Radiation recovery
Comments
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Thanks for the info, Sew. But yikes! I'm on lansoprazole, which, according to the article I just called up, has the lowest risk among the drugs studied. As far as I know, I am not on a high dose. PPI's, or proton pump inhibitors, for those reading this who are lucky enough not to "need to know" about these things, prevent heartburn by blocking acid-producing cells in the stomach, thereby preventing not only lots of discomfort, but also potential damage to the esophagus.
As it happens, I just started taking a daily baby aspirin. I had an episode of shortness of breath, followed by a couple of lesser "aftershocks." After oodles of cardiac testing, it is clear that both my heart and my lungs are perfectly OK. My PCP feels the most likely culprit is a tiny, tiny clot that went to my lungs. I am, of course, on tamoxifen, which apparently is known for sending clots to the lungs, not the brain. My PCP suggests adding a little daily aspirin (easy) and increasing exercise (not so easy) to keep clots from forming. My onc knows about the episode, but not the test results, so I'll send him an email when I get around to it. Feel I need to process this a bit first.
So, if my PPI and my tamoxifen both might produce clots, one aiming at my lungs, the other at my brain, UGH!
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Hi Brookside...I know, if it isn't one thing it's another isn't it. I was on a baby aspirin routine but with that hellish kitten that moved in with us, I kept bleeding up a storm every time he "forgot" and used his tiny claws (which was all the time) Perhaps I should go back to that. I was on lansoprozole, but it gave me bowel problems which is how I ended up on the pantoprozole. I'm going to try taking one every other day and see how that works.
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Hugs to u & ur daughter Josie. Sounds like the dogs have pack mentality, & a thirst for the taste of blood. I'd be making some changes. Glad to hear u are settling into your job.
Bookside & sew, hope you get your meds figured out.
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Thanks Sew and Fran.Fran, they really are the sweetest dogs but her oldest Tank is really a hunter.I think once they catch their prey you can't erase that.She never belonged getting that puppy when she did .But he's always been her baby and as a young pup I can remember he was more or less just curious about Stryper and he would pretty much just leave him alone after a swat or hiss from stryper and I thought they would do ok.But he once jumped the fence after a possum and it was dead within minutes.So that may have been the end of the innocent chase games.
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Sorry about your cat Josie. We are all such animal lovers in this group it is like losing a family member. We are still mourning the loss of our puppies. So glad we still have their daddy.
Thanks the twins are growing up so fast. Constant motion since they started walking. How is your granddaughter doing?
Teenage years are so tough anyway and XBffs makes it even worse.
I hope you both feel better soon.
My DH may have Parkinson's Disease. His hands have been trembling for months. They first thought it was a med he was taking but today the neurologist said it was not the cause. Blood work is normal so they are going to run more tests. DH is very calm. I'm a wreck. I look at Michael J. Fox and feel so sorry for him. He was DX at 29 years old. How horrible is that for someone so young.
So we will deal with it the best we can. Don't really have a choice.
Babysitting the kids tomorrow 9-4 and then out to dinner. I'll need it!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Diane0 -
I am so sorry Josie! I know you must be heartbroken...sigh.
Fran, praying for your husband. Parkinsons is not the best news for sure.
Speaking of diagnosis of a motor neuron disease, one of my oldest friends was diagnosed last week with CJD which is one of the worst neurological diseases ever. It causes dementia, loss of motor skills and death, usually within 6 months to a year. It is so rare that only 300-400 cases are diagnosed world wide each year. More than one case per MILLION people! She was fine in August when I saw her and now they are talking to her husband and her about hospice. I am so very sad...
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April thanks and I'm so sorry to hear about your best friend.I will keep her in my prayers.
Diane thanks for comments and I'm sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis of Parkinson's.I will keep you both in my prayers
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Josie, how beautiful. wow....
Sorry to hear about your cat. That is unbelievable.You have a lot going on and you are trying to hold everyone together....please find a day and a way to take care of YOU.
I hope the new job is working out for you. Change is tough...Focus on what is important....move on from the past and help your younger DD set some goals for herself. She has so much life ahead...I hope soon this will be a bump in the road.Charger, I'm tired reading what you've done. How are you feeling? I hope things are going well.
Diane, the pics are really sweet!
Heading off to bed....love that it is the week end. Cold weather coming tomorrow....going to clear some clutter and food shop.
Sew, I hope you are feeling well and getting around as you wish! Sad that I did not get out there this year....it probably will be in 2017. My son made two short visits here this year, so I think for him that was enough. He is very quiet and introspective.
Brookside, we also did not get together this year....is it me? I do feel like I am busy but no more than usual. We can do better!
Hugs to all!
Joan
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Thanks Joan
You are so sweet. We are also getting cold weather this weekend.
The job was fine for the first 2 weeks but this past week wasn't good at all.It almost ended in me quitting but I didn't. He's sometimes hard to understand since he's Russian but I need to ask him if I don't know what he's talking about.
Josi
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Yikes Josie sounds like you need a translator. Do have him repeat or explain. I had a situation like that and while I hated to keep asking her to translate it was obviously better than not knowing. Good luck.
Celebrated my pre-birthday dinner at Carrabbas Friday night with DS and his GFF and of course DH. It was delicious as usual. I had planned on going to Capital Grille but the entrees were $50 and that was alacarte! Can't afford to spend that kind of money for dinner and probably wouldn't even I could afford it. It amazes me that so many people don't blink an eye spending that much for dinner. One of my brothers took his wife, daughter, 2 sons and 1 son's GFF there. Good grief their tab had to be close to $500. Sorry don't see it.
Tuesday morning is the dreaded colonoscopy. Ugh. Happy birthday to me! Not. Had to do it before Dec31 and that is the only day they could schedule. At least BC/BS is footing the entire bill.
Thanks for concern for my DH. Appreciate it. He worked Friday and Saturday at the Sisters of Charity. It's a community service project for our local Notre Dame Club. He was so tired but loves working there because the nuns are so appreciative. They do all kinds of construction work and painting and yard work. He has been asleep all day today.
They are cuties Joan. Thanks.
Have a good week everyone!
Diane
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Well, four years down. I was diagnosed on November 21, 2012. It was the day before Thanksgiving. I've learned so much, experienced so much, overcome so much. I no longer think of cancer every day. I've even become fairly comfortable waiting for my thrice yearly exams (one BS, two ONC). I will always be grateful for this website, and, in particular, this thread, which helped me through those terrifying first couple of weeks, months, years. Thank you to all you Radiation Recovery ladies, including those of you who haven't posted lately (hint, hint).
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Congrats BrooksideVT, I hope to get there.
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Edwards (Diane) Happy B-day, Good Luck with your test, hugs regarding hubby.
Brookside, congrats on 4 yrs!! Party time
Joan, I'm feeling tired also winter depression has hit. Thanks for asking
April, talked to my hubby, he's fine thanks, but Edwards 750 (Diane) has a hubby that is ill.
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Thanks Fran. Appreciate it! I am going to eat like a marine when my colonoscopy is done tomorrow.
Congrats Brookside - back at ya girl. This website and in particular you guys have been my lifeline then and now. I don't think of the C word like I used to either except still panic a bit before my annual mammo but I think I always will.
Diane
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Diane, is your birthday the same day as your test?
Either way, there will be a dessert party in your pocket tomorrow. Hoping for good results.
Good luck, and I hope we don't leave too many crumbs!
Happy Birthday!
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Happy birthday Edwards!
Happy Cancerversary Brookside----milestone achievement.
This community has been a godsend to me. something to remember this Thanksgiving as one of my "thankful fors".
Hope you all have a wonderful one.
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ditto everything Redheaded said
And Joan, good idea about the pocket party, we haven't had one in too long time (or maybe that's a good thing!). Where the heck is Janis with those cake balls anyway?
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Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
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Joan - it was unfortunately but if I hadn't done it then BC/BSwouldn't have paid 100% for the test. It was fine thank you. After my recovery I pigged out on my DH's delicious dinner and the ice cream cake he bought me. He also brought home yellow roses - my fav. What a guy!
I received some awesome gifts as well. DS gave me a $50 gift card to my fav nails salon. Had them done last night. Sweaters, vest, restaurant gift card and a jacket and I'm overwhelmed. Because of my surgery I'm being treated to lunch 2x next week. Went yesterday for birthday lunch with my brothers which is always a treat when they pay haha.
Thank you guys for my birthday wishes too.
We all have a lot to be thankful for. All of you guys are on that list of blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm sure I will gain back all the weight I lost from the surgery! Love you guys.
Diane
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happy gobble gobble
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Annual Turkey Bowl! How 'bout those Cowboys!
DS with the rising stars! He is a long time DC fan. Finally have a really good team. DS played in the game and played well. Multiple people chased the twins. They had such a big time!
Diane
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Diane, so glad your test went OK and your birthday even better!! Awesome! Love the photos.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope your day was good and that you are enjoying the week ahead.
Brookside, so happy you have made this milestone.It is too quiet here....wish we could have a "reunion" of some of our friends old and new!
I had a quiet Thanksgiving with my DS from Chicago and my grandson who lives in NYC with his girlfriend. Only 5.
It is amazing how it takes 2-3 days of preparing and less than an hour to enjoy the dinner. But we had a fun day.Today (Friday) was also my birthday - I was born on Thanksgiving. The guys were still here and my DD's ex brought my two granddaughters over to visit me. They made me cards and had cake with me. I took them to Main Street to the kids boutique to get them shirts. After that, I decided I wanted seafood for dinner so DH, my son & I headed out for a great dinner.
I heard from all my kids and grandkids and had a good day.Wishing everyone the best holiday season to come!
No Black Friday shopping for me....I don't like crowds. Tomorrow I will begin my marathon online shopping filled in with a few trips to the local outlets.
Hugs to all!
Joan
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Happy Birthday to all our "Thanksgiving babies.”
I had started on Prilosec in 1996, then Prevacid and eventually on Protonix, one each morning—till one day in 2002, on the advice of my then-new voice teacher who suspected the reason for a loss of vocal clarity, my ENT scoped my vocal cords and found one was “bowed” and switched my dose to bedtime to keep from pickling my larynx in stomach acid while sleeping. After I passed a leftover gallstone from my common bile duct (just before I was to undergo an ERCP) in 2005, the GI doc told me to take Protonix twice a day. But I still got occasional breakthrough of GERD. I got switched in 2011 to Dexilant (sadly, still brand-name-only). It’s a form of lansoprazole (aka Prevacid) that is in a 2-layer capsule. An initial dose is released from the capsule’s outer layer; four hours later (presumably during sleep) a regular 24-hr. dose is released from the inner layer. It’s the only thing that works reliably for me. Were I to go the generic OTC lansoprazole route, I’d have to take one at bedtime and get up 4 hrs later to take the next full dose, and another pill in the morning. And insurance doesn’t cover OTC meds. (GERD is no trivial matter of personal discomfort for me—I actually had a GI bleed from it after taking naproxen during rehab for my first knee replacement). But because I must take a PPI (non-drug remedies did not work), I don’t make enough stomach acid to absorb calcium carbonate even with Mg and K2. So I take the more expensive (and PITA to swallow, even the “petites”) calcium citrate.
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Happy Birthday to all of our ladies who were born on dates that fall this week!
Those twins are precious! Thanks for sharing photos.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and the kids were adorable. I am enjoying watching Aubrey grow up right before my very eyes. She is such a happy little child and is always laughing and smiling and is 2 going on 22!
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Thankyou Joan and happy birthday to you too. You celebrated doing some fun things with people you love. Best kind of birthday. I did go to my fav clothes place Talbots on Friday before the annual football game because my birthday gift card was burning a hole in my pocket.
My sister and I took DS's GFF's to lunch and Barnes and Noble. They loved it. My sister and BIL treated us to dinner Friday night. I have to stop eating so much like yesterday.
April we do have the cutest grandkids! Thanks. Aubrey is just adorable.
It is a big quiet here. I hope it's only because our sisters are busy and not something else.
I did yard work - ugh - exercise in futility with leaves and dragged out the inside Christmas decorations. Our neighborhood is having a Christmas decorating contest Dec 12. Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. I really get off on decorating just like my mom. I'll send pics so you guyscan judge.
Diane
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Hunter and I are now in CA for the holidays. GS is 5! Got to schedule my colonoscopy ugh. So ready for #4 cancer anniversary in December...Congratulations to all of you and Happy Birthday to November & December gals. Cold and drizzling here in desert...headed off to Costco 😜
Counting my blessings...counting all of you!
(((Hugs)))
Cindy
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Cindy---great to hear from you I had not been checking in for quite a while and then when I did----there was your post! What a cutie----CA weather will turn itself around. I did the colon thing this spring----didn't plan on it, had some funny symptoms, so Onc said do it. It came back fine. which was a relief.
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Hi Cindy! Prep is the worst part of the colonoscopy for sure. Hunter is adorable! Glad you are well and great to "see" you! xo
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