. Thank you!
xoxo,
Kate
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Kate, your two weeks off went too quickly! I hope these next sessions of chemo will help with the leg swelling. Once that fluid moves out, you will be so relieved! Count me in on the pocket party. What are your plans for the weekend?
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Joan, if it continues to get worse, or becomes unbearable go get some help. DH is terribly allergic, and he gets a course of steroids at the clinic when it is very bad. I'm very sorry to hear about bff's sister. Denial is easy and tempting. Also, your description of dept. politics is really taking me back--I can just feel the frustration. On a happier note, I agree that crafts or baking are super fun with little kids. Last time my niece and nephew were here I bought little unfinished birdhouses at Michaels, and they painted and decorated them.
Gigi you make me look forward to being a grandma. But not too soon!
Kate, you know I never miss a party. Do we have a theme? I'm thinking maybe disco??? We can make the cake balls look like those mirrored balls that used to hang in the clubs.
To all of you who are having garage sales this weekend, hats off! I hope you make lots of money, and feel light and free when you are done.
Cindy, I will take your advice and dig my sleeve out for kayaking. We have decided to go ahead with the bay tour because they use open deck kayaks. We will take a lesson in the harbor, and then a guided paddle along the coast. I'm going to call them right now to reserve, hope I can still get a slot. It's dd#2's bday today, she is 17, and older dd is coming home to surprise her so we will have a family paddle tomorrow morning! I'm so excited! Also excited that there is real, honest to goodness, with sugar and everything cake in the house....and also a real cheescake in the fridge for my bday on Sunday. I'm going to need DH to tie me to my chair! Or tie me to the car and run me around for extra exercise.
Have a great weekend everyone.
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Gigil it is what we teach our children and grandchildren that matters. I have no means to spoil my grandson with gifts, but always loved having him come visit. Now we are separated by far too many miles. I haven't seen him in two years, and he will be 12 soon. You are so blessed to have those grandchildren close by. I loved reading all the things you do together and how creative everyone is. You are teaching them valuable lessons with your special fun time. They learn so much while having such a great time. I love it all, the freedom to let them express themselves and find joy in the simpler things in life. All the cooking and popcorn and kiddie movies, activities galore. I was really impressed to read that you knit together. What a dying art that is! My mom was a fabulous knitter and I never learned. She also sewed beautifully, another craft I didn't learn well. These children will grow up with amazing memories fo a grandma who was no just fun, but creative and patient and happy. I am not expressing this right at all, too much brain fog. I think you are an amazing hands on Grandma and those kids will carry this with them for life.
Cindy I am a major non hoarder, but some things have gotten away from me. I really despise clutter and no longer collect anything. Many years ago I collected owls....mugs and little figurines, all sorts of owl stuff. over the years I thinned it out so much I have just a few things left. Moving frequently does that you know? I got tired of packing and unpacking and trying to find places for things in a different home. We have about 700 SF less in this house than the previous one, and no storage at all. So I will pitch more and more for this garage sale and donate all that is leftover.
Have a wonderful day ladies. Know always how much I cherish you all.
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Janis, thank you so much. I feel so validated knowing that being a mom and a grandma are the two things I have really felt confident about doing in my life. I had a wonderful grandmother who loved me unconditionally. I learned how much that affected my self image. My parents loved me, and so did my other grandmother, but not in that same no holds barred way. Thank God I had that. I just want to pass that on to my future generations. It was started by my little grandma. I wish you could see your grandson more. I feel your love for him in your posts.
I have collected miniature porcelain boxes, cookbooks, porcelain dolls, eagles, teapots, antique paper dolls. Then I stopped collecting things. I realized it was piling up with no place to even display things. I have stopped accumulating "things". Now it is time to distribute them into the universe - or at least the family. They are being enjoyed in rubbermaids!0 -
Janis - Wow that is a story. I am so sorry that happened. Some people just think of themselves. You know the drugs are his problem and that particular drug is ugly. There are no good ones but that is particularly hard. I have a friend who used to live with the base player of the group Funkadelic. Back in the 70s and 80s they were the rage for dance music at clubs. She was crazy about him but he did heroin and it was awful. He was such a talented base player but he made her life hell. She finally left him. He recently got clean and is in England playing someplace. Hopefully your brother will come around. Too bad about your father too. My mom was a collector of all things antique...I thought. She had these really beautiful vases all over the house. I just knew they were worth something. After I looked close at them they all had chips or cracks and she glued them. Her original tables she had redone with new legs etc. There is only that one desk that I will keep. Might be of value or not. One step at a time. That is how I roll.
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Janis, I was very touched by your story, as I am by everyone's story on these pages. But yours....a lot of heartache there. I wish I could have all of you as cousins. My sweet brother was an alcoholic, died from it a few years ago. His daughter had moved to Seattle years before, is barely in touch with us now. When my mom died, also suddenly, 2years ago my husband and friend helped me clear her apartment, it was so hard.
It must be very hard to have your grandson so far away.
Bunkie, I feel for you in your struggles to sort through your own and your mom's possessions. And Joan, the poison ivy, what a mess.
GiGil, I'm sure you are both a great mom and grandma, u have a lucky family.
Kate, let's get the cake balls ready!! And I think we should frost them!0 -
Ladies, would love your thoughts on this I have been going downhill with radiation "burns" since I finished rads a week ago. I'm one big blister, oozing, extremely uncomfortable. Have been using Silvadene and Domeboro soaks several times a day, but only temporary relief. Even got prescription for Hydrocodone, which only took the edge off. Today I begged RO to look at me, she said being on Herceptin further aggravates radiation "burns". That was news to me. She slathered the creme on and put Telfa non adherent pads on -supposed to leave on for 24 hours. I have searched the Internet about this Herceptin interaction and could find nothing, but I felt like I was going crazy because few woman complained about this much pain. She also gave me stronger pain meds. Hoping in another week I will be ok! Anyone ever heard of this?
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mainegirl I haven't heard of that reaction. I do remember being almost crazy with exquisite pain and peeling. My breast literally peeled like a grape. The dressings they put on made me feel itchy and gooey. I could only tolerate it for so long. I hope you feel some relief soon. It took me awhile to be able to tolerate anything but a loose cotton t-shirt. I got so tired of slathering on grease. The emu oil helped the most. It was light weight and healing. I asked my husband who is an MD if he thought it could be infected. His answer to me, "After all of that radiation, do you think any bacteria could be alive there?" Made sense to me.
Susannah my brother died from alcoholism also. He had just turned 40. He had a spinal disease, and he depended on alcohol and pain meds, more and more. He went through treatment, but his wife had checked out on him, so I feel he had just given up. Janis, it must have been a heartbreak having your brother so addicted and being so self centered in feeding his addiction. It might even be harder having your mother's things snatched away like that. You didn't even have a say in what you might have wanted to treasure.0 -
mainegirl I did some quick research and saw a lot of support for doing both at the same time, to insure effectiveness of the rads. I know in my case, it got worse before it got better after rads. Give it another week and see how it is, unless you begin to run a fever or something unusual. I sympathize with your pain. Hugs!
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Because I am going to have a yuckie day Monday with a 5 hour chemo treatment I decided to have another girlie-girl today. Monday will be a darn long day too. I will get picked
up at 7, blood draw 8, treatment 9-2, but it always goes a mininimum of an hour or two longer, and then a ride home in rush hour. So, I treated myself today to get my hair flat ironed, and I bought a new turquoise skirt. I am at the donut shop, but Kelly is not here. If she comes back in time I will see if she will take a photo of my new skirt. My salmon skirt and this turwoise skirt are exactly the same except two different colors.
xoxo,
Kate
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mainegirl I too had some pretty nasty burns following rads. My RO called it a 'bad skin reaction'. Ya think? The hardest part was sleeping. I slept in soft cottom tee shirts but during the night the sores weeped and the tee would glue to my skin. That wasn't pleasant. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the ointment they finally prescribed. Not Silvadene. There was not much I could do but let it run its course. Take the pain meds and if ice helps by all means use it wrapped in a towel. Mine cleared up eventually but I had a rough couple of weeks.
Gigil, Susannah, I was surprised to hear of the early loss of your brothers. I am so sorry. My brother Phil, the one who sold everything, passed away a few years ago. My other brother Rich, my best friend growing up, committed suicide when he was 34. He suffered from alcoholism and depression but it was when his wife left him for another man he couldn't cope. We were 16 months apart and he was my protector growing up in an unstable home. Both of my brothers had such sad issues, while my sister and I are both stable. I have had a lot of sadness in my life, but I try to stay focused and positive.
So, I think cake balls are definitely in order and Kate can bring the wine! We just have to have a party!
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Hoping to give you all a lift with a great story. My grandson Cole, who is confined to a wheelchair couldn't go on his class field trip today, so his teachers and personal aid arranged a flight for him with a local flight service. As you can see by his face, he was elated. He loves airplanes and knows everything about them.
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Janis, you have had a lot of heartache. I am glad you and your sister had each other. Too much pain!! We really do need to have a party. You get going on those cake balls and Kate, if you will do the wine, I will bring some good music!! What does everyone like?
Yes please on those pics Kate.
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Gigi, yay for Cole, and for his great teacher.
Kate, good idea to treat yourself today, I'm hoping Kelly come in time to take a,photo.
Janis and Gigi, maybe men are just more fragile than women. How sad to lose both your brothers Janis, and to have one of them steal off in the night. My dad committed suicide. He was a very sweet, kind man, but had serious issues with depression. My mom and I were always stronger than my dad and brother.
Glad we're all here.0 -
Kate - Turquoise is my favorite color. Always has been. I have a room that color and plenty of clothes but no skirt. Darn it I bet it is pretty. I also have a ton of silver and turquoise jewelry from all my travels to Mexico, Santa Fe and Az.
My friend finally came by and got the avatar to work. I would have NEVER been able to do all that stuff he did.
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Gigil - What a cutie he is and how happy he looks. There are still plenty of good people.
Maingirl - I also had some bad rads burns that got worst after I was done. Took about a month to heal under my breast. That crease was all icky and raw. It finally healed over. I used Aquaphor and Aloe Vera gel because I was allergic to everything else. I even had a fever and the breast was hot all the time. I took cool showers and wore white cotton t shirts. I also used Kleenex folded under my breast to absorb sweat. I still do that and it has been 6 mos since I ended rads.
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Gigil what a fabulous picture! Bless his heart. How thrilled he must have been. He is absolutely precious. That sweet smile speaks volumes. How sweet of his teachers and his aid to make this happen for him.
Kate, glad you had some retail therapy, I know it cheers you up. I hope you get to post some pictures.
Susannah in our family the men definitely seem to be the most troubled. My uncle, my dad's only sibling, was bi-polar. He committed suicide when he was 50, eight months before my brother. That was a rough year. I am so sorry about your dad. How tragic. My niece, borther's only child, was ten when he died. She was such a daddy's girl and today she has no real memory of him. That is really a sad loss for her. He adored her.
Bunkie your jewelry collection must be beautiful. I love silver and turquoise too and the SW collections. I don't have any but I love how unique some of the hand crafted pieces are. Pretty stuff!
I am in the mood to party ladies. We should have a pajama party!
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BUNKIE, I love that picture of you - so pretty. I forgot that I did the same. I used either kleenex or a piece of gauze under my breast to keep the skin from touching. It helped to keep things from chafing. That fold underneath was slow in healing for me as well. I had to keep my breasts turned away from the flow of water in the shower, even that hurt too much.
Susannah, my brother left a note on the day he died as well. No one has verbalized it, but it was obviously a suicide. His wife got his note and never shared it with us. We suspect she had told him she was leaving him and he couldn't cope. My younger brother has had his battles with alcohol too, but he is ex-military and very self disciplined. He stopped on his own and has a very successful life and happy marriage. He started his work career in Europe, and has never moved back to the US. Because he is ex-military, I always tease him about being CIA. He just looks at me, and comments very little. Who knows? He is a very happy guy. Thank God! My two sisters and I have always been there for each other. He has been pretty absent, sadly, but he is a lot younger than we are.
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Agreed Janis! A pajama party with lots of food and laughing. We all need it. Maybe Kate can give us some beauty tips. I see that turquoise skirt with a crisp white blouse and a silver and turquoise belt at the waist. or brushing the waist and hanging down a bit. Matching turquoise earrings with that blond hair? Killer!!
P.S. I cried when I saw the picture of Cole. It touched my heart so!!
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Hi Gigil,
Unfortunately my two weeks off of chemo have gone by too quickly. I pray that the next three treatments will take away my leg swelling. My doctor friend wasn't feeling great so we canceled Malibu till next Friday. I had fun today getting my hair flat ironed, and buying a new skirt. Nothing special planned for the weekend just rest and relaxation. I will try and stay in air conditioning as much as possible, because it will be 80 here. That is hot for Santa Monica. Than you so much for your support Gigil. It is very sweet of you to think of me when you have so many issues of your own. What are your weekend plans?
xoxo,
Kate
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I have some I Love Lucy pjs I will take out for the party. I want cake balls.
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