Radiation recovery
Comments
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Lemon, seems you are in a second adolescence. Remember when we were all checking our chests daily, admiring our new boobs, and looking/hoping/wishing for faster growth? Now here you are doing much the same thing, only on opposite day. Please do keep those bulletins coming.
Do the rest of you have trouble submitting posts? I've learned to highlight and hit "copy" before I send a lengthy one. The paragraph above was originally part of the the posting above. It seems two paragraphs is my limit. Do the rest of you have similar issues? Sometimes?
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Brookside, I don't have those issues with posts being cut off (that's probably obvious, since my posts get so long!). How frustrating. Can you use the "edit" function?
I don't really think the nurse being trained was a student, because her badge said "RN." So maybe she needed some retraining (shudder!) or a refresher. I felt a little bit sheepish for complaining so much about how much the IV insertion hurt, because it made the trainer look bad, but my fainting probably made her look worse and that wasn't my choice. The head nurse, a different person, later took over, and my husband wondered if my original nurse had been pulled from my care or just was busy jabbing other people and maybe causing further mayhem.
BigD, I am thinking of you today and hoping you're feeling peaceful, brave, and/or successfully distracted. Lemon, I hope you're feeling better today too. Janis, I am so happy for your happy guts! What a huge enormous "YES!" feeling that must be.
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Brookside--you don't know how funny that is that my angel gave a lawyer a "poke". I am a retired Circuit Clerk---handled the administrative side of the Court system...Could be exactly what happened. She's learned from the best.I always thought your calcium number fluctuated with your fluid intake. Not for sure, but seems like mine was out of range once (pre-cancer) and I asked PCP and she said your not drinking enough water.???
Should I be concerned that my MO and RO have not ordered any kind of scans or blood work? Or does all that start after you have been on HT for a while?
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Redheaded, my blood work only started about a year after my final treatment and starting the Arimidex, and they still only do CBC counts. It started then because I got some weird total body allergic reaction to something, and then once they tested the blood found I was naturally quite low in wbc. That started the more frequent MO visits too. They still only do CBC counts on me, nothing else. And I've never had a scan or mri either, but have had several ultra-sounds with my mammo's because of little lumpy things. I think that they weren't worried about me very much since I had a low grade, basically non-aggressive cancer, my onco score was reasonalbe and the rest of my blood work was normal. I think it all depends upon the protocol in your area and your particular cancer. I used to think perhaps I wasn't getting very good treatment since I didn't have MRI's etc. like others seem to have, but now I realize I didn't need them, I'm fine. Course, it took quite awhile for that mental mindset to take over.
Lemon, I think recovery from your surgery really is quite tough, but it sounds as though you're over the worst of it. It must be quite compelling to check the progress each day and find the changes......I was that way with my fairly simple lumpectomy and resultant drains and swelling. Here's a big hug to speed you on this last part of your recovery (((((Lemon)))))
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Redheaded, my plan to wiggle around the skimpy bloodwork is to schedule a physical with my primary doc. Maybe he'll order a CBC, and maybe he won't, but it's for sure that my onc did not and probably will not. Strange, we all grew up in an environment where early intervention was just the ticket. Now that we've had cancer, it seems the pendulum has swung the other way--we've had our surgery, maybe chemo, maybe rads, and, as far as they're concerned, we're assumed to be status quo until proven otherwise. After all the tests and treatments we've all been through, and all the treatment, it sure comes as a shock.
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Wow RunFree! What a ruckus you caused for such a routine procedure...tee-hee...you poor baby. So sorry you had such a tough time prior to the non-event of the actual procedure. Glad you were ok enough to go the movies and your DD's event.
Lemon, one day at a time sweetie. You are gonna be awesome with your new-found piece of mind that having the BMX will give you. Hugs and here is to healing!
BigD, I recently had an elevated calcium reading as well...it went to 10.9 and it was 9.8 in Sept at my routine physical when my PCP did a full CBC. According to the MO, this can be caused by a number of things including not drinking enough or even due to my Vitamin D with calcium....she had me repeat in 6 weeks and it dropped to 10.3 and I am going again in two more weeks to see if it went back to normal. It is imperative that we have normal range calcium levels as it can wreak havoc over many years with our vital organs etc. I looked up lots of information. Also, late stage bone mets can and often do elevate calcium as it leaches into the bones so of course my mind went there but the levels would have been way higher than under 11 the APRN said. Plus, DCIS means it was unlikely for me as well.
Janis, so happy you are eating everything again! Keep on getting better every day chica. We need you for those pocket party bake fests!
Anyone hear from our Bunkie? She has been MIA for a while now.
Ok, speaking of MIA, gotta run cause hubby just got home from work and I have to go. We are going to see my son and DIL (the pregnant one) and they had some scary news about the baby. Seems she is making antigens/antibodies? for something called KELL positive blood which is similar to RH factor and can be very bad for the baby but is less known and much more rare.
I am petrified after Dr. Google cause it really can be bad for the baby and for my son if he is the carrier! It can cause my son to become ill and it can be terminal. Only 150 known cases of the disease in the world that this Kell+ blood can cause so it is unlikely he will get this, even if he is a carrier, but I am still worried sick! More on this another time...hugs to all!
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Yikes, April, keep us informed on this one. Very scary......
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Brookside - I do the same thing only with my Ob-Gyn. A complete blood panel at my yearly exam. I wondered why I never had scans or MRIs either so I asked my ONC about it. She said because I didnt need them. I am glad of that but I also feel sometimes like they do pronounce us cured or they have done all they can so they are kind of done with us. I don't think it's a matter of not caring but more about we have had surgery and treatments and taking meds. End of story.
How frightening April - so sorry.
BigD - thinking of you today
Diane
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From what I have read, it is becoming a lot more common to only run certain tests when symptoms occur.
Janis, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear how well you are doing. Lemon, good to hear you are on the mend too. Better every day.
Run, I am so glad to hear about your good results. No fun going through the hospital stuff though. Good for you for getting it done.
BigD/Joan i don't know why, but I think you are going to be fine. Nonetheless i am hoping you have the grace of peace in the meantime.
Well good night for now dear ladies. I treasure our board and the wonderful support we share here. Rest well and easy.
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Good morning everyone, this thread as been busy.I kept up But had a busy day yesterday.We had a Garage sale at my mom's house on Saturday.I probably should have told Mom no it's just too much work but I didn't.She didn't have a lot of stuff but I did.My DD decided she wanted to get rid of her dresser.She has 2 others in her room and so that was my biggest item sold.But I made a whole $20 and My mom only made $10 .We worked so hard too.This is why I don't do these a lot.It rained like a monsoon at the end and we got soaked trying to cover thing and put stuff away.Oh well.Such is life.At least I got rid of some stuff and will donate most of the leftovers to charity.
RunFree, wow! What a ordeal!! I'm sorry you had to go through that.But at least it's over and everything came out ok.No pun intended.And good for you going through with it.
Janis, I had to giggle at your post about the Garage sale.I maybe had a few pairs of my kids underwear and shoes in that sale.Please don't judge me.I guess I just thought it's clean and maybe someone would need it.
April, that is scarey stuff.Keep us posted.Never heard of that.But I had the RH factor myself.
Charger how's the concussion? Feeling better.
Big D, thinking of you .Hope your holding up ok.
BUNKIE, you've been missing for a while.Are you ok?
Better go I've got to make it to church.
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Josie - garage sales can be the pits. For people who have never had one it is a lot of work but if you want to clean out your attic and closets you can make a few bucks. I have had a few garage sale busts and a few really good ones. I like seeing a lot of people I know but it gets really boring after a few hours and the first day if you have it more than one day. Our neighborhood used to have a garage sale which typically is pretty good because people can shop the whole neighborhood. There is a neighborhood in Cordova, Tennessee that has an annual one that is HUGE. People come from miles around for that one and usually you can find some real bargains. I have been to a few myself but typically I have them - not go to them. Collierville, where I live, used to require a permit and restrict you to 2 a year but that became unmanageable so they no longer require either.
My last one I did okay but I sold a china cabinet less than I wanted to. I thought if I didn't sell it then I wouldn't sell it at all. So I did. We used to have garage sales at my Mom's house because she had an enclosed garage so we could have it rain or shine. We did pretty well there. Her location in east Memphis was centrally located too. My dad would get ticked if she sold something cheap but you have to have the mindset that you wont get even 50% of what you paid for the item and you have to put up with shoppers haggling you to death and them wanting to buy any and everything esp things that you weren't selling. I had mine a few months ago before it got really hot which helped too.
diane
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April, I'm so sorry to hear about the possible complication with your little grandchild-to-be and also your son. How very alarming! I hope everything turns out less scary than the bad outcomes you've read about.
BigD, I hope you are having a decent weekend. I would imagine that to be a challenge, but maybe you'll just be in the right frame of mind and feel OK.
Lemon, I hope you continue to feel better and better. I'm sure it's going slower than you want.
I have a sobering update about our Kate. This is the message Tracy sent me last night:
Well, I was unable to give [Kate] a hug from her online friends when I went by the rehab center today. At first, I was told she had gone out...that she wasn't there. They wouldn't tell me where she was (for privacy reasons), so I called her. She answered. To make a long story short, I think she is telling the front desk people she does not want visitors. So, I got to speak to her by phone but could not see her. I left her some beautiful flowers and her favorite candy. I am certainly not God, but my gut feeling is...she is not doing well
Just thought I would give you the update. Praying for sweet [Kate]!!Maybe she doesn't want to see anyone because she is losing her hair, or maybe she just feels too sick overall. Either way she must be very despondent not to want to see Tracy. I hope our cards give her some kind of a boost.
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RunFree -
Thank you for the update on Kate....so sad. Praying for her.
So sorry to hear about your colonoscopy ordeal! Nothing is easy for us. It is so important for our medical providers to listen to our concerns. We know our medical issues better than anyone, and we all have "special needs".
LiLi
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Thanks for the update, Run Free, I'm going with the bad hair day reason. You know Kate, she always needed to look like a million dollars, even while in surgery and Tracy is certainly a cute little thing.
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Ohh, gosh. In rehab, having chemo, no internet and no visitors? What a recipe for depression! I sure hope our cards give kate a llift! Hopefully she'll soften up on her visitor policy once she's had a chance to think about having had a chance to schmooze and hug and share with Tracy. Maybe Tracy just came at a bad time? At least Kate was open to a telephone visit, and thank goodness we know she is well enough to chat on the phone.April, I can't imagine what you and those young parents-to-be are going through. I'm sure the docs have a plan, and all will be well, but nobody wants to hear risky news about a baby, more so a baby still in utero. Prayers are on the way!
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Thanks for the update Run. Poor kate must feel awful, and/or feels she looks poorly. Her spirits must be very low.
I really appreciate Tracy's and your eflorts to keep us all informed. Am hoping that the love of her friends will kick start her strong fighting spirit.
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Thanks all for the info on Blood work. My PCP is pretty good about checking anything out I ask her to do. I just worry sometimes that us State 1, grade1's don't get the same level of diligence... And we all know after what we have been thru, a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....
Poor Kate-I can't imagine after answering the phone not letting Tracy come back-but sounds like she is self-protecting. I can't imagine how it would feel to be in a rehab facility-even if it is for providing her with better care-losing your independence is a blow.
Today was my Priest's last day with our congregation. He has been with us 23 years. When I joined the church, he was the Priest who baptized, confirmed, and gave me my first Eucharist. When I was diagnosed, he was on his way to the Holy lands. He promised to pray for me the morning of my surgery. And then, he offered a Mass for me in Bethlehem, When I went for Rads, I would pray two prayers and then Visualize the Holy Lands and mass being said by him for me where the Lord had walked.. It got me through my panic attacks like nothing else. My eyes watered during the whole service. He says our parish will be getting an upgrade with the two new priests coming, but I say they have huge shoes to fill.
April, I am praying for your family and your son and that precious little life yet to be born.
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Hi y'all
Oh my, our sweet Kate
glad Tracy was able to phone visit and am sure that our cards, thoughts and prayers will touch Kate's heart and lift her spirits. Agree, a bad hair day, chemo, rehab center, uncertainty, and alone...would depress anyone. Princess Warrior Coat work your magic:)RunFree - thank you for the Kate update sad as it may be...there is hope! Congrats on your good report! Whew, a 10 yr all clear. Yikes the IV and passing out ...I have to warn when IV or blood drawn that I tend to pass out and convulse...ugh...low PB anxiety...will it happen this time...so I just take precautions. Wow, and you attended concert movie...whoa...our marathon girl
April - fingers&toes crossed that whatever the news for baby&son, you will stand firm, see the good, and expect the best and declare the miracles of each day. So much joy of a new life...prayers.
Josie - yard sales
( )) a good way to share items you are ready to part with...not a money maker just a means to release clutter and unused items our junk turned treasure to some one else.BigD - keeping busy with a confident smile! You've got a great team...wow, lawyer volunteering to accompany you:))) nice. Sending calm confident thoughts&prayers. Your pockets are full...{{{squeeze}}}
Janis - so glad you are doing well...procedure was success:). Now more garage sells!
Lemon - the ups&downs of healing....but may each day be a bit better...wish we could speed up the process, ease the pain, swelling...hopefully a year from now you can smile and say...yes, so worth it! For now reach in your pocket and know we are there! Ha ha all the boob pics we have...TBT pic was of 18 mo me topless in the pool...oh, the simple days! Gosh, life is amazing! Hang in there!
Many missing voices...
Hubby is ill again...scheduling a grueling round of appointments for CA trip...can't wait for my post TX MRI and know the 3rd t was irradiated by rads! 1 yr AI done:) 4 more...counting down...gulp
(((Hugs)))
Cindy
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Hello dear friends:
Going back to read everything here.Thanks so much for all of your care and concern. Believe me, it does help.
MostlySew:The importance of the calcium marker is that if bc metastasizes to the bone, one of the first indications can be this number. As thebone is eroding, calcium will go into the bloodstream, and that number will rise. Calcium in blood at high levels can be life-threatening. My numbers are not near that high, but still I am concerned that it went up 7 points from March.
I was very weak by Friday night, so I was careful to eat something and went to the store yesterday so I am good. I went to breakfast this morning with a friend and had pancakes and bacon – a big no no but today I just did not care. We had fun.
Lemon, wow, that must have been some scare during your radiation.I am sorry you went through that. A spinal tap must be difficult and then to have leaking after? Yikes.You are right though, we have to do what we have to do to find out what is going on inside of us .I felt you in my pocket on Friday and looking forward to having you with me again on Tuesday! You have been through a lot, Lemon and I am happy to read you are doing better.
RunFree, no question in here is ever stupid. How else can we share our experiences and learn? And no, my MO’s nurse did not comment on the numbers, she just said that the tumor marker was still within normal range. I was hoping that nothing would change, just looking for a sign that maybe this is all okay.The numbers going up a bit could still be all okay. Just have to wait and see. I almost went to see The Fault in our Stars, but I thought in my current condition, I might be crying so hard that I would make a scene in the theater LOL!! I may wait until I get good news before venturing out to see it. I am sure it is a powerful film, did not readthe book. I hope you are feeling back to yourself after your procedure!
Fellow Joan:Thank you and yes, please join me on Tuesday and Friday if you wouldn’t mind! Hope you are doing well.
You are right, Brookside, and you know what it is like to handle things alone. It is okay, I don’t mind, but Iam grateful that Redheaded’s angel helped to get me a companion onTuesday. It means the world to me
April, thank you for the information on your calcium levels.You are right, if I had a lot of bone mets, that number would have been way higher. I am praying for your grandbaby.That is scarry, I can imagine. Dr. Google is known for scaring everyone, and I read it too, and am told frequently to stop, but I don’t. Pleasekeep us informed.
Diane, thank you for thinking of me.This weekend was good, really. Icalmed down a bit, kept busy, and although I am sure the anxiety will rise this week, I am ready to find out. You betterbe there in my pockets, too!!
GiGi, I hope you are right, I am really trying to stay positive.I don’t want to be that person who is depressed and bringing everyone down around her, so I am going to do my best to smile and laugh alot this week at work. I can always cry at home, my cats understand haha.
Josie, I know what you mean about garage sales.They are sooooooooooooo much work. But that is the best way to get rid of things without just tossing them. Thanks for thinking of me.
I am very, very sad about the update on our Kate, Run. I am glad you have information for us, but I am worried sick about her. I am praying hard for her and sent my card yesterday. I hope she can at least feel our love. You have to be feeling pretty awful if you do not want visitors. I wonder if her children are coming to see her.
Redheaded, that is a wonderful story about your priest saying a mass for you in Bethlehem. How very special that is. He sounds like an amazing person and those are the ones who are missed the most. 23 years is a long time.Wherever he is going, I hope the best for him.
Sweet Cindy, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. My pockets will never be too full for you so squeeze in girl! I am so sorry your hubby is not feeling well. Praying for him and for you.You will do well the next 4 years, I know you will. I am so glad I met you in here.
Love you all.
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Redhead - what a wonderful story about your priest. Ironically this was the last day for ours as well. He has been our pastor for 13 years. He is leaving to teach at a local Catholic university. He is so brilliant I know he will be a great teacher. He sure was for us and personally there for my family. He has big shoes to fill too.
Very distressing about Kate but at least we know how she is doing. Thanks for that Run. I am sending her card tomorrow.
Diane
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BigD/Joan, thanks so much for the answers and the update. I'm glad you've been able to keep yourself decently distracted this weekend, and been able to eat. I don't recommend seeing The Fault in Our Stars right now when you don't know where things stand. However, you would have LOTS of company if you did see it and it made you bawl. That was the noisiest bawling movie theater I've ever been in. Partly that's because most of the audience was 13-year-old girls. Just one more day before you can get the PET scan and that's a step on the road to knowing what's going on.
Cindy, so sorry for what your husband is going through. Seems like an awful lot. I sure hope he's going to be OK and the tough procedures go as easy on him as possible. It'll be good to get your clean MRI too. What is PB anxiety? I usually warn people I'm a fainter when I face a needle but I hadn't this time. Oops.
Redheaded, how beautiful that your priest's journey gave you so much comfort during rads. It's hard to lose such a strong support, and same for you Diane. I hope the transition is smooth for both of you and your new priests are great.
I wrote my card to Kate today and put in a picture of George Clooney. Ordinarily Kate would be so excited to get that, but she may not be interested in anything just now. I am so worried about her.
I realized that today is my one-year anniversary on Tamoxifen. I see it as a friendly and powerful teammate, aside from the crazy four-month skin blow-up, hot flashes and night sweats off and on, and a patch of hair that stupidly won't grow. And some aches for a while. Really now that my skin is fine it's not hard dealing with the side effects.
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RunFree - thanks! Hubby seems to gave more downs than ups...:( I have low blood pressure (BP) and because of past fainting and convulsing anxiety around needles...blood draw or IV...so I always ask for the private area in a lounge chair...it's just easier if/when I go down...problems since 20s so embarrassing...blood bank said please don't come back! Really think low blood pressure and low blood sugar just are a bad mix when fasting before procedures.
Have a great week...classes almost over? Summertime fun!
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Oh yes, thanks, my classes have been over for a little while. Looove the flexibility of my summers, although I have lots of pressure to work on my book. I have been a fainter since I got a shot in school in 5th grade and went down in front of my whole class, peed the carpet (the stain was there for 10 years), and got a concussion from the floor. I also tried to give blood once and nearly conked out from the little blood factor test in the earlobe, and they told me I would find some other way to serve the world and gave me a donut. I fainted after my Lasik surgery in 2003 and when getting a crown put in at the dentist's office in 2008, and I've come close a number of other times. But none of this measures up in my family of medicated anxiety sufferers. We ALL have trouble with dentists. I am really overdue. Weird that I got through all my BC procedures and tests without fainting at all though.
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Wow RunFree, that a whole lot of fainting.Thanks for the warning
Also on the serious side thanks for the update on Kate.I'm so sad.She is such a sweetheart and it kills me to think she is isolating herself like that.I continue to pray for her and will send my card tommorow.I didn't send it right away because I knew she would get a lot at once and I thought it would be nice to stagger them so she would have cards coming on different days.
Diane, I actually donated the rest of my clothing and some shoes/toys to Goodwill.It felt good to get rid of it and They do resell it but they also employ special needs adults and teens.The money is put to good use.Then my youngest DD went on a shopping spree and used her own money to buy some clothes for herself.I was proud.She even commented to me tonight how the next time her Grandma wants to buy her new clothes she's going to ask her to go there.How cute is that? I personally wouldn't buy my clothes there because I'm afraid I'd get lice or something.I did wash all of the clothes when we got home.Unfortunately they all had to be washed in cold water.I personally would of liked to wash them in hot.
RunFree I almost forgot .Congrats on getting 1year of Tamoxofin over with.Now 4 more to go.
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Josie -good for you making those donations. I donate my leftovers to Vietnam Vets and Goodwill. No more Salvation Army tho because I donated a sectional and when the guys came to pick it up one of them said they couldn't take it for some obscure reason but if I bought his lunch? I'm like seriously? Of course I didn't.
Hey you know I knew some girls who shopped at GW and SA and said they found some nice clothes with the tags still on them. I'm like you tho I just don't feel comfortable buying the clothes.
Diane
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good morning
Still catching up. My DS is here from Chicago but I have to go to work and he is leaving. We will try to get breakfast. Rain on the way.
Sad to hear that Kate is not up to visitors. When we feel sick , sometimes nothing else matters. I hope she will rally and be back.
Sending hugs and prayers for all those with difficult challenges this week.
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So sorry, Cindy, that your husband is under the weather. Same stuff? Or a whole new challenge? Not sure which would be better. Sending healing thoughts and cheer, and wishes for a nice, healthy summer.
Congratulations on getting rid of all that stuff, Josie. And a little money came in too! I"m imagining tidy closets, empty storage/junk area. just wish I could visualize these things in my own house; I'm so jealous.
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Diane, yes sometimes I have issues with these places but I guess as long as you wash them well it would be ok.My DD had a great time though.
Brookside, thanks but don't get too excited.I've still got a lot left to do.But my goal is to leave for vacation with a clean house.My oldest DD will come over and take care of the cats and possibly bring her new BF.So you know first impressions.I haven't met him yet.
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Run glad you got a clean bill sorry about the convulsions. Super scary
big D thingking healing thoughts with gentle hugs.
RMlulu hope things go well for hubby..
Lemon may the healing continue
To anyone who needs it today, I'm in your crowded pockets. Big gentle hugs to all
My whiplash/concussion is doing better, thanks for asking. Like Josie we are trying to get ready for a garage sale.
I totally feel like the village idiot!!! Here I could only think of when Kate had her hair done, she said how it was such a pick me up, she felt like a whole new person. So I got her that credit with the beauty salon. I totally forgot she was doing chemo again, never dawned on me that she may have no hair to get done.. sigh.. heart in right place, brain NOT. I just feel awful. I'm now hoping maybe they can do her nails for her. Not to mention this new news about Kate . I'm so grateful to Tracy for sharing. So very worried about Kate. We should all go there & do a flash mob wearing glitzy princess warrior coats!
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charger- your heart was def in the right place. I too remember how excited Kate was about her hair extensions but I know she would love to have her nails done too. I can understand her not wanting visitors. She is such a pretty lady that anything less than every hair in place is unacceptable. At least Tracy is keeping us informed and Kate knows we all care.
Josie - of course you are right after washing the clothes will be fine, sorry didn't mean to imply otherwise. I rarely bug anything that isn't on sale or I don't have a coupon for.
Diane
Hope today is a good day for everyone!
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