February 2012 Chemo
Comments
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Hey guys,
Went to ER; they thought it was contact dermatitis that had spawned what looked like very early cellulitis. Got a starter dose of IV antibiotic and a bottle of horse pills. Hope to wake to a smaller rash tomorrow. PT was very helpful.0 -
Diane - hope you are enjoying your vacation!
Monica - OMG I love tarot card readings! I had no idea you did them! I haven't had one in years. Wish I were closer to you! When I lived in NJ psychic parties were a fairly regular thing, but out here in MO, in the Bible belt, they are hard to come by.
Hildy - that does not sound good... I hope you got a hold of a doctor, and can get things resolved. Scary stuff.
Tomorrow is my reconstruction surgery. I'm alternating between excitement and terror. Ugh... expect me to be on a lot, recovery is going to be so boring! I hate sitting around!
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Hildy, I hope the rash dies fast! Suck down those horse pills! Get better soon.
Christina, I've been doing this for about twenty years. Except for the surgery/ chemo year! I had NO energy for anything! This was my first paid job in almost two years, so its good. I think I had about 25-30 people I read for. 5 hours. I could only do three card readings, cause she wanted to keep it short to fit so many in. And, it really is funny to see so many of the same cards over and over. Saw a few obsession/ addiction ones though, which in the age group of graduated seniors is, unfortunately likely. Sad.
Of course I scared most of them cause when they left they were saying, "freaky"..... LOL0 -
Christina. We'll be thinking of you. Take those pain pills as instructed and take it easy. You'll be healing.
Hildy. So glad it got caught early.0 -
Hildy
Glad you got it attended to even though you're away from home. Hope those horse pills kick in really quick. Contact dermititis? Does that mean you picked up the germ?
Christine
Thinking about you today! I echo Grit, take the pain pills when necessary. I forget, expanders?
Moon
I love Tarot readings too, have had a few very interesting ones over the years
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Frankly I don't know what contact dermatitis means--I think it refers to your skin reacting to an irritant like poison ivy or a bug bite, but am not sure.
Rash is fading--yay!
Christina, thiniking of you! Hope all goes swimmingly!
And I have always, always wanted to have a tarot card reading, but how do I find a good reader (Well, I know one now!)
Moon, can you do a reading on yourself, or do the cards not work that way?
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Hildy, I get contact dermatitis all the time. It is what you said. Lately, my eyelids have been irritated so I threw out all my eye makeup and bought new stuff, as well as looked at the soap and other lotions I use on my face. It can be a bugger. Glad it's better.
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prayers and hugs to all....
tonite is my second counselling session-today has been sucky at work....
moon- i had my cards done once- would love to again!had a very interesting fortune cookie today that said "You will soon change your present line of work"--no clue!!!!
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Went to physio on my neck and shoulder so 6 wks of that. SIL has sprained and broken both ankles so guess who is nurse maid and taxi driver. DH has a terrible rash like hives but covered from head to toe. Sent him back to ghe docs as this can't be right.
Daughter been to see dietician today fingers crossed ahe will take on board about eating better. Going for foot scan next , so this wk has been a&e with SIL, fracture clinic for her, physio twice for me, DD at hospital a quiet week at hospitals.0 -
Ali
You sure have your hands full! How the heck does someone sprain both ankles at the same time?
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Ali - that is a full plate -
I was wondering the same thing about the ankles. What the heck?0 -
Well you know she is a big lady under 5ft and size 26. She has weak ankles because of previous problems. She can't walk well or far because of weight. She took her dog for a walk which means standing still and throwing the ball. Stepped in a hole and fell omg her ankles were so swollen and toe was broken.
She stays at home been off work since jan from depression and not getting on with work.
She is a teacher so gets paid up till August then nothing because she hached in her job.
So she will have no money and will expect her mum to fund her mortgage, two bottles a wine a night, smoking, eating large dinners and looking after the dog.
Her mum also just lost her DH and funds her other son who is unstable due to an accident when he was 19.
I feel so sorry for the mum. My hubby won't talk to his sister because she won't help herself or take advice.0 -
Well my discharge from the hospital has been delayed until tomorrow. My oxygen levels are still a little low. I've had a DIEP and even now, I am quite impressed with the results. Having said that, this has been brutal! Makes having a mastectomy a day in the park! My pain is being managed fairly well. I just can't believe people get work done on their tummies and breasts purely for cosmetic reasons. This hurts!!! Also having a mild allergic reaction to the dermabond glue so I am itchy all around my incisions. Ugh... Owww...
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Christina. I couldn't get a DIEP because my oncologist was afraid the trauma would trigger a progression. The trauma of the muscle pain from the immediate reconstruction might have been worse. Certainly lasted longer.
So sorry you're in such pain. Glad they're taking care of you. Take care of yourself.0 -
Yikes, Christina, I hope things improve quickly! That is one long surgery, and glad to hear you are on the mend for the most part.
Ali, what a week! You deserve a garden break! Did your DH go to the doctor?
Well, the rest of the cellulitis story: After the red skin around the rash faded, it came back two days later and spread beyond the originial site , freaking me out and causing me to come home early and go to my local ER, as well as contact both plastic surgeon and oncologist.
The ER doctor gave me an IV booster, and did a viral and bacterial culture on the rash (blisters, so there was fluid to culture, apologies for TMI). I was told to continue on the klindamycin; I continue to freak out because I was convinced that I needed IV drugs....
Until (and here is where I need a really tiny, embarrassed font) I re-read the directions on my med, and instead of taking one pill three x day, I was supposed to be taking 3 pills three x day.
I don't know how I missed that, I'm very careful about this stuff in general. So yes, I was on a pediatric level of antibiotics, no wonder the red came back! Commenced correct dosage, cellulitis disappeared in a day.In the mean time, the viral culture came back positive for shingles--could have knocked me over with a feather, becuase it wasn't particularly painful, and was a relatively isolated patch--didn't follow a nerve pathway or anything like that. I am convinced the bug bites triggered the shingles.
What a boneheaded move!
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Geez, Hildy, glad you are OK. That's a lot of drama. We all do that kind of stuff. I overdosed myself on steroids when I was on chemo.
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Well, I brought most of the drama on myself, to be honest. so aggravating.
On the plus side, I finally got my stand-up paddleboard, and it is so much fun!
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Hi everyone,
OMG its been months since I've been here. I have been working like crazy 6-7 days a week. I finally shut down last week. told my husband I have to stop being a workaholic. I dont want to get into a weakened state. So i cut back on my hours and am spending more time with the kids and hubby. Sometimes I wonder if I'm working so much to feel " normal gain" pre cancer days. All in all I'm doing good. I had a sonogram of pelvic area and they found a 2.7 cm cyst on ovary. Doc feels its nothing to worry about. She said the Tamoxifen can increase cysts. I need to have a repeat in two months. I had a hysterectomy 6 weeks before my breast cancer dx and did not have my ovaries removed. If I only knew. But doc said not to remove ovaries since I'm BRCA neg. Let see what else, had colonoscopy fun, fun fun. All o.k. Tumor markers up and down but onc says some people run high. Mine are around 7.5.
Hildy- glad your doing better. Thankgod you caught that early. I had an infection 6 months after exchane that turned into cellulitis/ I was in the hospital for 5 days.
Grit Girl- Glad your doing good and keeping your spirits up. Having a positive attidute is good medicine. After my BC dx I tried to remain upbeat and some of my friends said I was in denial. Are you kidding me? Dont judge until you've walked in my shoes. Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration.
Has anyone had their nipples done yet? I'm still tossing between reconstruction or tatoo. Also thinking about Vinnies in Maryland.
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Anyone coming out this way to see Vinnie is welcome to stay with me. :-)
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Christine
Hope this message finds you comfortable at home! Such a big surgery but I'm happy to hear your already pleased with the results.
Hildy
Glad you got the dosage right now!
Dipad
Hey girl! Like any of us is in denial! Please. I try to be positive all the time too, its my nature and I have alot to be grateful for
Ran into th ex last night, wants to get back together. Aint happening! How can a sane person think they can treat me like sh*t during the scariest time of my life and expect me to forget. Guess whoever he had his eye on didn't work out the way he wanted. I had dropped by a friends for a visit and he was there. Another friend was inviting us all for a BBQ and fire later. He wouldn't have been invited normally but I told the host to go ahead and ask him, that I didn't mind because there were lots of people around and I hate to see anyone (even him) not included. I'm going to have to be alot more discerning and check ahead in case he's there. He now just makes me uncomfortable.
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Mlb, tell your ex you're going to take your fabulous new boobs and grace somebody else with their beautfy. Harrumph.
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Hildy, sorry you got so sick. Goofing up on the meds - it's a very common thing to do, don't kick yourself too much over it. How fortunate that you aren't having significant pain from the shingles! I have been told by many people, how painful they can be.
dipad - nice to "see" you here! And glad you are going to take a break from that crazy work schedule. Sometimes I have to remind myself, I work to live, I do not live to work. Time with family is so precious. I don't have nipples yet and I think I am just going to get a tattoo nipple. Unless my PS can show me some amazing photos of what she or her staff have done, I would seriously consider going to Vinnie's. I am from New Jersey and have tons of family there; it would be easy to go out to visit them for a week and drive to Baltimore to get the nipple done. Thanks for the offer Susan - that was very sweet of you!
MLB - I lol'ed @ Susan's suggested retort - good for you for not being tempted to take him back. Sometimes we women have a hard time letting go of trash, not sure why...
I don't want to say this on the reconstruction board - I am really regretting my DIEP surgery right now! My allergic reaction to the glue continues to worsen and spread. I have a call out to my PS but no response yet. I need steroids for this. I loathe being itchy. I am feeling so depressed over it.
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Grit
Good one! LOL!
Christine
I'm sorry to hear about the itching, it must be driving you bonkers. Mabey once that's resolved you'll feel better about everything? Hope so (((HUGS)))
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Christina, hope you got the steroids and your feeling better. DH still keeps coming out head to foot in horrible hives and his lips swell to a very large size. Omg he looks so bad he can't go out. He is taking antihistamine but we don't know why it's happening. I hope it's not the cat and dog. Had cat 10 years and dog just over a year.
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Christina. Did you get some relief.
Ali. I hope it's not the dog or cat either.0 -
Well no contest the animals stay, bon voyage DH hehe.
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Ali
LOL! Although it has to sooo frustrating for your DH, its been a while since this has been going on no?
I broke out in hives once as a kid from head to toe. They did go away but they never really pinpointed the cause. All I really remember is my Mom ripping up sheets and wrapping me up like a mummy after she slathered calomine lotion on me. The wrapping part was to stop me from scratching
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Thanks for letting me whine yesterday! MLB you are right, now that the itching is (somewhat) controlled, and I was able to get a decent night's sleep, I am definitely in a better mood and seeing everything in a better perspective. I'm feeling pretty decent actually and looking forward to seeing my PS for my first follow-up today.
Oh Ali your poor DH, that sounds awful. I hope you figure out what is causing the hives, I hope it's not the pets either! It would break my heart if my DH or I became allergic to our critters.
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Hi ladies and gent...it's been awhile since I've posted but I do enjoy catching with everyone.
My sister was dx'd this week
inflamtory bc which stages at 3b. Just when I was hoping I could make it a few days without ever thinking about cancer it's back to a constant in my mind. Hate cancer0 -
Christina. Glad you're feeling.
Faith. I am just so, so sorry. Praying for your sister0
