Radiation recovery
Comments
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Runfree, Happy 20th Anniversary. That is a huge milestone! I am so sorry about your discomfort. It really does sound like a combination of things. And i do agree that someone should take a look...even if the dx doesn't change. I hope you were able to rest a bit while away.
Kate, you look great and so glad you had a good time. It will be hard without your friend but you manage to keep busy...and you are here so we will have to give you lots of positive encouragement.
I had my 2 grandkids for 3 days at my house (fishing- both caught 2 fish, beach, aquarium) then their mom came back. I left them all at my house so today I could drive to DD in NJ (moving in 2 weeks - can't believe it). I'll go back home for a few days and then back here to NJ for DD's huge house party. Then Monday I start work...then Labor Day I will be back in NJ and drive with them to MA. Heck, when do I even get to play my "age" card? I'm just glad I can do it...After our staycation and having the kids around, I gained back 2 lbs. The smaller tops I just bought did not slip on so easily today. Back to eating the greens.
Brookside, I am working on that date - DD#2 now says she's planning a party for the 2 grandkids at end of September...not sure what that means or when she will ever tell me which day...typical.
It is hard to be here in NJ knowing that in 2 weeks this "home" will no longer exist. My memories are so good...I love the area...so it is bittersweet. I am not allowed to show my feelings in DD's house...the move is in progress and my job is to help the little girls have as normal a week as possible.
I feel like Mary Poppins this week...0 -
Josie, Thank you for your kind words. I don't think our dd elder will be able to afford a car for a loooong time to come. She's going the starving artist route. But she's so happy making art, and it's hard to imagine her doing anything else. Anyway an old Mercedes (1979) broke down in our driveway. It's pretty junkie, but our tenant said we could have it (a rent deal) and so we are going to try to get it running and give it to dd. Turns out insurance is really cheap on a clunker that old, and she'll have to deal with gas herself.
Kate, Thank you too! I will definitely let you know when I am heading to LA. I could definitely go for an afternoon lunch at the Promenade or Malibu. And window shopping, right?
You won't believe this one...when it rains it pours. I opened my mailbox this afternoon and a letter comes tumbling out from another area college. They have scheduled me in for an interview...wait for it....tomorrow! And they will require a 5 minute presentation. So I guess that's not unusual now, but it still sucks. Of course, it's an entirely different presentation, so guess what I'm doing tonight?
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oops, I guess I should have explained that is dd at the print shop at school where we picked her up!
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Sab, she is a cutie, and looks just like an artist. I'm of the age where the title "Acid Room" just doesn't conjur up a place to develop prints.....tehehe. Good luck on the next interview. Can't you just tweak a few words and present the same rehearsed presentation? Just a thought, know it won't work, but sounded dead easy to me! Good luck. Soon, you'll get the be the one demanding presentations .... of these companies and just why you should accept their job as opposed to another one!
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Loved the car pic!
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Well withdrawal on day 14 is starting with a bang. I got up today and went to get my hair cut and washed. I felt dizzy but not more than normal. I went to Walmart and noticed I felt really tired but that comes and goes too. Came home and did a load of laundry, changed the bed and felt a little weak and my toes went numb. So I came up the stairs to lay down. Took an hour nap and when I got up to get lunch pain shot up my toes and legs. No swelling and not sure what it is but I can not get out of bed really. This ticks me off because I am such a fighter and want off this drug so bad. I called a friend and put them on standby in case I have to go to the ER. I will check things in the morning and if I can stay out of the hospital I will. They will pump me full of steroids. I will not put on the alarm in case I have to call 911 tonight. This is no fun.
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Bunkie, how totally disappointing to have this happen after already fighting so hard. Good luck tonight, I'm hoping this will go away as quickly as it came...((hugs))
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Wow, Bunkie, what a bummer. I sure hope it's not something that says, after fourteen long days, that you need to ramp up the stupid drug again. Maybe if you go to the ER and insist that you're in steroid withdrawal, they'll find another way to treat "it," whatever "it" is. If you were withdrawing from booze, for instance, they'd give you something different, no? I sure hope you have a comfortable night!
SAB, you sound so calm and peaceful--kids are doing what they're doing and you're just being you, rocking those job interviews/presentations.
RunFree, sure hope Lefty is feeling mucho better.
Kate, gorgeous photo. Gorgeous hair. Gorgeous you. And, I think, the beginning of another no-chemo week.
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(((((Bunkie)))) sending thoughts your way and I am hoping that this will pass.
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Bunkie,
So sorry you are not feeling well. This too shall pass. Hugs! Brookside thanks so much for the compliments, and you too truebff. Yes this is another non chemo week Yeah. My 6 hour chemo is Monday Aug. 26. I am going to enjoy this week as much as I can. Wed. is a girlie-girl day. My hairdresser is coming over to color and cut my hair. Laura the girl who does my extensions is coming over to take out the old extensions and put in the new ones. My 2nd opinion urology appointment got moved back to Sept. 16. I have an appointment with My MO Friday to discuss my blood clot, and also to discuss my low blood count that canceled out my chemo last week.
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Strange...notice how everyone's signature lines are repeating?
SAB, time to write a satire about being a professional job seeker....good luck! When I finally got my job, I had 3 to choose from (suddenly). Your DDs are beautiful like their mom!
Sew, how is your SIL doing? Are you still with her? Thinking of you.
Kate, oh how I am sure you would love a month without doctor appointments...
Bunkie, I am sending positive thoughts and prayers that you are up and mobile now or soon. What a frightening situation...I do not think you will lose all your progress; but I think you are right about the hospital freely administering drugs you don't want to take. Be sure to be checking in with others while you ride out this storm.
Had a full day with my Gd - play doh dentist, Friendly's, shoe shopping, TaeKwondo, dinner out, and reading Ramona the Pest.Whew...lights out for me now.
Hugs & love to everyone here.0 -
Bunkie hope your feeling better this morning.God bless!! You are way stronger than me .
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You are a strong, right-minded woman, Bunkie! I am holding out for you and visioning you on the other side of this!
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I am thinking of you Bunkie and hope you are feeling better.
I am so hopeful tonight. Online I found stage 4 bladder cancer survivors that have made it 10 plus years. There is no such thing as false hope. I am so resilient, and I think I can make it 10+ more years. I will give it my best try. I am so hoping my second opinion urologist will agree that I should have surgery. I am praying that after he meets me he will change his mind. In case you forgot my urologist thinks I should have partial bladder removal surgery. After discussing my case with my MO my 2nd opinion urologist thinks I should not have surgery. He has not met me yet, and I don't think he knows my whole health history, for example no diabetes or hearts problems. I am praying that after he meets me and examines me he will agree about surgery, and the only question will be to have partial bladder surgery or full bladder surgery.
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Kate, I loved your VW picture! So fun. I am glad you're doing your girly stuff this week and enjoying your chemo-free time to the hilt. That is very encouraging about those long-term Stage 4 survivors! Waiting for that second opinion appointment is really an endurance test though.
SAB, what is it you do at colleges? Just curious since I work at a college myself. Joan, that is a crazy few weeks you have facing you, and emotional too. I wish you fortitude to get through it all.
Bunkie, my goodness, you are really going through the ringer. I hope you are better today! It is so hard not knowing when the grueling part will end, and now this new batch of scary symptoms on top of it all--too much!
Thanks Joan for the congrats on my anniversary, and everyone for the encouragement about my itching. My husband and I had a lovely peaceful time away, even though I was pretty uncomfortable. By Monday the weeping had stopped--no more sticking to things!--so I decided not to try to see the nurse at the clinic as we drove home. I also think the LE (which is minor-looking anyway) is better. The skin got leathery, but now it is a little calmer feeling and looking in general. However, the bumpy area has spread beyond the radiated skin, which I can't account for at all. Today I went for a consult with a pharmacist, who suggested Aveeno colloidal oatmeal baths which he said are even useful for chicken pox. It turns out to be rather hard to soak one's chest in a bathtub, or maybe my bathtub just isn't very deep, but I managed to do it. I think it helped, and I'll keep it up. I see the doctor Friday.
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Kate, good thoughts and it will give you energy for your meeting with the specialist.
Runfree I was an adjunct at two different universities, and then spent years doing independent training. Combine that with my early years at a couple of ad agencies and you have (I think) a perfect fit for an outward facing staff position...maybe in admissions, university relations or learning initiatives. Those are what I've been going for anyway.
I'm glad to hear that your skin issues may be fading. And that you didn't let them affect your weekend too much.
Bunkie darlin how are you today?
Joan, maybe I should write about this ridiculous process. Hopefully I'll have the current project finished this fall. How is your pre-semester going? Enjoying the kids?0 -
Hi there ladies! Just checking in to say hi. My DD and two grand kids (Cole and Maya) are visiting for the week. We have been keeping very busy doing just as we please. My sister just got back from Boston also. Cole is healing well. Today we went to see Despicable Me 2. We were all giggling and enjoying it. Yesterday it was the zoo and Mall of America for dinner. Three days more to have fun.
Bunkie, hope you are doing okay. I am thinking about you.
Kate you are looking great, and I am glad you are in touch with long time survivors! That is very encouraging!
SAB. Your daughter is gorgeous! Great photo. I have lots of artists in my family. DS is a graphic artist, gd is in fashion design, other gd is showing a lot of talent, DD is an amazing photographer. They always impress and surprise me.
Joan you are such a caring grandma. Your grand kids are lucky to have you.
It is getting time for back to school isn't it? Where did summer go?0 -
So happy you found that bladder cancer website, Kate. If it's even half as great as this one, wow, what a resource! And then you and your new hair extensions have all the rest of this week to vacation from that icky but wonderful chemo. A week to remember!
I can just see you trying to soak your boob in the bathtub. Glad you didn't post the video, however! Might you consider a mere mixing bowl in future? Or a nice drying poultice?
SAB, whatever you decide to do, with that background, you'll knock them dead.
Glad Cole is healing and the family gatherings are getting to be more about getting together, rather than angsting about the poor kid's injury.
Hope today is a little bit better, Bunkie.
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Brookside,GiGil, SAB,RunFree,Kate,trubf,Josie,Joan,Sew,
Thanks for the support my friends. It has been a ruff ride and I am still holding on for dear life. Just checking in. I did not go to the ER. I am either stupid or brave. Not sure which just yet. I am still very fatigued. Like I ran a marathon just today. I stayed in bed all day yesterday. I only got up to go get food downstairs twice and go to the bathroom. My tinnitus is really crazy and I am itching all over. My toes, my knees my chest. Little itch fits and then it moves to another location. I have a bump on my face close to my mouth that looks like a pimple but it isn't. Red and ugly. My eyes are black and I look like a raccoon. My hair is all dry and shedding again. I have been dehydrated even though I am drinking what I can. Trying to watch the salt but had a Lean Cuisine yesterday. I called all my Dr's and what a bunch of dumb medical professionals. They all know how to get you on a maintenance dose of steroid but nobody wants the responsibility to try and get you off. I was told to go up to 10 or go to the Er and wait till I see any of them again. Some are 3 mos out. Another reason to blow this 1 horse town. This would have never happened in Cali. I had Dr's out there that actually returned a call to me. Not their office girls. So I am waiting for Friday when I go to U of Mi and see the Sarcoidosis specialist. He has dealt with steroids many times and hopefully he can give me some guidance and scripts to take back to my Dr's here. Is it just me and where I live or is it all over? Drs have changed so much.
Looks like we are getting some hot dry weather here for about a week or more. Maybe the midwest can dry out some before the fall rains hit. Going to be in bed again today but will try and get downstairs a few times nore to see how I feel. This too shall pass
I hope and I will be ready for this mammo I have next week. After that the only thig left is my gastro man. By the way....guess what is smaller now? My thyroid lump. Maybe rads is finally trying to leave me alone.0 -
Bunkie I am so sorry that you are feeling so bad, and have these God awful doctors. I so hope you feel better today. I also hope Friday comes soon and pray that you get some relief.
Thank you Runfree, Sab, Gigil and Brookside. Runfree I am glad that you are feeling a little better. Gigil I am glad that Cole is doing ok. Sab I didn't realize that photo was your daughter. She is beautiful and looks like you. I so hope you get one of these positions that you have worked hard for.
Today at noon I get my hair colored, cut and new extensions. I love girlie-girl days so much.
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Wow, Bunkie. Brave, absolutely. And determined. As for dumb, I don't think so. You've taken all the proper steps--called all your doctors looking for guidance. They're all dorks. That's a word my kids used to use--no idea whether it's still current. You could try emailing them--Response to things in writing tends to be a bit more, er, responsive. If you've made it this far, chances are you can make it to Friday's appointment. Maybe bring a ball and chain with you, to make sure that doc doesn't even try to slither out of the examing room before he's addressed your issues.
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Bunkie, I wish I were there to make you tea and give you a hug. You are working so hard to beat this, and I am rooting for you from CA. My docs are not perfect, but they are accessible and responsive for the most part. You may want to take Brookeside's good advice and put it in writing. It's amazing how fast doctors respond to emails. Yesterday I made a wellness visit appt. w/ my PCP, and emailed her and my MO that I was seeing her and to make sure to order any blood tests they would be needing. They both emailed me last night with their suggestions (based on my input) and when I showed up at the lab this morning the orders were in and ready to go. I did appreciate it so much. Getting on record sometimes makes all the difference. It's Wednesday Bunkie, just one more day and then appointment day. Write stuff down so that they have to go through the list with you.
Gigi it's great that Cole is doing better. He sounds like such a brave little guy. Yes, life with artists is wonderful...I love talking to dd and hearing and seeing her unique take on the world.
Kate, I love the fact that you have girlie-girl days and I have taken a lesson from you to take care of myself. Of course, for me that means a bike, not extension, but it's all the same in the end!
RunFree, do you teach?
Sew, how are you doing? I hope your SIL is holding up, and you too.
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Brookside - Haha!!! Ball and chain sounds good to me. Yes I am going to that appt. I have my note pad all ready with questions. I had some bad Dr's before but they were at least accessible.My PCP out in Pasadena was one who would do her call backs after 5pm and always called me back. I just have to learn how to be more demanding I guess.
SAB - Your daughter is really pretty. My Dr I see Friday is the only one who has an email address. Can you believe that? Where do I live???? My PCP has an after hours number but she works alone and never calls back.Like most of the Dr's here they do not go into the hospital to see patients unless they are specialists. They hand you off to what I call hospitalists that take over and do not know your history. So you sit there half dead trying to explain what is wrong. My PCP is only still around because all the better ones are not taking new patients and I can get her to refer me with no issues.
Kate - Thanks for the support. You are right about these Dr's. Ick. Glad you found that site too. Yeah they do not know who you are...yet. They will. I am glad you are having a girlie day today. You are so pretty already and I am sure today will just add to that. If I keep shedding I am going to need extensions.
Today I did manage to get down the steps 3 times and took a long shower. I read on line that when you drop down on a dose of medicine it can take the body 2-6 weeks to adjust. The article did not speak to steroids but I am sure it is the same. I guess I better settle in for a bit. I want to be at 2.5mgs by this time next year.
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Bunkie hang in there sweetie.your being very brave.
Have any of your symptoms subsided?Hope your doctor's visit goes well Friday.
Kate, I hope you had a good day.I'm jealous I really need a hair cut.
My boss called yesterday and wanted to know if I would be interested in coming in tomorrow for some training for MA so if they have one off or call on sick I could fill in.I told her ok but I made sure that I mentioned I really didn't believe Stella believed in my MA abilities.She was shocked.I was like thinking to myself "weren't you there when she said I really think it will be too much for you to handle. I probably shouldn't have mentioned my feeling on how confident she was in my abilities.For all I knew she could of had me on speaker phone or something.Oh well.Anyway if someone offers me a steady position somewhere I'm going to take it.0 -
SAB, yes, I teach US history. We start meetings next week and I'm going to look like a horror movie character. I am having a hard time, sort of one step forward (yesterday), three steps back (today). My skin doesn't seem to like oatmeal as much as my mouth does, because my chest looks a lot worse today, in fact the worst it's looked, and the rashy area is spreading. The weeping somewhat came back today as well. Some of the skin on my breast is a little better though. I also have been attacked by fleas. I have red and incredibly itchy bites ALL over both legs. We gave our dog a flea treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago before we took her to the kennel for our vacation time. She's been home for a week and I guess the fleas all hatched while she was away or something. I went to the vet today and got a pump spray for the rugs and furniture, but it's going to be a ton of work to treat the entire house, seems impossible really, and I'm nervous about chemicals now that my radiated skin is freaking out too. I feel sort of under attack. Bunkie, it's nothing to what you're going through, and it ain't chemo, and obviously this will somehow pass--but it sucks. If I weren't going to see my RO Friday, I'd definitely pick up the phone and keep calling doctors until I got in somewhere. As it is, if she doesn't have any ideas and doesn't refer me to anyone else, I'm going to call my PCP on my cell before I drive home and see if anyone can fit me in later Friday. Maybe even the new guy doctor whom I really dislike. Somebody has to help me stop this!
I talked to a newbie today. I went to get my eyes checked to get a baseline while I'm on Tamoxifen, and one of the office staff had just been diagnosed with BC two days ago. After my appointment, she came to see me and started crying immediately, poor thing. Total stranger, but I gave her a hug. We talked for 45 minutes. I told her about BCO and she was very appreciative. Her tumor is small, I think less than 1 cm, and they thought it was low-grade. Still her raw state reminded me of what those first few days were like. Emotionally that was the hardest time. Physically this is.
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Runfree16 - I am usually just a lurker on this thread, but "Emotionally that was the hardest time. Physically this is." Thank you for saying that. Makes me feel better knowing I am not the only one in "this" place. Physically, I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be close to my old self again.
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Run free,
I'm sorry your having such problems with your breast and now invasion of the fleas.
I hear you honey. We have been struggling to keep the fleas at bay all summer long.We treat the animals it not the house or yard.The fleas I think die when they try and jump on the pets. My DD has her boyfriends father give us flea meds since he works for the company that makes them. We have 3 cats and 1 dog.And the one cat is outdoor.
I had a doctor's appt today at my MO. She was very thourough and listened quiet intently as I described my nausea and such but over all I think we both agreed that the Tamoxofin is agreeing to me. She eventually even did a breast exam on me.I was shocked.It was well worth the wait.She was running like an hour behind.
But one thing I had a panic attack today on my way into work. I think I actually really dread going into that cancer center again.I didn't think it affected me like that but since that is where all cancer
docs are There's no avoiding it.0 -
Bunkie and RunFree, I'm counting down the hours with you until you can see your docs tomorrow. Hope you both have nice, early appointments (but not so early you have to get up hours earlier than usual). Hang in there!
Interesting turn of events, Josie. Go for it! Maybe they'll pay for you to reinstate your medical assistant certification. I wouldn't worry about what you said--it's simply factual, and factual is just information. Perhaps this will spark a little conversation with Stella about your strengths (physical and technical and professional, and all that).
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Brookside, I really doubt they pay for it but there's always a chance.I called the office of AMT(American Medical Technologists) yesterday and they said I could still renew my certification and they would even take off the late fees.And apparently the continuing education hours aren't due until 2015.
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Great news, Josie about your certification--for you and for any future potential employer. It's nice to know that, with all the stress stuff you're dealing with, you can not worry about CE's for a while. And it sounds as though at least your boss is supportive and aware of your strengths. Good news is always good!
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