Radiation recovery
Comments
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I did neon pink toes and fingernails yesterday, and I love it. OMG it is so girlie-girl. I wore my turqoise skirt yesterday and with my neon pink nails it looked like the decor of Elvis's house lol. Small things makes me happy too.
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Kate,
I love the neon toes!!! You certainly have some tough decisions. I do hope you have some real choices and you find one you can accept. Seems like that has been your life for the past year plus...acceptance. You have gone from multiple breast procedures to dealing with a new cancer. You are doing things you never thought you would do...and I must say, with courage and grace.
Kate, I know you miss yor grandchildren and children very much...I pray that soon you will be visiting with them again, laughing and smiling.
I cannot help feeling a little sad over my DD's family moving...I just want you and others to know that I know I have no reason to complain...I have health right now; I can drive and visit; they aren't that far. Sometimes we just have to work through the emotion...
It is the most beautiful, perfect day here and for some reason, i justcan't think of what to do. I am glad that I have the day off....will probably walk on the beach.0 -
So glad you finally have the referral! All told, probably you're better off with the partial--bladders are cranky enough with all their little parts in place. A total replacement is just going offer more risk and maybe not much reward. You've already got the initial recommendation. Now #2 will give you more detail, and a much better Kate-specific recommendation. Go right ahead, brave neon-toed warrior princess, and write down all those, "What if. . ." questions.
Yay on counting down to the end of chemo. I'll bet you one margarita and two donuts (actually reverse that--I'm more of a two margarita/one donut type) that your onc will have really positive things to say about the couple of extra rounds, and you'll be putting them right in your calendar.
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Brookside and Joan thank you so much for your support. You both have been so nice to me. Joan a day off walking on the beach sounds great for you. brookside I am more of a two margarita 1 donut type myself.
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(((Kate))) - we are all in your pocket today!
Glad it's short chemo day...cause those cakeballs and guac are going to our waists...lol!
Sending calm confident thoughts and prayers ...this will be a good week brave warrior!0 -
Thanks for your support Cindy. I love your posts!
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Cindy, you always make me smile!!!
I'm with Brookside and Kate...
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Janis - OMG!!! That is awful. It is common too. That is why I was happy to be able to move home and care for both my parents. Living in Cali I could not get a straight answer and my step brother and sister were closing in on the house and my parents money. Money needed for their care. Everyone is right about Adult Protective Services. They do great work if it is caught early. There are some really awful people out there.
Kate - A girlie day for sure!! You deserve it. Glad you are getting to the right Dr's and your care will be in their hands. I really miss margaritas sound great. I used to take my mom to a place called Islands in Pasadena and they had those frosty, big, strawberry margaritas and we would down 2. Then both walk down the block to my apt....such fun. As much time as I spent in Mexico on vacations I got real used to that drink. Yum!! I was also concerned the other day with that crazy man driving down Venice. I was thinking you were there with your friend. Thank God you were not. It looked close to that sidewalk cafe everyone eats at. My favorite color is Turquoise and hot pink is second. Nice together.
I may be off here for a few days. I am going to attempt to go down half a MG on my steroids tomorrow. The withdrawal is sometimes off the charts. My skin crawls, my legs and eyes twitch and I itch all over. Add to that muscle cramps, throbbing pain and crawling about my home with my cane for several days. Last time I tried was 2 summers ago. I was at 6mgs and got to 5. I had 3 kidney stones and ended up in the hospital twice. I was going to try to drop last year but had the BC and docs said not to upset the balance. So here I go. Wish me luck that I can drop that half mg and then try the other half in the fall. My goal is off but if I can not get there I will settle for 3mgs. There is a tiny part of me that says some of my symptoms could be this darned drug. Drs just want to leave me on it and I am determined to get off.
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Gosh, Bunkie. Reducing your steroids sounds absolutely horrid. Can you go down by bits (I always like to break or bite pills into little teeny bits when changing dosages)? And if it does knock you for a loop, please do go ahead and post. Some of us (little old me) complain here all the time about far lesser things.
Also, Janis, do not be afraid to keep following up with Adult Protective Services, should you decide to contact them. In our state, it took an actual lawsuit to get them on top of their responsibilities. Hopefully, your dad's is miles ahead of this one, but, still, squeaky wheels get oiled.
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Hi y'all
Bunkie - sending positive thoughts and prayers for your reduction of steroids ...here's to your success with minimal SEs
. We'll be in your pockets!
Kate - our girlie girl princess warrior in hot pink and turquoise shut up:))) you rock!
Janis - what a nightmare...gold digger...Stop Her! Call APS thank goodness you are there to protect your dad!
Sew - (((hugs))) to you and sil...prayers coming:)
Joan - a walk on the beach sounds perfect:) sound of the surf, ocean breeze, white foam casing your steps oh Coronado Island is calling...
Brookside - the sakes are high...raise you two bear claws and a sangria with umbrella, yeah our Kate's got this:)
Josie & SAB - how's your week starting? Sending happy happy thoughts for doors opening and career advancement that brings personal satisfaction and recognition of your talents. Until than join us at the donut shop after yoga...lol:) child's pose
GiGil - everyone ok at your house...hubby, dad, Cole on the mend...time for a girls day out for massage & mud bath. Let the gd surprise you!
RunFree - still a few more weeks to rock the summer dresses:) neighborhood party? We rotate in our neighborhood...Thursdays a Cheers sign goes up and then whoever comes and we all hang out...fun getting to meet neighbors...before it was walking the GC and porching ha.
Ok for those who did rads with me...is your girl still peeling...mine has for past 3 weeks...maybe too much clothing...back to emu oil and free boobing. Texture looks odd.
(((Hus to all )))
Cindy0 -
Hey Cindy, I think peeling now is probably just fine. You only just finished rads not that long ago. Better to peel than be left with the dark skin areas I had which took 1 1/2 yrs to go away! Yep...keep up with that oil, lotion everything. Skin will love it
So..bad news is SIL has BC. Sees the surgeon tomorrow and right now doesn't know the type or anything useful..... Ugh. She's taking it quite positively and we will get her thru this although she lives 6 hours from the family. So we'll see. Oh, and my sister told me last month that her husband's prostate cancer has metastasized into his spine. He's been on hormone treatment about 5 years, had surgery and rads for it initially and now rads for the pain of the spread. What a mess. I think I'll just hide with my head under the covers......0 -
Kate I am so happy to hear about your neon nails! I was going to say sign me up for two donuts and a margarita, but then Cindy went and said bear claws and sangria and now I am torn. If it's a pink or white sangria, yes, that please. And maybe....chocolate/chocolate-chip muffin?
Joan, of course you are sad. That is a sad-making situation. It's so nice that you have the beach to walk on, but that wouldn't wipe out the sadness.
Bunkie, that sounds awful--I hope the steroid scale-back goes much better this time. I agree with Brookside that you could try 1/4 pill or something first, but maybe you would rather try 1/2 because you know what 1mg feels like. I hope we hear from you soon and in good shape.
Cindy, I'm not peeling, but the itching has come roaring back in the past few days, after quieting way down for the past month. Both weekend nights this weekend, I got so itchy I got kind of panicky. I HAD to scratch, and every scratch made me itch more. Friday night we were in a hotel and the itching woke me up at 3 am. It was so awful I did not know what to do. Finally I put a very cold wet washcloth on it and then clapped my hand over it and slept on my stomach like that. Just the pressure was the best I could do and eventually I was able to get back to sleep. Saturday night we were back home, and this time, again at 3 am, I tried Benadryl anti-itch gel, but it didn't help at all. So I washed that off with a cold washcloth and then put on my good old aloe gel, and that actually worked. Now I'm back to aloe after a shower and before bed. Two steps forward, one step back.
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(((Sew))), I am so sorry about this news for your SiL. I hope she will have a good pathology report and good choices. But we all know what a shock this is for her and how it changes things. And your BiL too....oh that is just so sad that he is having to deal with this dreaded disease. And you, trying to hold everyone together....wish I were there to give you a hug and a listening ear. You have been through a lot this year.
Bunkie, I hope you will be able to wean off the steroids over time. It's a wonder drug, but long term it takes its toll. Sorry you have such side effects when you change the dose.
Cindy, Runfree, I can't relate to the post-rads itching and peeling....I did have it during rads, but within 2 weeks after, all skin effects were gone for me...then the shrinking breast brought things back to "normal"...I just have tenderness and lumpiness inside. From what i hear, your skin irritations are quite normal. I hope they resolve soon.
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Bunkie ,good luck with the smaller dose of the steroids.That's terrible,the bodies withdrawal symptoms.We will be thinking of you sweetie.Take care.
Sew, I am so sorry about your SIL.We were all hoping it wasn't cancer.My prayers are with her.
Kate How fun to have with the neon colors.I let my DD paint my toenail tonight.She had a mani/pedi today with her Grandma and they put a little flower on her big toes and the one finger nail on each hand.I guess she thought she was an expert.It was cute and kind of messy but fun.
Cindy sounds like your girl still is healing.If I remember correctly you had some more peeling than usual during Rads didn't young nipple area seems still moist and peeling a little thanks to the swelling keeping it constantly slightly inverted.I have been sleeping on that side again.I having been sleeping to well lately.I wake up around 3hours after falling asleep then it takes me like an hour to get back to sleep.And I'm hot then I'm cold then hot.It's a battle sometimes half the night.
Maybe the tamoxifen?
Run free, sorry to hear about your itchy.
Hope it gets better .How are you sleeping.Are you having problems too?0 -
SEW sorry to hear about your SIL and also your BIL. I know the feeling of wanting to just hide! We are all holding steady here. Cole gets the pins out of his leg on Wednesday this week. I hope your SIL's path report is not too serious. She just doesn't need this!
Kate hope your second opinion gives you a better idea about the treatment plan for you. I love the sounds of your girlie nails. It inspires me to get something done with my hair and maybe my nails.
Bunkie, I hope this taper goes smoothly for you. I will be sending you positive energy.
Joan, I am glad your DD and gd's will be within driving distance for you and that you are well and able to visit them. My gd was with me for almost 3 weeks. I miss her lively spirit around here. I love the idea of the pop beads. My Maya would love those!
Cindy, your neighborhood sounds like so much fun! We have a neighborhood meet and greet here tomorrow night. Maybe I will go and see who lives around here. It is all relatively new, so we don't know each other that well.
Josie, I am betting on the tamoxifen. It sounds like my experience with menopause.
Brookside, I am always impressed with your advice. Janis, I hope you and your sister can do something to protect your dad.
RunFree sounds like nerves reattaching or healing from rads. Itching can sometimes mean healing.
Good night everyone. Hope you are resting well tonight.0 -
Sew, I'm so sorry to hear about your SIL and your brother. Sometimes it just seems like nothing goes right. Warm thoughts and prayers being sent your way, and theirs.
RunFree, do you have cortisone cream? They gave me some during rads when the icky itchies started. It helped then.
So glad Cole is making progress. Hope his healing goes quickly.
Cindy, I'll meet your sangria with a pitcher of bloody Mary's, and raise you by making it with cucumber vodka. Yummmm. You may have to keep an eye on those bearclaws, however. I suspect they're on their way to my side of the table.
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Morning...so I woke up hurting all over from the rain and dampness. I am still going to come down I think but am taking the advice offered here and maybe cutting my 1mg pill into 4 pieces. Thank goodness I have hundreds of them because they crumble easy. Thanks for all the well wishes.
RunFree - I had that awful itch for a bit too. I still use Aloe Vera after my shower each day and aquaphor on my nipple. If I don't I get really itchy and sore. Go figure.
Sew - I still have that dark skin on my boob. I wish I had peeled more. I did underneath but not the top and it now rubs off on my stretch bra. Icky. I am so sorry about your SIL. That is too far away. I hope she will be OK. Prayers to her.
Brookside and RMlulu - Yep steroids suck. Thanks for the good wishes. They really do help when you need them but MI uses them different than Cali. My Drs out there hit you hard and brought you back down and off within months. They believed the benefit was in the first few months so the body would not get dependant. All my Dr's in Mi believe in a big dose for a month and then a maintenance dose for several years. It turns into the rest of your life. The side affects are what I hate and now the addiction is so hard to break. I begged to go to rehab after mom died but they do not consider this drug a controlled substance. I think anything you can not just drop is addictive. Jerry Lewis went into rehab for 4 mos to get off. I should have been rich.
GiGil, Kate, Josie, and Joan - Thanks for the positive energy and support.
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Thank you all for the wonderful advice and suggestions. I did get a copy of his new will yesterday. Lola pretty much gets the pie. He left her the house and all the conrtents, that was no surprise. The rest was. His investment accounts stay earning interest, she can't touch the principal but she gets all of the interest and profits from those accounts for the rest of her life. Only when she dies do we get the principal. My step sister gets 50% and Susan and I each get 25. Lola is only 60 so I expect she may outlive us all. Basically she got it all.
I have so much going on right now. I have an ablation on my neck tomorrow and it has to be done in the hospital, not the surgical center. I am hoping I can leave Thursday morning. Going on a long drive to see my son and DIL in Colorado.
My dad made his choice as Joan said I believe. This is what he wants. I think I will back away for now and let him live his life with her. The stress is making me crazy and I need to realize he did make these choices. Possibly under duress, but he has always chosen his current woman over his family, that is not new. I need to focus on happier things right now.
Thank you all for everything. I will remember all your advice and should I need it it is nice to know the options. I know he would not want me to interfere in any way.
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Janis your words are wise and well thought out. You need to keep peace of mind. That is most important.
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Question - figured I'd come here looking for anyone with similar symptoms. My right hand and arm are noticeably colder than the left. Bilateral masectomy (CA on right), chemo, rads x 37. Finished rads in March 2012. I have noticed the muscles in my chest wall are tighter (prob because I quit stretching?) and sometimes painful. I'm wondering if my cold appendage is due to nerve compression in my tight muscles. Makes perfect sense to me but I wonder if anyone else has experienced a cold hand/arm.
Thoughts?
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Sew, you have so much going on and handle it with such calm strength...your family is lucky to have you there having gone through all you have in such a positive way. I hope for good outcomes for sil and bil.
Janis, I am so sorry to hear about your dad. It must feel like a betrayal, and there is little you can do. I think it is a good idea to turn your focus away from his bad choice to your own health and well being. In your pocket tomorrow, bringing hugs.
Kate, good job getting information and considering your choices. We are with you through whatever comes!
Bunkie, Be careful and good luck with the steroids!
Josie, It does sound like Tamoxifen to me too.
Gigi, I hope Cole's pin removal is easy breezy for him.
I know I missed a lot, so hugs to all, I'm back out on the road again with dd, who is having a very enriching experience as a camp counselor at a special needs camp. Will pop in again soon.
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Sab I am so sorry that your sil has breast cancer. Just losing her husband and now this sucks. So sorry about your bil too. Bunkie, I hope you are feeling ok today.
I loved the margaritas and still rocking my neon pink fingers and toes.
I am feeling good today. This weekend my friend and I are going to see Blue Jasmine. has anyone seen it?
I am getting a second opinion for bladder surgery Aug. 26. That is the day of my long chemo, but the appointment is inbetween my blood draw and my treatment. There is usually an hour during that period
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Janis Janis Janis....is this finally and for good and all the complete fix on your neck? The one that's going to work? And you're going to be pain free....well, maybe a little due to normal aging but none of this other horrid shenanigans, right? I'm doing the happy dance for you. I just know this is going to work. And don't you dare rush leaving the hospital too soon....you need to recover before you're met by your big dog kids....those doggie kisses can wait an extra day, we're going to be having an early start on your pocket party as we all want to celebrate how well this is going to work. So....we're starting tonight...grilled veggies, lamb kabobs, chocolate torte and lemon curd for dessert. Lattes and pancakes with fresh blackberries from my yard, orange juice and fresh fruit salad for breakfast, and SAB is surprising us with one of her yummy lunches, Cindy's in charge of games and cheer leading, Kate's bringing the wine, runFree, Joan and Brookside are bringing midnight snacks and second breakfasts, Bunkie volunteered to be the official taste tester and Gigil's bringing hot chocolate and s'mores for late night snacks. So......we'll all be there for you, and if the procedure gets too intense..just join us in the pocket!
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Kate, glad you're feeling good today, makes extending the chemo decision a bit easier I guess.
Bunkie...there's hope yet for you to shed this darker skin. Mine truly did take at least 1 1/2 years from the end of rads. Good luck on decreasing the steroids. I agree that's a good thing to do, although hard to do. We're with you
Ohio4me, I haven't heard of a colder limb, but makes sense to me that with your BMX, and node involvement and the resulting scaring from surgery and rads that it could happen. I'd take up stretching again, see if limbering up helps at all. Mention to your MO at your next appt?
Sab, you're so sweet, thanks for the encouragement. I'm still waiting to hear about the surgical appt she had today. I remember hating all this hurry up and wait business with cancer. So....are you spending time at this camp too while your daughter is being a councillor? Did she meet her summer goals btw?
Gigil, good luck to Cole tomorrow. He is sure one special boy. Hard for all of you
Runfree, glad you found something to work on the itchiness..I do think it's a part of the healing. I just don't recommend going to the block parties while scratching intensely. Good school hasn't started yet, huh?0 -
Hi Kate. I think maybe you meant Sew, who is being a rock for her sil and bil?
Ohio, I don't have an answer for you, sorry, but I do come from Ohio and wish you welcome here. Maybe somebody else will come along with better info.
Sew, dd is earning much needed community service hours, but also learning a lot at this camp. As a bonus it is an organic farm, and the therapist is extremely generous (and insistent) with all of the gorgeous produce! Last night I made eggplant caponata with fresh organic eggplant, tomatoes and basil, picked just an hour beforehand. I'll bring some of that for Janis' lunch, along with a nice kale salad...will pick the kale at camp tomorrow.
Janis, I'm sort of excited for you. I know this is not a fun procedure (understatement) but when it works I hope it will be worth all the preparation and discomfort you have been through.
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Ooooh, Sab, can't we just have this now, and you make another delectable dish tomorrow? I just had dinner and this makes me hungry! Glad this camp is doing so much for your DD.
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Janis good luck tomorrow.Everything will be fine.
Sew forgot me in the pocket party but I will bring homemade whipped cream.
SAB sounds like your daughter found something great and rewarding to do this summer.
Hope I didn't forget anyone.
I'm not in a great mood tonight.My manager and Office manager had a little meeting tonight at work.She had such a scowl on her face as she started by saying the MA position I was offered a few weeks ago has now gone up to 35hours and they will let me be the M A for the Nurse practitioners too.But my manager added that she wasn't sure I could handle the fast pace.Really ???Then the real twist is that if I accept the MA position and it doesn't work out my bone density position will already be filled and I guess I would be out of a job.I am so hurt that she really has little or no confidence in me as an MA and I guess all those 6or 7 weeks of radiation that I came in morning after morning never missing a day doesn't matter at all.Ive been through hell this year but never took a day off except after surgery.Why did I bother?0 -
Josie....I'm so sorry I didn't mention you being with us in the pocket, of course you're here! ...I just knew I'd forgotten at least one of us.....man, that on top of your day at work sure didn't feel good I bet. I sure didn't intend to add to your burden. How disappointing for you to find that your manager is doubting you. Is there someone else that she's favoring but is being required to offer this to you, do you think? What politics they are playing. At this point, I guess you have to decide if you want to be an MA, or stick with your bone density and if you even want to stay with this group..... It's sure hard not to feel valued.
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(((Janis))) hugs and prayers for you.
Josie, I wonder if your manager was upset about other things as well....seems like so many changes going on.
Now, it sounds like there was a little bit of good news in there....the 35 hours .... I know you wanted to work more hours so is this good? You can only do your best work...and it sounds like you are ready for it. I hope you can ignore the toxic environment and just do what you do best.
Hi to Ohio...I also have no experience with the symptoms you describe. Happy to have you here...we do talk about everything from our treatment issues to "what's for dinner"....I am wondering if you also checked any of the other threads where you may find some more specific answers. Wishing you the best.
Why is it when I try to "vacation" at home all I see is work that needs to be done....I didn't get out until 4 PM today...just a walk on the beach...and now the clouds and rain are moving in. I suggested to DH we go somewhere for a few days but I am in a funk and not sure I want to be anywhere else.
DD#2 just asked me to take care of her kids - for 4 days during my last week off. I love them and miss them, but I really need rest. I can't say no...so I guess I should rest up now.Wishing a good tomorrow for everyone...
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Sew no problem I'm sorry I was just in a mood last night after everything.
Janis prayers for you today.
I didn't sleep well last night.Went to bed at 10:50pm and woke up at 4::30am .My son left the tv on.I got up to turn it off and couldn't fall back asleep.
I've made my decision to stay in bone density and possibly find something for the other 2 days a week or maybe something full time elsewhere.Somewhere where I'm appreciated.There is no way I should transfer into a more stresfull position where I'm running patient for a doctor and both NP.Scheduling his surgeries dealing with all the phone calls and results,injections,and 10X more stress for the same amount of pay.No thanks.
Have a good day everybody.I promise I'll be in a better mood tonight.0
