Radiation recovery
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Bunkie you can have Brad Pitt. I don't like fair-headed guys. I like dark hair with blue or green eyes. As for the gowns the best one I've seen so far was Jennifer Lawrence at the Sag awards. Although I did like Reese's too. Runfree I have a granddaughter who has a personality just like Jennifer Lawrence. She looks like her too.
I went to see Wolf of Wall Street tonight, and I was disappointed. Way too excessive, and I really don't care for Leonardo at all.I don't think he is aging well. Of course it was fun to be with Tracy, and we had a great dinner. Next Sunday we are going to see August Osage County. She can only visit me the first night of my surgery, because she is leaving for Charleston South Carolina the next day to celebrate her mother's 70th birthday.I am disappointed that she will be away for most of my hospital stay, but I will be ok thinking about my Chicago trip.
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Ohhh, Bunkie! Well, it is good news indeed that you found the right doctor. It's really a shame that after all that work to lower your dose, he didn't have better news. It does sound, however, as though he is just the doc to take really good care of you.
As for tai chi, do try it. Just about any class will offer a free session, so you can see if it is a good fit. You might try a qi gong class--lots of meditative movements that show you how to move your chi around and just plain feel good. A gym will probably also give you a free hour or so to try the treadmill, eliptical, rowing machine, bikes, and everything else, so, again, you can find what works for you.
Meanwhile, here's high hopes for a very, very dry basement.
And SAB, so nice to hear about your book; do please tell us a little about it.
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I'm doing the final countdown now and today is 8. Today, tomorrow and Wednesday I'll get the regular treatment I've gotten all along, but the last 5 are the "booster" treatments? Not sure what to expect there, or how much worse my skin will get. I'm most annoyed with the collars, too, and where just about any shirt touches the breast area. I agree that the Aquaphor, while likely the most healing, is annoying because of the greasy feel, and because it makes your clothing "stick" to you which is the opposite of what you need. I've been taking my pajama top off in the middle of the night and slept "topless" just for some added comfort. Topless is certainly not what it used to be since I had a bilateral mast in November, and because I have IBC I cannot have reconstruction for 2 years! If I even hear the word "sexy," I cringe. I sure hope I get over that mental stumbling block before then. I'm going to write "This girl kicked cancer's butt!" on the back window of my vehicle on my last day, January 29! Woot-woot!! 7 months of living with cancer is 7 months too long.
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Hi Tae,
Welcome to the "kicked butt" group...well, Ok, you've got a few days left, but you'll fly thru those. The "booster" treatments really aren't much different than the regular ones. They do set up the machine differently however, and I ended up getting zapped from 3 locations instead of 2, and from different angles, or so it seemed. However it didn't take as long.....so go figure!
You know for the cream, you might want to look in to either Aloe Vera gel, which needs to be 99.9% aloe and should of course be the first ingredient listed. Vaseline or someone sells one that says "with" 100% aloe" but it doesn't work, as it's not the primary ingredient. Lots of us have found that the aloe gel is much more pleasant to put on, wear, and is cooling too and also heals. I got mine from Trader Joes. Another one I swear by is calendula Cream by Boiron (I got it from amazon). That stuff is a miracle. very easy to put on, not greasy, they use it for burns, and diaper rash and you name it. It's now a staple in my arsenal.
Good luck with your last 8 days, and 2 years will pass quickly as you get back on with the rest of your life.......
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Sab,
Great news about the book. Sounds like you've found a great editor and a wonderful support group. You're on your way! Exciting.
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Congrats tae. Don't give a thought to the boosters. Mostly they are a non-event. Stay vigilant about creams and lotions though. I used same ones as sew and they were great. Plenty of water too!
Brookside I'm on my third or so year of writing, and two full drafts completed. Third will be final (that's the plan.) The book is based on two years with my drug addicted dd who was 15 at the time.
A wonderful weekend. Mammogram today...waiting for results now.
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How long does one use the creams for after rads?
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Hello 70charger. I still use lotion, two plus years later. Switched to a paraban free moisturizer for maintenance.
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70charger, I used it 3 or more times a da while healing, then daily for a number of months, then slowly tapered off. After 2 years I rarely have to use it, but I do still use the moisturizing dove soap, everything else dries me out. Of course, I'm quite a bit lazier than my buddy Sab!
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Its official- 3 days away from these boards and you are SOOOOO far behind. Sorry folks I was down in SoCal soaking up the sunshine and hobnobbing in Newport Beach.
I made a list so I answer everything
First- I work in downtown Oakland and live in Concord-renting a place in the east bay as a commute from Wyoming to Oakland is a little long haha. The BART trip each day is a grind but the 6 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic coming and going are worse I guess.
Second- Surgery OCD- Brookside- you are NOT abnormal many people want to be awake, alert and oriented up til the very last minute. I am one of those too (know way too much). This started with my c-sections and my oldest is 27...... I ride into the OR sitting up- not big on walking because I think the floors could probably be cleaner and non-skid socks might not be foolproof. I check out the instruments and supplies and greet all the staff. Interestingly many people on the surgery team are very disconcerted by an awake patient- possibly because they say/do things that staff caring for awake patients do not. More likely because people with the personality of dryer lint do tend to gravitate toward surgery so don't do a good job talking to people haha. Do what you need to do to reassure yourself all is in order for you!
Kate- you are right- I will stand corrected, I hate the idea of your wig not so much because of its falling off but because I think its an infection control and fire hazard- there I said it but..... you are the patient and your appearance is really important to you so I think its best to tell the people who call you for your pre-op visit what you would like to do and also your surgeon & anesthesiologist. There is probably some type of compromise that is a win for your self-esteem and a win for your safety. This happens a lot with people with false teeth- they are devastated to have to come to surgery without teeth- but those pesky dentures have a habit of getting lost in the OR once they remove them after the patient is asleep. All things are possible with planning. I know this sounds really "cold" but we really don't look at patients in the OR- horrible right but that is why I did not freak about going for surgery where a lot of people knew me- they are so focused on where they are operating the rest is peripheral-
And for the person who asked (forgot who) most people wake up and look pretty normal actually- the waking up is when you might look like you look in the morning haha. In the recovery room people mostly look a bit pale and sleepy.
Bunkie- I don't know what the options are where you live but many places offer a type of yoga called chair yoga- I have taken these classes from time to time and they are excellent for building flexibility and increasing your range of motion and strength in a gradual and gentle manner. I have done some Tai Chi and if you have balance issues it may be challenging at first. the key is finding a center that will work with you at the level you are and modify for you safely. My mom is amazed at how her breathing has improved since yoga- she is a survivor of esophageal CA and lymphoma with a pesky pleural effusion that really makes her short of breath- if you tell me a town near you I would be happy to look on line and see if anything sounds good.
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Haha Sew, I think you are just less vain!
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sweetie, Sab, you're just younger
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Thank you, wyo. I'm happy to hear I'm not alone in wanting to be awake and aware when I get to the OR. Come to think of it, probably more people would want to ditch the pre-meds if they knew it was an option. I only know this is possible because I have a good friend who is an RN. Now another question--I luckily have all my own teeth, but I do wear glasses. They would like me to leave them behind, of course, but I always manage to wear them into the OR, and wake up with them on. So, do tell--Do I wear them during surgery or do the nurses pounce the minute I'm out and snag my glasses, then sneak them back on once all is complete?
SAB, I'll bet your book is amazing. Lawrence Block, who writes crime fiction, has been known to describe writing as, "Just open a vein and bleed." I'd think your writing must feel exactly like that.
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SAB, having a child addicted to drugs has to be one of the scariest hardest most upsetting things of all. If your book helps you, it's well worth it--but if it helps other parents going through the same thing in the future, it's a great gift. Congratulations on getting close to the end!
tae, I'll say the same thing to you--congrats on getting so close to the end! The boost is just a minor adjustment. They said my skin in the boost area might get a bit more affected, but it didn't. Instead of two beams of 25 seconds each, I got one. They did have to put a sheet of acetate (stiff clear plastic) over my breast on which they had mapped the field, and it was a bit icky and cold when it first touched each day of the boost. The other noteworthy part was that to map the boost area exactly, they had to take photos of my naked breast. Added to the tattoos, I felt as though I was finally busting out of my bookworm stereotype.
70charger, my MO tells me just to keep lubricating my radiated skin indefinitely. For you and tae: During rads, I used the purest aloe gel I could find. The brand was Lily of the Desert, 99% "Gelly." I found it at a health food store in the skin care section. Not a really big store either, but bigger than the one in my little town. Aloe gel goes on clear, dries completely and pretty fast, doesn't stain or stick. Great stuff, $4 a tube and I went through two tubes. I did try a few other things, but I kept going back to that one. My RO said in her experience, more people do well with aloe than other products, though it does vary. A few weeks after finishing rads, I transitioned to just my normal facial moisturizer (which is not fancy stuff--big pump bottle for $7). This I still do and expect to keep doing. Easy, quick, and my skin looks and feels great. (I did have a long skin saga a few months after rads, but that was probably a rare side effect of Tamoxifen. We finally smacked it down.)
Bunkie, for some reason, Brad Pitt never did it for me--he is all yours! I found Thelma and Louise really interesting, wrote a paper about it in school, but I don't go for the scrawny cowboy type. I'll tell you who's grown on me: Benedict Cumberbatch, who's in BBC Sherlock and a bunch of movies right now. The trouble is, I only really swoon when he has that curly Sherlock hair, and also, I'd have to fight my daughter for him.
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Well I seem to be way behind here so I'm going to attempt to catch up.
SAb, congrats on the book.I also had problems with my oldest DD with drugs.I made her go through Rehab even though it was mostly marijuana.We were so clueless.We trusted her way too much.She is now doing just fine and I am glad we got her through that rough time.
BUNKIE, I don't remember If I commented on your most recent post but I'm glad you found a doctor who seems to be listening to you.I hope they find out what is really going on.
I had a horrendous day at work yesterday but I promise to not go on about it.It keep me awake most of the night going over it in my mind.I am going to find a new job and that's all there is too it.When your called into a meeting and its 4 against 1 billing and your bosses.It isn't going to end well.I should have gotten up and said I'm done!! Goodbye. I'm tired of being bullied and lied to.It's not my fault if someone's bone density is not covered by there insurance.Yet somehow it is and if the wrong code is used on a invoice I could lose my job over it.Too bad these doc's will order the bone density with a screening code even for a patient with Osteoporosis.I should have just given my notice but I don't have about her job to go too. I prayed about it and started applying online last night.
Little to no sleep and my kids are off school today because of the cold again.Grrr...
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I'm sorry I didn't mean to go on about my self and my day.
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Josie, we are here to support you, and if you need to vent about the absolutely rotten treatment you are receiving from those big meanies, so be it. Vent away. Also, please resist the urge to quit until you have another job. In some companies, especially those that might have taken a financial hit or two in recent years (such as some of the docs leaving), they can put considerable pressure on staff in hopes that they will resign and be replaced with lower paid staff who will not be vested in 401(k), pension, and/or whatever. You are clearly not responsible for a doctor's coding, or a biller's billing, or a patient's payment history. On the other hand, it is neither healthy nor particularly wise to feel trapped in an unhealthy environment. If you feel you are being abused, you are the only one who can make that absolutely clear and request that they change their ways. You deserve decent bosses, and they deserve to learn how to be decent.
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Thanks Brookside. I know it's not healthy for me. I will not quite until I find a new better job.I think your right they are probably trying to get me to quite.There are 3 other people that are also MAs that know how to run that machine and do Bone Densities.They are all about cross training in that office.Yet there is no real team work in that office.It's really everyone for themselves.At least that's how it seems to me.
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Sure does't sound like teamwork to me either!
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RunFree - Well at least I do not have to share Brad....I also like Clint Eastwoods son. My first fave was Johnny Depp..still like him.
wyo - I have never heard of chair yoga but it sounds like a good choice for me. Thanks I will see what we have.
70charger - I still use Aquaphor on my scar area and it has been over a year. I use the pure aloe vera every day after my shower. I tried to wean off and got too irritated so I still use it. I do not goop it on like I did but a thin film works for me. I had bad burns under the boob and they are cleared up but I still see the color is a bit darker.
Josie - vent all you want. I had that happen at work once too. Really makes you want to fight someone...I mean wait for them in the bathroom. Just plain mean. I had been out on sick leave and when I came back they took my group from me and put me on special projects. Special projects means you have no real job so when there is a cut you get it. Thank God I had the time in to retire. It was forced but I did what I had to do.
Brookside - Thanks I have decided to take all the stuff I want to keep out of my basement in the spring and put it in storage. That way anything left down there including shelves will be left. Plus as it gets wet down there the wet vac can be used without all that paying someone to come clean up. I am not going to put money into removing old paneling etc to look for leaks. I am only going to do the minimal till I can sell. I bought a new dehumidifier for that area and will let it be.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes on the new endo. Lets hope he does help me get this thing together so I can get on with my so called life. I really did not want to throw in the towel and I may start up again if he is willing to try but if he says no I am done. Fighting for something is good for the spririt but going in circles chasing my tail is not fun either. We will see.
Oy yoy this cold weather is really getting old. Another deep freeze and it is going to stick around 2 weeks. It better be killing some critters. I have not seen a centipede for a long time. Good they make me crazy. Lets hope it debugs my carpenter ant colony that lives in my pine tree. That is a big fight every year. Keep warm everyone.
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Stay warm BUNKIE...Brrr.....its cold here too.Yesterday it was like in the 40's and then we had rain which turned into snow and high winds which brought our temps down to like 15°.That was our high for today.Then its going to get up into the 30's tomorrow and back in the teens on Thursday.
Thanks for the support about my job.Your right it's just plain mean.
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Sab praying your mammo is negative
WYO I don't agree with you 1 iota about a wig in surgery. My best friend is a surgeon at the hospital I am going to have surgery. I asked her if I should mention it to the surgeon or anesthesiologist, and she said no just wear it and nobody will be the wiser. If I look good I feel good. If I wake up in recovery and see thin hair I will feel worse. I am somebody who bounces right up after surgery. if they say I need 2 hours in recovery i am begging them to let me out of there in 15 minutes. if they say I need pain meds for several days I am begging them not to be on any at all. If I look bad I will feel sicker and be miserable. I love it that everyone says I look good and that they would never know I had a cold let alone stage 4 cancer.
Josie, sorry you had a bad day at work. I can't wait for you to get a new job. You deserve to be treated well, and have pleasure, and not aggravation.
I saw the surgeon today, and I will have the surgery Jan 30. Now instead of 2-4 days in the hospital he is saying 4-7 days. Instead of 7 days with a catheter it could go as long as 14 days. I hope not, because that will cause me the most aggravation. I told him to write in the orders no 6 am vital signs. When I am in the hospital I don't go to bed till after 1 am, so I don't want them waking me at 6. I asked him if I could go to Chicago the week of feb. 17 and he said yes. Now I have to double check with doc. He will bitch about it, because he'll want me to do chemo sooner, but there is no way I am going to have two aggravating procedures back to back without having fun inbetween. I am praying the surgery will take away my abdominal cramps. Yesterday I felt so bad I was in bed all day. Today I feel better. The surgeon said that if the surgery doesn't take away the pain chemo will.
I have two girlie days planned tomorrow and Thursday. I plan to have fun over the weekend. Going to see August Osage County with Tracy. My hair colored and cut Tuesday. So I should have some stress free days before the surgery
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Kate, you are sooooo kick-a** !!! Good for you!!!
Bunkie, Chair yoga, YES, a great idea.
Brookside, I was so scared before surgery I want big-sissy medicine. Of course I had my best friend there (dh was useless) to watch over me too :-)
Josie, I will celebrate for you on the day you are finally out of there! Brookside is right though; it is easier to find a job when you have a job. As far as my dd goes, she hit the stuff hard, and also exhibited many high-risk behaviors. It was a long road back and I am very grateful and proud of her. Run, I wish I were closer to the end because I am well and truly ready to be finished with it and move on. Now I want to write something funny or light!
Work is busy--the papers on my desk seem to be breeding! I am training a new batch of students next weekend so I may be MIA. I'll be thinking about you all!
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Sab I agree with you I like big sissy medicine too. it's not that I am so scared about the surgery it is that i do not want to see the surgery room. This way I can drift off to sleep thinking i am going to paris or maui instead of a sterile surgery room
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SAB, yes we will all have a virtual party when I get a new job
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Brookside you make me laugh - yes they typically take your glasses off in the OR because they put artificial tear type stuff in your eyes however it can be disorienting to wake up and not see so they do put them back on quickly once you are waking up.
Kate we are just going to agree to disagree and move on with this one.
Josie- I have been reading your job situation for a while now and I know I only hear one side but it does seem like there is a lot of finger-pointing, assumptions and blame going around that place and directed at you. I hope you can stick it out til you get something new. My daughter was in a really toxic situation and she is young so just took the plunge and gave her notice-she has no regrets about leaving a workplace that sounds like yours but she is really scrambling to find FT work. Are you an MA or are you a coder? Kind of confused about the whole billing piece. Hang in and apply like crazy.
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Hi, 3am, no sleep - relapse of the sinus symptoms. I don't know how to get to sleep...misery.
SAB, I love the idea of your writer's support group. It is very hard to force through to the finish line...kind of like giving birth. I don't do well with rewrites after a time. Good luck!
About going to the OR (something I rarely do) - just want to go to sleep ASAP. I take IV sedation any time I can...it works. I have high anxiety about being confined, lying still and on my back. I panic even with the O2 mask. When I had my BC surgery, I was in a bed with an IV while waiting but got kicked out of the waiting area as more women arrived. I sat in a chair for hours waiting...had permission for xanax...then someone came for me and we walked...right in to the OR. That was a wacky first to me. I hopped up on the OR table and asked to sit up as long as possible...then panic when I had to lie down. I asked them to start the sedation but they wanted me to wait to see the doc (so she could confirm "we are doing the left side today")...I had someone stroking my wrist to keep me from freaking....then I went out...woke up so happy.tae, I had no unusual effects from the boosts. The position changed and the machine was very close but my skin healed quickly. No one ever told me to keep using lotion after healing. I did for a few weeks but I see no bad effects.
Josie, I have said it before...I never had a test where the person with the responsibility of performing the test had to have anything to do with certifying insurance or billing. That is a distraction. Insurance issues should be taken care of by an insurance specialist so that you can do your job. Consider looking at a large radiology group or chain that has an office staff that does all the paperwork. So sorry you had another ugly confrontation. I'm glad you didn't quit -- do it on your terms when you are ready. It sounds like harassment to me.
Bunkie, my first thought was you could use an exercise bike. I found the eliptical to be a little distracting at first while I found the right position for best balance and footing. The main thing is to keep moving. Sorry you got that news but it will help you move into a realistic approach to a healthy life. Big hug!
Snow has fallen along with temperatures. SNOW DAY Wednesday ... yay!!!! housebound...no complaints.
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Good morning, Joan. Yes, I'm up early too. Just as well, because I have an early appointment today and I absolutely love to move very, very slowly in the morning. It's so interesting how very differently we all approach surgery. I'm particularly intrigued by Kate's drifting off to Paris. If I ever need anesthesia again, I sure hope I'll remember to apply that one! And wow! Only a little over a week until you get rid of that nasty tumor. I'm Imagining you're imagining Paris already.
Tae, I loved the boosts (last four of 20 zaps) because they did not touch my nipple, which by that time was becoming a rather tender. My healing really began during those boosts. Once my skin was more or less back to normal, I did have a few sessions with a lymphedema therapist to free scar tissue. She told me that scar tissue continues to form for about a year. I just had my one-year mammo, MRI, and checkup. One of the reports indicated some edema in my breast, so I guess I'll ask her to address (find?) that as well.
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Josie I wish we could have a real party when you get a new job. I will supply the margarita's chips, and wine.
Brookside you are right I am dreaming of Paris already. I can't wait to get rid of this ugly bladder tumor. I am a little scared of the surgery because of the pain and catheters, but I will get through it thinking about my Chicago trip. I will find out Friday after I see doc if he will let me leave Feb. 19. Then I will see if my daughter can book my trip for that date. I would be so thrilled if it snowed then.
Bunkie stay warm and keep your chin up. Things will get better
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I called every yoga class or studio today and nobody did chair yoga. I am going to check into a few senior classes and see if they do it. As I look out at all the blowing snow and 2 degrees temps I am going to do the stairs a lot today.
Kate - I can not wait for that surgery for you. That tumor needs to come out asap. That surgery will go fast. Prayers to you. I wear my lucky bandana when I go in for surgery. Once they removed it and I put it back on as soon as I came to. It keeps my hair clean when I am in the hospital also. I like big sissy meds for sure and then I want them to keep me on extra fluids after that. I tend to dehydrate easy because of the steroids.
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