Radiation recovery
Comments
-
This is just like the MRI machine that I had my breast MRI's in
0 -
Janis, thanks for the listening ear and advice.
My treat to myself is my week end walk - local wildlife refuge, beach, hills at Montauk....just want to get outside. Missed it this week end due to guests in and out; and my college kid home....but I have spare time this week coming up. Weight loss is a huge priority for me now, so if y'all get organized about it, I'll chime in.
That's gonna be a noisy pocket party with those crunchy chips!
All that talk about candy bars? (3 musketeers my downfall) and thos M&M peanuts - both are always in the vending machine near my office. But once I decide to avoid, I usually can.
UGH I just saw on the news that a second student from my college was hit and killed during car trouble on the same expressway - other was 2 weeks ago, hit by a sheriff's car. I cannot bear this kind of news... ...........
Always be safe when breaking down and get far off the road no matter what. If there is a reason for everything, I do not get this.
Wishing everyone a good week ahead!Joan
0 -
Joan, It is so sad when a young person dies. So much promise gone. I do not understand the reason for that, either. I am sorry that these deaths have happened so close to you.
0 -
Joan I always have trouble when a young person dies in such a manner. There was a local teen here killed recently...texting and driving. UGH! I wish that was banned everywhere! She was a promising young high school senior who had recently been featured on the news. She was on the freeway late at night, texting a friend. The road began to ascend and she did not notice. A semi in front of her slowed to 15 mph.....she hit him and never braked. She just did not see him at all. How sad. I hate to see young kids die so unnecessarily. I am sorry that you have had to go through this twice in such a short time period.
When you are ready to join us on the healthy eating plan...we're onboard any time! Today is day one for me. I can only try.....
Gentle hugs. Deep breaths, don't forget to grab a nap here and there. it is okay!
0 -
Texting/driving accident statistics are staggering. Texting driver is 23x more likely to get in a crash, and texting can add 70 feet to breaking distance. (adcouncil and Car and Driver respectively.) Why do I know these things? Two teenagers who drive, and I urge them to put their phones in their bag, in the back on silent. Do they? Who knows. They probably think I'm just an old fuddy duddy.
0 -
I'm with you guys. I hate these needless deaths. Makes me feel so helpless. And you still see people doing it while driving, that's what amazes me.
Anyway, on a happier note for me anyway, I lost 1.5 pounds last week
. Even with my blowout Friday, and our personal tradition of pancakes on the first Sunday of the month (yesterday). Whoppie. Makes me want to go walk some more!Glad you've joined us Janis. Doing this with friends is helpful. Especially since everyone here understands the added tribulations of dealing with this breast cancer recovery, meds and follow up stuff.... which occasionally requires SNICKERS BARS!
have a good week everyone
0 -
I go a little overboard when I see people texting. I get my own phone out (on speaker) and call 911 and report that they are texting and swerving in the road and go on my way. Whether they are pulled over or not I don't know. I had someone in front of me once that was clearly falling asleep at the wheel. It was backed up traffic due to traffic light ahead, 2 lanes and we were crawling along. everytime we stopped the person driving would plop his/her head down and then traffic would move again they would not move until I honked my horn and up comes the head. Finally when traffic was moving beyond the light this person would drift to towards the left lane and I would panic that they were going to hit the car next to them. I called 911 and kept behind the car to direct the cops to the car/driver. That was real close call.
0 -
kingjr......I don't blame you one bit. I have come close to being hit more than once by people using cell phones. It is just wrong. Years ago we all survived just fine without them. I think cell phone manners get increasingly worse too. I don't want to hear you telling your girlfriend about your fight with your boyfriend and all the nasty details. I wish people would be more discreet when using them in public. Grrrr...okay off my rant now!
Sew, excellent news about the weight loss! I did weigh myself this morning so now I have my baseline. I was pretty good today so hoping I can stay good. No sugar! I made a casserole for dinner and have no clue how I would even figure out the calories per serving. It was really good, contained sliced potatoes but no cheese so that was good. No Snickers either! So far so good. I even took a nice short walk this afternoon.
I hope everyone is doing well, feeling better and getting plenty of rest when needed.
Janis
Diagnosis: 7/1/2011, IDC, 3cm, Stage II, Grade 1, 0/6 nodes, ER+, HER2-0 -
Sew-Way to go! You're setting the bar for us!
King-that's a good way to react, doing something helpful instead of just fuming. Maybe after being pulled over these drivers will put their phones away.
0 -
I agree with janis, I liked it better when we did not have all this new technology. I'm old school and can remember when there were no cell phones, no computers, no fax machines, no copy machines, no adding machines. Geez, technology has come a long why in the last 30 years.
0 -
king...technology has come a long way, but sadly not without a price. I too am old school and can barely operate a remote control. LOL. I wish manners came with gadgets.
Of course I really do worry about all the safety issues with texting while driving. That really scares me.Happy belated birthday to Elizabeth!!! It was yesterday, April 2nd. She was sneaky and didn't let anyone know. A little bird told me. Happy belated birthday sweet lady!!
0 -
I love technology...after all it has put me in touch with all of you! Happy Birthday to Elizabeth!
0 -
you are so right SAB....
0 -
I agree SAB...much of it has merit! I do love the great people I have met here.
0 -
SAB, I'm with you...I love technology; I love my smart phone; I do talk with a hands free. However, when I am talking and commuting, I admit I often do not remember details about the drive.
Janis, that is such a sad and tragic story. I agree that texting causes needless tragedies. The texting is out of control in car and out; and distracting to everyone.
I was especially sad about the kids who died here because they are both students at my college; one about to graduate. And in both cases, they just did not know what to do when their cars broke down. One had just called his mom and she was on her way to get him. I say if it's safe to get out, get away from the car and as far off the road as possible.
About healthy meals and exercising - I started Monday, cutting out bread and sugar. I eat fruit, yogurt, eggs, vegetables, small amounts of meat, and cheese. That's enough food choices for anyone...I dropped 3 lbs. of water weight overnight. Today I took a long hike in a hilly park. I did have a sherbet cone with a friend and a salad from the Mexican restaurant so it's probably a wash today.I think it's great to share and support. After all, this is the Recovery thread and it's all part of our ordeal. .Keep up the good work - especially the walking, which heals so many ills.
Joan0 -
Joan - I'm doing the same with the bread and sugar. The bread is easy but I'll miss the sugar in my coffee every morning.
0 -
When I come here, I am so encouraged to try harder to lose weight.
I hope y'all don't mind, but I need to vent for just a minute. I went to a new doctor this morning (we moved to a new state just before I was diagnosed with breast cancer) and asked him for help managing my health from this point on. I explained to him that what I need is someone who will help me manage the symptoms that I have from medication and treatment...i.e. the achy joints and fatigue from Femara and lack of estrogen and the insomnia from menopause.
I explained to him my history and told him what I was taking on my own to help with the symptoms I've been having (all based on clinical research). Y'all, he thought I was a nut-job. He basically patted my hand and told me that he knew that breast cancer is the biggest challenge I've faced in my life (maybe it is or maybe it isn't...I'd really have to think about it) and I'll get over it eventually. And when I told him that I'm taking Effexor for hot flashes, he asked if I was sure it wasn't for anxiety.
Oh, and he wanted to know why my oncologist wasn't helping me with my symptoms. I don't know, because she has more important things to do...like help people who are actually really sick? I feel like a general practitioner should be the doctor who helps you manage your health, which is what I told him. I said, I know I'm not sick, but I have medications I have to take and symptoms that have to be addressed and I need a doctor who can help me address them.
I'm definitely finding a new doctor. I'm disappointed because I've taken my daughter to this guy and liked the way he interacted with her but he's definitely not the one for me.
Whew. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It's just frustrating to feel like I'm through with active treatment, but I still have five years of this medication to get through, menopause with no hormonal support, and absolutely no one to help with it. I feel great and I'm so joyful and grateful to be alive...so don't get me wrong on that...I would just love it if someone was there to help with this phase of treatment.
Oh, and I told him I needed help losing weight and he said, get out and run. Yeah, thanks.
So...not a good morning at the doctor's office!
0 -
Steph, do find another guy ASAP. I really, really hate that "now, now, little lady" attitude from doctors. I hated it before breast cancer too, but I REALLY hate now.
0 -
Steph, Unfortunately that kind of doctor is out there. Fortunately, there are better and other choices. However you have to locate them and that can be hard at times. I too am trying to find a new medical oncologist who will work better for me, but all I get are their colleges and medical school trainings and they do not give out info on how they like to work with patients or what their medical interests are and who has the time or money to keep going in and paying for the first appointments?
Word of mouth helps. How their office treats you is also good info. I am asking more and more for doctors who will work with me as a whole person and east-west. I am working with a Chinese medicine practitioner and need a MO who will help monitor me so I know all is working.
Ladies, when we find good doctors, natural or traditional, we should put their names out there. Too many of us struggle with blockhead doctors.
Kudos to the ladies losing weight here!
0 -
stephN, Vent here all you want. You have good reason to vent. That PCP you saw sounds awful. What a lack of communication and communication is one of the most essential characteristics of any doctor. Good luck finding another doctor.
0 -
Thanks, y'all. I really appreciate the reassurance that I'm justified in feeling this way. We've been round and round with doctors here the last few weeks. My son has a serious injury that we've been trying to have treated and have been out of state and started treatment and he still has three weeks before they would get him in here. I'm a little frustrated, to say the least!!
0 -
Steph - that's why all my doctors are woman. They give me honest women's opinions and choices.
0 -
Steph, you're right to vent and to keep looking. I know you'll find someone. How about asking your MO for a suggestion? If you're in Northern Ca I can give you some recommendations. Or, have you looked for a Suvivorship doctor? I hate the term but it's a fairly new speciality, are GP's, and they're doing just what you want: looking at all quality of life issues, side effects and overall care for cancer patients.
Meanwhile........save me from Cadbury eggs.........I keep having to sample both the cream and the caramel to figure out which is best!0 -
King,
I'm not so pure....the one thing I will not give up is an inch or so of hot chocolate in the bottom of my 7-11 coffee cup. When I am home, I use sweetener ... but am switching slowly to Truvia. If you use a lot, it tastes bad; but one spoon seems just right. Good luck!
Usually I cut out fruit but this time I am adding fruit instead of artificial desserts. More calories means slower loss. I walked today - just as the sun set and the nearly full moon rose. I grabbed a vanilla yogurt on the way out and after I ate it, I saw 31 carbs in a small container. UGH! read the label first.....
Joan0 -
Steph -- so hard on you to have made that move; but the end of your post says it all...you are doing well and are just trying to advocate for minimized symptoms.
I do not believe the comment about your meds is appropriate. You identified your meds and if it's working, that's what matters. And I am still trying to understand what you are supposed to be getting over. Wrong guy. A good doc would want to rise to the challenge and be educated on the latest cancer treatment meds. After all, we are whole people with ordinary concerns, not just cancerous patients.
Sew - I went to a new program at a med center for survivors run by a nurse practitioner. I got a full exam, some time to chat and vent and then we made a plan for what we will work on over the next few months. I felt like a person!0 -
Joan,
Yep, I like the new program being run here too. Hate the name of it, but my Doc says the name came first and it's too late to change it now. They heald a national conference last year , first one, I think.
The good thing about that yogurt is that at least it was complex carbs! Now my Cadbury egg couldn't even begin to pretend......
Hey Janis,
How's that new sleeve? Is it working? Comfortable?0 -
True, most docs have a CV online these days, and there they usually have any articles they have written and conferences they have attended/chaired. I find this a fairly easy way to get some sense of a doctor's main field of interest ahead of time.
0 -
Thanks for the tip about the survivorship program. There is one at the hospital where I had treatment. It's almost two hours away, but it might be worth it to not have the doctor or NP accuse me of having anxiety for trying to describe my medical background. I think I'll call and make an appointment for the next time I'm up there to see my onc.
I do think that there is a need for survivorship programs. We live with so many little aches and pains (and I didn't have chemo, so I can't even begin to imagine dealing with neuropathy, etc) that affect quality of life. Yes, I'm thrilled to be here. I'm thrilled to BE a survivor, to have caught the cancer when getting to NED was a relatively easy journey. That doesn't change the fact that I have muscle fibrosis from radiation and it hurts to raise my arm. I chose to have my hysterectomy and am so happy to have done it, but that doesn't change the fact that there are risks associated with that. I take letrozole and feel blessed that it is available to reduce my risk, but that doesn't change the fact that it makes me feel like a 90 year old instead of a 43 year old. These are the things I think are overlooked.
When I asked my oncologist about it, she just said, you deal with it as long as you can. Well, that's not a good enough answer. There have to be ways to make these things better. Or am I just lliving in denial? Haha!
I'm not venting anymore, now I'm just wondering if other people feel the same way I do?
Thanks, girls! I appreciate the friendships and understanding here. (Oh, and I found out yesterday that I am BRCA- so that was good news for me, my daughter and my sister!)
0 -
Steph...At least you got some good news on the BRCA testing. Something positive to celebrate. Good for you! I am thrilled to hear that. I am really sorry that your doctor is such a jerk. You do have to find one you can communicate confortably with. My PCP is wonderful. He actually LISTENS to me and addresses every concern that I have. I have to go see him tomorrow. I have two things that simply have to have some attention. I have dealt with this chronic neck pain for many years. It gets worse as I get older and I am not sure what the cause is. I am really hoping that he will order an MRI. If it is something fixable, I really want it fixed. If not, then need to know what else I can do to cope with this pain. I also have another troubling problem. It will require surgical intervention only. So hoping we can figure out a game plan together and he can refer me to the proper doctors for further treatment. He always has been great in the past and I am sure tomorrow will be no different.
Joan.....I guess I phrased it wrong about technology! I do appreciate much of it. I love my computer and that would be so painful to have to give up. I do not have a cell phone, used to but just a very basic one. Economics forced me to give that up. I have never used an I-Phone or any other complicated device. My sister came to visit last month, and it was the first time I saw a Kindle. I liked it, we played a word game on it together every day she was here. Of course she does use it for reading. I still have to read the old fashioned way! I enjoy it so not a big problem for me.
Mostly Sew.....the new sleeves are fine. I got pink and beige sets of sleeves/gauntlets. They sure get dirty fast! The night sleeve is huge and bulky, but not uncomfortable to sleep in. It covers the back of my hand but allows my fingers and thumb to be free. There is a separate hole for the thumb. It goes clear up to my shoulder. I call it my BBQ mitt, it is so thick! It is black, has foam inside and then another sleeve that goes over the black. They gave me leopard print, cute!
I am hit and miss with managing my eating this week. For the most part I have done pretty well. Yesterday I ate cookies and could not stop. My bad! Sue....so far no Cadbury eggs have landed in my card, but that package of Keebler Fudge Stiped Shortbread ones did. We went to the store yesterday just for bread and lettuce. I have no idea how those cookies got in there. LOL.
I hope everyone is doing well. It sure is good to see this thread pick up a bit. I enjoy my friends here so much!
Hugs all around...............
Janis
0 -
Hey Janis,
We've got the pocket party all planned for tomorrow. Be sure to give us an update after seeing your great doc. I'm sure he'll have good ideas for dealing with the pain issues. We will all be cheering you on. Glad the sleeves feel good too. Hope the insurance covered the cost, but expect they must have. I'm so thankful for my insurance.
Steph, you phrased all our worries so well. Do make an appt at the Suvivorship center as I think that doc will be be able to help lots. All those questions/worries are exactly the type of things mine deals with. To specifically answer your question, yes, I feel pretty much the same way. The lestrozole (Arimidex) doesn't affect me as much as it does you right now, I think in part because I've gone thru menopause and spent 10 years dealing with those issues already. It might be though, that if your SE are bad, you should look into one of the other drugs available to us (aromasin seems well tolerated). But basically, yes, I deal with the stiffness if I one position too long, and the "ahem" dryness, and the weight gain issues and etc. these are all things my Survivorship doctor addresses. And if I don't bring them up, she specifically aske! How great is that?
In fact, I'm just about to call that office to ask if I should consider taking magnesium. A couple friends mentioned they take it to help with bone growth, and while I've now got osteoporosis from the Arimidex, I'm sure hesitant to add that one in from my study about it.
So, I managed to not find the Cadbury eggs at the store today, and am feeling quite righteous! Fortunately, Janis, I didn't traverse the cookie aisle, so wasn't attacked on that score. I suggest you could put a couple of those fudge shortbread cookies in your pocket for us for tomorrow. We will all appreciate it. And they go well with spinach salad.
Have a great evening everyone0
