Jewish Warrior Sisters
Comments
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Leah is our resident sheitel/wig expert. Hopefully she'll post some tips soon.
Caryn0 -
Thank you Caryn! I didn't know I was such a maven!
Shoshana, I do have some suggestions. I use a small cloth cap under my sheitel (in Israel it's called a covait, don't know if it's available in the U.S.). Also, my sheitelmacher told me that her sister used a cloth headband to clip her sheitel in place when she lost her hair, so you might want to try that.
I want to thank everyone for their good wishes while I sat shiva recently, for the phone calls, to Karen for getting my phone number to so many people, and to Pessa who came to see me. May we only hear good news.
Leah
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Hi,
For a very easy and cheapo way to keep the sheitel on your head when there is no / not enough hair, cut of a leg from a pantyhose and make a headband by tying it according to your head's circumference. Tried and true. Nowadays there are headbands doing the same job, more elegantly.
Dassi
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Yes, Leah,the sheitel maven and a real mensch!
Caryn0 -
Leah,
I'm glad you are safely back in Israel. Wishing you only smachot in your life.
Lehitraot,
Debbie
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Dassi52,
I tried the pantyhose idea. Sounds silly, but it works! Thanks, Shoshana
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I have been away visiting friends in Florida. Just needed to get away from cancer. Well, you you don't get away from cancer no matter where you go. And we Jews are not unique in that respect. In just a very short time I met a Greek woman with breast and blood cancer, my next door Greek neighbor whose daughter had breast cancer a few years ago just told me that her niece in Australia was just diagnosed with bc. The investment manager at the local bank handling my Husband's IRA, probed delicately about my health, only to reveal that his wife, a mother of a 9 year old child was diagnosed with bc within a few months of me. I think she is Italian. Of cause, my friend in Florida is also a breast cancer survivor.
Sometimes if feels like an epidemic, and not only a Jewish one.
On the 28, I am going for my 6 month check up. I am plenty scared this time, more than I was before.
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Antonia,
Good to hear from you! Yes, it does seem like an epidemic and once we have been dx ourselves we become very acutely aware of anyone around us who has it too. You are right, it is not just Jews who are effected but sadly, we do have a higher than usual incidence of BRCA 1&2 genes. I hope you continue to get on with life.
Caryn0 -
Caryn,
For some reason my oncologist didn't think it helpful for me to be tested for BRCA1&2. She told me it wouldn't matter. Well, my children have more to worry about than just breast cancer. With my father's very aggressive lung cancer, and my husband's carcinomosarcoma, in addition to my breast cancer, I am afraid to think of the genetic baggage we have given our children and grandchildren. They will have to go for genetic testing.
Thank you for your concern, I will go on with my life; I have two wonderful sons who have wonderful families. After all, what is the alternative, but to fight for life. I will take one day at the time. After all, don't we all do the same here, we try to live normal lives, enjoy our families and take one day at the time and be here for each?0 -
One of the onco nurses at Sloan was from St. Vincent, an island in the carribbean. She said plenty of women get breast cancer down there. They live outdoors in the sun and eat fresh fruits and fish. But they still get it. they just don't know they have it until it's too late. There is no treatment.
I think years ago women did not talk openly about this. That may have something to do with how common it seems.
Also, hormone replacement therapy did increase incidence.
Also, having children later in life increases incidence.
Overweight also has an effect I think. Girls get their periods earlier, more estrogen in their bodies. There was a utube on the Sloan site about this. Hudis said that years ago girls were half starved and got sick so much in childhood that they didn't get their periods until l7. then they'd get pregnant pretty soon after that and have lots of babies so they didn't go through so many cycles in a lifetime. Of course they died sooner too. A lot has changed!
But yes, sometimes I want to scream WHAT IS GOING ON????
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There are many more young women diagnosed now with bc. I believe there are environmental reasons for the growing incidence of cancer coupled with genetic predisposition. It is the food we eat, the water we drink, the cosmetics, soaps and detergents and food packaging we use. The effect is cumulative.
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Happy Purim
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Chag Sameach Purim.
I'm at my folks in Florida, so walked to Chabad to hear Zachor...it was about 40 minute walk each way and then went to the reading of the Megilla. It was different as I didn't know anyone....Tomorrow I'll go to the Purim Seudah there with my mom..
DD made her own costume...she was dressing up as a Hersheys bar.....after the megillah reading BNei Akiva is having a party for the kids....Our shul is having a Persian themed Purim suedah.
I one or two more trips to Florida before the final trip to move my parents by me in Denver...its so very sad......
I hope everyone is doing well.
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a freilecha Purim
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A Freilichin Purim to all!
My son is home now but has to be back on his base at 4:00 (half-hour away) so we're having a small seuda (we're barbecuing steaks), taking him to base, and then going to my DD's house. I don't know what costumes her 3 biggest kids have but she decided she's dressing up as The Cat In The Hat and dressing the twins as Thing One and Thing Two.
Purim in Israel is special because it's Purim for everyone. The only downside to Purim here is - no prune hamentaschen! Every flavor imaginable except for that!
Leah
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Happy Purim to all!
Leah,
As a teacher and lover of all things Dr.Seuss, I think your dd had a great ideas for costumes. No prune hamantaschen! I can't believe it. It's definitely a NY classic. I remember only three flavors as a child; prune, apricot and mun (poppy seed).
Many years ago, when I first moved to the SF Bay Area, I went into a small bakery that was owned by a Jewish woman. She had a lovely display of hamantaschen in just those three flavors. A young African American was behind the counter. I asked for a dozen prune hamantaschen. Those aren't prune, he said, those are blueberry. No, I explained, they're prune. Just then the owner came in and said, "Yes, they're prune. It's traditional".
He looked shocked. " I can't believe anyone would want to eat pastries with prunes in them!" he said. It gave us a good laugh.
Caryn0 -
A freiliche Shushan Purim to all of you. I admit it is wonderful living in Yerushalayim and having Shushan Purim. Just when all of you are putting back your costumes, we're just getting in to them!
Re hamantaschen. I have been making them with chocolate chips for the last 10 years or so, and they;re a big hit with all the chocoholics in our family, including myself. It's not that I don't like the traditional flavors, but what could be better than chocolate? This year though, my DD offered to bake them, and I happily accepted.
My 3 yr old grandson wore a chasid costume, worn previously by his older brother and before that by his father! I made it in those days that I was creative and apparently had lots of time. It was based on a robe and pj pattern, with cheap black fabric. I even made a streimel with fake fur. My niece who borrowed the costume later, improved by gluing long curly payes to the shtreimel, and now it is a second generationv"heirloom". That was definitely not something I had ever imagined when I made it at the time.
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Dassi, that sounds like a wonderful costume - and a wonderful heirloom!
I'll be in Jerusalem tomorrow, but not to celebrate Shushan Purim. I'm having a CT scan in the afternoon. So of course, since it's Purim in honor of the scan I'll be wearing - a shirt with a cat on it.
Leah
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I'm sorry, Leah, that you have to be here for THAT reason! Let's hope and pray that in honor of Purim, your scan results will be exactly to your (and your Mds') liking! If you wonder what I am still doing up (I was about to hibernate my PC but couldn't resist checking here...), I just frosted 14 chocolate cakes and baked 4 zucchini loaves - all mishloach manot. And I had actually plans of going to netz megilah reading at 6.35 Am. I doubt that I will be up on time.
So good night to you all and sweet dreams. (with or without frosting)
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Feeling sad this Purim night....went to a Purim Seudah with Mom at the Chabad near where she lives...it was lovely....but Mom is not doing well....She well 3 times at the Seudah and the last time was falling off her chair.....I had a lot of help getting her in the car to go home, then used the small wheelchair they have for Dad (that he never uses) to get her in the house....put her to bed...with explicit directions NOT to get up...well the phone range...I answered it because it was my brother and she got up and fell again!!!!! I am soooo scared. Mom refuses to let me call 911...she keeps saying she isn't hurt from falling etc...But if I take her to the ER, then I have the worry about my Dad......Mom has a neurologist appt at 10 tomorrow morning to get the results of an MRI and blood work that was done a couple weeks ago.....I'm supposed to leave tomorrow afternoon and soooo afraid to leave....they have help a few hours/day, but I don't know what to do......I guess I will see how the night goes and what the neurologist says.....I am moving my parents to Denver and was planning after Pesach, but that may be too long....they are supposed to go into Independent Living, but now I wonder.....I have another trip scheduled for March 6 - 11 and maybe I need to move them then and deal with the apt at a later date and just move them with the essentials and next week-end go buy furniture for their apt in Denver....Please put Mom on your refuah list....Sarah Esther bat Faigye.....Thanks for all your support...Karen
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Karen, it must be so difficult to leave your parents now when they clearly need help and constant supervision. It sounds like a good idea if you can move them earlier than planned. Just remember that it's usually very hard for older people to readjust to a new environment (disorientation etc) and if you can bring familiar things from their old place, that will definitely be helpful. Lots of strength for the difficult days ahead!
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Dassi...thanks....my parents won't be bringing much if any of their furniture....they will bring art work and personal effects....Mom saw the neurologist today....not the best news....pretty wiped out tonight...its gets harder leaving every trip. I will write tomorrow what the neurologist said and about the next steps....Not sure if I will be able to bring them to Denver any sooner...too many logistics to work out....Thanks....Karen
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Hi everyone,
Just found this thread -it didn't exist when I was last on the boards. I live in Raanana, am originally from New Zealand, have a nearly five year old daughter, and have just been dx with bone mets. Nice to meet you all!0 -
Welcome! Sorry to hear about your mets. It sounds like you have gone through quite a difficult few years.
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Dassi52,
I love the chassid costume. It brings up old memories. When I had my first baby, a boy (27 years ago), I was a new, starry-eyed baal teshuva, and my father was a very worried old-New York liberal intellectual Jew. He said nervously about the baby, almost the first day, "Is he going to wear a black coat and hat?" That next Purim, I couldn't resist, I dressed my baby up in just the way you described, with the dyed-black bathrobe, the fake shtreimel with peyos, the whole get-up. (Dad didn't see.)
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It's almost Shabbat here and I am utterly exhausted....physically and emotionally...DH is out of town and DD and I are invited to good friends for Shabbat dinner.....part of me wishes I was staying home but I know it is good that we are going out.
Mom has been diagnosed with normal pressure hyprocephaly (NPH). She has a brain cysternogran on Monday and we see the neurologist again on the 8th. The treatment is putting a shunt in her brain if the test comes back that the NPH is due to poor absorption of the cerebral spinal fluid. Without the surgery, it just gets worse. You can google NPH for more info.
I just want to cry when I think about the whole situation.
My goal at this point is after this trip next week (the 6th to 11th....only 9 days after getting home from this last trip), going back down on April 10th to help them move and bring them back here on April 14th. We have to start paying rent on the apt on the 18th of this month. I am meeting with someone on Thursday with Mom to talk about how o down size, what to take, do we leave furnitue to stage the condo till sold etc....It should be really helpful. Then we need to figure out when to put the condo on the market...probably right after they move.
Keep Mom in your prayers..Dad too....and hope that I don't totally exhaust myself with all this..... Mom's hebrew name is Sarah Esther bat Faiyge.....Dad is Yosef HaLevi ben Miriam Vitya
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Hi Latte, welcome to the thread. So sorry to hear about the bone mets. With five year old and cancer you sure have a lot on your plate. I have been diagnosed about the same time as you were and am now obsessing about bone ache. Keep telling myself its just Arimidex. Just had my 6month check up and waiting for blood test results. A little nerve racking. I hope the markers stay low.
Keren, I am adding your Mom and Dad to my prayers ( you were already on the list.)0 -
I'm exhausted!!!! Its been a long day....
Been at my parents since late Wednesday night....Dad hasn't been feeling good the past couple days...he didn't look good and he really couldn't articulate what was bothering him other than he didn't feel good, his stomach was bothering him and he was having shortness of breath at times.... so we called 911 this afternoon....he was admitted to the hospital....his blood sugar was 30 when he got to the ER....and other Dx is congestive heart failure....
I'm supposed to go home early Monday morning, but not sure if I should extend the trip....DH is supportive of whatever I do, but he is going out of town all week....so that means finding someone for DD to stay with and someone to take care of the dogs....I know there isn't much I can do here, but its support for Mom and someone to ask the questions.....Mom does okay, but she is in denial that she has any memory problems, plus all this medical stuff is too overwhelming for her......
and the other news is...Mom saw the neurologist on Friday...the brain cysternogran came back normal....so now we are back to square one to finding out the reason for the gait and balance problems....there is brain atrophy so neurologist is recommending neuropsych testing which is in 2 weeks, then some sort of CT scan and then meet with him to get results on Arpil 8th
Not sure what to do with the move....when I came down here my goal was April 10th to come down, finalized everything and them fly back to Denver on April 12th....Have a company helping Mom sort through things and pack and they can be here with the movers....BUT dad being sick is going to make it harder....They have sooooo much stuff to downsize....we've been going through things, but mom is tired after a couple hours......I guess a good night sleep will help figure some of it out....but the first question is do I extend my trip......Please keep my parents in your prayers....me too!!!!
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Does anyone remember that great song "I've got the Pesach blues" (Journeys III). Well, let me share the following "mishap" with you. For a number of years I have thrown toys of the grandkids in the washing machine. I wanted to start with the lego. First I had to separate all those tiny pieces (and we have a lot). Then I put them in a pillow case which I tied double knot with a kneehi. I ran the machine a very short run, but to my dismay the force of the pieces pulled the pillow case out of the knot (the knee hi was still tied) and then I had to empty the machine from a zillion tiny pieces, hoping nothing got stuck in the drain. What fun. In previous years I had no problems at all. So if you do like me, tie better or do whatever it takes for the bag to stay closed.
Other than that, it's finally warming up after a long and cold (for here) winter, and that's really wonderful.
Happy Pesach cleaning and shopping to you all!
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Happy Pesach.
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