February 2012 Chemo
Comments
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Margo - SO glad your insurance issue is all worked out! Michigan sounds beautiful. I have never been up there and you have convinced me that I need to see it someday.
As far as temperature goes, I am hot and cold, hot and cold...I am normally a cold person but tamoxifen gives me warmth at times. lolKaren, WOW at that craigslist scam. That is really scary. It's terrible to have to worry and be suspicious of everything, who would have thought?
Susan your new profile pic looks great! Your hair is really coming in.
My laptop died yesterday. I am just grateful I had all but one of my school papers backed up on a flash drive. But the paper I did last weekend was not backed up. I am going to take the hard drive to a computer place and hopefully they can recover it. I absolutely dread having to redo it; it would not be impossible but I would be starting from scratch and it took me a whole day. I do not have time to redo work, I have other schoolwork to do.
I am seriously thinking about hiring someone to help with housework during rads, and possibly until I graduate in May. I am just so busy, and I feel so stressed out when the house is a mess. I have to sit down and figure out how much I can comfortably afford. I think I know someone who would do it too.
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i think i am coming down with an honest to goodness cold- and it's probly from last weekend's cold cottage escapade!
this afternoon i slept for almost 4 hours under a very warm blanket and a heavy comforter! finally got the chill out!
i've spent some more time looking at the hair hair hair posts and i am encouraged...i'm 9 weeks PFC now and i see a lot of growth in some of the gals between weeks 10 and 16....
go up to pages around 574/ 575 and look at CAYH-she has full coverage and really pulls off the gray and the short "do" ! wish i had that thin face of hers to go with it all! ahhhh well....someday i'll put my own pic on here!have to find the camera get some batteries take the pic and learn how to do it all!
time to get into pre monday mode!
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Christina: sure hope you can recover your paper. It sucks to have to rewrite it. It's bad enough when we have to retype a post on these threads. I cant imagine having to recreate a school paper.
Margo: I'm cold all the time. I hate this colder weather. It went from too hot to enjoy my patio to now being too cold. ugh. I have the furnace up so high my daughter and granddaughter said it was really hot in here. And I'm still cold.
Clumsy: anyone else find they are clumsy. The first day of my rads (back in July), I fell hard on the floor at work. Had to submit a report and everything. Nothing broke but it took several weeks for the rib cage and back to stop hurting. Last night while in my yard, I fell again, really hard...against the same right side of my body, hurting ribs and back again. I spent all day sleeping and in my chair cause I hurt too much to do anything around home. My neuropathy still bothers my fingers and toes. I drop things, stumble, etc. Hope this goes away eventually. Would really suck if it's forever.
My mood today was better. Going to work tomorrow will be tough but I'm trying to think along the lines of being darn glad I still have my job and anytime it truly gets unbearable, then I'll quit. Otherwise, gonna try to make it till next May. Actually, once January comes, if they decided to 'downsize' and get rid of me, I wouldn't care. I've been there 18 years. I know I'd get a severance pkg and could go on unemployment as long as I didn't actually do something that caused them to let me go. Devious thinking! I know!.
ID Theft: That craigslist scam sent my daughter a detailed 'application' asking for bank info, phone numbers, refernces, etc. Lots of misspelled and grammar errors. Some people may have responded and lost money or had id's stolen. sad.
going to bed and retreat under the covers. Good nite, all! Hope your Monday goes well for each of you!
karen
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I've been freezing a lot too. House is at 74 and I am in a sweater and if I sit I'm in a blanket too.
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Fldrmr, have you told your doctor about your falls? those sound pretty bad.
today I'm freaking out. scheduling a bmx with immediate reconstruction. i fought like the dickens for this, but still, it's big surgery. help.
Susan0 -
Fldrmr, have you told your doctor about your falls? those sound pretty bad.
today I'm freaking out. scheduling a bmx with immediate reconstruction. i fought like the dickens for this, but still, it's big surgery. help.
Susan0 -
Fldrmr, have you told your doctor about your falls? those sound pretty bad.
today I'm freaking out. scheduling a bmx with immediate reconstruction. i fought like the dickens for this, but still, it's big surgery. help.
Susan0 -
GRIT, CHEMO WAS HARDER for me. I won't say its easy, it hurts for about two weeks, so stay on pain pills for at least that long. Then you get better pretty fast.
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gritgirl- for me the bmx and recon was managable. I did not take any pain meds other than motrin, and that was right after surgery. The biggest problem for me was not being able to lie flat or on my sides the first few days because of the drains. Dont worry. You've been through so much this will be a breeze for you. Your a tough cookie!
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Fldrmr, I keep dropping things. Yesterday I dropped the same item in the store four times. Then I knocked over the items next to the ones I picked up. Yuck. Someone saw and helped me pickvthem up, but Geeze, really felt clutzy! Probably don't fall cause I use a cane.
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thanks everyone. this is helping. just gotta get through it.
Susan0 -
thanks everyone. this is helping. just gotta get through it.
Susan0 -
thanks everyone. this is helping. just gotta get through it.
Susan0 -
Gritgirl, thinking about you xx
Well you all know I've been up and down with my mood swings.
Yesterday the workman came and I bit his head off, DH told me I was a mad woman who needed to calm down. ( he is right even my kids are saying I'm mad)
Anyway my onc says to stop taking the Tamoxifen till our next meeting on 22nd October. Saying it will be ok and we can review things then.
My head is up my arse and not sure if I'm mad or not.0 -
Gritgirl: I'm thinking of you. Lots of ((((Hugs)))) to you!
Ali: I so understand the 'mad woman' title. When I was very young (20's) my nickname was Oscar, after Oscar the grouch on Sesame Street. I should be "Supermad Oscar" now as I'm frequently very grouchy. Hang in there. Know that we all understand the moods...especially me! ((Hugs)) to you too.
Heading to work. Thankful for each day I still have a job. Very dead lately. Not much to do. So my attitude has changed to hoping I can work as long as I want to....and if they let me go, I hope it's at least after Christmas.
(Edited to add). When I was known as Oscar (the grouchy mom), I was doing home day care and watching four children besides my own two. I had it down to a very enjoyable routine for all six kids but if they got out of line, I was a "Grouch."
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ali: who wouldn't be emotional dealing with all this cancer. sucks. why would the oncologist tell you to stop taking the tamoxifen?
susan
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susan; how soon will you have surgery? since i didn't have it i cannot speak to it --know that you are in my prayers and we are here!!! wish i lived closer- i'd drive you etc!
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I can't sleep. I'm so angry my hart is pumping so fast, no one can say or do the right thing, I can't be bothered to shower and can't stop the tears.
I have never been this bad and it all started when I took the Tamoxifen. You can get like it. So if i come off it for a month I can see if I feel better. If I do feel better I'm not going back on the shit and I'll take my chances with another drug or nothing.0 -
in case anybody wonders...i am exhausted......
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Lumpy, sorry your not feeling good try and rest when you can.
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Ali & Lumpy: So sorry for each of you as you go thru this. I'm thinking of each of you. (Hugs) and hope you feel better soon.
My day wasn't too bad. I'm glad it's Tuesday. Counting down to the end of the week!
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Ali and Lumps, hugs! Hang in there. Much love
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sorry to chime in late on this stuff, things are just out of control around here--kids swamped in homeowrk, husband shuttling back and forth to see his dad, I'm on about three different work deadlines...But at least I'm not bored!Grit, I only had a UMX, and it was not bad at all--I am a quick healer, however. Get PT set up before you have the surgery, it can really help minimize cording, from what I hear. Have you a date yet?Lumpy, what a trip! It sounds good that you went when you did.Ali, I am like a weasel with a sore tooth these days and am blaming the Tamoxifen. Am thinking of adding in Effexor as a result.As for running cold: I have the opposite problem. Hot. Hot flashes. Sadly have also developed what I think might be a Tamoxifen gut, so I am no longer myself hot. Ah well.0
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I just lost a large post. I really hate that. I'm despondent tonight. Had an eye exam today. Found out my two cataracts which were very mild and expected to take years and years to deteriorate and need surgery have literally gone to the worse expected. The eye doctor said it is a direct result of the chemo. I need to have two separate eye surgeries soon. Hopefully, they can get me in to do both of them (must be two weeks apart) before the end of the year. The reason for that is then they will be covered totally by my insurance since I've met my maximum out of pocket for the year.
I hate cancer! I'm so sick of the side effects (my hands and feet hurt), I need an expensive dental partial cause my tooth deteriorated from the chemo, I'm deep in debt, I'm sad and depressed. And now I need eye surgery.
Okay. I'm glad it's not worse. But how much can any of us take! We all need a break!
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Fldrmr, girl, that's horrible! Praying things get better. Much love.
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Fldreamer, sorry about your eyes I have the same from the chemo but just need strong reading glasses. My feet hurt and I have reflectology once a week and it helps.
Yesterday I pulled myself out of bed, had a shower went to work for two hours, went to cancer drop in centre, went for a walk then had dinner with my girlfriends.
My head was normal and it was such a great feeling. These mood swings must come and go so I'll just have to put up with them. Ladies have told me it does take time upto a few years to feel normal again in your head.0 -
fldrmr, you've been through it. several weeks ago i fell down my front steps and sprained my ankle. i was so pissed. and then i saw this e-card from rottenecards.com. it had a guy smiling real big and the caption read, "Just got a booty call from life. Apparently it still wants to keep f*cking me."
i laughed and laughed and laughed. and then i felt better.
i hope you feel better too.
susan
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Gritgirl
I love that ecard! LOL LOL! Exactly how I've been feeling latley. I'm so glad we've stuck together on this thread because for me at least now I don't think its just me feeling like a total bitch at times. I just figured it was from exhaustion.
I know the surgery sounds daunting and yes its a big surgery but if you can get through the rigours of chemo, you will get through recovery really well. Mind you I only had a UMX but from my perspective but I think you'll find that within a couple of weeks when the drains are out and the bandages are off that you'll start to feel pretty normal physically.
Ali
I cant remember how old you are exactly but I have to wonder if part of your mood swings can be attributed to being thrown in to menopause?
FLDRMER
Sorry to hear about the cataracts. Seems we got the gift that keeps on giving. I wore contacts for years prior to chemo and now they drive me nuts so back to glasses for me. I did have two bouts of pink eye after chemo finished so I'm sure chemo is to blame.
I too am just zonked but its because of being at the hospital for my Mom for the last 3 weeks. As it turns out the doctor through CT scans of her lungs and abdomen are pretty sure she has lung and pancreatic cancer. Pretty sure is the best they can do because due to her terrible overall health they feel that the invasive nature of the required biopsies she may not make it though any kind of anestetic and if she did, she would never survive TX.
So its been decided that she will return to her residence today with an increase to the level of care to total care where she'll end out her days. At least she likes it there and all of her things are around her. Thankfully one of my brothers is in the mobility equipment business so he was able to get a wheelchair and a hospital bed for free. Way better than being in hospital regardless. So basically its safety and comfort now. Under normal circumstances I would have told her what is going on with her but dementia has set in and I really don't believe it would serve any purpose to tell her now.
On an upbeat note I got a JOB!!!! I interviewed with a couple of companies in early August and start this Monday. I'll be working as an assistant to a broker but the great part is that its from home with just a weekly office meeting if its necessary. The funny part is that we've both had rotten experiences in this type of work and we have decided to have a 2 week trial run to make sure we can work together LOL! We were both extremley upfront on how we don't want things to run and I think based on that alone we'll do fine together. The timing couldn't be better with my Mom returning to her residence too. Oh yes and I also only told him about BC and that I'll need every 3rd Friday morning for TX. He was totally fine with it provided I'm on my Blackberry which I always am anyway.
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MLB....am sorry to hear about your Mom..it's a lot for you to handle at this time but sounds like she will be most comfortable back at the residence where she is already familiar with things. Believe me I know how you feel and perhaps for her the dementia is a blessing. She will be taken well care of and that has to be a great relief for you.
Congrats on the new JOB! That's great you can work from home as well.....good luck with everything.
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MLB, sorry about your Mom, but at least you know what's going on.
Congrats on your job. Sounds like you will like it, so happy for you.
Guess that means I better start looking. Although I can't see anyone hiring me, with the limp, cane and kiwi hair, unless they need a token handicapped person! LOL0
