Canadians in British Columbia
Comments
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Marian, have you checked out coffee enemas? They really lift up the mood and relievepain etc. along with detoxing the liver which we all need as BC patients
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Not going there~~very happy these days with what I am doing! Thanks though for the ideas.
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marianeliza & Wendy,
Thanks so much for welcoming me to this site. Love the tee shirt! I just decided to get off my butt and start walking again, and yesterday my knee got sore, before I even had the chance. Every time something new hurts I wonder if I did it or it's the Tamoxifen. Grrr. I'm a tad older than you; will be 73 in Jan. I'm shocked every time i think about it.
Knowing how statistics can be manipulated I still feel ok about having had radiation and taking the pills. I was one of the 10% whose "probably nothing" was actually something, but I do like the odds (2%) of a recurrence in the same breast in 10 years. By then I'll probably have the family dementia and won't really care.
Believe me I've tried to get D to take some responsibility for his own health, but it's not going to happen. He's oblivious. I look after him to the best of my ability, (former RN, which is both good and bad). But I now realize I have to look after myself equally well. Hence the board here. I won't go all vegan etc, but do believe in moderation and cook everything from scratch. Well, almost everything. Did you hear that drinking 5 to 9 cups of coffee a day is now supposed to be beneficial? Can't make it past 4 on a good day, myself.
Interesting what you said about depression. I was on Prozac for 2 1/2 weeks to counteract hot flushes and the fact that if anybody even looked at me I'd burst into tears. Had to stop when I went on Tamoxifen because they don't play well with together, but by then I had sort of come through the other side anyway. Dr. Quack doesn't look for the root cause of things, he just wants to write another prescription. I am going to see a psychiatrist at the Cancer Agency on Tuesday - a one timer, because there's no way I'll drive to Kelowna and back, a 4 hour round trip, regularly in the middle of winter. I'm hoping she can give me some tools to deal with what has been and what is to come.
Cheers, DeltaLady
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Goldie One...I have the same sensation as you're describing. I had a umx and axillary node dissection over 2 years ago, and still have a burning sometimes sharp pain about 3 inches down from my underarm, right where they took the nodes out. I was told that this is nerve pain from the nerves cut during the procedure. I can only wear a bra for a few hours without pain, and then I get the sharp pain again. i am using some essential oils to try and get some relief😑
Wendy...I would love to get some more info on marijuana treatment. Can my oncologist write me a prescription or my GP? I am having some breathing issues, so wouldn't be able to smoke it😞 ...but if it could help me sleep good and take away the bone pain I would love it. aLso where do you go to buy it...haven't seen any hemp stores in Langley.
Delta lady...sorry to hear about your double cancer concerns. life is hard enough when one spouse has cancer, wishing you strength and patience.
I am having a bronchoscopy tomorrow to find out the cause of my shortness of breath. Has anybody had one of these? I'm a little nervous as I think I'm going to be put under...not sure, I forgot to ask.
Ossa, nice to hear that you are 4 years NED, I agree that we can never say that we're cancer free. That's one of the reasons cancer is so scary, but 4 years is a very good sign that it's in remission.
Cheers to everyone...
Carrie
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Carrie, you can to get your oncologist (or GP) to refer you to the Compassion Club. I guess all the pot shops are also able to provide these days? I got the referral from my MO and at the time my issues were more about weight loss and depression~~this was just post chemo and mx and pre rads. I got the edibles and though I did not use much it was helpful for me to eat "shortbread", go for walks with food, water and music and hang out on the river nearby.
What I liked about the Compassion Club is their many years of experience thus their professionalism and ability to tell you what best to buy~~in your case pain and sleep. Please keep us posted on the bronchoscopy results.
DeltaLady I am on Venlafaxine (in the US known as Effexor) and it was also prescribed in hope that it would help with hot flashes from the AI. 50% of women approximately it is said to help for hot flashes and luckily I was one.
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Also meant to say that I highly recommend taking the MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) course offered in some BCAA centres. For several of us it was the best thing we did during and after treatment. Just ask at the counselling office~~in Vancouver there is often a wait list but it is worth waiting for.
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Hello Carrie so there is an outlet in Abbotsford of the store I go to in Vancouver it's called Weeds aptly. I don't know how the store is there but the one down town is great and pretty knowledgable. You don't need to use your doctor they will give you a patient card there. All you need is ID and a written description of your diagnosis. I find these places can be pretty seedy sometimes I'm glad it will soon be legalized so it can be regulated like everything else. You don't need to smoke they have edibles and Pheonix tears as oil. I just checked you have the same cancer as I. So I just recently found out to get the best results with our cancer is a 4:1 ratio of CBD to THC. The CBD or cannabinoids are very important and can be purchased in capsule form. THC you could get using the oil, I use it before bed and sleep very soundly. Be sure to ask about dosage with the edibles I find they are still a bit vague on that one. If you purchase the gummi Lego one circle is one dose. You will see it when you get there. Wow I rambled on didn't I , hope this helps .
Wendy
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Wrenn, I am going to the retreat next week~~are you? I also lucked out this summer with a 6 week one to one MBCT at BCAA with a senior psychiatry resident. Like you I need to "practice" more but it all helps.
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DeltaLady: As I read about "cancer personality", one of the traits is care-taker type, or pleasers. Sometimes one has to re-learn to focus on oneself as other adults can make their own choices (be it denial, drinking,etc.). I am doing that now. As you mentioned drinking coffee, you may also be aware that coffee given in the form of enema is much better for the body than drinking. I am yet to find someone who tried and did not like the results. I have only tried a dozen times, and could not have gotten the same results with any drug, for getting rid of gallstones, etc.
http://www.naturalnews.com/038429_health_benefits_...
The following is from the website of a lady who visits the same naturopath as I once did.
http://www.organicgladiator.com/?page_id=153&from=...
Wendy3: you have probably looked into apricot kernels?
Marian & Wenn: how can one get into the retreat? It sounds very good.Thank you!
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Wrenn: Thank you! Have a good night
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Thanks so much Marian and Wendy for the advice...I will certainly be looking into the Compassion club and into the store in abbotsford. As to the MBSR classes, I can honestly say I don't suffer from stress too much, thankfully. I've learned to let a lot go, and live one day at a time...
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Wrenn I'm so sorry I didn't know you had lost a son, that breaks my heart. How much suffering can we stand I wonder sometimes. Are you going to the potluck I want to hug you in person?
Beachlife yes I read about vitamin B17 very important so apparently it's in the apricot kernels and apple seeds. So I cheaped out and eat the seeds of the apples I juice with my veggies every morning. Supposedly almonds used to contain B17 but have been messed with to get ride of that bitter taste associated with B17 so nothing there anymore.☺️
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Beach Life, Please tell me more about "cancer personality." Having had a career as a caregiver, it's really hard to give up on the concept. But hubby asks me EVERYTHING. Typical example: "Will you put the milk away please." His response: "where does it go?" He's become very childlike and it bugs me, then I get annoyed with myself for being frustrated with him because I don't think he's doing it on purpose. Interestingly, he passed a dementia screening test, so nobody believes me when I say he's not communicating normally.
I was sort of joking about the coffee. it seems that everything is either good or bad for you at varying times after dierent studies.
DL
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I got diagnosed recently. Waiting for the call to start chemo. Great to see so many of you on here. Did you Canadian gals get an MRI? I didn't. Wondering if that makes a difference or not?
It's great to see a survivors group.
Holding my fear at bay by basically not thinking about it,... mostly.
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Welcome NewDay123 sorry your in this boat but on these threads you will find lots of advice and kindness. It's scary at first but it gets easier with time sounds like you are getting into the treatment path very quickly that's great it will help. I never had any chemo or radiation so I can't advise there but I'm sure others will be b shortly. Yes I did have an MRI and a pets scan and a ct scan kind of nessecary to get the full picture. Just so your aware we are not all survivors with pink ribbons but we are here to help if we can.
Wendy
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Hi NewDay123. Where do you live as maybe there are some of us in your area who have had similar experiences in their cancer agencies? Before chemo I had a bone scan and abdominal CT scan. Many women also get Echocardiograms or other heart tests depending the the chemo being used. I asked about that first visit with my MO (medical oncologist) but she said only those over 60 usually get them. I was 63 but she said I had just trekked at high altitudes so not needed. In retrospect I would have asked to have it as I had a couple of odd high heart rates scares trekking in Nepal last year. Cardiologist and echo and all OK just heart rate still high on climbing~~will never know if it was caused by chemo but I am still trekking!
I did have a PET scan the day I started chemo as a lung nodule showed up on the CT~~baseline if nothing else but I know it is not standard as very costly.
If you can figure it out, go to "my profile" and enter what you know now and it will show up under your posts.
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Thanks Wendy and Mariane.
Right! I'm in Rmd, but my GP is willing to refer me to the Vancouver Centre, but I'm currently with a Rmd surgeon and oncologist. Almost forgot, I did get a chest xray. I read some of the other threads. Seem "normal" now to be wondering if the new ache or this/that is a new problem.
That's so great, Mariane, that you go trekking! Did you have to ask for a bone scan?
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Marian speaking of scans I'm scheduled in January for the so called six month followup of the ct scan I had post surgery/pre chemo six years ago. ( 2 lung nodules and a cystic mediastinal mass were of little concern at the time). The radiologist twigged on to the fact that I didn't have one when I went for a chest x ray last month. My family doctor is shaking her head about the amount of radiation but was told to make the order.
NewDay are you having chemo before surgery? That may be the difference. I did have an MRI to plan lumpectomy surgery but that was because I have ILC (lobular) cancer which is difficult to view on a mammogram, of course that was in 2009 when we still used film mammography. If there is a reason to have an MRI for your cancer treatment you will get one.
Kathy0 -
hi newday: sorry that you are here but you will see that if you have to be this is the place to be...I see that you are from Richmond..me too been here 59 years lol.I have always been treated by Vancouver cancer clinic ,as you will see from my info I was first dx in 1999 they didn't have any kind of cancer centre at rgh then .glad too as I never would have met my fab.oncol if I hadn't been treated in van. I didn't have any MRI or ct scans after I was dx with BC this 2nd time but I had been getting them every year anyways at the cancer clinic for 13 yrs from my 1st BC to my 2nd BC the protocol for me was mammo them 6 months later MRI then mammo again repeat I have the brca 1 gene as do almost every single family member as well as BC so we are followed closely
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Thanks Kathy and anamerty.
Yes, the oncologist's plan is for chemo first.
I don't know if I should go with the flow, or push for anything, if anything at all, because I don't even know what. I feel like I'm reading too much because it's all insanely scary. Surgeon already knows it'll be mastectomy on the tumour side for sure. I happen to read the pain thread on phantom breast pain (like missing a limb), I was going to not have reconstruction -- but now I think I will, not for aesthetics, but for possibly dealing with phantom pain.
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newday I had a bmx cancer was in the right breast this time first time left side I just had a lumpectomy glad I had both sides removed as they found some dcis in the left. I have never had phantom pain I how however had my nipples shrivel when my bra is off and I don't have any nipples lol. I had no time to arrange for recon when I was dx they wanted them off asap so I had the option of having recon at another time .its been 3 years and I didn't bother I do have problems with the prosthetics but then my 3 daughters had bmx and recon and have had lots of problems so 6 of 1 / half dozen of another .but I have heard gals saying that having one side mx and either recon or not ,they never seem to match up
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NewDay, it is good you have to think about the surgery down the road. It will give you time to be informed about the choices. But the one thing for sure with reconstruction is that unless you choose and immediate reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy, it can me a many year with for a plastic surgeon. I had mine done same time as mx, with a tissue expander and I also had an augment on the non BC side as otherwise that side would have been pretty different~~3 kids, breastfed etc. I would not say that I love the implant but I am happy I chose that route.
But honestly, you have lots of time as I said above and the main thing right now is to go one step at a time.
As Kathy says, they will order what they think is needed in your plan for scans etc. I did not ask for anything~~it was just done.
Off to the mindfulness retreat tomorrow and it will certainly be interesting to be silent as well as no reading, writing or devices allowed from after dinner Wed. night to Friday AM. Hmmm! Wren, I get what you said and sorry I won't see you there but will let everyone know how it goes.
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Welcome Newday and I'm sorry you've had to join this club. The ladies here are so wonderful with their advise and sharing their experiences.
I am thinking of asking FVCC to transfer my file to the Vancouver clinic. I wonder if there is a MO that you can recommend at the Vancouver clinic? I just found out that that my MO is no longer at FVCC and to be truthful, I never felt a rapport with him or the RO and I have heard great things about the Vancouver clinic.
If any one can recommend a BC MO there it would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Holidays and I am really hoping that I can make it to the event on Jan 9th and meet everyone.
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DeltaLady: Sorry it took me a while to get to this task of looking for the source of the "Cancer Personality" article. Thanks to you I got another chance to read it and find lots of it being so true in my case! Worth reading
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My MO is Dr. Shenkier at the Vancouver BCAA and I do like her.
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I asked FVCC to transfer my file to the Vancouver clinic today. I didn't indicate which doctor so crossing my fingers that I get a good MO.
Thanks for the recommendations.
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Allyp71 I would like to give you Dr. Simmons name she is wonderful and takes her time with each patient. Very upbeat and positive. She is my second MO the first was Dr. Chia horrible experience. Very obviously he is in this job solely for his personal financial gain. Good luck the y are both at BCCA.
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Thanks Wendy I will call and ask for her specifically.
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When I spoke to the admin, she said that my file was going to be transferred to a Dr. Kumar at FVCC. I didn't want to take a chance of this new doctor and looks like he/she has only been there since last summer. I called left a message for the secretary to request that my file be transferred to Dr. Simmons. Thanks again!
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Allyp71 your very welcome I hope they don't give you any run around I had to be referred from my surgeon whom I never used. It was pretty stressful at the time, I hope it goes smoother for you.😊
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